In this part, we will see two stories – one related to Lord Vishnu and the other related to Lord Shiva, where they obeyed the orders of their devotees in two different places.
Lord Vishnu obeying Thirumazhisai Azhwar:
In the temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu, during procession, we might have observed that the scholars reciting Divya Prabandham will go first and then comes the Lord followed by the Vedic scholars reciting the Vedas. The reason being the front beauty of the Lord is witnessed by the Tamil Prabandhams and the rear beauty is witnessed by the Vedas. One may also say that the Lord loves to follow the Pasurams (verses sung in praise of Lord Vishnu) of Azhwars (devotees of Lord Vishnu) and the Veda loves to follow the Lord. There is an interesting happening to prove that Lord Vishnu loves to follow the pasurams and also the Azhwar!
Tirumazhisai Azhwar was born in a place called Thirumazhisai, near Chennai. He used to travel a lot and stay in many places and sing the glory of Lord Vishnu. Once he happened to visit Kanchipuram and stayed at Tiruvekka in an ashram. He had his disciple Kanikannan by his side. An old lady used to clean the ashram premises every day without any expectations. She had only Lord Vishnu in her mind and considered serving His devotees as serving the Lord Himself!
One day, the lady’s oldness disappeared and she became very youthful. She herself was surprised and asked Kanikannan how this happened. He said that it was all because of the good merits she earned by serving at the ashram and Azhwar had blessed her to become young. Soon the news spread like forest fire. The King who was ruling Kanchi was also longing to become young and met the lady and asked how it all happened. The lady simply said that it was all because of the Azhwar’s blessings!
The King then went to the ashram. Tirumazhisai Azhwar was not there and he was at the temple for having the Lord’s darshan. Kanikannan alone was there. The King met him and told his desire to become young as the lady was blessed to become young. Kanikannan told the King that neither he nor his master will sing for an ordinary man and it is not possible for him to get blessed the same way that lady was blessed. The King became furious and asked Kanikannan to leave the kingdom.
Kanikannan started packing off his belongings and was ready to leave the place. Soon, Tirumazhisai Azhwar came there and asked Kanikannan what he was doing. Kanikannan explained all that happened. Azhwar became very much furious and ordered the Lord of Tiruvekka to pack up his serpent bed and leave the place along with him and his disciple Kanikannan.
கணிகண்ணன் போகின்றான் காமருபூங் கச்சி
மணிவண்ணா நீ கிடக்க வேண்டா – துணிவுடைய
செந்நாப் புலவனும் போகின்றேன் நீயுமுன்றன்
பைந்நாகப் பாய் சுருட்டிக்கொள்
kaNikaNNan pOgindRaan kaamarupoon kachchi
maNivaNNaa nee kidakka vENdaa – thuNivudaiya
sennaap pulavanum pOgindREn neeyumunRan
painnaagap paai suruttikkoL
[Oh the dark hued and beautiful Lord of Kanchi! My disciple Kanikannan is moving away from this place. Even I, the poet have also decided to leave this place. You need not continue to lie down here. Please wind up your serpent bed and come with me.]Thus sang Azhwar and the Lord of Tiruvekka wound up his Adi Sesha bed and started walking along with Azhwar and Kanikannan. The entire place plunged into darkness as the Lord had moved away. The King realized his mistake. He went in search of the three.
All the three went to a place near Tiruvekka and stayed there for a night. That place is called as Orikkai (Or iravu irukkai – ஓர் இரவு இருக்கை). Place where the Lord stayed (இருக்கை) for one night (ஓர் இரவு) became Oriravirukkai and eventually it became Orikkai. [A mani mandapam for Sri Kanchi Maha Periyava has been built here in this village.]
The King approached Azhwar and sought his pardon and begged them to come back to Tiruvekka. Azhwar instructed the king to seek pardon from Kanikannan and if the latter accepts his request all three of them will come back. The King begged Kanikannan to accept his request and he agreed. So all three of them came back to Tiruvekka.
கணிகண்ணன் போக்கொழிந்தான் காமருபூங் கச்சி
மணிவண்ணா நீ கிடக்க வேண்டும் – துணிவுடைய
செந்நாப் புலவனும் போக்கொழிந்தேன் நீயுமுன்றன்
பைந்நாகப் பாய் படுத்துக்கொள்
kaNikaNNan pOkkozhindhaan kaamarupoon kachchi
maNivaNNaa nee kidakka vENdum – thuNivudaiya
sennaap pulavanum pOkkozhindhEn neeyumunRan
painnnaagap paai paduththukkoL
[Oh the dark hued and beautiful Lord of Kanchi! My disciple Kanikannan is returning back to Thiruvekka. I, the poet have also decided to return back to Thiruvekka. You too please come back with us to Thiruvekka and lie down there. Please spread your serpent bed and lie down there]Azhwar again sang this song and the Lord took back his serpent bed and all the three went back to their original place – that is Tiruvekka.
Lord Vishnu as he listened and acted as instructed by Azhwar, came to be known as sonna vannam seitha perumaL (சொன்ன வண்ணம் செய்த பெருமாள்) or as yathOkthakAri (யதோக்தகாரி) in Sanskrit.
Arunagirinathar in his Thiruppugazh – Neerum enbu thOlinaalum, describes this incident in one line.
பாரை உண்ட மாயன் வேயை ஊதி பண்டு பாவலோர்கள்
பாடல் கண்டு ஏகு மாலின் மருகோனே!
Paarai uNda maayan vEyai oothi paNdu paavalOrgaL
Paadal kaNdu yEgu maalin marugOnE
He sings Lord Muruga as the nephew (மருகோனே) of Thirumaal –
- the one who once swallowed the Earth and kept it in his belly (during pralaya) and protected it (பாரை உண்ட மாயன்);
- the one who plays the flute made out of bamboo (வேயை ஊதி);
- the one who swiftly went behind the poets mesmerized by the beauty of their compositions (பண்டு பாவலோர்கள் பாடல் கண்டு ஏகு மால்).
Lord Shiva obeying Sundara Moorthy Nayanar:
In Shaivism, we call the devotees of Lord Shiva as Nayanmar. 63 Nayanmars are widely known. Out of the 63 Nayanmars, three are very well known for their contribution towards Tamil Poetry on Lord Shiva known as thEvaaram – Thirunavukkarasar (appar), Thirugnanasambandhar and Sundarar are also known as thEvaara moovar or triplets. Appar worshipped Lord Shiva as his master and that path is known as Daasa Maargam. Sambandhar worshipped Lord Shiva as his father and is known as Satputra Maargam. Sundarar worshipped Lord Shiva as his friend and is known as Sakhya Maargam. Sundarar is also known as thampiraan thOzhar or friend of the Lord.
As the name suggests, he will demand anything from Lord Shiva as we ask from our friend. Sundarar in his previous birth was the close attendant of Lord Shiva in Kailash. One day, while he was roaming in the gardens of Kailash, he fell in love with two girls Kamalini and Anindhithai and so did those girls who were close attendants of Goddess Parvathi. Knowing this, Lord Shiva ordered them to be born on the Earth in different places, get married, enjoy the pleasures and again come back to Kailash. Sundarar questioned the Lord as to how will they get to know each other, for which the Lord said that he would take care of that.
Sundarar was born into a family of priests at Thirunavalur. He was brought up by the King of the land Narasinga Munaiyaraiyar as his own son. When he grew up and attained the age to get married, wedding was organized in a grand manner. But, keeping up his promise, Lord Shiva, disguised as an old man, stopped the wedding and took Sundarar with Him to the Thiruvennainallur temple, reminded him of Kamalini and blessed him to sing verses in praise of Him. Thereafter, Sundarar went on a pilgrimage and visited a lot of temples. He reached Thiruvarur and there he met Kamalini who was born as Paravai Naachiyaar, in the clan of dancers performing at Thiruvarur temple. They married and lived a happy life. Sundarar then undertook pilgrimage to visit Shiva temples in Thondai Naadu (Present Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur, Chengalpet districts). He reached Thiruvotriyur. Lord Shiva again reminded Sundarar about the other girl Anindhithai, who was born at Thiruvotriyur as Sangili Naachiyaar. She made garlands for the Lord of Thiruvotriyur. Sundarar married Sangili and promised not to leave her at any cause.
Days passed and Sundarar remembered Vasanthotsavam at Thiruvarur temple. He immediately left Thiruvotriyur and proceeded towards Thiruvarur. The moment he crossed the border of the town, he lost his eye sight. Then with the help of Lord Shiva’s grace he managed to get a walking stick to show him the way at Thiruvenpaakkam. He then reached Kanchipuram and got the sight in his left eye at Ekamreswarar temple by singing a pathigam (set of ten verses) and then proceeded to Tiruvarur. He visited a sub shrine of the majestic Thiruvarur temple – Thiruvarur ParavayuN maNthaLi (Thoovaainathar temple) and got his sight in right eye too.
Sundarar’s first wife Paravai Nachiyar came to know that Sundarar had his second marriage with Sangili at Thiruvotriyur. She was very much furious with him and didn’t allow Sundarar to enter his house. Sundarar fell down at the feet of Thiruvarur Tyagaraja swami and pleaded him to go to Paravai’s house and speak for him.
The ever compassionate lord went to Paravai’s house, disguised as temple priest and spoke in support of Sundarar. Paravai unaware of the person speaking to her, simply shut the door on the Lord’s face and went inside. The Lord reported the happenings to Sundarar and told him that Paravai is not accepting him. Sundarar again instructed the Lord to go in his true form in front of Paravai one more time and talk. The Lord once again obeyed the words of his devotee and stood in front of Paravai and conveyed her the message about Sundarar’s innocence and narrated her their previous births’ happenings at Kailash. Paravai felt very sad for making the Lord whose feet is as tender as lotus to walk on the harsh streets of Tiruvarur.
This episode of Lord Shiva going as a messenger upon the words of Sundara Moorthy Nayanar is narrated by Arunagirinathar in many of his Thiruppugazh. A few we will see.
Karuvin uruvaagi vandhu – Pazhani Thiruppugazh, there comes a line:
பரவை மனை மீதில் அன்று ஒருபொழுது தூது சென்ற
பரமன் அருளால் வளர்ந்த குமரேசா
Paravai mania meethil anRu oru pozhuthu dhoothu senRa
Paraman aruLaal vaLarndha kumarEsA
Arunagirinathar addresses Lord Muruga, “Oh Kumara! Who was born and grown (vaLArndha) out of the grace (aruLaal) of Lord Shiva, the supreme being (Paraman) who went as a messenger (dhoothu senRa) once in an evening (anRu oru pozhuthu) to Paravai’s house (paravai manai meethil)”
In another Thiruppugazh, Arunagirinathar starts the song with reference to Paravai Naachiyaar. Paravaikketthanai visai dhoothu.
பரவைக்கெத்தனை விசைதூது
பகரற்குற்றவர் என மாண் உன்
மரபுக்கு உச்சித ப்ரபுவாக
வரமெத்தத் தர வருவாயே
paravaikkeththanai visai dhoothu
pagaraRkuRRavar ena mAN un
marabukku uccitha prabhuvAga
vara meththath thara varuvAyE
Oh Lord Muruga! How many times (எத்தனை விசை) your father Lord Shiva has gone (பகரற்கு உற்றவர்) as a messenger (தூது) to Paravai Naachiyaar (பரவைக்கு) just for the sake of his devotee! You belong to Lord Shiva’s clan (என மாண் உன் மரபுக்கு) and how compassionate you should be! (உச்சித ப்ரபுவாக) Please come and give me ample boons (வர மெத்தத் தர வருவாயே).
Thus Lord Vishnu as well as Lord Shiva obeyed the orders of their devotees and blessed them. We come to know about their compassion through these happenings and these are being portrayed by Arunagirinathar in a few lines in Thiruppugazh, which are very interesting!