Maha Periyava

 Experiences with Maha Periyava: Karanam Kaaranam Karta!!!

Sri Matham Balu Mama had limitless Bhakti and devotion to the boundless compassionate Sri Maha Periyava. He had the fortune of serving and being close to Him for 50 years. He is the true witness to the divine leelas of Sri Maha Periyava. Here is one of the leelas he experienced. 

This was during a time when Kanchi Mahan was living at Kalavai. Balu Mama’s father’s annual ceremony was due to be held. He wanted to perform the ceremony with his brother in Chennai and asked for permission to go the previous day itself. But he was not given permission to go the day before. The next morning, he again asked Periyava for permission. Periyava was searching here and there and finally gave a lemon to Balu Mama and said “Go safely and come” and gave him permission.

After receiving Periyava’s prasadam, Balu Mama ran to the bus stop immediately thinking “What was the relation between the lemon and the ceremony?” Why did He search and give this to me? Thinking so, he was confused in his mind and went and sat in the bus which was ready to leave. The bus was delayed by 5-10 minutes and the driver did not start the bus. Anxious Balu Mama went to the driver and explained his urgency to him and asked the reason for the delay in starting the bus.

The driver said that since he was starting the bus for first time in the morning, he was waiting to place a lemon before the tyres and then start the bus. But the shop was not open yet and he was waiting to get the lemon from the shop. Now he understood the value of Mahan’s prasadam! Was this the relation between the lemon and the ceremony! His eyes welled with tears and he understood that every action of the Mahan had meaning. He took out the lemon from the bag and gave it to the driver and asked him to start the bus. The driver was happy to see and hear the details and praised Kanchi Mahan and started the bus. Periyava is ‘Karanam Kaaranam Karta’ as mentioned in Vishnu Sahasranamam. If His leelas are not in this manner, how else will it be?

Compiled by Jagadguru Sri Maha Periyava - Kanchi Paramacharya/Fb