thirunyAnachampan^dha n^AyanAr - part IX (Blooming the burnt)

Saluting the Supreme's places on the way the saint thirunyAnachampan^dhar from thirukkALaththi came to the abode thiruvERkAdu situated on the northern bank of river pAli. Prostrating His peerless feet he sang the Lord at validhAyam. Saluted by the town he arrived at thiruvoRRIyUr to portray the glory of the Lord of sacrifices in the glowing hymns. While thirunyAnachampan^dhar was immersing himself in the Ocean of Grace at thiruvoRRiyUr there was a faithful devotee waiting to salute him for a long time living in thirumayilApuri(mayilAppUr). Being a businessman by profession that loveful man by name chiva n^Echar earned a lot of wealth in honest, candid and virtuous ways. For him all the wealth was meant for serving the Lord who takes the service of the five basic components(paJNca bhUtam) and the dEvas. That rich man staying in the company of the people who have the endless wealth of worshipping the Lord who made the king of wealth, came to know about the marvels of the young slave of God thirunyAnachampan^dhar. Inspired by the grace he got as the milk of knowledge, the way he criticized ignorant philosophies and by his beautiful hymns, he became more and more zealous to hear more about that saint. Though profused with properties he had a problem too. He did not have a child for a long time. With his austerous worship and illimitable service to the Lord and devotees he got a girl child to fill his heart with happiness. Doing all the vEdic rituals for the first ten days in a festive way, he named the flower like girl child as pUmpAvai.

His gem like girl grew up playfully making the minds of the mayilai people merry. She rose to the seventh year like a rose patal. The merchant delighted by his growing gem declared that he would give all his wealth to her bridegroom. Those days he came to know about the love and marvels of the child of God who won the hurdles of Jains and Budhdhists giving the pANdiya king life and holy Ash. His whole of heart enslaved in his truthful fame. He saluted his direction and said with the clarity of thoughts that he had submitted his loving pUmpAvai, boundless wealth and himself to that peerless prodigy. On one of the days when they lived in the happiness of enslaved in feelings to the saint, the bud like girl went with friends to pluck flowers from the garden. There came a poisonous snake fierce to say that girl can not marry the saint. It etched its four teeth in her hand and emitted out the poison. With the fatal poison acting against that patal like girl she lost the sense. The friends held her and took to her father. Appalled father was petrified, screamed and cried out for the doctors. All the specialists tried their best to finally wash their hands off saying 'that's fate'. The merchant stricken with grief announced limitless wealth for one who cures his daughter. Starting from the kings many came in the hope to get huge wealth by curing her but returned with dropped down face. "As I had given that girl for the slave of the Lord nothing fatal could happen", he made up his mind and collected the burnt ashes and bones of his heart like daughter in a pot. He kept the pot in her place on the soft bed ornated with clothes and garlands. He treated as his daughter herself and everyday he bathed it, decorated it and lived in her memory with others wondering.

One blessed day in his life he heard that the beacon of shaivam came to worship at the famous thiruvoRRiyUr abode. Sprinkling gold and gems on the people who told the message he raised a shelter all the way to thiruvoRRiyUr with all decorations and went to invite the saint to mayilai. champan^dhar coming to worship the God of peacock like pArvati saluted the prostrating devotee and reached at mayilAppUr. With raised folded hands and raised feelings of love the sun that raised to drive away the lifeless philosophies by the rays of devotion saluted the Lord shiva at the mayilAppUr abode. Coming out with His grace-filled heart, the slave of God asked the devotee to bring the pot to the outskirts of the temple. The entire town including the non-believers assembled in front of the temple. Trusting the glory of the grace of God the great devotee sang on the Lord mattitta telling the girl's name asking her how she could go without seeing the splendid festivals of the Lord when the devotees are served with love. When he sang the non-belief of Jain, Budhdhists the pot broke and the girl got up like the lakshmi coming from the blooming lotus. In the first hymn getting back life and form, she got the growth of an year for each song for eight songs and thus becoming twelve she came out in the tenth song. The real devotee of the Eternal completed the song with thriuk kadaikkAppu. The huge crowd thundered shouting harahara. Non-believers lost their adamance. The thrilled father fell on his feet. The devotee was praising the Mercy.

The charming beautiful girl who could make many fall in love for her beauty too splendorous to be portrayed even by artists, with her delighted father prostrated the sixteen year old prodigy of transcending knowledge. The saint asked them to go home happily. The merchant requested the saint to marry his daughter as he yearned. But champan^dhar refused as he gave her life with the grace of the Almighty, such an idea would be wrong. Consoling them he sent them off and like a stream flowing in a fall fled to worship the Medicine in the abode. The merchant unwilling to get his daughter married to anybody else, put her in a place of virgins. The girl too meditated in the Absolute. Taking leave from an unwilling to separate chiva n^Echar saluting the skull handed Lord of mayilai, thirunyAnachampan^dhar traveled to many abodes that make the life meaningful praising the Lord at thiruvAnmiyUr, thiruidaichchuram, thirukkazukkunRam, thiruvachchiRupAkkam, thiruarachili, thiruppuRavAr panaN^kAttUr and numerous other abodes and entered the Dancing Lord's thillai. Saluted the Great dancing in the Great Hall of thillai with the heart beats dancing in the rhythm of His blissful dance. Like the child that runs forward to see the face of the mother the peak of devotion rushed to see His glorious smile in the ruby like lips with the raised legs to keep on the saluting devotees' heads. Coming to know that the saint of fame adorable by the entire world reached at the dancing hall of Lord who creates, protects and reduces the world in a blissful act, shivapAdahR^idayar and followers of vEdhic discipline arrived in enthusiasm at thillai. Welcoming them along with the loveful worshippers of thillai champan^dhar meditated at the Golden haired Lord's thiruchchiRRambalam. With His non-stopping dance continuing in his heart champan^dhar along with father and other devotees left to salute the Lord who helps crossing the turbulent ocean of the worldly life - the Boat that sits on the boat at chIrkAzi.