MAHA SIVARATHRI SPECIAL – J K SIVAN
Maha Periyava recalling an incident on a Maha Sivarathri day.
I remember to have written about this miraculous incident in Tamil sometime ago. I write this in English so that non-tamil knowing devotees of Maha Periyava also would be able to know this.
Many years ago Maha Periyava was camping at Kalavai village, near Kanchipuram, for some time. It was a Sunday, and because of it being a holiday more than normal crowd assembled at Kalavai to have dharsan of of the living God, and receive His blessing.There was a long queue of devotees from very early morning at Kalavai. A middle aged couple with folded hands, in the queue slowly reached the place where Periyava was seated. They were chanting Hara Hara Sankara, Jaya Jaya Sankara all the time. Periyava looked at them and enquired with a smile:“Is it Paalur Gopalan? One year ago you came and told me about your difficulties. Are you doing fine now?”
Paalur Gopalan could not lcontrol his tears and replied.“We are very fine Periyavaa. As instructed by you, we have been feeding one guest every afternoon. From that time our fortunes have been good. Our lands give good yield.There is no death of cows. What was abnormal before the agricultural expenses have been minimum now. We know all these are because of Periyava’s anugraham. Periyava’s instruction to perform Athithi bhojanam has brought the result . We are performing Athithi bhojanam daily.”
Palur Gopalan’s wife could not control the tears out of divine joy on seeing Periyava and listening to Him. Periyavar asked:“Gopala, it is good. I am glad now you realise the benefits arising out of Athithi bhojanam. Tell me one thing. Today when both of you are here before me. Who will do Athithi bhojanam in Paalur?”
Gopalan’s wife said “Periyavaa, before coming here, we have already made arrangements to organize Athithi bhojanam today and then only we both started to have Your dharsan. Athithi bhojanam will not be stopped on any day under any circumstance.”
Periyava was very happy.“That is what you must do. You must have resolute commitment to feed at least one athithi who is hungry every day. Athithi bhojanam will benefit everyone with so much punyam (goodness) and will protect your entire family! Do you know that one day sakshaath Parameswaran himself will come as an Athithi and eat in your home?” Periyavar was speaking with lot of joy. All devotees who were in the queue gathered around Swamigal to listen to his discourse.”Dont stand. All of you sit down and listen ”
“Periyava, is Athithi bhojanam so beneficial?” one devotee asked politely.“Yes. It is such a great dharma (good act) that it can take one to moksham. (heaven). Many before have attained His blessings befcause of Athithi bhojanam. Gopalan is here as an evidence, having benefitted from Athithi bhojana dharmam”
A devotee then introduced himself to Periyava.“I am Ramasethu from Thiruvannaamalai. I beg and pray to Periyavaa to explain the greatness of Athithi bhojanam so that we all can understand and follow.”
Periyava was silent for a few seconds and cleared His throat and talked:“I will tell you about an incident which happened in 1938 or 1939. It will explain you the greatness of Athithi bhojanam. I was then at Sri Sankara Mutt, in Kumbakonam then. An old devotee, named Kumaresan Chettiar, lived in a large house on the western side of Mahaamaha tank. He owned a provision store. I remember his wife was Sivakami Aachi. They had no issues. Chettiyar brought up a boy from another Chettiyar family looking after him as their own son. They trained him to look after business at the provision store. The Chettyar couple were old. Both of them always chanted “Siva, Siva, Siva” and did not indulge in any other talk.Chettiyar had a bullock cart and daily both of them went in this cart to Cauvery for snanam. It was their routine to come to the Mutt after snanam to see and prostrate before me. I blessed this good, pious, compatible couple. Now I am going to tell about a miraculous event.”For several years this Chettiyar couple were performing Athithi bhojanam at their house. Every afternoon they will feed any number of Siva devotees who come to their house. They will go to the entrance of their house on the road to receive the Siva devotees, and do Padha pooja (washing their feet, wipe them with a towel, apply sandalwood paste and kumkumam) and then escort them into the house.
The Chettiyar couple did not engage any cook. Sivakami Aachi used to cook for all Athithis. They asked the Athithis what they would like to eat , buy those vegetables,fruits and provisions and then cook food of their choice quickly. The Chettiyar couple were very large hearted. In fact you may wonder how I know about what the Chettiyar couple did in their house. One of the devotees of the Mutt, Sundaram Iyer, was the accountant of Kumaresan Chettiar. He was at the house most of the time and told these details to me.”
“One day it was raining heavily. The down pour was non stopping and no Athithi came to Chettiyar’s house. Chettiyar was disappointed, and rushed out carrying an umbrella and searched for some Siva devotees near the Mahamaha tank. In a small Mandapam Chettiyar was very happy to find a Siva devotee sitting after bath. Chettiyar reverently and respectfully bowed to him and invited for bhojanam (partaking food) at his house. The devotee was knowledgeable and a scholar in Tamil it seemed. So, during their walk the devotee sang a couple of Thevaram poems.. After washing his feet, Chettiyar made the devotee to sit inside his house. Chettiar’s wife did namaskaaram to the Athithi and asked “Swami, what vegetables do you like? Please tell me so that I can buy them to cook food.”
The Sivanadiar seemed to be hungry. He went to the backyard himself and saw plenty of tender green leaves grown up there. He told Mrs. Chettiar that he will be happy with Keerai Kuutu and Keerai thandu sambar. (green leaves curry etc) Chettiyar also went with a basket to pluck keerai (green leaves) at the back yard). Since Sivanadiar was hungry he went with another basket to help Chettiar to pluck keerai so that pluckig can be completed fast. Sivakami Aachi noticed that both of them were plucking keerai separately. After collecting sufficient green leaves, both of them handed it to Chettiyar wife. Sivakami Aachi washed both bunches of keerai separately and started cooking them in two separate stoves. Sivanadiar was wondering why Aachi is cooking same keerai in two different vessels. After cooking, Aachi took the keerai plucked by Sivanadiar and offered to God as naivedhyam. Sivanadiar felt very happy as he assumed that she is offering keerai plucked by the Sivanadiar to God because it must be superior as it was plucked by him as a Siva devotee. But he decided to ask the lady about this matter after lunch.”
After bhojanam was over, the Athithi, Sivanadiar asked Aach”Aachi, why did you offer the green leaves plucked by me to God before cooking and cooked it separately”Aachi politely replied.” Swami I was watching both of you plucking the leaves in our garden. My husband was chanting Siva Siva Hara Hara, naama (names) while plucking the leaves and hence it has already been offered to God and there is no need to do nivedhanam (offering to God) again. But you plucked the leaves silently. So I cooked them separately and offered to God.” The Athithi, Sivanadiar felt humble on hearing this. When they did namaskaaram the Sivanadiar blessed them and also appreciated her devfotion and intelligence.Maha Periyava stopped the story for a second and looked at all those thronged before Him. and then continued:”Do you know what benefit this Chettiyar couple obtained by doing such wonderful Athithi bhojanam?After few years they performed Shastibada poorthy (60th birth day) for Chettiar. On one Maha Sivarathri day they stood before the Lord attending all the four kaala Pooja in Kumbeswara Swami temple and came home. Sivakami Aachi said she was feeling tired and sat in the Pooja room and just collapsed. Chettyiar who rushed to help her also collapsed near her. On that great Maha Sivarathri day the Chettiyar couple reached the lotus feet of Lord Siva. You see the benefit of Athithi bhojanam. On every Sivarathri day I remember that dedicated couple because they had done such a great Athithi bhojanam.”
When Maha Periyava completed his narration everyone had tears rolling down their eyes. Swamigal got up and said with compassion “It is 2 O clock now You must all be hungry. Please go and have your bhojanam at the Mutt dining hall chanting His name”
