I wanted to write this post right after the recent anusham but forgot…..
It is proven beyond doubt that bhaavam is very important in bakthi. The combination of bakthi & bhaavam can take closer to God. We all do bakthi – sure. But when it comes to bhaavam, at least I have a long way to go…
Here are some incidents, I’ve read, observed, heard etc…Read, enjoy & let us all learn from these people.
First incident from Sri Pradosham mama (I can’t push mama any less than the first spot when it comes to bakthi) – not sure who told me this – I guess it is Sri Kumar, Vignesh Studio. Even if someone brings a Periyava photo to mama’s house, mama will arrange for vaidheekas to receive Periyava with poorna kumbam with proper vedha gosham. To him, there is no photo there – there is only Periyava!
Our veda teacher in Chicago Sivasri Chandrasekara Gurukkal was performing this month’s anusham puja at our friend’s place. He recently underwent a surgery and sitting on the floor longer would cause some pains in his stomach etc. I requested him to sit on a small stool (palagai), which is not even 2″ in height from the ground. He refused. I insisted. He still resisted and explained “how can I sit on that aasanam in front of Periyava?”. I got stunned. It never occurred to me that these things matter. Astonishing bakthi and bhaavam towards Periyava.
Another incident from Sri Ghatam Subash mama’s visit to our place couple of years back. We have periyava photo on one of the kitchen walls. After dinner, mama started walking around that wall in a circle. As usual, I thought elders are used to walking after dinner for digestion etc. When I asked mama, he responded, “I am doing pradakshinam of Periyava”. What? I’ve been having this picture in that wall for the several years and such a thought never occurred to me.
My friend, Ganjira Ganesh is another example. In his puja room, he will not enter with shirt as Periyava is sitting there. He consistently does that – so far I’ve noticed, he never missed once – even if he needs to go inside to pick up a small paper!!!
One more – recently narrated to me by my dear friend (whom I am yet to meet in-person!!) Sri Seetharaman, Auditor, VA. He has a friend in India, who owns a car and this person has never allowed anyone to sit on the front passenger seat as it is reserved for Periyava! Can you believe this?! You better.
Last but not the least – Smt Saraswathi Thyagarajan mami and Smt Srividhya of Cupertino. To these individuals, Periyava is sitting right there in their houses. They talk to Periyava – He responds.
List goes on …
I often wonder if I will ever learn from these examples! I think the answer is “avan arulale avan thaal vanangi” – even to develop bakthi towards Iswaran, one should have His blessings.
Let us pray to Sarveswaran to bless us all with an unshaken devotion like these devotees.
Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya Sankara
Do you have any such examples? Please share….Want to know more, learn more and follow more….
Categories: Devotee Experiences
appappa!
avarhal bhavam evvalavu unnadham. evvalavu usathi!
how shallow i am.
mahesh, thanks form the impetus. it has given me something more to work at.
i feel i am very far from periyava in distance and time.
i doubt if i will ever come close to him. i have not had his darshan even in my dreams- though i have longed for them many times.
i am not worthy of him but my only hope is that he is a dayalu and he will reach out to me.
Arulvar.
love,
chelvan
What to say…..Thanks to you Mahesh Garu for making us drenched in the ‘Karunai Kadal’. Those are great people, we are… at least myself is far away from such people. However, I’m still learning………
Shri Mahesh all the time you will be thinking of what feast to give us one after another through this site.
So knowingly or unknowingly you will be always thinking of MAHAPERIYAVA.Sometimes when we open this site whatever we think will be exactly on the screen.By that way you are serving a lot to all of us with our share being NIL but gaining a lot through reading.வாழைப் பழத்தை உரித்து கையில் கொடுத்தாப் போல்
Thank you Mahesh for sharing your inner feeling that bhakthi and bhavana are not in the right mix.Be rest assured, you are not alone, there are many more like me with this syndrome. In fact I do not have the level of bhakthi that you have ( as I have only kamya bhakthi).Bhavana comes out perfect and spontaneous only when we take to TOTAL SURRENDER ( ANANYA SARANAGATHI).What to do? Avar Thaal vananguvadharkkum Avar Arul vendum..Let us pray to Him for blessing us all with an improved score rating of bhakthi- bhavana combo.
I have not seen Pradosham Mama, but came to know about him only through books and narrated experiences. His level of bhakthi and bhavana was unique and supreme. Periyavaa to Pradosham mama,in my view, was what Nammazhvaar was to Madhurakavi Aazhvaar, Bhagavan Ramana to Muruganar.All of them saw in their Guru Matha, Pitha, Guru and Deivam.
I have evolved for me a simpler version in this respect viz., to consider the Guru and the Deities as senior members of my family and share with them all good and bad things every now and then, hoping that this style of attachment/ bhavana would one day pay dividends.
Sir
I think this the best form of worship for people like us in this age.
Just to add to my earlier anecdote, when your Bhakti culminates into total surrender, then we need not go in search of Bhagwan. HE will come to you.
That’s what this incident involving Pradosham Mama shows.
Thank you. for bringing out incidents to high light bhavam over ritualistic bhakhthi. I am not even in the border
laxman.
I think I’m blessed to read such anecdotes,which makes us to think we should also strive to develop such Bhakthi Bhavam.
PERIYAVAR THIRUVADIGALEE SARANAM.
sure! that “Bavanai” will come only if we have his “paripoorna anugraham”
ஸ்ரீ பெரியவா சரணம் Sri Periyava Saranam
You are correct Mahesh
Bhaavam is the essence of Bhakthi, and Pradosham Mama is the perfect example of this.
Once Sri (late) Vedamurthy narrated one incident from Pradosham Mama’s life.
Once, due to some reason, Mama did not go for Periavaa’s Darshan for some length of period.
(This was somewhere after Maha Periayavaa returned to Kancheepuram in the early eighties)
One day early morning, Maha Periayavaa started off on foot to Mama’s residence at Bangaru Amman Thottam and Blessed him with HIS Darshan at Mama’s residence.
The is the power of Bhaava-Baritha-Bakthi..
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