Great Gurus of India - SRI CHANDRASEKARENDRA SARASWATHI

SRI CHANDRASEKARENDRA SARASWATHI

I have been taught by my father, late Sri M. Rajah Iyer, Ex. M.L.C., My father firmly believed in helping the poor and downtrodden, particularly the teaching community. I lost my father in Feb., 1974. Poor people thronged to pay a homage to this man irrespective of their community in a small place like Ramnad. I decided to uphold his ideals. At that time I still had two of my sisters to be married. All my attempts to find a match to my sister, Rejeswari, failed due to various reasons. Someone told me that Kanchi Paramacharya is a living God and His blessings will certainly have a positive issue. I went to Kanchi on Friday, the 4th July’75 and we reached Kalavai at 5 p.m. in the evening. I was ignorant of the attire to be worn and hence a long sideburns, log hair, dark moustache and a jazzy reached the gates, near the Kalavai tank. A disciple specially told me and my wife alone to go over to the other side of the tank where Paramacharya might come to worship His Guru. I went over there as directed and founded only one old Sumangali lady with a very big mark on hear forehead.

I saw Periyaval coming suddenly there along with three disciples and he prayed for a few minutes in front of his Guru’s Samadhi. Then he looked at me. I got a feeling which can never be described in mere words. The next round and again he looked at me. When he was just passing me, one of the disciples asked me to tell who I was. Next round and I had all the courage to shout to Periyaval, “I am son of Sri M. Rajah Iyer, Ramnad.” That is all.

The great sage did not come out for a few minutes. The old lady by my side felt very annoyed. She told me in kind words, “My dear fellow! I have been having this unique darshan of Parameswara Himself on this sublime Friday. Why should you come in pants with sideburns and spoil such a darshan by shouting? Is it good on your part to do so?” My wife also felt we shouldn’t have shouted. And we tried to remove ourselves from the very place and were walking towards the front. A few minutes of walk and I could see the `Perarul’ coming again and this time I remembered the lady’s words and hence took off my shirt and rushed to the wall. Then it happened, the inexplicable; only the people who have witnessed would know.

Periyaval in His total kindness asked me by gestures who I was. I said “Son of Rajah Iyer, Ramnad.” Periyaval was, I learnt, observing silence that time. He started by mere signs, amply translated by His disciples, all about my father, now he received National Award from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, his contributions in the Legislatures, etc. etc,. for 45 minutes. There was big crowd watching this unique event. Unconsciously I was crying like a baby.

He very kindly asked me why I had come there. I told him about my mission. With a smile Periyaval asked me “Is this the girl?” pointing to my sister. I said “Yes.” Periyaval in all godly humour asked me, moving his finger around His rudraksha, whether all ornaments were ready for the marriage. I said “I need not spend a pie except to find a suitable match”.

Then Periyaval with a radiant smile repeatedly blessed my sister. His compassion was all-pervasive. The time was 6.45 p.m. and it was pitch dark outside. I was about to go. I didn’t know that we should get “Permission from Periyaval” before we leave. Some one asked me to get “Permission” and I did. He again asked me “How did you come from Madras?” I said “By car”. He asked his disciple whether it rained on that day, to which he said “No”. Then he thought for a second and again blessed me “Be careful on your way back.”

Then it rained cats and dogs… It poured so heavily that we reached Kanchipuram, only at 11 p.m. We reached Madras in the early hours of 5th July. Next day, “The Hindu” published the news Kancheepuram experiences the heaviest rainfall of the last three decades” on that day.

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Once, during the mid-eighties, Kanchipuram Mahaswamiji Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamiji (Maha Periyava) desired to see Bhagavan Yogiramsuratkumar and invited him through a personal attendant. He asked the personal attendant to bring Yogiji.

Yogiji, accepting the invitation of Kanchi Maha Periyava, went to Kanchipuram. Maha Periyava sat down and so did Yogi. Maha Periyava and Yogi looked at each other. They did not speak a word to each other verbally. After looking at each other for sometime, Kanchi Periyava, laughing lightly, said to his personal attendant who had brought Yogi to Kanchi, “The matter for which he came is over. You may take him back to Tiruvannamalai.”

Did they meet just to see each other or did they exchange some news? Nothing could be comprehended. Yogi went back to Tiruvannamalai.

Later, when Yogiji was asked what really happened, as there was no conversation and yet Maha Periyava remarked that the work was over, Yogi Ramsuratkumar explained thus:

“We both spoke to each other – through the mind. Kanchi Periyava said, ‘Bodendra chanted Rama Nama throughout his life. He was a ‘Peettadipathi’ of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Later, installing his successor for the Peetam he went around giving ‘upadesa’ of Rama Nama for all, irrespective of caste and creed; he offered the ‘upadesa’ that the Name of the Lord was the only ‘gati’ (succour) for all in this Kali Yuga. Living in this manner his body was transformed into a ’siddha sarira’. He attained ‘jiva samadhi’ in Govindapuram  on the banks of the Cauvery. Living in ‘jiva samadhi’ for the past 300 years, to date, he is incessantly chanting Rama Nama. You may go and remain in that Govindapuram where Bodendra is.’

This beggar replied, ‘No! No! For this beggar Tiruvannamalai is enough.’ Acharya also said, ‘OK’. This is what we spoke!”

Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati was the head of the Mutt for eighty-seven years. During this period, the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitam acquired new strength as an institution that propagated Śankara’s teachings.

Kanchi periyava, the sage of Kanchi twice undertook pilgrimages on foot from Rameshwaram in the far south of the Indian peninsula to Benares in the North.

Born: 20 May 1894

Left the body abode: Attained Moksha at Kancheepuram on 8th January 1994

Birth Place: Viluppuram

Known as: “Mahaswamigal” and “Walking God”.

Known for: preservation of the Vedas, tradition and dharma

Guru: Followed Adi Sankarar, Kalavai Periayava

Quote: That which is within all, which is seen as “This” is the source. He who is within and sees as “This” is God. It is the reality. It is in yourself. What is limited is Sadhana; what is unlimited is the end. Cultivate Friendly attitude to conquer the minds of men; Look at others as yourself; Give up war; give up jealousy; Don’t commit aggression without reason; Mother earth is like Kamadhenu to fulfil wishes; The Lord God is like father showering mercy People of the World ! Live with discipline; Live with charity; Live with mercy; May all people attain greater well – being.

Website: www.kamakoti.org

Ashram: Kancheepuram