Mahaswamigal of Kanchi

[Guest guest]

Namami Sankaraachaaryam, sarvalokaika Poojitham

 

With permission blessings and grace from HH Swamy Vijeyendra

Saraswathi garu of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Paramacharya and

miracles

 

Mahaswamigal of Kanchi

Srimathi Sarojini Varadappan

We are all privileged to have been born and lived at the time of Sri

Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Sri Chandrasekharendra

Saraswathi Swamigal entering his 100th year. His deem it a great

privilege to have been associated with this great saint almost from

my childhood. I used to go and have darshan of this Sage of Kanchi

along with my father. My father had the full blessing of Sri

Sankaracharya, when he was the Minister of Hindu Religious Endowment

Board, Government of Tamil Nadu. Whenever there was any problem in

regard to the Hindu religion and temples, His Holiness used to call

my father and discuss. His wise counsel was a great strength to my

father in discharging his duties. My father was so privileged as to

have a book on my father released at one of his birthdays at Kanchi

and obtain His blessings.

We also had the unique privilege of Sri Sankaracharya staying in our

village, Nazarathpet, many times which gave us ample opportunities to

be closely associated with His Holiness. During such occasions, my

husband decided to gift 40 acres of land to the Sanskrit Society in

His presence and we consider this a great honour conferred on us.

Whenever there was any wedding in the family. we used to rush to

Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and we never failed to receive His blessings.

His memory power is phenomenal. He used to trace our family

background for the past three generations and recall very many

interesting episodes. His Holiness had same affection for both my

uncles, Sri P.T. Rajan and Sri O.V. Alagesan. The entire family of

ours including my father-in-law was devoted to His Holiness. It is

thus that we developed a very close relationship to the Kanchi

Matham.

When I went to receive His blessings on the eve of my visit to Delhi

in 1973 to assume office as Chairman, Central Social Welfare Board, I

had a very long talk with His Holiness. He was asking me about all

the details of this post and recalled my position in 1960s as

Chairman of the Madras Board and wanted to know how I could manage in

Delhi if it were purely an honorary post. I was touched by His

concern. Finally, He advised me to learn Sanskrit which I did, I can

say without any hesitation that if I had been successful Chairman of

the Central Social Welfare Board after Burgabai Deshmukh, it was

entirely due to His blessings.

Once I took a few of the delegates from Northern India to Kanchi to

have darshan of His Holiness. It was His silence day and the Math

people told me that I could only have darshan and that He would not

talk to us. But to the astonishment of every one, He broke His

silence and enquired all about the delegation and blessed the

members.

Later, when my father became old and a bit disables, His Holiness was

very much concerned about his health, particularly after my mother's

death. Whenever I visited Him, His first enquiry will be about my

father as to whether he has some responsible person to assist him.

This was a great moral strength for my father, which he did not

receive even from the political leaders.

There took place another interesting incident. My sister's son was

getting married. We went to receive Acharya's blessings. Again it was

a very heavy day with a big crowd in Kanchi. His Holiness looked very

tired. But when He was told that we had come He came out and we gave

Him the invitation. He put on His glass, went through the invitation

twice, thrice and so on. Then he called my nephew, gave him karkandu

packets to be distributed to all the children who had come there to

have His darshan. We were touched by this concern of His Holiness.

There were so many such touching scenes that I can narrate.

When His Holiness was camping at Jalakanteswarar temple, Vellore, I

went with a few friends of mine to have His darshan. When we reached

there it was a bit late and the authorities said that He was tired

and had gone to rest in the Pallakku. the screen was drawn down. I

waited for a little while with a sense of disappointment, since I had

to return urgently back to Madras. Somehow, I gathered some courage

and requested the person standing near the Pallakku just to announce

to His Holiness that I had come to get His darshan. Everybody was

amazed to see the screen open and sage gave us darshan and blessed

us. The moment my father's name was mentioned it used to work wonder.

His Holiness had great consideration and concern for my father

because of his devotion and dedication to Hindu religion and temples.

When Smt. Vasumathy Ramasamy and myself decided to start a religious

group of women to learn Soundaryalahari we approached His Holiness to

bless us. He gave His full blessing and advised us to visit a temple

every month on Poornima Day, recite all the hundred slokas of

Sankara's Soundaryalahari and give a Thirumangalyam to a poor,

deserving girl to be married. We were a bit taken aback. We had our

own fear as to how to manage to get this much every month. Anyhow His

Holiness had given His blessings and we decided to start this

service. The following month, Full Moon coincided with my mother's

first death anniversary. So I offered to gave the first

Thirumangalyam. Next month Vasumathy gave. Thus it was the grace and

blessing of Sri Sankaracharya that this service is very successfully

being continued till today. We have completed nearly 25 years and to

our surprise, sometimes we get more than two offers of donations in a

month. Nearly 2000 girls had been benefited by this and it is

entirely the grace of Sri Acharya and we are only a tool.

I wanted to start a school in memory of my father after his death. I

acquired land at Korattur and I wanted to take His blessings. I

rushed to Kanchi. His Holiness was so weak that day, lying down in

His room. But the Math people were kind enough to go and whisper in

His ears about the purpose of my visit and allowed me to go near the

room. He got up, saw me, raised His hand to say that He had blessed

me. I was so touched, when He gave an apple with His blessings.

Even when He is not able to speak, He will show His benign

recognition by sings. The moment He sees me, He will ask about my

friend Vasumathy and also would like to know whether we are

continuing the Thirumangalya Dharmam.

I must say that He had no barriers of casts or creed. When we gave

the land to the Sanskrit Society, He started a Pathasala and asked me

to send young boys of all castes to learn Sanskrit. His political

knowledge was of a very high caliber. He is a nationalist, a Yogi,

and a practical sage without any fanfare. Our prayer to Almighty is

that He should bless His Holiness to live very many more years and

guide us.