Kanchi Swamigal - True Tales are Stranger than Fiction

Ohm Namasivaya!!! Ohm Sri Sairam !!!

Many years back it was a Chitra Powrnami day (Full Moon day of Tamil month Chitrai).
Land lord Mr.Narayanaswamy Iyer was performing Mahanyasa Rudrabishekam with Mahanyasa Rudra Japam in a very big way to Sri Mahalinga Swamy, the main deity of Thiruvidaimarudur Temple. There were eleven Pandits (experts in chanting the Veda manhras and Rudra Mantras) present here and were performing the Abhishekam. Sri Narayana Swamy Iyer was a staunch devotee of Sri Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathy Swamygal, the peedathipathi of Kanchi Sankaramadam (called by his devotees with love as Maha Periavaa)

The Rudra Jabam was started at about eight o’clock in the morning and was extended and completed at about one o’clock in the afternoon. Mr. Narayanasamy Iyer wanted to submit the abhisheka prasadam to Mahaperiavaa. He took the prasadam folded in a banana leaf which in turn packed in a new Silk cloth got into Madurai – Chennai Passenger train on the same day evening; got down at chingalpet on the next day morning. Entered in to a bus proceeding to Kanchipuram and reached the Sankara Mutt there. Had his bath and other morning duties waited for the dharshan of Maha periavaa with the prasadam bundle in his hand. There was heavy rush waiting in a long queue for the Dharshan of the Achariar. At 12 noon maha periavaa came and sat for devotees’ dharshan after completing his regular Chandra Mouleeswar puja. Mr. Narayanasamy Iyer was waiting for his turn to have dharshan of swamyji, but could not go near the swamygal. He was requesting every one to give him way to reach swamyji in order to submit the prasadam to the Achariar. Some staff of the mutt saw the struggle of the Iyer to reach the Swamyji made way for him to reach the Achariar.

On reaching the Swamygal Mr. Iyer unfolded his prasadam bundle and kept it on a bamboo plate near the swamygal and offered it to the swamygall humbly. But the mahaperiavadid not touch the prasadam plate. Instead he asked the land lord sharply as “What is this?” With some proud in his voice the land lord replied that it was the prasadam of maharudraajapa performed the day before to Sri Mahalinga Swamy temple at Thiruvidaimarudur. Swamygall did not touch the prasadam. But asked abother aquestion as to how many pandits came there to chant Sri Rudra japam. The land lord replied that there were eleven pandits to chant the mantra. Again swamygall asked for the list of pandits. The Mirasdar tookout a paper containing the list of Veda Chanting experts who participated in the Sri Rudra japa. In the middle Swamygall appreciated the land lord for selecting all real experts for the japa, and asked if the list contained the name of Theperumanallur Venkatesa Ganabadigall (an expert in chanting Sri Rudrajapa aged more than eighty years). The Mirasdar replied with surprise that the name was also present in the list. The surrounding people let out a strange look as they ould not understand why the Swamygall was very particular about even the small details of the Maha rudra japam performed the previous day. Then the Swamygall said that the ganabadigall would have struggled top chant the manthras fluently because of his old age. For this the Mirasdar replied with great surprise that the Venkatesa Ganabadigall did not chant the manthras properly and troubled too much and that he felt sorry for inviting him for the Rudrajapa. At this, the swamygal shot back sharply and asked with anger that did he not shouted at the Ganabadigal for sitting simply without chanting the mantras. Then Swamygal sat closing his eyes in meditation for some time. The crowd was watching all these silent without understanding as to why the Swamygall was very keen about the smallest details of the Rusdra japa took place on the previous day. After some time Swamygall opened his eyes and said to the Mirasdar that he (Swamygal) himself would explain in detail as wha had happened on the rudra japa day. Then the Swamygal started narrating everything as if he had seen every thing in person. It was as follows: That he showed partiality in offering dhakshina.. While he offered ten rupees to all the pandits, he offered o0nly seven rupees to Theperuma nallur VebnkaesaGanapadigal But the Ganabadigal simply knostted the amount in the corner of his Waisty without bothering even to count the amount offered to him. The matter did not end with that. While offering food to the pandits, the Mirasdar himself served the dishes with his own hand. He also served sweet pongal specially prepared for the pandits with ghee dropping from it. While doing so the Ganabadigall requested for some more of the sweet pongal because he was by nature very fond of sweets. But the mirasdar left as if he did not hear him. This hurted the Ganabadigall too much. He felt insulted too much. While other pandits left Thiruvidaimarudur immediately after food. The Ganabadigall went around the temple and restedin a corner. He got up in the evening and went into the temple and prayed to the Lordand swore in the presence of Sri Mahaling Swamy that he would never consume sweet in future. With great sorrow he left for Theperumanallur by bus.Swamygall conveyed these to the Mirasdar with too much of agony in his voice.

The Mirasdar begged thee Swamygall to pardon him and requested him to accept the prasadam kept before him. But the Swamygall was not in a mood to touch the prasadam and told him harshly that his share of prasadam would come to him direct from the temple. At that moment the Archagar of the Thiruvidaimarudur temple appeared there with a brass vessel in his hand. Kept the vessel before the Swamygall and told him with folded hands that he was coming from the Thiruvidaimarudur temple with Sri Mahalinga swamy prasadam to handover to the Swamygal. Now the Mirasdar again begged the Swamygal to pardon his fault and assured that he would never do the blunder again in his life and requested him to advice him as what to do to get himself relive from the sin. But the swamygall said that the person to forgive the sin swas not him self but it would be the Theperumanallur Venkatesa Ganabadigal and advised him to meet the Ganabadigal and request him to forgive the sin. He would be pardoned only if his fate allowed him. On hearing this the mirasdar bowed his head to Swamygal and left for Theperumanallur wih an intension to meet him to request for pardon. He got in to a bus proceeding to TheperumanallurReached there and walked in to the street where the Ganabadigal was living and enquired some one as which was ganabadigal house. The man whom he asked replied that “Oh! You have come to attend the funeral of the Ganabaadigal?” and showed him the house where a crowed gathered already. Now the mirasdar very sad at the demise of great pandit and understood why the Swamygal told him that the ganabadigal would forgive him only IF his fate allow him. Such is the power of a kamayogi like Kanchi swamygal who was well asware of the pst present and future.