Thanks Sri Venkatasubramanian for this article. Pretty old article from Kalki – written by the great Sri Agnihotram Ramanuja Thathacharyar, who worshipped Mahaperiyava as Mahavishnu and Mahaperiyava had great respect for him as well. I remember a friend of mine used to tell that he very easily does 50-100 namaskarams to Periyava on a daily basis….It would be quite surprising to see someone doing so many namaskarams…
Beautifully written the mahatmiam of Sri Mahaperiyava’s kindness and endless care about the whole humanity.
This article is absolutely needs to be translated to benefit all readers. I am sure our fine volunteers would do the rest.
Categories: Devotee Experiences
Why did they man consider Tamil as neecha pAsha
I always think how a small boy 13 years who had no direct guidance from a guru in a corporeal form took such a leap that has so many dimensions that each are unfathomable even to exalted souls like Agnihotram Sri Ramanuja Tahthachriyar. This is a direct demonstration of the truth of our Scriptures.
Should we also not rejoice at the perspicacity of his Paramaguru Sri Kalavai Periyava who made a sankalpam of transferring his mantle to the young Swaminathan on seeing him?
Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya Shankara
Regards
Thanks Sri Narayanan for the English translation, I was finding it difficult to read the tamil txt due to the size of the fonts. I was just thinking if someone translate this would be easy.
Thanks a lot.
Here is the English translation.:
IDOL OF LOVE.
Agnihothram Ramanuja Thathacharyar.
Sasthras which explain the image of God, say that GOD is LOVE. Thirumoola Nayanar says “Sivam is Love”. What cannot be achieved by anger can be easily achieved through Love. God has taken the image of Love in order to guide the humanity and make them ‘feel’ the Divinity. That image of Love is none other than our Acharyar of Kamakoti Peetam.
During the past 25 years, while rendering Dharma Seva as per His instructions, and enjoying the benefit of moving with Him closely, I am absolutely confident that HE is that image of Love and also the ‘Visible God’. The light of love dances on His face always. Love shows up in His speech and deeds. He showers the same love on every one, be it a man, or a woman, a wealthy man or a pauper, learned or illiterate.
Our Kamakoti Peetathipathi’s concern for the world is only because of His love for them. Whether our parents are concerned about us children or not, whether we as parents are concerned about our children, Acharyar is concerned about every one. Acharyar is concerned about the present, and future Janmas ( Births) of the people. He thinks of our life night and day; plans for our life; and performs various actions for our life. He, as a head of the Peetam, does not rule with authority, but with love, forgetting His own life and needs.
Love knows neither tiredness nor boredom. Irrespective of the number of people who come to see Him, and irrespective of what time of the day or night they come, He always listens to their worries with absolute patience, understands them and speaks to them with a smiling face, in order to give them solace. As a person who has experienced many such incidents during the past 25 years, I wish to tell you a few examples.
Acharyar’s recent visit to Chennai has started a new era in the history of South India. During His Chennai visit, the people of Chennai experienced and enjoyed Acharya’s abundant Love and Anugraham. The following is an incident that happened in Mambalam during His Digvijayam.
Acharyar called me after 12 midnight and was speaking to me on various topics. He was explaining the very minute principles of our religion as easily as if He were talking about ordinary worldly matters. This experience is unique by itself. I was immersed in the ocean of Bliss, with no sense of time. As He is Himself beyond the limit of time, one will never feel the passing of time, while speaking to Him.
The conversation went on through the whole night and ended around 5 A.M. Acharyar got up. When He walks with His Dhandam and Kamandalam, It will look as though the God of Virtue is walking. I followed Him.
After a few steps, a woman appeared before Him with her young daughter and a new—born baby. I was perturbed at seeing them at this early hour, when Acharya, after being awake throughout the night and conversing till His tongue became dry, was going to take some rest. In the meanwhile, that lady laid the baby at Acharya’s feet and was preparing to do Namaskaram. I got a little angry.
“Does not Periava require some rest ?” I asked. She just ignored what I said. She asked her daughter also to prostrate before Him. Then she started talking. I objected to this. She replied calmly, “I have to send my daughter with the new—born baby to Bombay by the morning Bombay express. The mother and the baby need Periava’s Anugraham. That is why I am troubling Him.” Periava was watching all this —my talking to her angrily, and her calm reply —— with a smile. He sat down ! He asked me to bring Prasadam from inside. He made time to bless the devotees without my interference ! Before I returned with Prasadham, the lady had poured out her worries and Acharyar had listened to them patiently.
The lady took leave with the Prasadham and peace of mind.
I can never forget the words Guru spoke to me after they left.
He spoke as if Love was melting and flowing down; which gave me goosepimples.
“People believe that when they say their worries and difficulties to God, they get rectified. Apart from the fact God will rectify their difficulties at a later date, they get peace of mind when they express their difficulties openly. They wish to express them wherever they see God. God exists everywhere. But He is not visible to our naked eyes. People think that they can see God in some places. They do not come to me out of any special regard for me. They believe that God resides in me, and that telling me their worries, is same as telling God directly and get some peace of mind. Why should I spoil that trust and the peace of mind they get ? Why am I here ? My life is meant for the purpose of listening to their difficulties and giving them solace with a few kind words. This body of mine is made for listening to peoples’ worries and giving them some solace, whether it is day or night. It does not matter if my body’s strength is affected because of giving Dharsan to those people and listening to their lives’ worries. This gives strength to my mind, irrespective of what happens to my body.
I do not consider it a glory that they worship me. I am so glad that the people who see God in me, are telling HIM their difficulties, by placing so much faith in HIM. Whether I am God or not, what makes me glad is the Divine feeling that they get because of me. Whatever they do with that feeling makes me glad. THAT is my strength. Nobody should interfere in that.”
I cannot put, in mere words, the feeling I got, listening to Him. I drowned myself in the ocean of love and enjoyed the Bliss.
Another time, Periava was going by walk from Panampettai near Vizhuppuram to the Adhishtanam at Vadavembalam. It was a wonderful sight, seeing a lot of Harijan men, women and children along the way, folding their hands, prostrating and worshipping Him from a distance. Acharyar called the family heads (Valluvara) and enquired about their welfare. I was a witness to the extremely happy feeling those harijans felt. Tears of joy were rolling down their cheeks, at the feeling that God Himself had come to bless them. Acharyar looked at those innocent simple folks and told me, “ If I had come on a palanquin or any other vehicle, how could I have known the Divine feeling of these people ? How could you have witnessed this? God had given me this opportunity, to say a few words of solace and to protect the feelings of these people who had not given up their customs.
If this incident reveals the love Acharyar had for these simple and illiterate people, there were many incidents which tell us of the love He had for the very learned Vedic Pundits.
Acaryar, who incarnated to establish the Vedic life once again, was perturbed at the poverty of the Vedic pundits. After the independent Samasthans disappeared one after another, the small support that the Vedic pundits had, was also lost. Acharyar was always thinking about ways of helping them and supporting them and also making more people study Vedas and protect them.
He was sitting under a tree in a village in Thanjavur district with these thoughts. I was also there near Him. But I was not aware then, what was going on in His mind. A lady from an affluent family in the village came there and prostrated before Him. As usual, He blessed her with a smiling face. While speaking with her, He suddenly became a child, and as a child would ask, He asked her, “Will you give me 100 sovereigns? I want to give ‘Thoda’ to those who are studying Vedas. It is your responsibility to get these 100 sovereigns” That lady was ready to do anything . She removed the chain in her neck and gave it to Him. Within two weeks she collected 100 sovereigns. There was no gold control at that time. ‘Thoda’s were prepared, working night and day. They started distributing in Semmangudi village. Hundred of ‘Thoda’s were distributed. There was no Vedic pundit in India who had not received Thoda from Acharyar. Acahryar’s love for Vedic pundits flows like water from a waterfall.
Acharyar’s love for those who see God in Him and surrender to Him is one aspect. How He trusts the Almighty and loves Him is another aspect. I will narrate another incident to reveal this aspect.
In the Adhishtanam at Ilayathankudi, Acharyar explained elaborately, how and why we should conduct Vyasa Puja and Vidhvat Sadhas, from 5 A.M till midnight. In order to create the feeling of Divinity in the minds of the people through arts, He prepared elaborate plans for conducting them. He decided that all the arts at different places in India which simulate the feeling of Divinity in the minds of people, should be brought together in one place and shown. Whatever be the necessity of Vidhvat Sadhas, what worried us was the financial burden. Manager expressed his worry about the funds required.
Acharyar’s unshakable belief in and His love for God came out at that time.
“There is no need to talk about money here. Our attention must be on how to conduct and why to conduct. Once we decide these, Chandramouleeswaran will perform the deed.”—-He said. He did not say “everything is God’s will” as we used to say casually, but He uttered each and every word with full belief.
All happened as He said. Vidhvath Sadhas was conducted in Ilayathankudi and Narayanapuram incurring big expenditure. We are unable to say how all that happened; we can only say that ‘Chandramoulee performed everything’.
May the Almighty protect our Acharyar who has incarnated to defeat ‘Kali Purusha’ through Love.
please translate this article into english.
One more information about Sri Periyava in Mambalam, in Madras / Chennai.
Any senior devotee can tell which place of mambalam where Sri Periyava conversation with Sri Agnihotram Ramanuja Thathacharyar
ஸ்ரீ பெரியவா சரணம் Sri Periyava Saranam
Great words! Tears flow on reading spontaneously. All are drenched by the cold rain of Maha Periyava’s compassion. Again there is mention of Elayathangudi Sadas and Narayanapuram Sadas, new ! Maha Periyava ThiruvadigaLe CharaNam! Hara Hara Shankara, Jaya Jaya Shankara!
Superb….! any likely date of the article?
May I know how to post the pictures that I have taken during the function of Honouring the Parents of Vidyarties of Vedapatasalai on 13 th March 2016?
The more I read about him the more I am inspired by him and I had the privilege of meeting Smt Alamelu Achchi who is doing the Kumbaabhishekam of Rajagopuram of Arupadai Veedu MuRUGAN Temple at Chennai Beasnt Nagar Beach on 18 th March 2016.
She blessed me with MuRUGAN PRASADA.
Jaya Jaya Shankar’s Hara Hats Shankara.