Letters from & Recollections of
Sri Ramanasramam

Ch.211 – 22 December, 1948

Today is Tuesday, my pradakshinam day. Hence I obtained Bhagavan’s permission yesterday evening itself and started going round the hill (Giri Pradakshina) early morning at 3-30. By the time I reached Pachiamma Shrine, the sun had just risen. As the day was not yet advanced, I thought of going from there along the foot of the hill and through the forest, so that I could see the tortoise slab where Bhagavan had once rested when his heart stopped, and from there reach the Ashram by the same route. So, I went to the tank opposite to the temple where a man was taking his bath and asked him whether the Shrine was open for worship.

“I am the priest. I will open the doors presently,” he said. As I had heard that Bhagavan used to stay in the shrine now and then in his earlier days, I have gone there several times to see the place, with great enthusiasm, but had not been able to see it because the priests were not there and the doors were closed. I was therefore overjoyed at this opportunity of seeing the place and went inside with the priest. I saw the Goddess surrounded by Gautama and other rishis, worshipped the Goddess, received Prasad of holy ashes (vibhuti) and vermilion powder (kumkum) and walked along the hill path to see the tortoise slab. I could not however identify it. I came back to the Ashram by that path. As soon as I got up after prostrating before Bhagavan he noticed the small packets in my hand and asked me what they were. I related to him the story of my journey.

Looking at Sundaresa Iyer who was close by, Bhagavan said, “It seems that that is the prasad of Mother Pachiamma. Bring it here.” So saying, he took it and smearing it on his forehead, said, “There are two rooms to its right, newly built. Have you seen them?” I replied, “Yes. I have seen them. Some one had arranged a fireplace for cooking.” “Yes, yes. That is it,” said Bhagavan. “They were built specially for cooking. When they were newly built, we thought of going round the hill and, on the way, camp at Pachiamma Shrine. The authorities who were working there were very pleased at our arrival and requested us to grace the new buildings with our stay and enjoy a feast by cooking there. That is just what we wanted, and we did the housewarming ceremony. When Nayana and myself had been living there, those rooms had not yet been built and so we used to do everything in the presence of the Mother (i.e. the idol of the Goddess).”

“How did she get the name ‘Pachiamman’?” I asked. Bhagavan said, “Pachai means emerald colour. When Parvati came to Gautamasrama to perform austerities to appease Ishwara, Her form was of emerald colour and She performed austerities at that place. Then, it is said, that She went round the hill in pradakshina, stayed at several places at different times continuing her austerities, and finally merged into Siva as a half of His body and came to be known as ‘Apita Kuchamba’.”

“How was it that that Goddess was given the name of Durga?” asked one devotee. “It is said that the Goddess killed a demon called Durgama and so from that name was derived the name ‘Durga’,” replied Bhagavan. The devotee again asked “In the Durga Temple in this place, there is the tank (tirtham) known as the Khadga Tirtha. What was its origin?”

Bhagavan: “It is said that the Goddess started from here for killing the demon, Mahishasura. On killing the demon, the idol of Siva (Siva Linga) which was tied round his neck, was caught in her hand and could not be removed. She came here for a bath but there was no water anywhere. She thereupon dug the ground with her sword and water gushed forth there. She took her bath in the water, released the idol of Siva from her hand, installed it on the bank of the tank, worshipped it with the water of that tank and then discarded the fiery spirit she had assumed to kill the demon. After that, she stayed on in the place to bestow boons on her devotees. That tank has a perennial supply of water. However great the scarcity of water experienced here, that tank will always have water.”

Devotee: “We hear that Bhagavan repaired the Sri Chakra (a tantric symbol of worship) of that temple when it got damaged.”

Bhagavan: “Yes. When I was in the Virupaksha Cave, the Maha Kumbhabhishekam of that Durga’s temple was performed. Before that festival, they brought the Sri Chakra to me saying it was damaged slightly and wanted me to repair it. I acceded to their request.”

So saying, Bhagavan became silent.