Dear blessed Devotees,
By the divine grace of the Lord, this page will have stories of Lord Sri Guruvayurappan leelas that devotees of various time have experienced. Please find below the stories.
Shri Maheswaran Nambudhiri:
This is a story happened in Guruvayur. This happened several, several years ago when the temple was much less crowded than today.
Shri Maheswaran Nambudiri joined as the chief priest (melshaanthi) of Guruvayur temple. He was very knowledgeable, well trained in all poojas and an efficient poojari. Things went very well and his decorations of Bhagavan were appreciated by all devotees.
He had four daughters and one son as the last child. Two of his daughters were married before he became the chief priest. Now he had the responsibility of the marriage of the other two daughters. He came from a middle class family and he was very worried about the expenses of two more marriages with the limited income he had. Off and on this thought bothered him.
One day he started reasoning with himself: "Guruvayurappan is so wealthy and every day he gets so much money and gold in the form of bangles, chains, ear rings etc. The wealth of gold, silver and money is constantly flowing towards Lord's feet. What if I can save a few of the gold chains for myself to be used for my girls' marriage? After all I am doing very sincere pooja here everyday from early morning till night." This thought became clearer and clearer in his mind and soon these thoughts were transformed into action. After the last pooja of the day, he started dropping a few bangles and chains in the waterpot- with- spout (theerthakindi) and carried it to his official home. This continued for a few days. When his son came to the temple, he sent those with him to his house to be kept safely. In those days, nobody monitored the number of offerings done to Guruvayurappan and nothing was documented. Everything was managed based on trust and devotion. So nobody except Maheswaran Nambudiri and Guruvayurappan knew about what was going on. Unfortunately Maheswaran Nambudiri thought he was the only one who knew about it.
After a few days, this chief priest's wife had a dream that his son would be bitten by a poisonous snake. She was a little worried, but consoled herself saying that it was only a dream. After one or two days, a brahmin came to her house and told that her son had sarpakopam or her son will be a victim of the anger of a snake. He said that to prevent this from happening, she had to fill a waterpot-with-spout with gold jewellery and keep it covered for 24 hours. Then the priest's wife brought all the jewellery that her husband had sent through her son and filled the pot. In another pot the brahmin filled some water and sat between the two pots for one whole day. He had asked the priest's wife to check one pot next morning and told her that she would know the reason behind the anger of the snakes.
Next day, before dawn this brahmin took the pot filled with Bhagavn's jewellery and left the house. The priest's wife came and looked inside the remaining pot and saw a small snake lying inside the pot. She was terribly frightened and by that time the chief priest came home after his designated time of six months as the chief priest. She explained all the incidents and then the priest seemed the least surprised. With tears in his eyes he said: Nobody can fool Guruvayurappan. I could fool everybody. The brahmin who came was Guruvayurappan Himself and you are lucky to see Him. I stole all those jewellery from the temple and just imagine how kind is Guruvayurappan! He did not want anybody to know that I am a thief, but He wanted me to know that He knew about it and it was wrong on my part to steal His gold. His devotion to Guruvayurappan increased significantly and he went and told this story himself to the then manager Konthi Menon and requested to record the incident. He wanted all the devotees to know that Guruvayurappan knows everything we think, He sees everything we do and above all, He is kindness personified.
"Na mae bhaktha pranashyathi," even if he fails at times.
"NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA"
By the divine grace of the Lord, this page will have stories of Lord Sri Guruvayurappan leelas that devotees of various time have experienced. Please find below the stories.
Shri Maheswaran Nambudhiri:
This is a story happened in Guruvayur. This happened several, several years ago when the temple was much less crowded than today.
Shri Maheswaran Nambudiri joined as the chief priest (melshaanthi) of Guruvayur temple. He was very knowledgeable, well trained in all poojas and an efficient poojari. Things went very well and his decorations of Bhagavan were appreciated by all devotees.
He had four daughters and one son as the last child. Two of his daughters were married before he became the chief priest. Now he had the responsibility of the marriage of the other two daughters. He came from a middle class family and he was very worried about the expenses of two more marriages with the limited income he had. Off and on this thought bothered him.
One day he started reasoning with himself: "Guruvayurappan is so wealthy and every day he gets so much money and gold in the form of bangles, chains, ear rings etc. The wealth of gold, silver and money is constantly flowing towards Lord's feet. What if I can save a few of the gold chains for myself to be used for my girls' marriage? After all I am doing very sincere pooja here everyday from early morning till night." This thought became clearer and clearer in his mind and soon these thoughts were transformed into action. After the last pooja of the day, he started dropping a few bangles and chains in the waterpot- with- spout (theerthakindi) and carried it to his official home. This continued for a few days. When his son came to the temple, he sent those with him to his house to be kept safely. In those days, nobody monitored the number of offerings done to Guruvayurappan and nothing was documented. Everything was managed based on trust and devotion. So nobody except Maheswaran Nambudiri and Guruvayurappan knew about what was going on. Unfortunately Maheswaran Nambudiri thought he was the only one who knew about it.
After a few days, this chief priest's wife had a dream that his son would be bitten by a poisonous snake. She was a little worried, but consoled herself saying that it was only a dream. After one or two days, a brahmin came to her house and told that her son had sarpakopam or her son will be a victim of the anger of a snake. He said that to prevent this from happening, she had to fill a waterpot-with-spout with gold jewellery and keep it covered for 24 hours. Then the priest's wife brought all the jewellery that her husband had sent through her son and filled the pot. In another pot the brahmin filled some water and sat between the two pots for one whole day. He had asked the priest's wife to check one pot next morning and told her that she would know the reason behind the anger of the snakes.
Next day, before dawn this brahmin took the pot filled with Bhagavn's jewellery and left the house. The priest's wife came and looked inside the remaining pot and saw a small snake lying inside the pot. She was terribly frightened and by that time the chief priest came home after his designated time of six months as the chief priest. She explained all the incidents and then the priest seemed the least surprised. With tears in his eyes he said: Nobody can fool Guruvayurappan. I could fool everybody. The brahmin who came was Guruvayurappan Himself and you are lucky to see Him. I stole all those jewellery from the temple and just imagine how kind is Guruvayurappan! He did not want anybody to know that I am a thief, but He wanted me to know that He knew about it and it was wrong on my part to steal His gold. His devotion to Guruvayurappan increased significantly and he went and told this story himself to the then manager Konthi Menon and requested to record the incident. He wanted all the devotees to know that Guruvayurappan knows everything we think, He sees everything we do and above all, He is kindness personified.
"Na mae bhaktha pranashyathi," even if he fails at times.
"NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA"
Sri Poonthanam Swamy:
Sri Poonthanam Statue in Guruvayur :
The bookmark in Srimad Bhagavatham*
There are many stories illustrating Poonthanam’s connection with the sacred Bhagavatham. Most of us might have heard about the temple of Kottiyoor in North Kerala. It is believed that Daksha Yaga was performed there. The important deity in that temple is Siva. The temple was kept open only for a few days in a year. There were no human activities in that place for the rest of the year.
Poonthanam reached at the Kottiyoor temple. He had a bath in the Holly River; he worshiped compassionate God Siva, felt happy and stayed there for a few days. He recited Bhagavatham everyday in front of the deity. There is a famous part in the tenth chapter named "Karhichith". That part contained the following story.
Lord Krishna asks his wife Rukmini "why did you get married with me who is just a shepherd? You would have been much better life if you had married the King Sisupala. Hearing this Rukmini faints and God consoles her.
This part is described very well in Bhagavatham with inner meanings. Poonthanam finished reading this part of the chapter and kept the bookmark on that page. Next day he found the bookmark at beginning of the same chapter. So Poonthanam read the same part for the second time. This was repeated for the rest of the days.
It was the last day to close the temple for the year. Poonthanam returning from the temple with the other devotees. Then he remembered about his Bhagavatham, which he left at the temple. He hurried back; crossed the river and reach the entrance to the temple, which was closed. He was all alone. He could hear somebody reciting the same part of the chapter from Bhagavatham inside the temple. As he looked through the peep- hole he saw the Lord Siva himself reading from Poonthanam’s book. Goddess Parvathi and his other Bhaoothaganas were listening. Their eyes were filled with tears out of devotion. Poonthanam stood there motionless and heard the whole recitation. At the end Paramasiva asked Parvathi "Was my reading as good as Poonthanam’s"? Parvathi replied it was not good as Poonthanam’s. Hearing this Poonthanam who stood outside was shaken up and uttered the name Narayana loudly. When he watched again the Gods had disappeared.
It was Lord Siva who put the Bookmark at the beginning of the chapter every time when Poonthanam recited at the temple. This story shows that God places true devotees much higher than himself.
Satsang is the best way to attain pure devotion. Luckily they’re many devoted people in this world. Let us worship them.
Sri Poonthanam Swamy Home in Kerala, India:
Sri Narayana Bhattathri :
Sri Narayana Bhattathri Home:
Manjulal Tree, Guruvayur:
Story of the Ardent Devotee MANJUALA: Manjula was a warrior girl, always make garlands with great devotion and love towards Krishna. Every day she offers garlands to the Guruvayoor temple. One day she was late and the temple got closed. She could reach only up to the banyan tree (from where elephant race starts during Utsavam, and started feeling guilty. Then a great devotee of Sri Guruvayoorappan and Poet Sree Poonthanam Nampoothiri on his way back from the temple saw her crying near the banyan tree. He comforted her and advised her to place the garland on the stone below the big banyan tree considering it as Srikrishna, since Bhagavan is everywhere.
She was convinced, kept the garland there and happily went home. Next day morning, the Melsanthi removed all the garlands from the Deity, but one garland remained stuck on the Deity. The devotees were puzzled but Poonthanam realised last night's event. It was the garland, which Manjula had placed on the stone at the foot of the banyan tree.
Poonthanam told the devotion of Manjula to everyone and then the garland slipped down from the Deity. Devotees started chanting the name of Bhagavan and struggled to collect the flower from the garland. Worshipers went to the banyan tree to make their obeisance. Since then, the banyan tree came to be known as Manjulal.
She was convinced, kept the garland there and happily went home. Next day morning, the Melsanthi removed all the garlands from the Deity, but one garland remained stuck on the Deity. The devotees were puzzled but Poonthanam realised last night's event. It was the garland, which Manjula had placed on the stone at the foot of the banyan tree.
Poonthanam told the devotion of Manjula to everyone and then the garland slipped down from the Deity. Devotees started chanting the name of Bhagavan and struggled to collect the flower from the garland. Worshipers went to the banyan tree to make their obeisance. Since then, the banyan tree came to be known as Manjulal.
Nenmini Unni:
Once a Nenmini Namboodiri was the priest at Guruvayur temple. There was only one priest on those days and had to go out on an urgent and unavoidable situation. He told his 12 year old son to offer the Nivedyam to the Lord and left. At the prescribed time he offered Nivedyam (cooked rice) to the Lord and thought in simplicity that the Lord will eat the rice, but the idol did not move. Unni went outside and brought some salted mangoes and curd from neighborhood in the belief that the Lord like food this way. He mixed the curd with rice and offered it again. But the idol again remained unmoved. He cajoled , requested, coaxed and in the end threatened , but idol still unmoved . He started crying on his failure and shouting towards the Lord that his 4 father would beat him. The Lord could not bear it any more, and suddenly the Nivedyam got disappeared. The boy left the place satisfactorily. The Nivedyam offered to the Lord was the Variyar's prerequisite. On seeing the empty plate, he became very angry with the Unni, but Unni still could not understand and told Variyar that God ate up the rice with the curd and salted mangoes. The Unni's innocent word made Variyar more furious. On santhi's arrival, Variyar told the complaint that Unni himself had eaten the Nivedyam, and that he was making a false story. Though Unni told his version, father could not believe it. He raised his hands to beat him, but just then an asareeri (celestial voice) was heard saying, "I am the guilty, Unni is innocent".
Once a Nenmini Namboodiri was the priest at Guruvayur temple. There was only one priest on those days and had to go out on an urgent and unavoidable situation. He told his 12 year old son to offer the Nivedyam to the Lord and left. At the prescribed time he offered Nivedyam (cooked rice) to the Lord and thought in simplicity that the Lord will eat the rice, but the idol did not move. Unni went outside and brought some salted mangoes and curd from neighborhood in the belief that the Lord like food this way. He mixed the curd with rice and offered it again. But the idol again remained unmoved. He cajoled , requested, coaxed and in the end threatened , but idol still unmoved . He started crying on his failure and shouting towards the Lord that his 4 father would beat him. The Lord could not bear it any more, and suddenly the Nivedyam got disappeared. The boy left the place satisfactorily. The Nivedyam offered to the Lord was the Variyar's prerequisite. On seeing the empty plate, he became very angry with the Unni, but Unni still could not understand and told Variyar that God ate up the rice with the curd and salted mangoes. The Unni's innocent word made Variyar more furious. On santhi's arrival, Variyar told the complaint that Unni himself had eaten the Nivedyam, and that he was making a false story. Though Unni told his version, father could not believe it. He raised his hands to beat him, but just then an asareeri (celestial voice) was heard saying, "I am the guilty, Unni is innocent".