Post by Sumi on Jan 9, 2012 14:27:08 GMT 5.5
Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Jan 03, 2007
Many years before, when Kanchi Maha Periyavar had undertaken a tour of
the southern parts of Tamilnadu. After visiting Thanjavur, Trichy,
Tiruvanaikkaval, Srirangam, Dindigul and Cholavandan, he was traveling
towards Madurai with his entourage.
The village folk residing on his path had his darshan and blessings,
calling on him in large numbers, with their children. He blessed them
all with a smiling face and walked, giving them fruits and sugar
lumps.
It was time to approach the great city of Madurai. The people of a
village on the way welcomed him with the honour of Purna Kumbham.
SwamigaL was singularly happy about the devotion and zeal of those
villagers. He went and sat on the roots of a peepul tree on the
roadside. All of them prostrated to him on the ground.
The panchayat head of that village prostrated to the sage with intense
devotion. Then he said, "We pray for one thing to Periyavanga. We the
poor people have come together and completed the construction of a new
Pullaiyar temple nearby. We pray that Sami's feet should touch the
temple precincts; should take mercy on us!"
AcharyaL got up enthusiastically and asked, "Where is this temple?"
The panchayat head replied, "Here, only at a calling distance. Should
come and give your blessings!"
SwamigaL walked towards the Pillaiyar temple very briskly. He entered
the temple with the honour of divine music and Purna Kumbham. Vinayaka
was sitting inside the sanctum in the form of a six feet statue. The
idol looked bright and mighty. Periyavaa looked at Vinayaka for
sometime without taking his eyes off, and asked the panchayat head if
the kumbhAbhiSekam of the temple was over.
"Not yet, Sami," said the headman.
SwamigaL asked, "Since everything has been completed, why was not the
kumbhAbhiSekam done yet?"
The panchayat head replied politely: "Everything has been completed,
Sami. Mahatama Gandhi is said to come this way within a month. Some
notables of Madurai has promised us to conduct the kumbhAbhiSekam on
the day he comes this side, in his presence. This is the reason: we
are waiting for Gandhiji."
AcharyaL smiled to himself. He looked intensely at Vinayaka for two
minutes and then said: "It seems to me that there is no necessity for
that! Ganapathi is already staring with his eyes well open. Should not
delay the kumbhAbhiSekam any longer. Fix an auspicious day and conduct
it."
The panchayat head said, "No, Sami! The eye-opening ritual has not yet
taken place to Vinayaka, Sami! We can't understand anything, if you
are advising us this way..." He was confused.
SwamigaL smiled again and said, "I am not telling this myself!
Ganapathi is staring, well and clearly, with his eyes open. Make
arrangements for an early kumbhAbhiSekam! If Gandhi comes, let him
have a good darshan!" The people around couldn't understand anything.
They were waiting patiently.
The panchayat head could not get over his confusion. He sent word for
the sthapati who sculptured the Vinayaka statue. The words of AcharyaL
were apprised to him.
The sculptor was also firm in his conviction: "No, Swami... The eyes
are not yet opened for Vinayaka. Is it not that only I who carved the
statue should also open its eyes? It is not yet done."
The sculptor fell at AcharyaL's feet three times and stood with his
hands folded to his chest.
Looking again at the statue firmly, AcharyaL said, "The eyes of Maha
Ganapathi have well been opened! He is staring happily. It is not good
to delay further. Fix an auspicious day early and conduct the
kumbhAbhiSekam. Prosperity will follow."
With these words, AcharyaL started moving hurriedly from that place.
The entourage followed. All the people went up to the village border
and bade farewell to AcharyaL.
The village panchayat assembled within minutes after the incident. The
words of AcharyaL were discussed in depth.
The sculptor who was of a slightly advanced age told firmly:
"Because of his prevision everything would be intelligible Acharya
SwamigaL. Still, I have not opened the eyes with my hand. Don't know
how Sami says that. I went to the statue and checked thoroughly. It
does not seem to have happened that way. What to do now?"
Silence prevailed there. No one opened his mouth. Suddenly a boy of
apparently twelve years of age came running to the meeting. He folded
his eyes on his chest and stood.
The headman asked him politely, "Thambi! why do you come running so
hurriedly? What is the matter?"
The boy replied, "Thalaivare! I know something about the temple's
Vinayaka statue. Shall I tell it here?"
The headman was interested: "What do you know, come on say it
brother!" The crowd was looking keenly at the boy.
The boy started talking: "Ayya headman! I am telling the fact known to
me with a promise that it is true. That Samiyar Sami's words that the
eyes of Pullaiyar have been opened is only true! If you ask me how--it
was the time of peak sunshine some ten days before. The grandfather
who is sitting here, the man who carved the Pullaiyar statue--his
grandson and I are friends. You know what he did? He suddenly took up
the chisel and hammer that his grandfather had kept specially for
opening statues' eyes, and brought us to the temple.
"Saying 'Hey, look! My grandfather would open statues' eyes only this
way!', he worked on the eyes of Pulliayar, chanting, 'O Pullaiyar,
open your eyes!' and making us chant those words. When he finished,
all of us boys jumped and danced saying 'Yea, Pulliayar's eyes have
been opened!" No one in this village knew of this matter. We too did
not breath a word out anywhere! This is what happened, please pardon
us!"
The crowd was sitting amazed. Tears issued from the eyes of the
panchayat head. The village wondered about the greatness of AcharyaL.
The sculptor's grandson was hardly eight years old. The panchayat
brought him to the assembly and made inquiries. He admitted to having
opened the eyes of Vinayaka. All of them ran to the temple and
prostrated to Vinayaka. The sculptor examined Ganapathi's eyes well
with the help of a lens.
Everyone wondered at the very beautiful manner in which netronmeelan
(opening of eyes) had been done.
The whole village ran in the direction AcharyaL had left. SwamigaL was
relaxing in the shadow of a big banyan tree on the roadside of the
next village, with his entourage.
All of them ran to him and fell at his feet. The panchayat head and
sculptor started sobbing.
That Parabrahmam looked at these people and asked smilingly: "Now that
you have verified and known that the eyes of Pullaiyar are open, go
and complete the kumbhAbhiSekam early. The whole region will have
prosperity."
That walking God blessed them smilingly, with a raised hand.
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Jan 03, 2007
Many years before, when Kanchi Maha Periyavar had undertaken a tour of
the southern parts of Tamilnadu. After visiting Thanjavur, Trichy,
Tiruvanaikkaval, Srirangam, Dindigul and Cholavandan, he was traveling
towards Madurai with his entourage.
The village folk residing on his path had his darshan and blessings,
calling on him in large numbers, with their children. He blessed them
all with a smiling face and walked, giving them fruits and sugar
lumps.
It was time to approach the great city of Madurai. The people of a
village on the way welcomed him with the honour of Purna Kumbham.
SwamigaL was singularly happy about the devotion and zeal of those
villagers. He went and sat on the roots of a peepul tree on the
roadside. All of them prostrated to him on the ground.
The panchayat head of that village prostrated to the sage with intense
devotion. Then he said, "We pray for one thing to Periyavanga. We the
poor people have come together and completed the construction of a new
Pullaiyar temple nearby. We pray that Sami's feet should touch the
temple precincts; should take mercy on us!"
AcharyaL got up enthusiastically and asked, "Where is this temple?"
The panchayat head replied, "Here, only at a calling distance. Should
come and give your blessings!"
SwamigaL walked towards the Pillaiyar temple very briskly. He entered
the temple with the honour of divine music and Purna Kumbham. Vinayaka
was sitting inside the sanctum in the form of a six feet statue. The
idol looked bright and mighty. Periyavaa looked at Vinayaka for
sometime without taking his eyes off, and asked the panchayat head if
the kumbhAbhiSekam of the temple was over.
"Not yet, Sami," said the headman.
SwamigaL asked, "Since everything has been completed, why was not the
kumbhAbhiSekam done yet?"
The panchayat head replied politely: "Everything has been completed,
Sami. Mahatama Gandhi is said to come this way within a month. Some
notables of Madurai has promised us to conduct the kumbhAbhiSekam on
the day he comes this side, in his presence. This is the reason: we
are waiting for Gandhiji."
AcharyaL smiled to himself. He looked intensely at Vinayaka for two
minutes and then said: "It seems to me that there is no necessity for
that! Ganapathi is already staring with his eyes well open. Should not
delay the kumbhAbhiSekam any longer. Fix an auspicious day and conduct
it."
The panchayat head said, "No, Sami! The eye-opening ritual has not yet
taken place to Vinayaka, Sami! We can't understand anything, if you
are advising us this way..." He was confused.
SwamigaL smiled again and said, "I am not telling this myself!
Ganapathi is staring, well and clearly, with his eyes open. Make
arrangements for an early kumbhAbhiSekam! If Gandhi comes, let him
have a good darshan!" The people around couldn't understand anything.
They were waiting patiently.
The panchayat head could not get over his confusion. He sent word for
the sthapati who sculptured the Vinayaka statue. The words of AcharyaL
were apprised to him.
The sculptor was also firm in his conviction: "No, Swami... The eyes
are not yet opened for Vinayaka. Is it not that only I who carved the
statue should also open its eyes? It is not yet done."
The sculptor fell at AcharyaL's feet three times and stood with his
hands folded to his chest.
Looking again at the statue firmly, AcharyaL said, "The eyes of Maha
Ganapathi have well been opened! He is staring happily. It is not good
to delay further. Fix an auspicious day early and conduct the
kumbhAbhiSekam. Prosperity will follow."
With these words, AcharyaL started moving hurriedly from that place.
The entourage followed. All the people went up to the village border
and bade farewell to AcharyaL.
The village panchayat assembled within minutes after the incident. The
words of AcharyaL were discussed in depth.
The sculptor who was of a slightly advanced age told firmly:
"Because of his prevision everything would be intelligible Acharya
SwamigaL. Still, I have not opened the eyes with my hand. Don't know
how Sami says that. I went to the statue and checked thoroughly. It
does not seem to have happened that way. What to do now?"
Silence prevailed there. No one opened his mouth. Suddenly a boy of
apparently twelve years of age came running to the meeting. He folded
his eyes on his chest and stood.
The headman asked him politely, "Thambi! why do you come running so
hurriedly? What is the matter?"
The boy replied, "Thalaivare! I know something about the temple's
Vinayaka statue. Shall I tell it here?"
The headman was interested: "What do you know, come on say it
brother!" The crowd was looking keenly at the boy.
The boy started talking: "Ayya headman! I am telling the fact known to
me with a promise that it is true. That Samiyar Sami's words that the
eyes of Pullaiyar have been opened is only true! If you ask me how--it
was the time of peak sunshine some ten days before. The grandfather
who is sitting here, the man who carved the Pullaiyar statue--his
grandson and I are friends. You know what he did? He suddenly took up
the chisel and hammer that his grandfather had kept specially for
opening statues' eyes, and brought us to the temple.
"Saying 'Hey, look! My grandfather would open statues' eyes only this
way!', he worked on the eyes of Pulliayar, chanting, 'O Pullaiyar,
open your eyes!' and making us chant those words. When he finished,
all of us boys jumped and danced saying 'Yea, Pulliayar's eyes have
been opened!" No one in this village knew of this matter. We too did
not breath a word out anywhere! This is what happened, please pardon
us!"
The crowd was sitting amazed. Tears issued from the eyes of the
panchayat head. The village wondered about the greatness of AcharyaL.
The sculptor's grandson was hardly eight years old. The panchayat
brought him to the assembly and made inquiries. He admitted to having
opened the eyes of Vinayaka. All of them ran to the temple and
prostrated to Vinayaka. The sculptor examined Ganapathi's eyes well
with the help of a lens.
Everyone wondered at the very beautiful manner in which netronmeelan
(opening of eyes) had been done.
The whole village ran in the direction AcharyaL had left. SwamigaL was
relaxing in the shadow of a big banyan tree on the roadside of the
next village, with his entourage.
All of them ran to him and fell at his feet. The panchayat head and
sculptor started sobbing.
That Parabrahmam looked at these people and asked smilingly: "Now that
you have verified and known that the eyes of Pullaiyar are open, go
and complete the kumbhAbhiSekam early. The whole region will have
prosperity."
That walking God blessed them smilingly, with a raised hand.