If not for anyone, the title is for all of us here in the blog – whatever we do here as kainkaryams, it should not be an ego-satisfying kainkaryam!!!
“Parameswara! Have committed ‘abacharam’! You’re the Eswaran! What comes out of your mouth is Vedha!  By mistake… Due to  self-pride, I slipped some words out….it is truly due to being less cautious at my end.. Forgive me! Save me!”
Having poured out his heart in words and also through his tearful eyes, Sastrigal fell at the foot of Periyava, indicating his ‘saranagathi’ mind. Periyava was in ‘Koubeenam’ for the ‘snanam’. Just took the robe back & asked the sastrigal to come to the snana-kattam itself when he heard the plight of the Sastrigal.
He is one of the most famous & one of the senior most Sastrigals in Andhra- Sri Mandaleegam Venkata Sastrigal. Some of the well-known sevakas of Periyava like Sri Avadhaana Swamigal later became the students of the Sastrigal.
Let us go back in time to see what prompted this….
Sivasthanam camp. After leaving the matham, when Periyava went on a long ‘DigVijayam’, they were at Sivasthanam. Sri Kannan Mama, Sri SriKantan Mama, Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama & Sri Sivarama Sastrigal were the only those four allowed to be there after 6pm. No one can go inside or talk to Periyava. Even ‘biksha’ has to be kept at the counter. Periyava may accept it. At night, Periyava may lay down there with his mouth open, like a sparrow. One of them would understand & pour couple of spoons of milk, which Periyava may accept.
“Only by doing kainkaryam to Him one can understand what kind of  agnanai/mahan He is..Otherwise others will simply know that Periyava existed – thats all”
During that period, Periyava has surprisingly spoke to them. It was a 1-1.30 ammidnight. Asked Sri Kannan Mama and Sri. Thamaraipakkam Mama to be there with Periyava & the rest can retire to the bed.
Sri Srikantan Mama, “Periyava does all enquiry at midnightfor folks who have done something wrong…not sure what He is going to ask us??”
Normally people pray all ishta dheivams the moment they have been “called” by Periyava.
Periyava has shown the ‘lotus’ symbol in hand & pointed to the eye. ‘Lotus Eyes?’. May be but Sevaka understood it as Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama & Sri Kannan Mama. Both have come. Periyava looked at Sri Kannan Mama, “Have you read Bagawad Gita?”
“Mudikontan taught me after Periyava told. We could finish only 11 chapters..Later a generalized meaning gave and wrapped it up”
“You?”, Periyava asked Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama.
“Read…but not doing nithya-parayanam”
Tomorrow,  I want you both to find where sarma-dasai in Gita. You should go to lunch only after reading it…”
“We don’t know where it is…”
“Not all..only bashyam…Also look at Kudartha-deepikai by Madhusoodhana Saraswathi. just read these two alone..”
Then both have taken ‘Utharavu’and; gone to the bed without knowing ‘what?’ or ‘why?’
Both have reported the next day. Have completed the reading. Now, have to go for their lunch.
Periyava asked for the book by ‘Sri Avadhaana Swamigal’. Someone rushed to the matham in Kanchi and; brought it.
“Do you know Telugu?”, Periyava.
Sri Kannan Mama, “I can understand but can’t follow very deep meaning”
Periyava turned to Sri Thamaraipakkam.
“You?” Then Periyava himself answered, “You only know oddan (bazaar) Telugu…”
Paused for a while. Called for Sri Anjaneya Swamigal who read it for them.
The book detailed an incident…
Periyava, ” In Gita in sarma-dasai, does it say that if the sishyas’ kainkaryam is too strong, even if the guru is mahan, he can’t give up his body?”
“No! No! No!”, a casual laugh, sort of belittling, with the head moving left and; right negating the statement was told by a Sastrigal, who was there, with the thought that “Periyava is just saying something irrelevant”
He is a famous & very senior (aged) Sastrigal…Mandaleegam Venkata Sastrigal! Sastrigal was quite old but Periyava, at that time was very young. The book continues…
Now let us go back to the beginning of the story!!!
Suddenly, one day Sastrigal came running with the eyes shedding tears…”Parameswara!!! I did a very big apacharam!!! You are Iswaran!!! Anything that comes out of your mouth is vedam!!!! Without knowing this, I said something out of arrogance!! Please forgive me!!! Please save me!!!!”
No one knew… how, when, what happened. But the learned Sastrigal seems to have realized that Periyava is beyond comprehension.
“What you said is right, In kudartha-deepikai writteb by Madhusudhana saraswathi, whatever Periyava told is there!”. All written in Telugu.
After hearing that Periyava once again detailed the incident and said, “Does it say in that he can’t give up his body?”
Periyava paused few seconds, “Only because all of you, I am still here!”. On hearing this both Sri Kannan Mama & Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama broke down in tears.
Ah! What a blessings! What a great service to the community at large. Yes! It was because those Sevakas Periyava couldn’t give up the body we have had the darshan…
“We need to do more kainkaryam …that too without boosting our ego.”. Sri Kannan Mama prayed conclusively.
“Rarely in an unguarded moment the ‘Eswara-thvam’ of Periyava gets exposed”, says Sri (Prof.) Veezhi Mama. This was one such instance. More importantly that also exposes the ‘Kingara-thvam’ of the Divine-Sevakas.
Namaskarams to all of them and prayers to them…
What an amazing incident!