GOD with Human form.

The following incidents were narrated to Sri Charukesi by Srimathi Akila Karthikeyan. I have translated them in English from the Tamil book, காமகோடி பெரியவா , authored by Sri Charukesi and published by Vikatan Pirasuram.

‘God (appears) with human form ( தெய்வம் மனுஷ்ய ரூபேண ), --- it is believed. Mahaperiava was the Prathyaksha Dheyvam. 

There was a village by name Nerunjippettai near Mettur. Mahaperiava visited this place in the year 1928. The village chief Sri Sundaram Reddiar and the then M.L.A Sri Gurumurthy were devoted to Periava and they, along with other elders of the village, used to often go and have His Dharsan. One can, then, imagine their joy when Periava came to their village!

One day, the village folk and devotees were sitting around Periava and chanting ‘Jaya Jaya Sankara! Hara Hara Sankara!’, when there came the chanting of ‘Govindha…Govindha..’ from a distance. Hearing this, Periava enquired, “where does this Govindha chanting come from?”

“ Nearby, there is a hill by name ‘Paalamalai’; on its top there is a temple called, ‘Sri Sidhdheswarar Temple’. People who go there for Dharsan, will keep chanting the ‘Govindha’ nama, while climbing the hill. It is about twelve miles ( about 20 km ).” ---replied the elders.

Mahaperiava was extremely happy on hearing this and said, “ ‘Govindha’ chanting for the Dharsan of Eeswara? I too want to have Dharsan of Sri Sidhdheswara” Devotees were concerned that it will be difficult for Him to climb 12 miles and hesitated. But Mahaperiava started with out any hesitation.

Sri Sundara Reddiar organized a group of persons under one Perumal Gounder, to guide and take Him ( Who guides and leads us! ) to the temple. 

Periava climbed the 12 miles, had Dharsan of Sri Sidhdheswarar. Then He said, “ One day, a lone devotee will build a temple for this ‘Swami’ with his own money.” Mahaperiava’s words came true in the year 1990, after 62 years! A devotee from the North (Setji) came to this place for having Dharasan of Sri Sidhdheswarar. What the Eeswara ordered him, no one knows, but he arranged to build the temple and conduct the Kumbabishekam also!

Smt. Akila continues with another interesting sequel.

In the very old days, a king who was ruling this part wanted to gift some thing to his citizens who have paid their taxes in full. He called his minister and told him, “Throw money in the water”!. What did the intelligent minister do? He built two dams across the river. This made the land fertile. And consequently, the place also prospered . 

When Mahaperiava was staying in Nerunjippettai, water flowed between the dams so forcefully that big stones were carried away in large numbers.. Periava noticed one Perumal Vigraha in that! He asked the elders, “ do you know anything about this?”

The villagers replied that they have heard a story that the king gave six acres of land to ‘Venkata Perumal’. Periava ,then, pointed to that place and said, “there is treasure in the bottom!”. But the villagers did not understand its meaning and why Periava uttered those words.

After many years, the Government decided to produce electricity using the water in the Mettur dam. When engineers excavated the place, they had to move the Perumal statue. They moved it aside carefully and dug the earth for a depth of 25 feet for foundation work. Then the treasure, which Mahaperiava was mentioning that day showed up!

First, they got a Hanuman statue, then, one by one, Sri Rama, and Sita Devi. Astonished at what they got, Sri Sundaram Reddiar and other elders, loaded the statues in a tempo van and proceeded to Kancheepuram. They showed the statues to Mahaperiava and seeked His blessings for building a temple, using those statues. Mahaperiava readily blessed them and said, “ start immediately! It will be done fast!”

When they were about to leave for their village, Periava called them back. They were thrilled when He asked them, “ When I went to Sri Sidhdheswarar temple, one Perumal Gounder came to guide me and take me there.. How is he? Well?” Thrilled because Periava remembers the poor person by his name and asks about his welfare after a gap of 72 years! What Love! What benovelence!

‘ Gounder is well; he is now 95.” Replied the devotees. Periava pointed at some new clothes kept in a brass plate in front of Him, and told them, “ Take these clothes and give them to Gounder! Convey my kind enquities to him!”

‘What a Bhagyavan, Gounder is!’------thought the devotees from the village!

By What other name than ‘Divine Love’ one can call this? Love that shows up for a person , who, somewhere, some time, had guided and taken Him to a temple!