Kanchi Periyava, Maha Periyava discoursed on various subjects ranging from Vinayagar, Vedas,Vedangas, Advaita Linguistics,Literature,Guru to current and controversial topics like Dowry.
These have been complied by Ra.Ganapathy in his Book ‘தெய்வத்தின் குரல் ‘
I have posted this.(text)
Now audio version with rare photos and Videos of Kanchi Periyavar have come out.
Kanchi Periyavar
In this post I am reproducing some videos where Periyava speaks on .Dowry’ the evil practice of accepting money from the Bride’s parents.
According to Sastras, in the earlier days, the bridegrooms paid money .
‘Vara Dakshinai’ in Sanskrit, which originally meant ‘that which is paid by the Vara(bride groom’ was later misinterpreted as ‘ the one paid by the Girl’!
Periyava explains this concept and condemns this practice with authority in his inimitable earthy style devoid of jargons.
Excerpts from Deivathin Kural by Kanchi Periyavar( compiled by Ra.Ganapathy is being published here with the permission of The Kanchi Mutt.
‘விநாயக மூர்த்தியிலுள்ள ஒவ்வொரு சின்ன சமாசாரத்தைக் கவனித்தாலும் அதில் நிறையத் தத்துவங்கள் இருக்கின்றன. பிள்ளையாருக்குத் தேங்காய் உடைப்பது எதற்காக? விக்நேசுவரர், தம் அப்பாவான ஈசுவரனைப் பார்த்து “உன் சிரசையே எனக்குப் பலி கொடு” என்று கேட்டு விட்டாராம். எல்லாவற்றையும் காட்டிலும் உயர்ந்தது எதுவோ அதைத் தியாகம் பண்ணினால்தான் மகா கணபதிக்குப் ப்ரியம் ஏற்படுகிறது. அவ்வளவு பெரிய தியாகம் பண்ணுவதற்குத் தயார் என்ற அறிகுறியாகத்தான், ஈசுவரனைப்போலவே மூன்று கண்கள் உடைய தேங்காயைச் சிருஷ்டித்து அந்தக் காயை அவருக்கு நாம் அர்ப்பணம் பண்ணும்படியாக ஈசுவரன் அநுக்கிரகித்திருக்கிறார்.
The Mādhavīya Śaṃkaravijayam states that when Adi Shankara was at Sringeri, he met a boy named Giri. Adi Shankara accepted the boy as his disciple. Giri was a hard-working and loyal servant of his Guru, Adi Shankara, though he did not appear bright to the other disciples. One day, Giri was washing his Guru’s clothes, when Adi Shankara sat down to begin a lesson on Advaita Vedanta. He however did not start the lesson saying he was waiting for Giri to come back from his chores and singing lessons. At this, Padmapada pointed to a wall and said that it would be the same if Adi Shankara taught to this dumb object as he taught to Giri. Now, Adi Shankara wanted to reward Giri for his loyalty and devotion. Thus he mentally granted Giri the complete knowledge of all the śāstras (sciences). The enlightened Giri composed extempore the Totakashtakam, a Sanskrit poem in the toţaka metre, in praise of the Guru Adi Shankara. Thus the dumb disciple Giri became Totakacharya. He was thenceforth called Anandagiri. He would later go on to write the celebrated Tika on the Mandukya Karika.
“During the childhood of the Acharya, his father consulted an astrologer who, upon studying the boy’s horoscope, is said to have been so stunned that he prostrated himself before the boy exclaiming that “One day the whole world will fall at his feet”.In 1906, the 66th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham performed the annual Chaturmasyam (a forty-day annual ritual performed by Hindu ascetics while remaining in one place), in a village near Tindivanam in Tamil Nadu. This was Swaminathan’s first exposure to the Math and its Acharya. Later, Swaminathan accompanied his father whenever he visited the Math where the Acharya was deeply impressed by the young boy.
In the first week of February 1907, the Kanchi Kamakoti Math had informed Subramanya Sastrigal that Swaminathan’s first cousin (son of his mother’s sister) was to be installed as the 67th Peetathipathi. The presiding Acharya was then suffering from smallpox and had the premonition that he might not live long. He had, therefore, administered upadesa to his disciple Lakshminathan before he died. Sastrigal being away in Trichinopoly on duty arranged for the departure of Swaminathan with his mother to Kanchipuram. The boy and his mother started for Kalavai (where Lakshminathan was camping) to console his aunt who, while also being a widow, had just given up her only son to be an ascetic. They traveled by train to Kanchipuram and halted at the Sankara Math. By then, Lakshminathan had fallen ill:
I had a bath at the Kumara Koshta Tirtha. A carriage of the Math had come there from Kalavai with the people to buy articles for the Maha Puja on the tenth day of the passing of the previous 66th Acharya. One of them, a hereditary maistry (mason) of the Math, asked me to accompany him. A separate cart was engaged for the rest of the family to follow me. During the journey the maistry hinted to me that I might not return home and that the rest of my life might be spent in the Math itself. At first I thought that my elder cousin having become the Head of the Math, it was his wish that I should live with him. But the maistry gradually clarified matters as the cart rolled on. The acharya had fever which developed into delirium and that was why I was being separated from the family to be taken to Kalavai… I was stunned by this unexpected turn of events. I lay in a kneeling posture in the cart, shocked as I was, repeating “Rama… Rama,” the only prayer I knew. My mother and other children came some time later only to find that instead of her mission of consoling her sister, she herself was placed in the state of having to be consoled
Some of the Gopurams of the Kanchi Kamakshi temple. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt Jayendra Saraswati is caught up in a New Controversy over missing Gold ,83 Kgs., belonging to Kamakshi Amman .
Radhakrishnan ,Auditor of the Mutt had deposed in the Court that a committee under the Chairmanship of A.C.Muthaiah was formed in 2002 to refurbish the Kanchi Kamakshi Temple Vimana, of which Radhakrishnan was a member.
Seventeen kilo- of Gold was collected and 83 kg were imported from abroad.
Total one hundred kg was reported to be kept in locker.
Jayendra Saraswati is reported to have pressurised Radhakrishnan to hand over the Gold to Jayendra Sarawati.
On Radha Krishnan’s refusal,Jayendra Saraswati was reported to have hired Dadas to attack Radha Krishnan,
Jayendrar was reported to have grabbed the gold thereafter.
Elaborating further Radha Krishnan stated that only 17 kg. was used for the temple and the balance 83 kgs.is missing.
One has to await the Court’s verdict.
It may be mentioned that Jayendra Saraswati is facing criminal case in Puduchery for the murder of Sankarara Raman a Mutt Employee.
Another enquiry is on for his attempt to bribe the Judge who was trying his case in Puduchery( read my blog on this)
It may also be mentioned that Jayendra Saraswati left(I think that is the decent expression) a decade back with out the knowledge of Periyavar and caused incalculable hurt to Periyava,
As one who had a ring side view of this sordid episode at Bangalore and ThalaCauvery, I was deeply embarrassed by the snide remarks of the Swamijis of Kailash Ashram, Bangalore about Kanchi Mutt.
I could not answer anything as it was the Tiruchi Swamigal of Kailash Ashram who helped Jayendrar to get accommodation at Thalacauvery and he was one of the few people who urged Jayendrar to return to Kanchi Mutt and desist from hurting the Periyava.
Why can’t Jayendra Saraswati perform his duty as an Ascetic of the Kanchi Mutt?
He seems to be doing every thing other than this,exceptng of course some publicity gimmicks.
He can never go anywhere near Periyava, but he can at least try not to hurt the Periyava even after his shedding His Mortal Frame.
Source: TV 9.
Kanchi Mutt’s Press Release .
At the time of posting the original(being updated on March 13, 2013),the press release was not availabel to me.
I am able to get it and am publishing it.
1.Some explanations, to my mind, are not valid, like the one questioning why Ms.Anuradha rRmanan kept quiet for 12 years,as itself would make her a liar.
I know her personally , she was a very pious woman dedicated to the Kanhchi Mutt.
The case is pending on other issues, cell phone,Sankar Raman murder,etc.
Let the Truth come out.
The charge by Sankara Raman that 100 kgs of gold were imported to make a gold chariot for Kanchi Kamakshi deity. and only 35 kgs were used while the remaining went missing, was re-iterated by the police in the high court for probe.
Here are the facts.
Sri. Adi Sankarar Swarna Vimana Trust with registered office at VHS Campus, Chennai 600 113 was entrusted with the Gold cladding work of Sri Adi Sankarar Vimanam, Sri Kamakshi Ambal Vimanam and Simha Vahanam. The board of trustees of this trust comprised of eminent persons. The gold cladding work was done on copper sections by the conventional methods of beating gold strips into foils and pasting the gold foils over mercury base, heating and polishing. The entire gold plating work was completed and handed over to the authorities of Sri Kamakshi Ambal Devasthanam, Kanchipuram as per the details given below.
The trust imported 85.31 kgs of Gold (and not 100 kgs as alleged) comprising of Gold bars 71.31 kgs, Biscuits 14.00 kgs.
This was used as follows:
1. Sri Adi Sankarar Vimanam 21.875 kgs
2. Sri Kamakshi Ambal Vimanam – upper portion 5.996 kgs
3. Sri Kamakshi Ambal Vimanam – lower portion 41.411 kgs
4. Sri Kamakshi Ambal Kavacham 7.495 kgs
5. Rajagopuram Kalasam 3.932 kgs
6. Simha Vahanam 4.430 kgs
Total 85.139 kgs
The balance gold of 171 gms has been duly accounted.
The full description of the various kanikkais together with the receipt numbers are recorded in the register maintained by the temple trust. These accounts have been verified by the HR&CE department of the government from time to time.
Sankar Raman Issue. ?!
First. Sankara Raman was never an employee of the Mutt as it is made out to be. He was an employee of a temple in Kanchipuram at the time of his death. Sankara Raman wrote several letters to His Holiness over the last several years accusing the Swamiji and several others of various acts of omission and commission, to put it mildly.
He marked copies of several of his letters to the CM, the leader of the opposition , HRCE Department and several other prominent citizens and devotees. Every one just ignored the letters as those of a disgruntled black mailer who was threatening to ‘expose’ the two Swamijis & The Mutt. These letters were being freely circulated by Sankara Raman. In one of his letters he claims that he was a man of average means and that ‘some kind hearted man’ was paying for the mass copying and postage of the letters.
We cannot speculate as to why he was killed or who was involved. The only thing we believe unequivocally, is that His Holiness is being falsely implicated in this. =|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
9. Who is Radhakrishnan? What is his relationship with the Mutt? Why was he attacked? Who attacked him? Why is the Swamiji implicated in this?
Radharishnan is a former associate of the Mutt, and has his own business. In 1994 when it was discovered that he was involved in a malicious defamation campaign against the Mutt, he was relieved of his services. He was one of the trustees of the Sri. Adi Sankara trust, for the golden chariot for Kamakshi Amman. The case about an attack on Radhakrishnan is 2 years and 3 months old. In the FIR filed in this case neither the Mutt nor Swamiji were mentioned.
As far as I know no body attacks the Karachi;they point out information regarding the individuals.
Being men of The Holy Order and one holds a position of Trust and representing a Great Religion, it is essential that the accusations are disproved, instead of pleading injured innocence.
No body even dares to dream of leveling such a charge against the Periyavar.
Accusing people of bad faith only confirms suspicions.
There have been a lot of Sages, we hear, in the Puranic Age.
The Compassion,Discipline,Self-Denial and Simple Living of these Sages are so unbelievable that one tends to dismiss them as a figment of imagination.
But, as if to prove ourselves totally wrong ,there comes a time when Sages of such Nature appear.
Along with Sri Ramana Maharishi.His Holiness Sri Chandra Sekarendra Saraswati of Kanchi Mutt is one who can give us a glimpse into the world of Sages and their Compassion.
Like Ramana, Periyavar/Periyava(Elder/Great Man), as Sri Chandra Sekara Saraswati is fondly called, was not a Man of Miracles.
He always had time for the poor and the distressed.
For him,a piece of Gold or a piece of tin were the same, as Lord Krishna proclaims as the characteristic of a Stiththa Pragna( Man who is anchored in Reality).
He was learned beyond words.
Astronomy,Astrology,The Vedas,Modern Science, Archaeology,History,Sociology,History of The World,Numismatics,The Bible, The Koran,Zend-Avesta,- you name it, he can put any scholar to shame.
Yet he will seek clarification from people as if he knows nothing.
I am reminded of Sri.Ramana Maharishi of Tirivannamalai.
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Sir Arthur Osbourne, the Maharishi‘s biographer recalls an incident.
Osbouune asked Ramana, whether what He teaches is The Advaita of Sri Sankaracharya.
Bhagwan replied ‘I am expressing what I have felt. Learned people like you tell me that it is like what Sankara said.I do not know’!
The same humility was evident with the Periyavar.
Osbourne records an instance concerning The Periyavar.
Arthur Osbourne came to India in search of Sages/Realized Souls, seeking knowledge.
He toured the length and breadth of India and could find none.
Some one informed hm of Ramana Maharishi.
Osbourne went to Sri Ramanasramam,Tiruvannamalai.
Bhgagwan Ramana Maharishi never tried to convert people into his line of thinking.
( His normal refrain was ‘ if you are hungry,you have to eat; I can not eat for you;I can not do any thing,If you want to realize God, you have to attempt)
Osboune sat among the group of people in front of Sri Ramana.
Ramana did not even look at him.much less to talk to him.
Osbourne was disillusioned.
He thought of Ramana Maharishi as a Charlatan and he left.
While leaving Tiruvannamali he chanced upon travelling with the Periyavar.
While travelling, Periyavar casually observed ‘ you have come to India in search of a Guru.
You are not satisfied.You have seen Ramana. You think he is a charlatan.Ramana is your Guru, you will return to England and come back to Ramana’
Osbourne came back and became an ardent Disciple of Ramana Maharishi and published Ramana’s Biography and edited ‘The Mountain Path‘ till his death’
Periyavar was one whose intuition and compassion knows no bound.( I am using the present tense as he showering his Blessings even now, though he left his physical frame)
I shall be posting a few instances.
Now I am posting a Video about the Kanchi Periyavar by Suki.Sivam , well-known Speaker.
Jagadguru Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal (Tamil: சந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி சுவாமிகள்) (May 20, 1894 – January 8, 1994) or theSage of Kanchi was the 68th Jagadguru in the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. He is usually referred to as Paramacharya or Mahaswami or Maha Periyavaal.
Maha Periyavaal was born on 20 May 1894, under Anuradha star according to the Hindu calendar, into a Kannadiga SmarthaHoysala Karnataka Brahmin family in Viluppuram, South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu as Swaminatha. He was the second son of Subramanya Sastri, a District Education Officer. The child was named Swaminatha, after the family deity, Lord Swaminatha of Swamimalai, near Kumbakonam. Swaminatha began his early education at the Arcot American Mission High School at Tindivanam, where his father was working. He was an exceptional student and excelled in several subjects.[citation needed] In 1905, his parents performed his Upanayanam, a Vedic ceremony which qualifies a Brahmin boy to begin his Vedic studies under an accomplished teacher.[citation needed]
Incidents leading to Sainthood
During the childhood of the Acharya, his father consulted an astrologer who, upon studying the boy’s horoscope, is said to have been so stunned that he prostrated himself before the boy exclaiming that “One day the whole world will fall at his feet”.In 1906, the 66th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peethamperformed the annual Chaturmasyam (a forty-day annual ritual performed by Hindu ascetics while remaining in one place), in a village near Tindivanam in Tamil Nadu. This was Swaminathan’s first exposure to the Math and its Acharya. Later, Swaminathan accompanied his father whenever he visited the Math where the Acharya was deeply impressed by the young boy.
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