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Friday, April 26, 2013

The Merciful Who Elevated His Devotees - Maha Periyava

I had not seen Kanchi Kamakoti PITham MahA PeriyavAL until that day in person; only in pictures. I had a dream one night: MahA PeriyavAL is standing in my dream. After having darshan, I prostrate to his holy feet and get up. He gave me a persistent, keen look of grace. I awoke in that state of ecstasy.

'Who is he? Nothing about him was known to me except that he is an Advaita sanyAsi, Kanchi Kamakoti PIThAdhipati.

'Perhaps he is guiding my Atma vicAram (Self Inquiry)?

'I have heard that he has the custom of going on yAtrAs. Where would he be staying now?'

I met Sri Duraiswamy Aiyer the next day in his office and asked him, "Where is Kanchi MahA PeriyavAL staying now?" He replied, "MahA PeriyavAL is in Neyveli. He is coming to Panruti from there."

We (me and my wife) went to where he was staying in Panruti one day. He was sitting on the floor in a room.

Sri MahA PeriyavAL gave darshan veiling his body in a saffron cloth, with which he had also covered his head.

Some people paid their obeisance to him and returned with prasAdam. Even after paying their obeisance, some old women were supplicating their family matters to him. It was not possible for us to get past the people who stood like a wall in front of him, blocking the view; we were losing patience. Finally we stood before the holy personality of Sri PeriyavAL and prostrated to him.

As he saw us, Sri PeriyavAL closed his eyes. He was silent for sometime. Though we stood before him with hesitation, he did not open his eyes. We moved away. Suddenly Sri PeriyavAL's voice was heard loud and clear. He conversed something with those who stood before him. We were surprised!

We went to him once again and stood after prostrating. Immediately Sri PeriyavAL closed his eyes and became silent. We couldn't understand the reason; we moved away from him. And Sri PeriyavAL's voice was heard again! Thinking what sort of a wonder it was, we went to him yet again, prompted by curiosity, prostrated and stood up. The same disappointment! Sri PeriyavAL kept silent, closing his eyes. We lost heart. Since it was Shivaratri on that day, six sessions of puja were held there until dawn on the next morning.

Later, we started for our native village. Duraiswamy Aiyer, who was an office friend, also came with us in the bus.

"Did not MahA PeriyavAL talk anything to you? He usually inquiries and talks well with everyone! Also give prasAdam?" He sympathized with us with his words.

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Duraiswamy Aiyer was an officer where I worked. He was a graduate who had culture and devotion. He was a man with close connections to Sri Ramakrishna MaTham and had interest on the SwamigaL of that MaTham. His family members were disciples of the MaTham of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti PITham. 

Because of his concern for me, he gave me the English book Ramakrishna, my Master (written by Sri Sarada Nanda, prime disciple of Sri Ramakrishna) and asked me to read it.

In those days (1960) only we two (me and my wife) were living in our house in the Vazhaipattu village. For us it was complete solitude!

Daily during the night hours I would make her sit before me, read out that biography of Ramakrishna line by line and translate it into Tamil for her. Though she was literate in the English and Sanskrit languages, since it required special experience to understand the spiritual and vedanta paribhAshA (phraseology), I would give her the explanations. She grasped the details well. Likewise, I would also read out Swami Sivananda's books and articles to her. She also started to have devotion and faith towards Swamiji. She told me that she had Sri Swamiji's darshan in her dream and got comfort for her entreaties. Thus, we had an agreeable family life.

In the year 1965, we moved to a new house in Nellikuppam.

It was only after that we had spiritual experiences such as Kanch Sri MahA PeriyavAL darshan, worship of Emperumaan in the Divya Desams, Satsangs, and arrivals of sAdhus (sages) and bhAgavtas (songster discoursers).

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