Religion and Spiritualism-The Twelve Azwars

Thirumazisai Azwar coming into the fold of Vaishnavism

Peyazwar was maintaining a Nandavanam and Siva Vakyar used to pass that way. They both used to argue with each other that only the religion they followed was superior. One day Peyazwar took a cut rope with knots and a pot with holes and drew water from the well and poured it to plants that he planted upside down. Siva Vakyar who came along saw this and clapping his hands laughed loudly. Peyazwar asked him why he was laughing. He replied that he was behaving like a piththan (mad man) as the plant was planted upside down and the pot contained no water as it had holes and so what purpose it would serve. Then Peyazwar turned around and told him that he was the one who was mad and to point out his foolishness and madness he also acted as if he was mad. Siva Vakyar asked him what made him to talk like that.Peyazwar told him that the cut rope was the example for Siva Vakyar’s Athma which searched through different religions to find the Paramathma, but not yet succeeded in its search for the truth and still going on searching. He told him that our ancestors had explained in the following verse“

வேர் நிகர்த்ததால் மேலதாம் பொருள்
வேர் நிலைத்ததால் செடிகள் மேலெழும்
வேர் நிலைத்திடு மிடத்தகு வேறைவை
நேர் நிலைத்தாலும் நேர்தலாகுமோ.”

Thirumal is like the root of the plant. He is the ParamporuL. From the root only leaves, branches, flowers and fruits are all appearing. Like wise all other Devathas and Deities took forms only from the root and so they might wither away at some time or other. Hence it is foolishness to think that the other parts of the plant are superior to the root, meaning without the root the plant cannot survive.
Peyazwar’s explanation put Siva Vakyar in deep thought. He realized that he was still searching for the true thathvam, but couldn’t find it. He told Peyazwar to accept him as his disciple. Hence forth he followed vaishnavism and was staying with Peyazwar for some time.
When he accepted Vaishnavism and became the disciple of Peyazwar, he composed the following verse :

“சாக்கியங் கற்றோம், சமணம் கற்றோம் - சங்கரனார்
ஆக்கிய ஆகம நூல் ஆராய்ந்தோம் - பாக்கியத்தால்
செங்கட் கரியானைச் சேர்ந்தோம் தீதிலமேஎங்கட் கரிய தொன்றில்"

In this verse he says that he learned Buddhism, Jainism and also Saivite scripts, but at last he surrendered to Thirumal and found nothing was difficult to achieve through His benevolence.Later he took leave of Peyazwar and went on divya desa yathra. After visiting some divya desams he went to Thiruvekka
( Kancheepuram) and stayed there. KaNiKaNNan who was born to the couple, to whom Azwar had given milk, came to know this and he went and requested Thirumazisaiyazwar to accept him as his disciple. Azwar accepted him as his disciple. When he was staying at Thiruvekka, an old lady used to come and clean his place, draw kolam and did service to him. One day she told him that being old she felt that she could not serve him longer and if she had come to him when she was young she could have served him longer. Azwar was touched with her devotion and sincerity and blessed her to become young.
One day the king who ruled over Kanchi had happened to see her and he fell in love with her. He married her and took her to his palace. As years rolled by the king was becoming old, but his wife was as young as she was when he got her married. He asked her what was the secret and she told him to ask KaNa\ikaNNan to bring Azwar to the palace because Azwar only gave back her youth. The king sent for KaNIkaNNan and told him to bring Azwar and compose a verse in his praise and to change him young. KaNikaNNan told him that Azwar would not compose verse praising mortals, but only in praise of Thirumal. The king told KaNikaNNan, in that case being a true devotee of the Azwar, he should compose a verse . But KaNIkaNNan refused his request and the king got very angry with him. He ordered him to leave the city immediately.
KaNikaNNan went and told Azwar all that had happened, and also told him that he was leaving the city as for the king’s order. Azwar got very angry and told that when his disciple was not allowed to stay, he also would leave the city.
Then he prayed to the Lord and requested Him also to go along with them folding His AravaNai.This was the song:


கணிகண்ணன் போகின்றான் காமரு பூங்கச்சி
மணிவண்ணா நீ கிடக்க வேண்டா -துணிவுடைய
செந்நாப் புலவனும் போகின்றேன் நீயுன் உன்றன்
பைந்நாகப் பாய் சுருட்டிக்கொள்.

Lo presto! What a surprise! The Lord obeyed his true devotee’s order, He got up and followed his devotees out of the city, folding His snake-bed and sticking it under arm.
The next moment the whole city plunged into darkness and ill omens occurred. The king got frightened and called his ministers for manthralochana. They told him that he had committed a big blunder by expelling a true devotee of the Lord and so no other alternative, but to go and ask for his pardon and beseech him to come back.
The king along with his courtiers reached the place where Azwar and KaNikaNNan were staying for the night. He fell at their feet and begged them to return to the city. Azwar again requested the Lord to return to his abode with His snake-bed and the Lord also was happy to return. From then onwards the Lord got the name Sonna VaNNAm Seytha Perumal and in Sanskrit Yathokthakari. The place they stayed for the night got the name Oriravu Irukkai and at present is known as Orikkai where a Mani Mandapam is erected for Kanchi Achrya Maha PeriyavaL.

Sonna VaNNam Seytha PerumaL ThiruvadikaLe SaraNam!​

To be continued​

 

Dear Sriniketan,
Thanks a lot for your FB. I feel that the Tamil songs should be enjoyed in Tamil only. Those who know Tamil will really enjoy it.
Love,
Pushpavalli

 

Dear AC,
Thanks for your compliments. If we walk one step towards Him, He will take ten steps to reach His true devotee! He stood on a brick till Haridas came out of his hut after attending to his parents! No wonder He obeyed Azwar's command!

 

Dear Vysan,
Thank you for your comments and it motivates me to delve into sprituval world and share it with you all.