[Chaturamnaya] His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati - 11

[S Jayanarayanan]

 http://svbf.org/journal/vol8no1/2006_10_swamigal.pdf
 
 
Tour of South
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The Swami then came to Satyamangalam in
Coimbatore district, where there is a spacious
matha belonging to Sringeri Peetham. Here he
performed the Chaturmasya and then proceeded to
Gobichettipalayam.
 
A wealthy Mudaliar wished to install the
image of Lord Subramanya in the shrine he had
built and prayed that the consecration of the deity
be conducted under the guidance of the Swami.
 
The practice in the southern districts is to
conduct the consecration and the daily service in
the shrines in accordance with Agama, and not
Vaidika methods. The Swami wished to make a
departure f rom this and had the consecration
performed according to Vaidika prescriptions (vide
Baudhaana-Grihya-sutra for the details of vaidika
pratishtha). After the consecration, he himself
went to the shrine and infused special efficacy in
the image by his own prayers and offerings and
arranged that worship in the shine should be
performed in the Vaidic style.
 
At Aiyampalayam, at the request of a
wealthy landlord, he laid the foundation stone for
a Dandayudhapani shrine.
 
He then proceeded to Kozhumam, where he
observed the Chathurmasya and conducted the
Navaratri festival at Kadathur.
 
Thence he proceeded to Palani, famed for
its Subramanya shrine on a hill. In Madurai, he
was received and entertained by Raja Setupati of
Ramanathapuram.
 
The Raja requested that the Swami should
halt at Ramanathapuram, his capital, on his return
from Ramesvaram.
 
After a bath at Dhanushkodi, and worship
of the Ramanatha linga at Ramesvaram he came
to Ramanathapuram, where he celebrated
Navaratri.
 
During this festival a thousand sheep used
to be offered to the Goddess attached to the
palace of the Raja. The idea of offering such a
sacrifice was repugnant to the Swami; he was
thinking over the matter, when the Raja himself
came to consult him about the propriety of such
a mode of worship; but it was not the habit of the
Swami to make a pronouncement off-hand in a
matter established by general practice and he said
he would reply the next day.
 
That day he fervently prayed for divine
guidance. He dreamt that night was as simple as
that a woman, in soiled clothing, holding a cup of
drink in one hand and a broomstick in the other
appeared before him and said, "I leave this place"
and immediately after, a Brahmin lady, with
graceful adornments, appeared and said, "I have
come to stay."
 
This dream the Swami interpreted to mean
that the gods favoured the worship of the
Goddess in vaidik or right-handed mode of
worship. By his advice and under his guidance, a
new shrine outside the palace precincts was built,
Sri Chakra, the most efficacious of all yantras, was
consecrated there and the murti of the Goddess
was shifted to this shrine.
 
The Raja arranged for the daily puja here in
vaidik style, for which the Swami deputed two
brahmins from his matha. A village yielding an
annual revenue of Rs.12,000 was set apart for the
maintenance of the shrine.
 
At the earnest entreaty of the prince, the
Swami accepted five villages of the zamin for the
matha at Sringeri.
 
While the Swami was at Ramanathapuram,
the Nattukkottai Chettis, a wealthy community
who by long tradition, have their permanent
residence only between the rivers, the Vaigai in
Madurai District and the Vellar in Pudukkottai
territory, entreated the Swami to pay a visit to
Chettinad and bless them in their homes. The
Swami accordingly started for Chettinad and was
everywhere received in a manner suited to the
wealth of the district. The Chettis placed
Rs.30,000 (a very huge sum in those days) at the
disposal of the Swami for the renovation of the
Sharada shrine at Sringeri, which was undertaken
and completed satisfactorily.
 
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