-- Experiences with Maha Periyava: It is Trimurti there; it is the same here too!

Though Sri Maha Periyava used to describe himself as a samanya sanyasi (common ascetic), there are incidents wherein he displayed his svaya rupam (real self), on his own accord.

It was the time when Sri Maha Periyava was camping in Tiruvanaikkaval. I and my husband needed to have darshan of him and return to Thanjavur. The next day was a Somavara amavasya (New moon day on Monday) . We had to do pradakshina of a peepal tree in Thanjavur.

Periyava conversed with everyone who came there and bid them farewell with prasadam. But, when we did our prarthana, he would remain as if he did not hear our words; when we went in the queue he would stop giving prasadam with the person before us, and when our turn came, would get up and go inside--he was doing such things repeatedly.

We gave up the plans of our Thanjavur trip and stayed there for the night. I was very angry within.

After the viswa rupam on the next early morning, before he sat for his one-hour japam inside the mena, he directed the karvar (manager), "After three quarters of an hour, even while I am in the japam, make arrangements to carry the mena to the banks of the Kollidam", and shut the door of the palanquin.

Thinking, 'Can't do pradakshina of the Ashwatta (peepal tree). At least let me go around Periyava', I started doing pradakshina of the mena. After it was over, the mena started. We accompanied it and took our snana (bath) in the Kollidam.

As Sri Maha Periyava sat for his anushtanam, he called me and asked, "How many pradakshinas did you do?" I said, "Ninety." There was no way Periyava could have known about my pradakshina! Then he asked me to complete the remaining count of pradakshinas.

After the pradakshina was over, he asked me, "Reciting what shloka did you do the pradakshina?"

Me: I did pradakshina, reciting 'Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwarah'.

Periyava: What would you recite during the Ashwatta pradakshina?

Me: 'Mulato Brahma Rupaya, Madhyato Vishnu Rupine, Agratah Siva Rupaya Vruksa Rajaya Te Namah'.*

Periyava: Then what? It is Trimurti there; it is the same here too!

With these words, he blessed me with the prasadam.

From then on, I took up the niyama (routine) to do pradakshina to Sri Maha Periyava only on the Somavara amavasya.

Author: Jayalakshmi Ammal, Pollachi
Source: Maha Periyaval - Darisana Anubhavangal vol. 4, pages 8-12