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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

A Personal Experience

After a long time, I took out this book ‘Moments of a Lifetime‘ to type out a few episodes from it of devotees experiences with our Sri Maha Periva, for members to read and cherish. As I was going through the book today, my thoughts went back to my first visit to Sri Kanchi Mahaswami’s Tapovanam at Govindapuram from where I actually bought this book. 

It was an evening in August this year. That was our first visit, and I was awestruck by the beauty and serenity of the place as we walked inside. Just as we finished our prayers and were about to step out of the main temple, I saw a Sanyasi walking in. I was transfixed at the first sight of him as he had a striking resemblance to our Maha Periva! I just kept looking at him as he did his pradakshinam and came out to sit outside against the pillar. Even the way he sat holding his dhandam was so much like how we have seen Periva in photos! He looked at me for a brief second, and looked away and started conversing with some devotees there. I did not know who that was, but the tejas on his face was so captivating. I wanted to know who that was but did not know whom to ask.

As I walked back to the car after taking the prasadam, something in my mind said I should go back and do namaskaram to that Sanyasi. I almost ran back! The attendant near the temple called out loudly to me asking me to walk slowly! It was drizzling then, and there was water all around. He must have thought I might slip and fall.. When I went to him, I mustered the courage to ask him who that Sanyasi was. He said that was ‘Sri Mettur Swamigal’. I was shocked, surprised, happy, all the same time. We have read so much about His Holiness, but the photos I had seen of him was during his younger days, and did not know that he lived in the temple complex itself. Sri Swamigal was conversing with a few devotees, and I hesitatingly asked the attendant if we could do our namaskarams to His Holiness. He said yes, but we had to be quick as Swamigal will soon be returning to his resting place.

I ran back to the gate to call out to my husband who was already in the car. As my husband and I did namaskaram to the Mahan, he smiled and raised one hand to bless us. He then spoke to us for about 10-15 minutes – infact he was talking to my husband, and I just sat there gazing at him and absorbing the divinity I saw there.

There was a notification placed there that this book was for sale, and as I bought one, I wanted Swamigal to bless it. As I was about to take it to him, he just nodded and waved his hand – to me that was a blessing.

I was so very happy that day, but little did I know that it would be my first and last darshan of His Holiness. May he bless us all just like his Gurunathar, our Sri Maha Periva.

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