Let his grace be on us

Sr. A.R. Venkataraman

My father (late) Sri Ramakrishna Iyer was a native of Anaipatti village in Dindigul taluk in Tamil Nadu. He lost his parents in a very early age and went on pilgrimage to places like Benares. On his return he got married and settled at Nellore (Andhra Pradesh) and started a business of his own.

At that time there were only ten families of Tamils at Nellore employed in business. There was a Sankara Mutt in Nellore.

We learnt about His Holiness returning to Madras from the North and passing through our village. We greeted Him with poornakumbham on the Trunk Road. Offering our pranams we requested Him to speak a few words of grace in the local Sri Anjaneya Temple. WE imagined that there were only very few of us. His Holiness gave a short discourse. People who were passing through the road just outside the temple stopped out of curiosity and listened to His Holiness. They were so charmed that every one of them came into the Temple and heard Him with rapt attention.

Then the unexpected happened. His Holiness who was expected to stay at Nellore for a couple of days stayed there for about six months, hundreds having His Darsan, attending the Puja and receiving His blessings. Imagine our joy at the unexpected boon.

Similarly, when he was returning on the Trunk Road, after the bath in the North Pennar, His Holiness got down from the Pallakku and walked into our house. What a grace!

After some years my father would up his business at Nellore and returned to our place, Periyakulam, Madurai district. After some time, may father passed away. I wanted to have the darsan of His Holiness and went to the Kanchipuram. His Holiness was then observing silence.

I offered my pranams and introduced myself as the son of late Ramakrishna Iyer of Nellore. His Holiness nodded His head and indicated by drawing a circle to show that we belong to periyakulam ("BIG TANK") and not Nellore.

We were enthralled by His grace because there were thousands of devotees visiting Him day in and day out. He remembered us.