Many Jaya Jaya Sankara to Shri Srinivas Ram Kumar for the share. I have heard this incident in Shri Ganesa Sarma’s upanyasam as well. Ram Ram
Periyava is my Balaji
Once Periyava went to Tirupathi (Temple of Balaji) on the Hill. Marathi swami was climbing behind him but he was bit slow in climbing. While Periyava reached the temple and had the Darshshan of Lord Srinivasa and came out and stood near the main entrance of the Balaji temple. At that time Marathi swami reached the main entrance.On seeing him Periyava called the Executive Officer of Tirupathi Temple and requested him in Tamizh that Marathi Swami be escorted to inner sanctum to have darshan of Lord Srinivasa (Balaji). Since Marathi Swami could not understand Tamizh, he asked Periyava as what was the issue. Periyava who could converse in Marathi and Kannada told him in Marathi that he has asked the Executive Officer to escort him to Ballji temple inner sanctum to have the Darshan of Lord Srinivasa. On hearing this Marathi Swami told Periyava that he is not going inside to have darshan , as periyava who is standing at the gate is his Balaji and from the gate only he returned without having darshan of Balaji. Probably Marathi Swami is the only person who came right up to the Main entrance of the temple but chose not to have darshan as he considered his guru – Periyava as Balaji.
This incident is very similar to that of Sri Ramanuja. Once in Sri Rangam, Lord Ranaganatha’s murti was brought in a procession for worship by house holds which are located in the street surrounding the temple Sri Ramanuja went had darshan of Lord Ranaganatha who came right up to the doorstep of Sri Ramanuja’s residence, one of his disciples (Vaduganambi) who at that time was busy in the kitchen of Sri Ramanuja was instructed by him to go and have darshan of Sri Ranganatha murti did not do so. But on learning about this Sri Ramanuja queried him as to why he did not have darshan of the Lord Ranganatha , the disciple informed his guru, ” For you Lord Ranganatha may be Lord, but for me you are the Lord and your seva is more important, Such was his guru bhakti.
Courtesy: Sri. Parasuraman Nataraja sarma
Categories: Devotee Experiences
http://www.kamakoti.org/souv/4-13.html
This incident was shared by Mahaperiyava himself in an article that appeared in bhavans journal. Link to the full article given abovy
There is more to it in this. The Maharashtra saint met HHMahaperiyava at Rameshvaram when the saint was observing fast unto death as he had lost his Danda. Mahaperiyava gave him a fresh Danda and asked him to break the fast. There upon the saint declared Periyava as his saviour and remained in Mutt and accompanied HH to Tirumala when HH told him not to climb the hills due to old age. He somehow climbed and because of his age and Ashram,TTD offered him special which he refused. The incident reported was a sequel to what I mentioned