Vallimalai Pongi Devi

Life Sketch of Sri Vallimalai Tiruppugazh Swamigal

With Vallimalai Ashramam (top of the hill) as his headquarters Swami used to frequently visit Madras and other places. At Madras he was instrumental in starting several bhajana sabhas and in converting several atheists towards godly ways. He would not halt at a place but would always be on his heels.

Once while he was walking in Madras a young girl of about twelve years approached him and said she also knew Tiruppugazh and asked Swami to accompany her to the next pial where she sang the song "virakar nokkiyum” in a divine fashion for one hour. Then she asked him for a present.

Swamiji was prepared to give even his life for that song and asked her what it was that she desired. She asked Swami the betel leaf box which he was having. He willingly gave it over to here. It contained a five rupee note and a few coins. After the girl disappeared, Swami felt that he did not even enquire who she was or her address, as he was so much immersed in her divine song. Two days later when he went to Vallimalai he found to his astonishment the self-same betel leaf box with the coins and currency. There was also a note therein as follows: “Nān unnai maraven. Nee ennai marakkāthey – Pongi”.

Numerous are the anecdotes of his life:

1. He would be found in several places at the same time. For instance at one Arunagiri Jayanti day Swami was seen at the same hour both at Vallimalai doing bhajana and at Madras by some advocates who were his devotees.
2. Though at times a number of people would come to the hill and though the cooked food there would suffice only for a few, yet he would ask the entire gathering to sit for meals and it will be a sight to see that the small vessel of food was not only more than sufficient to their hearts’ content but also overflowing for the entire crowd, leaving something behind. Verily, an akshaya­ patram.
3. Devotees who went there at dead hours of nights would have coffee. Even the cows he was having would give milk at any desired hour.
4. He miraculously cured several ills.
5. He did not differentiate between people rich and poor, caste and creed; treated every one as God.
6. He began ‘Harijan Seva’ even long before Mahatma Gandhiji initiated the movement, by starting Tiruppugazh Sabhas even in cheries.
7. He would make his disciples see divine visions in sleeping state and even while awake and also enable them to hear distinctly divine voices. One such divine voice was Kārttikai moolam enakkukanthathu. On this day annual Arunagiri Jayanthi is being celebrated. What a coincidence! This is Swami’s birthday.
8. Though a Trikalagnāni and Parama Yogi he rarely used his powers and never for his personal benefit.
9. Devotees used to present him with costly gifts. He would immediately transfer them to beggars or those in need. He was ever anxious to offer annadānam on an extravagant scale.
10. Though he used to get currencies in hundreds he would spend all the money in feeding the devotees and took immense delight especially in poor feeding and arranged for samaradāna at all times.
11. Propagated Tiruppugazh in Bombay and Calcutta too, as a result of which even in distant places like Bombay a sabhā (samaj) in his name is running and is doing yeoman service. This samaj has published the following message in its souvenir, is having regular Tiruppugazh bhajanas, and celebrated at Bombay his aradhana on the 11th and 12th days of his samādhi on a grand scale.
12. Sacrificed even his own Ashramam which he built at a considerable sacrifice.