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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

PERIAVA-----THE OTHER NAME FOR ‘DHARMA’

ARTICLE BY SREE Ra.Ganapathy
Name of the book----Mahaperiaval virundhu
Publishers---Divya Vidhya Trust.

The original article is in Tamil. For the sake of those who are not familiar with the language, I have translated it in English to the best of my knowledge. Errors may kindly be condoned.


The place is Satara----the place replete with the sacred memory of SAMARTHA RAMADOSS.
The time-----early morning 4=30 AM -- a time filled with Peace, so natural to that time , mixed together with the Bliss of the early morning. 

We can hear the voice of the Saint. He was observing silence (MOUNA VRATHAM) all through the previous day, so much so that the few devotees who had gathered there at that early hour were listening to Him with extra eagerness.

“Yes! Shut as my mouth was last night, the flavor of ‘UPPUMA’ reached my nose! Even if I do not want to say this, how can I keep quiet when the two or three people (meaning His attendants) here are struggling? I had stayed put here for CHATHURMASYA VRATHAM. For another two months, I am not going to move out from here. But this place is not a town or city, Is it? Are there enough man power here to look after each and everything ? Should not those devotees, who come here to see me, realize this small matter? I know, all of you come here from different places , with great difficulties just to see me. But should you trouble others? You have to keep moving out after you see me once, is it not? Is there sufficient convenience in this small town to prepare food, tiffin etc for the visitors? Only these two or three persons staying here have to do all that without minding the difficulties. I know they do this with a good frame of mind, without murmuring . But looking after my needs itself is difficult for them; is it proper to put extra burden on them --the burden of serving to the devotees who come to see me and those who come to see those devotees and so on?”

Periava’s tone sounded with the pungence akin to that of seasoning the ‘UPPUMA’! But, our inner mind realizes that the seasoning is done with the ghee of love! The Love of the Master towards the servants!

“Where is that ‘Belgaum? Is he there?”

“Here I am!”----comes that person and prostrates.

“Since the time I started to wander around in Maharashtra, how many times you would have come to see me?”

‘Belgaum’ thought that only the ‘ghee’ without the ‘chilli’ is filling his inner self! Pride filled him as he thought that Periava Himself is going to reveal to all who have gathered there, that he comes there very frequently to see Him! This feeling reflected in his tone when he said he has come ‘so many times’.

“Tell me, how you are able to come these many times?”

“I am employed in Railways! I come with my free pass!”

“Oh! I see! Put it (the pass) down here!”---Periava tapped the ground in front of Him!

The devotee obeyed as ordered by Periava.

In that dim early morning light---when darkness has not left--- Periava’s hand pressed the button of the torch near Him and the light fell on the ‘Pass’.

Periava examines the pass minutely; then starts talking; again chilli starts frying! “ the examiner has not signed the pass at all! I know, that the railway employees’ free trips with the pass are limited to certain figure. But in this pass there is no account as to how many times you have travelled with this, as there is no signature at all! You know what you should do? As a first step, you should surrender this pass. Then, you may come to see me ONLY when you travel by spending YOUR money!”

At this apt time, another devotee from Chennai, comes forward to donate Rs.1000. 

Eleven years ago, from the time He left SreeMatam , The Saint doesn’t accept any moneytary donation----that devotee knows this too well. But still, as he has set aside this amount to be spent as per Periava’s direction, he is submitting this amount.

Will not Periava know this?

"Where  is  that  'Belgaum?"

He comes up.

Now cashew nut gets fried in Ghee!

He praises the various Acharya Services being done in Belgaum city.

The sky which thundered a while ago, pours sweet rains now!

He wishes that that money be spent for one such service.

“How will you take the money?”

“I will take it carefully!”

With the fullness of the feeling of responsibility and the wonderful worldly knowledge, the Saint says, “That is not ok! If it is lost, neither you nor the person who donated that will be responsible; I have to be answerable. (looking at the person who donated the amount) take a draft for this amount in his name and give it to him.

It has been the nature of that SAINT, to show practical examples daily, to illustrate, WHAT IS DHARMA, WHAT IS LOVE, WHAT IS RESPONSIBILITY, WHAT IS CLEVERNESS.

This is one of such examples.

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