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)
translator.. saidevo
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 puruShAs. 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 theadbhuta 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!
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! 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 vidvAns 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.
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 bhaktas 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 to the holy golden feet of Sri AcharyaaL.
No comments:
Post a Comment