Post by anusham163 on Jul 26, 2014 23:23:38 GMT 5.5
A DAY WITH THE LIGHT.
Part 16.
The way He reaches for the flower baskets bending His flexible body, the way He pulls the saffron robe up with His left wrist when it slips from His head also look so divine.
The screen is closed again. A little later, we can hear the ringing noise of the Puja bell. That indicates that Gurunathan Himself is doing the Nivedhanam accompanied by the ringing of the bell.
In the Sri Matam, the items for ‘Neyvedhyam’ include cooked rice (அன்னம்), Payasam, sweets, in addition to Sambar, Rasam, Curry, Koottu etc.
Periava is very strict that all items should be full to the brim. If found less, He will be obstinate without doing the Neyvedhyam till the shortage is prepared and brought! If Payasam is found short, He will pour water and make it up ! He has trained the attendants thoroughly by being strict. Later He will say, “We have made Chandramouleeswarar sit for the food and made Him wait” or “ Today the Payasam for Gangadharan is ‘Ganga Bhavani” and thus make the attendants realize their mistakes without being angry! The Tamil sentence written by Sri Ra. Ga. Is so poetic----உக்கிரமில்லாமலே சொல்லி, உக்கிராணத்தவரை வழிக்குக் கொண்டு வந்திருப்பதும் உண்டு.
Is not the Puja and Neyvedhyam done with the firm belief that like us human beings, Devathas also consume food?
Another aspect in this is that He never does Neyvedhyam when the cooked items are piping hot! He will wait for the items to cool down to the eatable level of hotness. He will hasten the cooling process by fanning them.
An expert in Sastras once submitted to Periava, with utmost politeness, an opposite view on this. Devas do not eat the apparent (food) items but only the steam emanating from them. Therefore, items of Neyvedhyam should be offered to Devathas steaming hot; that is what the Sastras say. He submitted this to Periava with proof from the Sastras. After this he said, “there is nothing that Periava does not know; if I am at fault, Periava should pardon me!”
“there is absolutely no fault”---was what Periava replied, with a smiling face
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(What was Periava’s explanation for this? We will see in the next post.)
TO BE CONTINUED………