Experiences with Maha Periyava: For this Sanyasi, perform the Thirukalyanam for the Ninth time!

This is an incident that happened many years ago. It was evening time. There was a large crowd in Kanchi SriMatham waiting for darshan of Sri Maha Periyava. Periyava came out of His room. He came to the stage where He usually sat and seated Himself leaning on the wall.

One by one the people came before Him, prostrated to Him and appealed to Him with earnest prayers to solve their problems. Maha Periyava gave them suitable answers, blessed them and gave them prasadam.

It was eight thirty at night and all the people had gone after darshan. Periyava was about to get back to His room. A dampati (couple) came hurrying up. Behind them rushed a young girl. All the three of them prostrated to Paramacharya. Then they took out the articles they had brought from four 'big shopper' bags, spread them out on the large cane plates that were seen near them, and submitted them to the sage.

Acharyal looked at the cane plates for some time. They were filled with sugar lumps, cashews, pistachio nuts, almonds, dry grapes and dates. Surprised, Swamiji looked at the people who brought them and happiness ran through His face lines.

Adede! It's our Viswanathan! When did you come from America? Has your wife also come...? Besh, besh! Very glad. Is everyone fine? Endappa, why have you brought such a lot of cashews and dry fruits? Any good news of a marriage? Here, standing by your side, isn't she your daughter? Oho... you have fixed her marriage! Why, Viswanathaa, there is no marriage invitation on any of these plates?" Periyava asked.

That was it. The three of them fell at Acharyal's feet, sobbing loudly, as if a torrent was released and a flood of water gushed forth.

Maha Periyava could not understand. He checked himself and asked with affection, "Why Viswanatha... did I say something inappropriate? You people are sobbing like children?"

Immediately Viswanathan patted his cheeks loudly and said hastily, "Shiva, Shiva! Apacharam! Apacharam! Nothing of that kind, Periyava. The moment you asked, “Arranged your daughter's wedding, where is the invitation?” the three of us couldn't contain our sorrow, Periyava! She is now twenty five years old. We are trying, since her seventeenth year, coming over from America and staying here for two months. Not a single varan (proposal) has cropped up.

Periyava! Somehow the chance slips by. She is educated. Has got beauty. We have money. With all these things, there is no luck!" He started crying again.

It was nine thirty at night. Acharyal understood the situation. He thought of easing the tension that prevailed. "It is alright, don't feel sad. Come and sit here, all the three of you!" He pointed to the floor opposite Him.

The three people sat meekly. Acharyal started speaking: "Viswanatha! I know that you are doing plenty of daana dharma for temples/ponds and the poor and destitute. Such a mental agony for you! Alright, how many years is it since you went and settled in America?"

"Twenty years, Periyava" replied Viswanathan.

Periyava pointed to the girl. "She is your eka putri (only daughter)?" He asked smilingly, "What is her name?"

Closing his mouth, Viswanathan replied, "Her name is Aparna. Yes, my only daughter, Periyava."

"Did you show her horoscope to the jyotishikahs?"

"Checked with a number of astrologers, Periyava. Every one of them talks about some dosha or other. They also suggest remedies. I have done everything they recommended!"

"What are the things you did?" asked Acharyal inquisitively.

"I did Pitru dosha parihara with tila homam at Rameswaram. Then Shukra preeti at Kanchanur, Rahu preeti at Tirunageswaram, Guru Preeti at Alangudi. Special puja at Tirumananjeri near Kuttralam. Shani preeti at Tirunallar with a bath in the Nala Tirtham... I did so many of such things, Periyava!" said Viswanathan.

Before he could finish, Swamiji clinched it with the words, "So you say it is a lack of phala prapti." Abruptly Periyava said to Viswanathan's wife, "You have got the jewels ready for your daughter's marriage?"

"Everything is ready, Periyava", she replied.

"Besh, besh! How many sovereigns (of gold) are you giving her?"

Viswanathan replied, "Thirty sovereigns for our daughter, Periyava. In addition, we have made two separate sets of jewels worth twenty sovereigns each."

"What for are those two separate sets of twenty sovereigns?"

"It is like this Periyava. If Aparna's marriage is fixed, along with that marriage, we have decided to perform the marriages of two poor girls, meeting all the expenses. Which is why the two separate sets of jewels. But then Aparna's marriage itself is not getting fixed,

Periyava!" Viswanathan expressed his longing, tears brimming up in his eyes.

Periyava slipped into some serious thinking. It was ten thirty at night. Then He asked Viswanathan, "Within how many days should you people return to America?"

"Twenty days more, Periyava."

"Besh, besh," Periyava was happy. "Have you people have finished your dinner?"

"Not yet", said Viswanathan.

Periyava sent word for the cook and asked him when he showed up, "What is available?"

"Rice uppuma and pumpkin sambar", said the cook.

Swamiji asked Viswanathan's family to go the kitchen and have their food. He waited until they came back. It was eleven in the night then. He looked at Viswanathan affectionately. "Viswanathaa, you have a noble heart! With your daughter's marriage, you are ready and waiting with jewels for performing dharmic marriages for two other girls. What a broad mind you have! Kamakshi will guard you". Swamiji assuaged him with gentle words.

He then said, "Do one thing. You go to Tiruvanaikkaval tomorrow morning with your family. There you perform abhisheka aradhanam to Mother Akhilandeswari and Jambukeswarar and pray to them. What you ask of your daughter Aparna is that... there they would have adorned Mother Akhilandeswari with a shining tatangakah (ear ornament) on her ears. Ask your daughter to have a keen darshan of the ornaments without blinking her eyes and praying 'Let me be married soon!’ After doing this--"

Viswanathan interruped Periyava as he said excitedly, "Periyava, our family deity herself is Tiruvanaikkaval Akhilandeswari!"

Periyava said, "Besh! It is a good thing then. So, you go with family tomorrow morning and do this. Then you go straight to Tirupathi. There you perform a Thirukalyana utsavam for Srinivasa Perumal and pray to Him. Everything will turn out well. All these cashews, dry grapes and sugar lumps that you have kept here.... take all those things and offer them to Akhilandeswari." As He said this, Periyava got up.

Viswanathan's family prostrated to Him.

Viswanathan looked at Swamiji and said hesitantly, "Periyava, since the seventeenth year of my daughter Aparna, every year when I came here, I performed Thirukalyana utsavam to Tirumala Srinivasa Perumal. So far, we have have done it eight times, Periyava!"

"Alright Viswanathaa! What is there to lose? Please do it for the ninth time at the request of this Sanyasi! (Sari viswanatha athanala enna koranjuda porathu? Intha sanyasi solrathukaga ombathavathu thadavaiya nadathi vaiyen), Periyava said laughingly and hurried to His room.

In the next two days, Viswanathan's family completed the worship and tatangakah darshan at Tiruvanaikkaval as advised by Paramacharya and reached Tirupathi.

On that day, a number of bhaktas had remitted money to perform Srinivasa Thirukalyanam. There was a large crowd in the marriage hall. Viswanathan's family was sitting in a corner in the centre portion of the hall. The Vaikanasa bhattacharyas were conducting the celestial wedding of Lord Srinivasa chanting vaivahika mantras in a grand manner. Their intonations reached a peak and vibrated throughout the hall.

Viswanathan grieved within his heart thus: 'Appa Srinivasa! Is this your dharma and nyaya? You get your wedding performed every day in such grand manner!

Teaching of Spiritual Values

The speech delivered by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam at the Tiruppavai-Tiruvembavai Conference held at Kancheepuram on Sunday, January 31, 1960.

In recent times, the Nattukottai Nagarathar community served our religion and earned merit by renovating several temples, including those about which our saints have sung praise. This sacred service was undertaken in the past by the Chola Kings. The service done by those kings were continued by these Nattukottai Chettiars. But for them, several of our temples would have gone into ruins. I am telling this not to praise any particular person present in this gathering – I am telling this because by expressing appreciation of the good work done by others, a little of the merit earned by them will attach to us also.

A person who has done a meritorious deed will lose the resulting merit if he listens to the praise of others or himself boasts of his deeds. I am praising the community because those responsible for the renovation of temples and other meritorious deeds are not present here.

How did the community get the incentive to perform such merit-earning deeds? Forty or fifty years ago, it was difficult to find even a single Nattukottai Chettiar without smearing sacred ashes and without wearing a rudraksham around his neck. For that Sri Sundaraswamy, who was living on the banks of the Tambraparani, was responsible. He was a great devotee of Siva and had gained spirituality by his religious observance. There was none to equal him in devotion and performing sacred services. He was responsible for the Kumbhabhishekam of seven temples in Tiruvarur on a single day. Several Gujaratis who had settled down in the Sowcarpet area of Madras City were his disciples and they also used to wear Rudraksha round their neck. This Swami has his Samadhi at Chettinad. The seed of devotion to Siva sown by him grew into a tree and bore fruit.

About 50 years ago, there lived in Koiloor in Chettinad, another equally great Swami, known as Veerappa Swamigal. He was also a person of great devotion and purity of life. But he was subject to fits of anger.If he cursed any person in his anger, it had disastrous effect. So the Nattukottai Chettiars dreaded him. If he directed any person to do a particular service, like renovation of a temple or the starting of a Veda Patasala or the endowment of a choultry, that person implicitly carried out the direction. In that way, through the instrumentality of Veerappa Swami, several temples were renovated, several patasalas started and several choultries founded. The seed of devotional service implanted by Sri Sundaraswamy grew and flourished because of the influence of Veerappa Swamigal.

As I said, this Veerappa Swamigal had one drawback and that was his susceptibility to temper. We pray God that we should have no enemies. But what greater enemy can a person have than anger? Veerappa Swamigal was greatly worried over this drawback and was wondering how he could overcome this internal enemy, temper. Now, this Veerappa Swamigal had a Brahmin companion named Subbaraya Iyer. This Brahmin used to read out to Veerappa Swamigal the Puranas, Nyaya Sastra and other works. Veerappa Swamigal asked this Brahmin whether he had come across in any of the Puranas or temple legends (Sthala Purana) a method to get rid of anger. This Brahmin said that he was acquainted with several Sthala Puranas and there was one particular legend which may be applicable to the Swami.

Now, it is a pity that there is a tendency to dub Sthala Puranas as fiction, invented to exaggerate the importance of each temple. Even some Asthikas (religiously minded persons), fall for this kind of argument and regard these Sthala Puranas as having no particular significance. But the fact is that these Sthala Puranas contain a fund of information and supply many a missing link. The story of a particular event in one Purana may be found amplified in another Purana and the version in a Sthala Purana may confirm and provide evidence for the veracity of this story. That is why great Tamil poets in the past took trouble to sing in Tamil a number of Sthala Puranas written in Sanskrit. In fact, these temple legends will provide particulars establishing close connection, say, between temples in widely separated places like Benares, Mayavaram, and Kuttalam.

The Brahmin mentioned to Veerappa Swamigal the legend associated with the Tirukkoilar temple near Tiruturaipundi. If you go to that temple, you will find the figure of Sage Durvasa facing the deity. The story is that Durvasa worshipped at this temple and got rid of his anger. The figure of Durvasa radiates peace.

Veerappa Swamigal proceeded to this place and through his efforts the temple was renovated, and its tank was repaired. Houses also sprang up all round the temple. The Swamigal himself residence in a hut in the street to the north of the temple. The Swamigal found that the temple lacked a car. So he had a beautiful car made. The artisans who constructed the car desired that before putting it into service, a goat, or at least a fowl, should be offered as sacrifice, so that the car may move smoothly and without interruption. Veerappa Swamigal who was opposed to such a sacrifice, directed that the car should be dragged without any such offering. On the appointed day, the deity was placed inside the decorated car and the people of the place dragged the car. After moving a short distance, the car came to a stop and would not budge an inch in spite of the best efforts of the devotees. They came to the Swami and entreated him to permit an animal sacrifice so that the car may move and return to the starting point.

The Swamigal told them: “If a lamb or a fowl is killed, there would be its mother to weep over it. While you take away one life, you also cause grief to another life. Therefore, it is better that all of you go to the temple and pray with sincerity that the car may move uninterruptedly. If the car does not move even then, and if there is no other way, then I will offer myself to be sacrificed under the wheels of the car, for, there is no relation to shed tears for me.” The devotees prayed to God accordingly and pulled the car again. To the great relief of all, it moved again. When it came opposite his hut, the Swamigal was overwhelmed by this manifestation of divine grace and he stood before the Lord and praised His solicitude for the welfare of these devotees. At the moment, lighted camphor was waved before the deity and Veerappa Swamigal shedding tears of joy, praised the great mercy of God and collapsed dead in the arms of Subbaraya Iyer who was standing behind.

This instance of divine grace and mercy is within the personal knowledge of many people. Even those who treat puranic stories as imagination and fiction cannot deny this incident narrated by me. Veerappa Swamigal conquered his only weakness, temper, and divine grace fell on him and he got freed from future births and deaths.

There is also the story of Mooka Kavi. He was dumb from birth; but obtaining the grace of Sri Kamakshi he burst forth into exquisite poetry. He sang 500 verses in praise of Sri Kamakshi in five satakas of 100 verses each. In the first sataka, known as Arya Sataka, occurs the following verses:



Siva Siva Pasyanti Samam,
Sri Kaamaakshee Kaatahshitaah Purushah
Vipinam Bhavanamimitram Mitram
Loshtom Cha Yuvathi Bimoshtam.”

Great men, blessed by the Kataksha (Grace) of Sri Kamakshi, regard with equal unconcern forest and palace, foe and friend, a piece of stone and the captivating lips of damsels. What a wonder O! Siva O! Siva.

In this verse, the poet indicates the test by which we can find out whether a person has been purified by the benevolent look of the Divine Mother or not. If he has received the grace of the Mother, he will be in a state of mind free from anger, enmity, desire, and fear, and such a man will

🔱 When yāma arrives, smell, jyotis combinations where death is inevitable or can be averted

🦜my neighbour asked about her mother who was ill. We were there on attached balconies. The hora lord painted a bad picture exactly at 7:10 PM. Mustering courage for answer was difficult. It was informed that she should cross the bad hour and then can survive. Her mother left the mortal world exactly at 19:10 hours.
🦜the person was in hospital with multiple organ failure. The doctors told that he will not survive. However, the book says:

Important Lessons

🔱 Is there anything called nyāya or anyāya ? the deeper most learning from 🌞 jyotiśa, Rāvaṇa, Pending karmas, gulikādī gṛha

🦜 If there is something called Destiny and if all our karmas are taken into account, then the question of justice or injustice does not arise.
🦜What people call injustice or adharma or bad happenings is basically their own karmas bouncing back.
🦜What people called justice is basically their own karmas bouncing back.
🦜You can never learn what injustice you did to others, because if you learn that,

Does fate change ? How marriage, death and birth are predestined even with electional time. Destiny and Karma. Jyotiśa and incidents

There is a trend for fixing muhurta, fixing electional time for birth etc. but the problem is that even this change is a part of destiny. In certain areas destiny is not easy to change or it requires lot of time to change that. Here are some Real life incidents to show the power of destiny and karma.
1- Was teaching in 2007 and one horo. was taken from class. The 7th lord was in sandhi, Mars was placed with Saturn

#Jupiter #ketu Good and bad aspects of this combination, past birth deeds, Vāstu results. Rare secrets

1-2 planets can combine within 30 degree, 4 pada of each nakshatra, 12 signs, multiple anśa etc. These are millions of combinations. Do not ask what is going to happen in which rāśi. Just read the root of planets and signs. Jyotiśa is combination vidhyā. It is will amusing to consider a single combination giving every result.
2- Jupiter is expansion, knowledge, sastra, brahmin, plantain, ripe jackfruit, elephant, horse, large vehicle, procession

The DNA deity or the Kuladevtā , why it is important ? Jyotiśa combinations
Difference between iṣṭha and kula ḍevtha, 1st, 2nd & 3rd layer of protection , what happens when you change religion ?

1- The deity that has been worshipped through centuries in your kula or clan is called kuladevtā. It is someone very close to clan and one who is treated more like a family member. It becomes stronger with each successive generation. They can be anyone right from ṇagas to very supreme deities. During change of religion these deities are left aloof. However

Purpose of Jyotiśa, duḥkhatraya and ṣaṭ ripu, planets and impact with examples. Devi Baglāmukhi.

The primary purpose of jyotiśa enquiry is to find out the cause of suffering or duḥkha. All other reasons come back to this purpose. So what is duḥkha?

According to sāṃkhya kārikā:

दुःखत्रयाभिघाताज् जिज्ञासा तदप१घातके हेतौ ।
दृष्टे सापार्था चेन् नैकान्तात्यन्ततोऽभावात् ॥ १॥

We are confronted with the three kinds of sufferings, so there is a desire to know the means of its removal (where Jyotiśa is a good tool). And if it is argued that

How modern nakshatra interpretation are faulty ?

The following is the horoscope of a great saint. Now see the standard interpretation for nakshatra ashlesha

Jataka    Parijata: 86. If a person be born under the star (Aslesha) - i.e. when the Moon is in that asterism, he will be silly; betraying ingratitude by his speech, of hasty temper and depraved.

If you directly apply the principle then everything will be wrong.

Modern pseudo theory- Chandra in Ashlesha sicklier with various faults in great intensity. Whoever would have his or her karmapathi

भस्म और श्री शनि देव , त्रिपुन्ड क्या है , शनि और सत्व

हमारे पूर्वज भस्मी से बर्तन साफ़ करते थे | श्री शनि देव जो श्री यमराज के भ्राता हैं यही भस्म हैं (अंत में हमारा काया भी भस्मीभूत होती है ) | श्री शनि दशा में गोचर में इसी भस्म के समान आपके अंतर्मन की कलुषता को साफ़ करते हैं | इस दशा , साढ़े साती इत्यादि में जो आपसे छीन लिया जाता है , जिसके लिए आप रोते हैं और कुंठित होते हैं , वो वास्तव में आपके पाप हैं जिसे भस्म रुपी श्री शनि आप से अलग कर देते हैं , ताकि आप फिर से नए बर्तन की तरह चमक सकें |
इसी भस्म को जब बार तपाया जाता है तो ये श्वेत हो जाती

Direction based lagna and a hidden Praśna, Why too much talking, discussions is against the basic rules of jyotiśa , Time of resolution

There are multiple lagna that we use in Praśna including svarṇa (gold), ṭamboola (beetle leaf), Kavadi, akṣara, Pushpa (flower) lagna, touched body parts etc. In jyotiśa session, it is important that the questioner abstains from talking or any kind of formal conversation (which is the most usual mistake done by questioner). It is more of a divine Ādesha which does not require any kind of talking. A real

How true predictions are related to horoscope. Second house and relations with other houses.

Exact predictions are dependent on many factors. Second house, 2nd house lord, Mercury (ṇaisargika Karka) & planets like Jupiter and Venus.
· The 5th house (mental perception) from 2nd (speech) is (6th house). It represents six enemies. Lust, anger, greed etc.
· If you cannot control them your idea for speech will be afflicted with lust, anger etc. Your prediction will be afflicted and predictions will not work.
· The 8th (loss) from 2ndis 9th house (dharma,

🦜 Divinity and Sädhana of mind, Pitfalls in Sädhana & jyotiśa

🦜 Ṃuhurta, dates, eclipses and transits, days of the week, planets and their motions are not important in real devotion for God. Devotion is not based on mind.
🦜 Sadhna or practise with mind, will give you headache, anger and frustration. You need to control the mind, it is not an instrument for controlling devotion. It need to be subdued for proper devotion.
🦜 You cannot change fate by deciding ṃuhurta, transits or weekdays. It is utter stupidity at its best. It is also not

Results of purchasing a divine land for abode, how a land and abode can bring disaster. Using pāñcaanga elements in predictions

Praśna asked by a lady from a powerful family of Gujarat.

Pañcāṅga elements:

· Sūrya hora- Sun strong in śadbala but weak in position. Sun is king who is weak in current position which was true.
· Viṣṭi karaṇa- problems from ferocious deities. First signal.
· Ayushman yoga- good health and longevity can be achieved with remedies.
· Saptami ruled by Indra/Sun- Second charan of kanya rāśi is not afflicted so tithī

What should you do when you do not have a Guru ?

Many people, birds and animals are my Guru. However, there is no Guru in person. According to sastras one should worship Sri Dakṣiṇamūrti and Sri Ḍattatreya as Guru. You can also worship saints like Sri Periyava, Sri Ramana, Sri Ramakrishna or Shri Neemkaroli Baba.Sri
For worship one can recite Sri Dakṣiṇamūrti strotram daily or just remember him with heart visualizing him through Dhyāna mantra and pic. Then one should offer flowers, ḍeepa, dhupa and gaṃdha etc. in visual manner. This manas

Signs of Frightful Kaliyuga & the birth of Śrī kalki avatāra

Śrī kalki avatāra, is said to be the tenth avatar of śrī Vishnu who would incarnate to end of Kaliyuga when there would be excessive sins. Signs of Kaliyuga mentioned in these books:
· Wild animals roaming on streets and in human colonies
· Decline of harvest
· Kasi will be contaminated
· Gods, brahmins and Gurus will be ill-treated by humans.
· Actors will become politicians.
· Due to bad deeds diseases which have not been discovered by doctors will appear suddenly.
· Ganga will be polluted

Are directions bad or good in Vāstu ? The myths & the reality

📷No direction is considered bad or good in Vāstu except for ordinal ones (NE, SE etc).
📷 the directions in Vāstu are associated to varna which in turn is associated to planets in your vedīc chart.
📷Bad daśa and malefic planets will compel you to live in direction opposite to your varna. For example, a kshatriya living in brahmin direction will always be in problem and so on.
📷No direction has associated bad or good results as been written and composed by modern Vastuśastra.

Jyotiśa directions and results, Yama lord and the stunning questions

It was a Friday, during the seventh yāma of Ṃithuna. She was 25 to 30 years of age and was all dandy, Wearing a red kurta. She must have been recently married. However, she sat in direction of SE. See how Venus and Mars are in Gemini.
First question- Did you have a love marriage ? (I could not be that indecent that I put my second question at first place)
Answer- no
Second question- Then who are you having affair with ?
The colours of her face vanished; the smile faded. I touched

Powers of Mantra- A foreigner contacted for divine guidance. Was stuck in another country without money, job. In severe depression and was planning suicide (March 2020). A mantra was shared after seeing bādhā in chart. First day she lost consciousness but she was persistent with chanting. Nov 2020- She was back in her country, very happy. Tried to payback which was not the required.

Case-2- She worked for NASA. Went to England for some research. Got a beautiful house for rent at a very cheap price. She was sharing it with another person who

The abhicār on a Goddess , The Ṇagas, and a roaming spirit.

The question was about a land. There was an issue related to some ancestral property and it was not being sold.
Casted the Praśna with usual methods and

According to the Praśna, the property should be east facing with slopes in East and South. There will be a Devi temple near the property. This Devi is the tutelary deity of that place. The property might had a house in past which would have been demolished.

There should be a hospital or some medical centre, which should be a bit far

आस्था और प्रेम .. श्री राधा रानी जी और उद्धव जी ..

भगवान पे केवल विश्वास रखने वालों को बहुधा कष्ट होता है क्योंकि भगवान् अक्सर आपकी नियती के अनुसार काम करते हैं | ये नियती अधिकतर व्यक्ति के पक्ष में नहीं होती और उसके साथ बहुत बार बुरा भी होता है , तो भक्त का विश्वास भगवान् से हट जाता है | परन्तु जिसे ईश्वर से प्रेम है उसको कोई असर नहीं होता | वो तो प्रेमी है , भगवान् कर्म फल देता रहता है और वो कर्म फल भोगता रहता है | आवश्यक नहीं की प्रेमी को भगवान् पे विश्वास हो ; वो तो सिर्फ पगले के तरह प्रेम करता है | ये विश्वास तो सौदा है और ईश्वर से सौदा नहीं