Swamiyee Saranam – 7

 

Swamiyee Saranam Ayyappa!   This six weeks with His blessings passed like 6 hours.  Every Saturday we used to have a congregation of devotees, a group prayer where we sing together and pray together.  This week was the last week of such prayer meeting and I am going to miss this till next year. I have gathered many friends who had experienced the blessing and miracles of Sri Dharma Sastha Ayyappan, especially this one guy who had an amazing voice and extreme devotion; he named his son ‘Sabari’ as he was born with the Sabri Mala Sri Dharma Sastha’s blessing.

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                It was a fine breeze chilling evening; it was not drizzling but the air was wet and minuscule droplets of water kept wetting the air, hair and skin.  The feel was good but the path become uncomfortable for the walk.  To walk without foot wares on the muddy wet road that was half trodden by the previous rains exacerbated the stroll.  More than anything I wanted to walk so that my legs get used for walk in bare foot.  The fear of treading on the mountains that too for a prolonged distance keeps me walking; hopefully practice make me perfect.

                This day, I’m not on the mountains but the road is worse than the rain trodden mountain slope.   My foot got used to smaller stones but here and there some big guys protrude and give tough time for the walk. The evening was perfect and divine and it was a faster walking practice to reach the near by Swami Ayyappan temple for the bigger Sabari mala Sri Sastha Swami Ayyappan temple.  The temple was crowded waiting for ‘Abhishekam’.  A small girl, should be in her six or seven years was in black carrying the ‘Thulasi’ malai and additional malai and an old man who should be in his eighties held her hand stepped inside the temple.  His age made the steps tough but with help he claimed in.  Looked like he is old Guru Swami.  After praying he dropped the mala in her neck with the sarana gosham ‘Swamiyeeee… Saranam Ayyapaa’ this is usual but what made me stun is the next thing he did.  Slowly he bent down to her feet and asked for the little girl’s blessings.  He wasn’t able to walk, claim the steps, couldn’t stand continuously for few mins and above all he is a revered Guru Swami and still he asked for the blessings from a little girl!  May be that is what Sri Dharma Sastha had imbibed in him, the real result of taking this pilgrimage to Sabari Mala for decades together.

                When I started this austerity there was a little pride that I am doing this but slowly and slowly that vanished.  This process made me think about my past life when I was a fool, when I was cruel, when I was honest but couldn’t withhold, when the mind was like a monkey jumping from one thing to the other, my laziness and my prides – thousand things to change. And it took forty-five days of continuous worship, which is the first time in my life, to understand the first step of worship and the meaning of divineness.  That broke all the pride about the knowledge I have gathered about the spirituality, processes, and different paths; I realized all that gathered were just written and spoken words and not the real experience. 

                After all these days when I looked at the statue of Sri Dharma Sastha Ayyappan, I felt he had something to say to me and I don’t know how many more years it will take to hear what he wanted to say and how many more years to understand his words! I pray for perseverance and for His blessings that one day His words will reach my ears and He take abode in my heart permanently!

I pray for the good health, wealth and prosperity for all in this global village.   May He, Sri Dharma Sastha Ayyappa Swami, be with everyone and bless with a prosperous life.

 

Swamiyee Saranam Ayyappa!!