“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.