Thread by @anbezhil12

#MahaPeriyava
Sri Maha Periyava was running a high temperature. His chest was congested with phlegm. Vengudi Doctor usually attended on Periyava and prescribed medication. This time Periyava did not take his medicines. The fever did not subside nor did the phlegm decrease.

A lady who came regularly for darshan arrived. Seeing Periyava’s condition, she had made a paste of saffron on the stone used for grinding sandal paste and then heating it to the right temperature and brought it. Periyava was then seated inside the mena (palanquin). The lady

offered the costly medicine reverentially. Taking it casually as if it were a common object, Periyava placed the leaf-cup in a corner of the mena. Sri Kamakshiamman was then arriving outside SriMatham in the ceremonial procession down the streets.
“Kamakshi has arrived in front

of the Matha. Why don’t you go for darshan?”
The lady went out on Sri Maha Periyava’s suggestions. No sooner did the lady go out than a young peasant-woman came in. It needed no insight to know that she was very poor. She carried a baby, which was struggling to breathe due to a

severe chest congestion.”The baby has a bad cold I am not able to buy medicines Sami must give me some Vibhuti.” prayed the mother, almost in tears. Periyava picked up the leaf cup hurriedly and gave it to the young woman and instructed her to take it home and apply it on the

baby’s forehead twice or thrice during the course of the day. The woman left at once. Even as she did so Periyava issued another instruction. “The dust from the roads may fall into the medicine. Take it home carefully covered with your cloth!” The very next minute, he took some

kumkum which was there in the mena, and mixing a little water with it applied it on his forehead as if it were a poultice made from saffron.
The lady who had brought the saffron paste for Periyava came back after Kamakshi’s darshan and stood near the mena. There was a red paste

on Periyava’s forehead. Iswara! Periyava has accepted the saffron paste I brought and has applied it on his forehead! The lady was very happy and came back the next day.
“The phlegm has reduced and the fever has gone down because of your saffron poultice.”
The lady was deeply

moved. Periyava did not say, “My phlegm decreased because of your saffron” After all her medicine had been useful. Besides, what other occasion could have been more suitable to acknowledge and praise the lady’s sincere devotion? But the attendants who were witness to this divine

sport knew that the expensive saffron-flower removed the distress of the child of a poor family, for such divine secrets fell to the share of their experience.

Narrated by SriMatham Balu Mama
Source: Maha Periyaval Darisana Anubhavangal
Sarvam Sri Krishnarpanam 🙏🏻