SithamalliOnMyMind06

 

 Sakthi Vikatan  13 Oct, 2015

 

 

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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.