pp.070-075
What guru-sthAnam is...

"My daughter is getting older and older. There is no boy's horoscope that we missed as an alliance to her. I have tons of such boys' horoscopes!" A daughter's father expressed his predicament with humour.

"Not a single boy's horoscope did match my girl's. The moment I handover both the horoscopes to the astrologer he just pouts his lip and says, 'Boy's horoscope is A-class... But then no match for our KamalA's...'"

Since the gracious look of the navagrahas was absent, the parents came to KAnchipuram, to have guru-pArvai (tam)--guru's glance.

"Now, you have any horoscopes with you?" (asked the Guru).

"It's there. Good lineage, gOtram. Boy looks good, everyone of us like him. Yet to see if it matches. I am afraid to go to the astrologer."

"You have the girl's horoscope?"

"I have."

"Give me both."

Both horoscopes were submitted to him. PeriyavA took them in hand and had a second's glance at them.

"It's a match... Proceed with the marriage..."

The marriage was celebrated with all pomp and glory.

Three months later, the boy had an examination to pass, for a promotion at his office. How would be his luck in this? They showed the horoscope to the astrologer.

"There is nothing that can be told with certainty. You have the horoscope of this man's wife?"

He considered the girl's horoscope in elaborate detail. "Sir, What a wonderful match! It is very rare to have such a couple. Great comfort awaits this girl! So I can say with a clap of hand that the boy would get his promotion."

And he got it!

Like a ball struck with a bat, the parents came down to KAnchipuram.

"Owing to PeriyavA's anugraham, the marriage was conducted... The promotion too has come..."

"What did I do? In the horoscope, guru (the planet Jupiter) is in a good position..."

Aren't dampati--couple have the fortune to have their guru in great position?

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bhAgavata prasAdam--Gift of the divine singers

A troupe of devotees who sing the glory of God came for darshan of PeriyavAL. They expressed their desire to perform nAma saMkIrtanam in front of PeriyavA. And they got permission.

The bhajan--singing hymns, was held for four hours. Sitting there, PeriyavA listened to it the whole time.

After the bhajan was over, the sage told his assistant to offer a plate of ground jaggery to the people of the troupe.

The bhajan troupe was very happy that they were offered sweet jaggery as PeriyavA's prasAdam--divine gift.

After the troupe left, PeriyavA asked for the plate of the ground jaggery. He took some of the left over and placed it in his mouth.

Thereby he taught his disciples a silent, firm lesson...

'bhAgavata prasAdam has great distinction... If you eat it, you will have frequent remembrance of God's name...'--His action--not saying these words--became unforgettable teaching to his disciples.

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Shouldn't censure the planets!

An astrologer came to have darshan of PeriyavAL. "Mine is a large family... Not enough income... Income from my astrology work is much less... I have great difficulty (in making both ends meet)."

PeriyavA asked him: "You are still in the ancestral house of your father?"

"No, my elder brother lives in it. I stay in a house on the west side of it."

"You needn't be there. Isn't there an old cowshed on the east side of your ancestral house? Build a hut and stay there."

It was a family who for generations worshipped Goddess ambAL--PArvatI. That's why PeriyavA asked him to stay on the east side in the old cowshed.

"Don't you censure all the grahas--planets (when you match a horoscope or predict it? You typically say) guru--Jupiter is nIchan--low person, in your horoscope, shani--Saturn is pApin--sinful person, budhan--Mercury is vakra--crooked... Shouldn't say such things with the mouth. guru is a large gRham--astrological mansion--personifies dakShiNAmUrti--Shiva. You shouldn't censure him as nIchan, pApin, vakram and so on. shani is the son of sUrya--Sun, one who has got the title of Ishvara--god. And you say that he is a pApin!...

"Isn't it enough if you say in general that the gRhas are not in right places, so the results at this time are not right?

"And you don't need to say 'There is no match' to those who seek you to match the bride and groom's horoscopes... You might say on these lines: 'It would take time for the girl's vivAha kAlam--period of marraige, to arrive... Things such as putra bhAgyam--fortune of a child, for the boy is a question mark'...

"Many girls are yet unmarried even when they are thirty years old. For such girls, when they seek horoscope match for an alliance, you should seek to give a favourable reply as far as possible..."

[PeriyavA would say that in seeking marital alliance, not much value is given to the matching of the horoscopes of the boy and girl. It's enough if the kulam--lineage, gotram--ascetic lineage, are taken into consideration, and there is mental harmony. In the olden days, the matter of matching horoscopes was not so important (as it is now).]

The astrologer was immensely satisfied. Saying, "I shall henceforth do as PeriyavA as advised", he took the prasAdam.

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