Sookti Manjari -Swami Ganapati Sachchidananda

Saint Ramanujacharya once got a Sankalpa to undertake pilgrimage. He had innumerable disciples and naturally, His entourage was very big. The tour arrangements had to be elaborate and precise. It included arranging for daily Pooja and food arrangements for the entire group. Swami Ramanujacharya asked two of His disciples to inform a certain rich devotee that the entourage would halt at his place for one night.

When the two disciples reached the rich man’s town, they realized how busy the rich man was. They had to wait for hours before they could get to see him. When the rich man came to know that Swami Ramanujacharya would be halting for a night in his place, he was overcome with joy. He summoned his secretaries and gave them instructions to ensure that all necessary arrangements be done well in advance. He told them that they should decorate the entire town, as it was a rare opportunity. For the next couple of hours, he was busy giving instructions about the arrangements to be made.

The disciples returned and narrated to their Guru as to how great the rich man’s devotion was. However, Saint Ramanujacharya was not listening to what the disciples were telling. He asked, "Did the rich man offer you food?"

© "Bhakti Mala" (May 2001) published by Sri Bhakti Mala Trust, Mysore at Lakshmi Narasimha Mudrana, Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashram, Mysore 570 004. Website: www.dattapeetham.com. Reprinted with permission.

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