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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

GuropAkhyAnam: PeriyavAL and Shiva devotees


author:...... SivaGnanaBodha Satsangam, Thoothukkudi
compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
book:......... MahA PeriyavAL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 2, pages 133-135
publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
translator:...saidevo

Our teacher Pulavar Sankarar AvargaL was bestowed with the love and grace of Kanchi Maamuni ParamAChAryAL. He would often come to Kanchipuram for AcharyaaL darshan.

Once when he had gone for darshan, ParamAChAryAL ordered him, "You should bring out (the glory of) Tirukkadavur Abhirami. For that you must spread the Abhirami Andadi among the bhaktAs."

Pulavar Sankarar too took the orders on his apex and arranged for the pArAyaNa of the Abhirami Andadi and taught the meaning of the verses and thus 'brought out' Abhirami in the Southern districts. He also gave detailed commentary about the Andadi at many places. Through his efforts and by the anugraha of Kanchi Maamunivar he received the title 'Abhirami Dasan'.

For the second time, in the year 1983, our Teacher went on pilgrimage to Kashi and took fifty Anbars with him by bus. Throughout the way they met with lots of hurdles and health problems. When he reported his problems to ParamAChAryAL who was then camping in the Andra state, ParamAChAryAL ordered him to daily sing the 'IdarkaLaiyum Tiruppatikam' gifted with grace by Tirugnana Sambandha Perumaan in the sthalam TirunedunkaLam, that started with the line 'maRai-udaiyAy, tol-udaiyAy, vAr chadaimel-vaLarum'. As they did so without fail, the yAtrA was completed in a grand manner.

In the years 1982-83, at the Thoothukkudi Saiva Siddhanta Sabha, an Adiyaar was giving a commentary on the Saiva Siddhanta book of knowledge Siva-gnAna-bodham, which was gifted with grace by Sri MeykandaTheva Nayanar. Our Teacher felt the inconsistency between the Sutras of the book and the explanations given.

When he had gone for darshan of ParamAChAryAL who was then in the Maharashtra state, our Teacher supplicated it to AcharyaaL. Kanchi Maamunivar AvargaL gave his anugraham to him for writing a commentary for that Siva-gnAna-bodham (book) in advaita-param (the manner of Advaita). As a base to it, the sage also graced him with anupadesham, "When the nature of Pasu and the nature of Paasam wears away, the real nature of the Pathi will shine automatically." Then our Teacher returned to Thoothukkudi, and from the date 6.11.1983 started writing a commentary in full scale (mApAdiyam) for the Siva-gnAna-bodham sutras along with a handy short commentary, completed it (in due course), and took up lecturing them to the Adiyaars in the Thermal Nagar Satsangam. By this, he obtained the honourable name, 'Svayam-jnAna Siddhar'.

Later when he had darshan of ParamAChAryAL along with the Satsangam members in January 1987 and took leave, orders came from AcharyaaL: "As AdiSankara Bhagavad PadaaL has gifted with grace in the 43rd shloka of Soundarya Lahari, ask the Pulavar to talk on the lines that AmbaaL's hair has its own natural fragrance."

Our Gurunathar (also) wrote a simple commentary that could be understood by everyone on the forty-one verses of Ananda Lahari gifted with grace by AdiSankara Bhagavad PadaaL, and published it with PeriyavAL's blessings in the year 1979, under the seal of SriMaTham.

ParamAChAryAL was staying in the Maharashtra state. It was raining profusely. With our Teacher standing in knee-deep water, PeriyavAL demonstrated some rare mudrAs and graced him with the teaching. This is indeed a bhAgyam hard to come by!

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