This is an English translation of an article in Tamizh, narrated by a close attendant of Mahaperiava.
SOURCE----------Mahaperiaval Dharsana Anubavankal-------vol. 7.
COMPILER-------T.S.Kothandarama Sarma.
PUBLISHERS------Vanathi Pathippakam.
Painting above by----B.Narayanan.
STUDENT FROM AUSTRALIA.
Once, some learned people were conversing with Periava. The topic was on a high level Vedhantic matter; but, still, Periava’s talk and the language were so easy even for an illiterate to understand., and was unlike the lectures normally delivered by Pundits.
At that time, a youngster from Australia came there to have His Dharsan. The young man was doing research on the Comparison of various Religions; and he could speak small sentences in Samskrit.
After the normal enquiries, Periava asked him, through a devotee who knows English, what was that he wanted.
“ How should I be? How should I live? What is way of life? What is the way to perform good deeds in life and to get good results?.....” The young man piled his queries, politely.
After a few minutes’ silence, Periava said, “ that is all ok! But why come here ( Kalavai was the place) for knowing all these?”.
“ I am a traveler. I have toured a lot of countries and have had dharsans of ‘Mahans’; talked to very learned people. All of them told me good things and gave me good advice. But none of those talks came from ‘WITH IN’ and none touched my depth of heart. Except that I felt I understood them all, the ‘TATHVAM’ could not be understood by me…. Where ever I went in the world, every one was mentioning your Name only; that’s why I came here after a lot of difficulties.”-------answered the lad.
Periava was listening to all these with a divine smile on His face.
After a small silence, He spoke, “ What new thing I am going to tell you? Our ancestors --- Rishis and Devotees----- have said it all. What new thing I am going to tell you which is not there already in the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavath Gita and the Puranas?”------He stopped here and asked the learned people around Him, “ What do you people think?”
One Vidhwan replied, “Periava should give a lot of excerpts from ‘Ithihasas’ and ‘Puranas’; these should be printed in various languages and distributed everywhere, including countries outside India;we should organize meetings in a lot of places and talk on this; Periava should attend these meetings.”
Periava broke into a laugh and said, “ So? Every one will understand once we organize meetings and talk on this? Dharma, and Bhakthi will rise ? every one will get peace of mind? Is it not?”
“ Look! How many persons from our country have asked the same questions this young man asked now?. In what he had studied, and in what he had researched all these queries have sprung up!; but, there were no answers which he could accept with the depth of his heart. Even if we can’t say that there were no answers, it was like crossing half the well!”
Periava continued, “ there are answers , very CLEAR answers, in our Religion! Ways have been laid out! Results have been mentioned! But, because we know the answers, we don’t care to solve; once the solution is known, why go after the riddle?---that is the careless way we look at them-----“
‘Erect a big shamiana, decorate, arrange loudspeakers, and in the end distribute Prasadam-----then a big crowd will gather! Those who deliver the lectures will become arrogant and say, ‘look! People are flowing in waves after waves to hear me talk!’”
“ Among the tens of thousands of those who applaud the lectures , will at least ten persons practise them? No way! In the case of foreigners , even if ten persons listen to such lectures, they listen with rapt attention. Though Uptill about two centuries ago, when foreigners were not aware of our ancient culture and principle, now, they have formed a lot of organizations and are enthusiastically devoting time to the study of Vedas, Vedhanthas, Puranas, Ithihasas and practise Namasankeerthanas. “
Periava turned HIS eyes towards the youngster. The lad was also looking at Him without blinking his eyes.
Periava, then called a ‘sishya’ and told him to bring a particular book from the Puranas. After He got the book, He pointed to a particular portion and asked a Pundit to read it and also give the meaning.
The Pundit read it:
தஸ்மாத் ஸர்வேஷு பூதேஷு தயாம் குருத ஸௌஹ்ருதம்
ஆஸுரம் பாமுன்முச்ய யதா துஷ்யத்யதோக்ஷஜ:
துஷ்டே ச தத்தர இமலப்யமனந்த ஆத்யே கிம்
தைர்குண வ்யதிரேஹாதிஹ யே ஸ்வஸித்தா:
தர்மாதய: கிடகுணேன ச காங்க்க்ஷிதேன
ஸாரம் ஜுஷாம் சரணயோரூபமாயதாம் ந:
தர்மார்த்த காம இதி யோரபிஹிதஸ்த்ரிவர்க:
ஈக்ஷா த்ரயீ நயதமௌ விவிதா ச வார்த்தா
--------( பாகவதம்----ஸ்கந்தம் 7—அத். 6)
After the Pundit read it with ‘Swaraa’ , before he began to explain the meaning, Periava Himself started with it.
“Tell him that I am not going to give him any new ‘upadesam’! This is a part of what Prahladh preached to His disciples, which appears in ‘Bhagavatham’. Is it not Sasthriji?”
“yes”
‘ We should give up ‘Asura gunas’ ( qualities of Demons ); we should show love and friendship towards all animals. If we do that, Bagavan will become happy. If He becomes happy, there is nothing that we can not achieve. For those who surrender before the Lord, cling to His lotus feet, and recite Naamaasankeerththanam, where is the necessity for Moksha (liberation ) ? If we submit ourselves (Atma) to the Omnipresent Baghavan, that is the True Life.”
“To put it in easier terms, Bakthi shall be pure, true and with out any impurity what so ever; no falsehood is allowed. If we conduct ourselves this way, every one will come to us.”
Every one there who was listening to the above was immersed in total happiness.
Some body started to translate this to the youngster in English, but he indicated that he doesn’t need one, and that he understood every thing!
SOURCE----------Mahaperiaval Dharsana Anubavankal-------vol. 7.
COMPILER-------T.S.Kothandarama Sarma.
PUBLISHERS------Vanathi Pathippakam.
Painting above by----B.Narayanan.
STUDENT FROM AUSTRALIA.
Once, some learned people were conversing with Periava. The topic was on a high level Vedhantic matter; but, still, Periava’s talk and the language were so easy even for an illiterate to understand., and was unlike the lectures normally delivered by Pundits.
At that time, a youngster from Australia came there to have His Dharsan. The young man was doing research on the Comparison of various Religions; and he could speak small sentences in Samskrit.
After the normal enquiries, Periava asked him, through a devotee who knows English, what was that he wanted.
“ How should I be? How should I live? What is way of life? What is the way to perform good deeds in life and to get good results?.....” The young man piled his queries, politely.
After a few minutes’ silence, Periava said, “ that is all ok! But why come here ( Kalavai was the place) for knowing all these?”.
“ I am a traveler. I have toured a lot of countries and have had dharsans of ‘Mahans’; talked to very learned people. All of them told me good things and gave me good advice. But none of those talks came from ‘WITH IN’ and none touched my depth of heart. Except that I felt I understood them all, the ‘TATHVAM’ could not be understood by me…. Where ever I went in the world, every one was mentioning your Name only; that’s why I came here after a lot of difficulties.”-------answered the lad.
Periava was listening to all these with a divine smile on His face.
After a small silence, He spoke, “ What new thing I am going to tell you? Our ancestors --- Rishis and Devotees----- have said it all. What new thing I am going to tell you which is not there already in the Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavath Gita and the Puranas?”------He stopped here and asked the learned people around Him, “ What do you people think?”
One Vidhwan replied, “Periava should give a lot of excerpts from ‘Ithihasas’ and ‘Puranas’; these should be printed in various languages and distributed everywhere, including countries outside India;we should organize meetings in a lot of places and talk on this; Periava should attend these meetings.”
Periava broke into a laugh and said, “ So? Every one will understand once we organize meetings and talk on this? Dharma, and Bhakthi will rise ? every one will get peace of mind? Is it not?”
“ Look! How many persons from our country have asked the same questions this young man asked now?. In what he had studied, and in what he had researched all these queries have sprung up!; but, there were no answers which he could accept with the depth of his heart. Even if we can’t say that there were no answers, it was like crossing half the well!”
Periava continued, “ there are answers , very CLEAR answers, in our Religion! Ways have been laid out! Results have been mentioned! But, because we know the answers, we don’t care to solve; once the solution is known, why go after the riddle?---that is the careless way we look at them-----“
‘Erect a big shamiana, decorate, arrange loudspeakers, and in the end distribute Prasadam-----then a big crowd will gather! Those who deliver the lectures will become arrogant and say, ‘look! People are flowing in waves after waves to hear me talk!’”
“ Among the tens of thousands of those who applaud the lectures , will at least ten persons practise them? No way! In the case of foreigners , even if ten persons listen to such lectures, they listen with rapt attention. Though Uptill about two centuries ago, when foreigners were not aware of our ancient culture and principle, now, they have formed a lot of organizations and are enthusiastically devoting time to the study of Vedas, Vedhanthas, Puranas, Ithihasas and practise Namasankeerthanas. “
Periava turned HIS eyes towards the youngster. The lad was also looking at Him without blinking his eyes.
Periava, then called a ‘sishya’ and told him to bring a particular book from the Puranas. After He got the book, He pointed to a particular portion and asked a Pundit to read it and also give the meaning.
The Pundit read it:
தஸ்மாத் ஸர்வேஷு பூதேஷு தயாம் குருத ஸௌஹ்ருதம்
ஆஸுரம் பாமுன்முச்ய யதா துஷ்யத்யதோக்ஷஜ:
துஷ்டே ச தத்தர இமலப்யமனந்த ஆத்யே கிம்
தைர்குண வ்யதிரேஹாதிஹ யே ஸ்வஸித்தா:
தர்மாதய: கிடகுணேன ச காங்க்க்ஷிதேன
ஸாரம் ஜுஷாம் சரணயோரூபமாயதாம் ந:
தர்மார்த்த காம இதி யோரபிஹிதஸ்த்ரிவர்க:
ஈக்ஷா த்ரயீ நயதமௌ விவிதா ச வார்த்தா
--------( பாகவதம்----ஸ்கந்தம் 7—அத். 6)
After the Pundit read it with ‘Swaraa’ , before he began to explain the meaning, Periava Himself started with it.
“Tell him that I am not going to give him any new ‘upadesam’! This is a part of what Prahladh preached to His disciples, which appears in ‘Bhagavatham’. Is it not Sasthriji?”
“yes”
‘ We should give up ‘Asura gunas’ ( qualities of Demons ); we should show love and friendship towards all animals. If we do that, Bagavan will become happy. If He becomes happy, there is nothing that we can not achieve. For those who surrender before the Lord, cling to His lotus feet, and recite Naamaasankeerththanam, where is the necessity for Moksha (liberation ) ? If we submit ourselves (Atma) to the Omnipresent Baghavan, that is the True Life.”
“To put it in easier terms, Bakthi shall be pure, true and with out any impurity what so ever; no falsehood is allowed. If we conduct ourselves this way, every one will come to us.”
Every one there who was listening to the above was immersed in total happiness.
Some body started to translate this to the youngster in English, but he indicated that he doesn’t need one, and that he understood every thing!
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