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greetings to everyone

From the Bhakti List Archives

R.Balaji • May 2, 1998 


Dear "bhAgavatOttamA-s" of the Bhakti-list,

My humble "praNAmam-s" to you all !

It's been 4 months since my return to Madras again! Having settled down
a bit I thought I'd catch up again with friends on the Net! So here are
a few notings/musings from home!

++ It's the beginning of the "dog-days" in Chennai now. Mercifully,
drinking water is not a problem in the city this year. I don't see
people running around yelling for "thaneer!thaneer!". This time around
most are running around gasping for "minsAram, minsAram"!!

++ Srimad Azhagiyasingar camped here for over three weeks. I paid my
"danda-samarpanams". 

"I am happier than even your parents perhaps are that you have chosen to
return to India," he beamed and smiled at me as I prostrated at His
Holiness's feet, "It is very important, my dear Sudarshan, to uphold and
assert our way of life, our "dharma" in our own land!".

I nodded my head in agreement although I did not quite undertand what
made His Holiness want to deliver such a sharp and improptu homily to
me. 

"AdiyEn am celebrating my 11 year old son's "upanayanam" in June," I
continued, "adiyEn craves Azhagiyasingar's blessings and directions in
this matter."

"Very good news. It is important to fulfill one's "samskAra-s" in life
at the appropriate time. Go ahead with your son's "upanayanam". Where is
your boy?".

I bade my son, Shreyas, come forward and prostrate before the Jiyar.

Swamy blessed the boy and then suddenly queried me,"Sudarshan, you
have'nt had your "samAsrayanam", have you?". I'm amazed how the aged
pontiff remembers even the minutest details of my personal life!

"I beg your pardon, your Holiness, but you have'nt instructed me at all
in the matter," I duck His question.

"What instruction?! What rot?!," the Holiness rasped,"You have to go
through your "samAsrayanam" immediately! How can you perform your son's
"upanayanam" without having been initiated?! No, No! The time has come.
You better come back here to me tomorrow morning. I will perform your
"samAsrayanam"!".

"adiyEn, Sire, as you wish," I said and retired meekly.

The following morning Srimad Azhagiyasingar performed the rites and
initiated me into the fold.

To me it all marked a "homecoming" in more than the mundane sense of the
word.

More of my musings in the next post.

adiyEn,
sudarshan