Meeting with Mooku Podi Swami

Vishesh a reader of Arunachala Grace recently sent me an email about his meeting and experience with Mooku Podi Swami here at Arunachala. I am posting the narrative in full below. The accompanying photographs were taken by myself some time ago while Swami was residing near Pavarthi Hill. 

“As you requested, I wanted to give my experience with Mooku Podi Swami. As I mentioned earlier, I live in the US and visited India on Vacation for three weeks. I got initiated into several Meditation techniques by Vethathiri Maharishi and then started to follow Sri Nithyananda Swami. There is a huge temple in the city where I live in the US. I did see some blog postings by you on Nithyananda Swami. I along with my wife, 10 year old son and my Father-in-law came to Tiruvannamalai on the evening of 5th January to be part of Nithyananda Swami's Birthday celebrations. I drove our car from Trichy and stayed in a hotel just outside of Arunachala temple. Because of worst traffic, I decided to take an auto rather than driving the car. That is when everything started. 

The auto driver who took us to Nithyananda Swami's ashram on our route started to talk about Mooku Podi Swami (MPS) and suggested us to attempt to see him once before we leave. Initially that thought did not get into me strongly. He mentioned that MPS stays in hotel called Arpana which is where we planned to go for Dinner on the 5th. He himself asked Arpana hotel's watchman about MPS whereabouts. The watchman replied that MPS no more stays in that hotel and moved to a place near the Srinivasan school on the Girivalam path. 

We had the dinner and then left to the hotel. I requested the auto driver to pick up again the next day to visit Nithyananda Swami's ashram. The next day on our way to the Ashram he stopped the auto at a place before to the Ashram and pointed out a old man and then said he is MPS. We just got out of the auto and stood on the other side of the road and paid our respects. I did not get any sort of opinions on MPS and prayed for his blessings. He had a look at our family and we felt really good about it. We had to leave to the Ashram as we had a Pada Puja scheduled with Nithyananda Swami. 

After we had our time at the Ashram we came back to see him and could not find him. Then we went to Ramana Asramam and Visiri Samiyar Ashram and spend the whole day. The next day (7th January) we were planning to return back to Trichy and I started to have a very strong urge to meet MPS once more before I leave. So we checked out of our hotel and headed out on the Girivalam path by 7.30 am. To our surprise, MPS was sitting on the same spot (it was a Police booth). We parked the car on the road, left our sandals in the car and got out of the car and sat on a bench which was around 30 foot away from him. It would have been around 20 minutes we just sat and got his darshan. He started to walk around and then came and stood near our car. I turned to him in the sitting position and we were looking at him for blessings. I was praying inside to get me initiated into Atma Vidya (Ramana Maharishi's “Who Am I” self introspection). Other than that, I did not have any other feelings. 

After seeing MPS standing near our car, the people around that place started to scream asking to open the car door as MPS wanted to sit inside. I immediately rushed and opened the door and requested him to sit in our car. He hesitated and did not sit. There was one small boy around (15 years old) and urged us to remove all the sandals out of the car. I removed everyone of them and then MPS came around and sat in the passenger side. I took my son and then sat in the car. He did not talk anything to me and used sign languages and gave me directions. I finally ended up in a hotel called Udupi. 

He went inside and showed sign language to me to make the chair available for him to sit. I did it and then me and my son wanted to sit on the floor near his foot. He urged us to sit on the chair in the nearby table. After he had some Dosa and coffee and he left and we again headed out of the hotel. I wanted to go around girivalam (anticlockwise-as you had mentioned in one of your posting) and came to the same spot where we started. He wanted to stop and then he got down. The same small boy asked me to do namaskarams and touch his feet. I did and when I tried to touch his foot, he nodded his head and signalled me as not to touch. I obeyed his instructions and said good-bye. He gracefully nodded and gave me his send off. Then there were people around who came got his blessings. 

Parvarthi Hill, off Girivalam Roadway

My wife after getting his blessings wanted to donate some money for Anna Dhaan at the Ragavendra Ashram. It was just across the road. After visiting Ragavendra Ashram, I had the feeling again to take a photo of him so that I can have in my Puja area for worship. We returned back to see him and he was not there. When I asked the people around that place they asked us to check at the Srinivasan school. 

Girivalam Roadway where Swami stays

We went there and found him sitting at the hallway. I walked up to him and asked him if I can take a photo. He nodded his head stood up and walked out of the school straight to our car. So we had him seated again and this time all of our family sat inside. He again signalled me to go anticlockwise. I started to drive. We went two full rounds this time and Swami by then started to take a nap. During the middle of the third round, the police had put some barricade and blocked the road. Then he signalled to take a diversion and then we ended up to go clockwise again. When the car came near the school, he signalled to stop and got down. I once again asked if I could take a snap and he nodded no again. That was the end. He walked straight inside the school and I did my namaskarams again and headed out. 

He was uttering two words again and again for 5 to 6 times: They were "ஆபிசு....ஆபீஸ்"” 

Trip to Chennai

Yesterday posted 'I Am Still In Shock,' about a visiting pilgrim's experience with Mottiyan Swamiji (Mooku Podi Swami). Today I received the following narrative from the same pilgrim concerning her, 'Trip to Chennai,' with Swami.


Trip to Chennai

“Anyway, I was planning to rest today after doing the girivalam yesterday in 3.45 hours, a record for me. But No, I had an inner feeling that I must visit Mottiyan Swami.

I took him some snacks and surprising got the same auto driver who took me two days ago. Mottiyan Swami was pacing the floor in the headmasters office when I arrived, and left in a huff with his two sticks. I was a little scared. was he angry with me for something?

But no, the headmaster asked me to sit down and wait for appa swami to return. Appa was back in a few minutes, he snapped the two short bamboo sticks on the floor and demanded repeatedly to be taken to Chennai.

As he was saying that a taxi owner who had more than a year ago prayed that if he could get out of the rental business and own his own taxi, then he would love for appa to ride in it. Careful what you wish for they say. He got it. Appa got in his taxi a few weeks ago and demanded to be driver around and around the Arunachala mountain in an anti clockwise and then to Chennai and some other nearby towns. Appa was in his car day and night for one full week. The only time the taxi driver got time off was to eat. Anyway, after that trip two weeks ago, today was the first day that taxi driver came to see appa for his blessings. and lo and behold, appa wanted to go to Chennai.

He asked me to come with him. I heard it once but didn’t want to go. So I pretended not to understand. All the people in the headmasters office said Appa wanted me to go to Chennai with him. To be sure for myself I repeatedly asked Appa if that was the case. At first he shyly pointed (with the two sticks) to a seat beside him. there was no way I was going to get in with him holding the two sticks. So he pointed very shyly and with a smile to the seat beside the driver. Still worried and wondering why we were going to Chennai and when we will come back, I sat in front.

It was the hottest day of the year. The sun poured in brightly thru the front window and the driver refused to turn on the AC because it would cost him more. I was baking and repeatedly wondering if I was sane to jump in the car with an almost insane (by Western standards, at least) Swami. I kept the front powder mirror down to keep an eye on Appa the whole trip

The three hour drive to Chennai was grueling but we did stop for chai that Appa graciously took from me. I offered him a snack, and he accepted that with a smile, Then he looked out the window and asked for guavas which I bought him. He asked for it to be cut. When we had them cut, he gave each of us in the car a piece. It was his prasadam to us.

That is when I found out that Appa had not bathed in 32 years. His body never smells. I Worried if I needed a tetanus shot but quickly put that thought out of my mind lest Appa found out what I was thinking. I noticed that Appa's body never sweats even though the rest of us in the car were sweating. He remained absorbed in something within himself the whole time. Off and on he would open his eyes but then close them again.

Once we reached Chennai, the driver had told us Appa would tell us where he wanted to go. But this time he didn’t The driver said Appa wanted to go to a wealthy devotee of his. My alert self wondered if it was because the taxi driver would get a baksheesh for the number of times he brought Appa to his house. So I checked with Appa myself if he wanted to go to this rich devotees house. Appa said a vehement no much to the dismay of the taxi driver.

Now the taxi driver and I had fallen out of sorts. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to be cheated just because I was a foreigner (and presumably loaded with money). We asked Appa if he wanted to go back to Tiruvannamalai and Appa said an enthusiastic Yes. We bought him lunch at a good restaurant that Appa ate in the back seat of the taxi. After he had eaten he threw the stainless steel tumbler out the window and the taxi driver had to jump into heavy traffic to retrieve it.

Then we were all on our way back to Tiruvannamalai. We stopped for chai that Appa accepted. Then when I got off on the way to catch an auto to the place I am staying, I bid appa good bye. He opened his eyes and with a smile nodded I could go.

I have no idea what to make of this trip. I got to be in Appa's company for six full hours. I am wondering if he was observing me to while in meditation. I hoping he was dissolving some of the bad karma I am experiencing in his meditation. I don’t know what to make of this trip. It sure was meant to be, the way I got the inner prompting to visit Appa on my day of rest after a girivalam, and then to hop into a taxi on the hottest day of the year. Will keep you informed Meenakshi Ammal of what happens. I feel blessed though to be in Tiruvannamalai and having met Mottiyan Swami.”

Mottayan Swamiji Experience

I wrote a previous posting about Mooku Podi Swami and some of my thoughts on him. Subsequently a reader of Arunachala Grace has just posted the below comment on her own life changing experience with Mooku Podi Swami, and below I reproduce her comment in its entirety.

“Hi, I cannot express my joy in words after seeing Appa's photo and a article on him. Appa is how he is referred by all his devotee children. After my personal experience with Appa I have unshakeable faith that only when you are in dire need in your life, Lord Arunachaleswarar blesses you to meet Appa. We are not meeting Appa actually. He will decide to see us and it is only then that we can see him.

I would like to share my personal experience with Appa. We met Appa in May 2009 unforgettable month of my life. My husband had lost his job in the U.S. due to recession. We were searching for jobs for 2 months now. In the meanwhile I was having very sudden and severe health problems related to my brain and fertility. All these put together we were having the toughest time of our life, not to mention that we were married for less than a year.

My husband is a devotee of Lord Arunachaleswarar and so, as is our habit, we went to Thiruvannamalai for Swami's darshan. On the blessed day when we met Appa, we were leaving Thiruvanammalai to go back to our home in Madurai. After having breakfast, I hired an auto. Of all the autos that were present there, God had to send me only that particular auto. In that auto, there were two photos. One was the photo of Uchimalai Swamigal who was no longer present in Thiruvannamalai. There was this other photo we did not recognise. We asked the auto driver about it and it was he who told us about Appa. We wanted to meet him very badly and asked him to take us to Appa.

The first time we met Appa he was in a Mariamman Temple in the Giri route. He was having a thiruvodu in his hands. When he saw us, he walked to the nearby plants and started to pluck leaves from them. He then kept those leaf bunches in his head. After being there for sometime, he decided to go for girivalam and signaled to a person standing near by. He then started for girivalam in the anti-clockwise direction.

We took off behind him. He went into Hotel Akasha and asked for the senior owner. When he learnt that the owner was out of town, he broke his thiruvodu by sending it crashing on the floor. The owner immediately asked the guard to clear it and he explained to us, the spectators that Appa had actually done drishti kalippu by breaking the thiruvodu.

Our girivalam continued and at one point only one leaf bunch flew from Appa’s head and fell on the road. Of the 4 -5 bunches only one flew. We took the leaf bunch as Prasad. I am very happy that I took it. We had kept the leaf in a plastic cover. We were very surprised to see that the leaf was fresh and green as if in a plant for a month.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that the leaf was fresh till all our problems were solved. My husband got a job in Singapore, and all my health problems were resolved. Appa stayed with us in form of the leaf till our problems were solved.

If you go to Thiruvannmalai try to have the divine experience with Appa. He will not talk through his mouth. But if you ask him something (you should talk using your heart and not mouth) then he will shake his head as an answer. If the answer is a yes then he will nod and if it is a no then he will indicate accordingly. If you have been blessed to meet Appa then I am sure, that Appa could not bear seeing you in pain and so he chose to see you and free you of all the pain. I am also sure that from that moment on, your life will only improve and you will reach heights.

Even now, if I think of the whole experience and the leaf bunch in particular, I cannot help but shedding happy tears of joy. I pray to Annandale that all those reading this Blog also get the blessing to meet Appa. Appa's annadana matam is situated in the girivala pathai. Anyone will be able to tell you. You can go there for any further details.”

Mottayan Swamiji (Mooku Podi Swami)

I wasn’t planning on posting this story, but the Manager of Hotel Deepam suggested that it was the right time to do so, and as Swamiji didn’t seem to object to having his photograph taken, maybe its okay. The photograph is of Mottayam Swamiji who is also known as Mookupodi Swamiji. It is believed he hails originally from Kumbakonam and moved to Tiruvannamalai some 40 years ago. Occasionally he disappears from this spot but after a short time returns. Although not famous outside this place, he is well known to traders and merchants near the Big Temple where it seems to be Swamiji’s custom to habituate a particular shop or restaurant for months at a time and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, leave his spot and take up residence at some other place.

Wherever he remains, it is always with the grateful support of the owner of whatever establishment Swamiji has selected. In this respect he moved to his current abode, the restaurant Hotel Deepam on Car Street (near Arunachaleswarar Temple) about 4 months back. He sits quietly in the same corner and rarely notices or looks at anybody. When he wishes to eat he will command whoever he chooses to ‘bring me food’. At night he sleeps on the restaurant floor. Sometimes he will get up and go for a wander about the town; about three times a week Swami will order an auto rickshaw driver to take him around the Hill – but always in an anti-clockwise direction. I have heard of several saints and sages who also have practiced going anti-clockwise around the Hill.

Mottayan Swamiji is sought by a number of devotees who will come and sit at a table near him hoping for a glance, blessing or some sort of signal or recognition. The owner of Hotel Deepam tells me that Swamiji is often offered expensive clothes and gifts, but he will never accept them, instead preferring to remain in his own well worn rags. He also will not receive offerings of food – at the times he wishes to eat he will select who it is that will feed him, and then give his orders.

Whatever may or may not be his spiritual state; I do know that recently at an important decision making juncture of my life, I was drawn to present myself at the Hotel where I sat at a table near Swamiji. Whatever the reason for the impulse that brought me to Swami, I left feeling satisfied that my question had been fully answered.

Some locals feel that Mottayam Swamiji is some kind of Avadhuta much in the same way as Shirdi Sai or Seshadri Swami. As to that I have no opinion, all I can say is that I’m grateful he is available and thankful to be able to spend time in his presence.