PEEPS INTO TAMIL CULTURE -6 THE SAIVA SAINTS M. ARUNACHALAM GANDHI VIDYALAYAM TIRUCHITRAMBALAM MAYURAM TALUK 609 204 1985First Edition 2-10-1985 Mahatma Gandhi’s 116th Birth Anniversary Rupees Thirtytwo © M. ARUNACHALAM Peeps into Tamil Culture - 6. Published with financial assistance from the Tirumalai-Tiruppatt Devasthanams under their scheme of aid for religious books. Gemini Printivg House, West Main Street, Thanjaver-9.PREFACE In the years 1962 64, a number of the articles which constitute this volume was written by us at the invitation of the Editor of Sarvodaya,a Gandhian monthly magazine from Tanjavur, and were published in it. They were written naturally with a slant on Gandhian Sarvodaya doctrines of Truth and Non-violence and of ‘Unto this Last’. These doctrines are nothing new to the Tamil Saivas, who would agree with the Prirananuru poet, ‘Any place is my place and all people are my kin’ and whose creed is ‘Mankind is One and God is One’ according to their canon writer Tirumular. To these doctrines the Saivas would add self-effacement and surrender to the Divine Will. These stories are taken from the Periya puranam a large biography of the 63 Saiva Saints written by Saint Sekkilar in 1139-1140 a.p. He was the Chief Minister of the Chola Emperor Kulottunga Il (1133-1150) and he wrote this large hagiology at his request, in 4253 verses. (An account of this Saint is given at pages 200-202 of this book, section 4 in the Appendix), A grateful posterity has included the large book as Book XIT of the Saiva Canon. The book isa great testament of devotion and surrender to God, introducing a new order of democracy based on Sivajnana. The book had revolutionised the life and outlook of the entire people of Tamil Nadu from the 12th century to this day. It is not only a history of the Saiva Saints, but is alsoa sensitive epic poem of good poetry. J.M. Nallaswami Pillai wrote the stories of some of the lives as told by Sekkilar, in his short English Periya Puranam in a series of articles published in a newspaper from Madras by 1913 and thcy were later collected together in book form. But the lives were not complete. Pillai closely followed Sekkilar and although he gave a separate paragraph at the end of each story as ‘Teachings’, the lives had not been told ina modern perspective. It is strange that with all the medero awakening in matters of Jiterature, religion andiv Philosophy, the lives of the Periya puranam Saints have not beetr: aiven in a-complete volume till this day.1 The present volwate-is-ag attempt to supply that want. pif It is worth noting’ here that the stories of the Pertyapuranam of Sekkilar had been adapted into the Sanskrit language in two volumes as a similar puranam. One was the Upamanya Bhakta Vilasom written by an anonymous author and published in two parts in the grantha script with atotal of 6825 slokas (the first part 5175 and the second patt 1650 slokas) in handsome print in 1915. Another later adaptation by Hara sarma in 3530 slokas had been printed earlier in 1907 in the name of Siva (Agastya) bhatka vilasam. The two translations belong to the 19th century. The writers do not seem to have been familiar with the Tamil language and their renderings of the Tamil proper mames sound very queer and funny. The Basava Pwranam, a large poem in the Kannada language, was translated into the Tamil language in ah epic poetic form by an anonymous writer in the 18 th century. It deals with seme of the Periyapwranam stories with acomplete Vira Saiva twist. Vidwan P, Suryanarayana Sarma has publisted a condensed Telugu prose version of the Pertya puranam with the title Set Sivabhaktha Charitramuin 1962 in about 600 pages with half a-dozen illustrations. He has here included the story of St. Manikkavasakar also, in order to give a completeness to the Saiva Acharyas. ‘Late Mr. K. P. K. Menon, former Chief Secretary to the Government of Kerala, had rendered the Periya puranam in prose in the Malayalam language. It is awaiting print. Accurious imitation may be cited. V.S. Chengalvaraya Pillai who died at the age of 88 in 1971 was one of the ———— . . 1A kind of an annotated translation by Shri G. Vanmikanathan, the well known writer and translator, is in the process of publication in his Pathway to God series in a large volume.¥ greatest devotees of the Saiva Canon and of God as Lord Muruha, Out of his great bhakti, he had caused a fine epic poem in praise of the servants of Lord Muruha to be written by Vanur Chokkalingam Pillai. It was written completely on the model of Sekkilar’s Periva puranam in 3333 verses and was published in the name of Sey-Tondar-Puranam (Sey is the son of Siva, Lord Muruha) in 1960. These are instances to show the great interest evinced by some other languages and by enlightened Tamil savants in the lives of the Saiva Saints. The Guruparampara-prabhavam (the glory of the line of Preceptors) can be considered as the Vaishnava counterpart of the Saiva Periva puranam This was written by Pinpalahiya perumal Jiyar, (1290 a.p.) disciple of Nampillai, the fourth great acharya after Ramanuja. The Prabhavam is written in anew kind of prose, later called manipravala, a mixture of Sanskrit and Tamil expressions. Jt deals with the lives of all the Alvar and then with the lives of the Acharyas (Preceptors) up to the date of the author. Here the lives of the Acharyas may be considered to be historical, while the lives of the earlier Alvar are always given as legend. Many later writers in Vaishnavism had tried their hand at Guru parampara writing, adding more fanciful stories to the earlier text of Prinpalahiya Jiyar. The poetry of Sekkilar, his lyricism and the spirit of soulful surrender to God which is the keynote of Periya puranam is naturally absent in these narrations. The Maha Bhakta Vijayam glorifying the lives of the Vaishnava Saints, principally in the Mahratta country, is also afine book of Saints. It is done in prose and contains the stories of men and women cf God. Almost all the Saints mentioned therein belong to the period 14-17th centuries and so in point of time, both the stories and the writing are much later than those of the Saiva Saints. Some of the Saiva Saints go back to the centuries B. C. Naturally the Mahabhakta Vijayam was inspired by the stories of the erlya puranam which floated over the adjacent Dravidian areas. The Mabratta people have a large proportion of Saints in all India (excepting the Tamil nadu) and so they seem to have takenvi a the task of compiling Saint stories and have done it in a Ape manner. Many parallels with the Tamil nadu aints can be seen in the Vijavam. The stories are all of Vaishnava saints. nr A word may be added here about the Tamil terminology employed in this chronicle, ‘Ar’ is an honorific plural suffix added to many proper names. The saints are all held in great veneration and though the poet Sekkilar has the licence to speak of a saint in the singular, the Tamil community in general refers to a saint only in the plural. Thus Nandan is always Nandanar, Kalayan is Kalayanar,- Mangaiyarkkarasi is Mangaiyarkkarasiyar, Sadaiyan - Sadaiyanar, Tsaijnani - Isai jnaniyar and so on. So also every saint has the ‘r’ suffix added - Marar, Kannappar, Muruhar etc. names which usually end in ‘n’. Again when referring to sacred places, very often the term Tiru ‘holy) is prefixed and sometimes it is omitted. eg. Arur-Tiru Arur, Puhalur - Tirup - Puhalur and so on. The temple city of Chidambaram may be found mentioned as simply Tillai. Tiru Jnana Sambandhar may be referred to frequently as Sambandhar and Jnana Samband har. These features may be noted for an easy understanding of the terminology in the stories. The entire Tamil poem naming the saints is given at the end of the preface. Saint Nambiyandar Nambi (the saint who was responsible for discovering the Devaram hymas and for publicising them - vide pages 294 - 296 of the book) had written a short poem of 89 verses giving out the details about the 63 saints - their place, service etc., devoting one verse to each saint in the order of the Tiru-tondat-tohai. This poem was the second source for Sekkilar, but for want of space we are not reproducing the poem here. Saint Umapati Sivacharya, who wrote the story of the ‘Discovery of the Devaram’ and the ‘Sto-y of the writing of Sekkilar’ in the form of two short purana poems, also wrote a synopsis of Sekkilar’s great epic, in about a.D. 1310, devoting one verse to one saint. These constitute the only references to the complete stories of the saints.vii IV The present English volume is only a summary, rendered in simple prose, of the original given in fine poetry in the epic Periya puranom (4253 verses). Under the title of each story, we have given in translation the line from Tiru-Tondat- tohai of Saint Sundarar mentioning the Sain). This was the basis for the Periya puranam of Sekkilar. The present English volume gives cach story as Sekkilar narrated it, In about a dozen cases we have added some comments. It is hoped this book will help a wider audience to have a glimpse of the pathway to God trod by great men of God in Tamil nadu in the Saiva fold in the centuries B. c, and up tothe seventh century a.c. (the date of Sundararar), The book is published with financial assistance from the Tirumalai-Tiruppati Devasthanams under their scheme of aid for the publication of religious books. This volume should have been published two years back but owing to the frauds committed ty one S, Mabalingam a printer of Kumbbakonam in matters of toth money and paper, the printing and publication had been inordinately delayed. I owe an apology to the Tirumalai - Tiruppati Devasthanams in the matter of the delay. The Gemini Printers of Tanjavur came to my rescue and they printed the book in record time, lam grateful to them for their neat and quick execution of the work. Iam also grateful to the Tirumalai - Tiruppati Devasthanams for their generous aid, We may follow this book with another on the Vaishnava Saints. Thiruchitrambalam, Mayuram 609 204. i 2-10-1985 Gandhi's 116 th Birthday. (M, ARUNACHALAM)a SKSoISH soumulecr ump w@eflu $559 9107 SNSTDOS Uein ~ Dar deHS Os on auir ao Ld AgeAppousd Droop ison gb a4.wTtd Gb 94.Cuer DGSw sar_ FHS GuMOITTS 5yGueTr QveaGu coro gs Qu juss Gd 944 Gu cir Qownurer nd GyuT pe ¥4.WT FSG 24-Cusr Gadgywor Dado AwuiGurGes 54 Cucr ANQUT PAS Soros puri Ancr Hein iis 54 Cucr BOA QdMVU ‘STH wot SHS sy Gui BOTS wepMe gbdw1 sys wrGor, Qroudss Cad pd oSugsié 74 Guar ToInB or sor gor Hy wT sGwd 919 Cuseir SONOS FIELD seimosriuis 51 wer SLQyhi sovurcer Soir 919. wird Gtb 91g Gusrcer enw 55 Careioucirand) wrenéae5 eT Der aGsrsarloutwe HywTrs Gd 94 uot ADM SS YOM HES Wort wits 5.Gwor Borer BeoMed mdwreyd saGor, Ybewured caarsin yt SHG o4.Gwer YOSQHSGH 2G5H7 UEuHsGb og Gwe, GsirmuGu DOsreers Curari seu sur BGsG MY S Osreiwett gb HG.wTTs GLb 94. Cur Guirdeuu AGCwoh «Puro Bids DgGanOness sre ssc WEpdemTe «HS 5 Sbowurrss 94 Frey. 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Gucir Ywso YAU YMaTsgGid gg Gucr MUTI Yyeserts grt gy wits Gd gg.Gu or GTO ys gxbdwrays aor, 10 nerhubi wepprace Asrmaytt yas ahamsrurcs wrahsg CrreysGb 9 Cwer Ascroracrris 2asrein_ Demascerris Gus 9G fo seme sg uTomoTié «4 uc Fer maermid yor 4Gu yon FOUL Foo_wor Daserel sr50c Dapra: grisea cr Nerooerrh wearer 919 DwWCEL Dorwair BAND qowT gE KaTLITT oTGr, i AGEADpoUMCONTENTS Preface Tiru Tondat-Tohai (in Tamil) Preamble Introduction, - The Saiva Saints THE SIXTY THREE SAINTS— Saint Sundara murthi Tiru Nilakanthar Tyal-pahai Tlayankudi Marat Meypporul 1. 2 3, 4 5. Viralmindar 6. Amarniti 7. Eripattar 8 Enadi nathar 9, Kannappar 10. Kumkuliyak-Kalayar 11, Manakkanjarar 12. Arival-Tayar 13. Anayar 14, Murtti 15 Muruhar 16, Rudra Pasupati 17, Nandanar (Tiru Nalaip-povar) 18. Tiruk-Kuripput-tondar 19, Chandesvarar 20 Tiru Navukkarasar 21, Kulacchirai 22. Peru-nilalaik-Kurumbar Page iii ix 21 37 40 43 46 48 50 53 55 57 61 64 66 68 10 2 2B 74 77 9 82 95 9635, 36. 37, 38. 39, 40. Al. 42. 43. 44. 45.. 465 47. 48. 49, 50. Sl. 52. Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Peyar) Appudi adihal Tiru Nilanakkar Naminandi Tiru Jnana Sambandhar Eyarkone Kalikkamar Tiru Mular Dandi adibal Murkkar Somayaji Marar Sakkhiyar Sirappuli Siruttondar Seraman Perumal (Kalaritru Arivar) Gananathar Kutruvar Puhal Cholar Narasinga Munaiyaraiyar Atibhaktar Kalikkambar Kaliyar Satti Aiyadibal Kadavar Kone Kanampullar Kaari NinrasirNedu marar Vayilar Munaiyaduvar Kalal-singar Idangali 96 102 105 Mt 122 124 129 131 133 135 137 137 143 146 147 148 150 151 153 154 155 155 156 157 158 158 159 160 16253. 34 58. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. Seruttunai Puhalt-tunai Kotpuli Pusalar Maogaiyarkkarasiyar Nesar Ko-Chengan - cholar Tiru Nilakantha yalppanar Sadaiyanar and Tsai jnaniyar Women Saints Saint Tilakavati Nine groups of Saints APPENDIX 1. Saint Manikkavacakar Saint Sendanar Saint Nambiyandar Nambi Saint Sekkilar Saint Pattinattar aA Pen Saint Arunagirinathar 7. Saint Tayumanavar Epilogue Index of Names of the Saints Glossary Index 163 164 165 166 168 173 174 178 179 80 182 185 192 199 203 205 208 213 217 220 225 227 231CaP yaagd Qs Dgaonat PO DedGurgud géaCa Corrs gant ; BO gor Foxe GUI GH Heir, Id Cusine By der Boris Beriit, ATb sem y6rs, Boyd 560 56w, Urrgib mest Ueno @ giro soo ao got, wg GODSarii ; aig corerra Aomdys Soswgr!; SEKKIZHAR’S PREFACE They have the richest bounty Where adversity as well as prosperity Has ceased to exist. To them, A pebble or a piece of gold Makes no difference. Their firmness is such that They do not covet the heavens, But long only to bow before the Lord, With the fulness of heart. Their only ornament is A necklace of rudraksha beads, Their raiment is nothing but rags, Their only purpose is The service of the Lord, But their heart is overflowing With love and compassion. Therefore they have No wants in this life. Oh! How shall | set forth Their spiritual fortitude |PREAMBLE The story of Saint Sundaramurti is the genesis for. the stories of all the 60 saints, celebrated by Saint Sekkilar in his great epic poem, now known as Peri ya Puranam, Sekkilar begias the story from Kailas and narrates the story of Sundarar under the title ‘Stopping of the Wedding and Enslavement’ of Sundarar, then goes on to refer to the incident at Tiru Arur where Sundarar was induced to sing a poem of 11 verses on the 63 saints of Tamilnad and the 9 groups of saints, declaring that he was the servant of the servants of each. Then. Sekkilar proceeds to narrate: the story or biography of each saint, in a few verses, or in a large number of verses as in the case of Saint Tirunavukkarasu, and Saint Tiru Jnanasambandhar. Except the opening section, he does not devote any separate section to. Sundarar. Sundarar’s life is interwoven with the lives of many of his contemporaries but Sekkilar has taken only the fives of Eyar Kone Kalikkamar and Seraman Perumal (Kalaritru-arivar ) to continue the story of Sundarar from the opening section and concludes the story with a separate end-section dealing with the ascent of Saint Sundarar to Kailas mounted oa a white elephant which came from Kailas to fetch him. The verses dealing with Sundarar taken together are quite large in number - 879 verses. Sundarar lived in the days of the Pallava Emperor Rajasimha (686-705 .p. ). Later when Emperor Rajaraja Chola (985-1014) had all the Devaram hymns unearthed at Chidambaram, arranged, and set to music by another boy - devotee Nambiyandar Nambi, this Nambi had sung a song of 89 verses, each verse giving at greater length the story of each saint and each group of saints. This was by 1010 A.D. More than a century later, Saint2 THE SAIVA SAINTS maces ae Minister of Emperor Kulottunga Chola | ) wrote the epic hagiography, the Tiruttondar Puranam, popularly known as Peri ya Puranam, very elaborately in 4253 verses, by 1139 - 1140 4. D. He wrote the biographies not only using the lines of Sundarar and Nambiyandar Nambi, but also using local legends, his own first hand knowledge of the places and shrines, and the various histories that he knew Personally and through his own enquiry and research. Thus the Peri ya Puranam is a unique record of the pathway to God trod by many men and women here in Tamilnad, which could be the pride of any nation. It is not a mere chronicle. It is the portrait of a demoeracy of tho lovers of God and godly mon, of servitude and surrender, of self-effacement and the joy resulting there- from. Sacrifices undreamt of are demanded of the servitors who rise to the occasion and always some out in flying colours. The stories transoend the barriers of time and space, caste, class and creed, and always shine as a glorious beacon light to uplift and ennoble man and take him to heights which he would never have dreamt that ke could scale. The Saints are usually counted as 63. Saint Sundarar has mentioned in his poem only the names of 60 saints. In the concluding verse he just mentions that he is the son of Sadaiyanar and Isaijnaniyar. Sekkilar adds the names of these parents and the name of Sundarar also to the list of the 60, thus arriving at the number 63. In the following chronicle we shall give an account of each saint in the order in which he is mentioned by Snodarar and elaborated by Sekkilar. The line from Sundarar’s Tirnttondattohai refercing to each saint is given here in translation at the opening of each story. The verse sung on each by Nambiyandar Nambi (vide section 3 under the Appendix) will be most instructive, but for want of space we have not given it here.PREAMBLE 3 In every case we have attempted to highlight the life of service to God and godly men. Where possible, a few words on the relevance of each story is given, as a kind of commentary. In a few cases, additional para graphs have been added from popular lore. Reference is made to popular legends in the cases of Nandanar and Somayaji marar. Besides, Saints Appar, Sambasdharl Sundaratr, Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Tirumular, Aiyadihal Kadavarkone and Seraman Perumal sang devotional songs which are collected into the Saiva Canon and specia, paragraphs are added on their work and philosophical contribution. Sekkilar zoncerned himself only with the stories of the Saints who were listed by Saint Sundarar in his poem Tirut-Tondat-Tohai and so we too are concerned with the same 63 saints written upon by Sekkilar. Periya Puranam begins with the story of Saint Sundarar and so this English volume also commences with his life. A survey of the mission and message of the Saints is prefixed to the stories. After the first story, the stories of the other 62 saints are here given in the serial order in which they are enumerated by Saint Sundarar. Besides the 63 saints, there are nine groups of saints mentioned by Saint Sundarar, in line 1 of verses 1 and 7 and verse 10 of his Tirut-Tondat-Tohai. These are taken out and given together here as a separate section at the end under the title, ‘Groups of Saints’ with a note on the significance of the groups. There are three canonized women saints in the 63; there are yet some more who command our respect and admiration, although they are not mentioned as saints separately. The section on Women Saints deals with them. Two points are to be remembered here. One is that Saint Sunderar had not exhausted all the names of the Saints whe had lived before him and had surrendered themselves to Siva, and the other is that there have been equally important Saints even after Saint Sundarar.THE SAIVA SAINTS Sundarar sang the Tiru-Tondat-Tohai, the list of the names of the men of God, on the spur of the moment without any preparation but of course through on inspiration from God Himself. It was Possible for him to think or it exhaustive. As we have pointed out elsewhere, Tilakavati, sister of Saint Tirunavukkarasu, deserves to be named as a Saint in her own right. The author of Tira Muruhatruppadai has equally a good claim to be called a Saint. The omission of these and similar others is explained by the faet that the list was not a Pre-considered one. therefore not plan the subject and make Though Saint Sundarar- had mentioned the servants of God upto his own day, Sekkilar has not done so. He did not cover the period from Sundarar to his own day. He limited his great work only to be an elaboration of the stories of the saints mentioned by Sundarar. He did not add any. For example, Nambiyandar Nambi, King Gandaraditta Chola who had sung a poem on Nataraja in the Tiru Isaippa and Karuvur Devar who has ten songs in the same compilation, and the most important Saint Manikkavacakar should have been included. The services of Queen Sembiyan madevi, Queen of Gandaradittar, are very well known and Sekkilar would certainly have known her glorious temple building work and temple benefactions. But since Sekkilar did not like to deviate from Sundarar he has not mentioned any of them. Again in the history of Saivism, the list of Canonized saints begins and ends with the list of Sundarar and the canonical books stop with Sekkilar’s great work. Further books have not been added by posterity. Hence we de not find the names of many eminent later day saints enumerated in any list of saints. i i i ff some more An Appendix contains the lives of some Saints in Saiva history which are significant in different ways.. Saint. Manikkavacakar the fourth Salva SamayaPREAMBLE 5 Acharya, Saint Sendanar who sang a pallandu poem on Lord Nataraja, Saint Nambiyandar Nambi, who elaborated Sundarar’s ‘poem in a longer antadi poem, and Saint Sekkilar himself who has written the Peri ya puranam are then dealt with in separate sections It is not as though Saivism had not grown after Sekkilar, There have been many great Saints since his days and the lives of three typical saints are added on here. Saint Arunagirinathar holds aloft the banner: of Saivism through song as the Devargm singers had done: for him the Supreme is Muruha, the son of Siva and his religion and philosophy are not in any way different from the earlier writers. Saint Pattinattar, we may call a folk poet and philosopher, brought the supreme truths of philosophy to the common man. Saint Tayumanavar of a later day coming in the same line of singers aitempted to synthesize the philosophical thoughts of the Saivas, the Advaicins and the Siddhar and their religious practices. His is a personal cry of self- effacement in the highest forms of poetry. The stories of all these saints find a place in the Appendix. —o— THE SAIVA SAINTS Saints have lived in all countries at different times. Their appearance marks the evolution of the particular Tace in the realm of the spirit. Mankind ‘has been going through a conscious process of evolution and, in the process, the material plane through gradual stages has given place to the spiritual plane. The story of the saints is the history of the growth and devélopment of the ideals of human society from the phyical to the spiritual values Tamil literary history tells us that the early Tamils were great warriors, imbued with a high sense of loyaltyTHE SAIVA SAINTS to the clan and with patriotism. Physical valour was held in high esteem. Women were Great heroines in this that they cared to nurture only brave seldiers and mighty warriors; they would rather die than accept that their offspring was a coward, Early Tamil history reminds us of Spartan glory in this field. Along with this ideal, we find that other virtues, such as chivalry, giving to the needy, and respect for the learned, also counted as great qualities among the people and their rulers These were not individual traits but national characteristics. No song was sung is those ancient days which did not glorify one or the other of these qualities. The ancient Tulers were all protectors of the meek, champions for the Oppressed, munificent givers to the needy, and servants of the learned and the wise. “Let your erowned head bow before the palms of the learned, Taised to bless you. Let your ever Proud umbrella, the insignia of royal supremacy, be lowered. when you go round the temple of Siva in worship” sings a poet before a Pandiya prince, in the centuries before Christ. We see a change, a few centuries after Chrtst. These ideals- the virtue of chivalry, benefaction and humility before the learned - gradually evolved themselves into the protection of the men of God, humility before them, submission to their will and surrender of everything to them, and to God. These personal qualities, no doubt noble traits in any age, bave now been sublimated into. a national philosophy of love of God and godly men. The political climate of the country was condueive to such an evolution. The land gave rich yields of food and people had no physical wants. The Pallava administration had brought under one rule many petty chieftaincies and had conferred relative peace under its umbrella. People were now enabled to direct their attention to other areas of activity than mere existence; spiritual values begam to be fostered. hs it should be To the glory.of the early Chola monarc i said that even during the Kalabhra occupation of the es and their incursions into the Chola and the Pallava territor’PREAMBLE 7 Kochengat Chola in the fifth century 4. c. had built seventy temples to Siva in brick and mortar on a raised base and probably a few to Vishnu as recorded very admiringly and gratefully by Saint Tiru Mangai Alvar of the Vaishnava Canoo and mentioned as seventy eight temples to Siva by Saint Appar in the earlier century. The Pallava period in South Indian history is a very important era in the spiritual evolution of the people They had began scooping out temples from rock, turning caves into temples for God. and re-building the brick and mud temples in granite. The temples thus built satisfied the higher needs of the people- the desire to be of use and service ina selfless way, the longing to see and enjoy handsome things associated with the Divine, and the yearning to dwell and meditate on things beyond the material plane Thus was ushered in the age of the Saints in Tamilnad The saints, we should remember, were not exponents of any abstract philosophy, but they emphasized living, and living right now, in the present. This is the significant contribution of the saints to the race. In other words, they were able to perceive a higher Truth which they believed was worth living for, working for, and even dying for. Thus we find a new era ushered in. what is called the era of the Bhakti cult. In the- wave of political calm and peace, people were able to turn their minds to other things. They went about from place to place chanting Tamil hymns and offering worship. Huge granite edifices dedicated to God rose up, not only through an abundance of material wealth but also through the abundance of love and willing service at all levels, from royalty down to the common man. Architecture, sculpture.and painting developed. Music and dance attracted -people to the temple. All art was dedicated to God. Annual, aud monthly festivals were conducted in the temples, when people of all levels in society shared in the worship and experienced a soulful satisfaction. Vedic rituals perhaps elder, were graduall superceded by a new order of temple rituals which absorbed8 THE SAIVA SAINTS more and more of the People’s spoken language and The temple grew to be the Centre of life for s all levels, Royalty had the expression of its life and glamour in the temple and the life of the People of all classes and castes revolved round the temple, customs. jociety at Such was the background against which we have to understand the hagiology and the hagiolatry of the country. Saints have existed among all races and in all relgions but they have had a continuous and unbroken living influence among the Tamil peeple from a very early era. Leaving alone Sanskrit origins, we know they are known here as Adi yar or Tondar (the servant). Because these saints had considered themselves the lowliest of the low, they have been raised to be the highest ef the high, by the people and by the crowned monarchs. Spiritually evolved souls have appeared in the Tamil nad from ancient times, who had always placed themselves in the presence of God. We have a glorious history of such saints upto the twelfth century 4.c. They had, even from their birth or early life, their entire being in God. Some had turned godly by divine intervention. Some had to struggle through obstacles to reach their goal of oneness with God. But they had all succeeded in overcoming all hindrances and risen to spiritoal superhuman heights. In some cases, the saints fhad not hesitated to give up their every thing-not only their possession and kith and kin, but even their lives, when they could not live up to their ideals. The stories of some important saints such as Chandesar and Kannappar and probably Nandanar too, had been very ancient in the centuries 8:¢. while those of Tirumular and Karaikkal Ammai were quite new in the era. The pilgrim tours of Saints Appar and Sambandhar and Sundarar made new tidal waves of devotion and dedication surge through the length and breadth of the land: Most of the saints belong to this period and the age of the Saints is otherwise known as the age of the Bhakti movement. This period covers roughly about six centuries, from theTHE SAIVA SAINTS 9 VII to the XII. We are able to remember the saints of a short period (before 700 4.0, ) through the enumeration made by Saint Sundarar in a poem. The origin of the poem itself is characteristic. Sundarar was entering the large Tiru Arur temple in the heart of Cholanad as usual for his daily worship one day, when a humble devotee standing in the outer hail saw him. He exclaimed: ‘‘How dare this Sundarar offer worship to the Lord, without first offering obeisance to his devotees?‘ The story is that Sundarar heard this, returned to the Hall, bowed before the assembled devotees and sang the poem, through divine inducement, that he was the servant of the servants of God. Herein he listed all the Siva bhaktas that he had known and heard of from the earliest period to his day. This reveals only the basic tenets of the Saiva cult, namely thac worship of the man of God is even more meritorious than the worship of God Himself, because this alone will give the worshipper true humility and help him. to subdue his ego. In a sense this concept is not peculiar to Saivism. We find it in Vaishnavism where Madhurakavi, who had got sung a single song on Vishnu or worshipped Him, is hailed as an Alvar (saint) for having worshipped Saint Nammalvar and sung his praises in a song of ten verses. This position has been enunciated by Saint Tirumural very briefly but emphatically.in his verse ‘‘Love is God’’. Truth has many face shere and the saints emphasized the different facets through their different lives and utterances. We find the author of Kural giving a negative emphasis to the doctrine of Tirumular: ‘The crown of all virtucs is non-killing; next comes non-lying’. Mahatma Gandhi in our day has re-emphasized these! values of Kural, by giving thema positive significance - Ahimsa (non-violence or Love) and Satya (Truth). Thie in brief has been the cult of the Saiva Saints.lo THE SAIVA SAINTS Sekkilar, the hagiogapher, gives us in a succinct compass the idea of a Saint: “They have the richest bounty where adversity as well as Prosperity has ceased to exist. To them a pebble or a piece of gold makes no difference. Their firmness is such that they do not even covet the heavens but long only to bow before the Lord with the fulness of heart. Their only ornament is a necklace of rudraksha beads; their. Ttaiment is nothing but rags; their only purpose is the service of the Lord. But their heart is overflowing with love and compassion, therefore they have no wants in this life. How can I set forth their spiritual fortitude?” Sekkilar has placed these lines in his preface to his history of the Saints. The story of two saints belongs perhaps to the years prior to the dawn of known Tamil history. Of the two, one belongs to the lowest and the other to the highest caste and both attained sainthood by ultra-human acts which in normal beings would be construed as crime. They are Saint Kannappar and Saint Chandesar. Kannappar was the young son of a hunter chief, who went out on his maiden hunt with his companions. He was an unlettered man, with no knowledge of God or temple and no familiarity with religious observances. As he was going up a small hillock, he saw before him an image of Siva ina small temple on the hill. He had never been toa temple before, but immediately, some chords in his emotional being snapped and he was overwhelmed with an emotion never known before. He ran to the image, hugged. It, danced before It, and went on in this manner, till he felt hungry. His story is well known. He fed the image with fresh meat - because he had known no other food himself. When later the temple priest came and saw the desecration in the temple, he the was very sad. In order to show - him the depth of the love of the hunter, Siva made it appear that blood was oozing from his eyes. The hunter, saw the blood and knowing that a wounded eye could be healed by replacement with a healthy eye, plucked out his two eyesTHE SAIVA SAINTS 11 one by one and applied them to the image. Love such as this was never before known and the hunter was thenceferth known as Kannappar, one who applied his eye. The story of Chandesar is similar. He was a small brahmin boy, but given the work of grazing cows. He was so very attentive to the needs of the cows that under his care they all grew upso sturdy and healthy that they had always a surfeit of milk which was overflowing in their udder. The little boy saw this milk, and intending to utilise it for a religious purpose, heaped a handful of sand on the river bask as asymbol of God‘s image and poured the overflowing milk on it. When this went on for along time, the villagers came to know of it. They called his father and scolded him for the ‘wasteful’ manner in which the boy was using the cow’s milk. The father, intending to verify the truth of the allegation, concealed himself and found the boy actually pouring milk ona handful of sand. In a great rage he kicked off the milkport with his foot. The little boy saw what happened. We may say the boy was in a trance in his self-appointed work of worship of the image. Seeing what happened, he just took a piece of stick lying nearby and with it severed the leg of the offender, who dared to hinder his worship, Never fer a moment did he pause to consider that the offender was a brahmin, his own father; an unpardonable offence had been committed and was fittingly punished. The greatest figures among the Saiva Saints are the four -Appar, Sambandhar, Sundarar and Manikkavacakar, who are also called the Acharyas or religious’ preceptors. Their story is not mere legend, but they are historical figures. The first two were contemporaries and lived in the first half of the seventh century, while the other two lived in the next two centuries respectively. These four have been tesponsible for the greatness and the enduring universal character of the Saiva religion as we find it today. They had toured the country, visiting important shrines on the way and singing songs set to music ina popular languagea THE SAIVA SAINTS for. No wonder their hymns had become the greate: + ereater than anything in life Possessions, kith and kin, and even God Himself. Such was the magic spell of the hymns interwoven with deep piety, and the mystic God-experience of ‘the authors themselves, of course couched in the most Poetic language. These four preceptors are considered to typify in their lives the four-fold paths leading to God-experience. These are humble service to God, ceremonial worship, God- realisation, (or yoga) ‘and the righteous way of life. These paths are not mutully exclusive but always overlap, and every one has the elements ofall the other three too manifested in his life and action. But this kind of arrangement seems to have been made for easy comprehension and so can conve- niently be adopted. They are Tespectively known as charya or dasa marga, kriya or satputra marga, yoga or saha marga and jnana or san-marga. Manual service is the principle which governed the life of Saint Appar. The images of all the saints have been installed in the major temples and invariably we find a small weeding hoe in the hands of Appar in all’of them. Appar has sung quite a large volume of hymns in very many temples and some of them are the most moving. They portray the independence of the spirit and challenge any extraneous authority, while at the same time enunciating a universal philosophy of love and service. But he was not content with singing. When he entered a temple, his first act was to apply himself to the task of cleaning the temple premises. This is a noble example wel] worth emulating in any age. But we should remember that Appar received sustenance in all his physical service, in his singing, and in fact in his very existence only from his inward experience of God, which he is never tired of mentioning. He strove hard to realise God and asa result of his unceasing and selfless efforts he had god-realisation. All his life incidents shouldTHE SAIVA SAINTS 13 be interpreted in this light. He was a very aged man, while Sambandhar was yet a boy’ not yet in his teens, but unobtrusi- vely Appar had mingled with the palanquin bearers and was carrying Sambandhar. It was again this humility which made him dissuade the boy Saint from going among aliens in the Pandiya country, and offer to go himself in order to restore Saivism there. We have a real insight into the nature of his efforts, when we are told that he walked on towards Kailas, the abode of the Father in Heaven. and in the process, his limbs such as his feet, his legs, and his arms were worn away. Then he began to walk on his head and, when he found that even this had a limit, lo! he had the divine vision. He saw the entire Universe as God - God in his two aspects of Sivam and Sakti-Intellect and Power. This is perhaps the best symbolic narration of the greatest mystic experience - not only the experience of God, but the truth that this experience is to be had, not through any conscious effort of man alone, but only through Divine will. Sambandhar popularly said to typify the life of a son of God, was a boy. Divine Grace entered him at the age of three and his life ended at sixteen. During this short span, he has toured more places, sung more hymns, and performed more miracles than al] the other three. His songs do not appear to have the note of submission and humility but possess the confidence arising out of inner strength, which is often mistaken by others for vanity. Because of his inner strength, he never entreats. But there is always.in his life the humility and absolute surrender which are the marks of godly man. when he entered the city of Madurai at the invitation of the Queen to reclaim the people back into the Saiva fold. his first act was to go to the temple, supplicate before the Lord and seek guidance for his work. He was an young boy and naturally his heart felt for the suffering of the others. He never asked for anythIng for himself. His whole life was a series of pleadings on others’ behalf. He pleaded for relief from pain for the daughter of the Kolli-chief, for relief for his followers from the severity of the winter cold, for relief from the serpent’s poison in the young merchant on behalf of his betrothed, for help for his followers at a time of famine in Vilimilalai, for14 THE SAIVA SAINTS divine help to himself in restoring Saivism in Madurai, for help to a devotee at Tiruvottur by making male palm trees yield fruit, and lastly for the restoration to life of Pumpavai from the ashes preserved by her father. His very end is also significant. He sent all the people assembled to witness his wedding into the Divine Effulgence which lit up the temple, and himself entered last. Such was the life of Jnana- Sambandhar, one of infinite confidence and strength and purpese. It is indeed hard to follow. Sundarar we may say walked with God. God was ever immanent with this devotee. In the life of Sundarar we have the concept of God as the Just, the stera Dispenser of Karma. Just because God is his comrade, ever present with him Sundarar is not permitted to transgress the path of right conduct. When there is transgression, immediate punishment is meted out; there is no mitigation. In other aspects, He is the servant of this servant. Manikkavacakar represents in his life, the good life, the conscious process of the evolution of the soul, its release from material bonds, its struggles and pangs, and final realisation and union with Him. The songs of Manikkavacakar are known as Tiru-vacakam. For depth and poignancy of feeling and the jey and peace of God-reali- sation, they are unequalled They have moved the Tamil people through the centuries as no others have done. Yet this author thas been called more of a mystic thao the others. This is perhaps because we see in the songs of the other three saints, fully evolved souls. They had realised God in themselves and are at peace. But here, in the songs of Manikkavacakar, we are given an insight into the spiritual life of the author. We have here a glimpse of. his mental pangs and agony of separation, then the joy of temporary realisation, re-union and the resultant peace, then the forgetting, the search, the struggles and again realisation. It is not possible for us, lay people, to follow spiritually realised souls through all their streaggles. Hence this poet is calle more ofa mystic. Yet his experiences and See eee ene closest to our own and that is the secret of their sp people.THE SAIVA SAINTS 15 In the history of the Saints, three women saints stand out as exponents of independent action in the service of God. The earliest from the point of time is Punitavati, known as the lady of Karaikkal. Some of her miraculous actions puzzled her husband who was an average but affluent merchant. He left her to go toa distant place, there married again and carried on a brisk trade. When confronted with his first wife, he fell at her feet with his family saing, ‘This is no human being: this is an angel’’. The pious young wife thereupon discarded her physical body and in the formof'a ghost sang the praise of God ina number of beautiful lyrics, which give out at the same time, the highest Saiva philosophy. Posterity collected her verses and displayed its respect for her by ealling her songs ‘‘The Elder Hymns’’. Her songs are the most remarkable pieces in all the canonical Books in this, that they lovingly dwell on the immanent form of the personal God, while at the same time expounding the highest philosophy that He is the Absolute, the Transcendental Being; the Knower. the instrument of knowledge. and knowledge itself. The other two have not sung any songs but have been associated with two of the greatest hymn singers. Tilakavati is the symbol of the traditional orthodox womanhood. When she heard that the young man whom her parents had proposed as her bridegroom died in battle, she prepared to give up her life, but continued to live at the request of her younger brother as his guardian. She sought divine intervention to reclaim him from an alien fold and the young man there after began to sing soul stirring hymns on Siva and came to be known as the Prince of Words (Navuk-karasu) and he is our Saint Appar. She livd a celibate life of prayer and service to God to the end of her days. The other lady was the Queen of the Pandiya empire at Madurai. She wasanoble regal figure, a clever diplomat. but at the same time, the flower of womanhood. Coming of an ancient Saivite royal family. she could not tolerate the alien religion which her king and his entire kingdom had embraced. She was seeking for an opportunity for16 THE SAIVA SAINTS reclaiming all of them. Through her own intelligence service, she came to know of the boy-saint Sambandhar and his great ness. Very diplomatically she invited him to her City and through affectionate means managed to reconvert her husband the King and all the people back to the Saiva fold. Sambandhar has immortalised her devotion and royal grace in his hymns. The lives of the Saints gives the lie to the general belief that birth confers greatness on one. Saints Nandanar and Nilakanta-Yalp-pana were born as harijans, but by their devo- tion and service, have come to be respected by the highest in the land. Mahatma Gandhi calls Nandan, ‘ the first Satyagrahi’; he says: ‘‘He did not swear against his persecu- tors; he would not even condescend to ask his perseeutors for what was his due. But he shamed them into doing justice by his lofty prayer, by the purity of his character, and if one may put it in human language, he compelled God Himself to descend and made Him open the eyes of his persecutors’’. The other, Nilakanta, was a musician of the lowest caste, but by dedicating his music to God, he was taken into the retinue of Saint Sambandhar, a high caste brahmin, and attained final beautitude along with him. The saints converted others to the Saivite fold but harboured no animosity against any one. The story of Saint Saakhya illustrates this. He was a Buddhist, but he thought of God every day before food, and threw a stone at his image in the place of a flower. This was accepted by God as such and Saakhya is also counted a Saivite Saint. Physical handicap is no bar to the services of God. Dandi was born blind. He could not see the image of God in the temple with the physical eye. But he did not despair of being useful. He allowed his mind always to dwell on God inwardly and seeking out ways of being of service, set himself to, the task of excavating the temple-tank, which had been partially filled. Evidently, he did not agree with Milton, who resigned himself, when he became blind, to God’s will, saying, ‘‘they also serve who only stand andTHE SAIVA SAINTS 7 wait”. With pole and rope to guide his hands, Dandi performed the excavation work successfully. Many of the saints had set themselves a limited purpose in life, in the service of God. Kalaya, in direst adversity, could not desist from his self-appointed task of burning incense at the Lord's shrine. When his wife gave him her tirumangal ya to be exchanged for food articles, Kalaya exchanged it for incense, while the family was starving ! When Tayar, who was giving red rice daily to the temple to be presented to the Lord, spilled the basket of offerings into the mud, he would rather die than live when his vow could not be fulfilled. When there was no food grain in the house to feed the visiting mendicant, Mara of Mlayankudi gathered the sprouting paddy from the fields for his wife to geta meal prepared Appudi, a high caste brahmin, named all his public utility services after Saint Tiru Navukkarasu whom he adored. Many are the saints who gave up their lives when they were unable to serve God’s men or when they failed in their vows to serve God. The history of nations as well as of individuals is governed by symbols. Ideas of a flag and an anthem go along with the idea of a nation. There is no nation without these insignia of nationhood. We know in all countries and in all ages thousands of people had died for the honour of their flag The flag is just a little symbol of their nation’s glory. Similarly, the sacred ash, the rudraksha beads, the Lord’s name, the Saiva mendicant’s garb are all symbols to the worshipper of Siva. He is prepared to sacrifice anything to uphold the glory of these. There are many stories of Saints to illustrate this. The story of Meypporul is unique. He worshipped the sacred ash, as a symbol of Siva, and when his adversary came to him treacherously wearing the ash and stabbed him to death, he ordered his aide to escort him unharmed outside his state. Such forgiveness is heard of only in the life of Christ and of Mahatma Gandhi. Enadi-nathar is another 318 THE SAIVA SAINTS such valiant soldier. He allowed himself to be killed by his adversary wearing the sacred ash. Loyalty to a symbol is not acquired in a day. In newly independent India, we are yet to learn loyalty to the national flag and the national anthem. The stories of many of the saints hand down to us rich traditions of such loyalty from the hoary past, There are some whose devotion took to violent forms. Eripattar slashes down the royal elephant and its attendants because it trampled down the flowers taken by a devotee to the temple. Seruttunai cuts off the nose of the queen who dared to smell a flower inthe temple, intended for God. Her husband the King considers this punishment not enough and cuts off her offending hand which took the flower. Kotpuli slashes down all those, not excepting even a little infant, that used the rice intended for feeding godly men. Satti deems it his duty to cut off the tongues of those wha speak ill of godly men. Certain acts like gambling are prohibited in an ethical way of living. But Muruhar gambles successfully and uses his gains for feeding men of God. Munaiyaduvar works as a mercenary soldier and with the wage earned feeds men of God. There are others who obtained bliss, not by any specta- cular activity, but by very simple means. Rudrapasupati by his chanting the Rudra mantra, Anayar by his singing the Panchakshara mantra in music on his flute. Atibhakta the fisherman by casting always into the sea one fish as an offering to God even though he was starving, Nesar by weav- ing and presenting clothing to godly men, Gananatha by running a school to train devotees in performing services for God Siva, and so on. There are some who attained bliss by merely worshipping men of God. Appudi worshipped Appar Somayaji marar befriended Sundarar, and Kurumbar mentally worshipped Sundarar.THE SAIVA SAINTS 19 The ways of some in trying to fulfil their own principles of service to godly men are strange indeed. Amarniti gives away his wife, Murtti grinds his own arm in the place of sandal wood. Kanampullar burns his hair asa wick, and Kaliya uses his blood as oil for the temple lamp. Naminandi is able to burn water in the place of oil for the temple lamp. An extreme case is that of Siru Tondar who carves up his own first born to feed a Siva bhakta. In very many large temples of Tamilnadu which have space and adequate financial resources, images (in stone) are instal- led for the 63 nayanmar on the sovthern prakara mandapa and they are offered worship. Several temples have bronze icons for all the sixty three. The annual festival in the Mayilappur Kapalisvarar temple on one of the days of its annual brahmotsava festival is called the Arupattumuvar festival. ©n that day the bronze icons are taken in several vimanas along the four main streets around the temple with great pomp The festival usually attracts a hundred thousand people from the city and around. In like manner, the stories of some of the saints are celebrated as major festivals in the temples associated with them - Tiru Nilakanthathu Kuyavanar in Chidambaram. Apparat Tirup-Puhalur, Sam- bandhar at Sikali and Achalpuram (Nallurpperumanam where he attained bliss), Sundarar at Tiru Otriyur, Siruttondar at Tiruchengattankudi, Karaikkal Ammai at Karaikkal, Somayaji marar at Ambarmahalam and so on. These indicate how the lives of the Saints and the literature there- on had been kept fresh in the minds of the people over the eight hundred years after Sekkilar through annual festivals. Besides, scores of musical operas had been written on the lives of the Saints collectively and indlvidually in the centu- ries 19 and 20 and they are annually rendered in kalakshepams musical operas and dramas throughout the land. Gopala Krishna Bharati’s Nandanar Charitram is deservedly the most famous and its songs are today capable of melting even a heart of stone. Nandanar songs have become a ‘‘must” in the 20th centry musical concerts Mrs. Chitra Visvesvaran’s rendering in abhinya of one song in particular, when Nandan20 THE SAIVA SAINTS asks, ‘*May I come near you, O Lord? (Varuhalamo aiva?)’’ and her depiction of the story of Tiru Nilakanthar at Chidam- baram as a musical nat ya natakam, as an offering to Lord Nataraja Himself within the very temple precincts are the most moving and remarkable in recent history. To conclude. There have been saints from all communities -harijans, potters, farmers, brahmins, weavers, princes and the like. Women have always been helpmates to their hus- bands in their religious duties. They appear to be really the more resourceful partners. Some women had also been canonized as saints, The lives of the Saiva Saints give us, even in the 20th century, not only guidance and solace in the spiritual field, but hold before us noble examples of a casteless society, where men and women are equal, where there is tolerance to other religions, where manual labour is respected, where people live for certain lofty ideals, where symbols are as much respected as the principles they symbo- lise. In short, the stories of the Saints is a synopsis of all that is best and noble and lasting in the one-world idea. —o——SAINT SUNDARAMURTI The story of Saint Sundaramurti is unique among the stories of all the Saivite Saints and he himself holds a unique place among the Saints. He first enumerated the names of the 63 Saiva Saints in a song and this was later elaborated in the 12th century into a large epic of 4253 verses by the Saint historian, Sekkilar. Legend says that Sundarar (the handsome) was an atten- dant of Lord Siva inthe heavens and, because he casta Yoving eye on two of the maids of Siva’s Consort, all the three had to be born as mortals on earth till such time as they were fit to re-enter the kingdom of heaven. Sundarar was born as the son of Sadaiyar and Isaijnaniyar in a family of temple priests. ina corner of modern South Arcot District. The local ruler was fascinated by the hand- some child whom he saw playing on the road as he passed by. He took the child with the parents’ permission to his royal home where it grew up in the traditions of both royalty and priesthood. The time for the marriage of the young man arrived. According to custom. a bride was chosen for him in a neigh- bouring village by his parents and the bride-groom’s party reached there. We always speak of divine intervention in the case of all saints ata particular stage in their lives, and that stage for Sundarar had arrived just now. When the marriage ceremonies were about to begin, an old ‘brahmin appeared before the assembled parties and declared that Sundarar was his slave. The whole assembly was aghast.22 “ THE SAIVA SAINTS This claim naturally evoked disbelief and disdain. because no brahmin ever becomes a slave. When they pointed this out to the old man. he produced a document executed by Sundarar’s grandfather, pledging himself and all his progeny in eternal bondage to the old man. Sundarar got very angry and tore off the document. This strengthened the argument against Sundarar. The stranger said that the torn document was only acopy of the original which was in safe keeping in nearby Tiru Vennai Nallur, his place. Thereupon Sundarar and his party followed the old man to this Nallur. He produced the original. which was found to be fully aathentic, the signature was verified and found to tally and so Sundarar had to go out to serve the stranger. When asked to show his house, the old man took Sundarar and all the assembled people into the inner-most sanctum of the local shrine and there disappeared. Sundarar immediately realised that the old man was no other than the Lord Siva Himself, who had intervened to redeem him from worldly entanglements and take him back in due time to His celestial abode. At the bidding of the Lord, who named Sundarar as His Tough Servant because of his harsh words spoken while refuting his bondage, he began to sing the praise of God in melodious song. The marriage was naturally dropped. From there Sundarar went to the various shrines in the country, singing sweet songs, proclaiming God’s Grace and the duty of man to serve Him. A number of miraculous occurrences happened in his life. all of them calculated to point to his mission in life, namely to enjoy or suffer the fruits of his past deeds, and finally to attain His Sacred Feet. Adihai is a nearby shrine where Divine Grace descended upon Saint Appar some time earlier. When Sundarar went there and was sleeping there one night, an old man was also lying down nearby, with his feet touching the head of Sundarar. When Sundarar remonstrated against this, the old man changed his place of sleep but again Sundarar felt bis feet on his head. Again Sundarar objected asking “Who are you ?”’, and the old man replied *‘Do you not know Me ?”SAINT SUNDARAR 23 The old man who had come there just to place His Feet on Sundarar’s head, considered in religious language as Tiruvadi dikshai, disappeared. Sundarar now knew this was the Lord of Adihai. Then after worshipping at Chidambaram and Sikali the birth place of Tiru Jnana Sambandhar, he went to Tiru Arur. Kamalini one of the celestial nymphs. whom Sundarar had seen in the heavenly regions, was born in Arur as an young damsel by name Paravai. They met by accident in the temple and hada longing for each other. By divine intervention they were married. While here, Sundarar sang his poem enumerating the names of all the devotees of God with the refrain that he, Aruran the servant of the Lord of Arur, was the servant of the servants of each of the devotees. Many things happened here and hereafter in the life of Sundarar which are not easy for many to comprehend Sundarar places himself in the role of a friend and comrade of the Lord God Himself and in that eapacity goes on play- ing, entreating, ordering and complaining to that friend. He had never for a moment lost sight of the Omnipotence and Supremacy of the Lord nor of his own eternal bondage to Him. Yet he goes on playing with Him and ordering Him about. We may think of a parallel partly perhaps, in Arjuna and Krishna, where the two roles of lordship and comradeship do not exist together but only one at atime. In the case of Sundarar, however, he recognises God, both as his overlord and as his comrade, at the same time. Whenever Sundarar was in difficulty, he prayed to God and his prayers were answered. Once there was no rice available anywhere on account of the failure of the monsoons. Paravai his wedded wife had no rice in her house. Kundaiyur Kilar, an admirer of Sundarar living in the nearby village of Kundaiyur was daily supplying rice and other provisions to Sundarar’s household, but now he was unable to send anything. Naturally he was quite grief stricken and to dispel his grief, God filled this friend's houes4 THE SAIVA SAINTS and granaries with mounds and mounds of rice for being sent to Sundarar. The friend showed this to Sundarar and asked him to arrange for its transport to his own house of the mountain of fice. Thereupon Sundarar Prayed to the Lord and had it transported to Paravai’s household by His minions. The Tice was so much that Paravai could neither use it all nor Store itin her house. So Sundarar announced by tomtom that whoever wanted it might take it and store it in their houses. This was accordingly done. There lived a Saiva saint by name Kotpuli, a captain in the king’s army, in another neighbouring village. He invited Sundarar to his place and offered him his two daugh- ters for service. Sundarar accepted them and considered himself as the father of the two girls. Whenever he was singing songs in shrines later, he signed himself father of these girls. Then again, Sundarar did not have the money required fot poor feeding at the time of the temple festival of Panguai Uttiram which was fast approaching. He went to Tirup- Puhalur, expressed his anxiety ina song to the Lord, and laid Himself down to sleep with bricks for a pillow. When he woke up, all the clay bricks hadJ been converted into bricks of gold ! Similar miraculous incidents happened to him in innum- erable places. Visiting many shrines on the way he reached Tiru Mudukunru (modern city of Vriddhachalam in South Arcot district) Here he prayed for and got twelve thousand gold coins. He desired to deposit the gold there itself and draw it at Arur, Paravai’s place. By divine command, he dropped the gold in the river there and finally after visiting. many shrines on the way, reached Tiru Arur. There, having his wife Paravai by his side, he searched for the gold in the tank but did not get it immediately. His wife naturally taunted him. Then he prayed and was able to tocate it and take it out. He tested the gold and assured himself that it was not of inferior carat quality!SAINT SUNDARAR 25 Then again, he began his tour of shrines. When he was very hungry at a place called Tiruk-Kuruhavur, the Lord appeared in the guise of a brahmin and fed him and his party. After touring many places, he reached Tiruk-Kachur in Tondainadu. Himself and party were very hungry. As usual the Lord appeared in the guise of a brahmin, begged for alms in all the houses there and brought the alms and fed him and party. Continuing his tours, Sundarar then reached Tiru- Otriyur. Aninditai, the second of the celestial nymphs mentioned earlier, was born here with the name of Sangili. She was weaving flower garlands for the Lord in the local temple. When her parents tried to find a bridegroom for her, she declared that she would wed only one who was enve- loved in Siva’s grace. When Sundarar saw her, he fell in love with her. He praved to Siva to unité her to him. The Lord instructed Sangili in her dream to wed Sundarar. When she pointed out that he was already married, He told her he would promise never to leave her. Here a trick is played on Sundarar bv Siva. When Sundarar asked Him to go tothe shade of the temple tree (mahizh) so that his promise to Sangili in the temple might not be religiouly hinding, Siva agreed, but instructed Sangili to make him give his promise not in the temple but under the tree! Thus He foiled the plan of Sundarar to give the promise, in the temple from which Siva had gone awav. Sundarar could not now help giving her the promise under the tree and was duly wedded. As he was living there happily with her. spring came and with it memories of his worship of the Panguni Uttaram festival at Tiru Arur in the company of his first wife Paravai. He could then stav at Tiru Otrivur no longer and so. contrary to his promise to Sangili, he left Tiru Otriyur and wended his way to Arur. The moment he left Otriyur, he lost the vision of both eves. He realised this was a punishment for his breaking his promise to Sangili. Deeply grieved, he prayed for and gota26 THE SAIVA SAINTS blind man’s staff on the way at Tiruvenbakkam. He plodded on and at the famous city of Kanchi got hack the vision of his left eye. Then again at Tirut-Turutti (modern Kuttalam in Tanjavur district) he was rid of an ailment afflicting his bodv. on bathing in the temple tank. He reached Arur. praved and got his sight restored in the right eye also. The poor man had further rebuffs here. Knowing of his second marriage at Otriyur, Paravai refused to see him. However, Lord Siva intervened as usual and went to her twice at dead of night as messenger for Sundarar. Paravai was vacified. and he had again a peaceful life at Arur. However, another devotee by name Kalikkamar living at Perumangalam heard of the Lord’s intercession and was very much upset in his heart against Sundarar. who had the audacity to employ the Lord for settling familv quarrels. The Lord however, desired the two devotees to be friends. So He caused Kalik- kamar to suffer from a severe colic. told him that Sundarar alone could cure it, and also ordered Sundarar to go to him. Rather than be treated bv ‘sinful’ Sundarar, Kalikkamar decided to give un his life bv tearing asunder his own howels with a dagger. When Sundarar came there and saw this. he was much moved by the devotion of Kalikkamar. Grabbing Kalikkamar’s dagger, he was about to kill himself, when by the Grace of God, Kalikkamar came back to life. The two men became fast friends. The ruler of the Sera eountry, bv name Seraman Perumal became an intimate friend of Suodarar. Seraman himself is acanonised Saint and he has sung a number of poems in praise of the Lord. When the two went to worship at Tiravaivaru, the river Kaveri was in full floods. There- upon Sundarar sang a song in praise of the Lord, when the floods stopped, allowing the friends to pass to the northern bank of the river to worship at the shrine. Then Sundarar accompanied Seraman to his capital city, staved with him some time and returned witha considerable bounty gifted hy him. On the wav, robbers wavlaid him and snatched awav the presents. He prayed to the Lord and got back the lost presents.SAINT SUNDARAR 27 During another trip to Seraman’s capital city later, he caused, by prayer to the Lord in the local temple, a crocodile to bring forth an young boy eaten up by it many years earlier. Afterashort stay in the city of Tiru Anjaikkalam he prayed to the Lord to take him back to the heavens. Accordingly, says the legend, a white elephant came forth from the heavens and carried him back to Kailas. Such is the story of Sundarar much more complex than the lives of either Appar and Sambandhar. He exemplified in his life his consciousness of both the immanence and the transcendence of God. Saint Sundarar was the third of the four spiritual preceptors of the Saivites. He is said to have lived round a. d. 700, (c. 690 to 708 a. d.). 2 We see a superhuman element introduced even at the birth of Sundarar. He was an attendant of God Himself in the celestial regions in the name of Alala- sundarar. He was fascinated by the beauty of two nymphs who were attending on Sakti, the consort of Siva there. Saivism, along with all the other branches of Hinduism, has the doctrine of karma at the root of all its philosophy Any man has to reap the fruits of his actions, bad as well as good: action meant not only deeds, but also thoughts. In this sense. Sundarar had to be born on this earth asa mortal and expiate his action in having had a fascination for the two nymphs. Hence his birth in this world, When Lord Siva came in the guise of an old brahmin to claim Sundarar as His slave. Sundarar called him, ‘‘You mad fellow.’* So when he told the Lord here that he did not know how to sing on Him, He suggested to him, ‘*Ycu called us mad fellow. Now begin your song with the woids ‘Mad fellow (pittan).”? St. Sundarar’s song begins with the word ‘pitta’.28 THE SAIVA SAINTS The marriage of Sundarar arranged by his parents in the usual course was stopped by the intervention of God Himself. who granted Sundarar the gift of singing melodious songs. Sundarar thereafter toured the Tamil country, visiting various shrines and singing God’s praise. One of the celestial nymphs was born at Tiru-Arur asa young damsel by name Paravi When Sundarar went to Arur, he saw her, fell in love with her, and appealed to God to unite her to him. The relationship which Sundarar claimed with God is some thing unique among Hindu legends. He orders Him about as a comrade while at the same time he does not forget His supremacy and his own bondage to serve him. Several miracles happen at the prayers of Sundarar to help Him on in this life. After a long period of pilgrimage and wanderings, Sundarar finally reached Tiru Otriyur. Here he met the second celestial nymph born as a young maiden named Sangili. He fell in love with her and desired to marry her. As was his habit he prayed to God to help him. Sangili. however, was a young girl who had determined to devote her life to the service of God, with no thought of marriage. The Lord of Otriyur appeared in her dream and asked her to marry Suudarar. She agreed but, being a very shrewd girl. reminded Him that Sundarar was already wedded to Paravai at Arur. He remembered this and so made Sundarar promise her never to leave her. Sundarar promised, and accordingly the marriage took place. Sundarar was then living with Sangili happily. Spring came. He was immediately reminded of the spring festival at Arur. He sings: “My Lord cf Arur Thou art the Sweet music, the joy resulting from music, and sweet nectar to me. . Thou art my comrade and my eomfort in all my vagaries.SAINT SUNDARAR 29 Thou gavest me beautiful Paravai and made me Thy slave, How can I, pitiable fool that I am, live away from Thee?” Of course he longed to go there and meet Paravai. So, casting his promise to the winds, he left Sangili and Otriyur, and started for Arur. The moment he crossed the limits of the town of Otriyur, he lost the vision of both of his eyes. He realised at once his. breach of promise to Sangili. but would not stop. He prayed to the Lord of Otriyur: ‘‘My Lord, I became Thy servant, with all my faults. Accept meas lam, with my faults. Amidst aJl_ my follies. I had never failed to praise Thy name. Suggest some remedy fer my eve sight. If it is Thy will that I be blind, grant me at least a blind man’s staff. Save me from being dragged at the end of a staff by a guide. When I call womenfolk in the house they will shout back, ‘‘Don’t call us, you blind fool !”* How can J bear this? How can I live after losing my sight ?”” The Lord did not restore his sight. Muttering against His unkindness, Sundarar proceeded on his travels to Arzr. The attributes of God are Truth, Justice, Mercy and similar divine qualities. But we find here that He does not allow Sundarar to take libert’es with Him and doesnot show him any lenience when his conduct becomes unethical. Sundarar continued his travels and some of his songs during this period, praying for relief from his affliction. are really inastrain of great humility, couched in simple but soulful and melodious language, poignant with deep feeling, with the conviction that he had erred and so had to suffer the fruits of his errant action before he could be pardoned. He sings at Tiru-mullai-Vayil30 THE SAIVA SAINTS My Lord, T had always considered Thy feet - as my greatest refuge'~ “ and the greatest truth, \ * and had by. virtue of Thy indulgence cared for no one and = perhaps indulged, in. improper conduct. Thou hast . made. me. blind because of my failure to act up to my promise to Sangili. In Thy infinite mercy, relieve me frem my af flicticn . Nothing happened here and agdin Sundarar proceeded to the next place, Tiru Veribakkam. In a few poignant verses he once again praved for the Lord‘s forgiveness. ‘* Lord. In the hope that Thou wouldst forgive my faults. 1 erred. But mercilessly Thou didst make me blind. When 1 have surrendered my entire self to Thy will. shouldst Thou not tolerate mv faults? My Lord. dost. Thou still remain in this temple, listening to my entreaties.?’” He continued : “After I had sald all this, the Lord replied: Yes, We are here: you may go!’?. However, a blind man’s staff was given to Sundarar here to feel his way and proceed. In answer to his ferverit prayers at Kanchinuram the great citadel of learning and culture, his’vision in the left eye was restored. Sundarar thereupon expressed his gratitude in a poem of 11 verses extolling the praises of the Lord. in giving him at least “one ¢ye with which he could see His lustrous Form. Travelling south,-in' due course he reached Tirut-Torutti, a,shrine in Tanjawur,district. Hgre in accord- ance with the Divine Will. he bathed in the temple taok apd.a bodilv disease. which was ailing him for some time, left him. Finally he reached Tiru Arur and there prayed to the Lord in words expressing his deep anguish and misery.SAINT SUNDARAR oS 31 for'thé restoration of sight in his right eye also. ‘‘Lord, T am Thy slave. unswerving, I pray to ‘none else. My agony isconsuming my heart; ‘and it ‘saddens 'my face. When persons like me go to Thee and tell Thee our: woes, Thou art silent and dost ‘not show mercy. - May Thou be blessed! ”” ‘ tee * ‘When Sundafar’ sang in this manner, his sight returned: and he was happy. He then sang a number of ecstatic-versés on the Lord’s mercifuiness and'then wetit to“the house of Paravai, his wife at’ Arur. “She had: heard ‘of his escapade at Otriyur and of his marriage with Sangili and so refused"to see him. Again he prayed as usual to the ‘Lord of Arur who itterceded with Paravai on behalf of Sundarar.at dead of night carrying Sundarar’s message twice, and once again proper’ undetstanding way restored between ‘the two. Then they lived happily for some tinfe: 7 Meanwhile, however this interlude of God interceding with Patavai on’ behalf of Sindarartaused a’ great revulsion against Sundarar in the mind* of ‘Kalikkamar; a ‘deeply” religious man." living about 40° miles from’ Artur!’ Sundarat* heard of the anger and vexation of Kalikkamar and prayed to” the Lord to pacify him. By divine will. a severe ‘colic’ afflicted Kalikkamar and ‘he“Was told that only SundaraY could cure him. Sundaraf dlso was directed to go to Kalik= kamar for the purpose! When Kalikkamar hedfd that Sundarar was approaching Wis place ‘to effect his cure, he toreasunder his bowels rather than get cured by Sundarar. When Sundarar came there~and’ saw this, he also decided to take his life, when “agairt by God’s will Kalik- kamar came back to life and the two devotees ‘were reconciled. Once when Sundarar went to worship in the Arur shrine as usual, Saint Viral-Mindar had also come there for wor- ship. There is a thousand pillared hall in the temple, where devotees of God congregate before and after worship, Viralmindar was staying in this hall along with others who had assembled for worship. He saw Sundarar going straightTHE SAIVA SAINTS 33, into the sanctum, without pausing to pay his .respects to the assembly of devotees gathered in the hall. He had heard of the repute of Sundarar as a devotee of God but had not so far met him. Now he was pained at the indifference of Sundarar towards men of God and exclaimed: ‘We consider Sundarar an alien, since he does not show respect to the Saiva devotees. We also consider the Lord who bestowed Grace on Sundarar, an alien!’’ Such was the stand which Viralmindar took. When Sundarar heard of this, he returned to the hall, paid obeisance to the men of God and sanga poem extolling the pious deeds of the holy men who had lived before his day. Siva guided him in composing this song by giving him the first line “thereof. By virtue of the song, Sundarar came in later years to be counted as 4 holy man himself. This is the poem Tiruttondat-Tohai in eleven verses which was the basis for Sekkilar’s Peri ya- puranam. Such in brief are the incidents in the life of saint Sundarar, where he was made to suffer for his unethical conduct. He might have been a comrade but that could not deflect the course of Divine Justice. Where he strayed from the accepted codes of ethical conduct, he had to undergo punishment and suffering in atonement. His role of a comrade did not confer on him any special privileges to behave-as he pleased. That is the one lesson we learn fiom the life of Sundarar, a lesson which is very significant in the modern era, where, under the cloak of democracy, people are more prone to ask for their rights and special privileges. than to adhere to their own duties and to ethical behaviour. We see that pious men are the earthly manifestation of God and worship of God is not different from worship or service to such holy men, in other words, service to humanity. We have had an insight into the life of Saint Sundarar and the lessons which that life teaches us. We have also seen how he called himself a companion of Siva and how this relationship did not save him from punishment and suffering whenever his conduct was unethical according to worldly standards.SAINT SUNDARAR 33 Sundarar is said to have sung 38 thousand poenrs in praise of God enshrined in the various temples in the Tamilnad. But only 100 of his poems were available in the 10th-11th centuries and these run to 1,026 verses, all set to music (pann)- These have been collected as the Seventh Book of the Saivite Canonical Books. They were actually sung by him during his visit to the temples for worship and they continue to be so sung in those temples by devotees even to this day. Each song has a tune called raga today but known as pann in the days of the Saints. Sundarar has sunga new pann, senturutti, not found in the songs of Saint Sambandhar. This points to the fact that there had been many more panns (tunes), but they had all disappeared. Of the four pathways to God (or margas) in Saivite religious discipline, Sundarar is “considered to typify the third path, Yoga or sahamarga (comradeship). Yoga has here its literal meaning, namely union, union of the individual self with the Cosmic Self; in Saivite parlance, it is the union of the soul at the Feet of God. Our Saint considered God as immanent, ever present with him and he has only to make a prayer to this immanent Being before God granted it or presented Himself before Him. This is what Sundarar implied when he spoke of God as a friend or companion. He sings: My Lord, enshrined in the temple at Kazhippalat ! Wherever Thy servant thinks of Thee, Thou appearest then and there, Standest by me; dost annul the fruits of my actions here and dost accept me as Thy servant. Sundarar is not a recluse; he does not have any objection to the enjoyment of the good things of the world. The life of Saint Appar was one of absolute renunciation, surrender and self-effacement. We donot find anywhere that the otheros THE SAIVA SAINTS Saint Sambandhar asked for the good things of life for himself. When they came, he took them in his stride; he did not ask for. them; all that he asked for was only the relief from suffering for the afflicted humanity. But the story of Sundarar is of a different cast. Though born a Siva brahmin, he was brought up in a royal household, where naturally he was in the fall enjoyment ofall luxury. He married twice and doubtless, suffered immensely also. But throughout his career, his attitude to life is one of fighting, and at the same time one of prayer. This is the keynote of all his songs. It is not easy, to comprehend and reconcile these two mutually opposing aspects, but this is Sundarar and most of his songs reflect this attitude. + ‘Saint Sundarer prayed to the Lord to give him food, gold, fine dress, trinkets and the like. He even asked for transport for food grains gifted to him by an admirer. When his eyesight was taken away from him, for his having broken his promise to his second wife Sangili, he prayed for a staff to lean on and then for the restoration of his sight. In all these prayers, his language is not one of meekness or subm ission, but one of taunting. challenge or even command. In all cases. his prayers are answered immediately or after a little delay. With all his challenge Sundarar calls himself a servant of the servants of God, and so, no wonder he was humoured by God: This aspect of the personality of Sundarar brings home one truth, namely that once the individual has made a total surrender of himself to God, his outward actions or words do not very much matter; one can enjoy the good things of life and yet realise the highest bliss. Sundarar frequently refers to God as the all-Merciful. God is always: forgiving. Whatever faults there may be in us, whatever deceits there may be in our actions, He is always willing to ignore them and grant us all that we want for the mere asking. Those that are born on this earth will certainly reach the heavens if they sing His praises here and serve Him.SAINT.SUNDARAR_ 3t Sundarar has been thinking very much of the ills and triseties in the world and therefore he enjoins people to pfaise God’s name. which will give them permanent relief from suffering. One of his favourite themes is helping others, giving food, telieving hunger and distress. God satisfies the hunger and cures the disease of those that sing his praises. “O Ye Poets! why do you waste your breath singiug eulo- gies on man? You bow before worthless people, praise them to the skies.and exhaust all the terms in the language, but those undeserving people do not give you anything. Please therefore do not cringe before such miserly people hereafter. Go to the Tirup-Puhalur temple.and sing the glory of the Lord there. He will lift you from all the ills of this life, give you proper food and clothing here, and take you to the heavens hereafter.’” And again: ‘‘Friends, Life is an illusion. Life is a prey to the pangs of hunger and to the cycle of births and deaths, Whatever you save and hoard is certain to be-tost. Forget al! that. Do good, distribute alms, and praise the Lord.’* He asks: ‘‘My Lord. what is this life after all? It is fleeting. We come into this world, dosome thing, dress well, ageanddie. Itisall mere words. TIrealise this and so resolutely pursue You. Show mea way to save myself.” At another place he goes on: *‘Life has no meaning. It is like a drop of .dew on the tip ofa blade of grass, which quickly fades before the rays. of the sun. should have thought of uniting my mind to your feet, long ago. But? had postponed this, saying I shall do this today, tomorrow and soon. Days have gone. Help me to redeem myself......I do not know to give away my possessions. Iam unable to shed my foibles and passions. The five senses are not under my control. They have had their full away over me. Old age is fast apporaching. The senses are about to abandon me. J shall then be a burden on Thee. Such is the nature of this life and Iam tired of it. [have now woke up and have now realised the Supreme Truth. Show mea way of redemption, my Lord!"*36 THE SAIVA SAINTS In several songs, Sundarar has sure in i of the services to be done to God and ‘ais reales sung of the ritualistic worship which His devotees will be performing in the orthodox manner enjoined in the scriptures. Yet his mind always dwells on the name of the Lord: «Now I have given up all other ties here, my Lord, and am holding fast to Thy Feet alone in my heart. Now I am reborn never to be born again. O Lord of Kodumudi whom the learned eatoll! My lips will not cease to lisp Th my mind fails to do so |’" ie heme eee . He always remembers a vision of God hehad at Sikali, the place of Saint Sambandhar and seeks refuge in that vision: ‘I am not aware of any refuge even in future births. Idid suffer but have now got the gift of never forgetting Him. Kith and kin do not exist for me, 1 surrendered myself to Him. He bestowed on me a vision of His Effulgence at Kalumalam, gave me wisdom, and showed me the manner of reaching Him’’. ‘‘He is moved by the services of His servants. He showers His Grace on the devotees who sing His praises and dance in ecstasy. He fulfils the ambitions of those who unite. their hearts toHim. He likes to dwell as a treasure in the hearts of pious people. He grants my prayers also’’. The greatest contribution of Saint Sundarar is his Tirut-Tondat-tohai, where in eleven verses he lists the names of the servants of God. This had given rise to the great epic poem Peri ya puranam about four and a half centuries later, singing of the glories of the human soul in its service to God and godly men, in surrender and self-effacement and in service to a larger humanity. The like of these stories do not exist in any language in any period and that is the pride of the Saiva community, a testament of devotion,where‘’stand the Saints of the ages. their hearts open to view, and lo! their hearts are the heart of the Eternal One’’. To summarise, God elected Sundarar as his companion. But Sundarar realised that his role was always that. of a servant in spirit, always trying to do His will, effacing self. The Lord and Master gives His devotee everything for the ae put man should not seek the pleasures of the earth ae ae illusory. He should always strive to reach Him throug! service to fellowmen, surrender and praise of His name.37 1. SAINT TIRU NILAKANTHAR . I am the servant of Thiru Nilakanthar the potter. Nilakanthar was a potter of Chidambaram, the most holy of all the sacred shrines of the Saivites. He and his wife, pious and religious people, were devoted to the worship of Siva in the Jocal shrine, Nilakanthar was in the habit of repeating the word Nilakantham (the blue throat), which is one of the names of of Siva. Legends say that when the angels and the demons churned the ocean of milk for obtaining nectar, a deadly black poison arose out of it; Lord Siva swallowed it so that it might not destroy all life, and kept it in His throat, which became blue on account of the black poison. He was known thereafter as Lord Nilakenthar. Now. our potter was practising his profession in the city. He made begging bowls of burnt clay and distributed them free to the Saiva religious mendicants who happened to pass through the city. This was the form of service which his devotion to God took. He was performing this service smoothly for quite a long time. One morning, his wife noticed him coming out of the house ofa prostitute. Herself a model of chastity, she got immensely angry, and when her husband returned home and came near her, she cried: ‘'In the name of the Lord Nilakantha, do not touch us’’. Nilakanthar stopped, as though stung. (A popular version of the legend tells us that Nilakanthar had just stopped in the portico of the prostitute to escape drenching by the heavy rain which was then falling and, when the rains had stopped, came away and that he had nothing to do with the prostitute.) The mention of the favourite sacted name Nilakantha stopped the husband and he replied: ‘‘My dear, you had sworn in the name of the Holy name Nilakantham. I shall not hereafter touch you. You said ‘us’. So in future shall never even think of any woman’’. True to his word, the38 THE SAIVA SAINTS humble pettes ‘continued to live with his wife for many years in this manner, leading a virtuous life. He had given up the desite of the flesh and himself and his wife lived together but not as man and wife. This relationship was not known to the Meighbours. Years rolled by and they had also passed their youth and had now become very old. Their celibate life had continued, along with their devotion to God. He was conti- nuing his service of distributing the begging bowls. Lord Siva, however, planned to cause such raré bhakti and adherence to a Vow to be made known to the people at large. So, He assumed the form of a beggar and, smearing the sacred ash on His body, He came along the street, chanting the Lord’s name with an alms bowl in his hand Nilakanthdr saw Him and, as usual took Him itto his house with dué respect and wished to entertain Mim. He asked Him, ‘‘Holy Sir, of what service shafl I be to you?” The begging devotee said. ‘‘Friend. Wedesire togoaway now But we shall leave this bow] with you and claim it at our leisure. Please remémbér this isa very raré bowl having the marvellous property of making every thing pure. This is to be treasured ttidte than gems or gold’’. Saying this, the visitor gave him His bowl and went away. Nilakantha received the bowl and stored it in a safe place. Along time passed. One day, the devotee suddenly’ appeared before Nilakanthar and claimed His bowl. But when Nilakanthar went imto his storé and léoked for it, he could not find it anywhere im the houdso. 2e had disappeared! He returned to the holy man and reported: “Revered Sir. your bow! seems to have been lost. Tt éoufd not find it akywhere. Edo not know how it disdppoaréd. fam very sofry for this. Bat I shall feplace it by a mew bowl. Kingly accept'a new bowl instéa *. The holy mati got wild. “*No’’. he cried, ‘‘l wan't only my owh Bowl. Even if sou’ substitute a golden bowl, I won't have it. You seem ta have a deceitful intention. You have robbed me of my valuable. property. | shall make your deceit public.’” , Fhe innocent potter protested, saying that he was prepared to da anything to prove his ifftocentow ia the mattef.SAINT TIRU NILAKANTHAR 39 The holy man said: ‘We shall believe your innocence if you grasp the hand of your son and together take a dip in the temple tank’’. Nilakanthar said, he had no son. The other then said: ‘In that case, take the hand of your wife and let both of you. haveadip in the temple tank’’. The potter, who had vowed hot to touch his wife, could not do that.. So he declined, saying that he had sworn not to touch his wife. The holy man took the matter to the Council of the temple ptiests, which ordered Nilakanthat to do the holy man's bidding. . Thereupon Nilakanthar went to the tank with his wife and protesting his innocence in the matter of the bowl, took a small bamboo stick, made his wife hold one end of it and himself holding the other end. plunged into the tank with her. But lo! whef thé two fose from the watér together, they were no longer the old couple that went into the water, but they were transformed into 4 pait of young man and woman in the full bloom of youth. The whole city, which had assembled there to witness the judgement on the dispute between the holy than ahd the potter, was amazed at thé change. The holy ian disdppéared and. in his place all the ptople Hada vision of God Siva in thé firmament. The gfeathess of Nilakanthar ahd his wifé in ovércoming the sétises was rhade kitown to thé peoplé, who now féalised that thé Beggitiig dévotée was ho other than God Siva Himself, who Kad appeated in ordér to make known the saintliness of Nilakanthar. The story illustratés the reveréncé with which pious péople held the Lord’s name and how it restrained people from sttaying from the path of right conduct. The incidéat of this stary is celébrated evén today in the lives of the people of ChiddmBaram, the most impottant femple city if South India, and now tlso the seat of d University. To the west ‘of the famous hatge teniple of Lotd Nataraja, there isa smaller téniple called the temple of the ‘-Lord who granted eternal youth’®, with a latge fank in front, called also ‘the tank of the Lord whd gratted eternal youth’. The incideat is elaborately celebfated in the annual festivals in the temple.40 THE SAIVA SAINT Nilakanthar was a potter, member of onc of the more humble castes. But by His devotion to the Lord’s name had risen above caste and today, he isa canonised Saint whose image, along with the others, is worshipped by the high caste people also in all the temples of Tamil Nad His name tops the list of Saints sung by Saint Sundarar by 700 4. D. The story of this Tiru Nilakanthar has been sung as a musical opera by many composers of a later day. 2. IYAL-PAHAI NAYANAR I am the serrant.of Iyal-pahat who never said ‘no’. In the lives of the Saints as recorded by Sekkilar, we come across many acts which the modern age of reason would term abnormalities. We are not referring to miracles. In an age which believed in miracles, naturally they served a higher purpose in helping good people and in making known their goodness to the unbelieving world. But they are not to be called abnormalities. Men have reached the highest planes of noble conduct, of sacrifice, of self-effacements they are possible and should not be confused with miracles. But there are certain other lives of conduct which are against all established codes of human behaviour, both natural and conventional. When a man gives away his wife to another who asks for her and when she also agrees to go with him, when another cuts up his only child to satisfy the apparent craving for human flesh of a visiting sannyasi and “when the child's mother agrees to the cutting up, we feel something is wrong and our mind revolts at such things. We term them abnormalities. These maybe apparent abnorm- alites. Normalcy or otherwise depends on the plane of existence. Allofus live on the average worldly plane ofTYAL - PAHAI 41 eating, earning, going about our business and enjoying, and thinking of other things like God, godly men, devotion, sacrifice and the like, only occasionally. The best of us may not do unrighteous things, may not do anti-social acts and so on; their plane of existence is our own normal plane; only their activities are tempered by more of. justice. more of dharma and more of truth than; the general run. They do not live for example on the plane in which Gandhi lived. We have known that his plane of existence was Truth in thought, word and deed. But we do oot live in such a plane nor do we aim to reach that plane, by conscious and constant practice. Then again we should remember there is a higher plane than this; and that is absolute devotion to God and sacrifice of every thing to God. Men like Gandhi had glimpses of such a plane but it was not for the common people. The following incident may be-of interest in this connection. When Gandhi enunciated his principles of basic education and wanted some one to take up that cause and give up everything else for it he fixed upon Aryanayakam who was then working with Tagore. Aryanayakam agreed but hesitated because of his wife Asha devi. ‘‘What if Asha devi does not join me in this work?’ he asked. Without the least hesitation, Gandhi replied; ‘‘Persuade her. If she is not willing to join you, divorce her !’" Such words to come from Gandhi’s lips! His followers would call this blasphemy. But it is the truth. Gandhi at that time was so much devoted to the cause of basic education that he considered no sacrifice too great for that cause. We would say that for a short period at least. Gandhi had risen to a higher plane and demanded and made great sacrifices which even his own ethical codes would not have normally approved. All this explanation is necessary to understand some of. the greatest sacrifices made by some Nayanmar and to understand their own conduct as against the approved ethical codes. The story of lyal-pahai is an instance.a2 THE SAIVA SAINTS Tyal-pahai was born in a merchant community in the ancient city of Puhar (otherwise called Kavirippumpattinam, capital city of the Chola emperors upto the 2nd century 4.¢.) He never said ‘no’ to any Siva bhakta who came to him for anything and this was celebrated as his chief attribute in legend and lyric Lord Siva once planned to disclose this noble trait of his to the world. So he took the. form of a brahmin, besmeared with the sacred ash. but voluptuous in appearance, and went to Iyal-pahai. He saluted the visitor and enquired the purpose of his visit. “* We had heard of the fame of your giving and if we can have your promise that you will give us what we want, we shall mention it.” ++ If [ happen to have what you ask, then it is certainly yours. Please mention it’’ .said Iyal-pahai. “I desire your wife.”” Jyal-pahai felt glad that the visiting brahmin after all specified some object which he possessed, He went to his very beautiful wife and told her, ““My dear, I Have now given you to this great sage’’. She was confused for an instant, but the next minute she was sure of herself; ‘‘My Lord, I have fo right but to do your bidding” she said, bowed to her husband and went and bowed before the visitor. “Any thing else that I can do?”’ asked Iyal-pahai. «(Please go with me when I am taking her and help me to pass this place and your kin.’” _*T should myself have offered to do it. Iam sorry] have waited for his request” thought Iyal-pahai and, arming himself with armour, sword and shield, followed the brahmin and his own wife. The news spread. His relatives armed themselves with many weapons and surrounded the brahmin saying, ne shal not allow the brahmin to take away lyal-pahai’s wifeSAINT MAARA OF ILAYANGUDI 43 although he had given her to him’’. ‘*You rogue, leave the lady here and then proceed’’ cried they. The brahmin looked at Iyal-pahai’s wife as though he was afraid. She assured him saying that Iyal-pahai would drive them away. When they attacked him, Iyal-pahai cut them all to pieces with his sword and then accompanied the two until they crossed Puhar into the next village Tiru-Saykkadu. ‘‘You may now return’’, said the brahmin. lyal-pahai again bowed before him and turned. Siva was immensely pleased. ‘This bhakta, has returned without even casting a look at his wife!*’ exclaimed He And then he cried, falsely. ‘*O lyal-pahai, help help, come here.’* lyal-pahai turned round and ran up but he saw not the false brahmin but saw instead on the high heavens the beautiful vision of Siva, with His consort Sakti, seated on their mount, the bull. He fell down and cried in sheer joy. Siva said, ‘Both of you follow me to Sivaloka’’. Aceordingly they went there into everlasting bliss. The relations who died in the battle with Iyal-pahai also reached the heavens. 3. SAINT MAARA OF ILAYANGUDI “1 am the servant of the servants of Maara of Ila yangudi” Feeding the poor religious mendicants had always been considered a meritorious act and an act of service to God Himself. A number of godly men had lived such a life of charity and public benefaction. Maara of the village of Iayangudi near Karaikkal was one such. He was a farmer, who had an abundance of not only material wealth, but also the wealth of goodwill in his heart, which went out to help the Poor and the hungry. He brought innumerable poor people to his house daily and treated them toa sumptuous feast, Material wealth had a limit and in course of time Maara reached that limit. His possessions dwindled and he had not44 THE SATVA SAINTS much with which to feed the poor. In order to test him and to make known the Jargeness of his heart te the world, Siva Himself came to him for food one night ata very late hour. There was a heavy downpour of rain. Maara received the guest as usual, took him in, dried all the rain water frum his body with dry towels and turned to his wife, to consider the question of giving him food. There was no food in the house and Maara and his wife were themselves without food that day. There was no money in the house and no borrowing was also possible. Feeding the hungry visitor was indeed a vexing problem then. Women are resourceful and the lady of the house had a bright idea, ‘*You had sown this morning some red paddy in the fields. That would be just how in the process of sprouting, Why can’t you go and gather it? | can make a decent meal out of it’’ said she to her husband. He jumped at the idea aud rushed to the fields. it was pitch dark. He felt the way with his feet and reached the ields. Raia was pouring in torrents. That did not frighten him. He gathered the germinating seeds carefully with both hands, placed them in a basket and brought them home to his wife. The good lady took the basket and washed the mud from the grains. . But now, there was no’ fire wood for cooking. This presented no problem to Maara. He went to the backyard. removed the tiles out of a small area of the roof, cut off the rafters and other timber on the roof and brought them in small pieces to his wife. She started a fire. dried the grains, removed the husk by pounding and prepared several dishes. Some greens grown in the kitchen garden helped her to make asoup. Maara was very glad that with the ingenuity of his +. wife he was able to give a good meal to the guest, He went and woke up the guest, who had apparently fallen jnto a short nap. But when he woke up, there was no yee of .the guest, but .@ great illumination “hit alp ithe place. ror ‘SAINT MAARA OF ILAYANGUDI 45 Before the puzzled Maara and his wife. Lotd Siva appeared In the heavens on the bull mount with His consort ‘and said: “Friends, we are pleased at the remarkable spirit of service and sacrifice shown by you. Hereafter you shall lead an affluent life here and in the end you shall go to the heavent and there enjoy eternal happiness.”” Very often we hear idle stories today, to the discredit of women folk in general, that they do not see eye to eye with their husbands and that they do not co-operate with them in acts of public service and munificence. Maara’s. wife gives the lie to such idle talk. She is a noble example of the ideal womanhood in the middle class families She was resourceful enough to suggest a way out when her husband was ina fix and was quick to apply herself to the task of dehusking the wet paddy and preparing a round meal therefrom. With the poor material available, she had prepared several. dishes! The selfless service of both,in the face of the direst adversity is a heart warming story, which will inspire and put fresh-hope in the hearts of even the most forlorn and dejected people. The reference to the red paddy in our ancient classics has a significance to the. modern pleasure-loying . world. People are fond of an easy life: they like things to be fashion- able; white sugar is preferred to brown, and white polished rice is preferred to brown rough unpolished rice. But we find here the classical writers always praising only red rice. as the one suitable for offering to God. Nowhere do we find white rice mentioned. It is always red paddy (sen-jaali) and .red sice.. This. rice may not.perhaps appear attractive but -is highly nutritive.. We find thus the stories of the Saints not only offering spiritual solace, but-also containing hints for physical well being.46 THE SAIVA SAINTS 4. SAINT MEYPPORUL “Tam the servant of Me ypporul, great in the art of Victory.” . The unity of India is best seen in the chronicles of the lives of great men who lived in all ages and in all the regions of this vast country and followed its different religious faiths. The lives of such men have been one living manifestation of the Truth-as each saw it. There is vast religious and devo— tional literature about such men of God in the Tamiy language. Such a man of God was Saint Meypporul (meaning, the Supreme Truth) whose anniversary is celebrated in November- December. He ruled over the small kingdom of Tirukkovalur now a taluk in South Arcot district of Tamilnadu. His date can now be fixed as earlier than the date of Sundarar, c. 700 4. D, He was a just ruler, a valiant warrior and a devout lover of God and a humble servant of the men of God It is said that he ruled the land as a trust from Lord Siva. Disciples of Satan have been many inall ages and, during Meypporul’ s time,.Muttanathan was one such slave of Satan in the neighbouring state. He coveted Meypporul’s state. But though he sustained a crushing defeat at the hands of Meypporul in several battles, his greed would not be crushed by defeat. What he could not achieve by valour’ he determincd to achieve by anactof perfidy. He knew that any one. who appeared externally in the garb of a Saivite devotee, would have easy access to the presence of Meypporu) ; his devotion to Siva’s symbol of the Holy Ash was so widely known. So, one fine ‘Svening, Muttanathan dressed himself like a follower of Siva with the sacred beads round his neck and his head, smearing holy ash liberally on his forehead and his body and carrying a dagger hidden, likea holy book in a satchel tucked under his left arm. The gatekeepers in the palace of Meypporul unhesitatiugly allowed hint t o pass in;SAINT MEYPPORUL a7 their orders were not to stop any devotee of Siva. Meypporul was in his private chamber with his wife. When Muttanathan reached that place, the Security Officer, by name Datta, stationed outside, stopped him. -‘Please wait’, he said, “the chief may be asleep. I shall ascertain ‘his pleasure’. But the determined rogue pushed him aside, saying “Tam going to teach him divine knowledge”’ and went in As he went in, the chief was sleeping. His wife seeing the visitor woke up her husband and stood aside. Meypporul got up, folded his hands in obesiance and said, “Blessed am I by your visit. What is yourcommand?’”? Muttanathan craf- tily said, ‘*I have come here to teach you a rare agama scripture not extant anywhere’” “*Twice blessed am I’’ said Meypporul, ‘‘please. deign to teach it’’, The false teacher said, ‘‘your wife should go. out and only we two should be here’’. On this suggestion, she immediately went out of the room. Then Meypporul seated him on a high pedestal and kneeled before him, like a true disciple, in a fitting manner. The artful guru. made a pre- tence of unfolding the satchel and of opening a book there from, took out the dagger and stabbed the kneeling form of Meypporul. Datta, the Security Off cer at the entrance, who was always lending an ear to what was happening inside, sprang on Muttanathan in one bound with his drawn sword. But the falling chief halted Datta with an upraised arm saying. ‘*Datta, our friend’’ Datta. feeling helpless at these words, cried. ‘‘woe into me that I am unable to help’’ and, suppor- ting the falling chief, asked him ‘‘What is your will?‘’ Meypporul gasped: ‘‘Take this friend and leave him un— harmed outside our state’’. But the incident was immediately known outside The king's followers crowded round the palace thirsting for the blood of the niurderer. But Datta stopped them with the words, *‘The king's will is that this sage should depart in peace’’ and, holding aloft his unsheathed sword, conducted the murderer to safety outside the state.48 THE SAIVA SAINTS Meypporul’s life was fast ebbing away but te held on with a superhuman effort of the spirit until Datta returned to say that Muttanathan had been led out of harm’s reach. The king cast a look full of gratitude on Datta saying, “‘Great indeed is the good done to me by this gentleman’’. To his other followers and subjects, he gave a parting message: “Love the Lord through the love of His symbol, the Holy Ash’’. With these words, his spirit came to rest at the feet of the Lord. Meypporul’s devotion to Siva took the form of devotion to one particular symbol, the Holy Ash. Whenever he saw the symbol, there was complete surrender on his part. That the user of the symbol was hls own sworm mortal enemy did not affect Meypporul’s allegiance. Even at the point of his own death, he was anxious that his stayer should be saved. Such is the simple story of this great soul, who as a valiant soldier had defeated his adversary in battle, but, as a man of God, practised ahimsa to the letter, by ensuring that his very murderer came to no grief. only because he wore the garb of a follower of Siva. Meypporul followed Truth as he saw it and smilingly gave up his life for it. No wonder his personal name was forgotten and he is remembered in the Book of Saints as‘‘the Supreme Truth’’. His end has a parallel in Mahatma Gandhi’s life and death in many ways. 5. SAINT VIRALMINDAR “I am the servant of Viralmindar of Sengunrur encircled by large groves” The story of Abu Ben Adhem is well known among ‘schoo! children, through a short English poem: taught in the class room. He was considered by the angel in the story as the first among the lovers of God because of his love for fellow. beings. The lives of the saints in any religion or in any language is virtually the lives ofSAINT VIRALMINDAR 49 men who did service not only to God, but to fellow beings as well, in other words to men of God. The Periya puranam of Sekkilar extolls love and service to godly men. He took the cue for his hstory from a poem of Saint Sundarar, which om turn was caused by a remark of a worshipper of godly men. by name Viralmindar. He was born in a velalar family in Sengunrur in the west, the Malainadu. He worshipped Siva, thereby to sever all worldly ties. He was always in the habit of worshipping Siva bhaktas before worshipping Siva. Once worshipping at the various shrines, he reached Ticu Arur. There he worshipped Siva and his bhaktas, and stayed there in the thousand-pillared hall, Saint Sundarar went there to worship. But he did not offer worship to the bhaktas assembled in the hall but just went in and prayed in the central shrine. Viralmindar felt not a little enraged. He declared before the assembly of the bhaktas, ‘‘We repudiate Sundarar who does not bow before God’s servants and repudiate also his Lord, Siva’’. But the attitude of Sundarar was different. He was thinking perhaps that he was unfit to worship the Siva. bhaktas in the hall, saying to himself, ‘‘When is the day which would make me a servant of these’?? When he worshipped the feet of Siva in the sanctum of the temple, the Lord taught him the essential greatness of the Siva bhaktas: ‘In their greatness they equal only themselves. Through their servitude, they have realized Us. By their single-minded devotion they could even overcome the world. They have no blemish. They are in the rare state of service and ‘derive joy through their devotion. They are beyond the experiences of this birth and the next birth. Do then go to them.’’ Having thus instructed Sundarar in the greatness of the bhaktas, Lord Siva directed him to sing on them. Then he asked Him to instruct him in the manner of singing on them. The Lord thereupon gave him the first line, ‘I am the servant of the servants of the Andanar ‘of Tillai’? and bade50 THE SAIVA SAINTS him continue. Sundarar continued the song and completed it in elevan verses. The song has since come to be known as Tirut-Tondat-tohai, the song on the servants of God. Thus the devotion of Viralmindar to godly men had been responsible in bringing out the song on such men and indirectly in causing the Peri.yapuranam also to be written ata later date. Indue time, Viralmindar was raised to the state of head of Siva’s forces. 6. SAINT AMARNITI “

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