mahaperiyava

 Periyava’s care for plants and cows.

I first saw Periyaval in 18 03 1978.

That was a blessed day, the day when Periyava accepted me as his own. My father Sri T.R.Sundaramurthi(Teacher,Walajapet) had spoken of Periyaval’s greatness many a time. I had gone along with him often for Periyaval’s darsan. It was just a darsan. I felt nothing extraordinary happen  to me. But the darsan I had on the 13^th March drew me to him forever. I was accepted as part of the fortunate group of attendants who served him.

Periyava was then at Sivasthanam. Can you guess what kind of work was allotted to me.? I had to draw up water from the well for the plants and trees.I was also given the sweet task of preparing a thin juice of jiggery and another,of spiced buttermilk plentifully, in huge cauldrons, to quench the thirst of the devotees who thronged the place in large numbers. In those days I was completely ignorant of the traditions and customs of the Sri Matha. Mettur Rajagopala Mama (later Mettur Swamigal), Balu Mama and the others taught me all that.

When Periyaval circumambulated the Sivasthanam Brahmapurisvara temple he would glance at every plant and every creeper  there. He would look at the cows and calves very graciously. In later days I have often thought that these plants, creepers and cattle had such good fortune that they received Periyaval’s attentive look in this manner. In those days, Periyaval would ask me regularly,” What did you do today?” I would tell him all that I did. His answers would hold a wealth of teaching. He would point out my faults without doing so obviously,without hurting  me and would school me out of it into maturity. Every morning by three o’ clock he would start from Sivasthanam and walk on the four mada streets of Sri Varadarajasvami temple in circumambulation. We would accompany him repeatedly chanting the Vishnu Sahasranamam in a soft voice.

From In the presence of the divine

Copyright Sujatha Vijayaraghavan.