Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara – No “Siesta” in the afternoon is the lesson from this experience.
Many Jaya Jaya Sankara to Shri TV Shivram for the share. Ram Ram
Experiences with Maha Periyava: Periyava’s Divine Sport
There was utter chaos in the SriMatham one day. Sri Maha Periyava was not to be seen anywhere. “How did He vanish when there were so many surrounding Him and watching Him all the time? What were the close attendants and guards doing anyway? The Senior Manager was furious at the guards and attendants, and scolded them.
Things had been quite normal that morning. Periyava had got up very early as usual, bathed, completed His japa and daily routine of penance, then performed the ritualistic worship of Sri Chandramouleeswara, given tirtha prasada to devotees, bathed again, performed anushtana and then gone in for bhiksha. After that He was not to be seen. Learning about the sequence of events, the Senior Manager flew into a rage.
Two attendants always stayed close to Sri Maha Periyava. One of them was unwell and had gone to his village to recuperate. The other had gone to his native village to perform the annual obsequies for his father. A newcomer, who did not know Maha Periyava well, was in attendance. When Maha Periyava went in for His bhiksa, the young man had gone off to take a nap. Periyava went into a small room after He accepted bhiksha, lay down on a bamboo mat and pulling it around Him, rolled himself into it.
Anxiety was large on every face. When the attendant was questioned, he replied, “I dozed off a bit”. There was absolute confusion on all sides. It did not seem proper to make the news public, nor could anyone sit back unconcerned, without searching for Periyava. No one imagined that Periyava would have couched Himself inside a bamboo mat. Finally, at five thirty in the evening, Periyava got up and came out to do His anushtana. He came to the puja hall of Sri Chandramouleeswara and gave darshan to everyone. Everyone began to breathe only then, so to say.
Meanwhile, a lot more had happened. The attendant who had indulged in the nap had got a few slaps from the Manager. An old woman prayed to Pillayar. “May Periyava be safe! I shall break a hundred and eight coconuts at your temple!”
“Kamakshi, O Mother! I shall perform abhishekha for you with milk. Let Periyava come back”, prayed a housewife.
Yet another lady made a vow to the Lord of Seven Hills. “Perumale! Find Periyava and bring Him back. I shall perform angapradakshina!”
The Senior Manager felt revived after he saw Maha Periyava. He told Periyava what they had all gone through. “We were all so shaken! Vows have been made by everyone”.
“Did so many of you pray to the Lord for my sake? You must all remember to fulfill your vows. I will live for a hundred years, don’t worry”.
Then Periyava called for the new attendant and consoled him. “Take it that the slaps were given for sleeping in the afternoon, which is forbidden as per the Shastra”, He said. Maha Periyava narrated a number of interesting events to the young man and coaxed him back to cheerfulness.
Such was Sri Maha Periyava’s divine sport!
Source: Maha Periyaval Darisana Anubhavangal
Compiled by Jagadguru Sri Maha Periyava – Kanchi Paramacharya
Hara Hara Shankara Jaya Jaya Shankara
Categories: Devotee Experiences
My namaskarams to the team who is making every effort to post so many interesting facts per day. The first thing I do is scroll down to see if there is any English translation. If available my joy knows no bounds. Again and again I want to thank those who are bringing this to the public on a wider scale. I can imagine the time one must be allocating for these in times where everybody is chasing for time. Thank you all.
Jaya Jaya Shankara, HAra Hara Shankara
Maha Periyava’s Divine Sport indeed! It is also amusing that the compilation has been marked as done by Maha Periyava! Possibly the compiler is Sri Kodhanda Rama Sarma! Hara Hara Shankara, Jaya Jaya Shankara!