Kanchi Periva Forum - Ebook on Sri Maha Periva's Life History - Volume 3

© Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum – www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org of

32 1

Author: Sri Subi Anna

Volume 3

September 2013 - Anusham

E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum

© Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum – www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

Glimpses from

Sri Maha Periva’s Life History

Glimpses from Sri Maha Periva’s Life History – Volume 3 By Subi Anna

© Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum – www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org of 32

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3

Author's Note ............................................................................................................... 4

Chapter 10 .................................................................................................................... 5

Year 1926 - visit to Udayarpalayam....................................................................... 5

Bangaru Kamakshi .................................................................................................. 5

Visit to Puducherry .................................................................................................. 7

Thiruvarur Temple Chariot ................................................................................... 7

Year 1927 .................................................................................................................. 8

Brindavanam for Peetam’s 58th Sankaracharya ................................................. 9

Kerala Trip ............................................................................................................. 10

Tirupugazh Mani ................................................................................................... 11

Meeting with Mahatma Gandhi ........................................................................... 11

Year 1928 - Travel in Cochin & Thiruvananthapuram................................... 13

Vyasa Puja 1928 ..................................................................................................... 14

Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru meets Maha Periva ........................................................ 14

Year 1929 ................................................................................................................ 15

Kaarthikai Deepam in Thiruvannamalai ............................................................ 15

Year 1930 ................................................................................................................ 17

The Missing Elephant ............................................................................................ 17

Visit to Sri. Appayya Dikshitar’s Village ............................................................ 18

Travel to Chengalpattu ......................................................................................... 18

Year 1931 ................................................................................................................ 18

Paul Brunton’s Meeting .............................................................................................................. 19



Introduction

Hari Om! A warm welcome to the Kanchi Periva Forum, a forum intended for the devotees

of His Holiness Sri Kanchi Paramacharya, fondly known to His devotees as Sri Maha Periva.

Since its inception on 21st Dec 2011, (the Aaradhana Day of Sri Maha Periva), the Kanchi

Periva Forum has been actively engaged in disseminating the teachings of the Living God,

Sri Maha Periva in various forms - through regular postings on the Forum in Tamil and

English; exclusively designed posters carrying the precious messages of Maha Periva;

monthly Ebooks, our blog and also through our Facebook page

www.facebook.com/periva.

Our mission has been to reach out to all devotees of the Mahaswami across the globe in any

way possible so as to take His valuable and precious life lessons far and wide. The Forum is

a Satsang of over 2350 devotees of Maha Periva who live in different countries, belong to

different age groups, speak different languages, but with one common thread between them

– their love, bakthi and devotion to the Paramacharya.

Now, with the abundant grace and blessings of His Holiness, we have launched a complete

package of Periva’s life history followed by a Quiz program to encourage and motivate

people to know more about the Life and teachings of Sri Maha Periva. Every Hindu must

know the greatness of the Great Saint of our time, and all the initiatives that we are taking

from the Forum are aimed at that direction.

Our special thanks to our respected member and moderator, Sri Subi Subramanian, based

out of Chicago, USA for this brilliant and untiring efforts in authoring this E-book series. We

also thank our moderator Smt Sumi for her commendable efforts in coordinating the Quiz

program.

Please read this book in detail so that you can answer the questions with ease. This will be

an Online Quiz program which will be held every month.

We have plans to take this Quiz program to a larger audience - especially to the younger

generation in schools and colleges, and also to the general public.

We invite Quiz Administrators who will be interested in organizing this Quiz program in their

own locality - India or Overseas. We will provide the reading material and the Question

Bank. All you would have to do is to gather interested youngsters in your locality and

conduct the Quiz competition every month. This will be a great service.

If you are not already a member of our Forum and received this ebook from any of your

friends, please register on the forum http://www.periva.proboards.com/ to receive our

updates on the Quiz program and also to receive our regular free publications.

Please also visit our parent site http://www.periva.org/ which has a rich treasure of

information, articles, rare collection of videos and a large online library of direct audio files

of Periva's Upanyasams.

Any feedback or queries may be sent to us at [email protected]

Administrator - Kanchi Periva Forum

Jaya Jaya Shankara! Hara Hara Shankara!!

mailto:[email protected]



Author's Note

In this Volume 3, I have

continued with the description

of Maha Periva's 'Vijaya Yatra'

to various parts of India. In

Chapter 10, I have provided

glimpses of some important

events in Maha Periva's

travels from the year 1926

onwards. Where necessary, I

have included relevant

background information for a

better understanding.

While writing this volume, I

found it challenging to

translate some of the Tamil

words into their exact English

terms. For example, the Tamil

word 'Ther' is commonly used

for temple's wooden car

intended to be taken out on

festival days for processions.

Many newspapers including

'The Hindu' have used the

word 'car' to describe the

'Ther.' To me, the word 'car'

seems to be easily mistaken

for an automobile, especially

by the younger generation.

Therefore, I have used the

word 'Chariot' which, though

not exact, is the nearest

equivalent word that I could

find. Likewise, I have

provided the nearest meaning

English terms for many

Sanskrit words.

The quality of some old

photos reproduced from

elsewhere in this book is poor.

However, I have included

them as they provide an

opportunity to visualize Maha

Periva in his early days and

appreciate the historical

events related to him.

Though I have spent many

hours in writing this e-book, I

am only human and as the

saying goes, “humans make

mistakes!” If you should find

an error or a mistake in this

E-book, please do not hesitate

to contact me.

Please bear with me on these

small issues. I welcome any

suggestions that readers

might have to improve this E-

book.

Thank you.



Chapter 10

Year 1926 - visit to

Udayarpalayam

In July 1926, Maha Periva

visited Udayarpalayam city in

Tamil Nadu. From early days,

Kanchi Mutt and the

Udayarpalayam royalty had

excellent relations. In those

early days, Udayarpalayam

was a small kingdom under

the rule of Thanjavur

Mahratta Kings. The members

of Udayarpalayam royalty

(later called Zamindars) were

great devotees of Kanchi

Kamakshi Amman and for this

reason, they used to prefix

their names with the word

“Kachi.” They were lovers of

art and music.

Bangaru Kamakshi

Background: Udayarpalayam

and Bangaru Kamakshi are

somewhat connected.

Udayarpalayam royalty made

all arrangements to receive

and host Kanchi

Sankaracharya Swamigal

when Kamakoti Peetam’s

Sankara Mutt moved from

Kanchi to Kumbakonam.

It is said that the Swamigal

carried with him the golden

idol of *Bangaru Kamakshi

from Kanchi Kamakshi temple

to protect it from Muslim

invaders. Knowing this, the

then ruling Thanjavur

Mahratta King Pratap Simman

invited the Sankaracharya

Swamigal to Thanjavur.

Fig. 24 Bangaru Kamakshi Amman



*Bangaru is a Telugu word for ‘gold.’

Following the Mahratta King’s

invitation, Sankaracharya

Swamigal stayed in Thanjavur

for some time. During

Swamigal’s stay in Thanjavur,

in deference to royal wishes,

the idol of Bangaru Kamakshi

was installed in a new temple

built by the king in Thanjavur.

In order to perform Puja to

Bangaru Kamakshi Amman, a

group of Brahmins moved

from Kanchipuram to

Thanjavur. It is noteworthy

that the well-known composer

Sri Shyama Sastri, one of the

Carnatic Music Trinity,

belonged to this group of

Brahmins. Shyama Sastri has

composed many songs on

Kamakshi Amman.

After installing Bangaru

Kamakshi in Thanjavur,

Sankaracharya Swamigal

desired to move to

Kumbakonam to establish the

Mutt. The Mahratta King’s

minister Dabirpant built a

mutt with a surrounding

agraharam for the Brahmin

scholars on the southern

coast of Cauvery river.

Therefore, the Agraharam was

later called as “Dabir Street.”

Following this, Kumbakonam

became the headquarters of

Kamakoti Peetam.

Fig. 25 Maha Periva at Udayarpalayam

before the start of procession in 1926

In 1926, Udayarpalayam’s

Zamindar (landlord) received

Maha Periva with royal honors

in his palace. He also donated



an elephant calf, two horses,

a camel, and several cows to

the Mutt.

Visit to Puducherry

In December 1926, Maha

Periva visited the French

territory of Puducherry (also

known as Pondicherry).

Whenever the Kanchi

Peetam’s Sankaracharya

Swamigal visited Puducherry,

the French government had

received him with due honors.

When Maha Periva visited, the

entire city of Puducherry was

beautifully decorated with

beautiful arches and pandals

at government expense.

At the city outskirts, Maha

Periva was received with full

honors including a formation

of local police forces and

government musical band.

The French governor, his wife,

and senior European officials

greeted Maha Periva with

folded hands as per Hindu

tradition and expressed their

happiness at Maha Periva’s

visit to Puducherry.

The people of Puducherry

were delighted to have

darshan of Maha Periva.

During the visit of Maha

Periva to Puducherry, a very

interesting incident happened

in the holy city of Thiruvarur

in Tamil Nadu. This incident

relates to building a new

chariot for the Thiruvarur

Thyagarajar Temple. The

background to Maha Periva’s

involvement in this building

project follows.

Thiruvarur Temple

Chariot

In Tamil Nadu, many temples

have beautiful hand-carved

wooden chariots that are

generally used on festival

days for processions.

Sometime during the end of

19th century, miscreants burnt

many of these chariots to

ashes.

The wooden chariot belonging

to the Thyagarajar temple in

Thiruvarur was one of the

most beautiful and largest in

the country. This chariot too



was burnt by the action of

some evil-minded elements.

The trustees and many

devotees of the Thyagarajar

temple were very keen to

build a new chariot.

Maha Periva too was

interested in this project and

persuaded his devotees to

support this effort of

constructing a new chariot. A

devotee who took a major

part in this effort was Ezhulur

Subbaraya Vadyar. He was a

priest by profession and sold

most of his properties to

spend on temple-related

work. He came often to see

Maha Periva.

In 1926, Vadyar met with

Maha Periva in connection

with the building of Thiruvarur

Chariot and accepted a

donation of Rs.1001 from

Maha Periva for the project.

Inspired by Maha Periva’s

involvement and support to

this project, Subbaraya

Vadyar later worked most

enthusiastically and collected

about Rs. 1 lakh for the

project.

Year 1927

Maha Periva visited Kerala in

1927 and provided further

help towards procurement of

teak wood for the chariot.

Thus began the construction

work for a new Chariot.

Hundreds of skilled workers

tirelessly worked for about

two years to build the new

chariot for Thiruvarur temple.

Fig. 26 Thiruvarur Temple Chariot

The Thiruvarur Thyagaraja temple

chariot weighs approximately 300

tonnes with a height of over 90

feet. It is considered to be the

biggest in the State of Tamil Nadu.

(Source: The Hindu)



Brindavanam for

Peetam’s 58th

Sankaracharya

There is a small village called

Vadavambalam located east

of Senthanur Railway station

and south of Vizhupuram

town. Maha Periva visited this

village prior to Puducherry

trip. According to Kamakoti

Peetam’s Guru Parampara

(succession of Gurus), Sri

Atmabodhendra Saraswathi

Swamigal, the 58th

Sankaracharya had attained

Samadhi (a state of final

absorption into the Self at

death) at this village.

The Guru Parampara further

says that Sri Atmabodhendra

Swamigal had belonged to

Vriddachalam city, he had

traveled all over India and

lived in Kaasi (now

Varanasi)for many years,

wrote the commentary for Sri

Rudram, and was the head of

the Peetam for 52 years.

The location of the Swamigal’s

Samadhi was not known.

Maha Periva visited

Vadavambalam village to

discover this location. After

going around the village’s

green fields, Maha Periva

pointed to one spot and

wanted that spot to be dug.

The villagers who followed

Maha Periva said that they

had dug the place many times

but never found any signs of a

Samadhi. However, Maha

Periva persuaded them to dig

that spot again. Therefore,

the villagers started digging

and after some depth, a

human skull was discovered.

During the digging process,

one of the diggers whose

name was Kumaramangalam

Sambamurthy Sastri fell down

and shouted “Stop, Stop” to

the other diggers. For some

time, Sastri was lying

unconscious.

When Sastri regained his

consciousness, he described

the miraculous vision that he

had seen in the unconscious

state as follows:



“The figure of a sannyasi

wearing saffron robes, holding

a dhandam (stick) in his

hand, vibhuti (ash) on his

forehead, rudraksha (bead)

mala around his neck and

reaching almost the sky,

appeared before my eyes.

I saw thousands of Brahmins

before the figure chanting

Upanishad Mantras. Following

the giant figure's order to stop

the chanting, I also said

"Stop."

Then I heard the figure say

feebly "Don't dig, don’t dig."

Soon, the figure gradually

receded and finally

disappeared. Later, I heard

someone chanting

‘Sadasivam, Sadasivam’ and

that too stopped after

sometime."

The villagers were surprised

to witness this incident and

asked for Maha Periva’s

instructions on what needs to

be done further. As per Maha

Periva’s desire, the piece of

land over the dug spot was

donated to the mutt.

Under the supervision of a

local Reddiar, a Brindavanam

was built at that spot.

(Brindavanam is the tomb of a

Hindu Spiritual Guru. It is

simple in construction and

consists of a raised platform

over which a Tulasi Plant is

grown.

It is believed that the Guru's

spiritual powers still exist and

prayers are generally held at

the Brindavanam.)

Thus, on January 17, 1927, at

Vadavamablam, Maha Periva

established the Brindavanam

for Atmabodhendra Swamigal,

the 58th Sankaracharya of the

Kamakoti Peetam.

Kerala Trip

In May 1927, Maha Periva

visited Palakkad in Kerala. He

stayed in Palakkad’s 18

Agraharams for about a

month and later accepted

royal honors from the King of

Kollengode.



Maha Periva spoke so clearly

in Malayalam language that

the local people believed that

he belonged to Kerala.

Fig. 27 Map of Kerala*

(Source: Kerala Tourism)

*includes some cities visited by Periva

Tirupugazh Mani

A Chennai-based lawyer Sri.

T.M. Krishnaswamy Iyer and

his group performed

Thirupugazh Bhajans before

Maha Periva in Palakkad.

Thirupugazh songs are in

praise of Lord Muruga and

Maha Periva was always

happy to hear them.

Iyer’s devotional music was so

pleasing that Maha Periva

named Iyer as ‘Thirupugazh

Mani’ and honored him with a

Kashmir Shawl.

Meeting with Mahatma

Gandhi

On October 15, 1927, a

historic meeting took place

between Maha Periva and

Mahatma Gandhi. This

meeting was held in a cow-

shed in Nallichery village of

Palakkad. Only one or two key

persons were admitted into

this meeting. None of the

media reporters was

admitted.

Mahatma Gandhi greeted

Maha Periva in the traditional

Hindu way. After a few

minutes of silence, Maha

Periva spoke a few words in

Sanskrit extending a welcome

and requesting Gandhiji to be

seated. After taking a seat on

the floor, Gandhiji requested

permission to speak in Hindi

as he was not used to

converse in Sanskrit though

he could understand Sanskrit

words.

Since Maha Periva could

understand Hindi, the



dialogue began with Maha

Periva talking in Sanskrit and

Gandhiji in Hindi.

During this meeting, Maha

Periva appreciated Gandhiji's

services as they were based

on religious fundamentals and

spirituality that would help

nation building and also the

recognition that relying on

human strength alone would

lead to destruction. Gandhiji

was known to express his

thoughts frankly without

distortion.

The dialogue was without any

arguments and reflected the

affection for each other. The

conversation lasted for about

an hour. Finally, when

Gandhiji took leave, he said

he was greatly benefited by

this meeting with Maha Periva

and would keep Maha Periva’s

suggestions in mind and to

act upon them as much as

possible.

It was around 5:30 in the

evening, and Rajaji who was

waiting outside went inside

the shed and reminded

Gandhiji about his evening

meal; as it was known that

Gandhiji would not take food

after 6 pm.

At this, Gandhiji seems to

have observed, “The

conversation that I am having

with the Acharya is itself my

evening meal for today.”

Maha Periva gave Gandhiji a

grapefruit. Gandhiji received it

with devotion and said it was

his favorite fruit.

That evening, at a public

meeting in Coimbatore,

Gandhiji was asked about the

details of his conversation

with Maha Periva. Gandhiji

declined to reveal the details

as it was a private meeting

and matters close to his heart

were discussed.

Maha Periva also did not

reveal any details about this

conversation. The description

provided here is based on the

information gathered from

someone who was present at

this private meeting.



Year 1928 - Travel in

Cochin &

Thiruvananthapuram

After completing Chaturmasya

Vratam in Kanchikode village,

Maha Periva traveled to the

southern parts of Kerala. On

February 2, 1928, he visited

Guruvayur and had the

darshan of Sri Krishna at the

famous shrine located therein.

He later moved to Tiruchur

and had the darshan of the

deity at Vadukkunathan

Temple. In Tiruchur, there

were two ancient Sankara

Mutts that were administered

by Namboodiri Sanyaasis.

Maha Periva visited both

these mutts and reviewed the

old documents relating to Adi

Sankara’s history.

He made a trip to a

Gurukulam called ‘Brahmasva

Matam’ and blessed the

students of this school. On

March 19, 1928, Maha Periva

reached Ernakulam where he

was received with honors by

the members of the Cochin

Royal family.

Maha Periva stayed in

Thrippunithura, a suburb of

Cochin until end March 1928.

During this time, he visited

the Sanskrit College located

there and counseled the

students. Maha Periva then

moved on to Vaikom, other

cities in Thiruvananthapuram

district, Kottayam and

Alapuzhai.

In Alapuzhai, Maha Periva

visited the Sri

Chandrasekarendra Patasalai

(now Sree Sankaracharya

University of Sanskrit). He

met with Patasala students

who were learning Vedas and

Sastras and blessed them.

It is noteworthy that the

governments of Cochin and

Thiruvanathapuram had

arranged accommodation in

palaces and buildings for

Maha Periva’s stay at various

places in Kerala. Concluding

the Kerala trip, Maha Periva

moved on to Kanyakumari in

Tamil Nadu.



After a dip in the Indian ocean

and darshan of Kanyakumari

Ambal, Maha Periva traveled

to a village called

Thiruvedagam.

Vyasa Puja 1928

Thiruvedagam is a village

about 18 kilometers away

from the holy city of Madurai.

It is located on the bank of

the River Vaigai. There is a

Shiva temple in the name of

Thiru Edaganathar in this

village.

According to historical

information, this village was

once occupied by Jains

following the conversion of

the Shaiva Pandya King to

Jainism. Legends say that at

the request of the Shaivaite

queen, a great saint by the

name Thiru Gnana

Sambhandar visited Madurai

and cured the King of leprosy.

The saint Sambhandar won

over the Jains by his

arguments and powers.

The Vaigai river runs from

North to South behind the

temple. As it was an ideal

location for meditation, Maha

Periva performed the Vyasa

Puja and Chaturmasyam

rituals in Thiruvedagam. After

completion of Chaturmasyam,

Maha Periva moved to

Madurai city.

Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru

meets Maha Periva

Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru (1875-

1949) was a leading Indian

lawyer and politician. He was

a prominent leader of the pro-

British Raj Liberal party in

British-ruled India. During

Maha Periva’s stay in Madurai,

Sir Sapru had darshan of

Periva and sought his

blessings.

At that time, there was great

confusion in the country

caused by the imprisonment

of Gandhiji and other political

leaders. Sir Sapru was

attempting to reform the

situation by convening an all-

party conference and



consultations with the

government. He explained his

ongoing efforts in detail to

Maha Periva.

While appreciating Sapru’s

efforts, Maha Periva

expressed his desire that

eventually there should be

peace in the country and the

people should get the

benefits.

Year 1929

In the year 1929, Maha

Periva covered many places in

Tamil Nadu including Tiruchy,

other cities and villages in

South and North Arcot

districts. A shepherd at the

village of Thandalam showed

his deep devotion to Maha

Periva by selling his property

and offering the proceeds to

Periva.

While appreciating the

villager’s devotion, Maha

Periva made arrangements

through the local Tahsildar to

register four Kaanis (Kaani is

a measure of Land equal to

1.32 acres) of land to the

shepherd.

On July 24, 1929, Maha

Periva's father Sri Subramania

Shastrigal passed away in

Kumbakonam. When the

mutt officials conveyed this

news to Maha Periva, he

listened to it quietly and said

nothing.

Kaarthikai Deepam in

Thiruvannamalai

Background: Located on the

foot of a hill, Thiruvannamalai

is a temple city about 190

kilometers from Chennai in

Tamil Nadu.

Fig. 28 Thiruvannamalai Temple

Gopuram with the hill in background

In significance of the five

natural elements (Earth

Water, Fire, Air and Sky or

Ether), there are five sacred

spots in South India called in



Sanskrit (italicized) as 'Pancha

Bootha Sthalas.' These spots

are located in Kanchipuram

(Earth - Prithvi).

Thiruvanaikkaval (Water-

Appu), Thiruvannamalai (Fire

- Theju), Thirukalahasti (Air-

Vayu), and Chidambaram

(Ether-Akaasa).

Of the five holy spots,

Thiruvannamalai is the Theju

(Fire) Sthala and an ancient

centre of worship.

According to a legendary tale,

there was once a rishi (sage)

called Bringi, who had such a

deep devotion towards Lord

Shiva that he was not inclined

to worship any other deity

including Goddess Ambikai -

the consort of Lord Shiva.

The Goddess is then said to

have merged with Lord Shiva

on His left side. Shiva in this

unique form is called in

Sanskrit as Ardhanareeswarar

(Ardha means half; Naari

means a woman).

Shiva in Thiruvannamalai is

called Arunachaleswar and

also known by the name of

Ardhanareeswarar. Shiva’s

consort is known by the name

of Abhithakuchalamba.

Fig. 29 A view of Thiruvannamalai

(Source: Wikipedia)

Kaarthikai Deepam is a

festival of lamps observed in

Hindu homes and temples in

South India. It is celebrated

on the full moon day of the

Tamil Kaarthikai month

coinciding with Krithikai star.

To demonstrate the Lord in

His glorious form of fire, a

Jyothi, a huge fire is lit on top

of the hill, on the day of

Kaarthikai. This fire, called

“Deepam,” is visible for miles

around the hill (Giri).

Thousands of devotees gather

at Thiruvannamalai to see the



Kaarthikai Deepam and offer

prayers to Lord Shiva.

In December 1929, Maha

Periva visited the holy city of

Thiruvannamalai to witness

the Kaarthikai Deepam. This

was Maha Periva’s first visit of

to Thiruvannamalai.

The local people received him

with great devotion and full

honors. Maha Periva stayed in

this city for almost a month.

He went around the hill (Giri)

and had darshan of Aruna-

chaleswarar several times.

Year 1930

During the year 1930, Maha

Periva mostly traveled in

North Arcot district. Vyasa

Puja and Chaturmasyam took

place at a village called

Poosaimalaikuppam.

The Missing Elephant

During Maha Periva's stay in

this village, a shed close to

where the mutt elephant was

kept shackled caught fire

during the night. Unable to

withstand the heat from the

fire, the elephant broke the

shackles and ran off. By next

morning, the shed was burnt

to ashes and the elephant was

missing.

Mutt officials launched a

search for the elephant but

could not find it anywhere.

Later, on hearing that an

elephant was found lying

down in a water pond, about

five miles away, the

elephant's caretaker with

others went to the pond spot

and tried to pull the elephant

out but their efforts were

futile.

Later, Maha Periva himself

went to the pond spot. On

seeing Maha Periva, the

elephant rose up, came to the

shore and knelt before him.

There were burn blisters on

the elephant's body. Maha

Periva gently caressed the

elephant and gave

instructions for treating the

elephant.



Visit to Sri. Appayya

Dikshitar’s Village

Appayya Dikshitar was a great

Sanskrit Scholar who lived in

the 15th century in a village

called Adayapalam, located

about three miles from Arani

city, in the North Arcot district

of Tamil Nadu.

He was a great devotee of

Shiva and had authored many

religious treatises in Sanskrit.

On June 2, 1930, Maha Periva

visited Adayapalam. After

performing puja in the local

Shiva temple, Maha Periva

gave a lecture on the life and

works of Appayya Dikshithar.

He persuaded the citizens of

the village to celebrate

Dikshithar’s birth day every

year.

Maha Periva also visited

Virinchipuram, the village

where Dikshithar was born.

He asked Appayya Dikshitar's

descendants not only to be

proud of their lineage but also

learn Dikshitar's works and

make his fame sustain in the

world.

Travel to Chengalpattu

Maha Periva continued his

travels to Cauveripakkam,

Ranipettai, Valajabad, Arcot,

Thiruvallur, Poondamalli, and

Koyambedu and other places

near Chennai.

Towards the end of the year,

Maha Periva visited

Thirukazhukundram, a holy

town near Chengalpattu

where he had darshan of

Vedagiriswara Swamy in the

local temple there. At this

place, on December 25, 1930,

the All India Sadhu Sangam

extended a very warm

welcome to Maha Periva with

a deeply devotional speech.

Year 1931

In the beginning of January

1931, Maha Periva visited

Chengalpattu. The people of

Chengalpattu who were

expecting Maha Periva for

many years were immensely



happy at Periva’s visit. Maha

Periva gave lectures every

night at the Shiva temple.

Paul Brunton’s Meeting

During this period of time, an

Englishman by name Paul

Brunton was traveling in India

with the intention of meeting

Yogis in India and finding a

real Yogi to provide spiritual

guidance to him. After

completing a tour of North

India, he came to Chennai to

begin a tour of South India.

He had brought with him a

letter of introduction from

England addressed to Sri. K.S.

Venkatramani, a well-known

English writer and a member

of the Madras University

Senate. Carrying this

introduction letter, he met Sri.

Venkataramani for the first

time in Chennai.

During the meeting with K.S.

Venkataramani, Paul Brunton

expressed his desire to meet

real yogis and not waste time

with fake yogis.

Venkataramani thought for a

while and after careful

consideration of his request,

told Brunton that it was hard

to find real yogis given the

then prevailing situation of

atheism and western cultures.

He also said that real yogis

are unseen as they are

meditation in remote places,

and while it was difficult for

an Indian to approach a real

yogi, it was even more

difficult for a European.

However, that night,

Venkatramani received the

news that Maha Periva had

arrived in Chengalpattu. The

very next day, Venkatramani

met Paul Brunton and made a

suggestion that completely

changed the course of events.

The following are excerpts of

the conversation between

K.S. Venkataramani (KSV)

and Paul Brunton (PB) from

PB’s book titled "A Search in

Secret India."

KSV: “His Holiness Shri

Shankara Acharya of



Kumbakonam is the Spiritual

Head of South India. Millions

of people revere him as one of

God’s teachers.

It happens that he has taken

a great interest in me and has

encouraged my literary

career, and of course he is the

one to whom I look for

spiritual advice.

I may now tell you what I

refrained from mentioning

yesterday. We regard him as

a master of the highest

spiritual attainment. But he is

not a Yogi. He is the Primate

of the Southern Hindu world,

a true saint and great

religious philosopher.

Because he is fully aware of

most of the spiritual currents

of our time, and because of

his own attainment, he has

probably an exceptional

knowledge of the real Yogis.

He travels a good deal from

village to village and from city

to city, so that he is

particularly well informed on

such matters. Wherever he

goes, the holy men come to

him to pay their respects. He

could probably give you some

useful advice. Would you like

to visit him?”

PB: “That is extremely kind of

you. I shall gladly go. How far

is Chingleput?”

KSV: “Only thirty-five miles

from here. But stay?”

PB: ”Yes “

KSV: “I begin to doubt

whether His Holiness would

grant you an audience. Of

course I shall do my utmost

to persuade him.”

PB: But “”I am a European!”

KSV: ”You will take the risk of

a rebuff?”

PB: “Certainly. Let us go.”

So, early morning next day,

Venkataramani and Paul

Brunton left for Chengalpattu.

On the way, Venkataramani

described Periva’s simple way

of life, the biography and



greatness of the Peetam's Adi

Acharya, Sri Sankara and his

Advaitic philosophy. Brunton

listened with great attention.

Both of them reached the

place where Maha Periva was

staying. The mutt officials told

Venkatramani that it was not

possible to obtain an interview

for Paul Brunton as he was a

European and there were

already hundreds of people

waiting for Periva's darshan.

Later, on Venkatramani's

personal appeal, Maha Periva

permitted him to bring in Paul

Brunton. Venkatramani was

absolutely thrilled to get Maha

Periva’s permission.

Taking some flowers and

orange fruits, Paul Brunton

entered the house where

Maha Periva was staying. In it

was a dark room without any

furniture. In a corner of the

room was a dim oil lamp.

In the dim light, Paul Brunton

saw a short figure standing in

the shadows. He approached

closer to Maha Periva with

some hesitation, put down his

little offerings of flowers and

fruits and bowed low in

salutation. What transpired

later is best described in Paul

Brunton's own words in his

book "A Search in Secret

India."

(Quote) “I look at him in

silence. This short man is clad

in the ochre-coloured robe of

a monk and leans his weight

on a friar’s staff. I have been

told that he is on the right

side of forty, hence I am

surprised to find his hair quite

grey.

His noble face, pictured in

grey and brown, takes an

honoured place in the long

portrait gallery of my

memory. That elusive element

which the French aptly term

spirituel is present in this

face.

His expression is modest and

mild, the large dark eyes

being extraordinarily tranquil

and beautiful. The nose is

short, straight and classically

regular. There is a rugged



little beard on his chin, and

the gravity of his mouth is

most noticeable.

Such a face might have

belonged to one of the saints

who graced the Christian

Church during the Middle

Ages, except that this one

possesses the added quality

of intellectuality. I suppose we

of the practical West would

say that he has the eyes of a

dreamer.

Somehow, I feel in an

inexplicable way that there is

something more than mere

dreams behind those heavy

lids. “Your Holiness has been

very kind to receive me,” I

remark, by way of

introduction. He turns to my

companion, the writer, and

says something in the

vernacular.

I guess its meaning correctly.

“His Holiness understands

your English, but he is too

afraid that you will not

understand his own. So he

prefers to have me translate

his answers,” says

Venkataramani.

I shall sweep through the

earlier phases of this

interview, because they are

more concerned with myself

than with this Hindu Primate.

He asks about my personal

experiences in the country; he

is very interested in

ascertaining the exact

impressions which Indian

people and institutions make

upon a foreigner.

I give him my candid

impressions, mixing praise

and criticism freely and

frankly. The conversation then

flows into wider channels and

I am much surprised to find

that he regularly reads

English newspapers, and that

he is well informed upon

current affairs in the outside

world.

Indeed, he is not unaware of

what the latest noise at

Westminster is about, and he

knows also through what

painful travail the troublous



infant of democracy is passing

in Europe.

I remember Venkataramani’s

firm belief that Shri Shankara

possesses prophetic insight. It

touches my fancy to press for

some opinion about the

world’s future.

“When do you think that the

political and economic

conditions everywhere will

begin to improve?”

“A change for the better is not

easy to come by quickly,” he

replies. ” It is a process which

must needs take some time.

How can things improve when

the nations spend more each

year on the weapons of

death?”

“There is nevertheless much

talk of disarmament to-day.

Does that count?”

“If you scrap your battleships

and let your cannons rust that

will not stop war. People will

continue to fight, even if they

have to use sticks!”

“But what can be done to help

matters?”

“Nothing but spiritual

understanding between one

nation and another, and

between rich and poor, will

produce goodwill and thus

bring real peace and

prosperity.”

“That seems far off. Our

outlook is hardly cheerful,

then?”

His Holiness rests his arm a

little more heavily upon his

staff.

“There is still God,” he

remarks gently.

” If there is, He seems very

far away,” I boldly protest.

“God has nothing but love

towards mankind,” comes the

soft answer.

“Judging by the unhappiness

and wretchedness which

afflict the world to-day, He

has nothing but indifference,”



I break out impulsively,

unable to keep the bitter force

of irony out of my voice.

His Holiness looks at me

strangely. Immediately I

regret my hasty words.

“The eyes of a patient man

see deeper. God will use

human instruments to adjust

matters at the appointed

hour. The turmoil among

nations, the moral wickedness

among people and the

suffering of miserable millions

will provoke, as a reaction,

some great divinely inspired

man to come to the rescue.

In this sense, every century

has its own savior. The

process works like a law of

physics. The greater the

wretchedness caused by

spiritual ignorance,

materialism, the greater will

be the man who will arise to

help the world.”

“Then do you expect someone

to arise in our time, too?”

” In our century,” he corrects.

“Assuredly. The need of the

world is so great and its

spiritual darkness is so thick,

that an inspired man of God

will surely arise.”

“Is it your opinion, then, that

men are becoming more

degraded?” I query.

“No, I do not think so,” he

replied tolerantly. “There is an

indwelling divine soul in man

which, in the end, must bring

him back to God.”

“But there are ruffians in our

Western cities who behave as

though there were indwelling

demons in them,” I counter,

thinking of the modern

gangster.

“Do not blame people so

much as the environments

into which they are born.

Their surroundings and

circumstances force them to

become worse than they

really are. That is true of both

the East and West. Society

must be brought into tune

with a higher note.



Materialism must be balanced

by idealism; there is no other

real cure for the world’s

difficulties. The troubles into

which countries are

everywhere being plunged are

really the agonies which will

force this change, just as

failure is frequently a sign-

post pointing to another

road.”

“You would like people to

introduce spiritual principles

into their worldly dealings,

then?”

“Quite so. It is not

impracticable, because it is

the only way to bring about

results which will satisfy

everyone in the end, and

which will not speedily

disappear. And if there were

more men who had found

spiritual light in the world, it

would spread more quickly.

India, to its honor, supports

and respects its spiritual men,

though less so than in former

times. If all the world were to

do the same, and to take its

guidance from men of

spiritual vision, then all the

world would soon find peace

and grow prosperous.”

Our conversation trails on. I

am quick to notice that Shri

Shankara does not decry the

West in order to exalt the

East, as so many in his land

do. He admits that each half

of the globe possesses its own

set of virtues and vices, and

that in this way they are

roughly equal!

He hopes that a wiser

generation will fuse the best

points of Asiatic and European

civilizations into a higher and

balanced social scheme. I

drop the subject and ask

permission for some personal

questions. It is granted

without difficulty.

“How long has Your Holiness

held this title?”

“Since 1907. At that time I

was only twelve years old.

Four years after my

appointment I retired to a

village on the banks of the



Cauvery, where I gave myself

up to meditation and study for

three years. Then only did my

public work begin.”

“You rarely remain at your

headquarters in Kumbakonam

I take it? “

“The reason for that is that I

was invited by the Maharajah

of Nepal in 1918 to be his

guest for a while. I accepted

and since then have been

travelling slowly towards his

state in the far north.

But see! – during all those

years I have not been able to

advance more than a few

hundred miles, because the

tradition of my office requires

that I stay in every village

and town which I pass on the

route or which invites me, if it

is not too far off.

I must give a spiritual

discourse in the local temple

and some teaching to the

inhabitants.”

I broach the matter of my

quest and His Holiness

questions me about the

different Yogis or holy men I

have so far met.

After that, I frankly tell him:

“I would like to meet someone

who has high attainments in

Yoga and can give some sort

of proof or demonstration of

them. There are many of your

holy men who can only give

one more talk when they are

asked for this proof. Am I

asking too much?”

The tranquil eyes meet mine.

There is a pause for a whole

minute. His Holiness fingers

his beard.

” If you are seeking initiation

into real Yoga of the higher

kind, then you are not seeking

too much. Your earnestness

will help you, while I can

perceive the strength of your

determination; but a light is

beginning to awaken within

you which will guide you to

what you want, without

doubt.”

I am not sure whether I

correctly understand him. “So



far I have depended on

myself for guidance. Even

some of your ancient sages

say that there is no other god

than that which is within

ourselves,” I hazard.

And the answer swiftly

comes: “God is everywhere.

How can one limit Him to

one’s own self? He supports

the entire universe.”

I feel that I am getting out of

my depth and immediately

turn the talk away from this

semi-theological strain.

“What is the most practical

course for me to take? “

“Go on with your travels.

When you have finished them,

think of the various Yogis and

holy men you have met; then

pick out the one who makes

most appeal to you.

Return to him, and he will

surely bestow his initiation

upon you.”

I look at his calm profile and

admire its singular serenity.

“But suppose, Your Holiness,

that none of them makes

sufficient appeal to me. What

then? “

“In that case you will have to

go on alone until God Himself

initiates you.

Practise meditation regularly;

contemplate the higher things

with love in your heart; think

often of the soul and that will

help to bring you to it.

The best time to practise is

the hour of waking; the next

best time is the hour of

twilight. The world is calmer

at those times and will disturb

your meditations less.”

He gazes benevolently at me.

I begin to envy the saintly

peace which dwells on his

bearded face. Surely, his

heart has never known the

devastating upheavals which

have scarred mine? I am

stirred to ask him impulsively:

” If I fail, may I then turn to

you for assistance?”



Shri Shankara gently shakes

his head. “I am at the head of

a public institution, a man

whose time no longer belongs

to himself. My activities

demand almost all my time.

For years, I have spent only

three hours in sleep each

night. How can I take

personal pupils?

You must find a master who

devotes his time to them.”

“But I am told that real

masters are rare, and that a

European is unlikely to find

them.”

He nods his assent to my

statement, but adds:

“Truth exists. It can be

found.”

“Can you not direct me to

such a master, one who you

know is competent to give me

proofs of the reality of higher

Yoga?”

His Holiness does not reply till

after an interval of protracted

silence.

“Yes. I know of only two

masters in India who could

give you what you wish. One

of them lives in Benares,

hidden away in a large house,

which is itself hidden among

spacious grounds.

Few people are permitted to

obtain access to him;

certainly, no European has yet

been able to intrude upon his

seclusion. I could send you to

him, but I fear that he may

refuse to admit a European.”

“And the other?” My interest

is strangely stirred.

“The other man lives in the

interior, farther south. I

visited him once and know

him to be a high master. I

recommend that you go to

him.”

“Who is he?”

“He is called the Maharishee. I

have not met him, but know



him to be a high master. Shall

I provide you with full

instructions, so that you may

discover him?”

A picture flashes suddenly

before my mind’s eye. I see

the yellow-robed friar, who

has vainly persuaded me to

accompany him to his

teacher.

I hear him murmuring the

name of a hill. It is: “The Hill

of the Holy Beacon.”

“Many thanks, Your Holiness,”

I rejoin, “but I have a guide

who comes from the place.”

“Then you will go there?”

I hesitate.

“All arrangements have been

made for my departure from

the South to-morrow,” I

mutter uncertainly.

”In that case I have a request

to make.”

“With pleasure.”

“Promise me that you will not

leave South India before you

have met the Maharishee.”

I read in his eyes a sincere

desire to help me. The

promise is given.

A benignant smile crosses his

face.

“Do not be anxious. You shall

discover that which you seek.”

Shri Shankara’s grave mouth

relaxes. He follows me into

the ante-room and whispers

something into the ear of my

companion. I catch my name

in the sentence.

At the door I turn to bow in

farewell salutation. His

Holiness calls me back to

receive a parting message:

“You shall always remember

me, and I shall always

remember you!”

And so, hearing these cryptic

and puzzling words, I

reluctantly withdraw from this

interesting man, whose entire



life has been dedicated to God

from childhood.

He is a pontiff who cares not

for worldly power, because he

has renounced all and

resigned all. Whatever

material things are given to

him, he at once gives again to

those who need them. His

beautiful and gentle

personality will surely linger in

my memory.

I wander about Chingleput till

evening, exploring its artistic,

old-world beauty, and then

seek a final glimpse of His

Holiness before returning

home. I find him in the

largest temple of the city.

The slim, modest, yellow-

robed figure is addressing a

huge concourse of men,

women and children. Utter

silence prevails among the

large audience.

I cannot understand his

vernacular words, but I can

understand that he is holding

the deep attention of all

present, from the intellectual

Brahmin to the illiterate

peasant. I do not know, but I

hazard the guess that he

speaks on the profoundest

topics in the simplest manner,

for such is the character I

read in him.

And yet, though I appreciate

his beautiful soul, I envy the

simple faith of his vast

audience. Life, apparently,

never brings them deep

moods of doubt. God is; and

there the matter ends.

They do not appear to know

what it means to go through

dark nights of the soul, when

the world seems like the grim

scene of a jungle-like

struggle; when God recedes

into shadowy nothingness;

and when man’s own

existence seems nothing more

than a fitful passage across

this small, transient fragment

of the universe which we call

Earth.

We drive out of Chingleput

under an indigo sky gemmed

with stars.



I listen to palms majestically

waving their branches over

the water’s edge in an

unexpected breeze. (Unquote)

Thus, in the year 1931, the

historic meeting between Paul

Brunton and Maha Periva

ended on a pleasant note.

Paul Brunton’s Background

His real name was Raphael

Hurst. He was born in London

in 1898, the son of Jewish

parents who had emigrated to

England from Eastern Europe.

We know almost nothing of

his childhood, except that his

mother died of tuberculosis

when he was thirteen, and

that his father subsequently

remarried.

Paul Brunton wrote a book

titled “A Search in Secret

India” in which he narrates his

meeting with Maha Periva.

Paul Brunton is considered as

one of the twentieth century's

greatest explorers of the

spiritual traditions of the East.

Kanchi Periva Forum - Ebook on Sri Maha Periva's Life History - Volume 3

Spiritual

Transcript of Kanchi Periva Forum - Ebook on Sri Maha Periva's Life History - Volume 3