ஸ்ரீ குருப்யோ நமஹ
ஶ்ருதி ஸ்மிருதி புராணானாம் ஆலயம் கருணாலயம்
நமாமி பகவத் பாதம் சங்கரம் லோக சங்கரம்
பெரியவா சரணம் !!
Experiences with Maha Periyava: "A Double-Stringed Chain in Eight Sovereigns?"
It was early morning, many years ago. It was drizzling slightly. Sri Maha Periyava was seated in solitude at Kanchi Sri Sankara Matham. After the devotees had darshan of Him, Swamiji arose to go to His room. Just then an old grandmother and a young woman came running and prostrated to the sage. Swamiji sat down again, looking keenly at them.
With happiness on His face, Swamiji said, "Adede! Is it Meenakshi Patti? What a wonder you have
come in the morning itself? Who is accompanying you? Is it your granddaughter? What is her name?"
Meenakshi Patti said “Periyava, I have been coming to Sri Matham for many years to have your darshan. Till now I have not got an opportunity to talk to you about myself. But such a need has come now. I have only one daughter. This girl is my granddaughter. Since she was born in this town, we named her Kamakshi. My daughter passed away twelve years ago. Even before that my son-in-law died of heart attack. Hence I have been struggling to bring her up. I enrolled her in a school but she was was not good in studies. Hence she has left school after fifth class. Now she is fifteen years old. If I can get her married off, my responsibility will be over.”
Acharyal listened to her patiently and then asked, “You bring flowers everyday around 10 am for
Chandramouliswara Pooja. Since you have come early this morning, I have understood that you come with a purpose. What is the matter?”
Hesitantly Meenakshi Patti said “Periyava, I have received a marriage proposal. The groom is a school teacher in this town. He earns a salary of Rs 60 per month. He is from a good family and the horoscopes are matching well. I pray to Periyava to arrange to conduct this marriage.”
Slightly annoyed Acharyal asked “What are you saying? You want me to conduct the marriage?” In a few seconds Periyava, calmed down and asked “Alright, What do you expect me to do?”
With relief Patti said “Periyavaa, I have managed to save five thousand rupees for her marriage and I can conduct the marriage within this amount. But groom’s mother is demanding that I should gift the bride a double-stringed, eight-sovereign gold chain. With my meagre income I have managed to buy only 2 gold bangles of one sovereign each for her. Only that is possible for me. Where can I go for an eight-sovereign double-stringed chain, Periyava? Only you…"
Before she could finish, Periyava asked with anger “Are you asking me to get a double-stringed chain in eight-sovereigns for your granddaughter?”
Meenakshi Patti prostrated to Periyava and rose. Patting her cheeks loudly, she said,
"Apacharam, Apacharam, Periyava!. I am not asking Periyava to buy a gold chain. Many rich devotees come for your darshan every day. I only request you to ask one of those devotees to help me arrange for the eight-sovereign double-stringed chain?"
Periyava said “I don’t ask devotees for such financial help. I suggest that you look for an alliance within your means. That will be good for you.” Swamigal got up.
Meenakshi Patti said anxiously, "I pray that Periyava shouldn't leave me with such advice! This is a very good alliance, Periyava. The boy has a positive temperament. They got their own daughters married with a gift of an eight-sovereign double-stringed chain each. Therefore they desire that the girl coming as their daughter-in-law should also come with a double-stringed chain. Nothing else, Periyava. Only you should provide me with guidance in the matter!" Patti begged the sage.
Acharyal, who had got up, sat down again. He was immersed in deep thoughts for sometime. Then he started talking with compassion: "Will you do something I suggest now?"
"I will do it definitely. Please tell me what it is!" Patti was excited.
"Go to the Kamakshi Amman temple tomorrow with your granddaughter. Both of you pray to Her,
'This marriage should take place grandly with the required eight-sovereign double-stringed chain provided. Only You should arrange it, Amma!’ Do the “Pancha Sankya Upacharam” ie do pradakshina of the sannidhi five times, prostrate before Ambal five times and do this consecutively for five days. Goddess Kamakshi will arrange the things as you have desired in your mind." Acharyal blessed them with a smile.
As she prostrated and got up, Meenakshi Patti said, "What is it Periyava, you suggest everything five times!" She asked with eagerness, "If I do it that way, will Ambal Kamakshi surely arrange my granddaughter Kamakshi's marriage?"
"I am not suggesting the “Pancha Sankya Upacharam” myself. Ambal has the reverence of Pancha Sankhyopacharini. She grants favours happily when she is worshipped in multiples of five." Swamiji said, "I told you only that, nothing else!"
"When do we start this, Periyava?"
Swamiji smiled. "It has been said ‘shubhasya sheeghram’. Today is Friday. Why don’t you start today itself." He said and bade them farewell.
With her granddaughter beside her, Patti walked towards Kamakshi Amman temple. Since it was Friday, the temple was very crowded. Mother Kamakshi dazzled in full splendour with all the special adornments of that day. Both of them closed their eyes and prayed as advised by Periyava. Patti had an archana performed in her granddaughter's birth star and received the prasadam.
Then they both prayed to Amman about the eight-sovereign double-stringed chain and went around the inner courtyard clockwise five times. Then they prostrated to Ambal five times as Swamiji had suggested. With faith in their hearts, they went back home.
On Saturday morning, Patti started from her house with her granddaughter. Collecting the coral-jasmine flowers, she hurried to Sankara Matham. There was a heavy rush in the Matham.
Meenakshi Patti was standing in the queue with some twenty or thirty devotees before her. She heard what the person before her was telling his neighbour with concern. “Today is the day of the Anusham star. Maha Periyava's birth star. So Swamiji has taken up a vow of silence today. He wouldn't talk to anybody. Only mukha darshan.”
Anxiety got hold of Meenakshi Patti. She was worried and thought 'I thought of reminding Periyava about the eight-sovereign double-stringed chain, but it seems that won't be possible now.' When they got near Periyava, they prostrated to Him. Periyava was sitting silently. Patti paused, yearning that He would ask something about the chain. Swamiji's assistant told her a bit sternly, "Patti, move away please! Periyava adopts a vow of silence today. He won't talk. See, how many people are waiting behind you!"
She made her way towards Kamakshi Amman temple, along with her granddaughter. As advised by Periyava, they performed the “Pancha Sankya Upacharam” worship on that day and got back home. Maha Swamiji continued the vow of silence on the following two days also. Patti and her granddaughter could only have a darshan of the sage at the Matham. Patti started worrying, 'Four out of five days has gone by since Periyava's advice but nothing happened! Will Mother Kamakshi open her eyes and bless me or not?' She could only grieve within herself.
It dawned on Tuesday. Sri Kanchi Matham was very brisk on that day. A bhajan troupe from Arani was immersing the Matham in bhaktic ecstasy.
Acharyal came and sat in his usual place. There was such a Maha Tejas on His face! He had
dissolved his vow of silence. There was a large crowd waiting for Periyava's darshan. A middle-aged maami in the queue prostrated to Swamiji happily as her turn came. Happiness was writ all over her face. She submitted the things she had brought--a large bunch of rastali bananas, un-shorn coconuts, sweet lemons, oranges, pumpkins, and chubby raw-bananas--and prostrated again.
Swamiji smiled to himself as He glanced at the items kept before him. Then He narrowed His eyes and looked keenly at the woman. "Aren't you Ambujam, wife of Needamangalam landowner Ganesa Iyer? You came two months back. Told me something, feeling sad. Looking at the way you have come now with a large banana bunch, it seems that your problems would have been solved by the grace of Kamakshi, right?"
Ambujam prostrated again and said, "True, Periyava. My only daughter, Mythili was made to stay away from her husband's home for the last three years. Two months back I came running to you, reported this humiliation and wept. It was you who advised me to do “Pancha Sankya Upacharam” (five circumambulations and five prostrations for five days) and perform abhishekham (ablution) and worship in the Kamakshi Amman temple of this town. I completed them with extreme care, and what a wonder, fifteen days back, my son-in-law Radhakrishnan who works in Jamshedpur Tata Steel Plant came over himself and took his wife Mythili back with him. It's all that Kamakshi's grace and your blessings, Periyava!" Tears of joy filled her eyes as she spoke.
Swamiji said, "Besh, besh, very glad. Let the dampati rest in prosperity! By the way, where did you get such a big bunch of bananas? Looks massive!" Swamiji's laughed heartily.
Ambujam said smilingly, "This bunch was harvested from our own banana bed, Periyava; which is why it is so big!" She spoke with humility.
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