Sri Vedapureeswar of Mavoothu

Once at Sri Kailash, - (the holy abode of Sri Paramasiva and his consort Sri Parvathi,) there was a music party, which was being attended by all Devas, Siva ganas, Bhooda Ganas and Sakthi Ganas and other heavenly and spiritual bodies. For that pleasant occasion the Holy Kailash was nicely decorated. All Devas experts in playing all sorts of musical instruments were present there with their musical instruments to please Sri Paramasiva and Parvathi Devi,with their Deva Gaana (Divine music. Sri Parvathi and Sri Parameshwar were sitting ona highly decorated seats. Among the musicians one Sri YazhvValladeva an expert in playing the music instrument called Yazh. (Can be compared with our present Veena.) He was bringing pleasure to everyone who heard his music. At that same place while Sri Yazhvalladeva was busy playing his instrument, there came a test for him in the form of a Devanangai, a maid of Sri Parvathi Devi. She was very much attracted by the music, lost herself in the music and the beauty of Yazh valladeva looked at him with love ( Love at first sight) and lust overflowing from her eyes.. At the same time yazh valla deva also had an instinct that someone was watching him with much curiosity. To confirm his instinct ion, he looked around and noted Deva nangai looking at him. With that single sight, he forgot the fact that he was a Siva Gana sitting and playing music in the presence of Sri Paramasiva and Sri Parvathi and forgot everything and fell in love with that girl. Lord Siva who is the Lord of the whole universe saw all these game and grew angry, as Sri Kailash is not a place for worldly thoughts and human feelings because devas should never behave like humenbeings and should never have human feelings, cursed them to born in the world and suffer all good and bad like normal human beings Only after cursed by the almighty they understood their mistakes and begged the Lord to forgive them. Lord Siva told them that they should suffer for their wrong and promised that they would be brought back to Sri Ksailash at proper time after living in this world for some years.

As decided by the Almighty, Yazhvalladeva born to one sri Thillaikone and Thilakamadhi his wife lived at Kottaiyur. Both are staunch and sincere devotees of Lord Siva. Their profession was to rear cows, produce milk and sell the product pure without adding water. From the sale proceeds they lived happily, helped other people and Siva Devotees (Sivnadiars). Yazhvalladeva in this birth was named as Pachaimal because of his color. Thillaikoan’s sister Singaramangai with her husband Senkamalakannan was living in the same village. Though they had seven male children they had no girl child and were longing for such a child. Devamangai was born to them as eighth child. The couple were over whelmed with joy dancing with joy on the birth of their long awaited girl child. This girl child was christened as Sadai nangai. As normal children these two children also grewwith usual naughtiness. When Pachaimal reached sixteen years of age and Sadai mangai twelve years of age their parents decided to perform marriage for , Pachaimal with Sadainangai as per their regular custom. Both got married and started their lives as happy birds. Pachaimal took his family profession of cattle rearing and producing milk. He would take milk from his cows and handover to Sadai nangai. She would take home the milk to give to Pachaimal’s parents and they would sell the same as usual. With the sale proceed all were living very happily. Amazingly under the care of Pachaimal his cattle multiplied in number very fast. Time went very fast without waiting for anything and anybody. Without much remarkable incidents twenty years passed. Now time came for Sadainangai to leave this worldly life and to become a Goddess. Sri Parameshwar took the form of a Shivayiogi and appeared at the holy village Mavoothu near Thanipaarai, with huge jadamudi over his head, Rudraksha garlands around his neck, Dhandam and Kamandalam in his hands. HE sat under a tree on the way Sadainangai pass every day in order to be noted easily by Sadainangai. On that day while sadai nangai passed that way she noticed the Shivayogi. Due to her purva jenma bandhan she stood before him with folded hands and head down. The Siva sithar blessed her smiling and asked her in a requested to offer him some milk to quench his thirst and hunger. Without hesitation she poured milk in a small pot and gave him. The Siva Sithar drank the milk without a single drop balance and told her that his appetite and thirst were satisfied and again requested her to give him some milk daily in the same manner to satisfy his hunger and thirst. Sadainangai readily accepted. As accepted she was giving the Shiva Sithar some milk daily. The drama was going on for some days. The elders in the house were not aware of this matter. But they noticed the reduction in the quantity of milk brought home daily. They doubted that Sadainangai was playing some trick, but did not inquire Sadai nangai but inquired Pachaimal about the reduction in the quantity of milk. He too was not aware of the daily offer of milk to the Siva sithar So he replied his parents that he had no knowledge about it, and would enquire his wife about it. He decided to check her movements next day without her knowledge.

As decided Pachaimal followed his wife next day without her knowledge and watched with anger when she offered milk to the Siva Sithar on the way. Then he reached home fast and waited for Sadai nangai. When she reached home he called his wife in a roaring voice. He shouted and slapped her on the face for offering milk to an unknown man without his knowledge. She did not expect such a treatment from her husband. Pachaimal thought while he was toiling all the day in the hot sun taking his cattle for grazing and caring them in the forests, his irresponsible wife offering the precious milk to some unknown lazy fellow sitting under a tree. Sadainangai could not bear such a harsh treatment as it was the first time he slapped her and cried. The next day she narrated the whole thing to the Siva Sithar when she offered milk as usual because she treated the Shiva sithar as her own father. The sithar consoled her telling that the time had come for her to leave this world and to attain Godhood. He gave her Knowledge of her previous birth and blessed her with mukthi at the same place and made her to attain Godhood, told her to stay there forever as Jadadhari Amman and bless people with whatever they wanted As instructed by Lord Shiva Sadainangai stayued there as Sri Jadaadhari Amman in a separate temple. Even now we can see a separate temple housing Sadainangai at Mavoothu with name as Sri Jadaadhari Amman. As Saainangai did not return back to the house her seven brothers grew tension and ran up and down in search of their sister. After she attained Godhood her seven brothers searching for their beloved sister came to the Siva Sithar and enquired aboiut her. The Siva Sithar explained them that their sister was not an ordinary human being. She lived in this world as woman due to a curse. As time had come, she was relieved of her curse and attained God Status and showed them Sri Jadaadhari Amman who was none but their own sister, and advised them to worship her as their Kula Deivat to obtain her blessings. Then the Siva Sithar transformed the seven brothers as Ayyanars with powers of Gods and ordered them to Guard the Sadhuragiri from seven directions. Then the Shiva sithar, as prayed by the seven brothers of Sadainangai stayed at Maavoothu in the form of Shiva Linga even beforeSri Sundaramahalingam came to Saduragiri and settled there.

Pachaimal learned from his fellow villagers that his wife attained mukthi, had become a Goddess as Jadaadhari Amman and her brothers have had become Guarding Gods of Sadhuragiri, cried, wept and lamented at the separation of his wife from him and that he would not be able to see his wife anymore. After that incident he felt alone and lost interest in everything, became mentally upset, took his cattle to Sadhuragiri and lived there without any contacts with his relatives. He stayed alone on the Sadhuragiri offering milk, curd etc to whoever approached him with hungry. Once he was taking his cattle to grazing, he saw Swamy Sundarananda performing pooja to Sri Sundaramurthy Siva linga installed and worshipped by Sage Agasthiar. He requested Swamy Sundarananda to allow him to offer some milk for the purpose of Abhishekam to the Shiva Linga idol and for the personal use of Sri Sundarannda Swamy. For this purpose he did not use the milk of any cow available. He selected the best one among his cattle and reserved its milk as offerings to The Sundera murthy Lingam That particular cow’s milk was not used for any other purpose and was kept reserved for the use Lord Siva and for sage Sundarananda. This was going on for some days. When the time came for his mukthi and relief from his curse, Sri Kailashpathy came and settled in the Sadhuragiri disguised as a Siva yogi. Then he caught hold of the cow whose milk was daily given to Sundarananda for abhishsekam and concealed her from the eyes of Pachaimal. On the evening of that day while other cows were back from the grazing field, the cow consealed by the Sivayogi (Lord Shiva) did not come back. Pachaimal searched and searched for the cow as it was time to extract milk from the cow and offer the same for abhishekam of Sri Ssundaramurthy lingam. He thought that she might have missed her way and wandering somewhere. He took a stick which he used to control his cattle and went out in search of his cow. At a distance he saw the Sivayogi drinking the milk directly from the udders of the cow reserved for sundaramurthy lingam and for Sundarananda Swamy . He thought the sivayogi should have asked him for some milk and he would have given him some milk to satisfy his thirst or hunger without murmur or hesitation. Pachaimal got angry because the milk meant for the abhishekam of Lord Shiva was being drunk by an unknown person. In a fit of anger he ran shouting towards the sivayogi and hit him on the head with his stick. The blow fell on the back of the Sivayogi was felt by everyone present at the Saduragiri at that moment. Everyone including Swamy Sundarnanda and Sattai muni came running to the spot to see what had happened. Immediately the Sivayogi disappeared and at the place where he was sitting and sucking milk from the udders of the cow, a shiva lilnga was found in slant position as the same position the shiva yogi sat and drank the milk.Swamy Sundarananda, Si Sattaimuni and others who were performing pooja to Sundaramurthy shiva linga at that moment heard the noise and came running towards the spot where Pachai mal was standing stunned. He could not understand what had happened and was simplylooking at the new Shiva linga in slant position appeared from nowhere. Now Lord Shiva with his consort Sri Parvathi appeared along with Sri Nandhiemperuman. Every one present had the holy and miraculous dharshan of Lord Shiva with the universal mother Sri Parvathi. Only now Pachaimal and others understood that the Shivayogi was none but Sri Parameshwar himself who came there only to relieve him from his cursecried for his innocence for not the Lord and fell on the groundand begged HIM to pardon But the Lord said it was only his Thiruvilaiadal to take Pachaimal back to Sri Kailash and let everyone know abiout Pachaimal who was one of Siva Ganas and asked Pachaimal wha he wanted. Pachaimal replied wih folded hands that he should always stay with him at Sathuragiri. The Suyambu lingam can be seen even now in slant position with a stick mark on the head is called as Sri Sundaramahalingam of Sadhuragiri.
To reach Sadhuragiri: From Virudhunagar of Tamil Nadu take a bus to Watrap. The distance between Virudhunagar to watrap is around seventy kilometer. Reach Watrap. AT specific times mini buses are available between Watrap to Thaniparai. Take a share auto which is available in numerous to Thaniparai, the base of Sadhuragiri. From Thaniparai take a walk fo around ten kilometers inside the forest and mount. The Adhivasis living in that area are able to cross the distance in less than two hours. But for inexperienced city peopleit would take more than four hours to cross the distance. Once we cross the Thaniparai border and enter the forest area we come under the control of Sri Sundarmahalingam of Sadhuragiri. He takes complete control of ourselves and help us to reach the temple safe. Mavoothu is located between Virudhunaaaagar and Watrap. To go Mavoothu, take bus from Virudhunagar to Watrap. Getdown at Thambi Patti, take road proceeding on the right side, travel for about six kilometer. Reach Vedapureeswar temple of Mavoothu. Near by is the temple for Jadadhari Amman .
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Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamygal

An Amazing experience met by a devotees of Sri Raghavendra Swamygall

Mahan Sri Ragavendra said that he would live in his Tomb for seven hundred years and bless the mankind with his blessings from there for ever. The following is a proof that he is still moving around in this world and helping his devotees in the hours of need. Mr. Venkat Rao is a retired employee of University of Madras. He and his wife Srimathi Lakshmi are devotees of Sri Raghavendra Swamygal.
Once they decided to visit the newly started Sri Raghavendra mutt at Iraiamangalam, a village situated at 15 kilometres away from Thiruvallur for darshan. Mr. Sridhar, the husband of Mrs. Ganga the sister of Mr. Venkat Rao had undergone bypass surgery recently. As his health condition did not help him to travel, other members of the family left for the Mutt leaving him at the house. At Sri Raghavendra mutt pooja was going on. At that moment the cell phone of Mr. Venkatrao rang. The call was from his house, the voice in the phone informed that Sridhar, who was in the house was suddenly swooned and fell down and the neighbours helped him to get admitted to the hospital for medication. At the hospital doctors said his brain stopped working and to correct the same they did an emergency operation. But that had become useless. The patient had gone to coma stage. Doctors expressed their fear that the patient may die and they can do nothing more. The patient was in the I.C.U. The relatives were standing outside with worried face not knowing how to save the patient from death. At that moment from nowhere an old man urgently walked into the hospital and entered the I.C.U. (It should be noted that no outsider can easily enter the ICU because it is a sterilized area and a visitor can be allowed inside to see the patient after taken some precautionary steps) Doctor saw some one entering the ICU, and came running to stop him. But he could see no one except the patient inside the ICU. Others also rushed into the ICU. To their utter surprise they saw the coma patient sitting on his bed looking at them. When they enquired the patient what had happened, the patient replied simply that he heard of an old man’s voice softly whispered in his ear to get up and sit as there was nothing wrong with him. The doctors went out to see the old man but could find no suchmn there. Then they enquired the staff at the reception whether they sent any old man inside. They said “No”. After two or three days Sridhar was discharged from the hospital. All the relatives felt and believed that the old man was none but Sri Raghavendra Swamygal who came in time just to save his suffering devotee from death.
Another Amazing experience met by A Devotee of Sri Raghavendra Swamygall
Once two friends while casually speaking decided to visit Sri Manthralayam for a Dharshan of Manthralaya Mahan Sri Raghavendra Swamygall’s Samadhi. They travelled by the Bombay mail (night train) They could not get a beth to sleep because their trvel was an un expecte one and defcided very casually. So they had travelled the whole distance without sleep. The train reached Manthralayam Railway station 80 minutes behind schedule at 11.20 Am. From there they took a bus and reached Manthralayam, had bath in the Thungabadhra river, then went to the Brindhavan for darshan. They had dharshan at Brindhavan. Though they could get good dharshan, they coiuld not get the prasadam (food)because it was too late when they went to the dining hall. This disappointed them very much. With heavy hearts they went to a hotel, had their food (lunch), hired a room in a lodge and slept till 4.00pm because they did not sleep in the train the previous night. When they got up from sleep at around 4.00 pm they saw an old mathwa Brahmin. They thought that old man was working in that lodge. So they enquired him whether he can provide food for them for the night, That man agreed to do so. Then the two guys washed and cleaned their face, hands and legs and again went to the Brindhavan for dharshan and returned to the lodge around 7.30 pm. Now the old mathwa Brahmin brought them night food and served them in big bnana leaves and sat there and watched them eating with affection. The two guys could feel the affection in the eyes of the old Brahmin. But they could not see him straight as his look was very sharp. After they finished eating the old man took the banana leaves to throw them out. The two guys were waiting for the old man hoping to give him cash for the food provided to them. But the old mathwa Brahmin never turned back after throwing the leaves out. The two guys enquired another man working in the lodge about the old mathwa Brahmin who gave them food; the worker said there was no such man working in the lodge and it was not in pactise to provide food for those who stay in the lodge This surprised the youths very much. When they explained that worker about the items served in their food. That man with surprise said that the same items were served as prasadam for devotees in the Mahan’s Brindhavan in the afternopon as prasadam (lunch). This message brought the youths more surprise. Then they vacated the room and reached Manthralaya Railway station hoping to get into any available train and return to their native place. At the station they understood that there would be no train for that night to their native place and the youths had to sleep on the Railway platform. At around 12.00 o’clock in the midnight a porter woke them up and informed them that a train scheduled to arrive at noon was expected to reach the station nearly ten hours behind sschedulen few minutes and suggested them that they can travel in that train if they wish so. The youths were happy and got into that train when it came. In the train there was another surprise for the youth. The Travelling Ticket Exaaminer (TTE) checked their tickets and offered them two vacant berths and told, that they can sleep there without any disturbance. The youths accepted with surprise and reached their native place happily The two young men are still wondering who was that old mathwa Brahmin who provided them food and why he left without collecting money for the food and why the porter in the Railway station woke them only, and how the TTE offered them a berth to sleep. It was that Manthralaya mahan only . Who elso could have done such things to help a devotee.

Swamy Sri Thulsi Das.

Swmy Sri Thulsidas wrote Srimath Ramayan of Sri VAlmiki Rishi in Hindi language. His Rmaayan received popularity and fame even during his own life time. Till today his Ramayan has a special place in almost all the houses in north India. Sri Thulsidas, lived in Kasi was not only a very good poet, but also a sincere devotee of Sri Rama . Through his deep Ssri Rama Nama Japa he was able to see Sri Rama in physically. He used to be in the thought of Sri Rama always. His daily routine was nothing but reading Srimath Ramayan and explaining Srimath Ramayan (Prasangam) and doing Sri Rama Nama Japa. He was an expert in the explanation of Srimath Ramayan. Thousands of people flocked to hear his Srimath Ramayan Prasangam. Day by day his popularity and familiarity was increased. The popularity and fame of this simple Sanyasin irritated some people. In due course their irritation converted into Jealous. Due to that they wanted to destroy Swamy Sri Thulsids. In those time there lived a magician in Kasi, who was a devotee of Sri Bhairava. The agitators approached him and offered him some money fo destroying the life of Sri TRhulsidasHe took some money from those jealous people and handed them over a copper plate with some mantra slogans inscripted on the plate and advised them to drop the same at the door step of the hut of Sri Thulsidas so that when he come out of his hut in the morning he step on that. The magician explained that if it happened immediately he would become a lunatic and would run up and down tearing his cloth. The agitators happily took and dropped the same in the mid night of that day. On the nex day morning the culprits were waiting for news from Sri Thulsidas side. As no news came they went to Sri Thul;sidas’s house and found he was teaching his disciples as usual. They thought that the magician had cheated them after getting money. So they decided to go to his house and beat him nicely and get back their money. As decided they went to the magician’s house and saw to their surprise that the magician running up and down tearing his own clothes as a mad man. The fact was after they dropped the copper plate on the door step of Sri Thulsidas a monkey. (Sri Hanuman in the disguise of monkey) came running and took the copper plate and dropped the same on the head of the magician. Due to the power of the copper plate, the magician himself became mad and was running up and down. There are a saying in Tamil which reads as Thann Vinai Thannai Sudum.” The above is a proof of the saying. If one could understand this fact, no one would never try to harm other people.

Miracles of Sri Gnananandagiri Swamygal.

Many years back, it was an evening around 5.00 Pm at the Thapovanam of Sri GnananandaSwamygall. The smiling child like face of Sri Swamygall would attract everybody. At that time Sri Gnanananda Swamygall was blessing his devotees with his blessed speech. Devotees were paying their respects by doing a ashtanga Namaskara in front of him and taking praadham and leaving the place one by one. After all the devotees left the place a very slim man working in the mutt called as soni because of his size and slimness came, worshiped and stood in front of the swamygall with an intension to request something from the swamygall . Swamygall asked him what was the matter. But Soni hesitated to reply because he felt shy and fear that sawmygall may reject his request and stood without speech. Swamygall again pressed him to tell the matter. Then he slowly and in a shivering voice, revealed the matter that he had arranged marriage for his granddaughter, and for the marriage expenses he needed around. Rs. 5000.00 He wanted the Swamygall to help him with the amount. The swamygall, on hearing the matter smiled and said with great pleasure“ Oho you have arranged marriage for your granddaughter . Sri Panduaranga Swamy would help you to perform the marriage nicely without any hindrance”. But Soni expected money from him and not his wordly blessing only, could not speak anything, stood there with confusion. Now Swamygall asked him how many children he had. Sony said he has only one son. But his son had three girl children; he was working in a shop at Thirukovilur earning Rs. 60/- only per month and after spending for food he could not save anything and Soni again requested the Swamygall to help him with Rs. 5000/- for marriage expense. But the swamygall said playfully that he being a Sanyasi, without money cannot help him with money. Telling so he called another employee of the mutt and ordered him to bring a coconut after removing its cover and a one rupee coin. When the things were brought, he handed them over to Soni and told him that Sri Panduranga Swamy would do him the needful and left inside. Soni was standing there with tears in his eyes and confusion in his mind.
After some time Sri Swamygall came back and sat on his usual seat. At the same time a van carrying some 50 to 55 devotees came and halted in front of the mutt entrance and devotees stepped out of the van, entered the ashram. With folded hands they reached the swamyji and made a ashtanga namaskar to Swamyji. The Swamygall asked them whether they are from Gujarat as if he knew where from they came. Surprisingly they said “Yes” Again Swamygall asked them as to where they were going. They replied that they were on a pilgrimage to Sri Rameshwar, visiting temples on the way. Then Swamygall ordered the mutt people to offer them some thing to drink for refreshingas they reached after travelling a very long distance. After refreshment He showed them Soni, who was still standing there with the coconut on hid hand and told them that they all look strong and they could show their strength by breaking the coconut. They coiuld pass the time for charitable reasons. He told them to break the coconut by hitting the same against ground. But the condition was they should hit only once against the ground without using any metal or any instrument. If they failed in the game they should pay Rs. 100/- towards charity. and that way they could spend their time and money usefully for some noble cause. The condition looked very easy for them so all ageed to the samebecause they were confident that they would break the coconut easily with a single hit. Even if they failed in their attempt they would lose only Rs. 100/- only; which was a very small amount for them. Now the Swamygall instructed Soni to handover the coconut to one of the devotees from Gujarat and told him to try. That devotee tried to break the coconut but could not. Therefore had to pay Rs. 100/-towards charityas per condition laid earlier. Now The Swamygall instructed Soni to spread his upper towel on the ground so that those who failed could place their Rs. 100/- on that. One by one all the fifty five devotees tried. But to the utter surprise of every one, no one could break the coconut. By the time the upper towel spread on the ground was filled with hundred rupee Notes placed by the Gujarati devotees who could not break the coconut. Now the Swamygall turned towards Soni, told him to try his luck. But Soni hesitated because he was aware of his strength. As the Swamygall insisted him to try his luck he had to do so. He took the coconut, praying the Swamygall to help and with the hope that Swamygall would help him,hit the coconut to break, while every one was looking with excitement. To the surprise of all the devotes present in the hall, the coconut broke into two pieces. The highly surprised Soni could not believe his own eyes stood there blinking with confusion. As the coconut was broken by Soni he was hailed as the winner of the game and theoney collected in the towel woulbd become his property. Swamygall smiled happily, told Soni to count the money collected in the towel . He counted and said it was Rs. 5501/- Now the Swmygall told Soni to utilize that amount for his granddaughter’s marriage expense. He also told “ I told Sri Panduranga Swamy’s blessings will be with you to celebrate the marriage. While you wanted Rs. 5000/-, Sri Pandudranga swamy blessed you with 500/- more. Go and celebrate the marriage happily”. Till today Soni could not understand how he could break the coconut while fifty five hale and healthy people could not break the coconut. It is a known fact that coconut will go to pieces if it is hit once or twice against ground. But theat particular coconut was very strong, could withstand fiftyfive hits by healthy peopleand it was not made up of iron or anyother strong metalSwamygall. That was the miracle played by Sri Gnanananda giri Swamygal just help a helpless innocent man, who wanted money for a good and noble cause.