The Power of Prayer

P.Natarajan.

The Power of Prayer :- Z-TV telecast a serial  @ 8.10 a.m. daily portraying the notable experience of the devotees with Kanchi Maha Periyava.  One Sri Swaminathan is the narrator of the incidents.

The Telecast two days before:-  A girl of small age met with a road accident when she along with their parents was travelling from Chennai to Kanchipuram to have darshan of Maha Periyava. The family is a staunch devotee of Paramacharya. Since the girl was very badly injured and was fighting to survive, the parents had no other alternative to return to Chennai to admit the girl in a hospital in the ICU. However the father of the girl rang up their close relative at Kanchipuram to inform why they had to cancel their trip to Kanchi. The father also requested him to go to Shankar Mutt and speak to Maha Periyava and seek his blessings to save the child.

Maha Periyava gave a hearing when the relative sought a darshan with the Saint.

                                                     

Paramacharya immediately sat in meditation for some time and took an apple fruit in his hand. He caressed the fruit for some time with his eyes closed again in a state of prayer. He then gave the apple fruit to the relative and advised that the fruit to be kept near the vicinity of the girl overnight. Paramacharya advised the relative to  have darshan of Kamakshi Amman before travelling to Chennai. He also cautioned that the temple might close shortly after the morning puja. The relative rushed and was able to reach just in time. He was able to pray at the sanctum of Kamakshi Amman for just two minutes or so. He saw the Ambal clad in a pleasing green silk ‘pavadai’, showering grace upon him.

                                                        

The door got closed in seconds after that..He became quite aware that he was able to visit the temple due to  the blessings of Kanchi Paramacharya.   

He reached Chennai by the earliest transport available and straight went to the ICU in the  hospital. He heard the parents of the girl saying that doctors had no hopes that the girl would recover. The relative narrated his meeting the Acharya and the message of Maha Periyava. The parents prostrated before Periyava in their mind and kept with great care the Apple Fruit under the pillow with immense faith. The doctors though not hopeful heard the news brought by the relative.

The next day morning, to everyone’s great relief, the girl opened her eyes and looked at her parents. She slowly remembered the accident scene and how badly she was injured. The doctors stood perplexed, unbelieving and amazed. The doctors also realized that the girl was conscious fully. They advised the girl to remain calm.

The girl was not to be so. She called her mother and inquired where was the little girl clad in green silk pavadai and who overstayed by her side  comforting her all through the night. The doctors, parents became worried whether something went wrong with the girl. The relative who came from Kanchipuram with the apple remembered how Mahaperiyava made him to visit the temple and the last minute  darshan of Kamakshi Amman. The darshan came open in his mind and he saw the Ambal gracious and clad in the short silk green pavadai. It flashed in him that Kamakshi Amman had come to ICU to save the girl from the clutches of death. He also became conscious why Kanchi Paramacharya urged him to have darshan of Kamakshi Amman before the closure of the temple.

The girl and their parents wholeheartedly prayed Maha Periyava when the relative saw their eyes shedding tears. The doctors admitted that it was a second birth for the child.

Salutations to Paramacharya and we hear the sound ‘Hara Hara Shankara, Jaya Jaya Jaya Shankara ‘ reverberating in the ambience.

pn

P.Natarajan.

Significance of ‘ Vaikasi - The Tamil Month ‘  

The Tamil New Year “JAYA VARSHA” commenced on 14th April 2014. The first month Chitra is over and today, the 15th of May marks the beginning of ‘VAIKASI’ Month. Vaikasi, also known as the ‘Rishaba’ month in the Tamil Calendar falls between May 15 to June 14th in the English Calendar.

There occurs one or two showers in this month with heavy particles of ice to mitigate the  summer heat. Vaikasi is a much awaited month for scheduling the auspicious events by the family members.  The marriage halls especially popular ones are booked perhaps even a year before for functions to be held in the month of Vaikasi.

‘Vaikasi - Visakam’ festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervour.

Visaka is Lord Karthikeya or ‘Muruga Perumal’s birth star. His avatar in ‘Saravana Poigai’ in Vaikasi was for the good to kill the demon Soorapadman and usher prosperity to the humanity and glory to the Mother Earth.

Vaikasi - to the Vaishnavites it is Periyalwar Jayanti.

Buddha Purnima which falls in Vaikasi is the Avatar day of  Gautama Buddha.

Kanchi Mahaswami, more often referred as ‘Maha Periyava’ - his jayanthi falls in ‘Anusha’ Nakshatra in Vaikasi.

Astrological Significance:-

Vaikasi is the month when Surya commences his journey in Rishaba Rasi. As we all know, Surya’s House is Simha Rasi. Surya’s journey in the tenth house namely in Rishaba from his house of Simha Rasi occurs in Vaikasi.  Tenth house is a place for job or profession to prosper.  Persons born in Vaikasi whether he being a King or an ordinary person would achieve recognition and name in their respective jobs. It is believed that ‘Vaikasi - born’ persons work hard till they breathe last.

Avani, Karthigai, Masi and Vaikasi - these months are also known as ‘Firm’ and auspicious months.. In short the term ‘A KA MA VAI’ is used to refer these four months. Vaikasi  comes first in the Tamil Calendar and Avani, Karthigai, Masi follow. Surya is situated in Rishaba, Simha, Vrischika Rasi(s) in these months respectively. Endeavours of Work or new undertakings commenced in these four firm months prosper well and attains a stability in the long run.

Vaikasi is still more significant as compared to the other three months in ‘ AKAMAVAI’. We know well that Surya moves in Rishaba in the month of Vaikasi. Rishaba is the house of Sukra. Sukra is known for showering wealth, career, prosperity and happiness. That is why Vaikasi is in demand when people perform Housewarming, conduct marriages and Yagnopaveetha dharanam and the likes. Student population get promoted to the higher standards and educational Institutions reopen to commence the new academic year in Vaikasi.

Giving alms to poor (‘annadana’) is considered very noble when done in Vaikasi month. Ramalinga Swamy started poor feeding in the month of Vaikasi in Vadalur  by lighting a Kitchen fire in ‘SATHYA GNANA SABHA’ which is burning and poor feeding continues till date.

Vaikasi month is great in its own way. Let us welcome “VAIKASI MONTH” with loud cheers as it celebrates the jayanthi of great saints who have imparted ‘Lessons for Life’. It is also the month when professional competence comes to the fore by perseverance to attain higher standards of living. Vaikasi is a month to reckon with for auspicious events to take place and to bring over all happiness..  Hail Vaikasi and Cheers !

pn