30 Rupees Sambhavana (Fees)

I was recently reading a book on real life incidents of devotees of Sri Sri Chandra Sekharendra Mahaswamigal referred as Mahaperiyava written by Sri Ramani Anna (Vikadan Publications). This story moved me a lot and decided to translate for the benefit of the readers to cherish the experience of our beloved pujyasri Mahaperiyava. I heard that His Holiness has helped lot of poor people and helped conduct lot of marriages especially for the poor people. Please read on……

A Vedic Pundit by name Ramanatha Ganapadigal hailed from Karur was living in Srirangam. His wife’s name was Dharmambal. They had a daughter by name Kamakshi. Though the pundit is a master in vedas he did not pursue vaideega i.e. performing Vedic rituals as his profession, rather he use to do “upanyasa” or “spiritual discourse” and was living with whatever little income earned through that source. The family was staunch devotees of mahaperiyava.

Their daughter’s marriage was fixed suddenly and groom is a teacher in a nearby village. His wife Dharmambal asked his husband “Our daugther’s marriage has been fixed how much saving do we have?” Ganapadigal replied, “have you not know that by so many means I have saved about five thousand and we can carryout the marriage in a simple manner”. Dharmambal was furious, “how we can conduct the marriage we need to buy jewels, vessels, catering and other expenses are there and we need atleast fifteen thousand more”.

Ganapadigal gazed at her and she replied that, “don’t worry I have a suggestion please buy some fruits and go to Kancheepuram and meet Mahaperiyava and tell him that our daughter’s marriage has been fixed and we need fifteen thousand rupees and he will definitely help us”. However Ganapadaigal didn’t take up her idea and replied “how is it possible to ask our Jagadguru ‘dhanam’ (money) when we should only ask for ‘jnanam’ (knowledge). However dharmambal argued and convinced her husband and made him travel to Kancheepuram the next day.

That day there was heavy rush in the Sri Mutt and everyone was carrying the fruit basket and Ramanatha Ganapadigal was also in the queue with some fruits along with the marriage invitation expecting to meet the Mahaperiyava. In between someone compulsorily took the fruit basket and kept along with others. While he was crying that his fruit basket is having the marriage invitation nobody paid attention to him.

Suddenly there was a voice “oh! is it karur ramanatha ganapadigal, please come, whether all are fine at Srirangam? Is your religious discourse is going well?” the voice came none other than from Mahaperiyava himself. He then enquired about his family details and the discussion was going on ganapadigal doesn’t know how to tell the issue of his financial needs. Some how he managed to open the topic,“dharmambal told me to visit you and tell about the marriage of our daughter….” Before he could finish Periyava tells him that “my blessings are there in full and …. I have one assignment for you can you do for me ?” suddenly Mahaperiyava made one request to him.

Ganapadigal then asked what the assignment was and Periyava told him that some few days ago some one from a village near Kadayanallur (near Thirunelveli) came and told mahaperiyava that the village cows are experiencing miraculous death and the parikara as decided is to conduct a “Bhagavatha Saptaham" i.e. discourse on Srimad Bhagavatham for seven days in the village temple. Periyava then requested him to take some money from the Mutt so that he can start to kadayanallur the same night itself.

Ganapadigal reached Tirunelveli the next day and he was picked up by the Temple priest at the Junction. He was put up at the House of the priest and to his surprise nobody came to meet him. He consoled himself that he can meet people during the time of discourse. However when he commenced his discourse i.e. “Bhagavatha Saptham” in the evening only the Temple priest, the temple secuity guard and the Lord Varadharaja Perumal were the only witnesses. When enquired it was told that the entire village got divided over an issue as to who should be the President of the Temple and till that issue is resolved nobody in the village had decided to enter the temple.

However Ramanatha Ganapadigal sincerely carried out his Sapthaham in front of the Lord for the next seven days while it was watched by the temple priest and the secuirty guard. On the last day the priest told him that the discourse was excellent it is worth is priceless however due to poor response he gave the “sambhavana” (fees for rendering the discourse) of sum of rupees thirty the amount which was available with the priest at that point in time and also got him the train ticket for his return journey. Ganapadigal reached kancheepuram via vizhupuram the next day and reached the kanchi mutt.

Next day afternoon after the routines were over he met Mahaperiyava. Mahaperiyava then enquired about his trip to Kadayanallur and was asking how the discourse went. Ganapadigal some how controlled his emotions and told periyava that due to some problem in the village nobody came except the Temple priest and the secuity guard. For this Mahaperiyava replied, “Ramanatha nee periya bhagyasalida therla okkanthu krishnan sonna upadesathai arjunan oruthan than kettan onnaku parru rendu pervazhigal kettirukka” ( ramanatha your are so lucky that when krishna gave upadesha only arjuna was there to hear but for your atleast two were there to hear!) and started laughing.

Mahaperiyava then thanked him for going there on his request and completing the Saptaham and then gave him “salvai” (cloth given as a token of respect) and a dakshina of rupees thousand and blessed him. Ganapadigal suddenly remembered the original purpose for which he came to Kancheepuram i.e. the marriage of his daughter and informed periyava about the same for that periyava blessed him that the marriage will get over in a very good manner by the grace of Chandramouleeswara “jaam jaam nu nadathi vaipar” and asked him not to worry and gave him sendoff.


The next day Ganapadigal reached Srirangam and he was thinking all the way that how he is going to face his wife and also about the fifteen thousand rupees which she had requested from Mahaperiyava. When he reached his home his wife Dharmambal greeted him and gave water to wash his feet and whisked him inside the pooja room and lo! there was kept a bamboo basket with full of fruits, sari, dhothi, turmeric, kumkum, flower, two Mangala Sutra (thirumangalyam) and a bundle of currency notes!

Ganapadigal was dumb struck and dharmambal said “today morning there were some people came and informed that they are coming from Kanchi Mutt and told that Mahaperiyava has instructed them to handover these gifts for your daughters marriage.” Ganapadigal said “Dharmu I didn’t asked anything but still he had sent to us what a magnanimous person he his” and started counting the currency and it was exactly the fifteen thousand!

Ramanatha Ganapadigal was moved by the grace of the Mahaperiyava and started crying profusely.