SithamalliOnMyMind06
சித்தமெல்லாம்
சித்தமல்லி
- 6!
Sundaranarayanan saw an indistinct figure in the backyard just before
dawn and it rebuked SN sternly, “Are you poised to spit on me?”
Hearing that ephemeral and disembodied voice, SN turned into a
statue out of fright and did not know whether the faint figure was in
real a living, breathing and feeling person or an illusion of his mind.
In a few seconds, mustering courage, SN looked intently at a standing
figure wearing ochre clothes and holding a water-vessel and a staff in
his hands.
With his attentive mind, he understood who it was. Yes, he was the
manifest Rāgavēndira Swāmigaḷ. That moment, he had a tingling sensation.
His recollections about the manifest God came back to him: The midnight
dream-sleep visitor asking for the shelter; the radical change of his
(SN) heart from antitheism to theism; his pursuing of the spiritual
path; SN’s full participation in the temple activities.
At dawn, he arranged to install the thatched roof. He was disheartened
and felt inadequate to build a temple for Perumāḷ and Thāyār. He made a
call to his son in Chennai and told him about his dream and Rāgavēndra’s
instructions to build a temple. He added, “A festival of votive offering
to Perumāḷ on a day in the month of Aippaci (Oct-Nov) and Tiruvōṇa
Nakṣathiram should be conducted.”
Within a few months after the installation of the thatched roof, a
festival of votive offering to Sithamalli Perumāḷ was conducted on
October 23, 2012 with pomp and circumstance. By the grace of Perumal and
Thāyār, many wonderful and auspicious events took place in the lives of
their devotees. Many life problems were solved. The devotees had
contentment in their lives, dedicated themselves to the service of
Perumāḷ and continued to offer their mite in the upkeep and service of
the temple. We will investigate the part played by Perumal in the life
of the devotees with emphasis on His Līlās (Divine Plays). Let us
explore a recent incident in Sithamalli.
Kesavan performs Kaiṅkaryam in the Mantrālayam Srī Rāgavēndirar
Brindavanam. His mother lives in Maraimalai, Chennai. A few weeks ago,
Srī Rāgavēndirar came in her dream and asked her when she was going to
Sithamalli and receive Darśan of Perumāḷ. Waking up in the morning, she
called her son Kesavan, narrated to him her dream and instructed him to
take her to Sithamalli.
Kesavan was exhilarated that the Mahāṉ, he worships every day, appeared
in his mother’s dream and invited her. To fulfill her request, Kesavan
went to Chennai, took his mother and arrived at Sithamalli on the
evening of the 18th.
Nellai devotees joined them and
enjoyed receiving Darśan of Perumal and Thāyār.
After Darśan of Perumāḷ, Kesavan fell prostrate multiple times beside a
wall and paid homage. SN did not understand his devotional gesture.
Asked to explain and responding to his question, Kesavan told SN he saw
a vision of Mahāṉ Srī Rāgavēndirar on the wall and that is why he was
ecstatic in offering his homage to the deity by the wall.
Kesavan said to SN, “In this Kaliyuga, Mahāṉ Srī Rāgavēndirar shines as
Kaṛpaka Tree (Wish-Tree) in your house. You are indeed a lucky man. You
had the blessing and the good fortune to build a temple for Perumāḷ.
That merit are the fruits of Puṇṇiyam of your ancestors. Please do not
delay, perform the sacred service, and immediately the purificatory
ceremony and offer Śuddhi.
Srī Rāgavēndirar will provide for everything. He followed it with
offering Mantrālayam Mahān’s Prasādam to SN.
Answering Kesavan, SN said, “What you said is true. I realized fully
Mahan’s Anugraham and Perumāḷ’s grace in the last three years. Perumāḷ
has performed many marvels in the life of devotees that I know.”
That night, Kesavan remained there, shared many auspicious events with
SN and in the morning had to leave because of prior commitments.
Sundaranarayanan (SN) shared these events with us with great exuberance.
The first event he pointed to us was the establishment of Gōsālai
(Cowshed), a miracle performed by Perumāḷ. Gōsālai
is the priority in the temple. It is the tradition to bring the cow
before the God’s Shrine first thing in the morning for the Darśan of
God’s Viśvarūpam and later Gōpūjā (cow worship). Only in the temples
where the cows are maintained, the divine power is in full
manifestation. Kannadasan,
the king of poets, praising the cows, says
‘The mind of the nonconformist becomes that of conformist: ‘If you (cow)
cross my path, my future is lustrous.’ Kannadasan praises the cow this
way.
Let us explore the miracle of the establishment of Gōsālai. How did this
miracle happen? How many people Perumāḷ used as his instruments?
The mind will tingle.
Images: K. Satishkumar. |