Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara – A great incident and another great lesson. I have read the Tamizh version of this too from Shri Ra Ganapathy Anna’s book. Thanks to to TV Shivram for the Whatsapp share. Ram Ram.
Sri Maha Periyava was travelling in the Kodavasal–Koradacherry route in Thanjavoor district in Tamil Nadu. On the way in Tirukklambur, the slum people met him and submitted their humble offerings.
Maha Periyava spoke to everyone, heard their welfare and woes. Unhurriedly, he discussed the details with the manager as to what SriMatam could do to mitigate their woes, either in their own capacity or with the charity of affluent devotees. The managers and the
other officials started worrying about the ensuing delay for their next camp and the following poojas. The God of the poor, however, seated himself among them, and ordered dhotis and saris for everyone present there from the local textile shop. If that shop did not have the required goods, Maha Periyava ordered them to be bought from Kodavasal. He also ordered prepartion of thick sambar rice to be served to the people under the shade of the trees.
The manager was worried that the two or three hours time spent on these activities would delay reaching their next camp and that it would be very tedious for Periyava to undertake the long pooja thereafter. When he started to express his feeings, Paramacharya simply said, “This is also a Pooja!”
What a Divine message: Helping the poor and supporting the poor is also pooja we do to Bhagawan.
Source: Maha Periyaval Virundhu by Shri Ra.Ganapathi Anna
