Religion and Spiritualism-The Twelve Azwars-Thirumangai Azwar

Thirumangai azwar (continued)​

The ship reached Nagappattinam. The merchant unloaded the loads of Betel nuts and was taking account. Azwar came to the godown and asked the merchant for his half betel nut. The merchant took out four betel nuts and told the Azwar with a smile that he had misplaced his half betel nut and instead of that he was giving him four betel nuts.
Then Azwar asked him in a stern voice, “I am asking you for half betel nut and you are giving me four betel nuts. What I meant by half betel nut, I meant half of the betel nut load from the ship.” The merchant said,” Are you kidding? You just gave me a half betel nut and now you are claiming for half of the ship load?”
Azwar raised his voice and said,”Only you are playing with me. You have put signature in this Olai saying that half of the betel nut belongs to the Azwar and now you are giving only four nuts. This is not good on you part.”
Now people started gathering around them, but could not make any decision. So they took the merchant and the Azwar to the panchayath. They heard arguments from both sides. The merchant told that the Azwar just gave him a cut half nut. The chief of the Panchayath asked Azwar what proof he got to claim half load of nut. Then Azwar retorted that only a fool would give in writing just for a half a nut. That itself was proof for his claim. Then the Panchayath asked the merchant whether the olai was written by him. He answered in the affirmative. They scolded the merchant for the fraud and warned him not to do like that again. Azwar happily sold the betel nuts and gave the money to one of his disciples and sent him back to Srirangam to continue the construction.
Azwar went to the Buddha Vihar with one of his disciples and was hiding there till night fall. As he had already took clues from the sculpture to remove the golden statue without damaging the Vimanam, with his disciple’s help he removed the statue. The statue was glittering in the moonlight and Azwar was just thinking, Buddha who renounced his princely home and kingdom did not deserve a golden statue. Then and there he composed the following poem:

ஈயத்தா லாகாதோ இரும்பினா லாகாதோ
பூயத்தால் மிக்கதொரு பூதத்தா லாகாதோ
பித்தளை நற் செம்புகாளா லாகாதோ
மாயப் பொன்னும் வேன்டுமோ
மதித்துன்னைப் பண்ணுகைக்கே."


As he finished the song the gold from the statue melted and dropped into Azwar's lap. Immediately he told his disiple that he did not want both of them to be seen together and told him to go back to Srirangam and he would follow suit. He decided to walk back to Srirangam. When he was approaching ThirukkannaNgkudi it was getting dark. He was also feeling tired and so wanted to take rest. Seeing a big tamarind tree, he sat underneath the tree. Beside the tree he saw a wet ploughed field. He digged the muddy field and buried the gold. Then he took rest under the tamarind tree. He was afraid that he might fall asleep and some one might take the gold. He told the tree, even if he fell asleep, the tree should be awake and take care of the gold. Next morning the tamarind tree woke him up by shedding its leaves upon him. He thanked the tamarind tree and blessed the tree as URangaa puLI. It is believed that the leaves of the tree never closed after this incident.
The owner of the field came to plough the field in the morning. Thirumangai Azwar stopped him by saying that it was his land and he would not allow him to plough. The farmer told him that for generations the land belonged to his family and how Azwar was telling that it belonged to him. Azwar told him that he was also asking the same question to him. The owner took him to panchayath and when they asked for proof the farmer showed his patta. When they asked Azwar that if the land belonged to him where was the patta. He told them that it was at Srirangam and if they gave him twenty four hours time he would bring it and show it to them. The panchayath gave him time. Azwar just wanted to take out the gold and leave the place, and for that only he asked for time. People say that from that time the law suits of that place keeps on dragging. So the law suits are described as Thola Vazakku. (means never ending)

While he was staying there Azwar felt very thirsty and he saw a woman drawing water from a well. He went and asked for some water, but the woman refused to give water thinking that Azwar would claim the well also as his property. Azwar got angry and cursed that the well would become dry and water would never flow from underneath. The well was called UUraa KiNaRu and always remained dry.
Azwar felt very tired and slept under a Makiza tree. The Lord took pity on him and came as a traveler and gave him food and water. As Azwar was in a dazed condition due to thirst and hunger he ate the food and consumed the water. Then he looked up to see the person, but there was no one there. He blessed the Makiza tree to be Kaayaa maram, never to dry and always to remain green.
That night he went to the field and took out the buried gold and started back his journey to Srirangam. On his way the Lord took the form of the traveler again and blocked Azwar from walking further. When Azwar asked him who he was, he appeared with His Sangu- Chakram and azwar was delighted to have darshn of the Lord of KannaNgkudi. He then understood that the previous night Lord of KaNNangudi only blessed him by giving him Thirtham and prasadam.

Thirumangai Azwar ThiruvadikaKe SaraNam!​

To be continued​

 

Dear AC,
Though Thirumangai azwar appears to be willy, we should take it that the Lord had made him dance according to his tune. All most all the Deities of Divya desams wanted to hear Azwar singing pasurams praising them.Azwar had spent all the money for good cause like doing anna dhanam and renovating temples. He was the one who composed more than thousand pasurams of the Naalaayira Divya Prabandham!
Love,
PS

 

Dear Sriniketan,
When I was quite young my mother used to tell the above incident of ' Kappalil paathi paakku potten,'" of Thirumangai Azwar's story. Azwar's ways to get wealth seems to be incredible.
PS