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[saidevo]

Pages 150-156 (concluding part)

An incident that happened during the Kashi Yatra in the year 1933.

Sri PeriyavaaL's 'visit' to the Banaras Hindu University on an evening.

When PeriyavaaL went there, Madak-kulatthur BrahmaSri Chinnasamy SastrigaL was giving a lecture, about ' vidhi rasAyanam ', a Mimamsa work written by Appayya Dikshitar. Sri PeriyavaaL was enraptured by Sri Dikshita's style of writing. He was happy talking about it to 'AtmaVidya BhushaNam' Injik-kollai BrahmaSri Jagadeeswara SastrigaL who had accompanied him. (Only later to this incident, Sri PeriyavaaL read all the Granthas of Appayya Dikshitar).

A reception to PeriyavaaL was held in the Kashi Raja's palace. Notables from the city were present. And a large number of Pandits. A feeling of derision in their hearts; an asUya (displeasure) that could not be placed: 'Why should this man bear the title Jagadguru?... With two questions, we can corner him!"

As PeriyavaaL came and seated himself, a Pandit asked in Avesha : "Who is that Jagadguru?"

"Myself", said PeriyavaaL.

"Oho? You are the Guru for the entire Jagat?"

"No, jagatAm guruH na (I am not saying it in the meaning 'a guru for the Jagat'). jagati padyamAnAH sarve mama gurave " (All the creatures in the world are my gurus--in that meaning I am Jagadguru)."

The North Indian Pandits were dumbfounded. They never expected such a simple explanation.

PeriyavaaL looked at the nests that sparrows had built in the pigeon holes constructed on top of those buildings. He showed it to the Pandits and asked, " kimitam (what are these)?"

" nIDa (nest, resting-place)."

" kena nimitta (built by whom)?"

" caTake (sparrows)."

"Sparrows with no hands or legs build nests. Though we have hands and legs we can't build nests like them. The sparrows have a kriyA shakti . That, I don't have. Therefore, the sparrow is my guru..." PeriyavaaL said, and worshipped them with folded palms, after patting his cheeks.

The North Indian Pandits who saw this in person were amazed. They bowed to him, adoring him, "You are indeed the Jagadguru!" Until the last day PeriyavaaL stayed in Kashi, there were coming to him daily and prostrated.

[saidevo]

The story of the Uppuk Kuravan (the salt merchant)

A large duHkham , an unbearable shokam befell me. I could not go to have darshan of Sri Maha PeriyavaaL for four months.

PeriyavaaL sent word for me. Two or three big officials came and took me to him.

It was ten in the night. Solitude. The shine of an akal viLakku (earthern lamp).

"... nipuNau ", said PeriyavaaL slowly, " sollu (tell me)."

" tava hi charaNAveva nipuNau ... the fourth shloka in the Saundarya Lahari... tvad-anyaH pANibhyAM ..."

PeriyavaaL, slowly, "Only AmbaaL is the adaikkalam (asylum) for everyone. She knows it--what to give, how, and when..."

Silence.

"SambaMurthy, would you know about the sandai (Shandy, a mobile market)?"

"I know. Many merchants will bring various goods and sell them. The sandai will be held on a specific day in a week in every village. They would be travelling under a schedule of 'this place today, another tomorrow'."

"Would you have heard about uppuk kuravan (a salt merchant)?"

"Yes. Those who earn their living traditionally by selling salt in the sandai s."

"Yes, such an uppuk kuravan ; one who had bhakti in Kamakshi...

"Once, when he finished his work in a sandai and was on his way to the next village, he came across a jungly region. Some thieves watched this man, carrying his salt bags on a donkey. ' Dei (hey), this man would sell his salt tomorrow, carry money and go this way. We would at that time seize his earnings...', they made a plan. Forthwith,--would you know about the firecrakers they burst?..."

[saidevo]

"In temples, during the days of Utsava, they would prepare firecrakers with cracker-explosive mixture, hardening it and inserting a wick. When the edge of the wick is lit by fire, the spark would slowly traverse through and reach the explosive content; and that will burst with a loud noise."

"Yes, what the thieves planned, if they burst a firecraker, the donkey would get upset and run in confusion. The uppuk kuravan would scream in fear, faint and fall down. Then they could seize the money from his lap...

"On that day, when the uppuk kuravan spread his ware in the sandai , it rained heavily and all the salt melted away. He had naSTam, manak-kaSTam . He scolded Kamakshi with whatever words that came to his mind. His anger was also that he should return home with no money. Turning back, he travelled through the jungly region. When they signted him, the thieves lit their firecracker. The spark travelled through the wick up to the pipe that held the explosive mixture. When they were happy that it was about to burst, it did not burst! When they investigated the reason, they found that the explosive mixture was thoroughly wet in the rain that showered in the morning! So it did not catch fire. They said at once to the uppuk kuravan 'Swami has saved you. It was only for your good that it rained. Go home and worship God.'

"The uppuk kuravan was dumfounded. 'Then, what I thought as AmbaaL doing me droham (betrayal of trust) was only wrong?' He thought, 'Kamakshi, forgive me. You know what I want, and when. Had it not rained and I had sold the salt and come this way with the earnings, these thieves would have beaten me up. It is my good time that you saved me!'

"Therefore, whatever we get is only AmbaaL's prasAdam . Remaining without asking for anything is the good that we can do to ourselves..."

When Maha PeriyavaaL's low-toned, leisurely, long talk came to an end, it was two-thirty in the night.

"The ten tons of iron on my head has been unburdened", I said.

His starting with the sandai and ending it with AmbaaL--though it was for my mental comfort, it suits everyone in the same state of mind, right?

"Without skipping it, you read Ramayana daily. You will get peace of mind", said PeriyavaaL.

The Ramayana ParayaNa and the peace of mind continue together, to this day.

Glossary:
AveshaH - entering, influence, intentness, devotion, pride, flurry, sudden agitation, anger, possession by a god, spirit or demon, apoplectic or epileptic giddiness

[saidevo]

Darshan in paurNami
author:...... Va.Ve.Ramani, Mumabi
compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
book:......... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 2, pages 26-28
publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)

Sri Maha Periyavaa is a god of compassion. To whose who seek refuge to Maha PeriyavaaL, he would be a saviour god. He would be the mAtA, pitA and guru of all jIvA s. Although Sri Sri Sri Maha Periyavaa remained a saMnyAsin , it seems to me that he considered all the people as his children. His greatness, and the goodness he brought to everyone of them, have no bounds. The Supreme Power ( kadavuL/bhagavAn that is Sri Sri Sri Maha PeriyavaaL is always there everywhere.

Everyone who closely moved with him would narrate their experiences in different ways.

I had immense bhakti towards Sri Maha PeriyavaaL without my knowing it. Whenever I found time, I used to have his darshan. At one time I got the parichayam of Sri PradoSha Venkatararama Aiyar. He advised me to have darshan of Maha PeriyavaaL on every paurNima (full moon day). Accordingly, when I was once coming over from Bombay, the train that was to reach Arakkonam at four in the evening reached only at eight. Catching a bus, I went to Kanchipuram SriMaTham around nine in the night. Justice Misra came out at that time after having darshan.

I told the chippanti s (staff members) that I needed to have darshan of Sri Sri Sri Maha PeriyvaaL, and also catch the 11:30 pm Mail at Arakkonam on the same night. They told me that by then Sri Maha Periyavaa had gone to have his vishrAnti and the next darshan time would only be in the morning. I remained helpless for some minutes. But surprisingly, Sri Maha PeriyavaaL gave me his darshan in another second! Looking at me, he asked, " enna koNdu vandirukkirAi? (what have you brought)?" I said, "I have brought some fruits." He took something from them and ordered me to distribute them to the others. I took leave of him at 10:30 pm in the night. The last bus at that time from Kanchipuram to Arakkonam was at 9:10 pm, and it was gone. So I started in an autorickshaw. The auto was in some trouble en route and stopped. The auto driver said that it would be difficult for me to get the train. After getting the vehicle repaired, when we reached Arakkonam it was 12:30 midnight. Only by the time I entered the platform, that train was just entering it. I can never forget this incident in my life.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

When I was working in my office, it was difficult to take leave. An officer of mine started giving me much trouble. I supplicated to Sri Maha PeriyavaaL. From that time there was no problem. When he was about to retire that officer asked me compassionately, "You want me to do any help?" I saw in anubhava pUrvam that Sri Maha PeriyavaaL would transform with his mana saMkalpam even such people who were cruel to their subordinates.

Glossary:
parichaya - acquaintance, intimacy, familiarity with, knowledge of, trial, practice, frequent repetition, meeting with a friend.

[saidevo]

The Drop from the Sky and the Green Grass
author:...... 'Guru kaingarya siromaNi' T.V.R.Chary, Kanchipuram
compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
book:......... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 2, pages 57-63
publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)

As with the world-famous Adi Sankara, the world would also know well about the greatness of Sri Chandrasekharendra Sarasvati, the sixty-eightth PiThAdhipati of Sri Kanchi KamakoTi PiTham.

Miracles happen rarely. At those times, the world is in a position to know about the divinity of sages. Through those incidents we can realize that they are deivAmsa sambMbhUta (made of divinity), that they are avatAra puruShA s. In that way, it is the fortune aDiyEn (myself) received through Sri MahaSwamigaL's anugraham --the miracle of making the inarticulate child of mine speak.

The time I was working in All India Radio Station, Puduvai (Puducherry). Pondicherry Gopala Aiyar was the one who helped, by taking me to Sri MahaSwamigaL and making me have the darshana bhAgyam of the sage. I used to come every week, to look up my family, which was residing at Kanchipuram. Every month, the Avahanti homam was also conducted in Pondy. To submit the prasAdam to MahaSwamigaL, Gopala Aiyar would bring the other devotees also, arranging a separate bus. Accompanying him, and bringing the artistes of the Pondicherry Radio Station also and making them sing in Guru Sannidhi, I received the fortune of this service through the grace of Guru. It also made me suitable to receive AcharyaaL's abhimAnam (affection).

During the years 1969 and 1970, Sri MahaSwamigaL was in his blessing stance in the SivAsthAnam at Tenambakkam. My second daughter Santhalakshmi was inarticulate though she completed three years of age. Even the words 'Amma, Appa' did not come out of her mouth. Since it happened in birth, the doctors told that it was an impossible task to make her talk. They said no treatment could be effective since it is 'genetically predetermined'. They (also) said that only by a miracle happending through the divine power of Vaidhyanatha Swami or Lord Sri dakSiNAmUrti, would it be possible to make my child talk.

If Sri Adi Sankara is an avatara of Lord Sri dakSiNAmUrti, my family and I were adoring in mind Sri MahaSwamigaL as talking Kamakshi.

Having heard about the karuNA vilAsam of Sri Kamakshi whose divine power made Sri Muka Sankara (of Kanchi)--who was deaf and dumb since birth--talk and gave him the skill of singing hymns, and made him compose and sing the stotra ratna mAlA called 'Sri Muka Panchasati', adoring Her as ' gurumUrte tvAM namAmi kAmAkShi ; and about the adbhuta mahima of AcharyaaL Sri Adi Sankara who made the dumb Hastamalaka talk; my wife prompted me to take the child to Sri MahaSwamigaL and pray for his anugraham !

[saidevo]

I took the child to the sannidhi of Sri MahaSwamigaL. On that way, there was not much crowd near Sri SwamigaL. Disciples like Sri Balu, Sri Ramamurthy, Sri SrikaNTan, Sri Kumaresan were with him.

"Chary has come!"--Sri Balu supplicates to MahaSwamigaL.

"Who is this child?"--Sri MahaSwamigaL's question.

"Adiyen's child. She can't talk. With Periyavaa's anugraham she must talk. My ahamuDayAAL (wife) asked me to pray to you..."

"Why, you don't have that desire?"

Knowing nothing to reply, I looked stupid.

"She will talk well, and she will talk much, go!" Sri MahaSwamigaL blossomed his holy mouth and spoke the words of grace.

"All Periyavaa anugraham ", I said, prostrated, and returned home.

During that three-four hours time when we went to SriMaTham and returned, the child could have been hungry, thirsty. Still, because of the greatness of Sri AchayaaL's look of grace, the child was calm until we reached home. Once we reached home, the child ran inside, brought her dining plate and spoke, " ammA, mammu poDu (Mommy, give me food!)!" What a wonder! The inarticulate child talks! Our bodies were shivering in ecstasy. The miracle that happened by the divine power of Sri Acharya's favour. No words to express it. Thinking about the supreme compassion of that walking God, and holding on to his holy lotus feet in mind, we adored him and felt happy. What can the graha balam (power of the planets) do, only the Acharya's anugraha balam is the power, we realized and started adoring the Guru's grace.

Since it was already night time, we met Sri MahaSwamigaL on the next day, prostrated and told him the miracle of the child talking.

I supplicated to him, "By Periyavaa anugra mahima , speech has come to the child."

" nannA pEsuvA; nannA iruppA! [i]she will talk well; she will be prosperous! ", said Sri MahaSwamigaL.

A minute's silence.

"You should do one kAryam ."

" uttavaru (your orders)."

"JanakiRamaiah and Dr. Rajappa are arranging for music concerts in the Kamakshi temple during the Navaratri time. Rajappa does not have a normal vision. You are working in the Radio. For the sangIta vidvAn s only the upachAram (attention) is more important than the sambhAvanA (honorarium). Wherever you are during the Navaratri time, take leave and supervise the Navaratri concerts in AmbaaL Sannidhi."

"Periyavaa uttiravu ", my happiness knew no bounds as I said this.

[saidevo]

From that day until now, I make arrangements for and supervise Sri Kamakshi AmbaaL Tirukkoyil Navaratri Utsava Art Festival Programmes. Sri MahaSwamigaL arranged for the music artistes to do their musical service first in SriMaTham and then in Sri Kamakshi AmbaaL Tirukkoyil. It is a fortune favoured to me by our AcharyaaL to continue with that kaingariyam (service)! It does not rain only for the crops, also for the grass. There are many who are capable of receiving God's grace. Of them many are the parama bhakta s who have the eligibility. Some with nothing to qualify them, sometimes get the honours like the grass, because of divine grace. It is God's nature to shower compassion. saulabhyaM (nearness) is his svAbhAvika guNam (intrinsic nature). God's lakShaNa (characteristic) is to dispense grace without looking at the vAsi (learning and status). Graceful compassion is the deity's nature. Like the green grass also getting the benefit of the raindrops from the sky, Sri MahaSwamigaL's apAra karuNA (boundless compassion) that takes charge of even an akiMchana (indigent) like Adiyen and gives grace, expresses the state of his anavarata (uninterrupted) divinity and exemplifies the sky-drop-to-grass gift this indigent received.

*** *** ***

Recently, when the ShataChaNDi MahaYajnam was held in SriMaTham, during the time of pUrNAhutI (completion) PujyaSri Sankara Vijayendra Sarasvati SwamigaL, the seventieth PiThAdhipatigaL of Sri KamakoTi PiTham gave his kaTAkSha (look of grace) to Adiyen and spoke gracefully, "Meditate well and pray to ParAmbika. You will get what you ask for. Also janma rAhityam (release from births)."

"Enough if there is Periyavaa's anugraham . I am not in need of janma rAhityam . I want births in the hereafter; and all the births should have sambandha (connection) with the holy feet of Sri KamakoTi PiTham's AcharyaaL. I should get continued Sri Kamakshi AmmbaaL, Sri AcharyaaL kaigarya prAptam by Mother Kamakshi's innaruL (sweet grace) and Sri Acharya SwamigaL's anugraha ", I stood praying.

" baMTu rIti koluvIya vayya svAmi "

"Give me even the job of a servant, O Swamy!"

Only this is Adiyen's prArthanA I submit the holy golden feet of Sri AcharyaaL.

Glossary:
akiMchana - a. without anything, poor, indigent
saMbhUta - a. born or produced from; made or composed of; become, being, existing; furnished with.

[renu]

I am a relatively new user to this forum. I was reading the stories and experiences of Periyaval. I cannot thank enough, all those who have contributed to this forum by posting Periayaval's stories. Just reading his stories and I am unable to control my tears.

His holiness, his simplicity, his magnanimity, oh.. I dont have enough words to describe him. Please keep posting more stories and experiences.

Just like how it is said, listening to Ramayanam cleanses one of his sons and rejuvinates, I feel that reading Periyaval's stories cleanses us of our Karma and takes us into a state of rapture.

Thank you everyone for this beautiful forum.

[saidevo]

Incidents that Give a Poignant Feeling
author:...... R.Santhanaraman, Chennai-33
compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
book:......... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 2, pages 44-52
publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)

Pages 44-47

I think it was the year 1950. Periya PeriyavaaL Sri Chandrasekharendra Sarasvati SwamigaL for chAturmAsyam was staying in the Semmangudi village near Tiruvarur. Wearing tirumaN and without even taking my (morning) cup of coffee, I was waiting to receive the first tIrtham after Periyavaa completes his puja. Around 12 o' clock when PeriyavaaL finished his puja and came to give tIrtham , the surge of the crowd pushed me who was standing first in the queue away by 30 feet. Since the others pushed me away who was standing in the queue for six hours without taking even a cup of coffee I cursed them within my mind, 'Let no one here be given the first tIrtham .'

Periyavaa who took the uttaraNi to give tIrtham said, without giving tIrtham to anyone, "There, call that AyyangAr boy standing at the corner". I went to him. He said to me, "'Although (my) PATTi asked me to, I did not take my coffee and waited starving for six hours, to get the first tIrtham ; and still they drove me away? Let no one here be given the first tIrtham ', you cursed? I appreciate your bhakti . You will be amogha . Here, get the first tIrtham !" Everyone appreciated me.

*** *** ***

Could have been 15 days since my upanayanam was held. PeriyavaaL did pattina prevesam in the Semmangudi village only on that day. Everyone prostrated to him on the street. I too prostrated and did an ' abhivAdaye '* to Periya PeriyavaaL. At once the people nearby looked at me and said, " apachAram, apachAram ! You should not do an abhivAdaye to PeriyavaaL." I looked closely at Periyava PeriyavaaL. (There came the doubt in my mind, our VAdhyAr asked me to prostrate and say abhivAdaye to elders? But these people tell me I should not do it now? So is this man an elder ( periyavar ) or not?). PeriyavaaL looked back at me and said, reading my thoughts like an X-ray (reads the inside of a body), "A doubt has come to you as you looked at me if I am PeriyavaaL or not, right?"

[saidevo]

Then he told me, "' abhivAdaye ' is a life history.--In those days, people would not buy a mAppiLLai (bridegroom) as they bought mADu (cattle) at the NIlatthanallUr shandy. They had learnt ingitam . Through the ' abhivAdaye ' they would know that such and such man is of such gotram , such sUtram and then decide about giving their daughter in marriage to the man or not. Whereas I am a tuRavi (ascetic), I have no wife, I have no daughter--to give you. Therefore it is not necessary that you do abhivAdaye to me. It is not a mistake that you made an abhivAdaye , however. You understand?" "I understand", I said. In the middle of the road, an upadesham for me for 10 minutes. Can't forget it!

*** *** ***

In that same Semmangudi village at PattAmaNiyAr's house, after the puja was over, everyone went away. I was standing alone at the place where the kUDam (hall) and tAzhvAram (courtyard) met. PeriyavaaL is having bhikShA in the kitchen room at the other end of the hall. Throughout the (walls of the) hall, (framed) portraits of (the gods) Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Thanjavur Krishna and such others are hung. Raising my head I looked at a portrait. In one portrait PeriyavaaL having bhikShA was visible as a shadow. Forthwith I turned my eyes to look at some other side. PeriyavaaL saw me standing, called SriKAryam and asked him to tell 'the boy', "Don't look, move away." SriKAryam came and told me, "Looking at PeriyavaaL having bhikShA is improper; move away." I told him: "I did not look of my own accord. It was itself visible to me in that portrait located straight in my vision. Forthwith I stopped looking." Since this talk fell on PeriyavaaL's ears, he said from where he was, "Don't admonish that boy. He did not look at me with a wishing mind. My having bhikSha being visible from here at 45 degrees in the portrait as a shadow and reflected back to him at 45 degrees reaching his eyes."

Appreciation from PeriyavaaL for explaining my actual position; and kind words for me. Never to be forgotten.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

Note:
abhivAdanam - By Abhivadanam an individual expresses his descent-namely dynastic rishis, gotra, sutra, veda, saka and name.

"When we do abhivadanam to elders, we state what sutra we follow – Apasthamba, Bodhayana etc. These refer to Srouta sutras. In ancient times, the Srouta karmas were given greater importance than grihya karmas. In addition, there are other texts called, sulpa sutras, dharma sutras etc. Among the four vedas, the kalpa sutras of Atharva Veda (which itself is very very less in practice), are not readily available." -- kosal.us/Hinduism/Vedangas.htm ...

Rules on abhivAdanam are given at:
www.advaita-vedanta.org ...

Examples of suitable representation of names in abhivAdanam are given at:
www.ramanuja.org ...

The position of women and ascetics with respect to abhivAdanam is discussed at: www.ramanuja.org ...

If saying abhivAdanam is dvaidic and fosters the ego is discussed at:
lists.advaita-vedanta.org ...

An overview of Gotras and Pravaras is given at:
www.salagram.net ...

Glossary:
amogha - 1. a. infallible, efficacious, auspicious 2. unfailing, reaching the mark, fruitful
amogham - (Tamil) 1. unfailing, reaching the mark, fruitful 2. abundance, fullness, plenitude
ingitam - (Tamil) 1. hint, sign, indication of feeling by gesture. 2. sweetness, agreeableness.
tirumaN - A Vaishnava's holy symbol that he wears on the forehead.

[saidevo]

Pages 47-52 (concluding part)

For tirumanjanam (ablution), SriKAryam brings tIrtham from the Semmangudi river, in a silver pot, sitting on the paTTatthu yAnai (sovereign elephant). As it came to the entrance of the house, the elephant started going crazy. SriKAryam immediately jumped with the silver pot from the elephant and ran inside the house. The mahout of the elephant too ran away for life towards the adjacent village. All the people in the street close the doors to their house and look from their windows. I was also having a look. Running amuck from the east end to the west end in the street, the elephant smashed the pandal legs, pillars at the gates, and the thatti s (thatched boards for cover) on the thiNNai s (raised porticos).

SriKAryam who ran inside told Periya PeriyavaaL, "The elephant is running amuck." PeriyavaaL at once came out alone, went near the elephant and said, "Gajendra! What naughtiness are you indulging in? Go back in silence and lie down!" What wonder! Forthwith, the elephant, like a cow on a rope, lay down filling the street, its head on the north and tail on the south side, and remained silent. PeriyavaaL called SriKAryam and asked the man to bring camphor, incense, bananas, and flower. SriKAryam brought and kept them on the thiNNai and went back inside, apprehensive of any danger to his life! PeriyavaaL stayed alone and performed the Gajendra Puja to the elephant that lay down in the middle of the street, made the animal wear flowers, waved the incense then the camphor to it and finally gave the animal the banana bunch. The elephant ate the fruits. Then he told the elephant, "Get up and go. Don't do any viShamam (mischief) henceforth." The elephant got up and stood to a side. That the elephant's frenzy subsided within an hour is a miracle, which happened only due to PeriyavaaL's divine act; and I witnessed that puja, my eyes filled with the sight.

The greatness of the Agnihotra House

Fifty years ago, PeriyavaaL's bhikSha was arranged in the house of a mirAsdAr (landowner) in Semmangudi of the Nannilam taluk. But even before the appointed time, PeriyavaaL came on foot from the adjacent village and sat down on the vAsal thiNNai (raised portico at the entrance) of Agnihotri Tiru. Nageswara Dikshitar's house. He told the people there, "Isn't this the house of Agnihotri Nageswara Dikshitar? Where is he? Call him? Today only in this gRuham is the bhikSha ."

[saidevo]

Dikshitar was supervising the work in the fields. People went to him and said, "Sitting down on the thiNNai of your house, PeriyavaaL has said that the bhikSha is in your house; he sent us for calling you." Dikshitar rushed back to his house, prostrated to PeriyavaaL and said, " apachAram , I have made you wait." PeriyavaaL replied, "Your house where the Agnihotram is performed has dragged me down to it." The bhikSha went on well in the landowner's house. What greatness has the Agnihotram!

PeriyavaaL's novel explanation

Periya PeriyavaaL used to do upanyAsam at the entrance of Tiru. S.S.Natesa Ayyar's house, fifty years ago. We all would go there and listen to it. This is a news PeriyavaaL said one day.

He stayed in Ranchi, Bihar state for two months. He said that in the whole of those two months he was not able to see the Ranchi RamakoTi PiThAdhipati, since the pontiff had gone on yAtrA to other places. Even later on, when the pontiff stayed in Ranchi, he was not able to meet the Kanchi Kamakoti PiThAdhipati even once. At last when they met one day, the Ranchi PiThAdhipati asked Kanchi PiThAdhipati, "Though all these days passed by, why is it that I was not able to meet you?" PeriyavaaL said that he replied to the question as

वो राम का काम नहि
और काम का राम नहि

" vo rAm kA kAm nahi
aur kAm kA rAm nahi "

quoting a Hindu shloka . Ranchi RamaKoTi was taken aback, and was happy, for PeriyavaaL tactfully quoting a Hindi verse to one whose mother tongue was Hindi, and giving it the right meaning that applied to the circumstances. (It was not Rama's work. In addition, this is not a RamakAryam (work for Rama.) Maha PeriyavaaL said that he thus put a fullstop to the talk indicating in sUchakam (hint) that the MaThAdhipatis not meeting each other might have some alpa kAraNam (trivial reason) which need not be tied to any divine act.

[saidevo]

PeriyavaaL's friendliness

Maha SwamigaL's bhikSha was arranged at the TozhudUr landlord's house, located on the north bank of the KamalAlayam tank, Tiruvarur. But when PeriyavaaL came on foot from the adjacent village and was passing through the Durgalaya Road, he suddenly entered the house of T.V.Krishnamurthi Ayyar, a retired district doctor. Krishnamurthi said, " apachAram , when I am here to welcome you, you have come seeking my house on your own?"

"Those things are only for the others. You and I are schoolmates. Between us, no such saTTatiTTam s (rules and plans)", PeriyavaaL said, "You come without fail to TozhudUrAr's house." He added, "You start giving free treatment daily to the poor. That itself would be a great puja for you." From that day on, that doctor until his last days, took up the practice of free treatment to the poor, giving them free medicine, money to buy any medicine from the shop, and money for food and bus charge to the poor who came from adjacent places. These acts were witnessed by me and my father. If PeriyavaaL's friend is of such kindness, who can measure the compassion of PeriyavaaL?

*** *** ***

Several years ago when PeriyavaaL was staying in Pudukottai, Kunniyur landowner K.S. Sambasiva Ayyar stayed there for a few days, having darshan of the sage. One day PeriyavaaL called Sri Sambasiva Ayyar and said, "You get back home; the field harvest is to take place. Go back and look after your family affairs." To that Sri Sambasiva Ayyar replied, "I shall stay here for one day today, watch the puja and then leave."

But PeriyavaaL said a little sternly, "You get back today itself to Mannargudi. You should not stay here today. Start immediately." So he left for Mannargudi. And in that night Sambasiva Ayyar attained Shivaloka PrApti (Shiva's heavenly abode).

My father PerumALagaram P.K.Rajagopala Ayyargar told me this new. What dIrgha darshanam (foresight), PeriyavaaL's!

[saidevo]

Incidents that never escape from memory
devotee:...... Srimati Indira Balasubramaniam, West Thana, Mumbai
author:....... Srimati Indira Balasubramaniam
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 6, pages 180-196
publisher:.... Vanathi Padhippaham (Jun 2008 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

Pages 180-185

Kanchi MahAn needs no introduction. If it is one kind of joy to read about the experiences had by those who approached him, it is another kind to share them with others; and to write about them is a third kind. He was also unique in fulfilling the yearnings of those who sought him.

It was the time when kanakAbhiShekam was being arranged for the MahAn. A letter received from the MaTham said that those who wished to participate in the service might give according to their shakti gold worth one sovereign or an equivalent amount in rupees.

I decided to give the pair of bangles that I had made for my marriage. Although it was a month and a half for the day of the kanakAbhiShekam , we had no plans to visit Kanchipuram at that time. And this man (my husband) would be very strict that what we offer should not be known to a third person; so it wasn't possible for us to send the offer through a third person. He said we might send a 'draft' for an equivalent amount (for the bangles).

Whereas I said, "Have already kept it for Periyavar, can't change it." I had inquired with two jewellery shops as to whether the pure gold obtained from melting the bangles would amount to a sovereign. With confusion in mind, as I thought that perhaps PeriyavaaL was not willing to receive my offer, tears welled up in my eyes.

As I entered the house, what a surprise! A man from the MaTham was talking to 'this man'. He said that the letter was sent as an advance announcement and that he had come in person to receive the offer.

A relative woman of mine had lost a number of her jewels since her husband was not behaving properly. I told her, "You too give a sovereign." She did as I said and thereafter she did not lose anything.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

Thinking of PeriyavaaL if one climbs down his/her doorsteps, it would be his responsibility until the person returns home. During the MahAn's north Indian yAtrA we went to Solapur where he camped. The railway station master of that place, though a Marati, guided everyone who sought his help to the place where the sage was camping.

He asked us to take a bus, so we got into a bus. The conductor asked us to get own at a place. We got down and walked. It was very dark, with no sign of human movement. A stretch of fields on both sides. Even after walking for a half hour we couldn't locate the place where the MahAn was staying. Fear seizing my mind between its jaws, I thought of the MahAn and prayed to him. Not even five minutes would have passed and we sighted a boy riding on a cycle at a distance. We also came to know that he belonged to the MaTham. When we asked him he said, "Only ten minutes walk, follow me."

Once we went to a place called Meeraj and stayed with the MahAn in the MaTham for two days. The day of our return came. A Marati man came on that day with family for darshan. When he inquired us about Periyavar, we said, "you can go inside and have darshan." When he went inside, we came out and stood under a tree. We were discussing, 'there seems to be no vehicle or bus from here to the Meeraj railway station; how are we to go there?' A car that went passed us stopped suddenly. The Marati man we were talking to awhile ago, got down and told us, "Where do you want to go? You can't get a vehicle here, so come in our car." Getting rapturous about the MahAn's compassion for us, we accompanied them.

*** *** ***

The MahAn was staying on the other side of the river in Pandaripuram. When we went there, it was eight o' clock at night. A boatman promised to take us to the other side and did so. When we offered money for the service, he refused to take it. "I don't get money from people who come to have darshan of the MahAn", said that poor Marati boatman.

[saidevo]

We could buy lots of the tulasi leaf bunches there. Stringing them into a garland using the fibre of the banana tree, we gave it to him and stood aside. I was a bit distressed at heart that he did not even have a look at it. A hour passed. A Marati man brought a statue. He said, "This Lakshminarayana statue we got when we dug our land." Periyavar did abhiShekam to the image with water from his kamaNDalu . Adorning it with the tulasi garland I had submitted, he asked the man to take it home. Perhaps he did not wear the garland himself knowing that the statue would be brought to him.

*** *** ***

Sometime later, four or five people brought a man bitten by a snake. With his mouth foaming, the victim found it hard to breathe. Periyavar looked at him once and gave a lot of vibhUti . A man who brought the victim smeared it all over the body and dropped some in the victim's mouth. Half an hour later, the victim was restored to normal health and went back walking with the people who brought him.

*** *** ***

He was an expert in appearing in dreams too for blessing a person. One of my elder brothers died when he was eighteen years old. At that time my mother's age was hardly thirty-four. When my mother had thoughts of suicide with no thought towards her other children, he appeared in her dream. My mother changed her mind and lived on, and reared us all, feeding us with devotion towards Periyavar.

Many years back my mother became unwell. I found myself crying before Periyavar in my dream. The cut half of a coconut was in his hand, filled with its water. He says to me, "Look, I have only given you a good coconut." Today my mother is eighty years old.

*** *** ***

During the year 1974 my father once took diamonds to a goldsmith's home to make them into a diamond stud for me. He went around eight in the morning but did not return even at nine in the night. Those days there were no telephone facilities like we have today. Worry started spreading in our mind. My mother said, "Come, let us pray to Swami." Crying, I said, "Who else is there for us, except PeriyavaaL?" Before I could finish that sentence, my father's head was seen at the doorsteps. It is another matter that he explained the delay in his returning.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

Pages 185-191

We had gone to Kalavai. 'This man' had taken the examination for the A.M.I. and told so to Peiyavar, with the discomfort of having not done well in the exam showing in his voice. The MahAn blessed him and we returned. The exam results came, and he had passed it successfully in a good class.

It is our custom to keep new clothes, savouries and whatever else, before his portrait and then use it. On the morning of the day PeriyavaaL attained samAdhi , I did anusha pUja . At three-fifteen in the afternoon, I placed to his portrait a sweet ball made of sugar, soyabean flour and wheat flour. At seven-thirty in the evening a phone message came from Chennai. My mother told me that Periyavar had attained samAdhi at 2:55 pm and asked me to do nivedanam with pAyasam for at least ten days.

*** *** ***

He was an ascetic, jnAni ; and would say that keeping more wealth than required was the cause of all afflictions. Although we only seek from him our ihapara sukham (worldly comforts), he would fulfil our needs and also stress his opinion.

At Kalavai, a devotee told him: "I have got promotion. They have included me in the 'A' grade."

"Will get income that meets your needs?" asked Periyavar.

"I get more than what we need", said the devotee.

"Then why the promotion?" asked Periyavar, sporting an enchanting smile.

*** *** ***

My husband had pain on the left side of his stomach. The doctor could not understand the reason for it. We asked my mother to represent the case to Periyavar. Periyavar told Amma, "Pray at the DakshiNamUrti Sannidhi. Ask them to serve meals to two brahmaNas at Rameswaram on the Sankara Jayanthi day." We complied with his advice for three years and the stomach pain subsided and vanished. When we went to Satara we told him that we were doing the act of charity for three years. The MahAn said it was enough.

*** *** ***

When my sister AvayAmbaaL and I were children, the darshan of Periyavar we got at ILayAttankudi was our first memory. Some years back, she had arranged to come over Pune and then go to Bombay and Chennai. But then since the wife of a popular leader died on the previous day, there was tension in Maharashtra, a bandh (closure) was announced and the autos and buses were off the road. I rang up Pune and asked her to change her date of departure. But she said that she had to go to office on that particular date at Chennai, so a change of date would not be possible for her. "There could be problems due to anti-social elements. Some people have even lost their lives", I said.

[saidevo]

She replied in a single word, "All those things Periyavaa would take care." 'Tut, this did not occur to me?' I thought. On the next day I went to Kalyan, received her and got down at Muland. As we came out, only police heads could be seen everywhere. We had a heavy trunk and a bag in our hands; would take twenty-five minutes to walk down the distance. We stood perplexed not knowing what to do.

"Amma, what did you come here for? Want to go home?" a voice was heard. Turning my head, I saw Velu, the newspaper delivery man of our adjacent street. I had talked with him once or twice. He came forward, took our bag and trunk, kept it at the backseat on the bicycle and accompanied us till we reached home, pushing his bicycle all the way.

*** *** ***

Once in my dream, he descended from the portrait I usually do anusha pUja to and stood before me. A string of jasmine flowers in his hand. Sri Jayendra SwamigaL comes from the entrance of the house. Giving him the string of flowers, the sage says, "Give this to her." It is remarkable that at that time there was no portrait of Sri Jayendra SwamigaL in our home.

*** *** ***

I was travelling alone from Chennai to Bombay. Three men were on the side seats. I had the habit of sleeping deeply at night. Could have been two-thirty at night, I was awakened suddenly. I did not know how I woke up, but found a man standing on the side of my head. I sat up, seized my handbag hard (a photograph of Periyavar was in there) and asked him, "What happened to you? What do you want?" "Nothing", said the man and returned to his seat. I woke up the women sleeping in the adjacent seats, told them what happened and asked them to keep awake for the rest of the night. I had no doubt that it was only Periyavar residing in the form of a photograph in my bag who woke me up at that right time.

*** *** ***

We were living in Muland. I could publish a book of our search efforts for an own house. We were tired with so much efforts of looking out. There was even an occasion of having paid an advance money that was returned. When we went to Kanchi we informed Periyavar. Periyavar would always inquire about a thing and get to know it thoroughly. He asked, "What is the next (railway) station? How far is Dombivili from there?" Then, "Only the pagaDi (house advance) system in our place? How much pagaDi did you pay for the house you reside in presently?"

After we returned home, we got our own house, at Thana.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

At Miraj, a Marati man submitted two baskets full of bhakShaNa s (savouries) that included adirasam . Periyavar was in meditation. Sometime later, hearing Periyavar's voice, my husband peeped out. "Call SriKaNTan", said the sage. When the man came, "Distribute these bhakShaNa s to everyone", he said. Two hours later, he inquired if everything was distributed. Even a small thing would not escape his memory.

Looking at a family who came in the evening, Periyavar asked, "Your son who quit house when he was a boy, how is he now?". Then he asked, "Am I telling you jOsyam (astrological prediction) now?" After a minute's silence, "Had he gone in a good manner, he would only be in a good position". That family returned, confident that their son who had deserted them was doing well. And the MaTham's rule that no astrological prediction should be done was also not transgressed.

*** *** ***

When my husband had gone to Kanchipuram, a woman wept to Periyavar, "My tirumAngalyam is lost in a theft. I am very poor." Forthwith Periyavar asked a MaTham assistant to bring a new tirumAngalyam from the MaTham stock, gave it to the woman with his own hand and asked her to wear it.

*** *** ***

Periyavar came walking from Tenambakkam to Kanchipuram. We followed him. My mother at that time picked up some sand from Periyavar's footprint that was not obliterated by any other footprint and gave the sand to me. Today that sand is receives the utmost consideration in our anusha pUja at home.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

Pages 191-196 (concluding part)

This one happened very recently. My younger sister had saved some money for Kamakshi Amman. But her doing something for the deity was getting unduly postponed. During this time she had gone to listen to a lecture by a paurANika (one who is well-versed in Puranas). In an incident that he narrated, he said that a man once showed PeriyavaaL two packets and said, "One for the MaTham and another for Kamakshi." Periyavar replied, "Then say that both are for me"!

Having heard about this incident, my sister took the money she had saved for Kamakshi Amman and bought puja and abhiSheka things that Periyavar may use for his panchaloha vigraham and gave them to him. It was a surprise that she had to spend the entire savings of six hundred rupees, not a rupee more,--or less.

*** *** ***

Among Periyavar's devotees, my mother's chitthi (maternal sister) and chitthappA (maternal sister's husband) were prominent. ChitthappA was doing some business in Bombay. The business suffered a sudden loss, the family went broke and came to Chennai. Periyavar was at that time camping in Chennai. Chitthi spent most of her day in the MaTham. Although her twenty year old son had died during this time, she continued to do errands such as preparing the flowers for puja.

She said that Periyavar doing puja would give her darshan alternately as Goddess Kamakshi and God Shiva at those times. When she looked again, he would appear as a smiling sannyAsi .

One day, Chitthi's daughter, a child, found that her dress had caught fire. Chitthi said that she at once thought of Periyavar, put out the fire, and removed the child's dress. There was not a small burn on the child's body. Later carrying out Periyavar's directions, Chitthi and ChitthappA went back to Bombay and started doing business again. Is it necessary to say that the sage sent them back only to restore their earlier status?

[saidevo]

When it was time to seek an alliance for her elder daughter, Periyavar asked her, "You toil now (for your daughter's marriage)! Tomorrow you would demand in the same way for your son, is it not?"

Chitthi said, "I shall not demand anything at all"--and kept her word. Apart from this, she lived with vairAgyam without wearing any jewels on herself. Later, entrusting the family responsibility to her son, she came to Kanchi with her husband. Periyavar gave them shelter in the MaTham. They had darshan of Periyavar for three times a day. Sometime later they rented a house and went to live there.

Once when she had gone to Kanchi, Chitthi's daughter told Periyavar that a byepass surgery was being recommended for her husband's heart condition.

"The doctors say that the surgery is a must. Periyavaa should cure him without any surgery", she supplicated. The MahAn blessed her and her husband became well without any surgery to the surprise of the doctors.

*** *** ***

Tiru Raghavan, my aunt's husband, after his retirement, was teaching Veda in the MaTham's Veda PAThashAla. When Periyavar was camping in Andhra, Sri Raghavan took the PAThashAla children and went to the Tungabadra river bank. Asking them to recite the Veda, he got in the river. It was not known if he knew about the depth of the river, but he let himself be carried away by the river, joining his palms over his head. The body had gone very far away. My aunt's family was not secure financially. Periyavar arranged for searching the body and carrying out the antima kriya s (last rites) at the expense of the MaTham. He also comforted my aunt. Her last daughter wasn't married at that time. To Raghavan's elder brother, Periyavar had given the title 'vidyArti' and kept him in the MaTham. For the last daughter's marriage, Periyavar sent sari and dhoti from the MaTham and blessed the couple.

*** *** ***

As she suffered from a heart ailment, my mother-in-law had been admitted to the hospital. When my mother and I had gone to Kanchi, we informed Periyavar of this news. The MahAn blessed raising his hand. Thereafter, my mother-in-law lived for seventeen years and died in her seventy-ninth year of age.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

He would help in human form at times of emergency. On long journeys he would come as a fellow traveller. Countless familes owed him their living. Among those who shed tears for his attaining samAdhi , there were poor cycle-rickshaw drivers.

Kanchipuram has attained its fame not just because of its temple, but also because of our Periyavar and his successors Sri Jayendra Periyavar and Bala Periyavar.

*** *** ***

Several years back we met Sri Jayendra SwamigaL and told him the news that a child was born to us but died shortly after birth. He gave us prasAdam . In the next year, our son was born on the day of his avatAra nakShatram avittam . The name that was set for the child according to our family tradition was Swaminatha Sarma. The name we gave him was Chandrasekhar.

*** *** ***

Once my elder brother was unwell. When I was worried much over it, Sri Jayendra SwamigaL appeared in my dream. He asked, "Your ANNA is not well?" and laughed. From the very next day my elder brother started progressing in health.

Sri SwamigaL had cured us countless times giving us his prasAdam when we supplicated to him about our ailments. He also cured the stone in my son's kidney in this way. We informed Sri PeriyavaaL when our son suffered from backache and that the doctor recommended treatment using acupuncture. Sri Jayendra SwamigaL said at once, "All those things are not necessary. Apply this ointment and it will be fine", and gave us a small bottle of Amrutanjan. An ordinary Amrutanjan, a jaladoSha nivAraNi (cure for common cold), when it was touched by the hand of Sri Jayendra SwamigaL, cured backache.

*** *** ***

[naathigan]

Can any one please tell me how to do Anusha Puja? Where can I get namavali of SriCaranar?

[Sitalakshmi]

Namaskaram,

We sincerely apologise for no replying to your query (of doing Anusha Puja) earlier.


HH (the two Swamigals) blessed the devotees across the world by telling them to do Anusha pooja for MahaSwamigal. In some places, it is done monthly, while in others yearly.

People having the Holy Paduka do Paduka-pooja on that day while others do with picture of Acharya.

They do- Ashtottara Archana to Lord Shiva, Sri Kamakshi Amman, Sri Adi Sankara, H.H. Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal and to H.H. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal.

My brother tells that it is celebrated in NJ, DC area, Arizona, Atlanta, Bay area, Chicago (i.e., if you reside in United States).
Anusha pooja is done on a weekend closer to Anusha Nakshtram.

Recently, they have published a book that explains how it is done. The books are available at :

Sri Ravi Venkatraman
117 Hunters Run Drive
Moon Township, PA 15108, U.S.A
Phone: 412-299-7856
Email: sri.sadguru.puja@gmail.com


(The book contains Ashtottara Namavali of H.H. Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal and H.H. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal.
Ashtottara Namavali of the God and Goddess along with Sri AdiSankara is commonly available everywhere).

If you need more information, please let us know.

[naathigan]

Dhanyavad. Will contact the concerned person

[saidevo]

'aRanUl nuTpam': Sharpness about the Shastras
devotee:...... a rich man of Chinna Tippa Samudram
author:....... Chandramauli, close disciple
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 6, pages 207-209
publisher:.... Vanathi Padhippaham (Jun 2008 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

Sri Maha SwamigaL was once camping in an old PiLLaiyAr temple in the village 'Chinna Tippa Samudram' near Madanapalli.

People used to refer to the name of the place only as 'CTS' instead of using its full name. It was the occasion when Sri Sankara Jayanti was round the corner. Considering it, Sri Kalluri Veerabhadra SastrigaL, an ardent devotee of Sri PeriyavaaL, and I took a bus from Chennai and reached 'CTS'. Both Sri Kalluri Veerabhadra SastrigaL and his brother were both experts in Sanskrit. They were natives of Andhra Predesh. Sri Pujya pAdAL himself knew about their 'vidvat' (scholarship). He used to come often and meet Sri PeriyavaaL.

Sri Sankara Jayanati was to come two days after we went there. During that time there were only three men to do the 'kaingkariyam' (service) to PeriyavaaL; (whereas) between thirty and forty people used to come daily for the darshan.

There was a 'tanikA' (rich man) in that place, who had a large family. He was Sri PeriyavaaL's 'parama bhakta'. The arrangement was that it was only in his house the devotees who came seeking darshan of Sri PeriyavaaL had their stay and meals.

Sankara Jayanti was celebrated grandly in the place where Sri PeriyavaaL was staying. Sri PeriyavaaL ordered Sri Kalluri Veerabhadra SastrigaL to give a 'vAkyArtham' lecture.

Sri PeriyavaaL himself explained that the name Sankaran was given to Sri BhagavadpAdAL in accordance with the Katapayadi sankhya ( en.wikipedia.org ... Paddy seeds in the manner of 'virai dAnam' were distributed. Then we all went to the tanikA's house and had our 'bhojanam' (meal) there.

[saidevo]

On the next day was scheduled in the rich man's house the Upanayanam function of his grandson. On the morning of the Upanayanam Sri PeriyavaaL called the two aNukkat-toNdar s (personal assistants) Ramakrishnan and SriKanTan and ordered, "Today is the Upanayanam in their house. Ask the people who have come here, not to have their meal in the Upanayanam house. Both of you cook the meals and serve them here." He also asked the 'tanikA' to be informed of this decision.

A great shock for the 'tanikA'. 'What mistake have we committed?' was his worry; with an yearning if he should not get the 'puNyam' of having fed the Sankara Bhaktas.

He felt like wailing. Maha PeriyavaaL was informed of his sorrow. The reply he gave was: "They would perform the 'nAndI shrAddham' in the Upanayanam house. The Shastra says that others should not have a meal in the house where 'nAndhI' is performed. So I asked for the arrangements to be made here."

No doubt that Sri PeriyavaaL demonstrated this Shastra related 'kAryam' for all the people. How many people familiar with the Shastras know about this scriptural injunction?

Note: Here is an article about the 'nAndI shrAddham':
bhagavathy.blogspot.com ...

[dharmadi]

Namaskarams Sai Devoji. Thanks for the link to the blogspot. Though we all agree with our Mahaperiva, the blogger has mentioned below to contradict.

"As no homam is performed in which havis is offered to the Agni and then offered to the pitruswarupa Brahmins, there is no pitrusesham and all can partake of the food after the Brahmins are fed, whereas during the Pratyabdikasradham, the pitrusesham can be partaken only by the immediate blood relatives. "

[Ravi]

Saidevoji and Dharmadiji,

I think that many times the "TRUE WORDS" get lost in transmission from one to another. We all would agree to what Sri.Maha Periyaval says, but I believe that there is a possibility of even a small change in transmission could lead to this ambiguity.

To me this could mean both ways:
1) You cannot eat in that house
2) It may be inconvient for them to cook for outsiders separately, and hence it is not desirable to eat in that house.

Personally I have seen this miscommunication happening many times on different occasions, and we have to rehash the topic with the concerned people.

Back to upanayanam, we normally see a lot of people (friends and relatives) eating after the upanayanam ceramony, and the niyama brahmins choosing to eat "Aachara Samayal".

We get some message from this incident, but we have to verify again correctly the purport behind Sri. Mahaperiyaval's statement.

My 2 cents...
Ravi

[saidevo]

NamaskAram Dharmadiji and Raviji.

I noticed the text Sri Dharmadiji has pointed out and thought the elders in KF could clarify on it, so I posted the link, though it (seemingly) contradicts PeriyavaaL's instruction.

In the story, the devotee narrates what Sri PeriyavaaL said in these words:

"இன்று அவர்கள் வீட்டில் உபநயனம். இங்கு வந்திருப்பவர்கள், உபநயன வீட்டில்
சாப்பிட வேண்டாம் என்று சொல்லிவிடு. நீங்கள் இருவருமே இவர்கள் எல்லாருக்கும்
சமைத்து, இவ்விடத்திலேயே சாப்பாடு போட்டுவிடுங்கோ."

"inRu avargaL vITTil upa~nayanam. i~gku va~ndiruppavargaL, upa~nayana vITTil
chAppiDa vENDAm enRu cholliviDu. ~nI~ggaL iruvarumE ivargaL ellArukkum
samaitthu, ivviDattilEyE sAppADu pOTTuviDu~ggO."

Usually, the 'nAndI shrAddham' is held on the previous day of the Upanayanam function, even when it is held in a manDapam, and only relatives--blood relatives surely, not sure about other relatives--attend the function and partake the food on the previous day, after the brahmins have been fed.

If the 'nAndI' is held on the day of the Upanayanam, probably as Sri Raviji has suggested, two separate preparations of the meals could be done to feed the brahmins and others.

The blogger's reference "all" in the words "all can partake of the food after the Brahmins are fed," probably mean only the relatives.

[dharmadi]

Namaskars.

The purpose of my post is to generate a small (not a long) discussion and make sure everyone understands.

I think that is now achieved - thanks

Jaya Jaya Sankara! Hara Hara Sankara!

[saidevo]

'PeriyavA Griham', Salem
devotee:...... Rajagopal, Salem
author:....... Raa. VenkatasAmy
compiler:..... Raa. VenkatasAmy
source:....... KAnchi mahAnin karuNai uLLam , pages 30-37
publisher:.... TirumagaL Nilayam (Apr 2009 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

That too is an interesting story.

The time when Tiru. Rajagopal was working in the Indian Coffee Board. His parents were residing in Chennai. 'Pradosham mAmA' was none but the son-in-law of a family who were their neighbours.

The father-in-law's householders, while they blame their son-in-law for being a man of great anger, also don't fail to point out that the same son-in-law worships MahA Periyavaa as god. To Rajagopal it was not known at that time that this son-in-law was later going to introduce him to Periyavar.

The Rajagopal-dampati had 'bhakti' towards the Kanchi MahAn but were not that close to him. Only after they got Pradosham mAmA's acquaintance, and only after he took this man to his home and gave 'upadesham' about the MahAn, did immense 'bhakti' crop up in this man's heart.

Once Rajagopal got transferred to Salem. After coming over to Salem, if the Rajagopal-dampati needed to go to Chennai, they would go via Kanchipuram only. In Kanchi, they had no other work except to have darshan of the MahAn. Rajagopal had come a bit closer to the MahAn because of Pradosham mAmA's introduction. Even this much proximity was due to the merits they obtained in the previous births.

Once the dampati stood before Periyavar after prostrating to him. The MahAn knew about Rajagopal's transfer to Salem. So he asked him a question: "You have a house in Salem?"

"There is some ancestral property in Chennai." MahA PeriyavA did not seem to notice his reply. He said emphatically, "I only asked if you have a house in Salem."

This was the beginning. A thought took permanent residence in Rajagopal's mind. It was the thought that he should somehow buy a house in Salem.

He was then staying in Uma Nagar at Salem. It was a rented house. There was also this thought in his mind that since he had his own house in Chennai, why should he buy a house in Salem.

But then the very thought that the MahAn wants him to buy a house in Salem served as a catalyst. After searching at many places, he was satisfied with a lawyer's house in Raghuram Colony, which he negotiated and fixed through a friend. As if to help him, since his younger brother wished to sell their ancestral house in Chennai, they sold it for a good price. A house was also obtained in Salem. The required money too arrived promptly. With other things following up in quick succession, Rajagopal got the house registered in the name of his wife Gita on an auspicious day.

[saidevo]

Having fulfilled the wish of Kanchi MahAn, Rajagopal took the sale deed of the house and, along with his wife, went to Kanchipuram and stood before the MahAn.

I forgot to mention an incident that happened before this one.

After looking over and fixing the house, when Rajagopal went straight to Kanchi and told the MahAn, "I have selected a house", the MahAn said immediately, "The house that faces North? Buy it." Rajagopal did not tell him about the house or the direction it faced, but that JnAni told them.

The next question was, "What price does he quote?" Rajagopal told the price.

"He would give it at a lesser price... buy it!", the MahAn blessed him with these words. Bearing this news, Rajagopal went and told Pradosham mAmA and he too okayed it with the words, "PeriyavA has told you. Buy it at once."

As told by PeriyavA, the lawyer-owner of the house reduced its sale price by ten thousand rupees. The house changed hands.

Now the dampati are standing before PeriyavA with the sale deed. Till the time they kept the sale deed on a plate and placed it before PeriyavA, the thought, 'this is PeriyavA Griham' did not occur to them. They were only thinking that the house was for their own residence. When taking the plate and extending it (to PeriyavA) Rajagopal says unknowingly, "Under MahA PeriyavA's 'anugraham', this 'MahA PeriyavA Griham' has been obtained. PeriyavA should accept it." He does not mention it as their house, but only says 'PeriyavA Griham'. How? That is the thought of that MahAn. Gazing up at them, the MahAn reads the entire document in the light of a torchlight. Then he asks: " enakkE enakkA ? ("for me, exclusively?).

"PeriyavA anugraham", says Rajagopal. The sage does not return the document.

After sometime, he calls that dampati and returns the document. A lotus petal and some bhilvam leaves are seen placed on the document. He takes the key of the house and hands it over to them. The key is seen in Rajagopal's hand. "Hand over the key to her; only she is the vITTukkAri (landlady)" says the sage with a smile. Rajagopal had indeed registered the house in the name of his wife!

That MahAn followed it up with some fresh news. "Build a comfortable apartment for you and your children on the first floor. I shall reside on the ground floor." What words! Rajagopal started thinking that caused him to worry: 'how could he reside on top, leaving PeriyAL to reside on the ground floor.'

Wouldn't the MahAn understand this stream of thoughts? He raised his hands and blessed, conveying the expression, 'I shall be at all places.'

Buying a house for himself, why should Rajagopal utter the words, 'PeriyavA Griham'? And that MahA PeriyavA accept it immediately with the words, "for me?" Doesn't this look like a divine act?

[saidevo]

Pradosham mAmA welcomed the news of PeriyavA's acceptance of the 'griham' with great happiness.

"So many people with crores of rupees are waiting to pour it all to him. What is the meaning that he selected your house for himself? This only shows the 'abhimAnam' (friendly preference) he has towards you", said mAmA. He asked Ravi to arrange for a sumptuous dinner for that dampati. This is the history of 'PeriyavA Griham' located in Raghuram Colony, Gandhi Road, Salem.

Today it is considered as a sacred temple. One cannot count the crowd of people that throngs the place during the days of Anusham and Pradosham. After the puja is over, all the 'bhaktAs' have a hearty meal and go. This place is considered as a 'mukhya sthalam' in Salem. PeriyavA has taken residence there in many forms. With VinAyaka and DakShinAmUrti set as images, KailAsanAthan and Nandi are presiding over there.

Kanchi MahAn who took the house for himself, not only made them reside with him, but also kept all the 'deivams' near himself.

A speciality of the place are the portraits/photographs of the MahAn in many poses. Seems he kept a home for himself at Salem so his bhaktAs would be glad to have darshan of him in such portraits. You can't definitely see the photographs here in any other place.

Similar to this house, Pradosham mAmA's disciple Ravi has also established a PeriyavA Kovil on the first floor of his house. In both these grihams, PeriyavA gives darshan in 'shilA rUpam' (statue form); an evidence that PeriyavA is there in his complete Self in those places.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

This is another incident that 'PeriyavA Griham' Rajagopal told about. Once he had gone to Kanchi to have darshan of the MahAn. Everyone is waiting for the darshan. The MahAn, who was walking this way and that, settles down on one side.

Without knowing about his sitting there, Smt. Rajagopal was doing 'pArAyaNam' of a book. "What book is that?" Only when PeriyavA asked her did she wake up to the situation; she stood up and submitted the book to him.

The price of that book 'Bhajagovindam' blessed by Adi Sankara was only two rupees.

"This is good, if we have enough copies we can give it to the people who come here", as the MahAn spoke, Rajagopal immediately rushed outside, took a rented bicycle, went straight to the bookshop of RamakrishNa MaTham, bought all the copies of the book they kept there and submitted to PeriyavAL.

The MahAn felt immense happiness. He gave the copies to the devotees present with his blessings. As he gave them, he uttered these words in English: "Adi Sankarar is a great philosopher of all times." Without leaving it at that, Rajagopal forthwith telephoned his younger brother, told him where the book could be obtained and asked him to buy all the copies sold there and reach them to PeriyavAL. That younger brother was a Lakshmanan suitable for this Raman. So he came to Kanchi MaTham on the very next day and submitted the books to PeriyavAL. The first question the sage asked him was, "Your aNNA told you?"

That book is still present in PeriyavA Griham.

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

From the Tamil book 'KAnchi mahAnin karuNai uLLam'
compiled by Sri Raa. VenkatasAmy

Pages 13-15

An elderly man was doing kaingariyam (service) in the MaTham until the year 1952. His name was PanchApakesan. For one who had only service to PeriyavA as his lifetime goal, since he suffered from some ailment, he took leave from PeriyavAL and returned to his village near TanjAvUr. Although he left KAnchi MaTham, he worshipped the MahAn day and night, always thinking of him. He never spared an inch when it came to his pUja vishayam . He had two sons and a daughter, all of them married. Seeing that his father was still engaging himself only in PeriyavA Kaingaryam, his eldest son spoke to him:

"Why dad, you have interest only in service to PeriyavA at all times? For the education you had, had you gone to some Government service then, by this time you would be receiving your pension. And that money would be useful to you for your expenses, isn't it?"

PanchApakesan was panicked with these words. His body shivered. Suddenly he couldn't even talk. Relaxing himself a little, he said:

" dEi (Hey son), one should be fortunate to do kaingaryam to MahA PeriyavAL. I got that bhAgyam , and I stayed near him doing my service. By that what harm have you people come to? You all studied well, and got married well. Only that human God ensures that we have no shortfall in life." Thus the elderly man had burst out his feelings. Should his own son blame the Deivam?

"No dad, had you gone to a Government service at least you would have received your pension now; only with this feeling of regret and concern that I spoke my words", said his son, putting an end to the subject.

A marriage took place in Chennai sometime after this incident. His eldest son was needed to go and he attended the marriage, which took place grandly. Immediately after the wedding celebrations ended, the groom and bride were taken to KAnchi for Periyavar's blessings. PanchApakesan's eldest son too went with them. One by one moved away getting PeriyavAL's blessings and his turn came up. Periyavar raised his head and looked at him. "Aren't you PanchApakesan's son?" was MahA PeriyavAL's question. "Yes", replies the son with surprise. "Is your father doing well?" continues the MahAn. "How much AtmArtha bhakti he has towards me you know? Keep him well. How many children for you?" After such inquiries, the sage continued:

[saidevo]

"It is only my desire that I should do a lot for the people who do sevA (service) in this MaTham. But then I only administer the MaTham here; so I can't do much. I do paripAlanam (nourishing, guarding) of the MaTham only with whatever people give us. This is not a sarkAr (Goverment) office, isn't it? So what else can I do except to pray to KAmAkShi day and night that everyone should be prosperious? But then for what your father did in this MaTham and for his bhakti , it is my desire to do him something. So we have arranged for him to receive 25 kalam * of paddy every month directly at his village--as his 'pension'."

When he heard this, PanchApakesan's son fell shAShTAngam before MahA PeriyavAL, wailing. "SarveshvarA! I only talked to my father with concern. I never blamed it on his sevA to you. Please pardon me."

"I have not blamed you at all. I arranged for this small return only because I cannot do anything bigger to him." That trikAla jnAni comforted the son.

For the son who thought it was enough about his father's sevA , he too followed the example of his father and became PeriyavAL's slave. Even today at NeedAmangalam the pension arrives at his home in the form of paddy. A school teacher, he came to PeriyavA Griham when he visited Salem for a marriage. This is the story he narrated then about the karuNai uLLam of KAnchi MahAn.

Note:
One kalam is equivalent to 12 marakkAl , which in turn is a measure of eight litres.

*** *** ***

[shree]

namaskarams,

i read some of the experiences here and my eyes were flooded. though i did not have his dharshan in my life, atleast he has showered his blessings to hear all these experiences.

all perivaval devotees kindly read the books from volume 1 to 7 of "maha perivaval dharisana anubhavangal". u will not stop reading.

_________________
Every thing is for good.

jaya jaya shankara hara hara shankara.

love
shree

[saidevo]

oTTiya pazhamum oTTAdha pazhamum: The solid and hollow fruits
author:....... Smt.LalithA RAman, Sainikpuri
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, pages 120-122
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

Many days have gone by since this happened. Still it reamins unfading green in my heart and guides me until today.

My marriage was held in the year 1958. My hunsband was serving as a Captain in the Army. Since even after some years there was no putra bhAgyam--fortune of a child, for me, my mother took me to have darshan of shrI KAnchi KAmakoTi PIThAdhipati shrI Chandrashekara Sarasvati MahA SvAmigaL.

It was an evening time. shrI KAnchi MahA SvAmigaL was doing japam--litany sitting in his mena--palanquin. Some time passed by, and then Periyavar looked at as with limitless compassion. My mother did vijnApanam--addressed, my grievance to shrI Periya Periyavar. Taking an orange fruit from a plate nearby, MahA PeriyavA kept meditating, closing his two netras--eyes that were in blossom like lotus flowers, and rolling that fruit over those two eyes.

After sometime, he blossomed his eyes, gave that fruit to me and said, "This you take."

With great happiness I went home and took that fruit.

Years rolled by. My husband was serving as a Major in charge of guarding the borders. When he came on leave, we both went to shrI KAnchi MaTham to have darshan of shrI MahA SvAmigaL.

Evening time. Coming out of his room, that deity of compassion welcomed us with vAtsalyam--paternal love, looked at me with limitless abhimAnam--affection, and saying, "vAmmA kuzhandhE--Come, child! Come inside!", he took us inside.

Looking at my husband, "You are serving in the Army, right?", he asked, and my husband replied, "Yes, I am in Siliguri." Periyavar asked him, "Can you get oranges there? Will you send me a basket of them?" and this man said, "sari--okay."

shrI KAnchi MahA Periyavar looked at me and said, "There are two kinds in the orange fruit. You know it?" "I don't know", I said.

Periyavar said: "Two kinds are there in the orange fruit. One will be solid, stuck to its skin. And the other (as if keeping such a fruit in his hand, taking it to his ears and shaking his hand) will do kuDukuDu--rattle like this, without sticking to the skin. More than the fruit that sticks solid to its skin, only this fruit will be tastier and sweeter. Always keep this in mind."

Asking me to take a fruit in the beginning, and then many years later, saying "Only the hollow fruit is tastier" he made me realize a great principle of life. He taught me to remain unattached like the hollow fruit.

Saying, "vA ammA kuzhandhE", he made me his child. After myself becoming his child, where is the need of a child for me?

**********

[saidevo]

For Salim, a rudrAkSha mAlA
author:....... PoLLAchi JayammAL
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, pages 172-174
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

The time when shrI PeriyavAL was giving darshan as a maunin--man in vow of silence, being carried in a chair (his mena?--sd). Myself and NAgalakShmI were walking in the queue along with everyone. A man who came behind us, saying, "As told by SAmi I have come", and joined his palms looking at PeriyavAL.

shrI PeriyavAL too, without looking at anyone else, looked at him keenly, and blessed him raising his hand.

I inquired him. He said his name was Salim and that he had come from KumbakONam. "SAmi said coming in my dream yesterday, 'Tomorrow is the day I get my kShauram--cutting hair. Come, see me and go back'", he said.

That was the vapana dinam--day of cutting hair. SannyAsins should have their muNDanam--head-shaving, once in two months on the paurNamI tithi--day of full moon. The custom in ShrIMaTham is to refer to it by the SamskRta term 'vapanam'. It is our custom to come only to witness it. But then I could not understand as to why he asked that Muslim bhakta--devotee, to come.

When I told NAgalakShmI about him, as he was telling me back, "His name could have been Chellappan; might have wrongly fell in your ears as Salim", that Muslim devotee was seen again.

He was wearing a rudrAkSha mAlA too. We inquired him again, "You are wearing rudrAkSham. They would not let you enter your mosque?"

"Yes, I am a Muslim; name Salim. I have seen SAmi three-four times earlier. Once when he gave me this rudrAkSha prasAdam, I asked him what to do with it. SAmi said 'It is to be worn on the neck, but then people who belong to your religion might object to it. So, keep it in a box'".

Deciding that I should wear what SAmi gave me only on my neck, I did so. Even when I went to the mosque for my prayers, no one blamed me, nor did any one ask me to remove the mAlA."

Who can know about shrI PeriyavAL's deivIka shakti--divine powers?

[saidevo]

ChakkaratthAzhvAr
author:....... S.TirunArAyaNan
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, page 188
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

A great misfortune occurred in the family of my eledest sister. A veda-vittaka--Vedas expert, advised me to do the ChakkaratthAzhvAr mUla mantra japam for one maNDalam--48 days, taking saMkalpam--vow. Accordingly, taking upadesham from the ChakkaratthAzhvAr sannidhi, from the next day, I started doing the japam at my aham--home, in our PerumAL sannidhi.

A refrigerator cabinet was there in front, at the place I was doing my japam.

The surprising thing was that while I was doing the japam, a inner feeling of shrI MahAsvAmigaL too doing japam would be visualized by me daily on the refrigerator door. When I heard that on the very day the maNDalam of my japam was completed, shrI MahasvAmigaL attained mukti, there was no limit to my sorrow. It is an irrefutable fact that he held on to his life only for me for the 48 days and attained God's feet after my japam was completed.

[saidevo]

Foresight
author:....... Ananthan, Chennai-29
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, page 275-280
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

During January 1966 MahASvAmigaL was camping in ElAvUr. As an invitation came from there, I went to ElAvUr and had darshan of MahASvAmigaL.

As he informed me that as an unprecedented event a mahAnADu--conference, where all the MaThAdhipatis of TamilnADu would participate was to be held in Chennai, he ordered me, "You should come with us to that mahAnADu and jot down everything that is spoken there." I carried out his orders.

*** *** ***

That mahAnADu took place in the office building of the Commissioner of the Hindu Charitable and Endowments Board, on the dates February 6 and 7, 1966 at Chennai. All the events scheduled for the two days, both morning and evening, took place without any scope for any sort of problems arising.

On the first day of the mahAnADu, in the morning, before the conference started, MahASvAmigaL did something that removed any scope of mental tension, agony, bitterness, and ego of superiority, among the conference delegates; it eased everyone's mind and made it happy. Why, it formed the entire base for the success of the mahAnADu. Put in other words, it could also have been felt as the explanatory note of ShrIMaTham's siddhAntam--principle.

*** *** ***

This mahAnADu was convened by the Commissioner of HR&CE. A government function. In this festivity, there was no scope for allowing anyone to sit anywhere as they pleased.

Among the MaThAdhipatis who were the delegates, as to who should be seated in the centre, what kind of seat should be provided for him, who is to be seated to his left and right--for such things, there is a Government Order. Only according to the Ranking List mentioned in that Protocol, seats were arranged in the conference hall and the names of the MaThams were also written for them.

For the starting event of the mahAnADu, MaThAdhipatis of MaThams located at TiruvAvaDuturai, Dharmapuram, ToNDaimaNDala AdhInakartas, TiruppanandAL, KAnchIpuram, Madurai, KundrakkuDi, Mayilam and so on, came one by one to partake the event. The Commissioner welcomed each of them individually according to protocol and brought them to the conference hall. KAnchi MahASvAmigaL too came. He made a survey of the arrangements in the hall with an all-round glance. He is a kalA-vittaka--expert in the art, of making sweet with his pleasant look, any tight atmosphere. With a smile crawling on his face he walked towards the seat allotted for him. All the other MaThAdhipatis too walked towards their seats.

Like one who gets into a pond to take bath would part away with his two hands, the moss that covered the water surface, and like one who would genttly dust the floor with his upper cloth before he sits there, MahASvAmigaL with his hands pushed back the seat allotted for him by the government officials, and sat on the floor at that spot.

[saidevo]

The next moment all the other MaThAdhipatis, without sitting on the seats provided for them, sat on the floor of the conference hall. The bhUmi--ground, became the samasthAnam--seat of equivality, for everyone.

What to speak of the adhishayam--wonder, that KAnchi MahASvAmigaL, 'the jnAnamUrti who stood beyond the book of Vedas', through his foresight and subtle knowledge, demonstrated the great truth, "parampoRuL--Brahman, is only one. So what superiority is there for us who live on this earth because of our wealth, or kulam--lineage? What inferiority is there? All of us are of one kulam, one inam--species."

KAnchi shrI MahASvAmigaL was one who stood as the svarUpam--embodiment, of kalAs--arts. Artistes went to him and worshipped. He too honoured them, supporting them with great love. Many of the kalAs ran towards that kalAsAgara--ocean of arts, and did-saMgamam--merged, themselves.

*** *** ***

During the year 1957-58, KAnchi shrI MahASvAmigaL did-vijayam-to--visited, Chennai. The vyAsapUja was performed in the Sanskrit College, Mylapore, Chennai.

After the puja of the night session, he would do upanyAsam--lecture. I would jot down in shorthand, his words of nectar without leaving out anything and then write them back in long hand. Later, they were published in (the magazine) 'KalaimagaL' under the title 'AchArya SvAmigaL upadeshangaL'.

*** *** ***

One day, the event of shrI MahASvAmigaL visiting RAjA ANNAmalaipuram was scheduled. En route, at the junction of the Nallappan street and Adam street, we were waiting for PeriyavAL's arrival. The mEnA--palanquin, came. Giving pUrNakumbham, we bowed to PeriyavAL. Calling me suddenly, PeriyavAL asked, "nI engE ingE--How come you are here?" I pointed out to Nallppan street and said, "I am living in this street." He asked for the mEnA to proceed through our street. The kAraNam--reason, was not known. Before we could run to our house, open the doors and light the lamp, the mEnA had come there.

Calling me near him, he said, "You said you have written a book of shorthand in Tamil? Bring it, let us see."

Going inside my house, I brought the manuscript of the book and submitted it to him. Leafing through every page, showing no hurry at all, with a speck of smile lingering in his face, he glanced through that book until the last page. His face shining like a lotus flower, when he said, "As suitable for Tamil, you have written the book, relating the P in Pitman to (the Tamil alphabet) 'pa' and M to 'ma'", his subtle power of knowledge that took everything at a glance made thrilled us in ecstasy.

"Has this book been published?" he asked me. "No", I said. Taking the bhilva garland from his shiras--head, and placing it on the book, he gave it back to me.

The TamilnADu government itself published this book in 1964. Its 4th editing coming out in 1998, adding honour to Tamil and the Tamil world. Such is the power of grace of that deivam--god!

*** *** ***

[saidevo]

Veda, VedAnta rakShaka
author:....... K,Chandrasekara gaNapAThigaL M.A., NyAya-VedAnta ShiromaNi, Tirupati
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, page 264-266
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

shrI MahAPeriyavAL in (this) Kaliyugam, is doing his anugraha--divine favour/blessings, shining as an avatAra puruSha and a Kaliyuga Deivam. For my tagappanAr--father, there is no deivam--deity, other than shrI PeriyavAL. Which was why, going by shrI PeriyavAL's upanyAsam--speech, he did-arpaNam of--dedicated, to the Vedas, the three sahodaras--uterine brothers, in our kuTumbam--family (myself, my tamaiyan--elder brother, my tambi--younger brother). He gave my sahodarI--uterine sister, in kanyAdAnam--marriage, to one who had done veda-adhyayana--study of Vedas. In the same way, for me and my tamayan, he performed a similar kannikA-vivAham--marriage of a spinster, (from Vedic families).

During the time I did veda-adhyayanam, if we had the occasion of two or three days holidays, our teacher would send me and my saka-vidyArtin--classmate, asking us to have pArAyaNam--chanting, done in the presence of shrI PeriyavAL. On that saMdarbham--occasion, the manner shrI PeriyavAL inquiring us--"how are the AhAra anukUla--food facilities?"--would be alAti--(Tamizh) special. During the times shrI MahAPeriyavAL did saMchAra--wander about, of the villages near KAnchIpuram, and KArvet Nagar, Bukkai, RAmagiri (all in Andhra Pradesh), I have experienced it staying with him.

He did me anugraham--favour, by sending me to study Tarka ShAstra (NyAya) under brahmashrI GODA SubrahmaNya ShAstrigaL, a parama-shAnta-svarUpin--very embodiment of peace, when he was teaching the shAstra at MantrAlayam.

Only later, after having applied for the vedapArAyaNa sthAnam--position of Vedic chanting, at Tirupati and passed the related test with shrI PeriyavAL's anugraham, I went for his darshan to seek permission (to take up the job). In way that I did not expect, he gave immediate permission and sent me, handing over a tAmarai puShpam--lotus flower, in my hand, and saying, "Do your udyogam--job work, without any shAstra-virodham--scriptural contradiction. If any such shAstra-virodham arises, resign your udyogam and come back to me. I shall do-rakShaNam of--take care of, you."

[saidevo]

Where I did my Veda adhyayana--training in the Vedas, was only at the VedapAThashAla--Vedic school, of shrI PeriyavAL's at Chinna KAnchIpuram. At the time I was doing my adhyayanam, there were no proper food facilities for the vidyArtins--pupils. Therefore, he ordered that every bhakta--devotee, should on the day of their own janma-nakShatra on each month, should prepare bhakShaNas--snacks, show them to him and then distribute them among the pupils of the VedapAThashAla. Accordingly, when the vidyArtins--pupils, came for his darshan, he would inquire with care, "Who are the people who gave you bakShaNams prepared by them today?" It sweetens the memory to think even today, the manner of his inquiry: "Did this man bring you snacks?", mentioning the name of the devotee.

We need not go to shrI PeriyavAL with any special efforts of having darshan of him. The moment we do Veda ghoShaNam--loud chanting of the Vedas, he would on his own come to give us darshan. In orther words, you would only be reminded of the vachanam--saying, "mantrAdInAM tu daivatam--the deity is bound by the mantra".

Once he comes to know that people are doing VedapArAyaNam, he would come to that place to give darshan!

Some related links:
en.wikipedia.org ...
www.raja-lakshmi.org ...