The chettiar & Periyavaal

Courtesy : Sri. Vishwanath Seshadri

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Greatness of Kanchi Mahaswami: The Connection between the Chettiar's

From: Vishwanath Seshadri <vishwanath.s@icicibank.com>
Date: 2010/3/23
Subject: Greatness of Kanchi Mahaswami
To:

*The Connection between the Chettiar's Grandson and the maTham*

* *

An evening in Kanchi SrimaTham. A large crowd in a long queue had gathered
to have darshan of Paramacharya. Time was slipping by. Slightly tilting his
head, Swamiji glanced at the waiting people and saw a twenty year old youth
in the queue. Looking intently at the youth, Swamiji called his assistant
Ramu, another youth, who came near him and stood, his hand covering his
mouth.

"Ramu, you see the person standing as the fifteenth in the queue? A short
boy with a slightly blackish complexion. You need to buy a shirt and pant
piece that will suit his size", Swamiji ordered. "Get the cash from the
office, and buy good quality cloth from the Mudaliar textile shop near the
maTham."

Ramu was surprised and confused at this sudden command from the sage. He
knew that he couldn't ask the reason, so started to proceed on his task.

"Ramu, come here!" Swamiji called. "You know about the name of the modern
textile variety?"

"I know it Periyavaa."

"Come on, tell me?"

"It is called terry cotton, Periyavaa."

"Hm... the same thing. Get a costly piece from that variety."

Within fifteen minutes, Ramu appeared before the sage with the cloth.
Swamiji was very happy as he looked at the cloth from a distance.

"Besh, besh. It is very good da!" Swamiji appreciated Ramu. "You do one
thing. Get a bamboo plate and fill it with fruits, purna phalam, and place
the cloth on them. Tell the manager that I wanted a sum of six thousand and
seven hundred rupees, placed in an envelope, get the money and keep it on
the plate. I shall tell you later about what to do next." With this order to
his assitant, Swamiji started conversing to his bhakta nearby.

An envelope with the amount ordered was brought. Swamiji gestured that it be
placed on the plate.

Now the twenty year old boy was standing before Paramacharya, who looked at
him head to toe. The youth prostrated to him. Swamiji turned and looked at
Ramu, who came near him, running.

"Ramu, take that plate in your hands." Ramu did as he was told.

Swamiji said with a blossoming face, "Give that plate to the boy and tell
him of my bountiful blessings to him and his family."

The youth could not understand anything about the offer of cloth and money.
He simply blinked at the sage, looked this way and that, and stood without
knowing what to do.

AchryaL understood his confusion and anxiety. He spoke, "Ramu, ask him not
to get confused. Tell him it is the blessing from the maTham to him and his
family. Ask him to safely deliver the money in the cover at his home."

The youth nodded his head, though he understood nothing. He again prostrated
to the sage and moved away with the surprise gift.

Fifteen minutes passed. Everyone had left, having a darshan. AcharyaL came
to his room and sat. He called Ramu near.

"Why Ramu, you did not ask me the reason for my honouring the boy in a
special way?"

Ramu hesitated and said, "How can I ask Periyavaa about such things? I am
here only to carry out your orders."

"Alright, you don't have to ask me! I shall tell you the reason myself."

Swamiji spoke: "This incident happened many years back. Our maTham at that
time was finding it a little difficult to make ends meet. I decided to
undertake a yAtra to the north Indian regions with my retinue. We started at
an auspicious time. I came to the entrance of the maTham. There was a small
grocery shop opposite the maTham. It belonged to a Chettiar. The maTham had
an account for buying groceries from that shop.

"As he saw me at the maTham entrance, Chettiar came running. He prostrated,
tying his upper vastram around his waist. I thought that he had come to
offer his respect knowing that I was about to go on a yAtra.

"'What ChettiarvaL, you are fine? How does your groceries business go?' I
inquired him.

"He closed his mouth and replied meekly, 'Somewhat alright, Swami, but the
going is really difficult. I heard that Swami is going on a yAtra north and
would return only after five or six months.'

"I told him, 'That's right, ChettiarvaL... might take five or six months to
return.' He took his time thinking something, hesitated much and then said,
'It is not that Swami. The maTham has an account with our shop, as Swami
knows. There is a balance amount for the four to five months goods supplied
that remains to be paid. I too find it difficult, with four months' rent
for this shop in arrears. I am just submitting my problems to you. You
finish your yAtra and come back.' As he said it, Chettiar again prostrated.

"I said, 'ChettiarvaL! Immediately after coming back from the yAtra, I shall
arrange to clear your dues.' and started on my yAtra.

"When I came back finishing the six months yAtra and looked opposite the
maTham, the Chettiar's shop was locked. Later when I inquired, I was told
that the Chettiar had attained kAla gati three months back suddenly, when he
was out of station. Nothing was known about the whereabouts of his
relatives! I later inquired about the amount of dues to the Chettiar's shop.
It was a sum of eight hundred and seventy five and three-quarters of rupees.
I settled the debt with the principal and interest only today! You
understand what I am saying? The boy I honoured today was none other than
the paternal grandson of the Chettiar. What was due to the grandfather has
been settled with the grandson, with principal and interest. No worry
henceforth!" Swamiji finished.

Ramu was wonderstruck as he heard the tale. In the meantime another
assistant boy came that side. Ramu took leave of the sage and rushed to the
entrance of the maTham.

The twenty year boy was standing there with the blessed bamboo plate on his
hands. Ramu was very happy to see him and tactfully inquired about the
matter.

The boy said, "Yes, I learnt from my grandmother and father that my
grandfather had a grocery shop opposite the maTham a long time ago. I heard
that his relatives came to settle in Krishnagiri after the sudden demise of
my grandfather, closing down the shop due to mounting debts.

"Now my father is running a grocer shop there. I came here touring with my
friends from my place. I don't understand why Periyavanga did all these to
me. It is very surprising!"

Ramu was speechless as he understood the foresight of his walking God. He
went inside the maTham, wondering about what he saw and heard. It was around
seven in the evening. AcharyaL was sitting alone in his room.

He saw Ramu and smiled meaningfully. Ramu did not understand. AcharyaL
called him near and said, "You had a doubt about the authenticity of what I
told you. So you got it confirmed from the Chettiar's grandson at the maTham
entrance!" Paramacharya laughed loudly.

Ramu sought his pardon, weeping and saying that he did it out of curiosity
only. Paramacharya blessed him with a raised hand, still smiling.

Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)

Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Oct 21, 2006

Glossary

Besh, besh - an ex-pression of appreciation, popular in the Brahmin
community.

da - a singular Tamil form used with males, to show affection and liberty.

kAla gati - expiry of time, death

Periyavanga - a form of addressing Paramacharya, generally used by people
who are not Brahmins. (Brahmins use the term Periyavaa)

purna phalam - a coconut which is not shorn from its case.

vastram - cloth

yAtra – pilgrimage

knr

--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.

 Every moment, thank God