“Tomorrow night there will be a hubbub as in the next house some thieves will break in.”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

One day Shri. Venkatachala Mudaliar had to go out of town for some work and requested Swami to take care of his house as he would be away for nearly a week. Swami told the Mudaliar’s wife Subbulakshmi, “Tomorrow night there will be a hubbub as in the next house some thieves will break in. But don’t be afraid as I am here.” The lady, who had hid all her gold (weighing nearly 20 sovereigns) inside her pillow, was saved from the robbery. She started shouting for help, and soon a crowd gathered to help. Swamigal said, “You see, the thieves came in, but your gold was untouched! You need not fear anything anymore.”

“Those birds will come and you can go”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

On one occasion Shri Kuzhumani Narayana Sastrigal was given a send-off by Swami. It was 8 a.m. They were passing near the Chathram. Swamy put his hands around Sastrigal’s neck and stood for a while. In the distant sky it appeared as if a lone bird was flying. Pointing to that, Swami asked Sastrigal, “Is that a garuda?” Sastrigal replied, “Yes, it looks like a garuda.” At that time Swami made a gesture with his hands as if calling that bird. He bade farewell to Sastrigal saying, “Those birds will come, and you can go.” Hardly had Sastrigal walked on a few yards on the way to the railway station, when two garuda birds flew very close to him, one on his left and another on his right. As Swami had said, the birds would come, hundreds of garudas flocked there. It was as if the devotee’s journey should have a good augury. Swami had called them purposely in.

“Love is a gift from God to man. Obedience is a gift from Master to man. Surrender is a gift from man to Master.”

“Thiruppugazh is your mantra. Don’t leave it.”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

Thiruppugaz Swamigal was devoted to Lord Muruga, and by His grace he started learning Thiruppugazh (Divine songs on Lord Muruga). He easily learnt, all the hymns of Thiruppugazh, by heart.

Thiruppugaz Swamigal (Shri Satchidananda Swamigal) came to Thiruvannamalai with the intention of becoming a disciple of Avathar Sri Seshadri Swamigal. He stood by the side of the Avathar. Swami said, “Thiruppugazh is your mantra. Don’t leave it.”On hearing this, he was overwhelmed. Further Swami continued, “Your forefathers were also sanyasins.”

Later he got to learn Thiruppugaz from the Swami Himself and as per Swami’s instructions, he went to live and do penance at Vallimalai, the place where Sri Valli Deviar (consort of Lord Muruga), was standing guard to protect the millet from birds.

“The thief is in your house, the thief is in your house”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

In the village Seelaipandal (9 kms from Thiruvannamalai), a Dikshidar was doing pooja in the house of one Shri. T.S. Jagadeesa Iyer. He was considered as a ‘Guru’ and the people in the house showed immense affection and regard for him. But because of his past karma, the thought of dishonesty grew in him. On two occasions he stole a hundred rupee note and a gold necklace weighing 8 sovereigns from the house and buried the same beneath the sanctum of the village deity. Three months elapsed. Even though a search was conducted in the house, the lost articles could not be found. Shri Jagadeesa Iyer used to reside in his house at Sannadhi Street in Thiruvannamalai and when he had some work visited Seelaipandal by his horse drawn cart.

Once when he was on his way to the village, Swami asked him if he could come in the cart. Jagadeesa Iyer said, “This is your vehicle. Please get in and we shall go.” Swami got in to the cart and they reached Seelaipandal. On the way Jagadeesa Iyer mentioned to Swami about the theft in his house. Swami replied that he arrived there to solve the same. He said that the stolen articles would be found on the same day.

As soon as they reached the place, Swami said, “The thief is in your house! The thief is in your house! There is a dog! I am leaving!” With these words he hastily left the house. On the way back to Thiruvannamalai, Jagadeesa Iyer pleaded with Him that he could go along in the cart after he drank some milk.

Swami did not accede and went away. Soon after, the village official gathered in Iyer’s house and disclosed that the Dikshidar had been seen digging open the sanctum of the village deity and the whole affair looked suspicious.

Then, the Dikshidar was persuaded to come and made him . The villagers crowded near the temple of the village deity.

The Dikshidar in his anger, tore up the idol from its foundations, and in the process, the stolen articles were retrieved. Jagadeesa Iyer was happy to have got back the stolen property. Incidentally in His 40 years of stay, in Thiruvannamalai, the above incident was the only occasion when Swami was away from there for about six hours.

“The money is in your hand and you can do whatever you like”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

Sri Kavya Kanda Ganapathy Sastrigal came to Thiruvannamalai in the year 1903. He took Sri Ramana Maharshi as his Guru. He treated Seshadri Swamigal like his favourite deity. Whenever there was an opportunity, he would speak highly about the Avathar Sri Seshadri Swamigal. On one occasion Sastrigal spoke in admiration of Swami as His Kundalini Shakthi (universal energy or Brahma Shakthi or Divine energy) had been roused and was running in the body and, therefore, He was endowed with extraordinary spiritual insight.

In support of this he cited two incidents.

Sastriar was given lectures (upanyas) on ‘Shakthi’ for ten days at Annachathiram (food choultry). About that time, his son Mahadevan’s marriage was to be conducted. On the last day of upanyasa, Rs.50 was collected to give him as donation.

Avathar Sri Seshadri Swamigal happened to come there at that time and the Taluk Board President Sri Venkatasubbaiyar gave that amount to Swami who asked what for was that. To that query Iyer simply stated, “The money is in your hand and you can do whatever you like.”

His intention was that people should know about Swami’s Gnana Shakthi.

Thereupon Swami gave that money to Sastriar who in turned asked Swami why He was giving that.

Swami stated:

“Vaagarthaaviva sambrukthow vaagartha

Prathibhathaye! Jagadha; pidharow vanthe

Parvathee Parameshvarow!”

The above clarifies about Mahadevan’s marriage. It is illustrative of Swami’s ability to read the intention of the gathering even though he was not physically present there.

“Swamigal wore the new clothes…”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

In the year 1909, Sri Sundaram Chettiar was the presiding Judge in Thiruvannamalai. He had a deep desire to see Swami and pay Him, his respects. Realizing this, Swami suddenly came to his house one day. The judge’s happiness (at seeing the God, who had condescended to partake of food in his house), knew no bounds! The Judge presented the Swami new clothes. Swami wore the new clothes, and laughing aloud folded His old cloth and put it on the Judge’s shoulder and suddenly left.

The Judge got promoted as the High Court Judge of Madras. The conferment of His blessings was not a big deal for Swamigal, since He was an ocean of divine power!

“Swami angrily got hold of his hair…”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

A teenaged casual labourer picked up dried mango kernel thrown by Swamigal. Swami warned him not to touch it but he did not heed it. Swami angrily caught hold of his hair, pushed him to the ground and stepped on him with his feet a number of times and knocked his head down on the ground. The boy had bleeding injury. The passers-by pacified the boy. A month elapsed. The boy who used to roam the streets, clad only in loincloth, came in the streets like a king wearing dhoti, shirt, cap and watch! On inquiry it came to light that he was employed as a farm-hand on a salary of Rs.15 per month. Thus various people had gained various benefits after the peculiar treatment received at the hands of Swami.

“Subbalakshmi, come here, I will show you some fun.”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

Shri. Venkatachala Mudaliar and his wife Subbhalakshmi Ammal were earnest devotees of Swami. Quite often Swami used to visit them, take food in their house and take to them in a jolly fashion. In the backyard of their house there were two Poovarasu (Portia) trees and two drumstic trees. It was a new moon day. Swami dropped in at about 4 in the evening, and said, “Subbalakshmi, come here, I will show you some fun.”

When she asked what he was going to show, Swami was looking into the sky through the open verandah and raised his hands calling out, “Come! Come! Immediately one crow came, then another crow flue in, then five, ten, hundred crows flew in; likewise a number of other species of birds like pigeons, parrots, various types of sparrows, all flew in. They all crowded the whole place including the neighbouring house, sitting on the ground, on the roof, on the trees etc; and started making noise and jumping here and there and playing. Swami was in the midst of the birds and played with them. Subbhalakshmi was watching the fun with curiosity. Then Swami took a strand from his shoulder cloth and blew it. Immediately all the birds departed.

“So you are going to establish a Sangam…?”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

On another occasion, Sastriar had discussions with the late E.S. Ramaswamy Sastry on starting a society called Sri Ramana Samithi. On their way to Maharshi, they chanced to see Swamigal. Both paid obeisance to him. Immediately Swami told them, “So you are going to establish a sangam (society)! Go ahead.” Both were bowled over by Swamigal’s Gnana Drishti, that He knew about their proposal, which was mooted only half an hour before.

“Sivaganga is very deep. Should you not have cautioned…”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thirvadikkae

Sub-Registrar Shri Sundaresa Chettiar had two unmarried daughters named Parvathibhai and Janakibhai. They were great devotees of Swami. The two girls sought refuge at the feet of Swami for the whole day. One Janaki had a dream. Janaki and Parvathi were bathing in the Sivaganga; Parvathi got drowned, seeing that, Janaki cried aloud. At that moment Swami rushed and lent His hand to lift her out of the water. When they were returning home, a chameleon kept chasing Janaki. Swami again appeared on the scene and drove away the chameleon. Janakibhai divulged the above dream in the morning to all members of the household.

When they called on Swamigal, later in the day, Swamigal said, “Should you not have cautioned Parvathibhai not to get into that place? Yama who came to take her life chased you in the form of a chameleon. You need not harbour any fear hereafter. Saying that Swami soothed them with His hands. It is clear from the above that Swami Saves His devotees even when one measure this quality of mercy to His devotees?”