Author:
Dr.D.Sundararaman - that son of Doraiswamy Iyer
Final
I would like to end this article with my latest darshan of Periaval on January 21, 1993.
After the wedding of my eldest son Guruprasad with Sow. Vidya on January 18, 1993 at Tirupathi, we wanted to visit Periaval to have His darshan and to get His blessings. After performing Kalyana Utsavam to Lord Venkateswara on January 20, 1993, we left Tirupathi the next day in the morning for Kancheepuram. We wanted to start early. But we misplaced the keys of the rooms of the Guest House where we were staying. This caused delay. We could leave only around 9 a.m. I told the drivers of the taxis that we should reach Kancheepuram by 11 a.m., to be in time for Periaval’s darshan. I assumed that Periaval would give darshan that day! We had to go through three railway gates between Tirupathi and Tiruttani.
We got abnormally delayed because of the second railway gate also having been closed. I told my sambandi Rajagopal, who was sitting next to me, that I lost the hope of having darshan of Periaval on that day. At that time, a private car negotiated its way to the front of our car and stopped just before the gate. On the outside of the back window of the car, the name ‘CHANDRASEKAR’ was written in big letters. I told Mr.Rajagopal, somewhat humorously, that unless ‘THAT CHANDRASEKAR’ came to our help, the gates would not open. I thought Rajagopal might not have understood what I said.
I explained that unless CHANDRASEKHARENDRA SARASWATHI came to our help, the gates would not open in time for us to be in Kancheepuram. Just then, would the readers believe it, the driver of the car in front got out, went to the gate keeper, talked to him for a minute and came back. Immediately the gate keeper opened the gates. The ‘Chandrasekar’ car fled through and our three taxis followed it. When that car and our three taxis reached the third gate, it was also found closed. I told Rajagopal that I was praying that the same thing should happen again. It did. After some more distance, the Chandrasekhar car went in a different direction. Rajagopal told me that the car must have belonged to a Minister or some senior official of Andhra Pradesh Government. But I told him, “it is my Periaval’s one more arrangement for me”.
We reached the Kanchi Mutt at 11.40 a.m. My brother Ganapati and his wife were there already, waiting for us. My brother told us that we should rush to the place where Periaval was giving darshan. By 11.50, we were all in front of Periaval. Our friends who were by the side of Periaval, introduced us one by one. My newly wedded son Guruprasad and his wife and then the rest got prasadams from Periaval. The curtain was closed, soon after. Then we paid our respects to His Holiness Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi and His Holiness Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and got their blessings and prasadams and went to Madras that evening. I returned, with my second son Prabhakar, the next day to USA.
In these pages of narration of my experience with Periaval, I have used the words, ‘my Periaval’, Periaval, Karunamurthy and God. I know I have not defined God (Could I have?) and I have not attempted to prove that Periaval is God (Could I have?). I leave these to the readers. I think that all I would say, like what Max Mueller said of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, that Periaval is a wonderful mixture of God and Man.
As for me, I am sure now, more than ever, that I lived with God for fifteen long years.
Final
I would like to end this article with my latest darshan of Periaval on January 21, 1993.
After the wedding of my eldest son Guruprasad with Sow. Vidya on January 18, 1993 at Tirupathi, we wanted to visit Periaval to have His darshan and to get His blessings. After performing Kalyana Utsavam to Lord Venkateswara on January 20, 1993, we left Tirupathi the next day in the morning for Kancheepuram. We wanted to start early. But we misplaced the keys of the rooms of the Guest House where we were staying. This caused delay. We could leave only around 9 a.m. I told the drivers of the taxis that we should reach Kancheepuram by 11 a.m., to be in time for Periaval’s darshan. I assumed that Periaval would give darshan that day! We had to go through three railway gates between Tirupathi and Tiruttani.
We got abnormally delayed because of the second railway gate also having been closed. I told my sambandi Rajagopal, who was sitting next to me, that I lost the hope of having darshan of Periaval on that day. At that time, a private car negotiated its way to the front of our car and stopped just before the gate. On the outside of the back window of the car, the name ‘CHANDRASEKAR’ was written in big letters. I told Mr.Rajagopal, somewhat humorously, that unless ‘THAT CHANDRASEKAR’ came to our help, the gates would not open. I thought Rajagopal might not have understood what I said.
I explained that unless CHANDRASEKHARENDRA SARASWATHI came to our help, the gates would not open in time for us to be in Kancheepuram. Just then, would the readers believe it, the driver of the car in front got out, went to the gate keeper, talked to him for a minute and came back. Immediately the gate keeper opened the gates. The ‘Chandrasekar’ car fled through and our three taxis followed it. When that car and our three taxis reached the third gate, it was also found closed. I told Rajagopal that I was praying that the same thing should happen again. It did. After some more distance, the Chandrasekhar car went in a different direction. Rajagopal told me that the car must have belonged to a Minister or some senior official of Andhra Pradesh Government. But I told him, “it is my Periaval’s one more arrangement for me”.
We reached the Kanchi Mutt at 11.40 a.m. My brother Ganapati and his wife were there already, waiting for us. My brother told us that we should rush to the place where Periaval was giving darshan. By 11.50, we were all in front of Periaval. Our friends who were by the side of Periaval, introduced us one by one. My newly wedded son Guruprasad and his wife and then the rest got prasadams from Periaval. The curtain was closed, soon after. Then we paid our respects to His Holiness Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi and His Holiness Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and got their blessings and prasadams and went to Madras that evening. I returned, with my second son Prabhakar, the next day to USA.
In these pages of narration of my experience with Periaval, I have used the words, ‘my Periaval’, Periaval, Karunamurthy and God. I know I have not defined God (Could I have?) and I have not attempted to prove that Periaval is God (Could I have?). I leave these to the readers. I think that all I would say, like what Max Mueller said of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, that Periaval is a wonderful mixture of God and Man.
As for me, I am sure now, more than ever, that I lived with God for fifteen long years.
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