Thread by @anbezhil12

#MahaPeriyava
The Sage of Kanchi
Author: Shri A.R.Lakshmi Narayanan, Chennai
Source: Moments of a lifetime

I cannot explain why, but I had the sudden overwhelming urge to see the Sage. However, I had learnt the previous day that the Vice-President of India, Honourable Sri

Shankar Dayal Sharma was to visit Kanchipuram that day. That morning, as I sat for my prayers, I wondered how I would get to see the Sage, with the Vice President there. As I closed my eyes in prayer, the sage appeared in my vision. At about 7 pm, that evening, I entered

Sri Matam with my family. I stood bare-footed, against the wall between the two rooms. One was the room where Pooja to the Lord Sri Chandramouleeswarar is performed by the Sage every morning. We were waiting very anxiously and eagerly for the arrival of the Sage for the

Rathothsavam and the opportunity to see him up close. Then came the sage, staff in hand, hardly ten feet from the entrance. He stood at the corner to turn left, when a person of Sri Matam came holding high in the right hand, a thambalam full of fruits with his hands, turned left,

and walked away. I was immensely happy that in a few moments I was going to see the sage from close. He walked through and to my utter surprise and joy, the sage suddenly stopped. Facing me, from about 10 feet away, he pointed out to me and his assistant said, “Lakshmi Narayanan

Swami”. I could not believe my ears. My arms folded at the waist were tucked in to the armpit, in high reverence to him. As I stood frozen in awe and wonder, the sage stood in silence before me, his head tilted to his right, gazing at me, staff in hand, as if telling me, “you

have been restless to see me since morning. Now you have seen me, is that alright?” Then he walked on.

Even today, it is quite a wonder and mystery as to how the sage knew my name and the restless yearning that I had experienced since that morning to get his darshan. As he

always observed total silence in those days, it is also a wonder and mystery as to how he communicated my name to assistant and silently expressed his understanding to me, of my desire to see him. The science and technology of this century cannot explain the phenomenon as to how

the sage had known my name without any previous encounter with him and how, despite his observance of total silence, transmitted his knowledge of my name to his assistant, by uttering it at that moment.

Sarvam Sri Krishnarpanam 🙏🏻