A Miracle - Divine Presence

A Miracle – Dr Padmasubrahmanyam on her informal chat with Lt. Col. Ashok Kini

 

My dance performance at New Delhi on September 10, 2003 at Kamani Auditorium was a memorial programme for the great Kathak Maestro, Pandit Durgalal. On 15^th September, I had the honor of meeting the President of India to request him to participate in the Birth Centenary Celebratins of my father Director K. Subrahmanyam to be held in Chennai in April 2004. My eldest brother Balakrishnan, the Managing Trustee of Director K. Subrahmanyam Memorial Trust and his son Kannan who is my colleague in the Trust Board were with me.

 

As we were in the office of Lt. Col. Ashok Kini (Comptroller) for fifteen minutes before the President’s appointment, he spontaneously congratulated me for my performance on 10^th. We were quite surprised, as we thought that he could not attend the concert. In fact, the seat we had kept for him was un-occupied. In his own characteristic style, he had come quietly and taken a seat in the 8^th or 9^th row and enjoyed the show in full.

 

After congratulating, he said that he almost went into a trance, the moment I started the programme with “Argala Stotra” (the preliminary prayer for reciting “Devi Mahatmiyam”, consisting of 700 verses). As we were well aware of his rather silent background of mystic experiences, I was not too surprised at this reaction But what followed was something which stunned all of us. Very casually, Sri Ashok Kini said he saw mw on the stage, wearing a particular kind of long necklace, which in fact I was not wearing. His vivid description of the ornament on me was close to what I had offered to Goddess Kamakshi at Kanchipuram almost two decades ago, through the Divinity in human form, Pujyasri Mahaswami, the Centanarian Saint of Kanchi Kamakoti Pitam, who occupied that spiritual throne as the 68^th Sankaracharya.

 

It was my ardent wish at that time to make a pendant with a large single Green Jade stone for Goddess Kamakshi. The inspiration was from seeing such an invaluable pendant on Goddess Kamakshi at Kollur. When I went to Canada, I bought a palm size single green stone in the shape of a maple leaf (the national tree of Canada). On my way back, I had some concerts in Dubai, where I wanted to buy gold just enough to set the gem. My admirers there wanted to join me and contribute for that jewel. This made it possible to have three rows of pearls and other gems for the pendant with some additional gold. Finally it became a unique beautiful long necklace for the Universal Mother. I went to Kanchipuram and left the jewel with the Motherly Saint with a devotional request to Him to adorn Kamakshi Amba with that ornament by his holy hands, at His convenience. I had no desire to be even present for that event. I prayed for the sake of all who joined in this effort. We drove back to Chennai that night.

 

Nest early morning, there was a call from Kanchi Matam, informing that Pujya Mahaswami was asking us to reach there the same evening. We came to know that he had initially decided to go to the Kamakshi Temple at 5-00 AM and as the entire retinue was ready, he suddenly changed his mind and asked them to send the message to us. As he was observing silence, he had shown hand gestures to mention my name i.e., showing Lotus for Padma, followed by “Vel” (spear) for Subrahmanyam. We reached Kanchipuram in the evening and walked behind the Saint towards the temple. He did not enter the temple, but went into a street house in the Sannadhi Street (not far from the Gopuram) and sat in the front veranda We did not understand what was happening. It was Vijayadasami Day and we could recognize the Lalitha Sahasranamam book in his hands. It was amusing, because, he does not at all need the book; it was probably meant for us to understand that he was chanting the 1000 names of the Mother. The timing was unbelievably precise and perfect. As he left the book down, Goddess Kamakshi was brought form the temple right in front of that house. There was the traditional Nadaswaram band with all the prarphernalia of the procession with scores of devotees.

 

The Mahaswami gracefully got up, went out with his “yoga danda” and stood still, right in front of the deity, with his unique (laser beam ?) look. That exact times seems to have got frozen in my mind’s eye. After that “stillness”,  he beckoned us to come near him. He took the jewel from the box and placed it around Mother’s neck most dainitfully by his right hand thumb, middle and left fingers. It got settled on the slot, as though the length was pre-measured. Then he stood still again, touching the jewel with the tip of his Yoga Danda, After a few seconds, he gave a merciful gracious glance at me and also showed the sign of blessing through his hand gesture.

 

When I finished narrating this episode, Lt. Col. Ashok Kini had horipulation; for, the jewel he saw on me on the stage, was akin to that which was offered to Goddess Kamakshi two decades ago. I swore that I was wearing only a ruby studded traditional mango shaped “kundhan” jewel and not the green one with pearls that he had so surely visualized. It was another occasion for us to realize that there are things which are beyond normal human rationale. The links are too mystic in nature, that we decided to accept it with devotional humility as an unforgettable enjoyable experience beyond words. The presence of our Universal Mother and Universal Guru needs self experience and not mere verbal description; for, sweetness has to only tasted and explained.

 

Sri Ashok Kini is surely a blessed child of the Supreme Mother.