Saints and preceptors arrive on earth regularly, especially during times of stress, in order to guide man on how to lead a simple but effective life of virtue. Sri Chandrasekharendra Mahaswamigal, the 68th Pontiff of Kanchi Math (Kanchi Kamakoti Peetathipathi), was one such, said P. Swaminathan in a discourse.
Born in 1894 in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, the only saint to have the sobriquet of Maha (Periyava), is renowned for traversing the entire nation in order to carry his message of leading a life of goodliness and godliness to people struggling to make ends meet in the remotest parts. Shunning the palanquin, he chose to walk everywhere, like a true hermit. Many of his rich devotees aspired to present him with a car. Once, when the saint was camping in Madurai, the then temple trustee of Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, who was also a political bigwig there, simply bought a new car and parked it outside the camp, confident he could persuade the saint to drive to Meenakshi Amman temple. Naturally, the more powerful mind prevailed, and the Madurai politician walked alongside the pontiff to the temple.
An ascetic from a very young age, he became the Math head when only 13 years. Very well versed in scriptures, he was also endowed with worldly wisdom, making it easy for devotees to gain knowledge and clarity through their interactions with him. He gathered hordes of devotees within a short span of time, from all the world and from all walks of life. Fluent in many languages, he had a good grounding in world affairs and could hold forth on any topic, be it material or spiritual. Such was his yogic power that a number of devotees soon began to seek him out for help when their loved ones fell ill; and Maha Periyava pulled off quite a few miracles. His Brindavan in Kanchi Math continues to attract devotees who place their requests to him, strong in the belief that he continues to look out for the ordinary man.
Published – December 27, 2024 05:10 am IST
