Remembering MahaPeriyava
A write up series by Chandarsekharan Raman.

(Thanks to Chandru for sharing his insight of Sri MahaPeriyava through Bhagavad Gita)

In the 5th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna lists a few very high qualifications required for mokṣaprāptiḥ.

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः |
छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः || 5-25||

Sages whose impurities have been destroyed, whose doubts have been resolved, who have self-mastery and who are happily engaged in the good of all beings, gain mokṣha.

Out of the above qualities, It is very difficult to find out if one’s impurities have been destroyed, or whether one’s doubts have been resolved or if one has self mastery. But there lived, among us, a Sage who was always happily engaged in the good of all beings.

In the late 1950s, Sri Matam was camping in Mambalam. MahaPeriyava was giving the evening upanyasam at a location that was in the next street. Although there was a lot of noise in the open arena, He was deeply engrossed in the subject matter. The audience was religiously listening to the nectar of divine words.

Suddenly there was a pause in the divine flow. A slight uneasiness was evident in His face. MahaPeriyava summoned one of the attendants and asked him to go to the camp and feed the elephant! Only a very sharp ear would have even heard the slight hunger grunt the elephant let out from one street away. Such was the concern for MahaPeriyava for the elephant. This is just one of the many incidents where MahaPeriyava was happily engaged in the good of a being.

On this day, January 8th, this great Sage shed His mortal coils after blessing us for a whole century. Let us remember Him and follow His teachings.

अपारकरुणासिन्धुं ज्ञानदं शान्तरूपिणम् ।
श्रीचन्द्रशेखरगुरुं प्रणमामि मुदाऽन्वहम् ॥

Article Courtesy: Remembering MahaPeriyava Write-Up Series