The blemish on the thigh - Part 2 - [agathiyar] Anandasagara Stava

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At 05:37 PM 7/17/02 +0800, JayBee wrote:

>

> The marvellous project of building the Vasantha Mantapam

>was assigned to Sumanthira Aasaari.

>>The pillars at the front, near the kolu mantapam have the statues

>of all the Nayakkar kings who ruled Madurai before Tirumalai. The

>final statue is that of Tirumalai himself. All the Naayakkars are

>surrounded by their wives.

> Sumanthira himself was crafting the statues of Tirumalai

>and his wives.

> When Sumanthira was sculpting the thigh of the younger

>ueen, his chisel slipped and broke off a chunk from the thigh.

> Sumanthira cast the whole pillar aside and ordered a new

>slab of stone and started making the statues. Again the chisel

>slipped in the same place and caused the same damage.

> Sumanthira again ordered a new stone and started back aagin.

> For the third time, the chisel caused the same damage.

> Sumanthira was flabbergasted.

> At that time, the Minister Niilakanta Diikshitar was around.

>He was told about the mishap.

> Niilakanta told Sumanthira that the young queen had a

>blemish in the thigh according to 'Saamudrika Lakshana'. Hence

>the pillar need not be changed. So no change was made.

>

 

 

It is still found as such.

The statue can be seen inside the 'Pudhu Mantapam'. Thats

what the Vasantha Mantapam is now called.

You can't go to the pillar because the whole place is

enclosed withing spear-railings. And there are shops and shops and

shops surrounding it.

I first wrote about the satutue and Samudrika Lakshanam

a few years ago. I wanted to check the truth of the story.

How I searched and finally found the statue after some years

is a story by itself.

The blemish is still there.

I have taken some pictures which you can see in the

following URL -

 

http://www.geocities.com/jaybee555/arasi.jpg

 

A closer view -

 

http://www.geocities.com/jaybee555/arasitod.jpg

 

Regards

 

JayBee

 

 

> Tirumalai was wrath-filled and went back to his andhapuram.

>He called the young queen and inspected her thigh.

> There it was.

> Now a terrible suspicion filled the heart of Tirumalai.

> Immediately he sent his warriors to catch Niilakanta and

>blind him.

> The soldiers proceeded to Niilakanta's palace.

> Niilakanta was doing his puja at that time.

> Through his powers of telepathy, he knew that the soldiers

>were coming to blind him.

> He did not want to be humiliated in such a way. So he blinded

>his own eyes with the burning karpuura flame by himself after the puuja.

> Tirumalai heard about this and regretted his mistake after

>realising the innocence of Nillakanta.

> It was after that, that Niilakanta sang those beautiful hymns.

> When he sang about the beautiful eyes of Miinaakshi and

>regretted that he was unfortunate enough not to be able to see those

>beautiful eyes anymore, his eye sight was restored by the

>Grace of Miinaakshi.

> Tirumalai wanted to reinstate Niilakanta as the minister,

>but Niilakanta declined.

> Triumalai gave him an 'Aachaarya BOgam' in TirunelvEli territory

>where Niilakanta retired and spent his remaining Golden Years in

>harmony with nature and the Goddess.

>

>Regards

>

>JayBee

>

>>

>>>As

>>>soon as he finished singing the sixty-first verse, the goddess

>>>appeared before him and granted him vision. From then on, he

>>>completely devoted himself to the service of Sridevi. This fine hymn

>>>is not only known for its poetic brilliance, but also for its intense

>>>emotions. The poet has brought out the essence of the entire

>>>Upanishads in this hymn, in a simple lucid manner. ##

>>>

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