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Once, Mahaperiava was returning to SriMatam camp in Brahmins street, after visiting a temple of village deity. With Him were about seven or eight persons, mostly His devotees and helpers.
On the way, there was a small causeway with two feet-high walls on either side.(culvert). On one of those were placed a lot of vegetables, consisting of pumpkin (both the red and white variety), coconut, ’avaraikkaay’, tender coconut, ground nut. Every one was surprised to see them now, while they were not there when they went towards the temple. But, a more and bigger surprise awaited them.
Mahaperiava stopped near the culvert wall. About fifteen feet away, a man ( belonging to the ‘backward community’-----Balu mama calls him ‘ Thirukkulath thiruththondan’ [திருக்குலத் திருத்தொண்டன்]) with folded hands, and expression full of devotion, was standing, with all humility.
Tears were about to roll down his cheeks..
Periava, instead of standing in one place, started to turn around one way and the other(sort of self-pradhakshinam) many times, and was talking to the devotees without any pretext! Yes, some childish blabbers with no connection to that situation!
What was the necessity for that talk? No one understood!
Then He told the devotees to ask that man why he has kept those items there.
“I have kept them for ‘Saami’ only( he was referring to Periava as ‘Saami’). All these were grown in the garden. I saw ‘Saami’ going to the temple. Knowing that He will return this way only, I ran back and brought these from my house. ‘Saami’ will not accept if I offer milk or curd. But ,will accept these, is it not?”----said he.
Periava indicated to His helper to take all of them.
‘ Like Sri Rama accepted what was offered by Guhan( the boatman).He (Rama) was an example, who showed the way! All these vegetables are the offerings to Lord Chandramouleeshwarar tomorrow!’
After about ten steps, He turned around and looked at him for a second. The man was wiping off tears from his eyes!
Periava didn’t speak for the next five minutes.
“Tell me, those who prostrate before me, will they be able to see my back?”
“ No, they can’t”
“What should be done if they want to see the back?”
“They should do ‘pradhakshinam’ of Periava”
A heavy silence for one minute!
“ Otherwise, I should do self-pradhaksinam in front of him… then he can see all sides, isn’t it?”
Everybody was awestruck!
‘Oh! That’s it! All His drama near the culvert was for this, Athma—pradhakshinam! Is it so?’
‘For whom? For which ‘shiva bhaktha’, did He show His Dharsan?’
Yes, for him; that true devotee’
For the devotees, the vegetables were like the fruits Sabari offered to Sri Rama! The white pumpkin was like a ‘Shivalinga’, the ash on it was like the sacred ash!
They reached the camp.
“ He belongs to the Nandhnar hierarchy…”--- saying this, Periava entered inside.
( Those who were witness to this incident, felt very emotional. Because, even heads of states were not known to have had that type of Dharsan. In Periava’s vision, that man was a true ‘Parameshwara Bhaktha’. Is any other qualification required?)
Source------Mahaperiaval Dharsana Anubhavangal-
On the way, there was a small causeway with two feet-high walls on either side.(culvert). On one of those were placed a lot of vegetables, consisting of pumpkin (both the red and white variety), coconut, ’avaraikkaay’, tender coconut, ground nut. Every one was surprised to see them now, while they were not there when they went towards the temple. But, a more and bigger surprise awaited them.
Mahaperiava stopped near the culvert wall. About fifteen feet away, a man ( belonging to the ‘backward community’-----Balu mama calls him ‘ Thirukkulath thiruththondan’ [திருக்குலத் திருத்தொண்டன்]) with folded hands, and expression full of devotion, was standing, with all humility.
Tears were about to roll down his cheeks..
Periava, instead of standing in one place, started to turn around one way and the other(sort of self-pradhakshinam) many times, and was talking to the devotees without any pretext! Yes, some childish blabbers with no connection to that situation!
What was the necessity for that talk? No one understood!
Then He told the devotees to ask that man why he has kept those items there.
“I have kept them for ‘Saami’ only( he was referring to Periava as ‘Saami’). All these were grown in the garden. I saw ‘Saami’ going to the temple. Knowing that He will return this way only, I ran back and brought these from my house. ‘Saami’ will not accept if I offer milk or curd. But ,will accept these, is it not?”----said he.
Periava indicated to His helper to take all of them.
‘ Like Sri Rama accepted what was offered by Guhan( the boatman).He (Rama) was an example, who showed the way! All these vegetables are the offerings to Lord Chandramouleeshwarar tomorrow!’
After about ten steps, He turned around and looked at him for a second. The man was wiping off tears from his eyes!
Periava didn’t speak for the next five minutes.
“Tell me, those who prostrate before me, will they be able to see my back?”
“ No, they can’t”
“What should be done if they want to see the back?”
“They should do ‘pradhakshinam’ of Periava”
A heavy silence for one minute!
“ Otherwise, I should do self-pradhaksinam in front of him… then he can see all sides, isn’t it?”
Everybody was awestruck!
‘Oh! That’s it! All His drama near the culvert was for this, Athma—pradhakshinam! Is it so?’
‘For whom? For which ‘shiva bhaktha’, did He show His Dharsan?’
Yes, for him; that true devotee’
For the devotees, the vegetables were like the fruits Sabari offered to Sri Rama! The white pumpkin was like a ‘Shivalinga’, the ash on it was like the sacred ash!
They reached the camp.
“ He belongs to the Nandhnar hierarchy…”--- saying this, Periava entered inside.
( Those who were witness to this incident, felt very emotional. Because, even heads of states were not known to have had that type of Dharsan. In Periava’s vision, that man was a true ‘Parameshwara Bhaktha’. Is any other qualification required?)
Source------Mahaperiaval Dharsana Anubhavangal-