The Reward

Maha Periyavaal was camping in the Sanskrit College, Chennai.

A small girl submitted a notebook in which she had written the name  Sri Rama Jayam (many thousand times) and asked for a silver coin. Those were the days when Mahaperiyavaal was giving a gold coin for those who wrote one lakh names and a silver coin to those wrote 12,500 names, which is one-eighth of a lakh.

When the small girl asked for a silver coin, he ordered one to be brought to him and gave it to her. The girl ran laughing happily but came back soon after, rubbing her eyes in tears.
"Why do you cry ma?" asked our beloved Maha PeriyavAL with compassion.
"The coin has somehow gone missing", sobbed the child.
"Don't cry", said Periyavaal kindly and asked, "Right, how many names had you written?"
"8,500" said the child.
"Only if 12,500 names are written, a silver coin will be given, you knew that?"
"I knew. Knowingly  I cheated. I committed a mistake. Please pardon me."
Sri PeriyavAL's heart melted as the small girl admitted her mistake and sought pardon for it.
"It's alright ma! Do not do it again. Sit here." He seated the girl near him with affection.
Looking at the people near him, he said, "Right now all of you write Rama Naama and complete the balance of four thousand names. Let this child also write, along with everyone." Everyone was given paper and pencil. Maha Periyaval graced the bhagya of writing that Divya Namam to many people on that day due to the mistake of a balaki. Since many wrote, the balance of four thousand was completed quickly.

The  Paramaacharyal  called the balaki. "No silver coin for you. I shall give you a gold coin itself." As a great bonus the GuNakunjarar dropped a poR kazhanju (gold coin) in the tender hands of that young  girl.

What a way to propogate Raama Naamam.