by Dhaya Mesrobian
These miracles performed by the Swami refer to different periods; some took place in
Madras and its subub Tiruvottiyur in his early life; some others at Karungkuli between
1858 and 1867 and yet others at Vadalur (1867-70) and at Mettukuppam (1870-1874).
They are not reported in a chronological order. Some do not fall in the category of
miracles but are incidents that portray Vallalar’s nature in dealing with men and matters
both at human and superhuman level. God plays at the human level as much as He does
on the suprahuman. He is both human and above the human at the same time. His
dealings at human level are sometimes better understood and appreciated. Vallalar was
not against doing miracles, as they form the powers and plays of the Divine. However
he was not after miracle-mongering. His eventful life was interspersed with many divine
miracles of various kinds. He promised in the last part of his life that the Divine Himself
was soon to manifest on the earth to rule and play Siddhis of Grace, such as resurrection
of the dead and transforming the aged into youths. Thus Vallalar progressively grew
into the Divine Nature, as he went on writing inspired poems and doing miracles since
his early life. His miracles are continuing even now.
(1) MERCURY TURNED INTO A BEAD
A magician came and requested Vallalar who was a Siddha, to turn mercury into a
bead. Vallalar gently poured into the hollow of his palm a little mercury and after
keeping it closed for a while, dropped it as a mercury bead.
(2) FEEDING THE UNEXPECTED GUESTS
One night food had been cooked in the Dharmashala for a limited number of people.
Unexpectedly about a hundred additional guests came at the time of serving the food.
Shanmugam Pillai, the man in charge of the food section, reported to Vallalar that food
was not sufficient to serve all. Vallalar immediately rose up voicing forth "pich". This
was Vallalar’s characteristic exclamation at the time of performing miracles, possibly
signifying that it was a child's play and there was nothing impossible, all being a Divine
blessing to do what was needed. According to Ooran Adigal, the biographer of
Vallalar’s life in Tamil, "pich" is a short form of "Pichchan" (name of the divine Lord)
which is derived from "Pichchu". We may add that the Divine Lord performs miracle as
either a play of a tender child (pinju Pillai or Pichchu Pillai) an inexplicably miraculous
way in a divine madness (Pichchu or Piththu). Thus with the exclamation of "Pich " in
Arutpa it also means the madness of non knowing that God can help. Vallalar asked to
supply guests in sitting rows, leaf for serving food, and He himself served the food to
the guests. All took plenty of food but the food remained intact in the cooking pots.
(3) PREMONITION OF FRESH SUPPLIES OF RICE
One day Shanmugam Pillai, the manager of Dharmashala reported to Vallalar that
there was no stock of rice to cook. Vallalar sat alone in a place and concentrated for a
few seconds and then assured him that rice and all other things needed would come the
next day. Exactly so, the next day a devotee from Tirutturai village brought three
cartloads of rice and other provisions and reported that he had been asked in his dream
the night before, to bring in supplies of food.
(4) MASTERY OVER FIRE AND RAIN
In the summer month of April, many who came to the Dharmashala at Vadalur
suffered due to the drought and heat. Vallalar knew about it and asked them to pour a
vessel of water over his feet. The devotees did so. Shortly, there was a heavy down pour
of rain. Devotees of Pudupet village (near Cuddalur) heard of this and came to Vadalur
and implored the grace of Vallalar, as all wells of the village had become dry for lack of
rain. Vallalar asked them to pour six pots full of water over his head. They did so: There
was heavy down pour of rain immediately; and the springs of the six wells which had
gone dry, once again became active bringing in fresh and very tasty supplies of water in
the wells. The village thus had good rains to sustain and nourish its life and activity.
(5) DRY LAND TURNED INTO WET LAND
A report of Vallalar's devotee who was a tax collector named Murugesa Pillai failed
in his several attempts to have his dry lands changed into wet lands through petitions to
the Government (possibly for facilities of irrigation). He implored Vallalar for grace and
received from Him the sacred ash of blessing. Thereafter, the dry lands could be
converted into wet lands.
(6) FIRE DIES BY SIGNAL
In Pudupetta near Kurinjipadi, a house caught fire. Vallalar who happened to be in
the opposite house at that time waved his cloth and the fire soon came down.
(7) RAINWITHOUT DRENCHING
One evening Vallalar went out for a walk with the devotees.Suddenly it rained. All
of them except Vallalar got drenched in the rain. Not even a drop of rain was seen on
Vallalar’s body.
(8) FIRE WITHOUT BURNING
In "Siddhivalagam cottage house at Mettukuppam Vallalar used to keep on his two
sides flaming fire in iron bowls of burning coke. Vallalar sat in between them on a
tub-like seat. (His direct disciple and biographer Kandasamy pillai writes to say that
Vallalar perhaps wanted to enjoy thus more intense heat than what was normal to his
body transform golden form). One day a devotee of Vallalar by name Sabapathy
Sivacharya who was the priest in charge of the Shrine of Sathya Gnana Sabha happened
to enter into Vallalar's room suddenly when his leg struck a bowl of burning coal. The
burning coal scattered hither and thither and hit Vallalar and himself. The visitor got
alarmed and hastened to remove by his hands the burning coal that fell on Vallalar's
thigh. He got his hands burnt. But Vallalar remained unaffected in his body and not
even his cloth bore any mark of the burn. Vallalar however said to him "Why are you so
anxious? It (fire) will not affect me in any way".
(9) FAILURE TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED
Once some Vallalar’s devotees brought a famous photographer named Masilamani
Mudaliar from Madras to take photo of Vallalar it was the same photograph appointed
by the Queen of England to take pictures of herself during her visit to India.. He
attempted eight times; but each time he failed to get a picture because the form and
figure of Vallalar was not impressed on the film; only the white cloth which Vallalar
wore came in the picture.
NOTE: Vallalar's body had no shadow after transformation into Grace Light body,
He became full of divine Light within and without.
(10) CLAY-IMAGE OF VALLALAR
A pot-maker from Panrutti village heard of the above said incident. Being a
devotee of Vallalar he made Vallalar's image in clay and duly painted it. He offered it to
Vallalar. He remarked: "The golden body had become a body of mud". So Vallalar
dropped it down and it broke into pieces.
NOTE : So the truth of his whole and entire physical body could not be properly
represented even by a photo or statue. However the fact remains that Vallalar himself
allowed the photographer to take his picture or still earlier the painter to paint his image
and so he could not have been against the preservation of his outer form for use of the
disciples but the very fact of the divine luminosity of his body stood against a
representation of his form as a photo. This apart, Vallalar psychologically discouraged
the worship of his own figure and image and instead persistently kept the supreme
Divine, the Lord of Vast Grace-Light, as the goal to be pursued and presented Him in
the form of the light of a lamp duly sanctified and lit by himself. This attitude was the
need of the hour of God as Vallalar wanted his disciples and devotees also to aspire,
without diversion through the worship of the said form of light and through the Arut
Perum Jothi mantra of Grace Light. for the universal manifestation of the divine Grace
Light upon earth .
In his days Vallalar used to pray that Oh Lord these innocent people go around me as if
I were their Lord because they have not seen you. He askes God many times to grant
every life on this earth to have the same bliss as he enjoyed.
Ramalingam transformed his dense physical matter into a body of subtle pure divine
Grace Light which is not distructible by any elements. He has transformed his dense
body into a living light body which is still present in Metukuppam. Many people have
experienced and experiencing it even now. Vallalar is using Mettukuppam as a base of
action in this place and travels to all corners of the universe. Through this
transformation he is able to enter any life. I Dhayanithi personaly wistnessed Vallalar
entering the body of a yong girl in Mettekupan during posson day. It was very eminent
for me how Vallalar was using her body. Specialy that myself, had the same experience
during Thai posson where I saw Vallalar coming out of the room, walking toward me
and entering my body for some time, then leaving it to return to the room.
(11) "CHIDAMBARAM DARSHAN" SHOWN AT VADALUR
It was the habit for devotees from Mofussil areas to come to Vadalur in order to take
Vallalar with them to Chidambaram on important festival days. On one such occasion
devotees came in advance and waited for Vallalar to go to Chidambaram. As the day of
the festival got closer, most of them left for Chidambaram. But there was no sign of
Vallalar's starting going there yet. Only a few stayed with him in the hope of starting at
least on the day of festival itself. Vallalar did not leave Vadalur even on that day. The
devotees felt unhappy as they lost the chance of seeing the Lord of Dance, Nataraja of
Chidambaram. Vallalar understood their grievance and assured them all "you can have
Chidambaram darshan here ; wait and see." So saying Vallalar put up a screen of cloth
in a portion of Dharmashala building and asked them to go inside the screen and see.
They went inside the veil and saw the rare sight of the "Chidambara darsham" i.e., of the
Lord of the Lord of Dance and play and they were highly overjoyed.
(12) On some occasions, Vallalar sat outside in the sun at noon. At that time
devotees at the Dharmashala used to see a column or pillar of light (agni sthambha)
rising up between the place of his seat and the sun.
It was easy to see where Vallalar was.We just had to look at the sun and observe where
the sun’s light was going, there you would found Vallalar.
How can we understand this? We are like the sun ourselves, Ambalam. He is connected
to the diverse suns of the universe. Vallalar manifest into his Grace Light body Who is
like the sun incarnated on earth, the son of God. The sun of the earth is connected to the
Great central sun of the universe, tha Vallalar calls also Ambalam. So we can see that
there is the Ambalam Who is the manifestation of our Grace Light body and the
Ambalam Who is above in the upper dimensions of our Being, this Ambalam can be
named also the Great central sun, Aton…many names are found for Him in diverse
traditions.
(13) MERCUROUS COMPOUND WITHSTANDS FIRE
Vallalar used to wear sandals of a very high quality called "Sakalath Padaraksha"
made at Tanjore. He had said, "if jatilingam (a compound of mercury and sulphur) is
kept within sandals which a Suddha dehi (a man of perfect and pure body) wears on,
they will stand against fire or endure in the heat of fire (i.e., without melting)". A
devotee-priest namely Sabhapathy had special sandals prepared for Vallalar in which
four tolas of the said mercurous compound had been kept. At his request, Vallalar wore
the sandals for 15 days and then later on the mercurous compound was removed from
them and it was observed to withstand the heat of fire without change.
(13-A) SILVER RUPEE MELTS IN VALLALAR'S HANDS
One day two Brahmins who were worshippers of the sun came from
Vishakapattinam. They reported to Vallalar their inability to attain, practicing the
methods given in shastra, either "apara marga siddhi" such as melting iron, silver, gold
and other metals by keeping it in hand or "Para marga siddhi" by which one can move
and travel in space like sun. Vallalar took a silver rupee coin and kept it in his hand for a
few minutes. Then the coin melted and ran down as silver.
(14) SHADOWLESS BODY
One day Vallalar was standing in the sun along with a devotee named Ayyasamy
Pillai of Cuddalur. Vallalar asked him, "What is the sign of a Suddha Gnani?'' The
devotee remained silent, unable to answer. Then Vallalar told him that there would be
no shadow of the body of a Suddha Gnani. The fact that Vallalar's body did not cast
shadow on the ground came to be known thus. This proves the glory of one who had
realised Suddha Sathya Gnana the pure Truth-Consciousness, and the Siddhi or
perfection of the triple body.
(15) SIGNS OF THE FUTURE GURU
One Devanayakam, Pillai of Cuddalur became Vallalar's devotee according to the
wish of his father who was a yogi. The said yogi at the time of his death advised his son
to become the disciple of one who would come with a cane in his hand and with a hood
of cloth covering his head and would strike with his cane at his samadhi (tomb of burial)
asking "Is this the Samadhi of your father?" Three years after the death of the yogi,
Vallalar came to Cuddalur once and went to Devanayakarn house and asked him by
striking with his cane at a tomb "Is this your father's tomb?" The latter replied in a
positive way and took Vallalar as his Guru.
NOTE: Cuddalur is a town about 25 miles from Vadalur. Vallalar frequently visited
Cuddalur to give lectures.
(16) The said Devanayakam was spending a lot of time learning alchemy with a
desire to convert baser metals into gold. Vallalar wanted to put him in the right path.
First He showed him the method of alchemy. He converted an iron sheet into gold of
sixteen carat, by treating it with a herb and heating it with dry cakes of cow-dung.
Vallalar then throwing away the gold, advised him further "Only one who is without
desire alone can get this knowledge. Leave off this pursuit of alchemy".
Vallalar not only knew the process of alchemy which is a physical-chemical method
or occult process (mantra, tantra), or both combined (see his Upadesa on "Rasavada").
He uses herbs and different gases of gaseous heat on different metals. But according to
him transformation of body into a golden deathless body implies and includes the
possession of the power to transmute or transform baser metals like iron, copper etc.
into pure gold. Vallalar had this power too , and by mere look or touch of the baser
metal or keeping it in his hands for some time he could transmute it unto pure gold.
Some incidents of such transmutation are also recorded in T.V G. Chetty's and
Kandasamy Pillai's biographies on Vallalar's life. Once Vallalar transmuted sand into
golden particles by putting the sand into a vessel of water and keeping its mouth closed
with his hands for some time. Then he threw away the golden particles into the open
street. This he showed to one Naina Reddiar of Alappakkam who sought after alchemy
and told him that only the pure without desire could transmute substances.
(17) Once Vallalar took the said Devanayakam to Senji hills and roamed about. The
latter became hungry and tired. Vallalar left him below the shade of a tree and walked
some distance and returned with a big laddoo sweet and a vessel of water in his hands
and gave them to him. After Devanayakam had satisfied his hunger and thirst, Vallalar
told him that he was going to return the vessel back and thereafter He came back to join
him.
(17-A) VALLALAR AND A SIDDHA PURUSHA,man of occult powers.
At Siddhivalagam, some rocks were standing out of the grond, he asks the people
to cover the rocks with sand, no one took action. Seeing so Vallalar took a bag of sand
and put it over the rocks. After this every one did the same and all the rocks where
covered with sand. At Dharmasalai they prepare sweet rice cake or pittu to be
distributed then Vallalar took one handfull and testing it He exclaimed that it had a
similar test of pittu given once to Lord Siva by a woman devotee who had prepared and
sold pittu
LORD SIVA AS SERVANT OF A WOMAN-DEVOTEE
NOTE: The reference is to an old legendary incident that took place in Madurai
several centuries ago. There was flood in the river Vaigai. The king ordered that the
citizens should play their part in raising an embankment to check the erosion of flood.
An old woman by name Vanti was a devotee of Lord Siva and she was too old to fulfil
this order by herself. She hired a labourer to do the work on her behalf. Her occupation
was to cook steamed sweet rice-cakes called "Pittu" and sell them. So she offered in lieu
of wages sweet rice-cakes to the said labourer in whose disguise the Lord Himself had
come to serve her and through her the king in raising embankment. The Lord as her
servant, dug and carried earth over his head in baskets to the bank for raising its level:
but it was found that he did not complete Vanti's portion of the work. The king found
him not doing the work properly but singing and dancing and eating and enjoying pittu.
So the king of Pandya Kingdom got angry and struck him with a cane. The pain of the
beating stroke was sensed universally by all in all the worlds and naturally the king too
felt its pain. The flood subsided. The Divine labourer too vanished. All came to know
that it was a play of the Divine.
(19) VALLALAR'S BODY AND LIMBS DISMEMBERED
One day at mid day Vallalar went out from Dharmashala. Shanmugam Pillai of
Velur who was in charge of Dharmashala waited for Vallalar's return. Growing
impatient and anxious, he went out in search of Vallalar. He was bewildered and
shocked to find at in diverse place Vallalar's dismembered body and limbs in several
pieces and he began to morn. Suddenly Vallalar appeared before him and advised him
not to come out any more in search of him and Shanmugam Pillai returned to
Dharmashala. Vallalar likes to have some privacy so we can think that he created the
illusiory vision to his disciple to be believed such thing. Vallalar had high respect for his
body so it is difficult to think that he would dismember his body into peaces.
(20) VALLALAR SEEN AT UNAPPROACHABLE DISTANCES
One day Vallalar went out alone from Dharmashala for a walk. He saw some
devotees following him up and ordered them to stop and not to follow him. But they
still followed him. Suddenly Vallalar was seen walking at a very far away distance. They
ran with the aim of reaching him. But again Vallalar was seen still farther off.
(21) At Karungkuli, one evening Vallalar had gone out for a walk near a pond. A
devotee thought that it was the right occasion to get upadesha from Vallalar when he
was alone. So he approached Vallalar in haste. But suddenly Vallalar was seen at a far
remote distance. As the devotee went nearer and nearer, Vallalar was seen farther and
farther. Finally the devotee got perplexed and left the attempt to reach Vallalar
NOTE: The above incident is evidently a phenomenon of dematerialization and
rematerialisation while in life. Vallalar absorbs his physical body into the subtle physical
form and reappears at a far off distance, projecting again the physical body from out of
the subtle-physical form.
(22) MYSTERIOUS SHORT CUT
While in Madras, one day Vallalar was walking to Tiruvottiyur to worship at the
Ishwara temple thereat. He was accompanied by devotees and disciples among whom
there were Somu Chettiar and Velayuddha Mudaliar. On the way it was pouring down
pour of rain. Those who accompanied Vallalar suffered the difficulty of the journey
because of the rain. Vallalar showed them a short-cut way and in an instant reached
Tiruvottiyur. To quote a relevant portion of the incident as described in T.V.G. Chetty's
"Life of Vallalar Ramalinga". Half way to Tiruvottiyur, there was heavy rain, his
followers were runing around, a little lost. Vallalar rallied them and in a second they
reach the temple.
NOTE: The above incident seems to be a case of collective dematerialization and
materialization, that is to say Vallalar took them within his subtle-physical body or
possibly enveloped them in his environmental body which is its extension and reached
the destination instantly and projected them out again. His devotees should have felt the
whole process as going through a mysterious way and reaching the temple in an instant.
(23) VALLALAR FED BY THE GODDESS
One day Vallalar returned late at night after worshipping at the temple of
Tiruvottiyur. The door of his house had been closed by his elder sister, as it was late at
night. Vallalar did not like to disturb her sleep by calling her or by knocking at the door.
So he slept outside on the deck of the house, though tired and hungry. After some time
he was woken by some one bearing food in a plate. Vallalar found it was his sister in
law who had come with "rice pongal"for him(cooked rice with ghee and fried spices). In
tender love she asked him, "Are you feeling hungry after going to Tiruvottiyur"? and
without waiting for his reply she gave him food in the middle of the night. He ate it and
again he went back to sleep. Then after some time his sister came and woke him up
asking in tenderness "Why have you slept on an empty stomach. Could you not tap at
the door and wake me up? Come in and take food". Vallalar replied that some time
before she herself had come and given him food. But she denied that she ever came and
gave him food, she had just woke up. Then Vallalar and his sister in law came to know
that it was the divine Mother who came in his sister's form and fed him with food by
grace.
NOTE:Vallalar refers to the incident in its bare essence in some of his songs (11-36-43
& 48 Arul Vilakkamalai). He observes that the Divine fed him when was hungry, not
only with material substance of food but also with Grace ambrosia.
(24) CURES OF DISEASES: INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE
One day eleven of his followers who were inmates of Dharmashala at Vadalur laid
down with fever (possibly due to influenza) in the summer month (mid-april to mid
may). Out of compassion for them, Vallalar asked each of them in an endearing tone and
language ("0 equal unity soul of the Divine Father it is used irrespectively of age and
relationship in Tamil language) "Father will you give your fever to me?" Then he
remained in a room when his body became quite hot like fire and after five minutes he
came out in a normal condition. The fever of all the patients was gone.
NOTE: Vallalar should have absorbed the disease and fever of his followers into his
body freed them from the disease and finally thrown the disease and its symptoms out
of his own body. However the incident is interesting because of its collective treatment.
(25)One day when Vallalar was going to Chidambaram to attend "Tiruvadirai
darshan" at the temple, a man affected with dyspepsia prayed him on the way to be
relieved from the disease. Vallalar gave him "tulsi" leaf (a leaf symbolising devotion for
the Divine) and water as treatment. The man was cured.
(26) A man from Sevalai village had suffered for 12 years from dyspepsia. He prayed
Vallalar to relieve him from the disease. Vallalar asked him to pray God. The man
replied firmly that Vallalar Himself was God for him. Then Vallalar gave him sacred ash
(Vibhuti) with blessings. The man took it reverentially and applied it on his forehead
and put a little of it in his mouth. He got cured.
(27) VALLALAR AT TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME
At Cuddalur, one Ayyasamy Pillai, son of Vedanayakam Pilla was seriously bedridden
with disease. Death was awaited at any moment. His father who was a devotee
of Vallalar became anxious and helpless. Vallalar came and knocked at his door (who
was then giving a discourse at Vadalur- one fact which was later verified). The door was
opened. Vallalar sat near the patient, applied sacred ash on his forehead and in a short
time made him open his eyes and sit on the bed. Then he left. The day after the father
took his son to Vadalur in a cart. They came to know that Vallalar was giving discourse
at Vadalur throughout the previous night, when he had also visited them at Cuddalur
and spent some time with the patient. Vallalar told them that what took place the day
before was a play of the Divine and requested them not to divulge it. The father and son
were moved with surprise and surging waves of love and gratitude for the grace of
Vallalar..
(28) An old woman of Kongara palayam village aged 96 suffered from a nervous
shaking of her body. She saw Vallalar and by His darshan, she got cured .
(29) Vallalar cured leprosy by giving sacred ash to a patient, the maternal uncle of
Purushottama Reddiar of Karungkuli village.
(30) A case of eye-disease was cured by Vallalar by giving sacred ash with blessing
and the patient Muthu Narayana Reddiar volunteered to endow and settle all his
property in favour of Vallalar.
(31) A case of excessive growth of adenoid was cured by Vallalar by giving sacred
ash to the patient, a servant of a merchant who had come from Salem to Cuddalur.
(32) While at Karungkuli, Vallalar was once approached by a devotee namely
Appachamy chettiar who prayed for His Grace to cure his elder brother from cancer.
Vallalar gave the patient three small packets of sacred ash by which cancer was cured.
(33) MASTERY OVER VITAL BEINGS AND SPIRITS
One night four magicians went from Vadalur at Mettukuppam to see Vallalar. On
the way a Kali (i.e., a female vital being of bad nature; She is to be distinguished from
Kali, the divine goddess) came in her terrible form and frightened them. They replied
that while returning to Vadalur they chained her, and proceeded on the journey. They
saw Vallalar and paid their homage and obedience to him, informing about the
frightening kali and the action they had proposed to take on her. Vallalar asked them
not to do so, but simply to tell her that they had been to Vallalar. On their way back, kali
came in a big frightening form, but as soon as she was informed of the purpose of their
journey, she became very small in form and went away humbly.
(34) One night two devotees followed Vallalar on his way to Tiruvottiyur. On the
way a mohini (a female vital being with charming and fascinating influence on man)
attacked the said devotees. Vallalar at once voiced forth "pich"; the mohini went away
and vanished. Vallalar gave them sacred ash with his blessing.
(34-A) One constable named "Vijaya Raghavalu Nayud of Kurinjipadi suffered
because of black magic or witchcraft operated against him. He became lean. He
approached Vallalar craving for His grace. Vallalar wrote and gave him a poem on the
divine glory of Sri Rama to practice it as a form of mantra japa..The constable did so and
got relieved of the suffering.
(35) Vallalar cured cases of spirit-possession. One of the two wives of the Zamindar of
Vettavalam was possessed by a "brahma Rakshasi" an evil female spirit. The other
suffered from the disease of dropsy. In spite of several treatments by medicine, by
occultism and magic and by offering of animals in sacrifice, their sufferings could not be
relieved. At the request of the Zamindar , Vallalar went to Vettavalam. The Zamindar
had provided two identical chairs for Vallalar to sit on. As soon as Vallalar reached the
house and was about to step into it, the spirit -possessed wife came out and joined her
hands in prayer to Vallalar and assured him that she (the female spirit) was waiting to
leave the affected person (i.e. Zamindar 's wife) at Vallalar's bidding. She received
sacred ash from Vallalar. The spirit departed leaving Zamindar 's wife to enjoy the
freedom of her life. Then, Vallalar gave sacred ash in three small quantities to the other
wife of the Zamindar and cured her from dropsy. Vallalar sat in the very particular
chair which the Zamindar had chosen for him, this was a test to see if Vallalar was a
yogi or not. However the Zamindar asked for Vallalar's pardon for such a behaviour in
his thought. He converted the whole family as vegetarians, stopped sacrifice of animals
at the "Kali" temple of that village and instead asked the people to offer milk-rice (i.e.,
rice cooked in milk) to the goddess. All the poisonous creatures such as snakes were
asked to be removed to a distant forest outside the village, instead of killing them or
doing any harm to them. For this purpose a snake-charmer was engaged at the request
of Vallalar.
(36) MAN WITH THE LANTERN
In those days Vallalar used to give discourses daily at Cuddalur. To hear his lectures
people gathered from all sides. Ramakrishna Pillai from Manjakuppam village came
daily to hear Vallalar. On the return journey, he felt fear for the darkness of the night,
but he saw at some distance a man with a lantern in his hand going ahead of him, till the
former reached the borders of his village. Then the man with the lantern vanished away.
If any attempt was made to closely observe the man, his form would not be seen. When
Vallalar was informed of this went, he replied that they were the play of the divine
Grace.
(37) TORCHES WITHOUT TORCH-BEARERS
One lawyer by named Venkatesa Iyer of Viruddhachalam and his wife would attend
Vallalar’s lecture on Sundays at Vadalur. For this purpose they used to come to Vadalur
on the previous night. On the way to Vadalur, during the night at a three mile distance,
they had to cross a lonely forest which was full of bushes and trees. On such occasions
two torches were seen to go in front of the couple. But no form of the torch-bearers
would be seen. The said couple was so much moved by this miracle, that in the later
days of retirement from the profession they came and settled in Vadalur to enjoy
Vallalar's Grace.
NOTE
Even after Vallalar's invisibility, his devotee and disciple Subbaraya Paradeshi who
was managing the Dharmashala saw two lanterns on several occasions going before him
in advance, in fact when he passed through dangerous places to collect the funds for the
Dharmashala. he walked the way safely without fear.
(38) One contractor by name Arumuga Mudaliar wanted to receive a talisman (Kulikai)
from Vallalar. The latter gave him one which was of the size of two peppers. But the
former felt them so heavy to bear in his hands that he dropped them. Then Vallalar gave
him a printed notice about "the discipline of Truth related to senses, psychic, life and
soul" and advised him to follow .
(39) VALLALAR AS GUEST OF HONOUR
At Chidambaram, one Siddha by named Pandinatha Siddha renovated a shrine
dedicated to god "Murugan". At the end of the day he gave masons and labourers
sacred ash which got mysteriously converted into currencies equivalent to the value of
the work that they actually performed for the construction. Thus the renovation was
completed. On the day of the opening of the renovated shrine for worship
(Kumbhabhiseheka) Vallalar was invited as the chief guest of honour. The said "Siddha"
(i.e., one who could do siddhis or miracles of a divine nature) asked Vallalar to sit at a
prominent central place among other dedicated and devoted servants of God
(Adiyargal) and performed "Maheshwara Pooja". Then after serving food to all, the said
siddha received with great joy a handful or a morsel of food from Vallalar (as prasad or
Divine sanctified food).
ON SNAKE
(40) One Nataraja Pillai chased a snake in order to catch it. But he got wounded on his
right hand. Then he ran immediately to Vallalar who addressed the snake "You
are Ananda Nataraja, the playing Lord of Bliss". It went off from the wounded
hand of the former soon, without harming him.
NOTE
Vallalar sees the Divine in all beings and creatures. He sees the Divine in the snake.
(41) One night a devotee while going round the "Siddhi Valagam" building where
Vallalar stayed, he accidentally stepped on a snake which bit him in the leg and its fangs
pierced his flesh. He prayed Vallalar, and the poison did not affect him in any way.
(42) On a Sunday when one of Vallalar devotee went out and squatted at an open
place near a bush for ablution, a snake came hissing to bite him. He at once called
Vallalar's name and vowed saying "On the commanding authority of Vallalar" « i.e.,
ordering the snake to obey to the Power of Vallalar as he had taken His sacred Name as
a shield of protection). The snake became rooted to the spot without movement and
food. He went away. But Vallalar came to know of this incident and told the audience in
a lecture that the snake was bound by the power of a oath and fixed to the spot without
food for three days and he felt grief and sympathy for the suffering snake. When the
said devotee came on a Tuesday which was his usual day of visiting Vallalar, the latter
told him "What a trouble for a jeevan which is hungry and is without food for three
days! "Pich" Go and release it from the Power of the oath, do it taking of my name".The
visitor went to the spot of the incident and released the snake. The snake then moved
into its pit.
(43) One day Vallalar was going back home at night from Vyasarpadi, one of
Madras suburb, after having given a lecture there. Some of his devotees were with him
when, a big snake appeared in the middle of the road. The devotees ran away from it,
but Vallalar kept unmoved. It came and wound itself around his leg. Vallalar then
commanded it to leave off and it went away.
(44) A SNAKE BITES VALLALAR WITHOUT HARMING
At Cuddalur Vallalar once visited Appasamy. There were plantain trees in his
warehouse. A snake on the leaf of a plantain tree bit Vallalar at the top of his head and
blood oozed out. He applied sacred ash on the spot of the bite. Devotees who were
around him asked anxiously what had happened. Vallalar replied coolly that the snake
on the leaf had bitten him to cause his death. Then it was found that the snake had died
on the leaf.
( 45) ON THIEVES AND ROBBERS, REFORMATION
One day while living in Madras, Vallalar went to Tiruvottiyur. A thief came while he
was sleeping at a guest house, and removed from his right ear a gold ear- ring studded
with gems. Vallalar knew of it, and to facilitate him to remove his left ear-ring, he turned
on the other side in his sleeping posture. After this incident Vallalar did not wear
ear-ring any more.
(46) One day Vallalar came from Cuddalur and stayed at a place near Kullanchavadi.
A Muslim head-constable offered him a new upper cloth to wear on. While Vallalar was
sleeping at a local guest house, a thief came and took of the new cloth slowly and gently.
Vallalar knew of it but turned sides so that he could take off the cloth. But the constable
caught the thief and punished him. In the meanwhile Vallalar got up and pacifying the
constable kindly gave away in kindness the new piece of cloth to the thief, advising him
not to do it anymore.
(47) Once Ramachandra Mudaliar, shrastadar of manchakuppam court, was taking
Vallalar to his village in a bullock-cart. It was night. As the cart drew near
Kullanchavadi village, two robbers daringly ordered the cart to stop. The cart-driver and
the Mudaliar is servant were afraid of them, got down and hid in the groves of a
cashew-nut nearby. The robbers came to the back of the cart, asking Mudaliar in a
threatening tone to remove the diamond ring from his finger and give it to them.
Vallalar intervened asking "Is it so urgent?". They raised a beating stick against Vallalar
in order to beat. Instantly their hands became still; their eyes lost sight. Then they felt
and expressed their sorrow for their behaviour and asked for Vallalar's pardon. Vallalar
voiced forth "Pich". Instantly they went back restored to their normal conditions of sight
and movement of hands. They joined hands in prayer to Vallalar and took leave from
him, leading a good harmonious way of life.
(48) Under Vallalar's influence, the villagers living around Him were converted from
their non-vegetarian diet into a vegetarian one.
(49) VALLALAR AS A TALENTED MUSICIAN
Once a musician named Chidambaram Krishna Iyer came to Vadalur and sang
before Vallalar the first stanza of "Mahadeva malai" in the tune of "'Apurupa raga".
Vallalar listened to him and then he himself rendered the song in melodious music in a
even better way. The said musician came to know of Vallalar's great knowledge, taste
and talent in music.
(50) Vallalar called for, by letter, one Sabapathy Sivacharya of the Brahmin
priesthood-class who was well versed in Vedas and Agamas, the ancient spiritual and
religious literature, and explained to him in secrecy the true significance of Gayatri
Mantra (i.e., the Mantra of prayer to the Supramental Sun of Truth - Knowledge). The
said Sivacharya became his disciple and later he served as priest in his own way he was
in charge of Sathya Gnana Sabha, His descendents continue to serve as priest of the
Sabha.
(51) TAMIL AND SANSCRIT AS ROOT FOR ALL LANGUAGES
Once a Shastri, well versed in Sanskrit and Tamil, came to Vallalar and in the course
of discussion with him, he emphasised that Sanskrit was the first language. Vallalar
wrote at once an explanatory article affirming that Tamil is the original root (technically
the "paternal source language" Pitru bhasha) for all languages and gave it to the scholar.
(52) CONVERSION TO VEGETARIANISM
Once Vallalar asked Amavasya, the headman of Harijans of Vadalur to stop eating
the carcass of dead oxen and instead bury them. He promised to do it but he needed
eight annas daily for his maintenance. Vallalar tied eight annas in a piece of yellow cloth
and asked him to keep it in a box. He did so and got daily eight annas or half rupee in
those days as his earnings, He stopped eating meat and became pure in diet i.e., became
a vegetarian.
(53) One day Vallalar called for two persons named Arunachala Padayachi and
Venkatachala Padayachi who had large families to support, and blessed them saying 'If
you stop eating meat from this day onwards, the yield of your dry crop of indigo and
the wet crop of paddy will become fivefold". They followed Vallalar's advice and
became followers of His movement of "Jeeva Karunya" i.e., compassion and reverence
to all life. The yield of their agricultural crops went up and they became prosperous too.
(54) PRODIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES
One Pinakapani Mudaliar, Manager of theTelegraph office of Pondicherry was proud
of his knowledge of seven or eight languages. He came to Vadalur to advise Vallalar
about learning many languages. Vallalar by premonition knew of the purpose of his
visit. So when the said Mudaliar was approaching him, He said "Here is one coming to
give me advice". When he arrived, they had a mutual talk for a while. Then Vallalar took
before the said multi-linguist a four years old boy, who was the son of his first disciple
namely Velayuda Mudaliar. Holding the boy in his hands Vallalar asked him "how
many languages do you know ?". He replied "I know five or six languages". Then
Vallalar told Pinakapani Mudaliar to ask the boy any question on any topic in any
language and that the boy would reply suitably in the language he had chosen to ask.
The said Pinakapani became dumbfounded with surprise and even fainted. Vallalar
again asked him to ask the boy patiently any question he liked. The dumb Mudaliar
after half an hour of silence thought of asking Vallalar's pardon for his pride. Vallalar
said "pich". Immediately the said Pinakapani opened his mouth asking for Vallalar's
pardon ; and after worshipping Him repeatedly with joined hands, he went away.
NOTE
In Vallalar's presence and under his influence the boy seemed to have become His
instrument ready to perform in case of necessity the function that Vallalar proposed to
do through him. On an earlier occasion and in another situation, though of a different
kind the boy's father i.e., Velayuda Mudaliar, in Vallalar's presence and by His blessings
explained some hard passages in a Sanskrit text to Sri Sankaracharya. The said Velayuda
Mudaliar received inspiration from Vallalar to write poetry in Tamil. Vallalar used to
send him devotees seeking clarifications on points which could be dealt with by him on
an intellectual and human level of understanding.
(55) "UTTAMA PURUSHA" AND NAKED SANYASI
While in Madras, Vallalar used to go to Tiruvottiyur temple through a bye-lane
instead of throughthe main car-shed street. But one day he went through the main
street. There was a naked sanyasi sitting on the pial of a house in that street. He would
comment on people going that way as "an ass is going, a bull is going." On the day
Vallalar passed through that road, the naked sanyasi hailed him in praise as "Here is one
highly noble person (Uttama Purusha) coming and so commenting he immediately
covered the parts of his body ( in honour to the great man who was passing through).
Vallalar said a few words to him and that very night the he left the place.
(56) KALPATTU AYYAH-A YOGI
One yogi named "Kalpattu Ayyah" intuitively knew that a man of Knowledge
(Gnana Acharya) would come on a particular day and time, accompanied or surrounded
by a retinue of devotees, in order to accept him as a disciple. The said yogi informed
many about his intuition. Vallalar accompanied by many devotees, visited the yogi at
his village Tirunarung Kunram on the day and hour as foreseen by him and accepted
him as His disciple. Vallalar took him to Vadalur and gave him a separate cottage to
pursue and practise his yoga. Whenever Vallalar happened to give lectures to his
devotees, and the subject would benefit Kalpattu Ayyah, he would send for him
immediately. In his later days, the said yogi was managing Dharmashala. He died at
Vadalur and his remains have been preserved in samadhi near Dharmashala. He was a
realised soul among Vallalar's disciples.
(57) ARTS, SCIENCES AND OCCULTISM
Apart from his spiritual and occult knowledge, Vallalar had much of what may be
called knowledge of the world. He knew about medicines particularly the indigenous
"Siddha" system of medicine, medical herbs, literature, music, logical argumentation,
alchemy, astrology, philosophy such as Vedanta and Siddhanta, mantra shastra, powers
behind talisman and gems possessing extraordinary powers and qualities. He could
readily discuss in great detail on any such subject with anyone who came to him seeking
explanations.
(59) TAHSILDAR AND HIS HORN-BLOWER
Venkatasubbha Iyer, tahsildar (district revenue officer) of Manchakuppam used to
come daily to Cuddalur to hear Vallalar's discourses. His visit was used to be signalled
through a blowing-horn which his servant, born of a low caste, carried and ran blowing
it in front of the tahsildar's cart all the way from Manchakuppam village to Cuddalur.
One day the horn-blower reached Cuddalur very hungry and tired and shaking his
body because he had to run fast that day. Vallalar, in this occasion, did not show any
gesture by signs or words indicating warmth of reception to the district revenue officer
who had just arrived to take his seat to listen to Vallalar’s. After some time, Vallalar
asked him, "For how long you are going to endure this?" would he be better to send the
horn-blower in advance to the place you are going to visit and ask him to blow the horn
a little time before you are drawing near that place?" Tahsildar agreed to do so and
asked Vallalar's pardon. Vallalar started his speech of the day only after the hungry and
tired horn-blower had been fed with food at the Dharmashala.
(60) SANKARACHARIAR AND HIS DOUBTS
Once when Sri Sankaracharia Vallalar (the religious head of Kanchi Kamakoti
Peetam) was in Madras, he enquired whether there was any Sanskrit Pandit who could
clear off his doubt in a Sanskrit book. One of his Brahmin devotees referred the name of
Vallalar. Then Vallalar and his disciple Toluvur Velayuda Mudaliar visited on
Sankarachariar at his request. Sankarachariar's doubts in the Sanskrit text were cleared
off.
NOTES ON VELAYUDHA MUDALIAR
Velayuda Mudaliar who was also a scholar in Sanskrit and Tamil became a fitting
instrument of Vallalar on this occasion, and by His blessings and in His presence the
said disciple too participated in explaining the passages to Sankarachariar.
(61) DO NOT BEAT STUDENTS
Once Vallalar, while at Madras, came to know that one Ponneri Sundaram Pillai who
was a teacher, used to beat his young students with a cane. The said teacher and the so
said students were respectively the son-in-law and the son of Vallalar's elder brother.
Vallalar wrote a poem on the incident and sent it to the teacher through the boy who
had reported the matter, admonishing him not to beat his students any more, as beating
goes against the fairness of his name "Sundaram". The said Sundaram Pillai threw away
the cane and stopped beating once and for all, as soon as he received Vallalar's poem
through the said boy whom he was about to beat again because he had gone out of the
school without his permission.
(62) A LAME TEACHER AND A LAME LAMB
One Ramasamy Pillai of Karungkuli was regularly sending food as offering to
Vallalar who was at Mettukuppam. Vallalar asked that it would be distributed to the
lame teacher of the local school and to the lame lamb of that village. The lame lamb used
to stand at a distance and listen to Vallalar's lectures when its left ear would become
bent up a little and the eyes stopped winking. After the speech was over, it would go
round, along with the devotees, in circumambulation of Vallalar's residential house
called "Siddhi Valagam", dragging on its two hind legs.
(63) KARANAPPATTU KANDASAMY PILLAI
Karanappattu Kandasamy Pillai aspirant devotee of Vallalar, was a scholar and
musician. He suffered from fainting. Medicines and treatment had failed. He
approached Vallalar for grace. Vallalar looked at him with eyes of compassion and
blessings and gave him sacred ash for the cure of his disease, assuring him further that
he would be taken as a disciple and given suitable work. The disease was cured. Since
then Kandasamy became a staunch and dedicated disciple of Vallalar. Vallalar approved
of him to sing His life and glory as a part of his sadhana. Kandasamy began to spread
his message of "jeeva karunya" and ideals of the Sanmarga movement by lectures and
through songs and Bajans (devotional music in congregation). By Vallalar's grace he got
the inspiration to compose poetry and lyrics. He has writen poems and keertans of more
than a thousand stanzas on Vallalar's life, and songs of devotion and love in glory of
Vallalar. He has compiled in one volume all Vallalar’s work and published it in 1924. In
that volume he has given authentic information on several incidents in Vallalar's life
which he gathered personally from devotees and disciples who had lived and moved
with Vallalar, and kept notes on informations about Vallalar in their note books.
Kandasamy has published in his "Arutpa volume" a list of names of such persons in
acknowledgement of the information given by them.
(64) PURUSHOTTAMA REDDIAR: VALLALAR'S PERSONAL ATTENDANT
When Vallalar was staying at "Siddhi Valagam" at Mettukuppam he was used to
remain absorbed in the Bliss of Suddha Sivanubhava for some days continuously and
then he would come out to give discourses to his disciples. Purushottama Reddiar who
served Vallalar as his personal attendant during Vallalar's stay at Karungkuli and
Vadalur, continued to attend on him at Mettukuppam also. In the last periods of his life,
Vallalar was used to drink a sugar-solution prepared in hot boiling water, that is to say,
the water was boiled so as to be reduced to three-fifth of its quantity and then the sugar
was added to it. The attendant would prepare and take it to Vallalar by ming a forcep.
Vallalar drank it as such in its boiling state.
The said attendant would sweep and clean the rooms and inner apartment where
Vallalar used to remain absorbed in his blissful state, and feed in time the sacred lamp
(originally lit by Vallalar) with oil and keep it trimmed and ever burning. One day he
happened to enter Vallalar's room for his daily routine. It was just the time, After a
blissful absorption, Vallalar had just opened his eyes of Grace when He met incidentally
(or rather by an act of Grace) the eyes of his attendant. At once He was transported into
a trance of higher consciousness, and he remained absorbed in it. Other devotees were
surprised to know about the incident and asked Vallalar what was to be done with the
said Purushottama Reddiar. Vallalar replied "Do not disturb him. After four or five days
of unmoved and absorbed trance, he got up to move out, but yet he remained still in a
state of silence continuously for months without speaking to anyone.
It was this attendant who had asked once Vallalar to show him Grace by giving him
a Sadhana, i.e., a way of practice for his spiritual development. Vallalar said, "You are as
humble as I am. If you do sadhana (i.e., practice of yoga discipline such as meditation)
you may receive some light within and the power to do some siddhis (i.e. lower siddhis
of an occult nature) and you would grow proud of them to boast of and you would get
ruined. So, you do not need any sadhana.Follow the practice of seeing all beings as your
own self (i.e., cultivate the vision of equality with all beings) and get it as your habitual
nature. One who gets in his nature this habit of seeing all beings alike, is certainly the
omnipotent Divine". Then by Vallalar's blessings Purushottama Reddiar took up the
work of receiving all the visitors and devotees coming to Vadalur with warmth and
tenderness of love and served them with food and drinks at the Dharmashala after
making kind and due enquiries as to their needs in that respect. Thus with his attitude of
equality, tenderness of love and dedicated and humble service to one and all alike he
carried out many and varied functions, notably as secretary of the Dharmashala and
Satya Gnana Sabha for many years in the later part of his life. It is no surprising; Vallalar
poured on him his eyes of Grace and uplifted him to a state of higher consciousness as
happened in the foregoing incident at "Siddhi Valaga maliga ".
In Karunguzhi Vallalar, had his house by the side of the road, and He
was a friend to every man. People flocked to him for advice and relief.
Reference to this may be found in some of his verses quoted earlier. People
from distant places left their homes to be near him. They invited him to
functions and musical recitals in their houses. Such invitations to him are
extant. They considered it a blessing to be of service to him. Spending days
and nights in meditation and composing poems, he gave discourses in the
house or in the Sabha at night, and they flocked to listen to him.
In Venkata Reddiar’s house in Karunguzhi, the mistress of the house,
Muthiyalammal herself used to light the lamp in his room and keep near it a mud pot of
oil, with which to refill the lamp. One day, the mouth of the pot broke, so
Muthiyalammal wanted to change it. She bought a new pot, filled it with water and let it
stand beside the lamp, in order to season it before use. Then she left the house for the
next village. Writing his poems through the night, as he often did, Vallalar mechanically
kept refilling the lamp with water, from the new pot instead of oil from the old. When
Muthiyalammal returned the next morning, she found Vallalar absorbed in writing, and
the lamp burning. She discovered his mistake which, without any conscious mess on his
part, had resulted in this miracle. That’s was the says, Vallalar who used to keep a
record of his experiences and refers to this in a poem, attributing this kind office to God,
and not to his own powers. Thozhuvur Velayuda Mudaliar and Madurai Chidambara
Vallalargal also refer to this in their tributes to their master. One could fill pages with
miracles that the legend attributes to him, but it would be wearisome.
Appasami Chettiar, one of Vallalar’s admirers, used to come to Karunguzhi from
Cuddalore (then called Gudalur) to see his master. Having had his brother cured of an
indolent sore on the tongue by the grace of Vallalar, he put his hospitality at Vallalar’s
service. Vallalar stayed with him for some months in Cuddalore in 1866.
It has been said that Saint Ramalingam on his final day had entered a room in Sidhivalakam, Methukupam. He asked that his followers lock the door from the outside. On opening the door, at the directive from government officials, the room was found to be empty. It was also said that the Saint had become light (jhoti). The saint had mentioned to his followers that they would find nothing, as he would dematerialize in each and every being from that moment on.
