Dissection of Love 

 Love to me is the most abused word in the world atleast in this part of the world. Whoever talks about it tells me how wonderful to be in love is. And the thing which makes me wonder is the way these people are talking about love as if nobody was in love in earlier year and it was discovered only recently. They more or less confirms the old adage yah the adage is far more older than me that love is blind. it wont see caste, religion, status etc. Nowadays one more dimension has also been added to this i.e. lovewont even see the gender. Good. The human is a person who embraces everything which is good and wonderful to them. If love is such a wonderful thing why it has not bitten so many youngsters inspite of their being eligible single.

To me to be truly in love you must move with your partner atleast a minimum of ten years and should be with you 24 x 7. For some it takes more time than that.

The initial attraction towards the other gender starts on three counts 1. physical attraction 2. Emotional needs 3. Planned attraction. The third we can leave because it is planned and the person knows fully well of the consequences and will be prepared for it. The first around 90% falls under this category. The dress, the way they move, or the english they speak or their lifestyle attracts first. then people by hook or crook gets introduced and start falling in love. Here starts the play. The people while they are inlove shows the only face they want to show and not their entire face. this continues for ever till it culminates into marriage or by accident their other face comes out. Now the people are in a dilemma whether to accept it or to break it. some people meekily surrender on getting false promises and others break up. When in love they think only about them and they never think about their parents and most of them think they are going to be in thanikudithanam. but when reality stares in their face they are not in a position to free themselves ....

When such things happens i am not able to believe what is called as true love. First i want to know what today's meaning of love because i see it being expressed in my ways and in many forums.To mother on her birthday and mothers' day luv u mom same goes with father's day and friendship day, brother's day sisters' day siblings day, birthdays and a lot of luv u babies cho chweets love love everywhere. want to know whether all these loves will come under true love or not. Whether loving a person with an intention of living together either by way of marriage or otherwise is the only thing which qualify for the term true love. OK Let us talk about true love.
Now i am going to talk about love at first sight the physical attributes and love born out of compassion.
Yes you like that person because of various reasons other than compassion or planning. Now it moves to next stage. Starts with sweet nothings benefiting the mobile companies and card sellers. At this stage both of them never discuss about themselves or their future all they will be doing is dreaming about being together running in snows and going to malls and restaurants. Both of them will be having a doubt and wont reveal more about them for fear that the partner may not like that and they want to be in the good books of the partners. This will slowly grow up and the next step of going to theatres faraway from the prying eyes of their neighbours and malls and eateries. The boy's purse will always be open for her and the mobile will be immediately answered. Now also they wont discuss anything fruitful and every thing will be sweet giggles only.by this time one or more years would have gone by. If her parents are very much open minded the costly gifts will start coming home. Nowadays it is smart phones or iphones. (after the recent bursting of samsung galaxy note 7 and iphone 7 i heard the girls are not accepting them as gifts)Like this the true love is being developed. After few years when they were confident that their love matter reached everyone except their parents ( In all those love affairs it was the parents were the last people who gets to know and the entire world knows it before. I have experienced it personally) they start discussing about marriage and their future together. Now all the lying starts. The girl will be promised heaven. She need not do any work. there were servants to take care of her needs. she can hand over her entire salary to her parents. they can have a child whenever she wants it. if she does not want to undergo labour pain they can adopt a child also. he has no problems with it. If her parents object to their marriage she can simply walk out and she will be taken care of his family. Every one at his family loves her. On hearing this words she will be in cloud nine (she will even forgot that she had not met any one from the boy's side and how they knew about her? had he opened this subject with his family and what was their reaction? whether they needed any convincing?) Now she will be in a state of mind to oppose her family based on his assurances. Like wise the girl will promise him that her parents will not go against her wish. they will happily marry her. as the only child she will inherit the entire wealth of her parents. and she loves him so much and she will do anything for him. cook non vegetarian for him. will be a darling to his household and so on. So their life starts with lots and lots of lies because both of them had the fear of rejection in them. This happens mostly when the boy is from other caste/ religion. My question is with this much of lies how they call it true love

While they are in love the only crisis they are facing will be how to tell their parents. In most cases the neighbours takes that burden and informs the parents. Then depending on the circumstances the fight starts and ends up one way or other. Or they with the help of friends gets married at the Registrar's office and hides the marriage or walk out of their house. If there is support from either of the side there wont be any problems initially. If not the problem starts the moment the girl getting pregnant. Even in the arranged marriages, where the entire family of the boy's side showers love on that girl, during the pregnancy every girl wants to have her mother on her side. The emotional support a mother gives to her daughter cannot be substituted by anybody. In the love marriages where the parents are estranged it becomes an obsession for the girl and the resulted emotional outburst had to be borne entirely by the husband. He being inexperienced starts feeling the pressure and the first dissention takes place. Depending on the support she gets from her in laws the marriage goes on or breaks up. Ok. i think i have written enough about love marriages. Now i want to tell you what is true love from my own experience.

I was 55 when i went to Meghadatu in Karnataka with my entire family and brother in law's family. When we went there we were advised that there is a beautiful place down the river which will look like a ravine and the river narrows down but it will be very deep. So from the car park we crossed the river and took a jeep to reach the place. It was really beautiful and to enjoy it more i went down the steps (60 or 70 steps i think) and enjoyed for some time. When climbing up i felt some congestion in my chest and don't know how i reached the road and fell down unconscious. Nobody was there to help us. My wife and all of them started praying with no water bottle on hand. Just then, as an answer to their prayers, two shepherds came and revived me by giving water. We returned back to bangalore and then to salem where i was working. I was immediately admitted to hospital and and angio gram was done. It was diagnosed i had five blocks and bye pass operation had to be done. My wife wanted to take a second opinion and after getting it admitted to Apollo, chennai.The doctor there decided three of the blocks can be removed by tablets and for remaining two blocks angio plasty will be enough and there is no need for bye pass surgery. I was wheeled into the operation theatre. My wife accompanied the stretcher till the door. There she squeezed my hand with a smile on her face. Angio plasty was done and i was back in ICU for post operative care. Again my wife visited me with the same smile. But the smile had different meaning before and after the operation. The first meant Hey dont worry i am here to take care of things. i will fight anybody for you and you know about my fighting qualities and ability. so go with peace of mind and return back to me. The smile after operation told me "See i told you it is nothing. Stay strong and we can go home soon". I was discharged in three days. During the entire incident right from my swooning at Meghadatu to ICU at Apollo i have not seen a single drop of tear in her eyes and always they were reassuring me "You are mine and I wont leave you. I will always be on your side shouldering responsibilities for you". Yes this is what i call true love. Thanking Sadgurunathar for giving me such a wonderful wife and praying him to make me eligible for her.

Enough of my story. I have seen girls/boys falling in love with other caste/religion boys/girls. As told earlier the reason may be physical attraction or compassion or paucity of love at home or wanted to enjoy an aristocratic life. In all these there is some expectation from one to another and whoever feels that they have accomplished their goal in life regarding their expectation from their partner say their love is a success story in the initial periods. The coincidence in all these love is the boy/girl from our Community has to change his/her religion and not vice versa. In another post one of our members was narrating the experience of herself and her friend who married outside the religion. It is heart wrenching.Though i am nearing 65 and met so many successful lovers, failed lovers and people who hate love stories in short all type of people. In fact i have been a postman or hanuman in some of these love cases. But even with the experience i am not able to give her a suitable advise. May be i may be wanting or i may not have that much intelligence. But here a girl is suffering and her only sin is marrying outside the religion. Please bear it in mind that none of her brahmin relatives nor their brahmin friends were the reason for her suffering. And from what is being told by members i understand that her's is not an isolated case. In the circumstances i have the following doubts

1. Why it is always the person from our community who has been asked to change the religion?

2. I have seen some of the ladies/boys from other castes have been accepted in brahmin house hold as a brahmin but the other religion people refuse to accept those converts as equals why?

3. Though there is heavy advertisement about the effects of smoking it still continues. the smoker used to change the channel when those ads are telecast.If asked he will say i wont contract cancer. But he simply ignores that there is 90% chance of his getting cancer. Like this though there is precedence of the mostly girls who change religions suffer how even educated girls fall prey to these love jihads.

4. Why some of our own community members ridicule us if we ask such questions? but they never answer questions

5. There is an argument that as we are not following sastras fully we cannot call ourselves brahmins. But i consider those who do sandhyavandhanam daily can call themselves brahmins because no other caste or people from no other religion does it

6. Why people refuse to do sandhyavandhanam, feel shy to call themselves brahmins but want to continue to be a member tambrahm group? is it not a paradox?

                                                                                                                                             

OHM GURUBHYO NAMAHA

GNANANANDHA GNANANANDHA SADGURU GNANANANDHA

SADGURUNATHAR AT KALLAKKUDI

Abridged translated version of an article written by Sri N.Appan, Srirangam published in Ganna Oli issue of April 2010.

It is a historical fact that Sadgurunathar, in jadamudi thava kolam, was living in a thatched roof hut opposite to the sivan temple at Kallakkudi, Trichy district. He was inculcating good habits and teaching the people there good things.

Since 1974, on every pournami day and chithra pournami day padha pooja was being conducted to the padhukas left by Sadgurunathar at Kallakudi. However the practice was stopped for some years and with the efforts of some Gurunathar’s devotees from Chennai the poojas have started again for the past six months.

I want to tell you about the leelai of sadgurunathar when he was in kallakkudi.

Some years ago at Srirangam thai month bhoopathi thirunal urchavm was going on. Swami  was on Garuda vahanam. There was heavy rush than usual. I was sitting on the verandah of my house at East Chithrai Street. An old man was standing in front of my house waiting to have the dharshan of Perumal. He will be around 75 or 80. I asked him to sit on the verandah till the Perumal procession reaches the place. A picture of Sadgurunathar was adorning just above the entrance of my house. The old man enquired whose house is this. I told him this is my house and i have named it Gnanakriba. The old man looked at the picture once again and asked “ this is Sadguru Gnananandha Giri Swamigal isn’t it? How long this picture is here?”.

I introduced myself. I am Appan working as a TTR in southern railway and a devotee of Sadgurunathar. I was wondering whether this old man knows about Sadgurunathar? What he is going to tell me about him? As the procession of Perumal is expected to take more than half an hour to reach our place we continued our chat.

“If you are a TTR do you travel by Kallakkudi line “ Yes. I am travelling in that line daily. My duty is between Trichy junction to Egmore”. “Do you know that there is a connection between Kallakudi and our Sadgurunathar”. I was taken aback when he said our Sadgurunathar. Does this mean he is also a devotee of Sadgurunathar? How our Gurunathar joins his devotees together? Is this the satsang what Gurunathar refers frequently? With all these questions in mind i asked him “Swami do you know Sadgurunathar”. He replied Yes. I had the dharshan of Sadgurunathar when he was in Kallakudi. He was there for some time . I have seen Gurunathar even when i was a small boy. The first dharshan itself is a spellbound thing.” I asked can you tell me how and when you had that dharshan”? He continued. “It was during 1924 the execution of Villupuram – Trichy line was started and was completed in the year 1928.When the line to Kallakudi was completed a train started running between Trichy and Kallakudi. It ran twice daily. The old man was continuing. “My father told a lot of things about Gurunathar to me. When the train services started he took me also to kallakudi to have the dharshan of Gurunathar. I think it was in 1926 The train which leaves Trichy by 3.00 pm in the evening will reach Kallakudi by 5.00 pm. It will start by 8.00 pm on its return journey and will reach Trichy by 10.00 p.m. We started in that train and reached the place where Gurunathar was staying.

That was the first time i saw Gurunathar. He was with Jadamudi. The eyes shining with grace and attractive. I felt all my sins washed away the second the eyes fell on me.  Gurunathar enquired about us and our house at Thiruvanaikoil. There used to be a vilva tree and a well on the roadside of the house. Swami remembered at and enquired whether the tree is still there? Your grand father planted that tree. He used to give vilvam daily to Jambukeshwarar pooja, Are you still following it? Viswanatha Iyer hada greatest bhakthi on Akhilandeswari?. I was wondering how Gurunathar knows my grandfather’s name was Viswanath Iyer and about the Vilva Maram? Had he come to Trichy? Does he know my grand father? If he knows my grand father he must have visited that Trichy area. What would have been his age when he visited Trichy? The questions for which i could not find any answers till now. Gurunathar when talking about Jambukeshwarar temple told us about the mid noon pooja to Akhilandeswari and the principle and the meaning of the pooja. I could not understand anything at that age. Time was running. If we could not catch the 8.00 pm train we will not be able to reach Trichy. There were no trains after that and no bus transport also during that time. Moreover, the kallakkudi area was famous for its thieves. The thoughts were swirling in my head but could not say anything to Gurunathar.

Then Gurunathar told us it will be around 11.00 pm when you reach your home. You will be hungry. The dinner is ready. Eat it. Telling this he went into the hut and brought two leaves, one copper vessel and dheertham. He himself served us  hot and steamy “Venpongal”. He was talking to us for the past two hours and i was wondering when he cooked this pongal? If he had done it earlier it would not have been this steamy and hot. Gurunathar with a smile told us what is that you are thinking. Eat this and don’t think of anything now. It was like a mother feeding her children. We had our bellyful.

Then Gurunathar told us “ you have a doubt whether you can catch the train or not. It cannot leave without taking you. Come on let us start”. It was very dark out side. With a lantern in his hand he lead us to the station.   We reached the Railway station by 8.40 p.m. The train was supposed to have gone by 8.00 p.m. but it was there in the station. Why it did not go? Gurunathar asked us to take two tickets to Srirangam. After getting the ticket we enquired the station master why the train has not started till then and we got the following narration. The pointsman went to the cabin to change the lever. The a big snake was coiling round the lever. The pointsman got scared and came down. We could not change the signal. The train can start only if we change the signal and change the track. We tried our best. We even tried lighting fire and threw it on the snake. But it has not moved anywhere. It hisses more. We have contacted the control room in trichy and our superiors told us as there was no train expected to be on those tracks for some more time they asked us to wait till the snake leaves. And that is why the train has not started yet.

Gurunathar told us “ now you got the ticket. Get in to the train and it will start soon. The snake will also go. “ Once he told like that the snake started moving through the steps towards the fields in front of our eyes . When i say our it includes the station staff and the other passengers also. Once the snake left the pointsman went up and changed the track and the train moved. Swami upped his hands and bless us.

The old man completed telling his experience and the Perumal was in front of our house.

                             JAI SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAI

                                       MAGIZHVITHU MAGIZH 

OHM GURUBHYO NAMAHA

GNANANANDHA GNANANANDHA SADGURU GNANANANDHA

BHAGWAN SRI GNANANANDHAGIRI

Part I

This is an article by a devotee written in Gnanaoli July 2009 issue under the head “A Living God on Earth”

The purpose of life is the attainment of the Lotus Feet of the Lord, the conquest of life recurrent. Mahatmas, Sages and Saints appear off and on to show to the right minded the road to Realisation. One such great Mahatma, a descendant and disciple of Sri Adi Sankara, is Sadguru Sree Gnananandagiri Swamigal of Tapovanam ( Tirukoyilur) in Tamilnadu. This sage, known as Subramanya, in his poorvasrama, was born in Kritigai Star. His father Sri Venkoba Ganapatigal was a great Vedic scholar, and his mother was Sakkubai, a paragon of Hindu womanhood. They hailed from Mangalapuri in North Kanara.

One day at dead of night, the boyt of 12 walked out of his bed and followed a “Jothi” a leaqd us “O” light, to the banks of the Tungabadra. There he met his God-sent Guru. His Holiness Sri Sivaratnagiri Swamiji, Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya of Jyotir Mutt, who saw through the youngster’s spiritual hunger, and at once adopted him as his Sishya or Desciple. For 18 years, this youngster had his Gurukulavasa, and was initiated into the esoteric knowledge of ADvaita. Before the great Kasmir luminary His Holiness Sri Sivaratnagiri Swamiji attained Siddhi (eternal rest) he transferred all his powers to his disciple, Sree Gnananandagiri, as he was christened at the time of his “Deeksha” or entering into the order of Sanyasin, and also nominated him as his successor to the ‘Peeta” of Jyotir Mutt.

As the Swamiji wanted to leave the Mutt for various reasons, HE nominated one of the disciples there as HIS successor and proceeded to the Himalayas, where HE went into Tapas for many long years. The “Jatamuni”, he with plaited hair, started on his “Pada Yatra” from the Himalayas to Cape Comerin and beyond to the island of Ceylon.

It is on evidence that the Swamiji met Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, at Dakshineswar, where the latter gave Deeksha to his disciple Sri Vivekananda. In his walking tour of the South, the Swamiji came across Bhagwan Ramana in the Madurai temple sitting days on end, by the side of a stone pillar, and Ramana was then only 13 years old. When Ramana became Raman Maharishi, and was living in nthe Virupaksha cave at Tiruvannamalai, Sri Gnananandagiri Swamiji along with two others, used to walk during night time all the way from Polur to hold discourse with Sri Ramana. Presiding over the Arunagirinathar festival at Tiruvannamalai in 1960 the Swamiji said in the course of his talk that during such visits, they talked about “ Asi Patham” or the “ Tatvamasi” or “ Thou art that” doctrine. Sri Gnananandagiri Swamiji knew the great RAmalinga Adigal and often in his talks refers to his songs in praise of the Lord.

The Kannada born saint saw that his mission was in the South and there he worked for the uplift of erring mortals in several places. He stayed at Kallupatti, now known as Dalmiapuram, for some time aA Siva Temple of the place had been desecrated and converted into a cattle shed. Factioin among Hindus and conflicts between Hindus and Christians were rampant and Swamiji delivered the place from the clutches of the evil. During his stay here, the Swamiji predicted that there would emerge a big factory there and that factory is the cement factory.

At Present the Swamiji has three Ashrams- one at Attayampatti, near Salem, another at Siddhilingamadam 5 miles away from Tirukoyilur (On the Villupuram Road) and a third at Thapovanam 2 miles from Tirukkoyilur on the Tiruvannamalai Road. In all these places, where ever he be, miracles have occurred. Attayampatti and surroundings were infested with bandits and murderers and life and property were not safe. Our Swamiji stooped to conquer and as stated in Gita, “Right subsided and wrong triumphed and then , the Lord chose to be resurrected”. Sin and evil were rooted out and the people became quiet and pious villagers.

                                                                   

At Attayampatti Ashram, the Swamiji was having His “Nishtai” or communion with God, in a dark underground cellar for days (which you can see even today) for days on end and His disciples mistook the Nishtai for Samadhi or eternal rest and began breaking 108 coconuts on His pate. 107 coconuts were broken and when the hand was lifted to break the last one Swamiji opened his eyes; when asked about it, the Swamiji smiled and said “It was all like flowers falling on my head”. Even now we can notice a soft scar like spot on Bhagawan’s head.

The ashram of Siddhilinga Madam on the southern bank of the Pennar is half century old. When the Swamiji came to this place, there was severe drought and people suffered for want of water. When the people appealed to this new saint, He asked for a bucket of water and that was all the water there to be baled out of the well and poured down that water on His head. And lo the miracle occurred. For three days and nights, there was non stop downpour. Wells were full and river Pennar was flooded. The Swamiji has great power over the elements.

Once at Thapovanam a programme was arranged, and on that day it was raining cats and dogs. It was to be held in open air, as there was no big roofed hall at that tim. The sage of Tapovanam said that the function should be held in the open  quadrangle, and that he had petitioned “Varuna”, the Rain God to go West, and to the surprise of all, there was not a drop of rain from 4 to 9.30 pm. No sooner the function was over, the rains started with renewed force. Again, twice at Siddhilingamatam and once near Tapovanam disastrous fires broke out, the helpless hut dwellers rushed to the Saint for their Succour. The Swmiji bade the fire to stop and stop it did. Evil spirits fly before his merciful look, disceases disappear and dangers die away. Such Siddhis are too elementary to this exalted Jeevan Muktha.

At Thapovanam there is a tiny shrine where are housed Sri Gnana Ganesa, Sri Gnana Skandar, Sri Gnana Puriswar and Sri Gnanambikai, where daily worship is offered. The whole campus is a mango grove and there are two excellent wells in the campus. There are small tenements all around the central hall, a kitchen and a dining hall. The central hall is the common assembly and the huts are tenanted by Sanyasis and Sevarthies. The Swamiji’s greatest delight wherever he be is to treat his disciples with food and drink, anywhere, any time. Food prepared for a dozen at the great man’s glance suffices to feed a hundred and more and that to surfeit.

The Swamiji is ever in Sahaja Nishtai i.e. with you and not with you. He is all smiles and love, takes very little food and sleeps if at all very little. He is sprightly and active and to keep pace with His walk, we have to run. He has no distinction of caste, creed or colour; rich and poor are alike to him; He sees the Supreme in everything. He sheds His Grace on all, cures the body and feeds the mind. He gives out big “tatvams” in a simple lucid manner interspersed with parables and stories. He delights in music and Namasankirtans and often says that in Kaliyuga you can attain Moksha through Bhagavan Nama chanted in all sincerity. Sri Gnananandagiri Swamiji is not a mere saint; he is a living God in this Kaliyuga; to see Him is to know Him; to know Him is to Know God; cling to Him, He will never forsake you.

                                                                                     

JAI SADHGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAI

                                                       MAGIZHVITHU MAGIZH

                    

                 

OHM SHRI GURUBHYO NAMAHA

GNANANANDA GNANANANDA SADGURU GNANANANDA

THAYUMANAVAN

Translated and abridged version of an article written by Smt G.Mahalakshmi Ganapathy, Chennai in October 2008 issue of Gnana Oli.

It was in the year 1965. In Mumbai Sion a bhajan and the padapooja by Guruji Swami Haridoss Giri was organised by my close relative. For two weeks myself and my husband enjoyed it. Daily in the morning Padhuka Pooja with soundaryalahiri and some sthothra parayanam and in the evening bhajan along with the speech by Guruji about Gurunathar will be conducted. I was five months pregnant with my first child. The way Guruji described about Gurunathar made me wish for Gurunathar’s dharshan. With the passing of time this has become a longing for me.

My delivery time was nearing. I was always thinking about Gurunathar. Labour pain started and the nurse came to my house for delivery. She checked me up and told others that the delivery is too complicated for her to handle and she could not do it. Saying so she left. Another lady doctor came and after checking she was also worried about the complications in the delivery. But i was confident that Sadguru will help me and won’t abandon me at any cost.  I felt Gurunathar is the incarnation of Lord Siva who came as Thayumanavar. So he knows how to save me and my child. This became my conviction. The labour pain intensified and unknowingly i was shouting “ Gurunatha Gnananandha”. In a few minutes the baby was born. The lady doctor was astonished and tole me “ this delivery would have been handled by some  un known power because the complications were that much which i feared to deliver the child, From that day onwards Gurunathar became everything for us.

Only in 1969, we had the fortune of having the dharshan of Gurunathar. My two children, my husband along with my aged mother in law went to thapovanam and an eyeful of dharshan of Gurunathar. We reached thapovanam by 2.30 pm Gurunathar took us straight to the dining hall and asked us to have our lunch. When we were entering the dining hall we can see all the vessels were cleaned, washed and kept it their places. Nothing cooked food can be seen any where. But Gurunathar saw to that we were fed in full. From where that food came i don’t know. That is why we feel that he is the incarnation of “Annapoorani”. He is still taking care of us and we are leading a happy and wonderful life now.

JAI SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAI

MAGIZHVITHU MAGIZH

OHM SRI GURUBHYO NAMAHA

GNANANANDHA GNANANANDHA SADGURU GNANANANDHA

ABATHBANDHAVAN

Sri H.Vikku Vinayakram came to thapovanam during aradhana period some years back for performing before the adhistanam. He told us two of his experiences with Gurunathar.

One day he wanted to have the dharshan of Gurunathar so he immediately left for thapovanam. He came all alone without being accompanied by any of his sishyas or the accompanying artists. He has not even brought his ghatam with him as the trip was very personal. He reached thapovanam and had dharshan of Gurunathar. After enquiring about his kshema labangal Gurunathar suddenly asked him to perform his ghata katchery. As his wont Sri Vinayakram immediately said and started looking for a clay pot which can be suitable for the ghata katchery. Nothing was found. Then he went into the kitchen. Atlast he found out a clay pot which can be utilised as a ghatam. He has requested the kitchen incharge for that pot, in which tamarind was stocked. It was vacated immediately cleaned, washed and handed over to Sri Vinayak Ram. At the appointed time Sri Vinayak ram has started his katchery without any of the accompanying artists and the programme went off well. On completion, he prostrated before Gurunathar and sought his blessings. Then  Gurunathar blessed him and told him “ You have performed well even if the pot is a tamarind storing one” He called the kitchen staff and instructed them from that day onwards the pot should be kept separately and nothing can be stored in it as Goddess Saraswathi is residing in it now” ( Saraswathy vasam seyyum paanai athu). Sri Vinayakram still wonders how Gurunathar knows about the tamarind and the pot.

Once Shri Vinayak Ram’s father was showing his horoscope to one astrologer for some clarification. Then the astrologer told Vinayak Ram’s father that there is a gandam in Vinayak Ram’s horoscope and it is very very difficult to pass over that ghantam. As a very ardent devotee of Maha Periyava Vinayak Ram’s father sent him to Maha Periyava and to seek his blessings to ward of the ghantam. Vinayak ram did as he was told to do. Maha Periyava asked him to stay in the mutt for a few days. One fine morning Periyavaa called Vinayak Ram and told him “ Go to Gnananandha Thapovanam and he is the only person who can save you”. So Vinayak Ram left for Thapovanam.

On his entering the thapovanam he can see Gurunathar giving dharshan to the devotees. He joined the crowd and performed namaskaram. Gurunathar called him by his side and before he could open his mouth  Gurunathar told him to have his lunch and let us meet in the evening. So he took his lunch and waited. Evening came and Vinayak Ram wanted to convey the reason for his coming to Thapovanam but could not do so because of the crowd. From the next day onwards whenever he nears Gurunathar to talk about his problem Gurunathar will simply leave that place either into his room or on some other work. Frustrated he has decided to return back to kancheepuram and to maha Periyava. On the third day he approached Gurunathar and told him  that he has to practice with Ms. M.S.Subbulakshmi for a kutchery to be performed on January 1^st and glad to have gurunathar’s permission to leave. But Gurunathar told him to wait. Came the morning of Dec 31^st. There was a sound in the well behind the mani mandapam and it was found out that an old lady who was living in Thapovanam committed suicide jumping into the well. After completion of the police formalities and necessary samskarams Gurunathar called in Sri Vinayak Ram. “ Now you can leave. I told that patti go to Kasi to obtain mukthi. But she told me that a death at Thapovanam only will get her the Mukthi she wanted and jumped into the well. Not only that with her death she took with her your kandam also. “

Sri Vinayak Ram is still wondering how Gurunathar knows the purpose of his visit to Thapovanam?

SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAI

MAGIZHVITHU MAGIZH

OHM GURUBHYO NAMAHA

GNANANANDHA GNANANANDHA SADGURU GNANANANDHA

UNARNTHU OTHARKARIYAVAN

Translated and abridged version of an article by Shri Al.S.Alagappan in Gnanaoli May 2007 issue. As usual the narrative will be in first person as written by Sri Alagappan

We don’t have the capacity to see God in person. But we can see Guru, can talk to him, asking him whatever we need. He blesses us and advises us. Helps us to lead a dharmic life At times of distress he consoles us by being with us. This is not philosophy. This is what we experienced with Sadguru Sri Gnanandhagiri Swamikal.

My father late Sri AL.Singaram chettiar is an ardent devotee of lord shiva.in 1960 he met Devakottai Sri P.K.Kannappa Chettiar for a business meet. Then Sri Kannappa Chettiar told my father “ There is one Sri Gnananandhagiri Swamigal in Thapovanam. Go and have dharshan of swami. All your travails will be over. Your life will be better”. But due to some exigencies my father could not visit thapovanam immediately. Sri Kannappa Chettiar reminded my father again. After three months my parents visited Thapovanam. Father after doing namaskaram was in the process of introducing himself. But before that Gurunathar, with a smile asked my father “ are you the one who was asked by Coimbatore Chettiar to come over here?”. My parents were astonished. From that day onwards our entire family surrendered ourselves to Gurunathar. My father started visiting thapovanam frequently and for anything and everything Gurunathar was consulted. Without his permission nothing will move in our family. We leave everything to Gurunathar.

At times we do things and worried about  the consequences. One such thing happened in my father’s business. We were dealers of Zenith brand pipes of Birla group of companies. Once my father sold the pipes at a lesser rate than specified by the company leading to loss to the company. The Birla company authorities asked my father to come to their headquarters to enquire about this. We thought we are going to lose the agency. As there was no time to go to Thapovanam, my father intimated Gurunathar about the problem and his trip to Mumbai by means of a telegram. When he reached Mumbai there was a reply telegram from Gurunathar stating that “Everything will be alright. Blessings of Deva”.

After meeting the officials of Birla company my father was asked to meet Sri Birla himself. When he went there, Birla’s executive officer was also there. When my father entered the room he was congratulated and patted on the back by Sri Birla himself. None could understand what is happening. Then my father was told that the prices of pipes have gone down very low and by selling the entire stock earlier my father had avoided a huge loss to the company. To what we can attribute this except the grace of Sadgurunathar.

Once Gurunathar was starting for Yercaud and my parents were there at thapovanam at that time. Gurunathar asked my father to accompany him to yercaud. But my mother said let Gurunathar go in his car let us follow in our car. After going to yercaud we can proceed to Coimbatore from there. Gurunathar then asked my mother to wait at Thapovanam and let us proceed to yercaud. But my father asked Gurunathar to proceed first and he will follow in our car. Gurunathar left in his car. But there was an accident near Kallakurichi in which a boy was killed. While our family stayed at the local Zenith pipe dealers residence my father and driver has to stay in the police station overnight. When Gurunathar heard the news “ We cannot change the fate of that boy. You were just an instrument. Don’t worry”. On enquiry it was found the boy jumped in front of the car and hence it was not the mistake of our driver he was released.

My sister and her husband went to Haridhwar. Instead of the regular snana ghat, where safety arrangements were in place, my brother in law went to some other place to take a dip in ganges. But the speed of the water washed him away. Both my sister and her husband who were distraught were simply shouting Gnananandha Gnananandha. Nobody was there to help them. Then an old man jumped into the river and pulled him out. At thapovanam people saw the dress of Gurunathar were wet. On their return to thapovanam my sister and her husband explained what happened at Haridhwar. After hearing them innocently as if he did not know what happened then informed them “Swamy  knows”.

One i had some itch on my back. Though i have consulted doctors and applied ointments the itch remained. My father directed me to inform Gurunathar. Gurunathar gently moved his hands over my back and the itch was cured.

We even prayed to him about our cow not having a calf and in that year the cow yielded a calf. A child will anything and everything to its mother without bothering whether these things can be asked or not. That is how we were treated by Gurunathar.

SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAI

MAGIZHVITHU MAGIZH

OHM GURUBYO NAMAHA

GNANANANDHA GNANANANDHA SADGURU GNANANANDHA

SODHANAIYUM SADHANAIYUM

This article is an abridged translated version of an article published in Gnana oli March 2004 issue written by Kalaimamani, Navagraha Selvar Kanchi Rangamani.

Sri N.Srinivasan Son of Sri B.Narasimmaiah of Tirupattur is a best friend of mine. When i went to his house, i saw a picture of some Gnani. I asked him who is this Gnani he replied that he is Sadguru Gnananandha Giri Swamigal and he has ashrams both at Thapovanam and Siddhilinga madam. He took me to Thapovanam and i had dharshan for the first time. After dharshan we had taken prasadham and when sought permission to leave were asked to stay back. I had the good fortune of staying and talking with Gurunathar on the first trip itself. Our family was very much devoted to Kanchi Periyava and he recently conferred the title “Bhakthi Nataka Sironmani” on me.

On the night, when i stayed in thapovanam i developed severe stomach pain and it was increasing hour by hour. Where to go in the midnight? The doctor is 3 km away at Tirukoyilur. So i prayed Sadguru put some vibhoothi in water drank it rubbed some vibhuthi over my stomach and closed my eyes. In five minutes i had a vision of Gurunathar shining in all glory. It lasted for one or two minutes. In another half an hour my stomach pain was cured.

At 3.30 am after taking bath we went to have the dharshan of Gurunathar. I told my friend what happened last night. He told me that Gurunathar  will be testing you and make you reach heights (Sodhanaiyum seivar, sadhanaiyum padaikka anugraham seyvar).This made me to visit Thapovanam frequently.

I am  a drama artist and now i am going to tell you how Gurunathar helped me in trying times and made it a glorious day. In those days organising a drama troupe is one of the hardest things. That too when the person who acts in your drama is a popular it will be all the more hard. We have to arrange for the Scene set, lights and colour scenes. These things have to be transported to where we are going to perform. For this the vehicle must be in good condition and the workers must also co operate. Then comes the rehearsal. Like this so many things has to be done.

Once we have to perform in Kolar (Kolar gold fields) Karumariamman temple. A good crowd was expected for the drama as Cine actor Sri Srikanth (of Vennira Aadai fame) is acting. He told us that as he has shooting on that day he will come straight to Kolar on completion of the shooting. We were waiting for him. He has not turned up. It was 7 pm. The time was running and it was 9 pm and still there was no sign of Sri Srikanth. The temple authorities were worried as the crowd is getting restive. They started asking us will Sri Srikanth will come or not. I prayed Gurunathar and told them don’t worry. He will surely come and the drama will go on. It was 10.00 pm and the organisers looked worried and it showed on their faces. Then i took the plunge. Ok I will start the drama. Sri Srikanth has to come only on 10^th scene. Before that my Gurunathar will see to that he is here. Come on let us start the drama.

We lighted the kuthuvilakku after praying to Gurunathar started the drama. The 7^th scene was going on still there was no sign of the actor. At the time of starting of the 8^th scene there was a commotion outside. We were informed that Sri Srikanth has arrived. My troupe people were worried that it will take some time for Sri Srikanth to put make up. But i felt the dress he was wearing was sufficient. When told he also accepted that and the drama went on. It was received well by the audience.

After completion of the drama, Sri Srikanth felt sorry for the delay and told us that he was in time till Palamaner.But when Kolar was just 30 km away the car developed problems. We tried to start the car. It was very dark where the car stopped with no light. We were trying to repair the car for nearly two hours but in vain. We were worried about how to reach here. Then a car came. There in the car was a Sanyasi with a kavi dress. The driver was asked to stop the car. He inquired us where we have to go and we replied we have to go to Kolar to act in a drama and we were already delayed very much because of our car broke down. Then the sanyasi said don’t worry get in my car i will drop you and that is what happened.

I have staged more than 60 plays, conferred kalaimamani, Navagraha Selvar and “Bhakthi Nataka Sironmani” conferred by Kanchi Mahaperiyava. I sincerely feel all this happened because of our Sadguru.

JAI SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAI

MAGIZHVITHU MAGIZH