"We Have Sinned, Acharya"

Dear Usha,
I am happy that you read this story first thing in the morning, immediately after waking up. That is sure to have a greater impact than reading this late in the evening, when our mind would be already crowded by the chores of the day, finished and unfinished.

So long as we can enjoy that statement on spiritual pride, we are keeping in tact a real firewall that'd prevent pride from slipping in to our being and humility slipping away.

Unlike other bad qualities pride cannot be directly attacked. It is like the monkey king Vaali. He had a unique boon. He'd get half of the strength of any person who fought with him. Pride has also got a similar boon. As Rama killed Vaali hiding behind a tree, great saints kill pride indirectly. That's the only way of killing it.

Thanks for the fb, Usha.
regards,

Originally Posted by sundarusha

Dear Sridhar,

as I read this story this morning after waking up, you have brought the setting of the ashram, the great acharya, the ignorant disciples and the wonderful couple Villi and Ponnachi in front of my eyes.
I was very moved by the following lines:

Even a hardened sinner, a person who has killed people and raped women, has some hopes. But a person with pride, especially spiritual pride, the pride of having been born in a superior class, has absolutely no hopes of salvation. He is condemned to live a life of misery till he realises in the depths of his heart, that before God and love, all are the same. Ramanujar did not want that misery for his other disciples.

Unless the weeds of pride, ego,jealousy, anger and other negatives are removed from disciples' minds, a Guru knows that love cannot blossom in their hearts.Mysterious are the Guru's ways to accomplish that.

Dear Sudha,
You are welcome. Seeing so many people eager to know the ending of the story, I became restless and posted the last part 4 days in advacnce.
Some schools would admit students with very high marks giving them liberal scholarships and other freebies. The idea is that the bright students would lift up the average of the school and they would set positive example for the not so bright ones. In the school of love Villi and Ponnachi were students holding first rank and Ramanuja wanted some of their love to be rubbed on to his other disciples. At least he wanted a portion of their destructive pride to be washed away by Villi's and Ponni's love. And yes, the mission was a total success.

Very neat narration , liked the explanation given by Guruji to disciples ....
"Even River Cauvery cannot clean me completely. But this man’s touch can purify me. That’s why I lean on him when I return from the river."

Happy to read the whole story, from where to where? And what a LOVE story!

Thanks, Sudha. I will let you know a secret. The love story I am going to post next (this time you will have to wait till the coming Friday) will be equally good, if not better. Thinking of that story I could not sleep. It is now 1 AM. I am in Chennai at my sister's place. The entire house is asleep. But I am here feverishly typing the replies. Because the next story has already occupied my mind and words have started to jump out.

regards,

Originally Posted by sudhavnarasimhan

Dear Sridhar,
The waiting was not long, thanks for that! So this is why Ramanujar made Villi and Ponnachi his disciples! He knew with all that LOVE they had, they will be selfless and devoted disciples. Wow, mysterious are the ways of God and how he has made the Great Acharya bring this to the world!
Very neat narration , liked the explanation given by Guruji to disciples ....
"Even River Cauvery cannot clean me completely. But this man’s touch can purify me. That’s why I lean on him when I return from the river."


Happy to read the whole story, from where to where? And what a LOVE story!

Thanks a lot, sowpar. I and my writings should have done some penance. Otherwise how could we have brought this story to such nice people as you are?
The next story, again a love story, is cooking and will be served this Friday. Stay tuned.
You know, Sowpar, I am very happy and proud, that women all over the world, young and old, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, grand daughters - all of them like the story.
regards,

Originally Posted by sowparnika

beautiful, sridhar sir...
what a story...
its an even greater treat to read your words....
loved these....


if only everyone would realise the truth of these words....
many many to you for bringing the story of Udayavar and his disciples to all of us....
eagerly waiting for many more from you.....

Dear Gopalan Sir,
I am happy to know that as you fly to the US you carry the pleasant memories of this great love story. It is not any surprise or coincidence, Sir.
For JK said once, if you genuinely want some thing, if your urge is intense enough, the entire Universe conspires to rush it to your side at the earliest. This time my happiness is that I have also been roped in to that "sweet conspiracy". Otherwise how could I have received such words of blessings from such a nice man?

As soon as you land in the US, allow some days for the jet lag to wear off and then log on to read another love story in this forum.
thanks and regards,

Originally Posted by gopalan1937

Dear Sridhar,

Before leaving for US from Chennai I was planning in my mind that I should learn about AZHWARS especially Ramanuja Acharyal. What a great surprise , when I decided to open up your pages to know what you have written lately, it is about the Great Saint. I was thrilled to go through the three part writing. I am reminded about the Shakespear's words! "The quality of mercy is twice blesseth; it blesses him that gives and him that takes" God has blessed me for giving what I wanted and blessed you for giving it to me in a touching manner..Millions of Thanks
Gopalan

Dear Veda Vyasar,
For a moment I was worrying that I had lost you after the last post. I am now thrilled to have you back in this story.
In the Sri Vaishnava tradition sanyas is not prescribed. Even now many of the saints are householders. Even Ramanuja lived with his wife for a long time. Once Ramanuja's wife committed a great sin. Ramanujar was hurt. But still continued to live with her. Only when she repeated that sin, did Ramanujar sent her out with a heavy heart. Of course we are going to see those stories also in this forum. So stay tuned.

The devotion of Ponnachi to give away her jewellery for the sake of the Mutt... That needs a big heart... Villi & Ponnachi graciously coming and giving the other half of the jewellery... I have no words to speak other than just wipe my wet eyes...

Great...

Veda Vyasan, when you shed tears, that's equivalent to speaking a hundred thousand words. Your wiping your wet eyes is the greatest tribute you could have paid to Villi, Ponnachi, Ramanuja and God Himself.

thanks and regards,

Originally Posted by Vysan

Dear Varalotti,

That is real great... Enjoyed reading that....

I am more than happy to note that Villi & Ponnachi lived together... The love of Villi & Ponnachi, the way you had explained made me to read further... The earlier part of the story made me to think, that Acharyal has made Villi to take sanyasam... That is the reason for me to quote that two movies...

Thanks for reading my post and replying it with patience and appropriate examples....

The devotion of Ponnachi to give away her jewellery for the sake of the Mutt... That needs a big heart... Villi & Ponnachi graciously coming and giving the other half of the jewellery... I have no words to speak other than just wipe my wet eyes...

Great...

Veda

Oh Sridhar, i was surprised to see you online so late.........but i can understand this urge to write or do anything craetive , keeps one awake!
But Friday is so faaaaaar away!

And i liked these lines as reply Mr. Gopalan.....
" JK said once, if you genuinely want some thing, if your urge is intense enough, the entire Universe conspires to rush it to your side at the earliest. This time my happiness is that I have also been roped in to that "sweet conspiracy"

Thanks Sridhar for sharing with us this real life story. So well written as usual and so many simple things said : Love, devotion, trust of the couple, Guru shishya relationship, humbleness of the shishya and I liked the humbleness of Ramanuja acharya when" he looks up as if to ask Lord Renganatha, ‘Did I treat your favoured children well? Did I use them to convey the message of love? Is my mission accomplished?’" Still being humble before god.
But I have grat reverence for Ponnachi, who followed her husband, he was connected to Ramanuja personally, but Ponnachi was coneected to God/Ramanaju/husband mentally and kept quiet when the disciples came to steal and felt she had sinned when they left w/o taking jewellery from other side. Too good.
I had tiff in my house today, and was feeling very low probably even back of my mind questioning god why me why to me? but reading this episode gave me strength and trust one should have in god and his doings.
Thanks once again. Do keep writing In IL Hope to read more of spritual articles about our Acharyas and Azwars.

Swati



Swati

Dear Sridhar,

I read all the three at one stretch. I was just dumb founded and awe struck.

At home, I have a practice of narrating a story to my younger daughter when we go to bed. After listening only she goes to sleep. Due to this practice I have narrated all mythological stories to both of them ( Thanks to amar chitra katha which I used to read when I was young). Hence, I narrated this story to her and beleive me, after hearing she was very quite for some time. I thought she had slept but slowly she told me " evvalovu nallavva indha villium ponnachium". I knew this story had soothing effect on her and she would have a peaceful night. (But my narration would not be anywhere near to your writing skills)

Dear Swetha,
First, thanks. When I first read this story in a Tamil book, believe me, I could not speak or do anything for some time. Stories like this one, once they get into our being, can never go out of it. So ever since I read the story for the first time some 17,18 years ago, I have been thinking about the story every now and then. I have told the story to my daughter, almost to every one who cared to listen.
I am releasing the next set by this Friday, God willing. Please be on the look out.

Best Wishes,

Originally Posted by swethakrishnan

Dear Varalotti Sir,

All I can say is ... a great lesson learned through a beautiful narration ...
I think its for the first time in my whole life that I'm lost for words!
Eagerly awaiting for your next set of stories ...

Dear, dear Sujatha,
When someone like your praise me, when you say that I grew up right in front of your eyes, my heart gets filled up with love, and my eyes with tears. Even to attempt to thank you for that will be blaspheming your love. I am not going to do that.

"But a person with pride , especially spiritual pride, the pride of having been born in a superior class, has absolutely no hopes of salvation. He is condemned to live a life of misery till he realises in the depths of his heart, that before God and love, all are the same."
Simply superb!

We need pride for day-to-day existence. Even Gita lists pride as a constituting element of a human being. But once we set our eyes on the spiritual path, pride becomes the worst enemy. I have heard a saint say that it is better to be a humble sinner than a proud saint. How true!

Maybe what I say may disturb you, because, a mother loves all her children equally. You have given us many many stories and write ups and have enthralled us and I know all your compositions are your babies and you love them all equally. But, let me be brazen and say that this is going to be my Most Favorite from all of your writings!
I read this last episode with the same fascination as the first one and once again felt I was carried away to those times and days. All the three episodes are simply mesmerizing.

You are not brazen. You are in a way right. If a piece of writing has to be good, first the subject matter is to be good; second the writer has to be good and third, the writer should have been inspired to write that piece. When the writer remains at the same level (I have not even been accepted as a writer by the leading magazines here) if the subject matter is good and the inspiration is strong because it comes from divine love, then naturally the resultant piece will be something like that.
Now that you have said that I am going to write on similar themes till July when I am planning to start a serial - this time an out and out romance story.

Such Acharyas happen only rarely on this earth. Blessed are those who have shared the times and space with him.

We are also blessed because they belong to our aeon, if not our century and we are able to relate to the story well.

On an aside, I must confess that reading this episode worked as a balm on my disturbed nerves. I was especially saddened to read certain posts in IL. I do hope good sense, tolerance and humor prevails and we do not come down on anybody harshly just because they hold other views. I agree that we must not hurt anyone willingly, be it physical or sentiment, but we can agree to disagree in a pleasant way.

I am happy that my piece of writing helped a person who is serving IL in a selfless way. IL is one large, happy family. There may be some setbacks, someone who does not understand the familial love for a while. But then everything's going to be fine. You know why? IL was born out of the love a woman had for her compatriots. Whatever is born in love and whatever has thrived in love will always be fine. So you need not worry about that.

God is nothing but pure love and I am sure we all are equal in His eyes.

Yes. There is only one emotion love, At the lowest levels it is called as fear, anger, greed, lust etc. As the level goes up it gets names like affection, honour, devotion and finally at the highest level it is the purest love.

Thank you Sridhar for these three episodes, which strangely does not share a covering title?! I am going to read them again and again in peace and treasure them. Maybe I will take a print out!

I feel honored, Kamla.

Love,