How seer of Kanchi the Paramacharya silenced the architects of Project Manhattan… Here an interesting incident…
Those were the days when Indians were looked down upon by the west. She had just gained independence. Many of our budding scientists were working abroad and facing the cynicism of the west.
One of them was Dr. Iyengar of the Atomic Energy Commission which became BARC.
Once he was discussing about Paramaacharya when his senior Allen Cummins came and asked what they were discussing. When iyengar told about Paramaacharya Dr. Cummins ridiculed him asking, if your god-man knows everything why India did not make the Atomic Bomb first.
After a few months Iyengar came to India and asked Cummins if he too wished to join him. The man waiting to ridicule Indians agreed. They both came to Chennai and proceeded to Kanchipuram.
On the day they landed, they were asked by Periyaval to take rest and meet the next day.
Cummins felt irritated but something in him made him wait. He had satvic food and realised something around the place. That night he had a peaceful sleep without his regular glass of drink.
Next day they had Darshan and the moment Cummins saw Periyaval he was dumbstruck. For here was a person who was personification of simplicity which later turned to be the personification of knowledge and compassion.
He came to confront Periyavaal but could not ask anything.
‘Did you see India’ Periyavaal asked Cummins . He just nodded.
‘You saw what Project Manhattan did to Japan and for the same reason we did not reveal the Anu Shastra . It brings only destruction’. The man was as feeble like a jelly, feeling the ground beneath him slipping. He had met presidents and many powerful men but never felt so feeble as he was feeling now. ‘How the hell did he know?
Periyavaal was smiling like an innocent child. ‘I know why you came to see me and I don’t want your visit to go waste. ‘
Then what paramaacharyal told him made him feel still shameful. He heard the entire concept of relativity and atomic theory explained in such a simple language. ‘India will never use the atomic power to destroy, it will be only for constructive purposes.’ Cummins now felt ashamed and futile to work in such atomic project. He sought the Acharya’s blessings and left. He never worked in the atomic sector again. He thanked Iyengar and later became one of the chief architects of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty & who spoke in the UNO about it.
That is the power of Paramaacharyal !
HARA HARA SANKARA JAYA JAYA SANKARA
Article Source: http://www.mahaperiyavapuranam.org
Categories: Devotee Experiences
I am here because my mother sent me this as a whatsapp forward. It was obvious that they had overdone it with the “he never worked in atomic research and went against it” and all. It’s extremely saddening to see Periyava’s legacy being reduced to cult nonsense lately. This is the reason I even started to stay away from pravachanams and other group activities as I feel they are getting together not to discuss or FOLLOW what Periyava said, but rather, just for a sense of belonging with everyone else, and in the process, completely losing their way.
I am from what you’d call “the next generation” and I am ashamed of what the loudest members of “the previous generation” have reduced it to; even more so, of the others who have and are letting them.
Very sad to see “the next generation” comes to a verdict of incidents that are occurred with Maha Swamy by “the previous generation”. I am saddened not because of their decision of considering ‘those incidents’ as fake of hyped, but their poor or declined analytical skills. I am saddened the present day education system failed to imbibe these qualities in them. I am saddened that their elders did not provide any clear platform to them to understand what is right and what is not.
As one of the Thirukkural goes:
எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள்
மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு.
MEANING IN ENGLISH:
To discern the truth in everything by whomsoever spoken, is wisdom.
The bottom line is, take the inner meaning of the incidents rather than introspecting the author and other things.
Maha Periyava is GOD ! Should be kept away from Mundane things. At best we can quote first hand experiences from publications so the younger generation gets an insight into the publications for reading and learning more about the Sage nonpareil
Whoever wrote anything about MAHAPERIAVA SHOULD STRICTLY ADHERE TO TRUTH ONLY
EVEN WHILE INTERVIEWING BHAKTHAS ,SRI. SIVARAM ANNA TOLD ONCE THAT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ONLY FIRST PERSON EXPERIENCES AND NOT HEARSAY ANECTODES
SHOULD BE NARRATED.
STILL SOME BHAKTHAS HAVE NARRATED HEARSAY INSTANCES WHICH SRI SIVARAMJI
COULD HAVE EDITED AND DELETED.
SAME INCIDENT REPEATED WITH SLIGHT VARIATION BYSOME SENIOR / old. PEOPLE HAVE APPEARED.
THE ANUKKA THONDARGAL LIKE SHRI.VEDAPURI MAMA,SHRIBALU SWAMIGAL,Shri chandramouli, Srikantan swamigal ,unfortunately did not keep any data about neither the visitors nor the interview details which is causing lot of inaccurate narrations of such anugrahams
For example I was trying to trace the Israeli gentleman who came to Periava to ascertain from Him as to the most ancient language in the world.
The Jews I met could not enlighten me in this respect.
At least NOW ,if our Mutt records addresses , the names of the visitors ,occupation etc it would be of great help for posterity (research scholars)
With the passage of time additions and exaggerations do creep in.
I too am with Sri Sreedhar above as Dr. Iyengar never mentioned this incident (not that he shared everything though) , as a family friend for a long, long time (I even recall attending his marriage as a young boy). Too late to confirm now as we were in touch with him until he passed on a couple of years ago at the age of 80, right after Sadhabishegam.
I am a firm believer in Periyavaa. This particular narration somehow makes me uncomfortable. Exactly what Mr. Sreedhar has said above happened. I shared with my son and he immediately got back stating that for a person who was the architect of the NTBT as mentioned in the article, there is no cross referencing possible in any place corresponding to that area and with Mr. Iyengar. In my opinion, with all due respect, please remove this blog if we are not able to validate given the names that are being referred. My sincere apologies if this sounded of disrespect in any way
Remove blog? Does it sound nice Mr Sridhar?
You want to remove the post instead?
Dear Mahesh Garu
I am with Sreedhar as well as you, on one point of each of you.
Authenticity must be checked when some stories dealing with famous characters who are or were in apex body of some agencies before posting in this peerless blog. Most of the incidents can definitely be cleared with the source of friends and relatives, even with the person concerned.
When come to general individual incidents, how one can introspect these incidents? For instance, I had one experience with Maha Periva in my life. I narrate with my people and later thinking to share in public with the intention of expressing the kindness of HIM to many people through some medium like this one. How you or any can validate this? I don’t think you need to do that, as along as it satisfies you alone.
Please correct me, if I am wrong.
Sarvam Krushnaarpanam!
To the moderator : Can you please check the veracity (which virtue for our Paramacharya was foremost, as can been seen from the incident about Bhaja Govindam Shloka recited by a child differently) of these incidents? They seem to mushrooming a lot these days. Poorly sourced, with circular cross referencing among websites seem to be the norm.
One certainly does not need made up incidents to proclaim our Periyavaa’s glory or his Sarvagyanatvam!
A candle is indeed superfluous to see the Sun.
Cannot find any reference to the facts about “Allen Cummins” and relationship to “P.K. Iyengar (which is presumed to be the Iyengar)” or “nuclear test ban treaty” that would corroborate the story. If these simple facts mentioned in the story cannot be corroborated, what to say of the incidents themselves?
The reason why checking this is important : This site is for future generations who will come to know and scarcely believe such a Mahan such as our Periyavaa walked this earth. A few drops of “poison (ie. made up stories that can easily be checked for internal consistency of the facts)” in milk needless to say will shake the faith of a devotee. Our generation’s responsibility is to leave as accurate a record as possible of HIM.
Of course, if the incident is true adding specifics will make it only better and not detract from it.
Sreedhar –
Valid point. It is seriously a grey area. I have read articles and thought that these are probably cooked and actually heard that incident from the person who was involved after few years!!! Example – several incidents from Sri Balu mama and Sri Ganesh Kumar’s incidents etc. On the other hand, some of the incidents we do not know the origin. In the good faith we believe that this must have happened. I seriously dont know if there are anyone who spend time and effort to fabricate some fictitious stories just to get some likes in facebook etc.
Unlike earlier days, I am in no pressure to post things daily. As you all might have noticed, there were days when I posted nothing at all – either I was busy or I didn’t have anything to post…Just not to disappoint the visitors, I post some articles from dheivathin kural so that we learn something new….To your point of maintaining this site to serve as “true single source of truth” (to use my data warehousing terminology), in many cases, I discard articles if I “think” it is fabricated….Since this came from Shivaraman, I “assumed” that this is probably a real one…
Bigger question is “how to validate?”
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Hara Hara Shankara, Jaya Jaya Shankara!