பரமேஸ்வரா! நான் அபசாரம் பண்ணிட்டேன்! நீங்கதான் ஈஸ்வரன்! உங்க வாக்கிலே வரதெல்லாம் வேதம்! எனக்கு தெரியாத… என் அகங்காரதுனால ஏதோ சொல்லிட்டேன்! கொஞ்சம் அசிரத்தையா இருந்துட்டேன்! என்ன மன்னியுங்கோ! என்ன காப்பாத்துங்கோ!”

(“Parameswara! Have committed ‘abacharam’! You’re the Eswaran! What comes out of YOUR mouth is Vedha!  By mistake… By self-pride… Spelt something… Have been slightly ‘less cautious’… Forgive me! Save me!”)

Having poured out his heart in words and also through his tearful eyes, Sastrigal fell at the foot of Periyava, indicating his ‘saranagathi’. Periyava was in ‘Koubeenam’ for ‘snanam’. He just took the robe back asked the sastrigal to come to the snana-kattam where he heard the plight of the Sastrigal.

He is one of the most famous and one of the most senipr Sastrigals in Andhra- Sri Mandaleegam Venkata Sastrigal. Some of the well-known sevakas of Periyava like Sri Avadhaana Swamigal later became the students of the Sastrigal.

It was at Sivasthanam camp. After leaving the Sri Matam, when Periyava went on a long ‘DigVijayam’, they were at Sivasthanam. Sri Kannan Mama, Sri SriKantan Mama, Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama and Sri Sivarama Sastrigal were the only four who were allowed to be there after 6pm. No one can could go inside or talk to Periyava. Even ‘biksha’ had to be kept at the counter. Periyava may accept it. At night, Periyava may lay down there with His mouth open, like a sparrow. One of the four attendants would understand and pour couple of spoons of milk, which Periyava may accept.

“அப்படி ஒரு… அந்த மாதிரி ஒரு… ஞானிங்கறது அவாக்கிட்ட கைங்கர்யம் பண்ணதுனாலதானே புரியும். இல்லேனா எப்படி புரியும்? மத்தவாளுக்கு…என்னவோ பெரியவா இருந்தாம்பா…”

During that period, Periyava had surprisingly spoke to them. It was a 1-1.30 am, midnight. Asked Sri Kannan Mama and Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama to be there with Periyava and the rest were asked to retire to the bed.

Sri Srikantan Mama, “குற்றவாளிங்களை எல்லாம் பாதி ராத்திரில எழுப்பித்தான் விசாரிப்பா… அது மாதிரி பெரியவா கூப்பிட்டு இருக்கா… என்ன விசாரிக்கப்போறளோ?” (All criminals get interrogated only in the late nights… Likewise, Periyava has called them, not sure what this interrogation is all about, said Sri Srikantan Mama)

As such they used to pray from ‘ellai-pidaari’ all the way upto ‘Nepal-Pasupathinath’, if someone says ‘பெரியவா உத்தரவு ஆகியிருக்கு!’ (‘Periyava called you!’). Sri Srikantan Mama’s words added to the alertness.

Periyava made a ‘lotus’ symbol through sign language and pointed to the eye. ‘Lotus Eyes?’. May be! But Sevaka understood that Periyava was referring to Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama and Sri Kannan Mama. Only Periyava’s Kingaras can understand HIM. Both Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama and Sri Kannan Mama were in front of Periyava.

Periyava looked at Sri Kannan Mama, “நீ கீதை வாசிச்சிருக்கியோ?” (Do you know Bhagavad Gita?)

Sri Kannan mama replied, “பெரியவா சொல்லி முடிகொண்டான் சொன்னார். ஆனா பதினோரு அத்தியாயம்தான் ஆச்சு. அப்புறம் பெரியவா பொதுவா இதுதான் அர்த்தம்னு சொல்லி விட்டுட்டா…” (As said by Periyava, Mudikondan mama taught me. But we did only 11 chapters. Then for the rest of the chapters, I learnt the general meaning from mama)

“உனக்கு?”, Periyava asked Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama. (How about you?)

Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama replied, “வாசிச்சிருக்கேன்… ஆனா தினமும் பாராயணத்தில் இல்லை”. (I have read, but I do not do daily parayanam)

Periyava ordered, “நீங்க ரெண்டுபேரும் நாளைக்கு பகவத்-கீதைல சர்ம-தசை எங்க இருக்குன்னு பாத்து படிச்சுட்டு அப்புறம்தான் சாப்பிடப் போகணும்…” (You both look into Gita tomorrow and see where is Sarma Dasai and read. You could go to lunch only after that)

Both were like, “அது…எங்க இருக்கோ… என்னமோ தெரியலேயே…”

Periyava said, “எல்லாம் வாண்டாம்… பாஷ்யம்…அப்புறம் மதுசுதன சரஸ்வதி எழுதின ‘குதார்த்த-தீபிகை’, இது ரெண்டும் பாத்தா போதும்…” (Not everything, Just look at the bashyam… And then see Madhusudhana Saraswathi’s Gudartha Deepikai)

Then both took ‘Utharavu’ and went to the bed without knowing ‘what?’ or ‘why?’

Both reported in front of Periyava, the next day. They told Periyava that they completed the reading. Now, they had to go for their lunch.

Periyava asked for the book by ‘Sri Avadhaana Swamigal’. Someone rushed to the mutt in Kanchi and brought it.

“உனக்கு தெலுங்கு தெரியுமா?” asked Periyava. (Do you know telugu?)

Sri Kannan Mama said, “ஏதோ புரியும்… ஆனா பெரிய அர்த்தங்கள் எல்லாம் புரியாது.” (I know a little, but can’t make out bigger meanings said Sri Kannan mama)

Periyava turned to Sri Thamaraipakkam and asked,

“உனக்கு?” Then Periyava himself answered, “உனக்கு ஒட்டன் தெலுங்குதான் தெரியும்…” (You don’t know much telugu…)

Periyava paused for a while and called Sri Anjaneya Swamigal who read it for them. The book detailed an incident… between Periyava and Sri Mandalegam Vekata Sastrigal. In which, Periyava has said,

“கீதைல ‘சிஷ்யாளோட கைங்கர்யம் பலமா இருந்துதுனா குருவானவர் தான் மகானா இருந்தாக்கூட…தன் சரீரத்தை விட முடியாது’ அப்படீன்னு சர்ம-தசை-ல இருக்கோ?

“ஹே! ஹே! ஹே!”, a casual laugh, sort of belittling, with the head moving left and right negating the statement was the response given back by Sri Mandalegam Vekata Sastrigal.

“என்னமோ சுவாமிகள்…என்னத்தையோ சொல்லறார்…” (Periyava is saying something out of context) was the feeling inside.

The book discussion continued… Suddenly, one day, Sastrigal came running with the eyes shedding tears…”பரமேஸ்வரா! நான் அபசாரம் பண்ணிட்டேன்! நீங்கதான் ஈஸ்வரன்! உங்க வாக்கிலே வரதெல்லாம் வேதம்! எனக்கு தெரியாத… என் அகங்காரதுனால ஏதோ சொல்லிட்டேன்!
கொஞ்சம் அசிரத்தையா இருந்துட்டேன்! என்ன மன்னியுங்கோ! என்ன காப்பாத்துங்கோ!”

He is a famous and very senior (aged) Sastrigal… Mandaleegam Venkata Sastrigal! Sastrigal was quite old but Periyava, at that time was very young.

No one knew… how, when, what happened. But the learned Sastrigal seemed to have realized that Periyava is beyond comprehension!!!

Sastrigal said, “நீங்க சொன்னதுதான் சரி… மதுசுதன சரஸ்வதி எழுதின ‘குதார்த்த-தீபிகை-ல இருக்கு…பெரியவா சொன்னதுதான் இருக்கு!”. All written in Telugu. (What all Periyava said is right, Madhusudhana Saraswathi’s Gudartha Deepikai has the same thing that Periyava said).

After hearing that Periyava once again detailed the incident and said, “அதுல போட்டிருக்கோனோ…குருவால சரீரத்தை விட முடியாதுன்னு…” (Isn’t it mentioned in that book that Guru cannot shed his body?)

Periyava paused few seconds, “உங்களாலதான் நான் இப்போ இருக்கேன்!”. (Because of you all, I’m here…)

On hearing this both Sri Kannan Mama and Sri Thamaraipakkam Mama broke down in tears.

Ah! What a blessings! What a great service to the community at large. Yes! It was because of those Sevakas, Periyava couldn’t give up the body and we all have had HIS darshan…

“இன்னும் நிறைய கைங்கர்யம் பண்ணனும்… அகங்காரம் வராத கைங்கர்யமா இருக்கணும்…”,Sri Kannan Mama prayed conclusively. (We have to do lots of service! It should be such a service that doesn’t raise our ego!)

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Today’s Nectar :

“Rarely in an unguarded moment the ‘Eswara-thvam’ of Periyava gets exposed”, says Sri (Prof.) Veezhi Mama. This was one such instance. More importantly the incident also exposed the ‘Kingara-thvam’ of the Divine-Sevakas. Namaskarams to all of them and prayers to them…

“நாங்களும் ஏதாவது கைங்கர்யம் பெரியவாவிற்கு பண்ணிண்டே இருக்கணும் அதுவும்…
…அகங்காரம் வராத கைங்கர்யமா இருக்கணும்!”

Hara Hara Shankara … Jaya Jaya  Shankara…

Article Courtesy: Sri Rathinam

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