Friday, December 17, 2010

thirunyAnachampan^dha n^AyanAr - part V (Gold everyday)

Returning back to pugalUr thirunyAnachampan^dhar in the company of the great devotees thirun^Avaukkarachar(1), murugar(2), n^Ilan^akkar(3), chiRuththoNdar(4) stayed for many days at muruga n^AyanAr monastery saluting the Lord who is the center of the groups of devotees. What else other than the grace of bliss-pouring Lord shiva would be discussed or worth to be discussed in such a meeting of incomparable servants ?! Wanting to praise the other abodes of the Lord as well champan^dhar along with appar continued his travel. champan^dhar always wanting to be with appar perumAn walked along with him in the journey. The sage of love requested him to travel in the pearl palanquin as per the wish of God. Taking his words champan^dhar asked him to lead the way with the group of all the devotees and he would follow them to the abodes he goes. From that day whenever they were together appar perumAn would go to the abodes first and champan^dhar would follow in the palanquin. They went to the Almighty's thiruvambar abode. Reciting hymns in the ruby like words the River headed Lord there they went to thirukkadavUr where the Lord kicking the demise to doom was enjoying the excellent selfless service of kuN^giliyak kalaya n^AyanAr(5). Staying in his monastery they sang the Lord of kadavUr vIrattam and kadavUr mayAnam. Then they went praising the Compassionate Lord of devotees at thiruvAkkUr, mIyachchUr, pAmpuran^agar with heart filled love. They reached in thiruvIzimizalai with the warm welcome of the devotees.

Bowing down to the Protector who came blessing the lotus eyed mahAvishNu at the abode of thiruvIzimizalai they sang many splendid hymns rhythmic, tuneful, flowery, meaningful and inspiring. During their stay there they visited the Three flame eyed Lord's abodes perun^thuRai and all other abodes nearby. One day the gracious devotees of chIrkAzi came and saluted the child of God and requested him to come to chIrkAzi with them. He told them that he would come after getting the blessings of the Lord of thiruvIzaimizalai to come with them to saluted the thiruththONiyappar. That night the Lord thiruththONiyappar appearing in the dream of champan^dhar told him that He would show the form He has in chIrkAzi at the abode-tower of the vIzimizalai temple. Waking up with that sweet surprise he went to the temple to see the form of thiruththOniyappar in that temple and sang in the delight the scene. Then telling the glorious spectacle he saw champan^dhar asked the vEdhic chanters of chIrkAzi to return as the Lord's grace was to salute in Him in various other abodes before his coming back there. Some time later there was a severe drought in the land with rivers drying down, fields going bare, sky deprived of clouds and the humans starving for food. Unperturbed in their worship of the Perennial Lord of happiness but anxious about the hurdles the devotees could subject to, the two saints of love prayed to the Form of Grace. In their dreams the God appeared to say that though they were above the limits to be disturbed by the nature for the sake of the other devotees He would give one gold coin for both of them everyday in the temple dais. Hailing the Peak of grace they found golden coin everyday from then on in the eastern and western dais. The altruistic servants of God announced that all the adherents of the Lord's feet to have the feast at their monasteries everyday. The dreadful famine was faded away for the devotees.

In those days of driving away the worst illness of hunger by their marvelous service and devotion, champan^dhar found that while at appar perumAn's monastery the food was being served earlier and better. He asked the cooks why is the delay in preparation as they were not the people to do malpractices. They told him that the golden coin that appar got was accepted by the goldsmiths happily to pay, whereas whatever he got was accepted only after checking for impurities and hence the delay. The great young saint thought it was because of the sincere service mindedness of the reverend sage appar and that flawless prodigy prayed to the Lord to get flawless coins. The Lord blessed his modesty with blemishless golden coins from then on. The two generous n^AyanmArs continued their peerless service in that town till the torrential rain turned back the land into green. Then they on their enlightening pilgrimage worshipped at thenthiruvAnychiyam, thalaiyAlaN^kAdu, peruvELUr, chAththaN^kudi, thirukkaravIram, viLamar, thiruvArUr, thirukkARAyil, thEvUr, thirun^ellikkA, kaichchinam, theN^kUr, thirukkoLLikkAdu, kOttUr, veNtuRai, thaNdalai n^ILn^eRi, thirukkaLar and many other temples of the Lord who appears at the call of true devotees.

They arrived at the thirumaRaikkAdu of the Lord praised by vEdhas. Hearing about the arrival of two Suns at their town people preparing themselves for driving away their ignorance illuminated the town with lamps and flowers. Amidst their hearty welcome the two saints went to the abode of the Lord of pAshupata arrow. Hearing about the main doors that remained closed all the while after the vEdhas worshipped the Lord long ago and the usage of another small gate being used for regular worship, champan^dhar appealed to appar to sing to open the door. At his eleventh hymn the door opened with the ocean of devotees exclaiming this wonder. Praising the greatness of the Lord they went to worship the Wonder that sits in the aroma of devotees' hearts. Falling flat on the ground they saluted the God with upraising enthusiasm. Coming out appar perumAn asked the prodigy to sing to close the door. As soon as he sang one hymn in the padhikam chadhuram the door locked itself. With champan^dhar and appar hailing the Lord world of devotees roared thanking the saints who opened the main doors for regular worship. With their devotional verses they open even the ignorant mind to have the light of Lord shiva, then when His grace is there what is not possible with such great devotees ?! That night in thirun^Avukkarachar's dream the Lord appeared to tell that He is at thiruvAymUr and asked him to come there. With that excitement thANdaka king went behind the Lord who went in an uncatchable way. Coming to know that appar had gone to thiruvAymUr, wondering, champan^dhar went there. Then the Lord showed his pleasing dance accompanied by umA. Adoring Them the two devotees went to the temple of thiruvAymUr and worshipped there and returned back to thirumaRaikkAdu and stayed there.


While the two catalysts of the bhakti movement were at thirumaRaikkAdu, the southern pANdiya kingdom was running detracted from the path of true devotion in the philosophies that do not lead to the feeling and enjoyment of the Ultimate Bliss Lord shiva. The Jainism with its self centered philosophies occupied the land and people 's mind with the thinking of much wider vEdhic principles diminished. The king also was in that illusion. Except for the gem of womenfolk queen maN^gaiyarkkarachiyAr(6) and the brave minister kulachchiRaiyAr there were very few to follow the truth of shaivam. Worrying about the salvation of the king and the kingdom the two well wishers worried day and night and were worshipping the Sun, Moon, fire eyed Lord in a modest way. His grace brought them the good news that the beacon of shaivam thirunyAnachampan^dha n^AyanAr had come in the south to thirumaRaikkAdu. Thanking the Almighty they sent on their love for the king and the kingdom few messengers to salute the prodigy. Eagerly welcoming the messengers the saint asked the well being of the two devotees of pANdiya kingdom. They told their well being and the suffering of the kingdom under the clouds of other religions. All the devotees pleaded to save the southern thamiz kingdom. The young saint after getting the blessings of the Lord conveyed before leaving to thirun^Avukkarachar the message from maN^gayarkkarachiyAr and kulachchiRaiyAr. appar was not ready to allow him as the Jains were cruel and conspiring and the stars were not good too. champan^dhar convinced him that there could be no bad Oman for the slaves who depend on the Lord of pArvati, singing vEyuRu thOLi. appar started to thwart the sabotage of the Jains, but champan^dhar with folded hands requested him to stay back and proceeded ahead keeping His Holy Five Letters in mind.

Worshipping the Lord at thiruvagaththiyAnpaLLI, kOdikkuzakar, kadikkuLam, thiruvidumkbAvanam, thiruvuchAththAnam came travelling southwest saluting the Lord at thirukkoduN^kunRam entered the dawn in pANdiya kingdom to reach in madhurai. The arrival of Sun is the bad Oman for the haze and fog. The Jain sages saw nightmares and bad omans, were sure of imminent fate and lamented in bunches. At the same time the queen and the sincere minister found good omans and when they heard the arrival of the prodigy they were like the birds chirping at the Sunrise. They were enthusiastic to give warm welcome to the son of the Lord.

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