2
Thirunaalaippovaar Nayanar
Thirukailayam…
Naradamuni is running sweating profusely and
panting for breath.
He is being chased from behind by Nandi.
Easan is watching the fun with a gentle laugh!
Naradar
(shouting)
Ayyane… Ayyane… Nandi is charging at me… Please
save me… save me please…
As both of them reach in front of Easan, Nandi on
seeing Easan loses his balance but steadies himself quickly, stops and bows to
Easan.
Easan
Nandiswarare!
What is the matter? Why are you chasing him like this? What offence Naradar has committed?
Nandi
(looking at Naradar)
Haven’t you noticed? When even Emperuman is addressing me as
‘Nandiswaran’, you dare to ignore me and set your foot at Kailay.
Naradar looks at Nandi with anger.
Naradar
I travel
all through the three worlds. A Trilokasanchari! I am entitled to go anywhere at any time I
wish! I do not need any one’s permission for that!
He looks at Easan and continues.
Ayyane!
Coming here to have Your darisanam, why should I have to bow to Nandi?
To top it, You are addressing Nandi, who is Your vahanam as Nandiswaran very
respectfully! Is this justified?
Easan
Trilokasanchari! That apart you are Trikalagyani, the one who
is aware of the past, the present and the future! How can you harbour such a doubt? Nandiswaran is the Second Easan! He ought to be
revered!
Naradar
How is that possible? Thou Art without a beginning or an end. Thou
Art is formless without a body! How can Nandi, who has the body of a bull, be
equal to You?
Easan
After undergoing penance on the earth, Nandi’s
father asked for a Second Easan who will be without a beginning or an end. I
granted him Nandi accordingly. Since he
was in a human form on the earth, Kaalan (Yaman) approached him when the time
came for him to destroy the body.
Terrified of Kaalan, he merged unto Me and from that very instant he
attained eternity. To be My vahanam, he
acquired the body of a bull afresh.
Having unfathomable love for Me and wishing to be always in front of Me,
he gained that privilege also. He will not brook anyone to come between
us! Whoever bows to him first and then
comes to Me, will have his wish fulfilled. Those who see Me through the horns
of Nandi will see the Paranjhothi aspect of Mine. Narada! You know very well that Me, you, Nandi are
all only I. Why do you enact this drama as if you are not aware of anything?
Naradar
Though I comprehend that we are all part of Parabrahmam,
as we sport different bodies, we become distinct.
Easan
Let that be!
Why Nandi was chasing you?
Naradar
(with a mischievous smile)
Haven’t I come without any gifts or offerings?
Perhaps that is the reason!
Nandi
Anyone who comes to see Easan brings some item to
place at His feet! They may offer gold,
gems, flowers and the like as per their wish.
Even those who have no material wealth will submit their reverence as an
offering. Knowing very well all these
things still ….. I would not have minded
even if you fail to pay respects to me.
(Easan laughs mildly.)
How can
anyone come empty handed to see Easan? That is why I stopped him.
Naradar (in
a mocking tone)
There is a saying in the earthen world. “Arul illarku Avvulahillai, Porul illarku Bhuvulahillai.”
அருளில்லாருக்கு அவ்வுலகில்லை பொருளில்லாருகுகு பூவுலகில்லை! (Those
who have not been blessed will not attain the other higher world and those who
have no material wealth are devoid of this very earthen world.) It appears to
me that this saying is apt here at Kailayam also! Is that so Nandiswarare?
(Easan now laughs aloud)
Easan
Narada! What is ‘Arul’? What is ‘Porul’? Explain!
Naradar
The one who does not have the ‘Arul’ (blessings)
of Ayyan will have no place at Easan’s abode. Likewise, the one who has no
‘Porul’ (wealth) has no place on the Earth. (A poor man is a nobody in the
material world.) Is that correct?
Easan
What is meant by ‘Porul’?
Naradar
Gold, gems, pearls…. then… everything else needed
for living are ‘Porul’.
Easan
Just a while ago you talked big enacting a
drama….Me, You, Nandi all became different because we acquired different
bodies! Only when life entwines with a body it will acquire an identity. A
lifeless body
is a corpse. A life without body is a spirit or
Aanma. There is no title or name for it. An Aanma without ‘Arul’ has no
sanction to reach Paramporul that is Me. Therefore it has no place in the
higher world. Likewise, the body which has no life has no place on the earth.
Here the body only is the ‘Porul’.
Hence the saying that ‘the one who has no ‘Porul’ has no place on the
Earth’.
Naradar
What an excellent explanation! A thousand doubts
have arisen in our minds, due to the ensuing birth of Thirunalaipovar and other
subsequent events. Our presence here is only to clarify them.
Easan
(again laughing aloud)
Narada! What are these new prefixes like ‘our’
minds and ‘our’ presence? Why have you
used plurality?
Naradar
Since I have acquired body and Aanma, the two
distinct entities, ‘I’ became ‘We’! What
Easan is going to enact a game with these two will be etched in golden letters.
Emperumane! I bow to thou art! Nandi Baghavane!
I bow to thou art as well.
Both of them bless Naradar who vanishes into the
sky…
******
Aadhanur…
It has been raining nonstop all through the day
and night.
Touching both the banks, Kollidam River is fully
flooded.
Wetting their roots in the waters, the trees on
the banks seem to be enjoying an unprecedented bliss. Afraid that the flood waters may drag them
along, the fish seems to be swimming against the current! The birds are
resigned to stay on the branches of the trees unable to fly to gather their
food. The paddy fields appear as if a
huge green carpet has been spread out! The crops are getting ready for harvest!
In such a month of Purattasi…..
It is early in the morning …
Under the star of Rohini, in the village of
Pulappadi…
The cry of a newborn from a hut…
A woman comes out of it. A man is waiting outside
in the rain.
The woman
Anne…! Neelan Anne! It is happy news! A male
child is born to you!
Neelan
(with great thrill)
What a windfall! I thought I would get only five
pigs. It will be ten now!
The woman, His younger sister
What are you talking? You say five, and then say
ten! What is this all about?
Neelan
In Pulappadi every one fathers eight to ten
children. Only poor Dheeran is unfortunate not to have any child. He requested
me to hand over this child to him as soon as it is born. I asked him what he
would give me in return. He agreed to give five pigs if it is a girl and ten if
it is a boy. If I get ten pigs, I will
become king of Pulappadi in fifty moons.
His younger sister
What a
disgrace? It is shameful to even admit
that you are born of the same womb as mine! You are talking like a mad man.
Will any one barter his son for pigs?
Neelan
Cut it out.
As it is, we are hard pressed to keep our bellies half filled. Who wants
one more mouth to be fed? We can always
get one in the future as and when we need. Run, my dear. Bring that baby and
hand it over to me. If she wakes up, she will create a hue and cry.
His younger
sister
I will not agree to this evil act. Anne! Anne!
You just have one look at the baby. He is like a son born in a royal family. He
is pretty, like black gold. His face is so serene. He is a treasure of our family
and must remain with us only!
Neelan
Is that true? Does he look like a prince? If that
is so, then I will negotiate for even a hundred pigs from Dheeran. Just you
wait! I will go and bring him along.
Seeing him running out even in that pouring rain,
not heeding her pleading, she rushes inside crying.
She taps
Neelan’s wife vigorously to wake hew up.
His younger
sister (highly perturbed)
Sister-in-law… Sister-in-law, open your eyes.
She taps her cheeks and the woman opens her eyes
slowly.
She sees Neelan’s sister shedding tears
profusely. She looks around to see her
new born and finds it wrapped in a saree.
His younger
sister
Sister-in-law….
A male child is born to you. I went and told my brother. He said that
someone named Dheeran has promised to buy the child in exchange for ten pigs.
What cruelty is this? Will anyone sell off his own child?
Neelan’s
wife
You do not
know … the hard life we are facing..
Even to fill a quarter of our bellies, we toil day and night. Your
brother has no morality. What kind of
cruel treatment this child may get from your brother?
I cannot keep this baby… At the same time, my mind prevents me to
handover the baby to anyone else.
I do not know what to do.
She starts wailing.
His younger sister
Whatever may happen, I will not let him give away
the baby.
Neelan’s
wife
Forget it! After you leave for your home, he will
definitely give off the baby. Haven’t you heard that even Dharmaraja gave off
his wife after losing the game of dice! Men are like that only. Once they set
their mind on anything, they will not leave it until they get it. We are
womenfolk. We have keep our mouth shut
and carry on.
His younger
sister (pleading)
Sister-in-law! You are agreeing to this because
of your poverty. I will give a plan. I will take this baby with me. You know my
husband is a hunter. I will bring up your son after training him in all aspects
and leave him back after he attains youth. I must leave before brother returns.
It is also raining… There are no souls to be seen outside.. I will go away
without being noticed by anyone…..Give me your consent…..
The moment the mother agrees, she wraps a saree
around the child quickly.
His younger
sister
I will name him as ‘Nandan’. You do not worry about anything. I take leave now.
She leaves the house in great haste with the
baby.
Blissfully ignorant of all these things, Nandanar
starts on his journey cuddled comfortably in his Aththai’s (aunt’s) bosom.
******
Nandan is now seven years old….
He is getting ready to go for a hunt with his
maman (uncle).
Aththai
Oh! Mama! Nandan is going to the jungle for the
first time. You catch only animals like rabbits, deer and the like. You can
teach him to hunt leopards, tiger and such wild beasts later on.
Maman
Let that be… We are going for a hunt. If we get
scared of tigers, can we proceed? Whatever beast comes our way, we have to
catch it… Anyway, Nandan is my son! Will
he ever be scared of tigers or lions?
Nandan
(with his chest up)
Aththai! Pray that we trap a big animal. Don’t
worry about me. As long as Maman is with
me, I will catch even chase a wild elephant and bring it here!
Maman (with
great pride)
Like a lion’s cub is another lion in the making!
Come on! Let us go.
Though she did not give birth to him, the fact
that she has nurtured him from his very birth makes her eyes moist when Nandan
goes away leaving her alone for the very first time.
*******
The next ten days….
Nandan gains a lot of skill in the jungle.
He keenly observes as to how to cut the logs and
erect a paran, how to drive away wild animals by creating noise using parai and
thappattai, how to skin the animal and preserve it, how to select the guts for
stringed musical instruments like Veena. At nights, when Maman sings, he keeps
the beat and this increases his liking for music.
Hard work… nature food… needed sleep… He doesn’t keep track of the days
that are spent.
When they return
from the hunt, they each carry couple of rabbits and deer. Aththai is extremely
happy. The hunt has been very rewarding!
*******
Nandan is now
sixteen years old...
One day he goes
for hunt as usual with maman...
But this time they are heading deep into the
forest. Generally they trap the animals around their water hole when they come
to quench their thirst. It is very rare
to find a beast to trap deep in the forest. That is very risky also. All the five senses have to be sharp and
alert at all times since the wild beast may attack from any direction.
Maman
Nanda!
Only tiger skin fetches a premium! Therefore we must return only with a
tiger skin this time… Tigers live hiding in the middle of the forest. We have
to track their foot print and excreta to judge their hideout.
Both of them realise that they
are already in the middle of the forest. Looking for a suitable place to keep
the trap, Nandan suddenly comes face to face with a tiger. Though he is taken aback for a second, he
takes to his heels as he has no weapon to confront the beast. The tiger goes
after him. Seeing that the tiger is chasing Nandan, Maman runs behind creating
a ruckus. After running for some time, Nandan gains composure and finds that
the tiger is no longer following him.
He stops
there….
He sees a Lingam half buried in the earth. On
seeing it there is a peculiar and ecstatic sensation spreads from his head to
toes. Maman reaches there and sees him
standing there dumbfounded. Regaining his breath, he looks around.
Maman
Where that tiger chasing him might have gone?
Nanda! What has happened to you?
Why are you standing speechless? Come. Let us go
back to our place… In my haste I have not carried any weapon with me. That tiger may return to attack any time …
Nandan is in a trance in looking at the lingam
and does not hear whatever his maman is saying. Worried that he has not been
listening to him, Maman shakes him gently. Nandan comes back to his senses.
Nandan
What is
that mama?
Maman
(surprised)
Hey! What is this? Haven’t you seen a Lingam
before?
Nandan
Lingam! What is the meaning of that?
Maman
Easan! He is the one who created all of us.
Nandan
All of us
means? Me, you and Aththai … all three of us.
Maman
(gently laughing)
Not only us. This earth, the sky, the sun, the
moon and these forests whom we worship, the rivers, the animals, the birds are
all created by Him.
Nandan
Is He such a great soul? Why He has no hands or
legs?
Maman now laughs aloud.
Maman
He is formless without a body.
Nandan
I do not understand.
Maman
Lingam depicts the philosophy of creation. One
day you will understand. Easan has taken this form for you and me to see and at
the same time He is without a physical form. When Markhandeyan completed his
destined lifespan of sixteen years, Yamadharman threw his noose to take off his
life. He hugged the Lingam crying ‘Easane! Save me’. When Yama’s noose encircled both Markhandeyan
and the Lingam it lost its power to take away his life. Thus Markhandeyan was
saved.
Nandan
Weren’t you used to say that ‘all who are born
will have to go back to mother earth one day’?
How Markhandeyan alone can escape?
Maman
Who can understand the games Easan plays? Markhandeyan’s life ends when he becomes
sixteen as ordained. Therefore Easan has
no privilege to enhance his life span.
So He blessed him to be of sixteen years of age for ever.
Nandan
Will my Easan change even the destiny of those
who surrender to Him?
Maman
Yes! Nanda! Nothing is impossible for Iraivan!
Nandan
How do you know all these things?
Maman
I give deer skins to munivars undertaking penance
in the forest. Whatever they tell me is what I have been saying to you.
Nandan with gleaming eyes looks at Easan.
Nandan
(overcome with rapture)
Easane! En Appane! There is no master for me
other than You! You are everything for me from now onwards… I will harbour no other thought except that of Your benign feet. I will sing nothing
but Your praise. Easane! Emperumane! I surrender to Your holy feet. I bow to
your holy feet.
Easan
glances compassionately at Nandan who is standing in front of Him in great
devotion. Though it was a scorching midday, Nandan experiences a gentle cool
breeze enveloping his body and goes into rapture.
Both of them return home carrying their catch.
******
After about ten days…
Nandan is restless knowing that they are going to
the forest soon. His eagerness to have
the darisanam of Easan once again makes him uneasy. They are about to depart. At that very
instant the news that his father and mother have succumbed to plague reaches
from his village.
Nandan leaves for Pulappadi with his Aththai and
Maman.
******
Aadhanur..
All three of them enter Pulappadi.
The stink is all pervasive…
Wherever one can see there are pigs and children
roaming with them.
Here and
there men are lying on the ground in drunken stupor and the women are going
around with their hair disheveled.
Disgusted with such sights Nandan walks with scorn writ all over his
face. They reach the hut. His mother and father are laid on the floor. Nandan
is prevented from touching the bodies as they died of plague. All of them cover their nose and the final
rites are carried out in a hurry. In the cremation ground Nandan lights their
pyres. All of them bathe in Kollidam and return to the village. As he was taken
away from there on the day he was born, everything looks alien to him. The
villagers assemble in front of Neelan’s hut.
Maman
(addressing the villagers)
Please give us permission to leave.
(Looking at Nandan)
Nanda! Let us go.
A Village
Elder
Why should Nandan go with you? After Neelan he
holds the right for butchering in the village.
Nandan holds the right on the land that has been donated by people of
Aadhanur for the butchery. Am I not
right?
Aththai looks at her husband.
Aththai
Nandan should remain here only. The only useful
work which my brother did was only this.
It also involves sacrificial ‘bali’ in the temple. Can we ever forgo our
rights for whatever reason? It is
Nandan’s responsibility to remain here and look after these things. I have
promised this to his mother, the day he was born.
She looks at Nandan with unfettered love. Nanda! The apple of my eye! It is Easan’s
order to you to take on the right of butchering. Bow to your parents and accept
your rights. We leave now.
Both Aththai and Maman depart.
Highly agitated, Nandan runs after them.
Nandan
Aththai! Mama! You have left me in the lurch. I
do not even understand what is butchering right. Rights! Privileges! What do I care? I am not going to remain
here whatever you may say. These people here are not clean. Wherever you go you
see pigs… There are excreta lying around everywhere. The whole village stinks.
Please take me also along with you.
He starts crying.
Aththai (in
affirm tone)
Nanda! These people belong to our clan.. We have
to live with them. You should not talk like this about them. … Do you know why
we rear pigs? It is for the goodness of the village. Its manure is essential
for paddy cultivation. And our clan must have done a lot of good deeds to get
the temple right for butchering there.
Nanda! Remain here and in due course you will learn everything.
Not even giving a second look, she walks away
grabbing her husband’s hand. Nandan wipes off his tears seeing his Aththai, who
has been more than a mother to him walking away…..
******
Though the separation from his Aththai and Maman
is agonising him, he reflects on his further tasks in the village. He collects all the villagers after deciding
what is to be done.
Nandan (to
the assembled villagers)
My salutations to all the assembled
villagers! You must all accept that what
I am going to say is for the general welfare of all of us. You all know the
village was affected by plague. Many of
the children, elders, youth lost their lives. Some lost their parents, others
their children, still others their near and dear ones. Who is responsible for
this? We are and no one else and the way we live. As we live among the pigs, we
have copied their habits! First and foremost we must segregate the pigs and
keep them away from us. If we live away from them, half the diseases will
disappear.
The
Villagers
How is that possible? Even now one man claims
other’s pig as his own and to settle such disputes it takes almost a lifetime.
Apart from that we cannot herd pigs like sheep or cattle. It is a disgusting
job even feeding them. Can your idea work among us?
Nandan
Yes! It is possible. If there is a will there is a way. We can use the land given to me by the
villagers for making an enclosure for the pigs. Young boys are enough to look
after them. The manure they give must be removed frequently and dumped. That
can be given to the farmers for their use in their fields as fertiliser. We will get paddy from them in lieu. We can fix up the amount of
paddy depending on the number of pigs somebody owns. Why can’t this be
done? We will give roots as feed for the
pigs and village youths must take on this job. The elders are required only to
supervise so that the work goes on smoothly without any squabble. The village
will become clean. If the village is
hygienic, how can any disease show up here?
Nandan’s speech makes the people to ponder.
Ultimately, Nandan gets their concurrence and starts his work in earnest…
*****
Four
years pass by…
Due to Nandan’s efforts, Pulappadi becomes
refreshingly bright. Waking up before
dawn, Nandan completes his farm work and goes to the market and slaughters the
animals brought there. He then skins them
and segregates the meat. After handing
over the meat, he takes home the skins during midday. After meals, he cleans
and tans the skins as per training received from his Maman. In the evening he goes to Kollidam and
singing the praise of Lingeswaran on its bank, he does whatever service is
needed there. He returns to his hut after sun set. This is his daily routine.
Taking bath in Kollidam, wearing clean white
clothes, sporting thiruneeru on his forehead and walking along as a bright wise
man make even the drunken people enroute getting ashamed of themselves. Of the
tanned skins, he makes a large number of percussion instruments like, berigai,
parai, maththalam and melam. From the guts of the animals he makes strings for
the stringed instruments like Yazh (harp) and Veena. He takes out the korojanai from the guts of
the cows. He gives all these items to
the temples located all around not taking anything in return. Nandan serves the temples as if it is the
very purpose of his life. Even Brahmins cannot help but praise him to the
skies.
*******
Thirupungur…
Nandan walks carrying his load. He is taking Berigais to the Easan’s temple
along the Brahmin’s street.
There…
Enchanted from hearing the sacred mantras
emanating from the houses, he stops on his tracks unable to go forward. On
seeing him, a Brahmin who was performing vandhanam, signals him to come near.
Contorting his body and speechless out of respect, he goes near the Brahmin.
The Brahmin
Sivanadiyare! You may please unload the Berigais
here and take some rest if they are weighing you down.
Nandan
Periyore!
You thought that I stalled due to the weight I carry! On the contrary,
overwhelmed hearing your Veda mantras, I stand enchanted.
The Brahmin
The mantra I am reciting is Gayatri mantram!
Nandan
What is this Vedam which is so very pleasant to
the ears? What does it convey? If I come to know of it, I will become even more
blessed!
The Brahmin
Gayatri signifies and means ‘perform singing.’
Gayatri mantram therefore connotes ‘mantram that is sung with devotion’. It is to be sung three times in a day, before sunrise in the early hours of the
morning, during midday when the sun is in nadir and before sunset in the
evening hours. As it is midday now, you
are able to hear it everywhere. For doing vandhanam during these times, water
is essential. However, if it is not available even dust may used in lieu. It is
said that during the great Kurukshetra war, the soldiers did their vandhanam
using dust. Now I will recite Gayatri mantram. It is composed of 24 aksharams
divided into three padams of eight aksharam each. This mantram will protect anyone who intones
this mantra with great devotion and love of Iraivan.
Let me sing.
Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tát savitúr váreṇ(i)yaṃ
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi|
dhíyo yó naḥ prachodáyāt||
Om is the primordial sakti which is inherent in
our bodies and that of everything else in the outside world.
Bhūr bhuvaḥ
svaḥ, is collectively known as the mahāvyāhṛti ("great (mystical)
utterance"). It is made up of three (mystical) utterances: Bhooh, Bhuvah
and Svah. The three utterances are taken as the names of three worlds:- Bhooh:
the terrestrial, Svah: celestial and Bhuvah: the world connecting terrestrial
to celestial. Bhooh, Bhuvah, Svah are also mystically interpreted as the three
levels of depths of meditation: Conscious, Semi-conscious and the Unconscious.
tat means the primordial power in the
Suryamandalam.
savitr̥ means that which has the power for
creation or generation.
varēṇiyaṁ(varēṇyaṁ) means the most choosable or
the best option.
bhargah means the
great self-luminous one, which removes all the sins.
devasya
means radiant and tatsavitur devasya' means'of that divine entity called
savitr'.
dhīmahi means we meditate upon.
dhiyah means intellect, a faculty of the spirit
inside the body or life activity.
Yo means which. This word is the main cue to take
the mantra as a single sentence and is syntactically taken as connected to
'tat' the first word of the mantra.
nah means our or all of us
prachōdayāt
means that it is wished 'may it intensely cause to move in a specific noble direction'.
I will tell you the inner meaning of Gayatri
mantram. Listen to it.
That which shines in everything in this Universe
as the unquestionable truth,
That which originated and created all creatures
and all the three worlds,
That which made all of them its own,
That which then absorbed them into itself,
That which destroys the sins of those seeking its
refuge,
That, by which the thoughts are purified,
That, by which our wisdom is realised and through
which we see that ‘Omkara’ in all brilliance-
Let us
have the darisanam of that ‘Omkara’.
This is
what is implied in the Gayatri mantra.
When doing
Vandhanam in the early morning, Gayatri mantram is to be recited concentrating
on Annai Saraswathi, who is Brahmaroopini, during midday Annai Gayatri who is
Sivaroopini, and in the evening Annai Savitri who is Vishnuroopini. Adiyavare!
Are your doubts cleared?
Nandan
nods his head and goes away realising that he has heard something which is
highly exalted even though he is not able to make out the true import. On reaching the temple he hands over the
Berigais to the temple Puravalar.
Nandan
Purvalare! Vanakkam! Is Emperuman who resides
inside the temple doing well?
Puravalar laughs aloud uncontrollably!
Puravalar
Nanda! What a question? I think that you must be the only and first
man ever to have asked for the well being of Easan.
Nandan
Purvalare! Don’t we enquire about the well being
of our friends or relatives when we visit them? You are in charge of the
temple. Ayyan, Emperuman is the Head of
the temple. How can I enquire about his
well being from anyone else except from you?
Puravalar
What a noble thought! You keep Sivan in your thoughts all the time.
You tell me. How can anyone make out whether or not He is keeping well?
Nandan
The Iraivan who resides in this temple is the
Emperor of this entire universe. If He is well, so will be this world. If he is angry, there will be
storms and destructive cyclones. The
world will undergo torture and deprivation. If Thirupungur is flourishing, it does
portend that the Easan is doing well
and ruling well.
Puravalar
I cannot remain without appreciating your
explanation. But then, how do you come
to know of all these things?
Nandan
I heard all these from my Aththai and Maman. I
learnt how to skin and tan the hide of animals. I feel delighted to gift deer
and tiger skins to Sivanadiyars. What
penance I have done in my previous birth to serve the Easan by being able to
give Berigai, Udukkai and Parai for the festivals and the strings for the
Temple Veena and Yazh? I am unaware! But in this birth I have been blessed to
do my bit.
Puravalar
I am pleased to hear your words. You lead your life as per the adage that ‘the
service to the temple is service to Easan’ and seeking nothing in return.
Please come inside the temple and have the darisanam of Easan.
Nandan is anguished on hearing this.
Nandan
What impropriety you have uttered? People of my clan are forbidden to enter a
temple. Even this is Easan’s order! Is
it not? I will never dare flout his
orders! I will leave after having His
darisanam from here. Please grant me permission.
Puravalar goes inside not knowing what to speak
further. The temple attendants receive the Berigais and other items from Nandan
and go away. Nandan, trying to see Easan from outside gets disheartened as
Nandi is blocking the view.
At that moment…
Easan
Nandiye! Step aside a bit. My devotee, standing at the entrance, is
disconsolate not able to have My darisanam. Now hurry up… .
Nandi (saddened)
Ayyane!
The right to stand in front of you always has been bestowed on me. Those
who get Easan’s darisanam through the gap between my horns can see the great
radiance of Easan as told in the Gayatri mantram. While that is the case, how
come you are asking me to stand aside?
Easan
Nandi! Is there anything unknown to you? Nandan
is a highly revered Sivanadiyar. To
stand aside for his sake will only glorify you.
Nandi (weeping)
How is that possible? I will not move from my
place for the sake of anyone else. Ayyane! I will never agree to take off my
sight away from you. Has my devotion to
you gone a tad lower than that of Nandan’s?
Easan
Your father, a wise, honourable and a great munivar begot you by performing penance to Me. My Nandan,
whereas, is like a lotus that blooms from dirt. He is born to a Pulayan who
herds pigs, who is uneducated and does not have any acquired knowledge on yagam
and rituals. Because of his good deeds in his previous birth, he never forgets
Me. Is there a need to argue as to whose devotion is greater and whose is
lesser among the two of you? Yearning
for My darisanam, he is standing restlessly at the entrance. He declined to
enter the temple in spite of getting a message from Me to do so. ‘Vilagum pillaai’( step aside son )give him a clear way quickly
without wasting time by arguing.
Nandi
steps aside.
At that time….
There is a lustrous glow in the Sannathi.
The temple bells toll on their own.
Nandanar has the darisanam of Easan in the form
of a brilliant jothi!
He extols the Easan who made Nandi to step aside
and for giving him darisanam.
He sings:
I
have seen and I have seen,
The One
who resides in Kadambhavanam,
I have seen and I have seen,
The One, who made Nandi to step aside,
I have seen and I have seen,
The One who permeates the Gayatri mantram.
Losing himself in singing and dancing to many a
song praising Easan, he is revered by all the people of Thirupungur. After he
finishes his singing his eyes fall on a shallow piece of land just outside the
temple. Immediately, he starts cleaning that area determined to carry out what
he has planned to do. He stays there for a considerable time to convert it to a
temple pond. After finishing the work there, he goes wherever there are Sivan
temples and constructs temple ponds believing that to be ordained for him by
Easan Himself! After a long time he returns to his village.
******
Aadhanur ….
The news of home coming of Nandanar, who had the
darisanam of Easan by making Nandi to step aside,
reaches the village. The elders of the village
assemble to welcome him and receive him with due honours and pay
their respects. Nandanar, though curious, accepts the honours. He then
proceeds to Pulappadi, his birth place. All along people greet him and bow to
him. He reaches his hut. Finding even
his own relatives are bowing to him, he tells them that Easan alone is entitled
for their reverence.
He starts
off with his service as before. Days roll by…
******
One day..
He wakes up early morning and after finishing the
farm work goes to the market. As there
is no one with the animals for getting them slaughtered, he returns home and
start singing the praise of Easan.At that time, An Adiyavar reaches there looking for him. On seeing the
Sivanadiyar, Nandanar rushes to him and stands highly agitated.
Nandanar
My salutations to Adiyavar! It is highly improper
that the holy Adiyavar to step into this part of the village. Slapping his
cheeks with his palms he cries ‘Abacharam!
Abacharam!’
Sivanadiyar
(looking at Nandanar in awe)
In what
way my coming here to see the one who had the darisanam of Easan by making
Nandi to step aside, a sacrilegious act?
Nandanar
This is the place where we, the pulayas live. How
can you, a man of wisdom, step into this place where people of low birth like
us live?
Sivanadiyar
There is no one who is high or low because of his
birth. I have not seen or heard of such distinction in existence.
Nandanar
Adiyavarhale! We are sudras. Because of our work,
we lead an undisciplined life like animals.
Not able to discriminate between good and bad, we stink due to drinking
of toddy all the time. We live as dictated by our mind without any
responsibility for anything or anyone. It is not in our blood to live
cohesively with others. This is what has been intended by Iraivan! There is no
counter to what Iraivan has fated.
Folding
his left hand at his waist and covering his mouth with the palm of the other,
Nandanar stands bowing to Sivanadiyar.
Sivanadiyar
Mahane! It
is not by birth but by the work one is engaged in makes the difference.
Nandanar
It is not clear to me.
Sivanadiyar
The one
who does his work using his wisdom as the tool is Brahmanan. He is the teacher
who can discriminate and tell us whether a deed is noble or evil.
The second, the one who uses his intelligence as
the tool is Vanikan. Using his sharp brain, he does the job of buying, selling
and keeping an account of them.
The third, the one who uses his physical prowess
as the tool is Kshatriyan. He is the King. He protects the subjects from the
enemies. He tills and cultivates the land and produces grains for the welfare
of the people. For that matter, anyone, who uses his physical ability for
carrying out any work, is Kshatriyan only.
The fourth, whose work is other than any of the
above, is Soothiran. Soothiram means
thread. It is the thread which connects all the items. Without the fourth, the
other three cannot exist. He is the one who connects all of them!
Every task
in this earth comes under one of the above four categories. The people of these four subdivisions differ
because of the task they undertake and not because of their birth. Whosoever
has not recited Gayatri for three generations is not a Brahmanan. Birth alone
is not the criterion to decide to which of the above divisions one will belong
to. It results from the job one carries out. No one is superior or inferior to
another. When we need to compare the quality of milk of a cow, it needs to be
done against the milk from another cow and not against any other substance like
oil. What is inferior and what is
superior are complexes created by one’s own thinking.
Emperuman Easan has given his darisanam to a fly,
an ant a spider and an elephant. Will he not reveal His self to humans? For Him everyone and everything is
equal. As revealed by Gayatri, He originated
in the sound of ‘Om’, created everything, then absorbed all of them unto
Himself, and ultimately became Himself!
As per His edict, if any one commits any of these
sins…
These sins are five in number and these are…
One, incestuous relationship with own mother.
Two, physical relationship with the wife of own
teacher.
Three, carving out the udder of a lactating cow.
Four, to
kill a foetus.
Five, to
cheat a person who reposed faith in you.
It is not that an offender, being a Brahmanan will be pardoned and punished if he is a Soothiran. Easan’s law is equal to everyone.
Nandanare!
There is a name for this body only as long as there is life in it. If
there is no life in the body, there is neither a name nor a caste for it. There
is no one who is superior. There is no one who is inferior.
Nandanar
Adiyavare!
You and I both are human. Still, Why I stand with my hand folded and
mouth covered in front of you? Having forsaken everything and having
surrendered to Easan as your only resort, you get the right to be seated
because you recite Gayatri mantram. I stand because I don’t recite. Can’t we
infer from this that you and I differ?
Sivanadiyar
If you are obliged to stand just because you
cannot recite Gayatri mantram, why don’t you recite it? The one who gave the
Gayatri mantram is Viswamittirar, who was born as a Kshatriyan. Did he not
become a Brahmanan? Parasuraman, who was born a Brahmanan, became an axe
wielding Kshatriyan. Did he not?
Nandanar
Can Gayatri mantram be uttered by any ordinary
soul? Only he, whose body and soul are
unified to make him whole, can recite it. Because of the work I am doing, I
have this inferior body. I am ineligible
to recite Gayatri mantram.
Sivanadiyar
Your thinking is rare and noble! Though your thoughts merit adulation,
everyone is equal among Easan’s creation.
We are all His children. Verily
due to that, he bade Nandi to step aside and gave you darisanam. Has anyone else been blessed with such a
reward?
Nandanar
Adiyavare! Whatever you may say, I am unable to
agree due to my caste. Please let me go my own way. What service may I do for
you? I will do it earnestly and in all humility.
Sivanadiyar
I have come looking for a deer skin. If you have
one, you may kindly offer.
Nandanar happily brings a deer skin and hands it
over. He falls on his feet and prostrates. Getting up he stands bowing to
Sivanadiyar.
Sivanadiyar bids him farewell and goes out,
vanishing into thin air very soon.
*****
That night…
Nandanar goes to bed recollecting his
conversation with Sivanadiyar again and again. It was going to be dawn… He
dreams that he is going to Thillai and is waiting for the darisanam of Natarajan
and awakes.
Nandanar
(to himself)
What I have seen in my dream is none other than the
holy image of Easan. I must go to Thillai immediately and have his darisanam…
Resolving thus, he leaves the idea of going back
to sleep again. Contemplating on Easan he sits keeping himself awake.
It is daybreak …
He goes to his field and returns to find someone
waiting to call him for slaughtering. He goes with him and after completing his
job returns with a buffalo hide. He starts cleaning the hide and thinks.
Nandanar
What a misfortune! I have forfeited the
righteousness to go to Thillai because I slaughtered an animal. I will go
tomorrow. (Naalai Poven in Tamil)
He completes the day’s tasks and goes to sleep.
Next day…
As usual someone waits for his services for
slaughtering and his trip to Thillai slips again..
He goes to bed saying ‘Naalai Poven’.
His duty for the village work of slaughtering
never ends and he gets the soubriquet of ‘Thirunaalai povar.’
(He, who will go tomorrow)
Days pass
by…..
The urge to have the darisanam of Thillai
Ambalavanan erupts in his mind as a volcano!
Nandanar
(swearing to himself)
Even if I am asked for butchering tomorrow, I
will refrain from it and proceed to Thillai.
It is dawn…
No one has come to call him for slaughtering.
With great enthusiasm, he takes his bath and puts
on clean white clothes. Smearing thiruneeru, sporting other symbols of Saivism
and singing many songs in praise of Sivan, he reaches Thillai. Seeing the
Gopuram of the Thillai Natarajan temple he goes into raptures and dances his
way around the temple Thirumathilsuvar (compound wall).
There….
Seeing the smoke of Yagams raising to touch the
gopuram of the temple from the houses of the three thousand Brahmins, and
hearing the Veda mantras, he stops on his tracks, shuddering to even take
another step for entering the temple. He keeps circumambulating outside the temple along its compound walls.
Nandanar
The recitation of Veda mantras throughout day and
night by the wise and righteous people of this holy place forbids me to take
another step! Why I have taken this despicable birth? I have forfeited the
privilege to see Easan! Ayya! Emperumane! My Aanma is restless to have your
darisanam… But the body is preventing it. What should I do? I am unaware of any solution. Will I be
fortunate to have your darisanam in this birth?
Easane! Easane!
Blabbering like this, he returns home and goes to
sleep with a heavy heart.
Easan appears in his dream.
Easan
Nandanare!
The one who is dear to me! I made Nandi to step aside to enable you to have my
darisanam. If you think that your body alone stands in the way in your urge to
see Me, you enter the burning pit on the southern Thirumathilsuvar (wall of
Thillai temple) to forsake your body. You will ascend from it wearing the
three-strings (Poonool) as you have desired and reach Me!
Waking up hearing the Easan’s orders, he goes
into raptures and starts singing in praise of Easan.
At the same time Easan appears in the dream of
all the Brahmins of Thillai.
Easan (to
the Brahmins of Thillai in their dreams)
One of My devotees will be coming. On the
Southern wall construct a burning pit and and get it ready for him to enter.
Woken up
by the dream, even at the middle of that night, the three thousand Brahmins of Thillai
assemble and discuss the order given by Easan in their dreams. Looking forward
to the arrival of the Sivanadiyar, they along with the whole population of
Thillai ready a burning pit.
*******
It is daybreak…
Nandanar, after having his bath and sporting
thiruneeru walks towards the temple of Iraivan with determination.
Nandanar
(to himself)
Appearing in my dream, Easan has ordered me to
enter into a burning pit to reach Him!
If I prepare a burning pit near the temple and tell the people of
Easan’s order, will they agree? What will I do if they don’t? Anyway, I will
proceed to the southern Thirumathilsuvar as You
have told me.
He walks further.
Near the southern wall….
The three thousand Brahmins of Thillai along with
other people, awaiting the arrival of
Sivanadiyar, raise and join their hands above their heads in reverence on
seeing Nandanar approaching them.
The
Brahmins
Ayyare! Our salutations to you!
On hearing the addressing as Ayyare,
Nandanar (agitated)
I am not an Ayyar! Nandan! I am a butcher, a Pulayan! I am of a low
caste! How can you pay respect to me
taking me to be an Ayyar?
His whole body shakes and shudders!
The
Brahmins
You are a highly blessed Adiyavar! You are
entitled to our respect and reverence. Easan has appeared in our dreams and
said, ‘One of My devotees will be coming. On the Southern wall construct and
get ready a burning pit for him to enter.’ He then disappeared.
They all bow to Adiyavar.
Nandanar
I came here worried as to how will I convince all
of you about the order of Easan I
received and comply with it.
I am delighted by your words. Now I will enter
the burning pit.
He starts singing the praise of Easan and dances
around the pit. After taking three rounds he plunges into the burning pit.
Then….
There is
the sound of dhundhubhi.
The Devas shower flowers from the heavens….
Nandanar, who plunged into the fire, emerges with
a new body sporting the three strings of thread (Poonool).The Brahmins of
Thillai and other people of the town folding their hands revere him. Nandanar,
joining his hands above his head enters the temple shouting ‘Easane! Easane!
Emperumane!’ In the sanctum sanctorum, he stands in front of Him and has His
darisanam to his heart’s content. Copious tears runs down his cheeks out of
sheer joy!
There, Easan is seated with His consort Annai on
Nandi vahanam. He dismounts from His vahanam and embraces Nandanar.
Easan
(blessing Nandanar)
Nandane! My pleasant friend! From now on, the
people of this world will hail you as ‘Thirunalaipovar Nayanar’. My loved one!
Your name and fame will remain forever. Whosoever worships Me will worship you
as well.
To the booming chants of Veda mantras
Thirunalaipovar merges into Easan!
Observing that he has not returned from the
sanctum sanctorum, all those assembled realise that Iraivan will do everything
an Adiyavar wishes for. They praise Easan and bow to Him.
*****
Thrukailayam…
Having
absorbed Nandanar unto Him, Iraivan in absolute bliss, stands in chin mudhra
pose.
Annai (with
her hands cupped in supplication)
Ayyane! What is this game of Yours? While you were prepared to accept Nandan as he
was, why you made him to take up another body?
Is that because you also believe in the superiority and inferiority due
to one’s birth?
Iraivan
Annaye! You are aware of the ways of the world!
Why do they call Me Ammayappan? That is because I am both Ammai and Appan to
them.
How will I be justified as Ammayappan, if I do
not show the compassion of a mother and the benevolence of a father? Nandan is
my devotee. He wanted to see me only
after merging his body and soul. Even when told that there is no
differentiation due to his birth, he would not listen. If I disregard his body
and accept his Aanma only, it will not be Nandan. Therefore, as per his wish, I
gave him a fresh body and merged him unto Me!
Annai
A thondan (adiyar, servant/ servitor) gets united
with Iraivan and Iraivan gets immersed in thondan! Iraivan thus becomes a thondan Himself
listening to all his commands! Easan’s glory is always supreme!
Iraivan
Whosoever venerates Us will venerate Nandan as
well! As We have become One, can there be any question of who is superior or
what is superior?
Nandi, on whom both Iraivan and Annai are seated
tilts his head and looks up to Them with joyful tears running down his cheeks.
Tiruchchitrambalam
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