16. Swamigal proceeds to Thiruvannamalai

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae


Proceeding to Holy Arunachala


Three months later, Swamigal was in the big Agraharam at Tindivanam, (a town, 55kms from Thiruvannamalai). Sri T.Kannaiyer and Sri Appavu Mudaliar, had been patronizing Swamigal. Swamigal came to be known as ‘the silent Swamigal’ (Mauna Swami). A few days later, Swami expressed a desire for a place where he could carry on his meditation without being disturbed.

Thereupon Sri T.K. Kannaiyer requested the temple priest at the Thrindineeshwar Shiva Temple, to vacate a storeroom to enable Swamigal to stay there. Swami asked that he should not be disturbed till about a month, after which they could open the room. The temple priest Sri Kuppuswamy Iyer got worried as Swamigal went without food for nearly a week. He feared that if anything untoward were to happen, he would be held responsible. He therefore opened the door.

Swami who was in a state of Samadhi was disturbed. Swamigal soon left the place, saying he would proceed to Thiruvannamalai.

For a while, He was in tapas at the Pancha Pandava cave in the Thoosi Maamundur, (8kms away from Kanchipuram). Then Swami reached Thiruppathur, via Walaja, Vellore, Ambur and Vaniambadi. There he appears to have spent a few days in the Brahmeshwarar Temple, and the Kumaraswamy Temple. After leaving Thiruppathur, Swami passed by the Javvathu Mountain and crossing several small forests, big and small villages reached Padaivedu.

Swami spent two days in the sanctum of Goddess Renuka Devi in the special care of the chief priest and Vedantic Dharmalinga Gurukkal and his brother Sri Subramania Gurukkal. On the third day Swami reached Athwambadi and then, to a Samadhi of a saint known as ‘Sannyasi’s Rock.’