witness 2

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WITNESS-2 -MARKANDEYA MAHARISHI AS A WITNESS

 

 

Is the term "kari" used by nam AzhwAr. Thamizh is a very rich language.Each word

has several meanings. "kari" is one such word.

It means coal. It refers an elephant. Here it alludes to sAkshi-witness.

 

swAmi nam-AzhwAr has used this word in poliga-poliga padhigam. He has referred

to mArkaNdEya maharishi as a witness.

 

"niRuthi num vuLLthuk koLLum dheivangaL ummai vuyyakkOL,

maRuthum avanOdE kaNdEr mArkaNdEyanum kariyEa,

kaRutha manam vonRum vENdA kaNNan allAl dheivam illai,

iruppadhellAm avan mUrthiyAya avaRkEA iruminEA" thiru voi mozhi 5-2-7

 

It may be thus observed that mArkaNdEyan has been cited as a witness here in

this pAsuram. What for? This is being discussed in the context of, whether

other demi-gods can rescue us? For this AzhwAr summons this muni and recalls

that event. This pAsuram read with another will throw light on that event. In

thiru voi mozhi 7-5-7

 

"...vaNduN malarth thongal mArkaNdEyanukku vAzhu nAL, iNdai sadai mudi Esan udan koNdu vusAch chella

koNdanguth thannodum koNdu, vudan chenRadhuNarndhumEA" AzhwAr has referred to the same event.

 

 

It is well known that mArkaNdEayn's parents were granted a boon that they will

be granted a wise son but his longevity will be limited. The son was a devotee

of shivA. When parents grieved that the death for their son was nearing,

mArkaNdEayn told them not to worry and appraoched shivA, whom he had been

worshipping all along and requested for further lifetime. shivA displayed his

long hair in private, thus enunciating to mArkaNdEayn that he is also a soul

like mArkANdEyan and the only person who can rescue him, grant him salvation,

full of auspicious qualities is sriman nArAyaNA. The Lord granted him his wish,

as if he had been recommended by pirAtti. Edu vyAkyANam is wonderful:

"oru nALilE vandhavARE, thalaik kadaiyum puzhaikkadaiyum adaithu, jadaiyai

virithuk kAtti,......vunakkOr Asrayanam kAttap pArAi! enRu, avan saulabhyAdhi

gunangaLaiyum, mOksha parathvathvAdhi gunangaLaiyum vusAvik koNdu, sarva lOkan

pakkalilE chendRAn,.... oru pirAtti purushakAramaga varuvAraik kaik koLLimAp

pOlE, kaik kONdu..."

 

The idea here is that the demi-deities cannot help the souls. They cannot grant

mOksham or greater long term benefits. They are subservient to the Lord like

other souls. For this, the aforementioned mArkaNdEyan's experience is called as

a witness.

 

Here the supremacy of the Lord is established and counselling is done by AzhwAr

which is aptly mentioned by mAmunikal as

"vulagil thirundhAdhar thammai thiruthiya mARan sol"

(to be continued)

vanamamalai padmanabhan