Three Incidents

Exp: Three Incidents
« Thread Started on Mar 4, 2013, 9:59am »

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Three Incidents
author:...... Dr. C.K. Raman, Kanchipuram
compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
book:......... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 1, pages 99-102
publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (Aug 2006 Edition)
translator...saidevo

A new and differently constituted Government took over at the Centre in the year 1977. That Government decided to send a new ambassador for the Indian Embassy in America. That new ambassador was the famous lawyer and economist, late Tiru. Palkivala.

He came to Kanchipuram to have darshan of Maha Periyavar before going to America on his new assignment. No one in the MaTham was previously informed of his arrival. Tiru. Murali Devra and Tiru. Nana Chudasama, who were then popular in the Jaycees organization, contacted me since I was also in that organization and asked me to make the necessary arrangements.

We had arranged a reception and a dinner in the ITDC bungalow for Tiru. Palkivala on his arrival. I introduced my Kanchi friends to him. He wanted to have darshan of Maha SwamigaL before dinner. I sent a man to the MaTham for this arrangement. But then he came back disappointed with the tidings from the MaTham that people who were not Hindus could not have a private darshan of PeriyavaaL. Though it was a big disappointment to me, I went in person, had darshan and asked Paramacharyar about this news. He said, "Palkivala? It was he who argued and won our ArchakaaL case in the Supreme Court. Ask him to come." I told this verbatim to Tiru. Palkivala. He was ecstatic to hear it. Tiru. Palkivala and I went in person and had darshan of Periyavar. Maha Periyavar was talking to him in Hindi for about half an hour. He also bid the lawyer farewell with his blessings.

Tiru. Palkivala said with happiness again and again, "I can never forget this darshan."

*** *** ***

The President's rule was in force in Tamilnadu in the year 1977. Under the auspices of Jaycees, the weddings of a group of people couples were conducted free of cost to them. We invited Tiru. P.K. Dave, I.A.S. who was then the Advisor to the Governor to preside over the marriage celebrations. He came down, presided over the occasion and left after blessing the couples.

After the wedding ceremonies were over, some of the couples wanted to seek the blessings of Maha PeriyavaaL. Though I agreed to their wish, I hesitated as some of the marriages held were inter-caste marriages. Even then I sent a man and sought for their permission, but the people in the MaTham refused it. Persisting, I went and asked Maha PeriyavaaL himself in person. Without refusing, he said, "Ask them to come." He also asked for the number of couples. I said that they were 20 pairs of couples. We brought all of them from the Anna Arangam where the marriages were held to the MaTham and introduced them to Maha PeriyavaaL. He advised and blessed them for about twenty minutes. Then he gave clothes worth Rs.125 (today's value would be over Rs.500) to each pair. Sri Jayendrar also joining in and blessing the couples added more to the honour of the occasion. We were rapturous that though Paramacharyar was in favour of tradition, he showed that all those things were only after humane considerations.

*** *** ***

Once when I went to have darshan of Maha PeriyavaaL, an old man was sitting beside PeriyavaaL and talking to him.

"Your name?"

"Ramaswamy Aiyer."

"Place?"

"Kalpattu."

"The one which is near Tiruvannamalai, that Kalpattu, right?"

"Yes."

"Alright. You know why your place got the name Kalpattu?" (Some silence).

"Your pUrvikam(native place) is that place?"

"Yes."

"Then why is it not known to you?"

"I went and settled in Delhi in my young age."

"So, (you mean to say that) it should not be known to you?"

"..."

"In those days, the Pallava kings used to bring from that place the stone needed to make the props used to tie their elephants. That was why the place got the name Kalpattu. This is very famous."

I was elated to witness Maha PeriyavaaL's knowledge of history in person.

''''''''''''''

Maha Periavaa was giving dharshan to a queue of devotees.

Suddenly Periva asked a devotee when his turn came, to show his wrist watch. His Holiness enquired in detail about the make, model, cost, etc. of the wrist watch. But without giving it back to the devotee he placed it near Himself.

Likewise he did the same to the next few devotees. There gathered a collection of wrist watches.

Next was the turn of a father-son-duo. His Holiness asked them to take whatever wrist watch they liked among the collection and it is theirs.

The duo immediately fell on the feet of His Holiness and cried for pardon.

The duo had earlier rejected a girl's marriage proposal for not being able to provide the wrist watch demanded by the duo.

What a gentle and powerful way of correcting a wrong!