Promises Made Should Be Kept At Any Cost

 Experiences with Maha Periyava: Promises Made Should Be Kept At Any Cost

There were a number of shops such as a flower shop, a medical shop and others doing brisk business in front of Kanchi Matham many years back. The bank officials of Indian Bank had a desire to open a branch there and take care of the administration of the revenue and expenses of the Matham. They expressed their wish to the Matham officials and got the approval.

The conditions from the Matham was such that the bank should construct their own building in front of the Matham. And whatever shops were required to be vacated for this purpose, alternate places were compulsorily to be given to the shopkeepers. The conditions were implemented, and the Bank branch was opened.

Two years later, a dampati (husband and wife) came and stood before Sri Maha Periyava and said, "Today is our wedding day. Maha Periyava should bless us." They prostrated to him.

Periyava recognised them. "You are the medical shop Mudaliar?"

"Yes."

"You father suffered much before he died?"

"Yes."

After inquiring about their welfare, the sage asked the next question. "Where are you keeping your shop now?" No immediate reply to this question came.

"We are yet to set up a shop; we are on the lookout for a suitable place."

"Why? Did they not provide you with an alternate place when you vacated from the Matham premises?"

Mudaliar just dragged on. "About that..."

The Mahaan immediately understood that something had gone wrong. Ganesa iyer, the Manager of the Matham was brought to Him. In a leisurely tone the sage conducted the inquiry.

"As much as possible we had provided alternate places to everyone." The Manager said in a low voice.

"Seems no place had been given to the medical shop Mudaliar. Says he is on the lookout for a suitable place. Why was there no place to give to him?"

Ganesa iyer dragged on. "No, but we discussed things with him and decided..."

Thereafter, Periyava did not talk with anyone that whole day. He seemed to be in serious contemplation.

The decision he reached and announced created a bustle and also made people rapturous.

The news that the medical shop Mudaliar was not given an alternate place had put Sri Maha Periyava in a lot of sankatam (embarrassment). Was it not a transgression to go back on a promise?

Maha Periyava had already sent the Mudaliar away after getting the address of his residence. Only then he called for the Manager and inquired with him. There was ample space at the back of the Matham also facing the road. If a wall of the Matham was removed, they would have space three times in size of what the Mudaliar had earlier, and this space was allotted to him before that evening! The construction work was entrusted to an engineer devotee who had come on that day for darshan. Within three months, the shop was built and the Mudaliar had set up and opened his shop for business.

Sri Maha Periyava was very strict that promises made by them should be kept at any cost. There were no bounds to the happiness of the medical shop Mudaliar after this incident!

Author: Raa. Venkatasamy (in Tamil)

Compiled by Jagadguru Sri Maha Periyava - Kanchi Paramacharya/Fb