Post by saidevo on Sept 28, 2012 7:50:06 GMT 5.5
Pages 149-153
Srivatsa Somadeva Sarma who was somehow left inside the curtain with PeriyavaaL one day during the time of decoration, would say: PeriyavaaL did not know that Sarma was there inside. He was so immersed in his task of decoration with a singular mind.
Sarma, who was witnessing PeriyavaaL at his task, said that he felt surprised, happy and also had some irrecognizable fear. PeriyavaaL would do the decorations in one way, look at the puja bimbams (image) and chuckle. Sometimes, after looking this way at the images, he would change the earlier decoration and do it differently. He would finally nod his head with satisfaction when everything was done well.
Sarma's surprise, happiness and fear was all due to his understanding that SriCharaNar did all those things in a dialogue with his Mother and Father.
Sarma said that later when he broached this subject to PeriyavaaL himself, PeriyavaaL told him with pretended anger, "Who allowed you inside? Mind your business", and put an end to it!
A bhaktA asked him anxiously if his lotus hands will not pain by such time-consuming and elaborate alaNkAra jOTanai (decoration and adorning).
Sporting a lovely smile, SriCharaNar said, "What for is this hand then?" and then sang a line from Thyagaraja:
'chetulaara shrungaaramu chesi chootunu'
'I would have darshan of you after decorating you with my own hands.'--is the meaning.
On another occasion, Periyavaa is said to have expressed:
"Since you all have kept me aloft as maThAdhipati, you people do everything without showing anything to my eyes. At least let me do this alaNkAram giving some labour to my body! Is not 'kAryam' (task) is one done specifically with the karam (hand)? Let one such thing be for me too."
It is a fact that all the tasks for him are done by the pAriSadas (attendant). Nevertheless, he would (sometimes) himself draw water from the well (for his washing requirements). The onlooker's mind would be unhappy if the bhagavAn should do it when an assistant is waiting on him. At the same time, it would be lovely to watch him do it deftly and effortlessly, without any mess that would be typical of one who never does such things.
(He talked about the kAryam of the karam. But then who could match him for the task that he did with the leg, the 'Nataraja bus service' (walking)? Whatever his age, how many miles he would have walked majestically?)
Many people have mentioned that when SriCharaNar performs puja, the one who is done puja to and the one who does it would merge. But then our Gurunathan who does abhyAsa (practice) of other states in addition, even while being in nirvikalpa samAdhi, would also be an Adarsha bhakta (perfect devotee), remaining separate while at the same time merged with the deity that is done puja to. We should say something here that is not known to many people.
It is known to many that as a thirteen year old bAlakan (boy) with not adequate training in the Shastric ways he accepted the pIThAdhipatyam (position of a pontiff). Thereafter, due to his wonderful sharaNAgati (surrender of the self) and the aparimita anugraha (limitless favours) of AmbaaL and AcharyAL, he became very soon a Shastrachara Chakravarti as well as a jnAnAbhUtimAn (self-realized) past the Shastras. Nevertheless, he has been keeping his great experiences hidden within himself. Even in the later days when he was crowned as the king of Jnanis, he conversed with people grouping himself with the AjnAnis (nescient). From such a man on rare occasions, his inner anubhUti (experiences) would separate and come out.
One such thing happened when the SriMaTham pUjaka (priest) who was a Mahavidvan himself taught the puja vidhis (rules, formulae) to him during his thirteenth year of life. The Vidvan told the bAla yati (young ascetic), "It is mentioned that when the arcanA (worship) is done, it should be done with the abheda dRSTi (undivided sight) in the bhAva (state) of tvam vA ahamasmi. (That is, it is mentioned that the arcanA should be done with the advaita view that the deity worshipped and the worshipper are one and the same.) The milky white face of the bAla yati blossomed like a full moon in a mandahAsa smile and in the flame of his eyes. With gaMbhIra (majesty) rippling in that sweetness, he asked: "Should that be only when the arcanA is done? Amazed, the Vidvan prostrated to him.
In what Sri VidhyaraNya has said as 'there are three kinds of brahma jnAnis. Those who are always in the samAdhi state, insensitive to external stimuli; those who are always in jnAna vicAram (self inquiry) remaining in the state of vivekis (wise men) and those who are in the practical world of vyavahAra (external activities)', Sri Maha PeriyavaaL is one who even as he does all his sport in the vyavahAra lokam remains with his brahma jnAnam unaffected and undissolved. In this vyavAhara, he did the puja rituals in the same way that he did all other things--according to the Shastras.
He would do the arcanA ensuring that every bilva patram (leaf of the bilva tree) and thumbai flower that he picks up is in its complete form as ordained in the Shastras. While briskly doing the arcanA, with a sUkSma shaki (subtle power)--similar to the sixth sense of the English language--he would throw away a flower that has the slightest dosha (defect) and pick up another, without getting the rhythm (of movements and the mantra) disturbed.
Srivatsa Somadeva Sarma who was somehow left inside the curtain with PeriyavaaL one day during the time of decoration, would say: PeriyavaaL did not know that Sarma was there inside. He was so immersed in his task of decoration with a singular mind.
Sarma, who was witnessing PeriyavaaL at his task, said that he felt surprised, happy and also had some irrecognizable fear. PeriyavaaL would do the decorations in one way, look at the puja bimbams (image) and chuckle. Sometimes, after looking this way at the images, he would change the earlier decoration and do it differently. He would finally nod his head with satisfaction when everything was done well.
Sarma's surprise, happiness and fear was all due to his understanding that SriCharaNar did all those things in a dialogue with his Mother and Father.
Sarma said that later when he broached this subject to PeriyavaaL himself, PeriyavaaL told him with pretended anger, "Who allowed you inside? Mind your business", and put an end to it!
A bhaktA asked him anxiously if his lotus hands will not pain by such time-consuming and elaborate alaNkAra jOTanai (decoration and adorning).
Sporting a lovely smile, SriCharaNar said, "What for is this hand then?" and then sang a line from Thyagaraja:
'chetulaara shrungaaramu chesi chootunu'
'I would have darshan of you after decorating you with my own hands.'--is the meaning.
On another occasion, Periyavaa is said to have expressed:
"Since you all have kept me aloft as maThAdhipati, you people do everything without showing anything to my eyes. At least let me do this alaNkAram giving some labour to my body! Is not 'kAryam' (task) is one done specifically with the karam (hand)? Let one such thing be for me too."
It is a fact that all the tasks for him are done by the pAriSadas (attendant). Nevertheless, he would (sometimes) himself draw water from the well (for his washing requirements). The onlooker's mind would be unhappy if the bhagavAn should do it when an assistant is waiting on him. At the same time, it would be lovely to watch him do it deftly and effortlessly, without any mess that would be typical of one who never does such things.
(He talked about the kAryam of the karam. But then who could match him for the task that he did with the leg, the 'Nataraja bus service' (walking)? Whatever his age, how many miles he would have walked majestically?)
Many people have mentioned that when SriCharaNar performs puja, the one who is done puja to and the one who does it would merge. But then our Gurunathan who does abhyAsa (practice) of other states in addition, even while being in nirvikalpa samAdhi, would also be an Adarsha bhakta (perfect devotee), remaining separate while at the same time merged with the deity that is done puja to. We should say something here that is not known to many people.
It is known to many that as a thirteen year old bAlakan (boy) with not adequate training in the Shastric ways he accepted the pIThAdhipatyam (position of a pontiff). Thereafter, due to his wonderful sharaNAgati (surrender of the self) and the aparimita anugraha (limitless favours) of AmbaaL and AcharyAL, he became very soon a Shastrachara Chakravarti as well as a jnAnAbhUtimAn (self-realized) past the Shastras. Nevertheless, he has been keeping his great experiences hidden within himself. Even in the later days when he was crowned as the king of Jnanis, he conversed with people grouping himself with the AjnAnis (nescient). From such a man on rare occasions, his inner anubhUti (experiences) would separate and come out.
One such thing happened when the SriMaTham pUjaka (priest) who was a Mahavidvan himself taught the puja vidhis (rules, formulae) to him during his thirteenth year of life. The Vidvan told the bAla yati (young ascetic), "It is mentioned that when the arcanA (worship) is done, it should be done with the abheda dRSTi (undivided sight) in the bhAva (state) of tvam vA ahamasmi. (That is, it is mentioned that the arcanA should be done with the advaita view that the deity worshipped and the worshipper are one and the same.) The milky white face of the bAla yati blossomed like a full moon in a mandahAsa smile and in the flame of his eyes. With gaMbhIra (majesty) rippling in that sweetness, he asked: "Should that be only when the arcanA is done? Amazed, the Vidvan prostrated to him.
In what Sri VidhyaraNya has said as 'there are three kinds of brahma jnAnis. Those who are always in the samAdhi state, insensitive to external stimuli; those who are always in jnAna vicAram (self inquiry) remaining in the state of vivekis (wise men) and those who are in the practical world of vyavahAra (external activities)', Sri Maha PeriyavaaL is one who even as he does all his sport in the vyavahAra lokam remains with his brahma jnAnam unaffected and undissolved. In this vyavAhara, he did the puja rituals in the same way that he did all other things--according to the Shastras.
He would do the arcanA ensuring that every bilva patram (leaf of the bilva tree) and thumbai flower that he picks up is in its complete form as ordained in the Shastras. While briskly doing the arcanA, with a sUkSma shaki (subtle power)--similar to the sixth sense of the English language--he would throw away a flower that has the slightest dosha (defect) and pick up another, without getting the rhythm (of movements and the mantra) disturbed.