House of Seshadri swamigal - Periyavaa

From Sri Mahaperiyava Charanam Group.

Today is the Jayanthi of Mahan Sri Seshadri Swamigal.

Sri Maha Periyava, Ramana Maharshi and Seshadri Swamigal- The Saintly Trinity of Last Century

The two famous temple towns, Kanchipuram and Tiruvannamalai, have been enriched and glorified by the association of three of the many saints who blessed this land in the last century. The passage below brings out the connection between the trinity of Saints and Sri Maha Periyava's proverbial Greatness of Humility. 

As Kanchi is associated with Sri Maha Periyava, Tiruvannamalai takes one to Ramana Maharshi and Seshadri Swamigal. Seshadri Swamigal linked both the towns and the saints. Seshadri Swamigal, well known as the "Saint with a golden hand", was born in Kanchi and lived in Tiruvannamalai till Jan 4th, 1929. Anusham was the star of birth and siddhi for Sri Maha Periyava and Hastham was the star of birth and siddhi for Seshadri Swamigal! 

In the town of Tiruvannamalai, Ramana was stoned and teased by kids. Ramana sought refuge in an underground site in Pathalalinga cave in the temple where, he was in a trance and was festering with sores from insectbites. Seshadri Swamigal helped in bringing him out, nursed him like a mother and pronounced to the world his greatness. People used to call Seshadri Swamigal, the older by ten years as the 'elder Seshadri' (Anna) and Sri Ramana as the 'younger Seshadri' (Thambi).They used to refer Sri Seshadri as Mother Parvathi, Sri Ramana as Skanda (Lord Subramanya) and with Periyava as Chandramouleeswara, the trinity gets completed! 

Seshadri Swamigal and Ramana Maharshi (Seshadri Swamigal actually arrived at Arunachala, six years earlier than Ramana Maharshi) were contemporaries. Many a time, Ramana spoke Seshadri's words and the latter spoke Ramana's.

Strangely enough, in December 2013, the Aradhana day of Seshadri Swamigal was on the 26th in between 22nd for Ramana Maharshi and 29th for Periyava! Seshadri Swamigal's miracles are many. Vallimalai Swamigal of "Thiruppugazh" fame sought and was blessed by Seshadri Swamigal on the advice of Ramana Maharshi who ordered him to go down the Hill and look for Seshadri Swamigal to be his mentor!] 

Here is an excerpt from Sri Sri Maha Periyava:

Sri.Bharanidharan: I was writing 'Arunachala Magimai' at that time. One day, I said to Maha Periyava that I was unable to locate the house where Sri Seshadri Swamigal lived between 1870 to 1889. Maha Periyava said,"Why don't you take efforts to find the house?" and directed me to various people. The search narrowed down to 2 to 3 houses. It was then I met the old man who built the house where Swamigal lived and he said," When the eldest son was 19 years he ran away from the house". Then, finally, I located Sri.Seshadri Swamigal's house.

Then, when I went to have darshan of Maha Periyava who was at Kollavar Chatram, I briefed Him on the developments. He said, "Shall we buy the house, much like 'Sangeetha Mumoorthigals' houses have been bought in Thiruvaroor?". We formed a committee, collected money, the house was bought and named as 'Sri Kamakoti Seshadri Swamigal Nivasam'. Maha Periyava then asked for a portrait of Seshadri Swamigal to be kept in the house and Moovalur Gopala Dheekshitar was asked to shift his residence there and do Agni hotram and Ishti homam. Then, under instructions of Maha Periyava, the Aradhana of Swamigal was started in Margazhi Navami.

One day, Maha Periyava drew a plan on the sand at Sivasthanam, Thenambakkam, on how to build a mandap at Swamigal's residence. A trust was formed with Nalli Kuppusamy Chetty, 'Sangupani' Sivaraj Mudaliyar, K.R.Visvanathan and I was also a part of it. In 1985, Seshadri Jayanthi was also started in Thai Hastham, again under His instructions.

On Jan 21st,1987 (Thai Hastham) I went to the Mutt to receive Maha Periyava's blessings for the celebrations to go off well and casually mentioned about Unjavrithi that I witnessed at Tiruvaiyaru just a couple of days back, during Thiyagaraja Aradhana. Maha Periyava said," Start Unjavrithi in Seshadri Swamigal Jayanthi too". I said, "Okay, will plan for the next year" "Why next year? Start now". I said,"I do not know anything about Unjavrithi". Maha Periyava showed an old man standing nearby and said, "Ivarukku thalaipagai kattu. Sombu onnu tholla (shoulder) pottuko, and as you go on the street the ladies will put rice in the sombu, collect it and come back. That's all Unjavrithi is all about. 'Bhajanai?'. 'No need for professionals, just the two of you would be enough. 'What to sing?'. Maha Periyava thought for a moment, started putting taalam and began to sing 'Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Kamakshi, Jaya Jaya jaya Jaya Kamakoti, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Seshadri'. Just repeat this". The next year, Papanaasam Sri Kunjumani Bhagavathar joined us.

One day, when we were talking about the registration of Seshadri Swamigal's house, Maha Periyava asked me,"How many Seshadri's are involved in this?". I said, "four".Maha Periyava said,"five" –" first Seshadri Swamigal, then your friend who is with us now, the advocate who verified the documents, the clerk in the register office and, of course, your father!!".

Yet another day when I went to Thenambakkam, Maha Periyava sat like Seshadri Swamigal, with legs folded in the same way and his left hand palm holding the chin and asked,"Is this not how He is sitting?". I could not make out any difference between the two of them and tears welled up in my eyes.

It was some time later that Maha Periyava spoke those immortal words, "Will I ever become like Seshadri Swamigal?, Will I attain that level?" If Sri Maha Periyava whom all of us know as Sakshath Parameswaran said this of Seshadri Swamigal, at what level He must have been? Brahamananda nilai !!