Shobhanam

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It was by Nataraja’s grace, and through the thoughtful encouragement of my then-to-be dharmapatni, that I got my first audience with Sri Ganesa Parameswara Dikshitar. As if setting the tone for all of our subsequent meetings, I first saw him, just after he had completed his mAdhyAhnikam. After prostrating myself in front of him, and providing my introduction, I requested him for advise in order to lead a life of piety and to rid myself of my past karma. He, as his wont, smiled and said “One needs nothing more than the holy Gayatri”. He proceeded to initiate me again on the mantra, repeating it so that only I could hear it, and instructed me to perform trikAla sandhyAvandana, and to chant the Gayatri mentally at every opportunity. 

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Since that afternoon, which I consider a milestone in my life, I and my dharmapatni had the opportunity to visit Sri Parameshwara Dikshitar on several other occasions. These meetings happened purely through the blessings of Sri Nataraja – underscored by the fact that the occasions on which we met him were auspicious: under the dhwajasthambam of Sri Nataraja’s sannidhi, at his home during brAhmaNa samAradhana, during veda parAyaNa, at one of the car streets of the Chidambara kshetram on ArudhrA day. 

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Every time we, reluctantly, left his presence, we carried away untold riches, which include his kind blessings, his instructions to be steadfast in performing trikAla sandhyAvandhana, his auspicious words that reflected his happiness on seeing the Sri natarAja pAdukA that we worship at our home today, the copies of the grantham of Sri natESa stOtrams that echo even today in the annals of the Chidambaram temple.

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Such great souls do not “pass on” – I firmly believe they only shed their mortal coil so that they can transcend physical limitations, and exist in the veda mantras of every disciple, the prayers of every true devotee of Sri Nataraja, and affixed in the memories of countless people like us, who had the good fortune of meeting him. There is no permanent departure, only a blessed return and presence.

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My husband is a gift that Sri Parameswarayya blessed unto me. After a few audiences my then-to-be husband had had with ayyA, when we had visited Chidambaram before our wedding plans were yet to be finalized, we encountered him walking towards natarAjA sannidhi with an arm around the shoulder of his grandson. He took one look at my father, guessed why we were there, and told my father, “un poNNai dhairyamA ivanukku kattikkudu; romba nalla payyan; un poNNai nannA vecchuppAn”. It was due to that character certificate that our wedding plans started to materialize. He blessed rudrAkshAs unto us and told us to keep visiting him, while he was seated right in front of natarAjA sannidhI.

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We had visited him several times since then. Chidambaram was the place we went to for a honeymoon that consisted of rudrABhishEkam to Nataraja and audiences with GPD. During that visit, we learnt about GPD ayyA’s father who undertook sannyAsam after a long and devoted grihasta life in service of SrI natarAjA, and his SrIvidhyA guru, whose photographs adorned the wall of the long hall of their residence.

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The sparkle in his eyes everytime he would see us enter the house. “sundarEsan, srIlakshmI, garga gotram”, he would exclaim with a wide grin. When we took natarAjA pAdukAs to show them to him after rudrABhishEkam, he lifted the left pAdukA in his hand with such joy, and we beheld natarAjA right then in him as if he were touching the kunchitapAdA himself. “engAtthukku theertham vittu saapda variyA?” he asked me as I knelt before him, as my knees sank, unable to bear the bliss of that precious moment. I managed to mutter, “unga sEsham kidaichA pOrumE!” I could immediately see ayyA’s eyes become extra-bright, as he looked up at my husband with a paramAnanda expression on his face. Then on, despite remembering my name correctly, to him I was kAmAkshI on one visit and meenAkshI on another. During one entire forenoon of vEda pArAyanA session, he just sat there in a corner and not for a second broke his eye contact with me, all the while smiling his all-knowing smile. Neither I nor anyone can describe what that feels like, to have that glance of all that is good upon oneself. 

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He would converse with me about aBhirAmi anthAthi and lalitA sahasranAmA. After one particular discussion on aBhirAmi anthAthi, he kept his eyes firmly on me while reciting a verse from the aBhirAmi ammai pathigam as a blessing unto the son and daughter-in-law of SrI svarNa venkatESa dIkshitar who prostrated before him. His knowledge was so expansive that he was surely one in a million, given that he was a chaturvEdI.

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He would lovingly tell us to partake food at his residence several times, always looking to check if our banana leaves had adequate food. He’d tell us to witness the SivapUjA at his residence several times. I cannot begin to describe all the encounters we have had, all the profundity that was discussed, all the tears that were shed; it wouldn’t be appropriate to do so, as spiritual truths need to be safeguarded as the holiest. 

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That long, wooden bench in the living room, on which GPD ayyA used to sit and lay down… I wish at this moment that I could touch it and lay our child upon it. Will we be able to? Who do we turn to now? Only to our own hearts where he has a grand throne of his very own, free from the encumbrances that constitute physical life.

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(Chaturvedi Ganesa Parameswara Dikshitar attained Nataraja on 19.12.2024 at the age of 86).