The answers of Agastya Muni to the generic questions posted by devotees can be found here. The readers are requested to send their spiritual experiences related to the Siddhas to GnanaBoomi at Gmail dot com. Though the experiences are unique and personal to them, it can shower some light or guidance to those who read them. Thanks!
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Agastya expressed surprise on seeing a stream appearing on the place where the Salagrama fell and it was seen underneath the stream water. He folded His hands in front of the devotee Narayana.
“May I know who you are, O revered Sire?” – Agastya asked.
“If you tell me who you are, you shall know who I am.”
“When I saw you, I felt that you are ready to lose anything for Vaishnavism. You are greatly devoted to Venkatava. You were chanting Govinda Govinda all through. I wanted to help you in any ways I can so I came in disguise. I am Agastya.” – said the Maha Muni.
“I must have been blessed to have the darshan of Maha Siddha like Agastya. Why is He appearing as a young lad? I will be even blessed if He appears in the original form.”
“With pleasure.” – Agastya appeared how He looks normally.
Narayana folded both his hands and did a Sashtanka Namaskara to Agastya. Agastya held him even before that, said, “This is Venkatava’s shrine where He is seated on Adi Sesha’s head. Here, one should worship Venkatava, not me.” and smiled.
“O Agastya! It is very auspicious that I saw you in Tirumala. I have written about Venkatava in many a palm leaves. Let me hand them over to you. Can you please translate them in Tamil so everyone knows?”
“I treat this as a direct order from Lord Venkatava Himself. If His wish is such, I shall translate it in announce it in the coming Purattasi month’s Saturday itself. Is it fair enough?”
“I am blessed indeed.” – said Narayana.
“Sire, the doubt still lingers. Who are you? Why should you struggle so much to climb up, that too carrying Salagrama and the palm leaves?” – he paused.
“Hmm..what else is your question Agastya? Go ahead and ask.”
“Why did the Salagrama fall out? Why did a stream appeared? Why is the Salagrama found inside the stream water? Can you explain?”
“Shall we sit in the shade of this tree and talk?”
They both sat down near a Naval tree.
“My name is Narayanan, Vaishanava family. I learnt Vedas and Grantha when I was young. I went out of my house when I was eight. Now I am eighty eight. I roamed around this holy country, temple after temple. When I was sixty, I was praying in Nepal in my ashram near the Kantaki river bank where this Salagrama fell on my lap. While I was wondering how a Salagrama can fall on my lap all by itself, I heard a divine voice which said:..”
“Narayana! Worship this Salagrama by staying here for 25 years. Then when you turn 85, start to Tirumala by walk. Let this Salagrama be with you. There will be a miracle in Tirumala. Where this Salagrama falls out, a stream will appear and the Salagrama will be seen inside the stream water. Sit there and pray to Lord Venkatava who will appear before you. You shall then realize the purpose of your birth.”
“I took the divine voice as the Lord’s own itself and prayed to Lord Vishnu for 25 years and started from Nepal when I was 85. I travelled for 3 years and now I am climbing up Tirumala.” – said the elderly wise devotee Narayana.
He is indeed a great devotee who prayed to Lord Vishnu right from the age of eight till eighty eight, who has seen many a temples all across Bharat. Venkatava’s grace is there with him completely, thought Agastya. He made him be seated with all comfort and went straight to Venkatava’s shrine to explain about the devotee. Lord Venkatava said:
“O Agastya. I dwell in Salagrama. Not today or when he was eight, this Narayana is worshipping me for the past 7 births. In fact, I have been associating myself with him as a close friend. He has come here seeking a shelter when he is at the end of his life.”
“Such a great devotee!”
“Yes. If you want, let me test him a bit to show you that he will never deviate from me.”
“Lord. When you are explaining his greatness with your own divine words, what else is required?”
“Yes, but his devotion surpasses everything else. Hence I brought him here. Wait and watch…” – the Lord closed His eyes and remained silent.
Right where the devotee Narayana was seated appeared a fire. The birds ran for their lives and the animals ran here and there. The rishi-munis were wondering how a greener forest caught hold of fire.
But…the old devotee did not move at all, chanting ‘Govinda, Govinda’ with his eyes closed. The fire surrounded him but he never moved.
The Lord showed this to Agastya and said, “See, what do you think of his deep devotion?”
“Wonderful. Blissful. It can’t be explained in words.”
“What can we do to his Bhakthi?”
“What is there in my saying my Lord. Please do what you think is fit.”
“Even I am thinking of this. Let Agni leave him alone now.” – the fire disappeared as if it didn’t appear at all with the place turning greener than before. Agastya said, “We can go there before him together and ask him what he wants.”
They both appeared before Narayana with Venkatava calling him lovingly, “Narayana”
The wise devotee opened his eyes to see the all merciful Lord in front of him, whom he has worshipped, thought about, breathed all his life. He fell at the Lord’s feet with his eyes brimming with tears of bliss.
“What do you want my dear, who has worshipped me all along?”
“Venkatava, my Lord! Your darshan is everything. I do not need anything else.”
“I heard you have written about me in the Granthas.”
“Yes my Lord.”
“Agastya will write them in Tamil. What else do you want?”
“I surrendered in your holy feet. I should be able to see your holy feet without even blinking forever.”
“Then?”
“Nothing else is needed my Lord.”
“I give what you asked. Agastya is the witness, here accept what I give.”
Narayana kept looking at the Lord. What is He saying?
“This place henceforth will be called as Narayana Giri. This is a gift for devotees like you who surrender to me completely.”
It is said that Narayana is still roaming around Narayana Giri in Arooba form. What else is an evidence for the mercy of the Lord?
Featured image courtesy: Panoramio
~ to be continued…!