On the banks of the river KAvEri at Angkarai- MahA PeriyavAL darisana anubhavangaL

author:....... a devotee
compiler:..... T.S.KOthaNDarAma sarma
translator.... saidevo
source:....... MahA PeriyavAL darisana anubhavangaL v03-p028-032
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamizh 

From Angkarai, in the year 1986, some people had come for darshan.

After inquiring them about many general matters, he inquired probingly about the sandhyA-vandana ghat on the KavEri bank. Pointing to Angkarai ShrIKaNThan standing nearby, who was taking care of the bhikShA kaingkaryam--feeding the sage and his assistants, he said, "Whenever I ask him about Angkarai, this man says he doesn't know anything."

To that ShrIKaNThan replied, "It is since forty years I left Angkarai. So, I do not know anything about it."

The people who had come for darshan said, "Some people have encroached the sandhyA-vandana ghat and erected huts there; only a small place is left there."

shrIPeriyavAL: Those are poor people. You don't need to drive them away. In the remaining place, construct a compound wall, plant two bhilva trees and tulasi and nourish them.

They assured him to do it as ordered.

Later, ShrIKaNThan took saMnyAsa--renunciation, in the year 2003 and went to (shrIMaTham branch at) TiruvAnaikkovil, where he attained siddhi. When yatna--efforts, were initiated to bury the deham--body, in the shrIMaTham garden there, since shrIMaTham remained within the pancha-prakAram--five courtyards, (of the TiruvAnaikkA temple), some people did-AkShepa--objected, that no buriyal should be done there.

With no other solution was in sight, based on the suggestion given by a man who built the compound wall at Angkarai, and in accordance with the uttaravu--(Tamizh) orders, of shrIPeriyavAL, the body was taken there and the buriyal done.

For his saMnyAsa shiShya--ascetic disciple, who was to attain siddhi in the year 2003, his getting ready a place in the year 1986 itself... did it happen accidentally? or by shrIPeriyavAL's dIrgha dRShTi--foresight?

arE, Allah...!

shrIPeriyavAL was camping in the pumping station of the A.C.C.Cement Factory, on the banks of the KAgna river, in Hyderabad.

That pradesham--region, belonged to the Old Hyderabad SamasthAnam. Now it is a part of the KarnATakA state.

At a kilometer distance from that place, is the garden of a man named BhImasEnappA KiTTappA. He was the one who opposed the atrocities on the Razaks during the rule of the Nawab and won the battle. Accepting his wishes that PeriyavAL should visit his place, the sage went there one day.

In the time of mAdhyAnikam--noon, a Muslim devotee came for darshan. When shrIPeriyavAL told him, "Your wife came in the morning with fruits and had darshan", he was surprised and said: "I am working in a shop. When I walked this morning holding the rickshaw, BAbA--your holiness, had a look at me. I had a feeling of seeing Allah in person. Further it seemed to me that you said something in Urdu, my mother tongue. I could come only now, after my work is over. At home, my wife told me of her having darshan."

The sage gave him fruits and did anugraham, when the devotee thus spoke to him and prostrated. It is not surprising that MahA-PeriyavAL who is ellAvum--everything, not giving darshan as Allah.

Build a RAmar temple

The time when shrIPeriyavAL was in mukhAm--camp, in the year 1978, at Hampi. The yuvarAjA--prince, of SANDUr, had made Ramesh BhaTT, the assitant of the rAjaprohita--royal priest, of SANDUr MahArAjA, stay in Hampi, in order to provide the facilities required for shrIPeriyavAL's mukhAm.

During night, when shrIPeriyavAL's kaingkaryaparas--assistants, were sleeping, Ramesh BhaTT alone would be awake, enjoying shrIPeriyavAL's singing with rAgam--the specific musical note, saundarya-laharI, shivAnanda-laharI and many other shlokas--verses. Whenever PeriyavAL rose from his sitting, he would wake up the sage's aNukkat thoNDargaL--personal assistants.

One day after finishing singing a saundarya-laharI shlokam, calling him, shrIPeriyavAL asked, "All those who come to me seek something from me, whereas you don't ask me anything, why?"

Ramesh BhaTT: "PeriyavAL is god. His holiness knows everything. So, there is no avashyam--necessity, for any sort of prayer."

shrIPeriyavAL, at once: "Your tagappanAr--(Tamizh) father, has taken a saMkalpam--vow, to do rAma-pratiShTA--installation of shrI RAmA's image, in your grAmam--village. You do-pUrti--fulfill it."

The native village of Ramesh BhaTT named KAlkatigi, is located at 130 kilometers in the prAntiyam--region, of DhArwAr/DhArwad city (KarnATaka state). Ramesh's father had never come for darshan of PeriyavAL. And Ramesh did not know that his father had taken such a saMkalpam.

Ramesh: "My salary is very low. How can I build a RAmadeva mandir?"

shrIPeriyavAL: Without any shramam--exertion, in ten years, you are going to build the kOvil--temple, by your own earnings, and without getting any yAchakam--donation."

With the next few days after the mukhAm--camp, moved from Hampi, Ramesh got the opportunity of an udyogam--job, as a tablA vidvAn--drums expert, attached to the All India Radio Station at DhArwAr. He also got opportunities of performing in private concerts. With those earnings, in the tenth year thereafter, Ramesh built a RAmadeva temple and completed doing pratiShTA--installaton, of the vigrahas--images, his father had bought.

Ramesh BhaTT would say, his gratitude welling up, "It was not with my money, only by PeriyavAL's anugraham, that I could build this temple."