Jagathguru ~ Compassion has no boundaries.

It was a hot summer season. Severe water scarcity prevailed in the villages. The rivers and ponds had all dried up. In many homes, even their wells went dry. Whatever water was available, the villagers shared among themselves.

On the request of devotees of a village where there was severe water scarcity, Periva had come to the village and was giving darshan.

Everyone in the village came for darshan - the rich and the poor, the good and the bad, the miser and the philanthropist; everyone.

A very old person had come. The others who were there gave him way, out of respect, to have Periva's darshan. It was evident that he was an important person in the village.

He paid his obeisance, and stood up.

Periva asked him "What is your age?"

"Me? I am quite old now - eighty two years", replied the old man.

"Sowkiama?" (Is all well with you?), asked Periva.

"No, Sami. Where is the room for happiness? There are quarrels in my family all the time. No one listens to what I say. I am not in good health too. I am living life just for the sake of it", said the old man.

"You must be very depressed..."

"Yes.., Sami"

"If I show you a way to be happy, will you obey me?", asked Periva.

"Tell me Sami", said the old man, eagerly.

"You have fenced the pump-set in your Thottam (field), with the intention that others cannot take even a drop of water. People here are undergoing a lot of hardship for water to drink and cook. You are using the water from your pump-set to water your crops, and your Thottam (field) alone is flourishing. You say that your property and family is not giving you any happiness. Break down the fence around your pump-set. Let all the people take the water. They will all bless you for this and you will find the happiness that you want".

Tears were flowing down the eyes of the old man.

The villagers who were listening to Periva's advise stood there stunned!

"None of them had told Periva about the pump-set in the old man's house (or) that he had fenced it preventing them from fetching water. Nor did they tell Periva that the old man will not hesitate to pick up a fight if they trespassed". They only prayed for the water crisis to be resolved by Periva's grace. That's all.

When Periva was about to leave the place, two youngsters came running. "The old man has taken off the fencing around the pump-set!", they exclaimed.

Water was gushing from the pump-set.

Happiness and sheer bliss was also gushing from the heart of the old man who had removed the fence, paving way for everyone in the village to use the water.

Periva's compassion has no boundaries. His Arul (Divine grace) will continue to flow like a river which never runs dry.

Mahaperiyavaa Life Incidents

Periava is walking up the hills to have darshan of Lord Venkatesha at Thirupathi. A Vidyarthi guides Him and whenever there are steps he cautions ' padi,padi '. Periava says, ' I am old now and my eyesight is poor and I have ' read ' enough. why do you keep saying ' padi,padi '. The Vidyarthi is shaken. He says,' Periava is Saraswathi swaroopam ' Periava must pardon me. 

Periava asks,' so, you mean to say I am not yet Brahma swaroopam'. Vidyarthi is speechless. Periava smiles and says, ' say Govinda, Govinda'. you will get a lot of punya'. From then on, it is Govinda pravaham all the way.

Govindha Govindha Govindha Govindha !!

Kanchi Paramaacharyal's Gems

Assume that a person has some land for himself. Assume also that year after year the land gives higher yields. Beacause of this feeling " this field is mine " he is pleased whenever the yield increases.

The yeild then starts decreasing. He sells the land to somebody else. Again next year the land gives higher yield. When he finds this does he feel happy ? "Last year when i had this land it was barren.

Now the same land is yeilding a fortune for someone else".... he thinks in this way and feels jealous about it. so long as the connection mine was there with the land, there was happiness. Later, even when the crop was good the feeling has changed.......what is the cause for this change....THINK

Ram Ram

Karunai Daivame ............Paramaacharyal

This incident happened at the SriMaTham camp in Trichy, National College High School campus, or Madurai Sethupathi High School campus.

The darshan queue was stopped from moving because of some important deliberation that was going on inside the SriMaTham camp. An old woman was standing in the queue. She can be described as the old woman of old women! She could have been over a hundred years old, standing bent at a right-angle, a staff in her hand that she was holding shakily. She was crying with all the tiredness of her soul: "Sankara, my Sankara! I was agitated if I would see you, or leave this world without seeing you. You came seeking this place. Since you have come, I came to have your darshan, but you have stopped me. (nirutthi vecchu-tiyedaa) Sankara!"

Sri Sambha Murthi SastrigaL was going inside the camp, passing the old woman on his way. He was the pUrvAshrama younger brother of Maha PeriyavaL. He was of a kind heart, true to the family blood that coursed his veins. No sooner he heard the old woman's wail of yearning than he hastened his steps towards the interior. As he entered, he told Sri CaraNar who was immersed in an important delibration, "Outside--a Paatti--of a hundred or hundred and twenty or whatever age. Stands yearning and wailing for Periyavaa's darshan."

Before the last words were out of his mouth, PeriyavaaL stormed outside!

"Why have you stopped me, Sankara?" The Paatti was wailing repeatedly. He went to her, stood very near to her and said, "PaattI, here your Sankaran has come. Look! Without knowing that you have come, I was busy with something inside. And as I came to know it, here I have come running." The Ruler of Grace spoke the words of nectar, which came up as the essence of his love.

"Vanduttiya, Sankara (so you have come, Sankara)!", said Paatti and held his hands tightly! The hands that were held by his mother Mahalakshmi AmmaL, were held today by another person, after a span of about 55 years!

As she raised her face and looked at the holy visage of Sri CaraNar, the vRiddhAmbikA (the good old mother) said, "Though you have come running for my sake and stand before me, I cannot look at you properly with my dim eyesight! ennappA (my son), only you should give me some good sight for a good darshan."

It was the time of a hot sun. There was a narrow, thatched roof over the heads of the people in the queue. At Paatti's words, the bhakta parAdhIna jumped aside the shelter of the roof and stood in the hot son, barefooted!

"Is the vision better now, Paatti?" he said.

"It shows up very well ennappA, it shows very well!" Paatti patted her cheeks loudly.

PeriyavaaL gave her a complete darshan of his person, letting sunlight fall well on his face, tilting it, lifting it, and turning it in many angles, even turning his whole body giving her a darshan of his back.

In a torrent of emotion, without knowing what she spoke, the old woman stuttered and lisped, cried profusely and was very happy!

Sri CaraNar came near her again and said, "Have you seen me well Paatti! Can I go?"

"Yes, I have seen you very well (PAtthuNtempa), my son! Even for this anAmadeyam (nonentity), KaruNAmurti, you have given your darshan. I was holding my soul just to see you. I have seen you know. Take me now my son, take me!" The parama bhakta prayed to him.

"PaattI! When the time comes, let us take it. I shall ask you now to be dropped in your place. Go there and remain in Swami smaraNa (remembrance of God). Don't come running again to see me! I shall always be with you without leaving you aside for a moment!" The kRupA varSA (shower of compassion) gave her his words.

Is there anything that matches the bhAgyam of the Paatti who received such words of assurance from Sri CaraNar who out of his modesty uses words only sparingly when he gives his abhayam to the bhaktas?

Ram Ram

Speaking with Mind

Once, during the mid-eighties, Kanchipuram Mahaswamiji Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamiji, desired to see Bhagavan Yogiramsuratkumar and invited him through a personal attendant. He asked the personal attendant to bring Yogiji.

Yogiji, accepting the invitation of Kanchi Maha Periyava, went to Kanchipuram. Maha Periyava sat down and so did Yogi. Maha Periyava and Yogi looked at each other. They did not speak a word to each other verbally. After looking at each other for sometime, Periyava, laughing lightly, said to his personal attendant who had brought Yogi to Kanchi, “The matter for which he came is over. You may take him back to Tiruvannamalai.”

Did they meet just to see each other or did they exchange some news? Nothing could be comprehended. Yogi went back to Tiruvannamalai.

Later, when Yogiji was asked what really happened, as there was no conversation and yet Maha Periyava remarked that the work was over, Yogi Ramsuratkumar explained thus:

“We both spoke to each other – through the mind.

Kanchi Periyava said, ‘Bhagavanaama Bodendral chanted Rama Naama throughout his life. He was the 59th ‘Peettadipathi’ of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Later, installing his successor for the Peetam he went around giving ‘upadesam’ of Rama Naama for all, irrespective of caste and creed; he offered the ‘upadesam’ that the Name of the Lord was the only ‘gati’ (succour) for all in this Kali Yuga. Living in this manner his body was transformed into a ’siddha sarira’. He attained ‘jeeva samadhi’ at Govindapuram on the banks of the river Cauvery. Living in ‘jiva samadhi’ for the past 300 years, to date, he is incessantly chanting Rama Nama. You may go and remain in that Govindapuram where Bodendral is.’

This beggar replied, ‘No! No! For this beggar Tiruvannamalai is enough.’

Acharya  said, ‘OK’.

This is what we spoke!”

Ram Ram

Dasopadesham...... Kanchi Paramaacharya

1. One of our duties as human beings is to avail ourselves of every opportunity to do good to others. The poor can serve others by their loyal work to the country and the rich by their wealth to help the poor. Those who are influential can use their influence to better the condition of the lowly. That way we can keep alive in our hearts a sense of social service.

2. Man by himself cannot create even a blade of grass. We will be guilty of gross ingratitude if we do not offer first to God what we eat or wear - only the best and choicest should be offered to Him.

3. Life without love is a waste. Everyone should cultivate "Prema" or love towards all human beings, bird and beast.

4. Wealth amassed by a person whose heart is closed to charity, is generally dissipated by the inheritors: but the family of philanthropists will always be blessed with happiness.

5. A person who has done a meritorious deed will lose the resulting merit if he listens to the praise of others or himself boasts of his deeds.

6. It will do no good to grieve over what has happened. If we learn to discriminate between good and evil, that will guard us from falling into the evil again.

7. We should utilize to good purpose, the days of our life-time. We should engage ourselves in acts which will contribute to the welfare of others rather than to our selfish desires.

8. We should perform duties that have been prescribed for our daily life and also be filled with devotion to God.

9. One attains one's goal by performance of one's duties.

10. Jnana is the only solvent of our troubles and sufferings.

Prarthanamathre Sulabhaya Namahah

Ram Ram

Thanks with interest

An evening in Kanchi SrimaTham . A large crowd in a long queue had gathered to have darshan of Paramacharya. Time was slipping by. Slightly tilting his head, Swamiji glanced at the waiting people and saw a twenty year old youth in the queue. Looking intently at the youth, Swamiji called his assistant Ramu, another youth, who came near him and stood, his hand covering his mouth.

"Ramu, you see the person standing as the fifteenth in the queue? A short boy with a slightly darker complexion . You need to buy a shirt and pant piece that will suit his size", Swamiji ordered. "Get the cash from the office, and buy good quality cloth from the Mudaliar textile shop near the mattam."

Ramu was surprised and confused at this sudden command from the sage. He knew that he couldn't ask the reason, so started to proceed on his task.

"Ramu, come here!" Swamiji called. "You know about the name of the modern textile variety?"

"I know it Periyavaa."

"Come on, tell me?"

"It is called terry cotton, Periyavaa."

"Hmm...the same thing. Get a costly piece from that variety."

Within fifteen minutes, Ramu appeared before the sage with the cloth. Swamiji was very happy as he looked at the cloth from a distance.

"Besh, besh. It is very good.!" Swamiji appreciated Ramu. "You do one thing. Get a bamboo plate and fill it with fruits, poorna phalam, and place the cloth on them. Tell the manager that I wanted a sum of six thousand and seven hundred rupees, placed in an envelope, get the money and keep it on the plate. I shall tell you later about what to do next." With this order to his assitant, Swamiji started conversing to his bhakta nearby.

An envelope with the amount ordered was brought. Swamiji gestured that it be placed on the plate.

Now the twenty year old boy was standing before Paramacharya, who looked at him head to toe. The youth prostrated to him. Swamiji turned and looked at Ramu, who came near him, running.

"Ramu, take that plate in your hands." Ramu did as he was told.

Swamiji said with a blossoming face, "Give that plate to the boy and tell him of my bountiful blessings to him and his family."

The youth could not understand anything about the offer of cloth and money. He simply blinked at the sage, looked this way and that, and stood without knowing what to do.

AchryaL understood his confusion and anxiety. He spoke, "Ramu, ask him not to get confused. Tell him it is the blessing from the maTham to him and his family. Ask him to safely deliver the money in the cover at his home."

The youth nodded his head, though he understood nothing. He again prostrated to the sage and moved away with the surprise gift.

Fifteen minutes passed. Everyone had left, having a darshan. AcharyaL came to his room and sat. He called Ramu near.

"Why Ramu, you did not ask me the reason for my honouring the boy in a special way?"

Ramu hesitated and said, "How can I ask Periyavaa about such things? I am here only to carry out your orders."

"Alright, you don't have to ask me! I shall tell you the reason myself."

Swamiji spoke: "This incident happened many years back. Our maTham at that time was finding it a little difficult to make ends meet. I decided to undertake a yAtra to the north Indian regions with my retinue. We started at an auspicious time. I came to the entrance of the maTham. There was a small grocery shop opposite the maTham. It belonged to a Chettiar. The maTham had an account for buying groceries from that shop. 

"As he saw me at the maTham entrance, Chettiar came running. He prostrated, tieing his upper vastram around his waist. I thought that he had come to offer his respect knowing that I was about to go on a yAtra.

"'What ChettiarvaL, you are fine? How does your groceries business go?' I inquired him.

"He closed his mouth and replied meekly, 'Somewhat alright, Swami, but the going is really difficult. I heard that Swami is going on a yAtra north and would return only after five or six months.'

"I told him, 'That's right, ChettiarvaL... might take five or six months to return.' He took his time thinking something, hesitated much and then said, 'It is not that Swami. The maTham has an account with our shop, as Swami knows. There is a balance amount for the four to five months goods supplied that remains to be paid. I too find it difficult, with four months rent for this shop in arrears. I am just submitting my problems to you. You finish your yAtra and come back.' As he said it, Chettiar again prostrated.

"I said, 'ChettiarvaL! Immediately after coming back from the yAtra, I shall arrange to clear your dues.' and started on my yAtra.

"When I came back finishing the six months yAtra and looked opposite the maTham, the Chettiar's shop was locked. Later when I inquired, I was told that the Chettiar had attained kAla gati three months back suddenly, when he was out of station. Nothing was known about the whereabouts of his relatives! I later inquired about the amount of dues to the Chettiar's shop. It was a sum of eight hundred and seventy five and three-quarters of rupees. I settled the debt with the principal and interest only today! You understand what I am saying? The boy I honoured today was none other than the paternal grandson of the Chettiar. What was due to the grandfather has been settled with the grandson, with principal and interest. No worry henceforth!" Swamiji finished.

Ramu was wonderstruck as he heard the tale. In the meantime another assistant boy came that side. Ramu took leave of the sage and rushed to the entrance of the maTham.

The twenty year boy was standing there with the blessed bamboo plate on his hands. Ramu was very happy to see him and tactfully inquired about the matter.

The boy said, "Yes, I learnt from my grandmother and father that my grandfather had a grocery shop opposite the maTham a long time ago. I heard that his relatives came to settle in Krishnagiri after the sudden demise of my grandfather, closing down the shop due to mounting debts.

"Now my father is running a grocer shop there. I came here touring with my friends from my place. I don't understand why Periyavanga did all these to me. It is very surprising!"

Ramu was speechless as he understood the foresight of his walking God. He went inside the maTham, wondering about what he saw and heard. It was around seven in the evening. AcharyaL was sitting alone in his room.

He saw Ramu and smiled meaningfully. Ramu did not understand. AcharyaL called him near and said, "You had a doubt about the authenticity of what I told you. So you got it confirmed from the Chettiar's grandson at the maTham entrance!" Paramacharya laughed loudly.

Ramu sought his pardon, weeping and saying that he did it out of curiosity only. Paramacharya blessed him with a raised hand, still smiling.

Ram Ram

Chidambara Rahasyam

The only ancient temple where Lord Nataraja is the presiding deity is located in Chidambaram   ( Chitrakootam ) and the unique feature of this temple is the famous “Chidambara rahasyam” (Cosmic secret) that is written in the Bilwa leaves kept in the sanctum sanctorium. Nobody knows the details of the inscriptions. By the directive of Kanchi  Paramaacharya Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal , a replica of this temple was built at Satara in Maharashtra called “Uttara Chidambaram”.

Great care was taken to ensure that every bit of it looks similar to the original and then came the most important step. How to replicate the Chidamabara rahasyam? After all, nobody knows the details! Except of course, the all-knowing Almighty!  Paramaacharya  came to the rescue. He dictated the entire rahasyam to a Pandit who wrote it on the Bilwa leaves and the moment the job was done, Mahaswami said “ May you forget the Rahasyam right now!” and lo! The Pandit forgot the whole thing. Clearly, it is God who gives us memory  and removes it too.

Ram Ram