TiruvasakamGivesATurnForGood Published:28 Jun 2021 9 PMUpdated:28 Jun 2021 9 PM Sakthi Vikatan |
2.
கால் =
Kāl =
foot of Siva
3.
Manikkavasakar went to
buy horses for the King. On his way, Siva seated in the guise of a Guru
under the Kuruntha tree in Avudaiyar Temple, gave Diksha with his foot
on his head.
4.
சூல் = Sūl =
Trident of Siva
5.
Tirunavukkarasar once
was a Jain. Siva gave him sharp abdominal pain as if caused by the
trident. Not knowing what to do, Tirnavukkarasar begged, pleaded and
worshipped Siva, and found relief.
6.
பால் = Pāl =
Milk
7.
Sambandar cried from
hunger as a tender child. Siva and Ambal enslaved him by offering milk
(Milk of Spiritual Wisdom).
8.
ஓலை = Ōlai
= Palm leaf document
9.
Sundarar was about to
get married. In the guise of a ripe old man, Siva showed him a palm-leaf
document that said he was his slave.
10.
Manikkavasakar was the
first favorite of Siva among these four. Siva sustained flogging by cane
from Pandiya king.
11.
Siva wrote
Manikkavasakar’s Tiruvasakam by his holy hand. That shows the greatness
of Manikkavasakar.
12.
In celebration of the
coming Gurupujai on July 13, 2021, we will discover Manikkavasakar's
prominence.
13.
Mannikavasakar was born
in Tiruvathavur 15 km south of Madurai. His natal name was after the
place of his birth: Tiruvathavur.
14.
Before he was sixteen,
he learned all the sacred books and immersed himself in Siva Bakthi. His
fame spread widely.
15.
The King knew his
scholarship and appointed him as his minister. He met his challenge.
16.
Tiruvathavur, on the
command of the King, went to buy horses for the King. As he neared
Tirupperunthurai, he heard the sweet sounds of Hara-Hara-Hara-Hara. He
rushed toward the sound and saw 999 persons under the Kuruntha tree with
Sivaperuman himself in the guise of the Guru. Kuruntha tree = Atalantia
racemose = Wild Lime tree
17.
When Manikkavasakar saw
Siva wearing Rudraksha on his head, ears, chest, and neck,
Manikkavasakar was so overtaken by Siva that he fell at his feet and
paid homage.
18.
Gurumurthy looked at
the prostrate Manikkavasakar from his head to his toes and said,
"Vadavura! We have come to take you into my good graces." The Guru
instructed him on the five-letter Mantra, conferred on him Tiruvadi
Dīkshai by applying his feet on Manikkavasakar's head.
19.
That second,
Manikkavasakar's body and soul melted, there rose an inner sound, and a
flood of ecstasy ran over and manifested as poems explaining his
helpless state.
20.
The poems he composed
were like, "Long Live Namasivaya… Let Lord's feet live long."
21.
The supreme Siva,
pleased with the poems, felicitated him with the name 'Manikkavasagan'
as the world would know him. Manikkavasagan = Man with
words like Rubíes.
22.
What next? As the
magnet draws a pin, Manikkavasakar, drawn by the Supreme Siva, spent the
King's money constructing the Tiruperunthurai temple. We know what
happened after that.
23.
Once
Manikkavasakar was the subject of royal punishment, God morphed the
'Naris to Paris' (நரிகளை
பரிகளாக்கி = the
foxes into horses). Later, when the Vaigai river broke the banks, God
carried mounds of earth to fill the fissure in the river bank for
steamed cake (as his wages) and sustaining lashings from the King for
poor work performance, which we all know.
24.
Once the King realized
the God's Grace-play, he searched for Manikkavasakar and fell prostrate
at his feet and asked for pardon.
25.
Pardoning the
King, Manikkavasakar went to Tirupperunthurai with five thousand Siva
servitors, to whom Siva appeared as Jyothi in Agni Thirtham and
conferred Mukthi.
26.
Siva sat Manikkavasakar
on his lap. Manikkavasakar paid homage to Siva as Sivagurunathar and
sang ten songs of Athma Nivedhanam. Siva addressed him, "My Child! I
will confer on you Mukthi in Chidambaram and give plenty of meritorious
fruits to those who say your name." Saying thus, Siva disappeared.
27.
Manikkavasakar went to
Chidambaram, received Darsan of Lord Nataraja, sang songs of
Tiruppathikam, and stayed in the outskirts, Tillai Vanam. An event took
place in Sri Lanka at that time.
28.
A Siva servitor went to
Sri Lanka. His oft-repeated phrase was "Tirucchirrambalam Thunai
(Chidambaram Chit Sabai's protection = a greeting by Saivites). A
Buddhist Guru, knowing this, complained to the King in Lanka. The King
issued orders to the Sivanadiyar to appear before him.
29.
The Sivanadiyar told
the King, "O King! Uttering Tirucchirrambalam once is equal to saying
the Five-Letter Mantra 21,600 times (15 breaths a minute, 24 hours a day
amount to 21,600)." He went further explaining Chidambaram's and Siva's
greatness.
30.
Buddha Guru could
not tolerate what the Sivanadiyar said to the King. He said, "I will go
to Chidambaram and establish the superiority of Buddhism and convert
Chidambaram Nataraja Temple into a Buddhist seminary and temple. The
King and his daughter, with congenital muteness, along with the Buddhist
Guru, went to Thillai.
31.
All came to
Thillai. The Buddhist Guru invited the learned pundits of Thillai for a
debate. The Saivite pundits lost the debate to the Buddhist Guru.
32.
According to Siva's
command, the losing team went to the Thillai forest and invited
Manikkavasakar to debate the Buddhist Guru. Manikkavasakar agreed to
debate the Buddhist Guru.
33.
The debate ensued, and
the Buddhist Guru used many strategies, including vituperation, to
advance his cause. The result? The Buddha Guru and his students became
speechless (dumb).
34.
Watching all
these happenings, the Ceylon king, in a state of horripilation, paid
homage to Manikkavasakar and said, "Swamy! The former speakers turned
speechless, Kindly, by your divine grace, make my daughter with
congenital muteness to speak."
35.
Manikkavasakar's mind felt compassionate, made her sit in the assembly
hall, and said to her, "Dear girl! Please answer all the questions posed
by these elders." What a surprise! That moment, her aphasia disappeared,
and she spoke. She answered the questions of the debaters besides the 20
questions posed by Manikkavasakar. This episode was the substance of the
Tirucchazhal chapter.
36.
What is next?
37.
The King and his
daughter paid homage to Manikkavasakar and became Saivism followers. The
Buddhist Gurus, defeated by Manikkavasakar, paid their respect to
Manikkavasakar and regained their speech.
38.
Let us consider another
wonder in the life of Manikkavasakar.
39.
A ritually pure
Vedhiyar approached Manikkavasakar and said to him.
40.
"Manikkavasakare! I
have the zeal to write down Tiruvasakam as you dictate them to me
without any delay or hesitation on your part." Manikkavasakar agreed and
narrated the songs without interruption, as the Vedhiyar wrote them down
as an amanuensis.
41.
The transcription was
over; the Vedhiyar moved out of there and disappeared into thin air.
Manikkavasakar stood there in silence and realized the scribe was no
other than Ambalavanar. Manikkavasakar was ecstatic.
42.
Ambalavanar placed his script on Chirrambalam's golden steps, and the
next day at the break of dawn, the hereditary priests found them on the
steps.
43.
The priests saw God's
writing and signature on the manuscript, "As Manikkavasakar dictated,
Ponnambalavar scribed the poems. "The priests were taken aback to see
the handwriting of God. They uttered the poems but did not understand.
They went to Manikkavasakar and begged him to interpret his poems.
44.
Knowing the divine mind
of God, he invited them to the presence of Ambalavanar and said, "Let me
explain the poems before Ambalavanar." All the priests assembled at the
place. That was on the month of Āni, Maham Nakshatra. Manikkavasakar
approaching Ambalam, said, "He is the meaning of these poems." He
entered Ambalam. A flood of light rose. Manikkavasakar entered the
light, merged, and became one with Ambalavanar.
45.
The temple bells
spontaneously rang, "Om-Om."
46.
Let us read daily
Tiruvasakam poems replete with marvels. Let us pay homage to
Manikkavasakar and worship Mahesa. Tiruvasakam's divine grace will give
us a good turn in our life.
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