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Sundaramurthi Nayanar
Sundaramurthi Nayanar flourished in the 8th century. He was a
great devotee of Lord Siva. He is one of the Tamil Samaya Acharyas (four Tamil
religious Teachers).
Sundaramurthi Nayanar sang the glories of Lord Siva at all the
sacred places that he visited. These hymns are called Thevaram. They have been
collected into a book-form. All devotees sing the Thevaram even today. The
hymns sung by Sundarar, Appar or Tirunavakkarasu, and Tirujnana Sambandar are
called Thevaram. The hymns of Manickavachagar are called Thiruvachagam.
Sundarar had the Sakhya Bhava or the attitude of a friend towards
the Lord. He freely demanded of the Lord whatever he wanted. He did not do so
with selfish desire, however. Whatever he asked for was for the sake of those
who were dependent on him. He lived only eighteen years.
Sundaramurthi Nayanar was born in Thiru Navalur where the entire
atmosphere was full of spiritual vibrations and Saivism was well established.
In this place, there lived a pious, devout and respected Brahmin by name
Sadaiyanar whose ancestors were all ardent devotees of Lord Siva. Isaignaniar
was his dutiful wife. She gave birth to a divine child whom the parents named
‘Nambi Arurar’ after its grandfather.
In his previous incarnation Arurar was Alala Sundarar, who was an
ardent devotee of Lord Siva. When the Milky Ocean was being churned by Devas
and Asuras, a deadly poison began to spread on the surface of the ocean
threatening the existence of all beings. Then Alala Sundarar collected that
poison in his hand and gave it to Lord Siva Who drank it for the protection of
the world. Hence, Sundarar got the word Alala (for Halahala, the poison)
prefixed to his name.
Once when Alala Sundarar was living by the side of Lord Siva in
the Mount Kailas, serving the Lord and bringing flowers from the garden for His
worship, he cast a lustful look at Aninditi and Kamalini, the attendants of
Goddess Parvathi who had also gone to the garden to collect flowers for the
divine Mother’s worship. They, too, fell in love with him. Lord Siva, through
His divine vision, understood all that had happened in the garden. He called
Alala Sundarar and said: ‘Sundarar, since you fell in love with these girls,
you and they, too, will go down to the earth and take a human birth. You will
marry them and enjoy the pleasures of the world.’ Sundarar wept bitterly,
regretting his folly which had resulted in his separation from the Lord. He
prayed to the Lord: ‘Oh Lord! It is due to my evil thought that I have to
undergo this separation from Thee. I am afraid lest I should be steeped in ignorance
and forget Thee. Oh Lord of mercy! Let this not happen to me. Oh Lord of
compassion! Dispel my ignorance soon and take me back to Your lotus feet.’ Lord
Siva granted this wish.
There was another cause for Sundarar’s human birth. To an ordinary
man it may appear that Sundarar was a victim to lust, even in the divine realm
of Kailasa. It was not so. Sundarar was only an instrument in the hands of God.
It was Lord Siva’s wish that Sundarar should sing Tiru Thonda Thogai for the benefit of mankind. So,
Lord Siva entered his mind and created a desire for these two girls. Also, the
Lord wanted to teach mankind a great lesson. Lust is extremely powerful. It can
delude even a great devotee of the Lord like Sundarar, if he is not ever
vigilant. Maya’s charms are powerful. Unless this evil quality is burnt, the
Jiva cannot reach Siva. Yet another lesson. The lustful eye was the cause of
Sundarar’s downfall. But, when it is used in the service of the Lord (for
looking at the holy shrines, holy images of God, saints, and study of
scriptures) the very same organ will help towards our emancipation.
Sundarar was, therefore, born as Arurar. The king of that place,
Narasinga Munaiyar, happened to see the beautiful child. He liked him. He
wanted to bring him up himself and asked for the parents’ permission,
Sadaiyanar, whose mind was full of dispassion and who was not attached to
anything in this world, immediately complied with the king’s wish. As we shall
see later, he and his devout wife are also regarded as Nayanars.
The boy grew up under royal care. At the proper age, the parents
wanted to get their son married. Sadaiyanar sought Sandakavi Sivachariar’s
consent to obtain his daughter’s hand for his son, Arurar. Sivachariar gladly
agreed. But, the wedding was not to take place.
Just when the ceremony was to begin, an old Brahmin, with sacred
ashes on his body, Rudraksha around his neck and matted locks on his head
appeared and said: ‘This man, Arurar, is my bond-slave. I have a document to
that effect executed by his grandfather. He cannot marry.’ This put an end to
the ceremony. Sundarar and the Brahmin left the place. The young bride fixed
her mind on the holy feet of Sundarar, shed her mortal coil and attained the
immortal abode of Lord Siva.
Sundarar and the old man had a heated argument. Sundarar asked
him: ‘Who are you and from where have you come?’ To which the Brahmin replied:
‘I belong to Tiruvennai Nellur.’ Sundarar called him a liar and said: ‘Come,
let us go to Tiruvennai Nellur and get this dispute settled by the wise men
there.’
At Tiruvennai Nellur, before an assembly of wise men the old
Brahmin produced the document which read as follows:
I, Aruran, the Adi Saivite of Tirunavalur, execute this bond of
slavery with heart and soul. I and my progeny for all time to come are
bond-slaves to Pithan of Tiruvennai Nellur, and we are bound to serve him by
all means.
Pithan means
Lord Siva who delights to be called a ‘mad man’, to exemplify the state of the
highest Yogi whose behaviour resembles that of a mad man but who teaches us
that there is nothing in this world worth taking any notice of and the worldly
‘wise men’ are all mad people in truth.
After examining the witnesses cited in the document and verifying
the grandfather’s signature, the assembly confirmed the old man’s claim.
Sundarar had to accept it as God’s will. Followed by all of them the Brahmin
entered the temple of Tiru Arul Turai on the pretext of showing them his house,
and promptly vanished. Arurar understood that it was the Lord Himself who had appeared
as the old man to save him from the shackles of Samsara. He was afflicted very
much at heart that he had not recognised Him earlier. He cried aloud. The Lord
appeared before him and blessed him: ‘Oh noble soul. You are already My Bhakta.
You were in My Abode in Kailasa before this birth as a man. A wrong thought
made you take this birth. Now I have Myself come to save you.’
Because Sundarar had quarrelled with Him, the Lord Himself called
him Vanthondan (the devotee who used harsh words)
and asked him to sing His glories. ‘My clear child, you called Me Pithan (madman) during your quarrel. So,
begin with this word and compose a poem.’ Sundarar did so: the result was that
inspiring poem Pitha Pirai
Soodi. The Lord Himself came
to be known as Taduthatkonda
Iswar (the Lord prevented and
saved him from Samsara).
Sundarar later visited a number of holy places and sang the praise
of the Lord in all of them. He came to Adigai Virattanam, the sacred place
where Appar served the Lord Viratteswarar and was blessed. Sundarar did not
like to place his foot on the sacred ground and so stayed on the outskirts of
the village.
That night when Sundarar was asleep, the Lord in the guise of an
old man entered the Mutt. He lay down close to where Sundarar was sleeping and pretended
to sleep. He then placed His feet on the head of Sundarar. When Sundarar
objected to this, the old man apologised. Sundarar went over to another corner
of the room. There, too, the old man repeated the same action. Sundarar did not
lose his temper. He calmly asked him for his identity and explanation for the
abnormal behaviour. ‘Oh friend, don’t you know me?’ asked the Lord and
disappeared. Sundarar realised that it was again the Lord Himself. Since he had
not gone into the place for His Darshan, the Lord Himself had come out to where
the devotee was! Sundarar prayed: ‘Oh Lord! How kind and merciful You are! Even
devotees who are well versed in Vedas and Agamas cannot touch Your feet. Out of
love towards this poor creature, You left Your abode and came here to bless me
with Your Holy Feet.’
Sundarar again continued his pilgrimage. At Tillai (Chidambaram),
he went into a trance even as he saw the temple tower. In his ecstasy he rolled
on the ground and shed profuse tears of love. He had the Darshan of Lord
Nataraja. A heavenly voice commanded him to go to Tiruvarur.
He then visited many other shrines and came to Tiruvarur. The Lord
appeared to the Brahmins of Tiruvarur and asked them to receive Sundarar with
due honours. They did so. As Sundarar was worshipping the Lord in the temple,
he heard a heavenly voice: ‘Sundarar! I have made you My friend. I prevented
you from getting married. Hereafter you will appear for ever as a bridegroom
and sport on earth.’ Immediately, Sundarar became a handsome bridegroom. People
called him Tambiran Thozhar (friend of God).
In Tiruvarur, there was a chaste woman by name Paravayar who was
none other than Kamalini, the attendant of Parvathi in Kailasa. Daily she would
go to the temple and worship the Lord with faith and devotion and sing His
glories. One day, she came to the temple, as usual, with her friends, to
worship the Lord. At the same time, Sundarar, with his devotees entered the
temple. Prompted by past Karma, Sundarar was attracted by Paravayar’s beauty.
He wanted to marry her, and entered the shrine of the Lord with this thought.
The Lord was his friend, and so, he expressed his desire to Him!
Paravayar who had seen Sundarar in the temple also fell in love
with him and wanted to marry him.
The marriage was pre-ordained by Lord Siva Himself and it was now
His duty to bring it about. He appeared to both of them in their dreams and
told them that they would get married. He also commanded His devotees in dream
to arrange for the wedding of Paravayar and Sundarar the very next day. This
was done accordingly, to the joy of both Paravayar and Sundarar.
One day, Arurar went into the temple and found a number of
devotees of the Lord there. He wanted to sing their glories. The Lord Himself
sang the first line of the famous poem Tiruthonda
Thogai and by His grace,
Sundarar completed it.
During his stay at Tiruvarur, a Vellala by name Kundaiyur Kizhar
who was very highly devoted to him, was regularly supplying Paravayar with
enough grains and groceries for the maintenance of Sundarar and the devotees.
Suddenly there was famine in the district and people suffered for want of food.
Kundaiyur Kizhar was also affected. He was afflicted at heart because he could
not supply the needs of Sundarar. Lord Siva appeared in his dream and promised
enough grain! Kubera, the God of wealth, did the needful, as commanded by the
Lord. The next morning, Kundaiyur Kizhar found huge heaps of grain. At the same
time the Lord appeared before Sundarar and informed him of the incident. At
once Sundarar left for Kundaiyur to meet Kizhar. They met half-way. Sundarar
saw the heaps of grain at Kundaiyur and knew that it was His Lila. He went to a
nearby Koili and sang the praise of the Lord, and entreated Him to have the
grain removed to Tiruvarur. A celestial voice immediately assured him of this.
Sundarar returned to Tiruvarur and informed Paravayar of all that happened.
That night the Bhuta Ganas, the servants of Lord Siva, removed the heaps of
grain and filled the entire town of Tiruvarur with it! Paravayar offered
repeated prostrations to the Lord and sang His glory. She asked the people to
take the grain to appease their hunger. Thus the famine came to an end. All the
people glorified the Lord and Paravayar.
Kotpuli Nayanar of Tirunattiyattankudi, the Commander-in-chief of
a Chola King, and an ardent devotee of Lord Siva came to Sundarar and entreated
him to grace his house with his presence. Sundarar agreed to this and went.
After worshipping Sundarar, Kotpuli Nayanar prostrated himself at Sundarar’s
feet along with his two daughters, Singadiyar and Vanappahaiyar, and pleaded
that Sundarar should marry the two daughters. Sundarar, however, placed them on
his lap and fondled them, treating them as his own daughters. Then Sundarar
went to the temple and sang in praise of the Lord, a song in which he called
himself Singadiappan, since he took Singadiyar as his
daughter.
Sundarar then returned to Tiruvarur. It was Paravayar’s custom to
distribute plenty of money and other articles in charity on Panguni Uttaram, a
festival day. Sundarar went to Tirupugalur and prayed to the Lord to give him
gold for the sake of Paravayar. That night he slept there with a few bricks as
his pillow. The next morning, he woke up to find that all the bricks had been
converted into gold. Sundarar was surprised at this miracle of Lord Siva and
sang His glory and returned to Tiruvarur. On the way he had a vision of the
Lord at Tiru Panaiyur.
After visiting many holy places again and singing hymns in praise
of the Lord, Sundarar came to Tiru Pachilasramam. There he worshipped the Lord
and asked for a gold coin. He did not get it immediately. He sang a Padigam
(song) and the Lord at once gave him a heap of gold. The Lord was so fond of
hearing Sundarar sing.
Then, Sundarar left for Vridhachalam, visiting a number of holy
places on the way. He had omitted Tiru Koodalaiyarrur. So, the Lord came to him
as a Brahmin of whom Sundarar enquired the way to Vridhachalam. The Brahmin led
the way up to a certain distance, and then suddenly disappeared. It was close
to Tiru Koodalaiyarrur which Sundarar now visited and sang a song in praise of
the Lord there.
Then Sundarar came to Vridhachalam. He worshipped the Lord, and
sang a Padigam expressing his desire for gold coins. The Lord gave him 12,000 pieces
of gold. Sundarar prayed to the Lord to remove these gold pieces to Tiruvarur.
The Lord asked him to throw them into the river Manimukta and to receive them
back at Tiruvarur. Sundarar did so, keeping
a piece for identification. On return to Tiruvarur, Sundarar and Paravayar went
to the tank to get back the gold pieces. Sundarar dived into the eastern side
of the tank and searched for the gold, as though he had put them there. He
could not find them. Sorely afflicted at heart, he sang a song. That was what
the Lord wanted. Sundarar got the gold. All were amazed. But, on
identification, it was found that the gold was inferior in value to the piece
that Sundarar had kept back with him. He sang a song: and the Lord restored to
them their original value. So fond was He of hearing Sundarar sing a song.
Sundarar went out on another pilgrimage again. On the way, he was
afflicted with hunger and thirst. The Lord Who is the Indweller of our hearts,
erected a water-shed and was waiting for Sundarar there in the guise of a
Brahmin. Sundarar and the devotees entered the shed, singing the Panchakshara.
The Brahmin offered him food and water and asked him to rest awhile. All of
them appeased their hunger, but the quantity of the food remained the same.
When they were resting, after food, the Lord disappeared. They knew that it was
none other than the Lord Himself. Sundarar sang a song alluding to this
incident.
On another occasion, soon after this, while on a visit to
Tirukachur, Sundarar went to the temple, worshipped the Lord and was resting
outside the temple, feeling hungry. The Lord understood it: and so, in the
guise of a Brahmin came to Sundarar and said: ‘It appears that you are hungry.
Please wait here. I will give you food.’ The Lord at once went out in the scorching
sun, begged from each and every house, and offered the food so obtained, to
Sundarar. As Sundarar and the devotees were eating, the Brahmin disappeared:
and they understood that it was the Lord Himself. Sundarar sang a song alluding
to this incident, revealing the Lord’s supreme mercy.
Later on, he went to Tiruvotriyur and stayed there for some time,
worshipping the Lord there. Aninditiyar, the other maid-servant of Parvathi in
Kailasa, who had also taken a human birth, was now Sangilyar in Jnayiru in
Thondai Nadu. Her father was Jnayiru Kizhar, a Vellala by caste. He was also a
staunch devotee of Lord Siva. Sangiliyar was devoted to Parvati from her very
childhood. Once her parents mentioned that she should get married, but the very
word ‘marriage’ made her faint. Later, a respectable Vellala wanted to marry
her. He sent some people to approach the girl’s father. Jnayiru Kizhar did not
like even to speak to his daughter about it. He sent them away with an evasive
reply. Soon after, the boy who wanted to marry Sangiliyar, and the party that
went to negotiate,—all of them died. When Jnayiru Kizhar heard this, he
understood the greatness of his daughter. He took her to Tiruvotriyur and built
a small Ashram for her there.
It was part of Sangiliyar’s Sadhana to make garlands for the Lord
in the temple. She regularly visited the temple and worshipped the Lord. One
day Sundarar and the devotees went to the temple. After the worship, they came
to the place where some devotees were making garlands for the Lord. Sangiliyar
was also there. Sundarar was attracted by her beauty, due to past Samskaras. He
wanted to marry her, and expressed this wish to the Lord. The Lord promised to
fulfil his wish.
The Lord appeared in Sangiliyar’s dream and said: ‘Oh noble soul,
I am highly pleased with your devotion. Now I tell this for your own good.
Sundarar wants to marry you. He is My friend. He asked Me to arrange the
marriage. So, marry him. You will be happy.’ Sangiliyar prostrated before the
Lord and said: ‘Oh Lord, I will obey Your command and marry him. But, he may
desert me since he is already married.’ The Lord asked her to get a promise
from Sundarar that he would not part from her under any circumstance.
Then the Lord appeared before Sundarar and said that Sangiliyar had
agreed to marry him on condition that he would not part from her. Sundarar
said: ‘Oh Lord, how can I agree to this condition since I am constantly moving
about visiting many holy shrines? But, if You so desire, then assure me that
You will withdraw Your presence from the Lingam in the temple and will take
Your abode in the nearby tree, when I take the oath before Your image.’ The
Lord granted him this wish and disappeared.
He again appeared before Sangiliyar and said: ‘Oh noble soul,
Sundarar has agreed to your condition. But, ask him to make this promise, not
before the Lingam in the temple, but in front of the nearby tree.’
The next morning Sangiliyar came to the temple. Sundarar was
waiting there for her. Sangiliyar’s friends told him that she wished the
promise to be given in front of the nearby tree. He was taken aback, but
accepted the proposal. The promise was given. The marriage was immediately
solemnised.
In Tiruvarur, Vasanta Utsavam was being celebrated on a grand
scale. Sundarar remembered the festival and longed to go there. He also
recollected that Paravayar would sing and dance there in front of the Lord. At
the same time, he could not part from Sangiliyar. For a long time, he struggled
between the two conflicting duties. Finally, he decided to leave.
When he crossed the border of Tiruvotriyur, he suddenly lost his
eye-sight and fell down on the ground. The Lord is impartial. None can escape
the operation of the Law of Divine Justice. Sundarar slowly regained his
consciousness. Immediately he realised his fault and prayed to the Lord for
forgiveness, asking for the grant of the eye-sight. ‘Oh Lord, I take complete
refuge in You. I always repeat Your Name. Even when I fell down losing my
eye-sight, I remembered You only. Oh Lord of Mercy, even if I commit a crime,
is it not Your duty to forgive me? Oh Lord of Compassion, save me.’ In spite of
the blindness, however, his thirst for the Darshan of the Lord at Tiruvarur did
not abate. With the help of some people on the way he came to Tiru Mullaivayil.
Here, again, he prayed to the Lord to give him eye-sight. At Tiruvembakkam he
again prayed to the Lord in a similar strain. In the temple, he prayed and
asked: ‘Oh Lord Who accepted me into His fold, prostrations unto Thee. Oh Lord
Who cleverly played a trick on me, are You inside the temple?’ The Lord gave a
stern reply: ‘I am here; you can go.’ and gave him a blind-man’s stick. This
attitude of indifference on the part of the Lord pained Sundarar and he pleaded
for mercy. ‘Oh Lord of Mercy, have I not taken You as my sole refuge and
support? I committed a mistake thinking that You will pardon me. You are even
indifferent to public criticism. Will they not accuse You for turning a deaf
ear to a devotee who is sincerely weeping at Your feet, accepting his fault and
craving for pardon? Oh Lord, can You not understand suffering? Like a loving
child that has been separated from its mother for a long time and wants to hug
her, I have come to You: but, instead, You treat me like a stranger. Oh Lord,
You deceived me, who asked You to remain for a while near the tree, by cleverly
informing Sangiliyar of the same and asking her to get the promise from me near
the tree. Oh Lord, You gave me Sangiliyar and all the pleasures. But, now You
give me the blind-man’s staff and say ‘You can go’. Oh Lord, am I unfit to
receive Your mercy? Pardon me and relieve me of my sufferings.’
Then, completely resigning himself to God, Sundarar came to
Conjeevaram, after visiting many holy places on the way. He worshipped Mother
Kamakshi and expressed his sufferings to her and pleaded to her to relieve him
of his sufferings. Sundarar then worshipped Lord Ekambareswarar. Mother Who is
seated on His left side, had already been moved by Sundarar’s prayers and
wanted to shower Her grace on him. Lord Siva understood this. He at once
restored vision to Sundarar’s left eye. In ecstasy he rolled on the ground,
shedding profuse tears of love.
After spending some days there, singing the glories of the Lord,
Sundarar proceeded to go to Tiruvarur. At Tiruvavaduthurai, he again prayed to
the Lord to forgive him and restore sight to the other eye, too. Sundarar then
came to Thiruthurithi. The Lord asked him to take a dip in the northern tank
there. Sundarar did so, and came out of it. To the surprise of all, his body
had become as bright as polished gold. People were amazed at this change.
Sundarar went into the temple and prayed.
Sundarar reached the outskirts of Tiruvarur. He grieved that, due
to his partial sight, he could not get a complete Darshan of the Lord. The very
sight of the temple tower entranced him. Sundarar wanted to feast both his eyes
on the beauty of the Lord and so prayed to Him to restore vision to his other
eye also. Sundarar’s supreme devotion and lamentation moved the Lord’s heart.
He at once cured the other eye also. Sundarar was extremely happy. He
worshipped the Lord and remained completely absorbed in divine bliss.
In the mean time, people whom Paravayar had sent to greet Sundarar
and inform him of her eagerness to meet him, found out that he had married
Sangiliyar. They went back and told Paravayar about this. Paravayar was sunk in
grief. She was annoyed, too. Paravayar’s people refused to allow Sundarar’s
devotees to enter the house. When Sundarar heard of this, he was afflicted at
heart. He sent some elderly devotees to Paravayar, to bring about a reunion.
They failed. At midnight when all the devotees were asleep, he prayed to the
Lord for His help in pacifying Paravayar. The Lord appeared before him and
assured him of His help. The Lord disguised Himself as Sundarar’s messenger, a
Brahmin priest, and went to Paravayar’s house. The Brahmin pleaded Sundarar’s
cause and asked her to accept him back. She refused, though she herself was
grief-stricken at the separation from Sundarar. Her annoyance at his second
marriage was so great! The Lord coolly returned to Sundarar, who was anxiously
awaiting His return. When the Lord informed Sundarar of all that had happened,
Sundarar fell down on the ground, in grief. ‘If You do not help me, Oh Lord, I
will give up my life.’ The Lord seeing Sundarar’s pitiable condition, assured
him of help and again set out to go to Paravayar’s house.
In the mean time, the devout Paravayar had understood that the
Brahmin was no other than the Lord Himself and was suffering from terrible
anguish for not recognising Him. The Lord again went to her house: and this
time He appeared before her in His real form. Paravayar at once prostrated
before Him. The Lord said: ‘O Paravayar, I have again been sent by Sundarar to
plead his case. Do not refuse this time. He is undergoing terrible agony on
account of separation from you. Accept him and allow him to come to your
house.’
Paravayar prostrated to the Lord again, with folded palms and said: ‘Oh
Lord, first You came in the guise of a Brahmin but I did not recognise You.
Again You have come and have shown me Your real form. Oh Lord, how kind You
are! You have graced my hut and showered Your grace on me. You have taken so
much trouble this midnight, for the sake of Your friend. How can I go against
Your wish? I will accept and obey Your command.’ The Lord was immensely pleased
with her. He blessed her and returned to Sundarar. The Lord informed him that
he had pacified Paravayar and that he could now return to her. He then
disappeared. Sundarar was overwhelmed with joy and sang the Lord’s glories.
In the mean time, Paravayar had decorated her house beautifully
and was eagerly waiting for her Lord. Sundarar, with his devotees, entered the
house. Paravayar fell at his feet. Thus they were re-united after a long
separation.
Yet, this was not all. The news that Sundarar had sent Lord Siva
Himself as his messenger, had reached the ears of Eyarkon Kalikama Nayanar of
Tiru Perumangalam in Ponni Nadu. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva. He was
terribly angry with Sundarar for treating the Lord as a messenger to settle a
domestic quarrel. How, in a wonderful and mysterious manner Lord Siva brings
about a reconciliation between the two Nayanars, both of them greatly devoted
to Him, we shall see, when we describe the life of Kalikama Nayanar.
Equally interesting is the way in which the Lord unites in
friendship Sundarar and Cheraman Perumal Nayanar, another royal devotee of the
Lord. We shall describe it in detail when we come to the life of Cheraman
Perumal Nayanar.
When, along with Cheraman Perumal, Sundarar was proceeding to
Madurai, they arrived at Tirunagaikkoronam. Here Sundarar sang a song in which
he asked the Lord to give him a pearl garland, precious stones, musk,
spectacles, fragrance, clothes, jewelry, one-third of the wealth of Tiruvarur,
horses which ran as fast as the wind, golden flowers, palanquin, etc. How
wonderful is the relation between the devotee and the Lord! Sundarar regarded
God as his friend, because God Himself had wanted it to be so. He adopted
towards God the Sakhya Bhava (attitude of a dear friend).
In the company of Cheraman Perumal, Sundarar went on several
pilgrimages, and met many of the kings of South India. Once, when they were at
Tiru Kandiyur, they saw Tiruvaiyar on the opposite bank of the river. Cheraman
desired to visit that place also. The river was in flood, and it was impossible
to cross it. Sundarar sincerely prayed to the Lord to help them. He sang one of
his songs which easily pleased the Lord. At once the river gave way, leaving a
sandy tract through which they could walk across to the other bank. As soon as
they reached the other bank, the river resumed its former form. They were
delighted at this miracle of the Lord. Even the five elements are ever ready to
serve the devotees of the Lord, at His command.
Cheraman then took Sundarar to his own place, with great honour
and pomp. Sundarar stayed with Cheraman for some time. He suddenly remembered
the Lord of Tiruvarur and wanted to go there. Cheraman could not accompany him
and was therefore grief-stricken. Sundarar consoled him and asked him to stay
behind and rule the country wisely and justly. Cheraman prostrated himself
before him and gave him rich presents. He sent his own people to carry these
presents, and to accompany Sundarar. It was the Lord’s wish that Sundarar
should receive gifts only from Him! How could His friend receive from others? Hence,
He desired to deprive Sundarar of what Cheraman had given him. When Sundarar
and his retinue were passing through Tirumuruganpondi, the Lord sent His
Servants to rob Sundarar of all the riches that he had received from Cheraman.
The Lord’s Servants disguised themselves as hunters and attacked the party that
was carrying the presents. The party dropped all and fled. They went to
Sundarar and reported to him what had happened. Sundarar went to the local
temple and sang a Padigam. He came out of the temple and to his surprise he saw
there all that they had been robbed of. Now, it was a gift from the Lord
Himself, and so Sundarar, God’s friend, could have it. Wonderful are the Lilas
of the Lord.
After some time, Sundarar again desired to see Cheraman Perumal.
On the way to Kundakolur, he went to Tiru Pukkoliyur Avinasi. As he entered
this place, he heard simultaneously auspicious as well wailing sounds emerging
from different houses.
On enquiry, he learnt how two Brahmin boys of the same age, from
these two houses went to tank for a bath; and how one of them was caught by a
crocodile, and the other escaped, providentially. The latter was being invested
with the sacred thread that day, and hence the auspicious sound from that
house. The people in the deceased boy’s house were bemoaning the loss of the
boy, sore at the feeling that, had he been alive, he would also be celebrating
the sacred thread ceremony that day. Sundarar wanted to console the bereaved
family. As he stood in front of the house, the people stopped wailing and came
out to receive Sundarar. They were eager for a long time to get his Darshan,
and so, forgetting their sorrow, they came to welcome him. Their devotion moved
Sundarar’s heart. He was prompted by the Lord to bring the dead boy back to
life. So, he went to the same tank and sang a song on the Lord of Avinasi to
give the child back to the parents. The Creator, pleased with Sundarar, entered
the stomach of the crocodile and re-constituted the body of the boy, though it
had already been digested. Lord Yama, too, for his part, released from his
custody, the life he had once removed and the crocodile vomitted the boy! To
the wonder of all, the boy was much more handsome than when he met with the
accident, and he showed signs of growth, appropriate to the lapse of time. All
were amazed at this miracle of Sundarar. The parents of the boy were immensely
pleased and embraced Sundarar’s feet. Sundarar took the boy to the temple and
worshipped Lord Avinasiappar. He himself performed the sacred thread ceremony
for him.
At Kodunkolur, Cheraman, who had already come to know of the
crocodile miracle, received Sundarar with still greater love and veneration
than before. Sundarar stayed with the king for some time. One day Sundarar
visited the temple alone and worshipped the Lord. The very sight of the Lord
sent him into trance. He rolled on the ground shedding tears of God-love. The
hairs on his body stood on end and his mind was filled with rapture. He
regained consciousness after a long time. He was tired of worldly existence and
so requested the Lord to take him back to Kailasa. He sang a Padigam.
The Lord, desiring to take Sundarar back to His Abode, commanded
the celestials to bring him to Kailasa on a white elephant. He also informed
Sundarar of this. Sundarar came out of the temple. The white elephant was
waiting for him there. He mentally wished to take Cheraman Perumal also with
him to Kailasa. Then he climbed the elephant and proceeded towards Kailasa.
In a Padigam he sang on this occasion, Sundarar himself reveals
that this departure for Kailasa was not in his physical body, but in his spiritual
body. The physical body was discarded here in this world itself, and the
elements of which it was composed were returned to their sources.
Cheraman learnt by intuition of Sundarar’s departure for Kailasa.
At once, he mounted a horse and came to Tiru Anchaikalam. There he saw Sundarar
going along the sky on the celestial elephant. At once Cheraman pronounced the
Panchakshara in the ears of the horse. The horse flew up and reached Sundarar.
Cheraman worshipped Sundarar there. Both of them went to Kailasa in their
spiritual body.
At the Gate of Kailasa, Sundarar was allowed to enter, while
Cheraman was not. Sundarar went into His presence and praised His mercy: ‘Oh
Ocean of Mercy, You have pardoned my sins and released me from the quagmire of
Samsara. You have taken me back into Your fold, and bestowed on me the Immortal
Bliss. How kind and merciful You are!’ He then informed the Lord that Cheraman
was outside the Gate. To please His friend, Lord Siva sent His Mount,
Nandikesvarar to bring Cheraman also in. The Lord asked Cheraman how he could
come to Kailasa without His permission. Cheraman replied that when he saw
Sundarar proceeding to Kailasa, he could not bear separation from him and so
accompanied him. Now, by the good offices of Sundarar which earned for him the
Lord’s grace he had been admitted into the Lord’s Abode. In these words,
Cheraman expressed a very great truth: that even if the devotee is undeserving,
if he is devoted to a saint (the Guru), he will also gain a place in the
kingdom of God, through the intercession of the Guru.
Sundarar, as before, engaged himself in His service with all his
heart and soul. Paravayar and Sangiliyar, being purged of their Karmas, also
reached Kailasa. They resumed their original duty as the servants of Mother Parvathi.
Guruji. A. Sivaguru Swamy
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