Sri Seshadri Swamigal, also known as the "Saint with a golden hand", was an Indian saint who was born in Kanchipuram, but predominantly lived in Thiruvannaamalai and attained Samadhi therein.
Sri Adi Sankara established certain methods of worship of goddess Kamakshi and in order to ensure that these are properly followed, he brought with him thirty Devi Devotees along with their families from the banks of Narmada to Kanchipuram. They had Sri Kamakshi as their family deity and were responsible for the spread of Srividya Upaasana. They were called as “Kaamakotiyaar”. All those who belonged to the lineage of Kaamakotiyaar are devotees of Kamakshi. In the tradition of Kaamakotiyaar, about 200 years ago, was a great scholar, Kaamakoti Sastrigal. Sastrigal was not blessed with a male child. and loved the children of his elder brother, Chidambara Sastrigal as his very own, with special affection for the youngest, Maragatham. When Maragatham was of a marriageable age, Kamakoti Sastrigal decided that his disciple, Varadarajan will be the most suitable match.
Varadaraja Sastrigal and Maragatham were yearning for a male child to let their family lineage prosper and continue. It is said that one night, Mother Kamakshi, appeared in the Sastrigal's dream and instructed “Offer butter and, a child of wisdom shall be born”.Providentially, Maragatham conceived. On a Saturday, 22 January 1870, under the auspices of the star / asterism / nakshatra Hastham, a boy child was born as Goddess Kamakshi's prasadam. He was named Seshadri. All the signs of a great soul which would shine in the future was seen in the child as it grew. Being a gift of Parasakthi, to be immersed in the thoughts of the almighty and to be involved in prayers and worship was but natural.
As a child he had spontaneous trances. For example, he used to sit on the lap of his father and sit with the chinmudra in a posture of meditation. At other times, when his father was teaching a class, he used to look at the book as if he was reading and comprehending it. At age four, Seshadri received his nickname, 'Golden Hand' (Tamil: Thanga Kai). One day Seshadri and his mother stopped at a shop full of bronze castings of the Gods. While at the shop the young lad picked up a statue of Krishna and asked his mother to buy it so he could perform Krishna puja. The trader, thinking that the radiant child himself resembled the Lord Krishna, gave the idol and refused payment. The next day the trader proclaimed the boy to be most lucky as the whole consignment of 1,000 statues (because of the young boy's touch), had been sold in one day, as against his usual sales until then wherein he was barely able to sell 1-2 idols.
News of the incident spread quickly through the town and from that moment on the young boy was known as, 'The one with the golden hand'. This gave him the name "Thanga Kai" (golden hand). It is mentioned that this idol was worshipped by Sri Seshadri Swamigal himself for many years after which his younger brother Narasimha Josiar and his descendants continue the worship of the same idol to-date.
Aged 14, his father Sri Varadarajar died unexpectedly. Kamakoti Sastrigal took the family to live at Vazhur. It was there that Swamiji completed his education. Aged 17 his mother died, and Seshadri's uncle (Sri Varadarajar's younger brother, Sri Ramaswami Josiar) and aunt, Kalyani, took charge of Seshadri and the younger brother Narasimha Josiar, as their own children, as they themselves were childless.
It is said that his mother Maragatham on her death bed advised him to go to Arunachala / Tiruvannamalai referring to a Shloka that states that the very thought of Arunachala grants Mukthi.
சேசாத்திரி சுவாமிகள் என்பவர் திருவண்ணாமலையில் வாழ்ந்த சித்தராவார். இவர் சமாதி அடைந்த இடம் திருவண்ணாமலை கிரிவலப்பாதையில் அமைந்துள்ளது. சேசாத்திரி சுவாமிகளை காஞ்சி காமாட்சியின் அவதாரம் என்று பக்தர்கள் கூறுகிறார்கள்.இவர் தன்னுடைய 19வது வயதில் கிபி 1889ல் திருவண்ணாமலைக்கு வந்தார். அதன்பின்பு திருவண்ணாமலையிலேயே வாழ்ந்து மறைந்தார். வியாபர இடங்களுக்கு சேசாத்திரி சாமிகள் சென்றால் அந்நாளில் அக்கடையில் வியாபாரம் தங்குதடையின்றி நடைபெறும். இதனால் சேசாத்திரி சாமிகளை "தங்க கை சேசாத்திரி சாமி" என்று அழைத்தனர்.
பாலாஜி சுவாமிகளை குருவாக ஏற்று மந்திர உபதேசமும், சன்னியாசமும் பெற்றார்.
#Seshadri Swamigal
#Tiruvannamalai
#Ramanamaharishi
#Mahaperiyava
