Posted by: "Gopal" gopse@yahoo.com gopse
Sun Apr 5, 2009 3:55 pm (PDT)
A young vaidik couple prostrated to Paramacharya and rose in SriMatam,
Kanchipuram.
The young vaidik appeared to be around 25 years, his wife about
twenty.The Acharyal, who was conversing with another bhakta, paused it
and looked up at the dampati. Happiness spread across his face.He said
with enthusiasm, "Are you not Raghunathan, son of Madurai Seshu
Ganapatikal? But then, I should address you in such a way! Because you
have now become Raghunatha SastrigaL! Like your father, you have
become well known in the Madurai region."Paramacharya continued:
"Obviously, this is your AmbadaiyaL. She is the grand-daughter of
Tiruchirapalli Vaidhyanatha Ganapadigal. The only daughter of
Subramanya Vadhyar. Am I right? Last year, your father and
father-in-law both came here with your marriage invitation, to seek
the blessings of Matam. You also came and prostrated, correct?
Alright. Now as dampati you are both cooperative and well?" Swamiji
asked with rightful concern.
Raghunatha Sastri promptly replied, "We are very well Periyavaa, with
your blessings."Swamiji did not accept that. "You have said it, but
your wife doesn't open her mouth!" He laughed as he said this.Gaining
her wits, the young wife replied, "My name is Alamelu, Periyavaa. We
are happy only... happy." Swamiji took note of the thread of sadness
that ran through her acknowledgement."It is not that Amma! Your tone
betrays that you are not all that happy. Come on, tell me
more.""Nothing of that sort, Periyavaa", Alamenu tried to get by."No,
no! Your tone is telling me that you have some sadness. Come on, tell
me what it is."Alamelu said hesitatingly, "Periyavaa, I am a very
God-fearing woman. Have full faith in the shastra and sampradayakah.
Before my marriage, I used to go for pilgrimages with our family,
relatives, and well wishers. It was very much to my liking! I am
married with him for a year now. And we have not gone anywhere
Periyavaa, that is the
cause of my sadness!"
Before she could finish, Swamiji interrupted, "Why...why couldn't you go?"
Alamelu hesitated. "After marriage, I cannot go for pilgrimages on my
own, isn't it so, Periyavaa? Only if the bharta comes along with me,
the fruits of the yAtra will be realized? I asked him twice or thrice,
but he did not come!" She started crying as she narrated her woe.
Acharyal persuaded her, as he understood the situation. "What
Raghunatha SastrigaL, is it proper to let your wife have a drop of
tear in her eyes? After all is she not asking you to observe a holy
routine? tIrthayAtrA and kshetrAdanam. What is the difficulty in going
as she asks you for?" Paramacharya raised his bows.
Young Raghunatha Sastry prostrated to the sage once again and said,
"What she asks for is reasonable, Periyavaa. But then to visit the
northern kshetrAs for at least ten days, and that bimonthly...is it
possible for me Periyavaa?"
"Why don't you try it and fulfil the affectionate wishes of your wife?"
Raghunatha Sastry replied in a poignant voice, "Periyaa knows
everything. I have vaidikam for vritti. My father is also not too
well, so I have to take care of his assignments in addition to mine.
You tell me Periyavaa, how can I go for yAtra once in two months,
leaving aside all my vritti?"
Pamaracharya was silent for sometime. Then he said laughingly, "So you
both have come to me for madhyastha in this matter," and continued:
"What she says is reasonable. She has a taste for going tIrthayAtrA
with bhakti. She also knows that after marriage the fruits of any
yAtra will be available only if accompanied by the husband. What you
say also has reason. Your vritti is vaidikam. You will be busy for all
the thirty days in a month. It would be very very difficult to go on
tIrthayAtrA with wife, once in two months. So, what can be done?""Only
you can tell us a way Periyavaa", the husband and wife said
together.Swamiji sat for sometime, thinking. Everyone was eager to
know what he would suggest as a remedy. After sometime, AcharyaL
started speaking."Alamenu! You are determined to go on tIrthayAtrA
once in two months. You also are familiar with the dharma shastric
rule that the fruits of a yAtra will be realized only if your husband
comes with you.
Since he has vaidikam as his profession, he says it would be very
difficult for him to accompany you. So you do onething..."Before he
could proceed, the couple said, "kindly bless us with a solution
Periyavaa."Sitting a little more uprightly, Swamiji said: "I shall
tell you a way, listen Alamelu! Whenever you start for tIrthayAtrA,
before actually stepping out of home, request your husband to stand
facing east and prostrate to him! What you do, Raghunatha SastrigAL,
place your upper angavastra in the hands of your wife and tell her
that her carrying your cloth is equivalent to your accompanying her,
and bless her for the yAtra. You both will get the punya of having
undertaken the yAtra together. And neither of you will have any
uneasiness of mind. What... happy now?", Swamiji asked them mercifully
and gave them prasAda.The couple were happy with the solution given by
MahaperiyavaaL. With tears of joy, they prostrated to the sage.
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
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