Vasanth Kumar 🇮🇳

#Mahaperiyava Once, a young bachelor visited Kanchi Mahaswami to seek His blessings. After offering his prostrations, he stood up. Looking at him closely, Mahaswami asked, “You are Sankaran from Kulithalai, aren’t you? How are you?” “By your blessings, I am doing well, Periyava!” replied Sankaran. “All right. How old are you now?” asked the Swami. “Thirty, Periyava,” he replied. Immediately, Mahaswami smiled and said, “So, you have decided to remain a bachelor throughout your life without getting married, have you?” “Yes, Periyava,” answered Sankaran. “Fine, fine! Is there any special reason for your visit today? You wouldn’t come all this way without some purpose!” said the Swami with a smile. Sankaran replied, “Yes, Periyava! I have come to get a doubt that has been troubling me clarified before I leave.” “Is that so? Tell me, tell me! What is this great doubt of yours?” asked Mahaswami. “It concerns mantra japa, Periyava,” said Sankaran. Immediately, the Swami asked with keen interest, “Mantra japa? Are you practising mantra japa yourself?” “Yes, Periyava!” “Oh! Have you received mantra initiation?” “Yes, Periyava.” “Who was your Guru?” “Mysore Yagnanarayana Ganapadigal,” replied Sankaran. “Excellent! He is a very learned scholar. Which mantra were you initiated into?” asked the Swami. Before Sankaran could answer, Mahaswami interrupted him. “Wait, wait! You must not reveal the mantra itself. It must remain a secret with you. Just tell me which deity the mantra is dedicated to.” Sankaran replied, “It is the Moola Mantra associated with the worship of Lord Hanuman, Periyava.” “All right! What is your doubt regarding the japa of this Moola Mantra?” “Periyava, I received this mantra when I was twenty-three. Since then, I have been performing the japa diligently, following all the prescribed rules. It has been seven years, but I have not experienced anything at all,” said Sankaran. “What do you mean by saying you have not experienced anything?” asked the Swami in surprise. Sankaran explained with sadness, “Periyava, I simply do not know whether the mantra has attained siddhi or not!” Without the slightest hesitation, Mahaswami asked, “Even if you came to know that now, what would you do with that information? Let that aside for a moment. “Tell me, are you performing the japa for spiritual fulfilment, or are you doing it with some specific desire in mind?” Sankaran replied humbly, his eyes filling with tears. “I am doing it purely for spiritual fulfilment, Periyava. Even so, I do not understand how I can know whether the mantra has attained siddhi and whether I have received the grace of the deity. I pray that only you can explain this to me.” With affection, the Swami replied, “Whether a mantra has attained siddhi or not is something that the practitioner can come to understand through personal experience. Only the person who performs the japa and worship will know this when the appropriate time comes, Sankara!” But Sankaran was still not satisfied. “No, Periyava! I have not experienced anything of that kind so far. I cannot understand anything. I have simply continued the japa for seven years, exactly as instructed by my Guru. I am unable to know whether the mantra has attained siddhi or not. Sometimes, my mind becomes very weary, Periyava. If there is some way to know this directly, please tell me!” With folded hands, he prostrated himself before the Acharya. Mahaswami remained silent for a while. He understood Sankaran's confusion and decided to explain the matter in a way that would help him understand. He asked Sankaran to sit down and began speaking. The Story of Sri Narasimha Bharati Swamigal “Many years ago, a great saint named Sri Narasimha Bharati Swamigal was the head of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. “One day, a disciple of the Math from that region came to have darshan of the Swamigal. He had not come empty-handed. He carried the very same question that you have brought to me today. “After prostrating before the Swamigal, he offered some guavas that he had brought with him. “Come, how are you? Are you well? What do you want?” the Swamigal asked affectionately. The disciple humbly replied: ‘Swami, I have received initiation into a mantra and have been performing japa for many years. But I do not know whether the mantra has attained siddhi. How can I find out, Swami?’ The Swamigal immediately reassured him. ‘Continue performing your japa sincerely, without interruption and with a spiritual purpose. The deity will bestow the fruits of your practice through divine grace at the appropriate time.’ But this answer did not satisfy the disciple. He continued pressing the Swamigal. ‘No, Swami! I want to know for myself whether the mantra has attained siddhi. Please tell me a way to find out. I earnestly pray to you.’ Understanding the disciple's state of mind, the Swamigal called him closer. ‘Do not worry, child. There is a way for that, too!’ he said cheerfully. The disciple became excited. ‘Is there really a way to know whether the mantra has attained siddhi? Please bless me by revealing it immediately, Swami!’ Smiling, Sri Narasimha Bharati Swamigal explained: ‘Every day, before you begin your japa, place a wooden plank on the floor and spread a generous quantity of paddy grains over it. Then cover the grains with a piece of cloth, sit on it and begin your japa. Continue doing this every day. ‘On the day when the paddy grains spread over the plank begin to pop on their own while you are performing your japa, you may understand that your mantra has attained siddhi. Do you understand?’ The disciple understood the instructions, but he was puzzled. Is such a thing really possible? Or is the Swamigal merely saying this to satisfy me? Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked an unexpected question. ‘Please forgive me, Gurunatha. I am asking this only because I genuinely wish to know. Please do not mistake my question as an attempt to test someone occupying the exalted position of a Guru. I simply have a desire to see this with my own eyes. ‘You have explained that one should spread paddy grains on a wooden plank, cover them with a cloth, sit on it and perform japa until the grains pop. I was wondering whether you yourself have ever sat like that and witnessed the paddy grains popping…’ Before the disciple could complete his sentence, the Swamigal smiled and interrupted him. ‘Ah! So you want to know whether I have ever sat on a plank with paddy grains spread over it and performed japa until they popped. Is that all?’ The Swamigal immediately instructed someone to bring a wooden plank and place it facing east. He then asked them to spread a generous quantity of paddy grains over it. He placed his own cloth over the grains, sat down in Padmasana and closed his eyes. A large crowd had gathered around him. Only a few seconds passed. Suddenly, a distinct crackling sound was heard from beneath the cloth. The paddy grains were popping one after another! A faint wisp of smoke could also be seen. The Swamigal rose from his seat and removed the cloth. There, spread across the wooden plank, lay the grains, transformed into beautiful, white popped paddy! The entire gathering stood astonished. Sri Narasimha Bharati Swamigal looked at the disciple who had asked the question. The disciple stood before him, sobbing uncontrollably. He was overwhelmed by what he had witnessed. No one in the gathering could find the words to speak. Mahaswami's Final Lesson Having narrated this incident, Kanchi Mahaswami fell silent. Sankaran's eyes were filled with tears, too. He stood there, utterly astonished. After a while, Sankaran began to say, “Periyava, you…” Mahaswami interrupted him with a smile. “What is it, Sankara? Are you going to ask me whether I, too, will sit on a plank with paddy grains spread over it, perform japa and demonstrate the same miracle?” Sankaran immediately fell at Mahaswami's feet in a full prostration. “Enough, Periyava! You have explained the glory of mantra siddhi so beautifully that I have understood what I needed to understand. That is enough for me. Please bless me. I shall take your leave now!” With his doubts resolved and his mind at peace, Sankaran took leave of the great Acharya. The Deeper Spiritual Message The story reminds us of an important principle of spiritual practice: * Faith requires patience. Spiritual practice should not be abandoned merely because extraordinary experiences do not occur. * Practice is more important than curiosity. Constantly looking for signs of achievement can distract us from the sincerity of our practice. * The purpose matters. Spiritual discipline undertaken for inner growth is different from practice undertaken merely to obtain powers or prove one's progress. * Humility is essential. The desire to understand is natural, but genuine spiritual maturity also requires patience and trust. The central message: Do your spiritual practice sincerely, consistently and without constantly demanding proof of its results. Do not measure inner progress solely by extraordinary experiences. Sarvam Sri Krishnarpanam🙏