Banana Stem Kanchi Paramacharya: A Divine Experience

Illness – Banana Stem

A devotee had no one to depend upon except her son. The boy was suffering from a skin disease that spread rapidly all over his body, causing him immense pain. His entire body itched intensely. Whenever he scratched, his skin would tear open, resulting in severe bleeding and large sores. Unable to bear her son's suffering, the grief-stricken mother approached Paramacharya Swami and shared her difficulties.

"Periyava, only through Your grace can my son's disease be cured. I am not even in a position to bear the cost of medicines. I have no one to turn to except You," she pleaded.

Mahaswamigal asked the mother and her son to stay at the Mutt. He instructed the boy:

"Apart from what remains after I have taken my bhiksha, you must not eat or drink anything else—not even coffee, tea, or milk."

The mother happily agreed to follow the Guru's instructions.

Mahaswamigal then gave certain instructions to the Sri Mutt kitchen staff and told them to continue following them until He instructed otherwise. He accepted only the inner portion of the banana stem as His bhiksha. The cook would cut the banana stem into pieces, add a little salt, and boil them. Mahaswamigal accepted this as His bhiksha and drank a little buttermilk. The remaining banana stem preparation and the leftover buttermilk from His meal were then served to the boy.

Initially, the boy found it difficult to eat this food. However, realizing that he had the rare fortune of partaking in the Guru's Uchhishta (sacred leftovers), he joyfully ate whatever was served to him.

After about ten days, the itching and the spots on his skin gradually began to subside. As the days passed, the disease steadily disappeared, and his skin became clear and healthy once again. By the end of one mandalam (48 days), the skin disease had completely vanished, and the boy appeared radiant with renewed health and vitality. The mother's joy knew no bounds.

"How can I describe my son's good fortune? I thought this skin disease had come because of the sins of a previous birth. But now I realize that it came only because of the merits of a previous birth. For who else would receive the blessing of eating Paramacharya Swami's Uchhishta every day for an entire mandalam?" the mother said with overwhelming happiness.

"It was only because of the medicinal properties of the banana stem that his illness subsided," Mahaswamigal remarked.

"The banana stem was merely an excuse to remove his suffering. It was only because he partook of Your sacred Uchhishta that he was cured," the mother said, offering her heartfelt gratitude and prostrating before the Swami.

Source

— Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, In the Presence of Divine – A Compilation of Paramacharya Experiences, Volume 1

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Banana Stem experience of Kanchi Paramacharya?

A mother with no one to turn to brought her son, who had a painful, spreading skin disease, to Paramacharya. He had the boy eat the leftovers of His own bhiksha of boiled banana stem and buttermilk.

What did Paramacharya instruct the boy to eat?

The boy could not eat or drink anything except what remained after Paramacharya's bhiksha, not even coffee, tea or milk. That meal was boiled inner banana stem with a little salt, plus leftover buttermilk.

What is Guru Uchhishta?

Guru Uchhishta is the sacred leftover food of the Guru. The boy considered it a rare fortune to partake of it, and ate it joyfully despite initial difficulty.

How long did the boy's recovery take?

As told, the itching and spots began to subside after about ten days. By the end of one mandalam (48 days) the skin disease had completely vanished.

Did Paramacharya credit banana stem or the Guru's blessing for the cure?

Mahaswamigal remarked that the banana stem's medicinal properties eased the illness. The mother said the banana stem was merely an excuse and that the Uchhishta cured him.

Where is this account from?

It is from Sujatha Vijayaraghavan's In the Presence of Divine – A Compilation of Paramacharya Experiences, Volume 1, part of the Kanchi Paramacharya Vaibhavam series.

Illness – Banana Stem | A Divine Experience from Kanchi Paramacharya Vaibhavam