Another Mahaperiyava devotee reached His abode today. Sri Bharaneedharan while known to many as cartoonist and play.weiter for all.of us he is known as a great devotees of Periyava. His book “Anbe Arule” on Periyava is one wonderful book..Between Ra. Ganapathi Anna and Sri Bharaneetharan i always prefer the latter’s style. Every time I think of his name, I always remember the incident involving him and Sri Pandrimalai swamigal. What a great testimony to Periyava bakthi.
Our namaskaram to him.
We pray Mahaswamiji to bless the departed soul…
Categories: Announcements
Unnecessary comment that you prefer Bharanidharan’s style…..does that count at all?
It is sad news indeed. I did not see it in the news and I am catching up now. I am sure his Noble Soul has united with Periyava, being the sincere devotee that he was.
Till now I didn’t know who it was (Pandrimalai swamigal) – even now I don’t care. But whenever I get fear of something or someone, I always remember Periyava’s line to Bharaneetharan, “avaraala unnai ennada panna mudiyum?” and take courage that Periyava is there to take care of me too.
Another memory that always brings a smile is Periyava counting the number of floors in the cartoon that he had drawn of LIC building and asking him. LIC kattidam 14 maadinnu solraale, idhula 16 irukke. I feel blessed to be living in the times of such great Atmas.
Let me introduce myself as a devotee of Sri-la-sri Pandrimalai Swamighal, having closely moved with him for a few years between 1972 and 1986. Swamighal had lots of powers (siddhi-s). I was witness to many of them. But, he never used them to make himself materially prosperous or popular. I personally know that He had refused to oblige at least two Industrialists , who tried to misuse his powers for their illegal transactions, because of which he lost rich and powerful devotees, which fact did not bother him at all. He used his siddhi-s only to convince non-believers that there is a Force above all of us and from that perspective, in my view, it was a sacrifice on his part to have used up his hard-earned powers resulting from his austerities, only for the spiritual good of others. Of course, out of sheer sympathy, he had cured the illness of some of his devotees who were given up, by even leading doctors. But, he would not claim that all these were because of his own powers nor did he ever claim to be a Godman. He would humbly say “Sami – he would normally address his elderly devotees in this manner- naan Muruganoda Davali , meaning Peon, Sami. Murugan seyya cholradhai seyyaren, avvalavuthaan”.
The well known editor of ‘Bhavan’s Journal’, Sri Ramakrishnan was Pandrimali Swamighals devotee and a frequent visitor to Swamighal’s Ashram. . Pandrimalai Swamighal had materialized a number of typed Articles on various topics of Hinduism, which the ‘Bhavan’s journal’ regularly published . Swamiji’s materialized Articles on the Dasavathara, have been published by the Bhavan’s organisation as a separate book – must be available even now.
Justice Ismail was a devotee of Pandrimalai Swamighal and visited him quite often. He has written the preface of one volume of the Articles materialized by Swamighal.
The famous Pauranikar T.S.Balakrishna Sastrigal was a close devotee . He has expressed his admiration for the contents of an article on the Gayathri Manthra , materialized by Swamighal. When Swamighal attained siddhi in 1986, it was Sri Bakalkrishna Sastrigal who acted as ‘master of Ceremonies’, guiding the cremation and other rites as per saasthric rules and sampradhaayams, because of his devotion to Swamighal.
Around the year 1975, when the Hindu Temple Building Society in the US, with Sri C.V.Narasimhan (connected with the UN) as President and one Sri Alagappan as Secretary, approached Mahaswamighal for guidance on the Pittsburgh Temple, which they were planning to build, (from Sri Alagappan’s version) Maha Swamighal directed them to Pandimalai Swamighal and act according to his guidance. And, it was Pandrimalai Swamighal who designed the Chakras to be fixed under the deities in the Pttsburgh Tample. He kept the chakras in his Puja room and did Puja to them for more than six months at his Ashram in Nungambakkam and when the temple construction was completed, on the invitation of Sri C.V.Narasimhan and Sri Alagappan, took them along with him and installed them in the new temple when it was inaugurated. Incidentally Sri C.V. Narasimhan who (most people are not aware) was adept at Carnatic Music, gave a concert at Swamigha’s Ashram on an evening. I mention this only to show how close he got to Pandrimalai Swamighal.
In my opinion , on this incident involving Sri Bharaneedharan, . by saying “avaraala onnai enna panaa mudiyum?” , Maha Swamighal must have only meant “because of his nature, avar onnai onnum pannida maattar”, as he must have known, that Pandrimalai Swamighal never harmed any one .
Kindly note that my father-in-law – who is a close disciple of Pandrimalai Swamighal, while I can call myself only a devotee of Pandimalai Swamighal – and I are both very ardent devotees of Maha Swamighal also . My father-in-law has had the good fortune and opportunity to have private audience with Maha Periavaa a number of times, while I have only had his dharshan a few times.
மஹாபெரியவா முக்தி அடைந்த தினம் 8 ஜனவரி 1994.
25 வருஷங்கள் பிறகு பரணி தரன் மஹாபெரியவாளுடன் சேர்ந்த தினம°ம் 3 ஜனவரி.
கமலா வேதநாராயணன்
மஹாபெரியவா முக்தி அடைந்த தினம் 8 ஜனவரி 1994.
25 வருஷங்கள் பிறகு பரணி தரன் மஹாபெரியவாளுடன் சேர்ந்த தினமும் 8 ஜனவரி.
கமலா வேதநாராயணன்
பரணி தரன் மஹா பெரிய வா ளுடன் சேர்ந்த தினம்
3 ஜனவரி என திருத்தி க்கொள்ளவும.. வேதநாராயணன்
மஹாபெரியவா முக்தி அடைந்த தினம் 8 ஜனவரி 1994.
25 வருஷங்கள் பிறகு பரணி தரன் மஹாபெரியவாளுடன் சேர்ந்த தினமும் 8 ஜனவரி.
கமலாம்மாள் வேதநாராயணன்
Om Shanthi
His writing on meeting with Poondi Swamigal also very interesting.Bharanidharan was asked to revisit him by Maha Periyava to make a detailed profiling of Poondi swamigal. When Poondi Swamigal was told about this his response was very concise.” நாங்க பம்பு செட். அவரு தான் கரெண்ட்” . Poondi Swamigal lived in Cheyyar near Tiruvannamalai.
I have read also
I very much appreciate his work on Bhadrinath travel in early seventies by foot with Kanchi Periyavaa… He covered entrie yathra route very ably and brought out even minute details I got inspiration to undertake Chardham yatra only after reading his book.I was fortunate to show the old co;y of the book to Kanchi Peryavaa at Kumbakonam during his visit to Mahamaham last. HE WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE THE BOOK AND TAOOK FOR PERSONAL READING LIKE GANAPATHY, BHARANIDHARAN HAS REACHED THE LOTUS FEET OF MAHASAWAMIGAL.
Do you have any youtube interview recording of him?
A great loss to the spiritual world. Names Of Kanchi Maha Periva, Sri RAmana Rishi, Sri Sheshadri Swamigal are immortals by their deeds and teachings. They will be remembered forever. Manywrites/ Cartoonists made their names popuar.To make their names popular SRI BHARANIDHARAN is one of them .Long live his memory.
He was the one who motivated me to paint MahaPeriava’s images. When I took my first ten oil paintings of MahaPeriava to him, he told me, “you will do 108 paintings of Him.” I am still at 96, but he has left his mortal abode. His “Anbe Arule” was the first book that drew me towards Periava. He commissioned me to do the portraits of Seshadri Swamikal, Ramana Maharishi and MahaPeriava for exhibiting in Seshadri swamikal memorial in Chinna Kancheepuram. I did them and they are there now also. I could not meet him in his last few years, because of his indifferent health.One more of the greatest devotees of MahaPeriava has left us to reach the Lotus feet of MahaPeriava.
JAYA JAYA SANKARA! HARA HARA SANKARA!
Sri Bharanidharan has merged with Mahaperiyava’s Lotus Feet! His writings along with Ra. Ganapati Anna’s writings introduced me to Mahaperiyava’s Greatness! Om Shanthi! Siva Siva Siva Siva Siva!
Indeed very sad to hear about his demise.He has reached the lotus feet of MahaPeriyavaa.I still vividly remember how he was waiting all night near periyavaa’s Mena to have viswa roopa dharshan.
Wonderful writer on religious books. Let his soul rest in peace.
RAJA
This is sad news indeed. Sri Bharaneedharan became famous, apart from his cartoons, for his “ARUNACHALA MAHIMAI” series that he wrote for Ananda Vikatan. This was a free ranging series of articles, covering in general the sacred Tondai nadu area and the saints and sages that lived there. Sri Seshadri Swamigal became well known throughout the land, whereas before that he was confined to a few limited circles. Even Sri Ramana Maharshi became well known in Tamil speaking circles after his series. He made these sages accessible to a wide audience, without diluting their teachings. This series contains incidentally light on other personalities of the times, though not all of them of the same lofty region. We used to eagerly wait for each issue of the magazine as it appeared. Later, Vikatan brought them out as separate books in three volumes, priced only at Rs. 2 and 2.50. That was early 70s.
I entirely agree with you regarding the styles of Ra.Ganapathi and Bharaneedharan. Bharaneedharan’s language was free flowing and had natural appeal to a wide circle. Ra. Ganapathi’s style was equally free flowing when he wrote the series “Arivuk Kanale Arut Punale” in Kalki about Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda, but his later books are not so easy.
Bharaneedharan,s popular writings were valuable considering the time they appeared- the atheistic and anti-Hindu elements had come to power in Tamil Nadu.Weekly magazines like Kalki and Ananda Vikatan were identified as Brahminical and subject to intense adverse propaganda. His series Arunachala Mahimai appeared at such a time and added spirit to the asthika world. His series on Alaya Darisanam was also good. These two series would keep his memory green for long.
Thanks ji for authentic additional informations with the period of anti virus emerging against Hinduism and it’s believes to understand how tough time they had gone through in bringing out the eternal powers and pillars as avathara to save sanathana Dharma.
Jaya jaya swamin jaya jaya. Indeed it’s sad to hear this news. Let’s pray shree mahaperiyava that the departed soul ever at the lotus feet of the almighty. Here I want to recollect the valueable sharing by shree baranidaran ji as honour and in memory of his divine service in treasuring out the greatness of our mahans in arunachala mahimai. Once shree baranidaran ji in search of mahan shree seshadri swamigal birth house for construction of the manimandapam went to shree mahaperiyava and prayed to pave the to locate the exact house. Shree mahaperiyava marked an area covering of some streets consisting of 100 more houses. Tried to search the house as per shree mahaperiyava’s guidance. Atlast able to find the house with the help of an aged person sitting in the outer verandah of the house confirming the identity of Shree seshadri swamigal as pithen swami lived in this house. After locating shree baranidaran ji went to shree mahaperiyava to bless and to guide how this shree seshadri swamigal griham can be maintained as manimandapam. For initiating this Noble task shree mahaperiyava suggested to do unjivrudhi for construction of manimandapam. For the unjivrudhi also shree mahaperiyava pronounced the singing as” jaya jaya jaya jaya kamakshi jaya jaya jaya jaya kamakoti jaya jaya jaya jaya seshadri as mahamanthram to complete the Noble task of bringing the swami shree seshadri manimandapam to come into existence as a precious treasure in memory of our mahans for our future generations to worship.
Sir,
where i will get “Anbe Arule” tamil book , i checked some of the book stores, and book exhibition (in chennai) but not available (out of stock). I am hereby kindly requesting, if some one know about that tamil book availability kindly let me know.
Rama rama
Sri Venkatesh, pl. try at: https://www.amazon.com/Anbe-Arule-Tamil-Baraneedharan/dp/8183681336
Thank you sir
Though I could also guess it was Pandrimalai swamigal, Bharaneetharan did not drop his name in the article.Periawa’s comment” Nee yenda avaritte poney?”is still applicable to all Periawa devotees. His magnus opus is Arunachala mahimai.
Very true. I have read that book too.
I have also