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The Great Significance of Darshan

M.S.Subbulakshmi

One day, Sri Ramanathan, the General Manager of Southern Railways, Chennai, telephoned my father, the Ashram President, seeking his permission for performing the marriage of his daughter in front of Sri Bhagavan’s Sacred Samadhi Shrine. In keeping with the then prevailing rules of the Ashram, the President firmly declined.

The very next day, my father got another phone call from Chennai. This time, it was from Sri T. Sadasivam, the well-known husband of M. S. Subbulakshmi, the world-renowned Carnatic music maestro! Sri. Sadasivam pleaded with my father to give his consent for the marriage, as the proposed bridegroom who was also the grandson of the Saint, Janaki Mata of Tanjore, was refusing to get married anywhere else except in front of Sri Bhagavan’s Samadhi Shrine.

In a quandary, my father consulted me. Now, since I held M. S. Subbulakshmi in very high regard — not only as an unparalleled Carnatic musician but also as a veritable Saint — I persuaded my father to give Sri Sadasivam the permission he sought.

The marriage took place a few months later, in 1958-59, in Sri Bhagavan’s Sannidhi. After it was over, MS, as M. S. Subbulakshmi was popularly known, held my hands and requested me to take her and her husband to Tirukoilur.

The reason, as she confidentially told me, was Sri Sadasivam’s child by his late first wife had an incurable disease. So, they wanted to have the darshan and blessings of Swami Jnanananda Giri, the famous Saint of Tirukoilur, who was well known for curing incurable diseases.

On the way to Tirukoilur, Sri Sadasivam sat in front with the driver, while I had the golden opportunity of sitting next to MS in the back seat. And this is what she told me, “Ganesha! Do you know what the greatest disappointment in my life is? That when I was younger, I did not have the darshan of the Greatest Mahatma, Sri Bhagavan, when He was still in the body.” Her eyes glistened with tears as she continued, “What a great tragedy! I was prevented from going and seeing him. To console her, I replied, “Maami, don’t feel sad. Bhagavan has seen you. Isn’t that enough?”

She turned to me, held my hands tightly and with uncontrollable joy and emotion, exclaimed, “Has HE seen me? When? Where?"

"Yes, amma,” I answered. ‘Not only has Sri Bhagavan seen you, but as He watched you, He shed profuse tears of ecstasy and joy!” “How, Ganesha? When did this happen? Tell me,’ MS Amma urged. I continued, “I was twelve years old and was seated next to Sri Bhagavan in the Ashram Dining Hall. We were all there to watch a special screening of your much lauded film, Meera. To be honest, I did not see much of your film, amma. So fascinated I was watching Sri Bhagavan: His eyes brimming over with devotion and ecstasy as He watched you playing, no, living the role of Meera!”

Before I could continue further, she held my hands more tightly. With tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, she sobbed softly, “Did Sri Bhagavan see me? Did Sri Bhagavan look at me? That is enough for me, Ganesha! What you have told me is precious, Sri Bhagavan looking at me is the important thing. Not me looking at him. You know, Kanchi Periyava once told me, ‘There is a great significance in going repeatedly to kshetras, visiting temples and having the darshan of the murtis there. Us having the darshan of the murtis is only of secondary importance. What is of paramount importance is the deity ‘seeing’ you, ‘looking’ at you! When the deity’s eyes fall on you, the impurities in your Heart are entirely and instantly wiped out! What cannot be washed away even after enormous sadhana by the sadhaka, gets instantly wiped out by one such look of God falling on you.’

“Sri Bhagavan has seen me! Sri Bhagavan has looked at me! All my inner imperfections are completely washed away, wiped out! I am emancipated! Thank you, Ganesha! Come and see me in Chennai whenever you come there."

Since then, I have had the darshan of MS Amma more than a dozen times! How blessed I am to have had my Heart cleansed by the look of such an exalted Saint as MS Amma!

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Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi and Sri T. Sadasivam in front of Sri Bhagavan’s Samadhi (1975).

In front of a Banyan Tree, seated on a Big Rock (on the way to Skandashram)