Re: Kanchi Paramacharya: A Virtual Darshan
From the Tamil book 'KAnchi mahAnin karuNai uLLam'
compiled by Sri Raa. VenkatasAmy
Pages 7-12
TyAga Brahmam sang in those days with a melting heart: "endarO mahAnubhAvalu, andariki vandanamu" ("There are so many great people: to all of them, here are my prostrations.") Who are those 'mahAnubhAvAs'?
A 'pravachana medhA' (expert discourser) explained that all those who like TyAgarAja think about Sri Rama day and night with a melting heart are 'mahAnubhAvAs'. In the same way, aren't all those who think, worship and feel happy about MahA PeriyavAL are 'mahAnubhAvas' too? Among these good hearts, so many great people have come to receive KAnchi MahAn's look of grace and have gone into 'bhakti paravasham' (totally given to devotion). They have attained prosperity in life. To know about those several incidents that time cannot erase, today we have the opportunity to listen to people and read through magazines. Still, we neither have the experience nor the age to know completely about whatsoever channels MahA PeriyavaAL's extensive attention has coursed through. This compilation of experiences is only a humble effort I have taken to let the outside world know about the direct experiences of people who have come under his 'karuNA kaTAkSham' (glance of grace and compassion). Although some of these might have been published elsewhere, it is my desire that you read them again and think about MahA PeriyavAL.
Let me start his glance of compassion, right from my home.
When my son BAlAji was born, the astrologers who were sought to compute his horoscope said, "Until sixteen years of age, this boy's 'yogam' is not proper. So the horoscope should be computed only after that age." There was no god that my wife Sarasvati who was worried about this, did not pray to; no temple that she did not visit. She is a devotee of TiruchchengoTTu ArdhanArIshvarar. Although we have two daughters, our only one son is this boy; so which mother can remain without wishing for a long life for her only son? My wife observed fasting on all the days of 'vratam' that came in a month. She was also ready to take up any sort of harsh penance for the sake of her son.
It was a Thursday, a day of fasting for her, 'AhAram' (food) at only late evening, and that after the puja. That evening, my younger daughter RAjam, who was reading her lessons after returning from the school, suddenly turned towards her mother and asked, "EnammA (Why, mother), people talk a lot about PeriyavAL at KAnchi. Why don't you to pray to him for BAlAji?" Taking these words that came through a lass as the Devi's words of grace, my wife from that day on started doing puja in worship of MahA PeriyavAL. A speciality about this is that, my wife is very serious about whatever she starts, so she started doing 'ArAdhanam' to MahA PeriyavAL with mad obsession. Her only attention was on Kanchi PeriyavAL...
One night she had a dream while sleeping. PeriyavA is sitting on the chair I use for reading and writing. Between him and her, water is flowing noisily in a stream. My wife, on this side of the stream, prays to him for her son.
That MahAn says peacefully: "You have saved a lot in the bank. It wouldn't decrease whatever you take from it. So don't worry."
The dream dissolved. It was dawn time. Thereafter, it was only Maha PeriyavAL for her. Her friends and she had started the habit of visiting Kanchi every full moon day and have darshan of Sri KamAkShi and KAnchi PeriyavAL.
My position about this was different: I am the one who think that it is enough to respect MaThAdhipatis (pontiffs)--no need to worship them.
During this time, a friend of mine bought a beautiful, small Devi statue from the PUmpuhAr Art Shop and presented it. This was followed by the debate as to whether the 'vigraha ArAdhana' could be done at home or not.
First of all, what god is this 'vigraham'? It was the situation that we could place the god on the image with certainty.
I told my wife. "You are going to see Kanchi PeriyavAL. You ask him about the god of this 'vigraha shila'. If he says it right, I shall accept him as a god among men."
This was an incident that happened twenty-five years back.
"This time, you too come with me", she said. Some 'shakti' in me told, "Go and see..." So we went... A long queue... One by one, people were having darshan of the MahAn and moving away. After some people stood my wife, me beind her.
The MahAn extended his hand and called my wife. When she went near him, he raised both his hands and blessed here well. Then he asked forthwith, "AkhilANDeshvari has come to your home?" Tears gushing from her eyes, my wife simply nodded her head in affirmation. Blessing her again, he looked at her keenly from top to toe, as she prostrated to him and got up.
Later my wife told me, "That look did something to me."
I who was listening to his words, fell before him, my eight limbs touching the ground. That hands that came together in worship in the god's presence did not come down, as we moved away.
Calling my wife once again, the MahAn blessed and sent her back. From then on, I became a slave of MahA PeriyavAL. After this, several incidents happened on their own that helped me know more about that MahAn...
The full honour of giving me that opportunity for our family belongs to Tirumigu. RAjagopAl who is administering the 'PeriyavA Griham', his wife, and to GitA mAmi who is day and night doing 'smaraNa' (remembering) of PeriyavA's name. Beyond them, another slave is forever helping me: this is Tirumigu. Ravichandran, who was the shadow of Pradosham mAmA who has attained God's lotus feet--an eminent man of sacrifice who gave up his job just for the sake of doing work related to PeriyavA. For all these people, there is no thought other than MahA PeriyavAL. It is by the help of these 'mahAnubhAvas' that I am able to give a graphic account of MahA PeriyavAL's compassionate heart at least to this extent.
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रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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