Greatness of Kanchi Mahaswami - 6.

[Guest guest]

6. For this Sanyasi, perform Thirukalyanam for the Ninth time!

 

This is an incident that happened some years ago. An evening time. A

large crowd in Kanchi SriMatam waiting for a darshan of Maha Swamiji.

Periyavar came out of his solitary room. He came to the stage where

he usually sits and seated himself, leaning on the wall.

 

One by one the people came before him. Prostrated to him and appealed

to him with an earnest prayer to solve their problems. Swamiji gave

them suitable replies blessed them and gave them prasAdam.

 

Eight-thirty in the night. All the people had gone after darshan.

Swamiji was about to raise and get back to his room. A dampati came

hurrying up. Behind them rushed a young girl. All the three of them

prostrated to Paramacharya. Then they extracted the articles they had

brought from four 'big shopper' bags, spread them out on the large

cane plates that were seen near them, and submitted them to the sage.

AcharyaL pointedly looked at the cane plates for some time. They were

filled with sugar lumps, cashews, pistachio nuts, almonds, dry

grapes, and dates. Surprised, Swamiji looked at the people who

brought them, and happiness coursed his face lines.

 

Adede! It's our Viswanathan! When did you come from America? Your

wife has also come... Besh, besh! Very glad. Everyone is fine?

EndAppa, why have you brought such a lot of cashews and dry fruits?

Any good news of a marriage? Here, standing by your side, isn't she

your daughter? Oho... you have fixed her marriage! Why, Viswanathaa,

there is no marriage invitation on any of these plates? " Swamiji

asked.

 

That was it. The three of them fell at AcharyaL's feet, sobbing

loudly, as if a sluice was released and a flood of water gushed forth.

 

Maha Swamiji could not understand. He checked himself and asked with

affection, " Why Viswanatha... did I say something irrelevant? You

people are sobbing like children? "

 

Immediately Viswanathan patted his cheeks loudly and said

hastily, " Shiva, Shiva! apacAram, apacAram. Nothing of that kind,

Periyavaa. The moment you asked, 'Arranged your daughter's wedding,

where is the invitation?' the three of us couldn't contain our

sorrow, Periyavaa! She is now twenty-five years old. We are trying,

since her seventeenth year, coming over from America and staying here

for two months. Not a single varan did crop up, Periyavaa! Somehow

the chance slips by. She is educated. Has beauty. We have money. With

all these things, there is no luck! " He started crying again.

 

It was nine-thirty at night. AcharyaL understood the situation. He

thought of easing the tightness that prevailed. " It is alright, don't

feel sad. Come and sit here, all the three of you! " He pointed to the

floor opposite him.

 

The three people sat meekly. AcharyaL started speaking: " Viswanatha!

I know that you are doing plenty of daana dharma for temples/ponds

and the poor and destitute. Such a mental agony for you! Alright, how

many years now since you went and settled in America? "

 

" Twenty years, Periyavaa " replied Viswanathan.

 

Swamiji pointed to the girl. " She is your eka putri? " he asked

smilingly, " what is her name? "

Closing his mouth, Viswanathan replied, " Her name is Aparna. Yes, my

only daughter, Periyavaa. "

 

" Did you show her horoscope to the jyotishikahs? "

 

" Checked with a number of astrologers, Periyavaa. Every one of them

talks about some dosha or other. They also suggest remedies. I have

done everything they recommended! "

 

" What are the things you did? " asked AcharyaL inquisitively.

 

" I did Pitru dosha pariharah with tila homam at Rameswaram. Then

shukra prIti at Kanjanur. Rahu prIti at Tirunageswaram. Guru prIti at

Alangudi. Special puja at Tirumananjeri near Kuttalam. Shani prIti at

Tirunallar with a bath in the NaLa Tirtham... I did so many of such

things, Periyava! " said Viswanathan.

 

Before he could finish, Swamiji clinched it with the words, " So you

say it is a lack of phala prApti. " Abruptly Swamiji said to

Viswanathan's wife, " You have got the jewels-and-bolts ready for the

daughter's marriage? "

 

" Everything is ready, Periyavaa " , she replied.

 

" Besh, besh! How many sovereigns (of gold) you give to her? "

 

Viswanathan replied, " Thirty sovereigns for our daughter, Periyavaa.

In addition, we have made two separate sets of jewels worth twenty

sovereigns each. "

 

" What for is those two separate sets of twenty sovereigns? "

 

" It is like this Periyavaa. If Aparana's marriage is fixed, with that

marriage, we have decided to perform the marriages of two poor girls,

meeting all the expenses. This is why the two separate sets of

jewels. But then Aparna's marriage itself is not getting fixed,

Periyavaa! " Viswanathan expressed his longing, tears popping up in

his eyes.

 

Swamiji slipped into some serious thinking. It was ten thirty at

night. Then he asked Viswanathan, " Within how many days you people

should return to America? "

 

" Twenty days more, Periyavaa. "

 

" Besh, besh, " Swamiji was happy. " You people have finished your

dinner? "

 

" Not yet " , said Viswanathan.

 

Swamiji sent word for the cook and asked him when he showed up, " What

is available? "

 

" Rice uppuma and pumpkin sambar " , said the cook.

 

Swamiji asked Viswanathan's family to go the kitchen and have their

food. He waited until they came back. It was eleven in the night

then. He looked at Viswanathan affectiontely.

 

" Viswanathaa, you have a noble heart! With your daughter's marriage,

you are ready and waiting with jewels for performing dharmic

marriages for two other girls. What a broad mind you have! Kamakshi

will guard you " . Swamiji assuaged him with gentle words and said, " Do

one thing. You go to Tiruvaikkaval tomorrow morning with your family.

There you perform abhisheka ArAdhanam to Mother Akhilandeswari and

Jambukeswarar and pray to Them. What you ask of your daughter Aparana

is that... there they would have adorned Mother Akhilandeswari with a

shining tATangakah on Her ears. Ask your daughter to have a keen

darshan of the ornaments without blinking her eyes and praying 'let

me be married soon!' After doing this-- "

 

Viswanathan interrupted Swamiji as he said excitedly, " Periyavaa, our

family deity herself is Tiruvaikkaval Akhilandeswari! "

 

Swamiji said, " Besh! It is a good thing then. So you go with family

tomorrow morning and do this. Then you go straight to Tirupathi.

There you perform a Tirukkalyana utsavam to Srinivasa Perumal and

pray to Him. Everything will turn out well. All these cashew, dry

grapes and suger lumps that you have kept here generously like the

endowment rows in a marriage... take all those things and offer them

to Akhilandeswari. " As he said this, Swamiji got up. Viswanathan's

family prostrated to him.

 

Viswanathan looked at Swamiji and said hesitantly, " Periyavaa, since

the seventeenth year of my daughter Aparna, every year when I came

here, I performed Tirukkalyana utsavam to Tirumalai Srinivasa

Perumal. So far we have done it eight times, Periyavaa! "

 

" Alright Viswanathaa! What is there to lose? As this Sanyasi says,

perform it for the ninth time! " Swamiji said laughingly and hurried

to his room.

 

In the next two days, Viswanathan's family completed the ablution and

worship and tATangakah darshan at Tiruvanaikkaval as ordered by

Paramacharya and reached Tirupathi.

 

On that day, a number of bhaktas had remitted money to perform

Srinivasa Tirukkalyanam. There was a large crowd in the marriage

hall. Viswanathan's family was sitting in a corner in the centre

portion of the hall. The vaikanasa bhaTTAcAaryas were conducting the

celestial wedding of Lord Srinivasa chanting vaivAhiha mantras in a

grand manner. Their intonations reached a peak and vibrated

throughout the hall.

 

Viswanathan grieved within his heart thus: 'Appa Srinivasa! Is this

your dharma and nyAya? You get your wedding performed every day in

such grand manner! What sin did my daughter Aparna commit? Why do you

not get her married to a suitable varan?' He started uttering a sob.

His wife and daughter began to sob and weep, suffocating in their

grief.

 

A family was sitting near Viswanathan. The family head appeared to be

fifty or fifty-five years old. He rubbed Viswanathan's back

comfortingly. " Sir, my name is Vaidyanathan. Madras. I am watching

you for a long time. On this occasion of witnessing the Tirukkalyanam

with joy and happiness, it is not proper for you three people to sob

and weep, " he said tactfully.

 

Viswanathan was moved. Briefly he poured forth his worries to the

gentleman who comforted him. Vaidyanathan turned and looked at

Aparna. His mind told him that the girl was stately and beautiful.

 

Vaidyanathan asked him: " Your gotra? "

 

" vAthUla gotra " , said Viswanathan.

 

" We are Srivatsa. Alright, your daughter's age? "

 

" She is now twenty-five; why do you ask? "

 

Vaidyanathan said, " Let this Tirukkalyanam be over. Then I shall take

you and talk to you in detail. "

 

Srinivasa Kalyanam came to a completion and everyone was given

prasAdam. Vaidyanathan took Viswanathan's family to the quarters

where he was staying for the occasion.

 

There he told Viswanathan, " I have only one son. He is twenty-six

now. Name Srinivasan. We belong to Melattur on the Thanjavur side. I

am now working in the Defence Accounts in Madras. My son is employed

in America in the Ford Motors company with a good salary. He is

coming tomorrow to Madras on leave. I have been searching for a

suitable alliance for him for the last three years, but nothing

settled. We are all devotees of Kanchi Kamakoti Matam. Three months

back we had darshan of PeriyavaaL and prayed to him with the

grievance of our son's marriage being delayed. He said 'Pray to

Tirumalai Srinivasa and perform a Tirukkalyana Utsavam, your son will

get married immediately.' Only today came the prApta. If that

Periyavaa's anugrahah is there, even you daughter can become our

daughter-in-law! "

 

They exchanged the horoscopes and showed them to a famous josyar in

Tirumalai.

What a surprise! The astrologer who examined the horoscopes said that

they matched on all the ten aspects perfectly! Both the families were

very happy. They returned to Chennai the same night. Srinivasan

arrived from America the next day. He found Aparna suitable for him.

Aparna also found him suitable for her.

Within fifteen days, Viswanathan fixed an auspicious day and booked

the Rajeswari Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai. After the arrangements,

both the families went to have darshan of the Kanchi Mahaan. Since

there was a heavy rush, only around nine in the night could

Viswanathan's and Vaiyanathan's family approach the sage.

Periyavaa looked at them keenly, his two palms shading his eyebrows.

Both the families prostrated to him. Vaidyanathan was standing behind

Viswanathan. As before, Viswanathan submitted the generous offerings

of suger lump, dry grapes, and cashews and so on and stood before the

sage, his hands folded across his chest.

A divine happiness was seen on Periyavaa's face. After looking at

Viswanathan for some time, he said in a loud voice, " EndAppa

Viswanathaa! Immediately after performing the Tirukkalyanam to

Srinivasa for the ninth time for this Sanyasi, has not the phala

prApti been gained? Besh, besh, your daughter Aparna is indeed

lucky! " and uttered a rolling laughter.

Both the families were stunned. No one could raise a tongue.

Swamiji continued: " Viswanathaa! You grieved and wept very much the

other day. It occurred to my mind that your daughter was having the

janmAntriya vivAha prati bandhaka dosha. Only for the nivritti of the

dosha I asked for Akhilandeswari's tATangakah darshan and the

performance of Srinivasa Tirukkalyanam for the ninth time! You

understand now? " Following Swamiji's laughter complete silence

prevailed there.

Swamiji continued: " Who is going to be your sambandhi? What is his

native place? "

Vaidyanathan, who was standing behind Viswanathan, came to the front

and prostrated to AcharyaL. He said, " It is me, Periyavaa, who is

going to be his sambhandi! It's all your anugrahah. "

Periyavaa placed his finger on his nose. " Who is this? Oh Melattur

Vaidyanathan! EndA Vaidyanathaa, three months back you came and told

me that no girl's horoscope was found to be matching for your son

working in America. I remember having asked you to perform

Tirukkalyana Utsavam for Tirumalai Srinivasan and pray to Him.

Alright, when did you perform the Tirukkalyana Utsavan? "

Vaidnathan said, " Both of us performed the Tirukkalyanam on the same

day Periyavaa! We finalised the alliance in Tirumalai itself. All

your blessings! " His voice turned husky as he spoke. " Rest in

prosperity! "

AcharyaL blessed them with a filled heart. It was ten in the night.

Swamiji said laughingly, " It is beyond time, Viswanatha! They said

that it is the same rice uppuma and pumpkin sambAr in the Matam

today. Do have your tiffin here without fail! " He bid them farewell

with the compassion of a mother.

Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)

Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Nov 20, 2006

 

Glossary

 

apacAram - offense, fault, something which contradicts Acaram or

rules of conduct

abhishekah – ablution

anugrahah - blessing, kindness

ArAdhanam - worship, homage

Adede! - (Tamil) an expression of surprise indicating familiarity

Besh, besh - an expression of appreciation, popular in the Brahmin

community.

bhakta – devotee

dampati - husband and wife

dosha - defect, deficiency, impurity

eka putri - only daughter

EndAppa - (Tamil) for 'why, my boy!' or a similar expression

gotra - literally, a cow-pen; also one of the 49 sub-divisions among

brahmins supposed to be sprung from and named after celebrated

teachers.

Guru prIti - propitiating god Guru (Jupiter)

janmAntriya vivAha prati bandhaka dosha - deficiency from previous

births that goes against the chances of getting married

josyar - (Tamil) astrologer

jyotishikah - an astrologist

nivritti - satisfaction, disappearance

nyAya – justice

Periyavar - Holy man, a grammar-friendly Tamil title for a wise man

phala prApti - attaining fruits, also success in an endeavour

Pitru dosha pariharah - corrective action for deficiency in rituals

to ancestors.

prApta - attainment, fulfillment

prasAdam - a sample of a holy offering

Rahu prIti - propitiating god Rahu

sambandhi - joined in a relationship

Shani prIti - propitiating god Saturn

shukra prIti - propitiating god Shukra (Venus)

tATangakah - ear ornament

tila homam - fire ceremony using sesame

Tirukkalyana utsavam - celestial wedding ceremony

uppumA - a rice dish, also known as kichadi

vaikanasa bhaTTAcAarya - ancient and traditional chief priests in

Vaishnava temples of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka

vaivAhiha - relating to a wedding ceremony

varan - (Tamil) a prospective husband