Meluru mama, Meluru mama

நம்ம குழந்தைகளுக்கெல்லாம் வாயடைச்சு போச்சு!”, a screaming voice came in from none other than Periyava HIMSELF. Sri Melur Mama all panicky, hurried to the spot on hearing Periyava’s such words, which was never heard in the history!

Sri Mama saw what’s happening and became speechless!!! He saw that every Sevaka with their eyes bulging out and totally disabled to speak. Yes! Everyone’s mouth were ‘அடைச்சி போச்சு’!

Mama Looked at Periyava and didn’t know what to do! “Why Periyava is doing all these?”, was the lingering question in mama’s mind.

Sri Melur Ramachandra Iyer aka Sri Melur Mama had a secret name: ‘Pooja-kattu-bootham’!
Periyava Himself had told a devotee, “என்ன பரமேஸ்வரன்னு எத்துக்கிறியோன்னொ? அப்போ என்ன சுத்தி என்ன இருக்கும்? பூதம், பித்து, இதுங்கத்தானே இருக்கும்!”

“நல்ல ஆஜானுபாஹுவா இருப்பார்! ரொம்ப ஆச்சாரம் அனுஷ்டானாமா இருப்பார் மாமா! “பெரியவாளே, பூசைக் கட்டுல யோஜன பண்ணிண்டுதான் வருவா! மேலூர் மாமா அப்படி வச்சின்ன்டு இருந்தார் அந்த சந்த்ரமௌலீச்வரரை!”, says Sri Kannan Mama.

Sri Melur Mama had lost all his wealth and finally was prepared to give up his life in Ganga.
At that time, Periyava was also set to reach Ganga, during the ‘Kasi-Yatra’. Sri Mama had darshan of Periyava in Nagpur.

“…’நீ செத்து போனா மாதிரி (next ‘Janma’?)…மடத்துலேயே இருந்துடு’ன்னுட்டா!”, says Sri Kannan Mama.

One day after pooja, Periyava seemed to have gone for ‘Vishranthi’. On that day, there were lot of ‘Vadai’ & other patchanams remaining. So everyone were awaiting to have them, once Periyava leaves for ‘Vishranthi’. Won’t Periyava know? Periyava left the place…

But guess what? Periyava came back silently! Having heard so many incidents on Periyava, we could literally visualize, what a scene it would have been!

“பூனை மாதிரி திரும்பி வந்துட்டா!”, a Patti remembers the story she heard. Periyava came and quickly stood in the entrance of the room that did not have any other way out. Everyone there were having ‘vadai’ in their mouth and hand and enjoying it assuming Periyava wouldn’t come back…

Well, they all got caught red headed. Periyava was screaming, “மேலூர் மாமா! மேலூர் மாமா! ஓடிவாங்கோ! சீக்கிரம் ஓடிவாங்கோ! நம்ம குழந்தைகளுக்கெல்லாம் வாயடைச்சு போச்சு!”

Sri Melur Mama came rushing to see that it is not “வாயடைச்சு போச்சு!” but more of ‘வடை- அடைச்சு-போச்சு!’

Periyava smiled and left the place by the time ‘Sevakas’ could gulp the ‘vadai-s’.

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Even today Periyava is smiling at us. வாயடைச்சு நிக்கறோம்! Our hands and mouth are full…with all kinds of ‘vadai’ called, “லௌகீகம்” (“mundane matters!”) Couldn’t get fully into it nor go away from Periyava.

Periyava is standing at the entrance (not allowing us to ‘escape’ into the mundane) and wondering that “நம்ம குழந்தைகளுக்கெல்லாம் வாயடைச்சு போச்சு!”

Neither could swallow nor spit them all…
What do we do, Periyava?
What else we do, Periyava?

In year 1948, in a village (not sure if it is Melur), a Shiva Temple was half-built and stuck for 150 years. Melur mama was pleading to Periyava for it’s completion. After some time, Periyava asked Sri Kannan Mama, who was in his ‘teen age’ or hardly out of it, to begin the work. Many had warned him that whoever begins a Shiva Temple will not last to see its completion. So Sri Kannan Mama expressed his fear to Periyava. Periyava replied back to Sri Kannan mama… Reply had everything that Mama would want to hear for his lifetime, yet the reply was only one line, which made mama accomplish in Satara, Badrinath, Kedarnath and what not! And that line in Periyava’s Kural (voice) was, “நான் பாத்துக்கிறேன் போடா!”