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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side – Rig Veda

Article # 4 / Feb 2011 / Cum Article # 96 / Guru Samarpanam – Issue # 7 / P a g e | 1

GURU SAMARPANAM

[Issue # 7]




INDEX

From Editors Desk………………………………... Page 3

Excerpts from Biography…………………....... Page 4

Teachings of Mahaperiyavaa……………....... Page 6

Mahaperiyava Miracles……………………....... Page 9

Ten Commandments of Mahaperiyava….. Page 11

Acknowledgements/Bibliography............. Page 12




From Editor’s Desk

Dear Readers/Seekers,

Am happy to present the Guru Samarpanam – Issue # 7.

The issue contains the excerpts from the biography, teachings, miracles and upadesa of Pujyashri Sri Sri Chandrasekarendhra Sarasvati Swamigal fondly revered as “Nadamadum Theivam” [Walking God], Mahaperiyva, Peramacharya etc.

Under the biography we can see our Paramacharya‟s maiden visit to Tindivanam, the town which witnessed as a young boy now returning as “Jagadguru”. It also narrates the celebration that took place at Kumbakonam to commemorate the Acharya‟s pontification as the Acharya of the Kamakoti Peetam.

In the section teachings of Mahaperiyava one can read Periyavaa‟s lucid explanation of “Samsare Kim Saram?” i.e. what is the essence of this wordly life? In this Acharya explains the step by step towards achieving the Jnana. I hope this will be very very useful for a sadhaka.

Under the Mircales of Mahaperiyava we are going to see the experience of an Auditor from Salem which clearly tells how our Paramacharya was concerned about the old temples.

Finally the sayins of Periyava has been captured in the form of “Ten Commandments” for us to read and ponder.

I hope you will cherish reading this!

Please give your valuable feedback.

Happy reading!

Warm Regards,

A.V. Devan 9.2.2011 /Chennai

Mahaperiyava’s

Biography

Teachings

Miracles

Sayings…




Excerpts from the Biography

Visit to Kumbakonam

In the eighteenth century, under the rule of Maharashtra Kings in Tanjore, the official

site of the Kamakoti Peetam was moved temporarily from Kancheepuram to Tanjore

owing to the conflicts in the country in that period. This event happened during the

62nd Acharya‟s period. He was enroute to Kumbakonam from Kancheepuram, when he

was requested by the Lord of Udayarpalayam to stay in their place for some time. He

complied with the Lord‟s request and stayed there for sometime as well as in Tanjore.

Later, he moved to the mutt building established by then King of Tanjore in the banks

of Kaveri. Since that time, Kumbakonam was the temporary place of administrative

head quarters of the mutt.

Our Acharya left for Kumbakonam after being pontificated. On the way, he stayed for

three days at Tindivanam, the place where his parents were residing. The townsfolk

started preparations to receive him even a week before. Hordes of people kept coming

to have darshan of Swamiji. They came to have the darshan of Acharya performing

puja to the Mutt‟s residing deities Sri Chandramouliswarar, Sri Tripundra Sundari Ambal.




The visit to Tindivanam in 1907 by our Swamigal had special implications. The town

people who had since seen Swaminathan as a baby, a young boy of twelve years old

were now seeing him as Acharya who is a teacher for the whole world. Men, women,

children, old people, youngsters all gathered with pride that Swamigal is from

Tindivanam and paid their respect to him. The teachers and students from Arcot

Americal Mission School eagerly wanted to see our Swamigal. He spoke to each

teacher individually, gave them gifts and made them very happy. He gave darshan to

all the students and gave them gifts.

Even though the ascetics, who are sitting on the Acharya Peetam are Sanyyasis, it is

the culture in our country to treat them like emperors as they have taken the vow to

protect the world. In those days, there were elephants, horses, camels, palanquin, gold

staff, silver staff, instruments like beri and sangam were in the mutt. Devottees of the

mutt residing in Kumbakonam wished to celebrate the pontification of Sri Swamigal in a

grand manner in Kumbakonam. The grand celebration was held in the mutt‟s auspices

on the 27th day of the month of Chittirai in the year Pilavangam (9-5-1907).

Innumerable people from different parts of the country participated in the celebration.

The last king of Tanjore Shivaji Maharaja sent both his queens on his behalf to pay

princely respects to Swamigal. Speical puja services were held around all the temples.

Swamigal went to all the temples that day and had darshan. Annadanam was given to

thousands of devotees who visited the mutt on that day. Artists and learned scholars

were honored with gifts on that day.

During appointed auspicious time, our Swamigal had abishekam done with the waters

of Ganges, after which he was seated on a throne. At that time, all devotees paid their

respects and gifts to Swamigal. The picture of Swamigal being taken around in a grand

procession on the mutt‟s elephant that night was memorable and etched in the minds

of devotees gathered there.

This is how our Swamigal took upon the title of „Jagadguru‟ at the young age of thirteen

and started his reign at that moment.




Teachings of Mahaperiyava

SAMSARE KIM SARAM? – [What is the essence of worldly life?]

Our Acharya (Adi Sankara), in his “Prasnotra Ratna Malika” raises the question,

“Kim Samsare Saram?” (What is the saram in this wordly life?) He provides the reply

too. „Dear man, you have asked the question, is it not? You go on asking this question

always. „That is the saram of samsaram‟. That is, we have to constantly think,‟what is

the purpose of our having been born? What for are we born?‟. We have to think

whether we will achieve that purpose. „Why are we incurring sin? Why do we get

angry? Why do we get desires? Why should all these come? Can we not be always

happy and blissful? – these thoughts occur. We do not understand what the reply to

these are.

Everything is for our good only. In a tree the fruit comes from the flower only. When it

is a flower it is appealing to the nose and when it is fruit it is tasty to the tongue. The

fruit is very sweet. What was the taste before this sweetness? The flower is bitter, the




tender unripe fruit is astringent, the unripe one is sour and then the sweetness. When

sweetness arrives all attachments go away. In the case of a fruit when it is fully ripe

with sweetness it falls down. In the same manner, if the heart is filled all over with

sweetness (peace) all attachments will go away of their own. So long as it is sour,

there will be attachment. If the unripe fruit is plucked, water will ooze at the stalk.

Water will ooze from the unripe fruit also. That means neither the tree wants to leave

the unripe fruit nor the unripe fruit wants to detach itself from the tree. But if it

becomes fully sweet, the attachment will go. The ripe fruit will fall on its own. The

tree leaves the fruit and then fruit also leaves the tree. Both will part with each other

without water oozing, that is happily, without crying. One who has evolved step by

step and whose heart is filled with sweetness (madhuram) will happily detach himself

from tree of samsara. Just as before the fruit ripens, sourness and astringency are

required, in the beginning stages, it appears that desires, anger and impatience are

necessary!

We cannot get released completely from these things at the early stage when we are

victims of these. Even then, we should at least constantly think why these are coming.

„We now had this feeling, this desire, anger, fame, falsehood! Is there any use by all

these? Does this feeling come as something necessary or something „not necessary?‟

„We should think on these lines. If we do not think like this, they will deceive us. We

will get cheated.

When it is time for sourness, it must be sour. When it is time for astringency, it must

be astringent. Yet just as the tender fruit does not stop with the early stages but keeps

on going towards ripeness, we should go on thinking of the love and peace which is

sweet. If we go on doing this way, we need not go in search of Moksha. If we are

how we should be at different stages, the sweet state of Moksha will come on its own.

Instead of that if we attempt at the wrong time, it will be like the tender fruit ripening

without reaching the next stage. It will be spoiled. It will not be sweet. Just as

Ramalingam sang, „will it get spoiled and fall off‟ there is no use our making premature

attempts to get Moksha and falling off on the way.

It is wrong to remain satisfied with the condition in which we are. But, at the same

time when we still carry a heavy load of the past „karmas‟ it is wrong to be in haste to

gain the supreme jnana immediately. We need not desire for the supreme jnana here




and now and go in search of it. We will go on performing our duties with the thought

that, if it does not materialize in this birth (janma) let it come after several births. We

shall follow the Dharma as enjoined by our vedhas. If we do so supreme jnana has to

come on its own. Now we are able to see only external activities and appearances.

Therefore, let us start with religious rituals which are external activities and the

religious symbols that we wear which are also external. We will ripen through stages,

from the tender to the unripe and then the ripened fruit and reach the truth that is

internal.




Mahaperiyava Miracles

Experience of a devotee - Auditor

Once an Auditor from Salem visited Kanchipuram. He was an affluent person. He was

a staunch devotee of Kanchi Mahaperiyava. He does many good things after getting

the blessings from the Acharya. He makes a visit to Tirupathi, the abode of seven hills

every year to get the blessings of Lord Venkateshwara. He also makes huge savings

and deposit the same in the Tirupathi Hundi.

Once he was on his way to Tirupathi. He thought of visiting Mahaperiyava in

Kancheepuram get his blessings and then decided to proceed to Tirupathi. He then

along with his family reached Kancheepuram and proceeded to Kamakoti Peetam, the

Sankara Mutt to have the darshan of our Walking God Kanchi Maha Periyava. The first

question our Acharya asked him upon seeing him was “have you started to Tirupathi?”.




He was rather surprised to hear the same from Acharya as he did not even told him

that he is on his way to Tirupathi. When he told Paramacharya that he is in fact on his

way to Tirupathi. “Are you going to put all the money in the Hundi”? another query

from acharya with some hidden agenda. The auditor replied in affirmative.

After a brief pause Paramacharya told him, “That Tirupathi person is already a wealthy

person. Hence it will not affect HIM even if you don‟t give it to him. In fact there are

so many people are there to give him. Please do one thing there is village called

“Vaiyur” near Vedanthangal there is a Perumal temple is there currently the temple

does not even have enough money even to lit a lamp and perform the daily pujas to the

deity, hence the money which you have decided to put in the Tirupathi Hundi donate it

to this temple which is in dire need of the funds.

The auditor then started towards Vedanthangal and reached the temple. The temple

was in mere shambles and he was literally crying to see the pitiable condition of the

temple. He then donated the amount to the temple. Later slowly the temple was

resurrected to its original glory and the temple is now known as “Thiru Vaiyavur

Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple”.

The auditor visit to Kanchi Mutt before going to Tirupathi was not a planned one.

Similarly the Periyava‟s instruction to divert the donation to this small temple instead of

Tirupathi was a surprise. It is by the divine will all these have happened.

Figure 1-Thiru Vaiyavur Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rC0Yxr09sUc/R-jTvHH_5BI/AAAAAAAAB-4/MM0rb85xfO8/s1600-h/23032008983.jpg




Ten Commandments of Mahaperiyava

1. All the natural elements like Sun, Moon, Sky, etc., all are the divine manifestation

of the God.

2. The object which is visible and the object which sees the visible both are nothing

but the Supreme Soul.

3. The Supreme Soul merges with the divine manifestation and shines.

4. One who knows the bliss which pervades everywhere experiences the bliss.

5. Instead of taking Coffee in the morning one can have Wheat porridge or butter

milk.

6. The Vaidya Shastra says “Butter milk” is equivalent to ambrosia/nectar.

7. Parents of the bride groom should avoid taking “Vara Dakshina”.

8. One who takes bath and perform “Sandhya Vandhanam” before Sunrise will not

meet with untimely death.

9. The person who knows only the Shastras he is only a Vidwan. One who

experiences the Shastras is a Jnani. One who preaches the Shastras is only a

“Pracharak”.

10. One who knows the Shastras well, guides the people to follow them and also

practices himself is known as “Acharya”.




Acknowledgement

Sri Ramesh Subramanian, Coimbatore – For reminding me to write about Sri

Mahaperiyava.

Bibliography/Reference

Pujyasri Mahaswamy Divya Charitram – Sri Sambamoorthi Sastrigal, Sri Kuppuswamy

Iyer, Sollin Selvan “P.N. Parasuraman”

Kanchimahanin Karunai Nizhalil – Ananda Vikadan Publications

Voice of God – Volume – 1 – Kanchi Mahaswami Peetarohana Shatabdi Trust

Mahaperiyava Manimozhigal – By Sri Swami – Alliance Publications

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