Periyapuranam (12)

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Sai

Ram Brothers & Sisters

 

This

is the continuation of the “Periyapuranam

Series”…………………..

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font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">12. KARAIKAL

AMMAIYAR

font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">"Punithavathiar" (meaning Pure Lady) as

Karaikal Ammaiyar was called (who lived in

the 6th Century), was born in a Vaisya family. Her father

was Danadathan. He was a wealthy merchant. He was very virtuous, too. He and

his dutiful wife prayed to the Lord for a child, and they were blessed the a

baby girl. They called her as Punithavathy.

color:blue;font-weight:bold">From her childhood, Punithavathy had an intense

love for Lord Shiva and His devotees.

bold">She never missed an opportunity to serve His devotees.

She was married to Paramadattan, a wealthy merchant. Both of them were

leading an ideal householder’s life.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">One day, her husband

received two mangoes of a very superior kind from some people who had

come to him on business. He sent those mangoes home to his wife with a

message to retain them till he come home for lunch as they were of a special

kind he wanted to taste them.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">Soon after-wards, a

holy devotee of Lord Shiva arrived at the door step of

Punithavathiyar.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">The devotee arrived at

a time when no cooking has been done thus she had nothing ready to offer him

except some boiled rice. As there was no other side dish, she

offered him boiled rice and one of the mangoes cut into pieces which her

husband has sent bit earlier. At noon, her husband returned home

to have his lunch. After the lunch he ate

the second mango.

bold">As it was very sweet and juicy he was so pleased with it and wanted

to eat the other one as well. He asked his wife to serve the

second mango as he sent two to her.

bold">Punithavathoyar was perplexed, as she had already given the other mango

to the mendicant. She was scared to tell him the truth of that she has

already offered to another as she gave it without his permission even

after she was specifically told by him to keep them with her till he comes

home.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:purple;font-weight:bold">In a helpless

situation the only solution she could think of was to pray to Lord Shiva. Immediately

she offered fervent prayers to the loving Lord Shiva who never deserts those

who serve Him. All compassionate Lord immediately answered her

prayer and a mango was found in her hands.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold"> Without saying

anything she served the divine mango to her husband.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">As the mango was a

divine gift, it was of wonderful sweetness much more juicy and sweet that the

previous one. Due to the extraordinary sweetness he got bit suspicious and

asked her how she got it.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">Though she

hesitated first, when he kept asking finally she revealed the truth

of what happened. Her husband did not give

much credence to her words and asked her to get another mango in the same way.

She went away and prayed to her Supreme Lord again and immediately she

found another fruit, which looked lovelier and sweeter than the previous

one in her hands.

color:purple;font-weight:bold">When she carried this to her husband he took it

in astonishment. But, behold! It forthwith vanished.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">Utterly confounded by

these wonderful happenings, he came to the conclusion that his wife was a

supernatural being whom he dared not touch with carnal thoughts, and resolved

to go away from her. Her husband did

not reveal his decision to anybody, but quietly equipped a ship in which he put

in a great part of his wealth, and then, on an auspicious day, worshipping the

God of the sea, with sailors and a skilful captain, set sail to another country,

where he accumulated a fortune, and after some time, came back to India to

another city in the Pandyan land. There he married another merchant's daughter

and lived in great luxury. A daughter was born to him.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">To her, he gave the

name of the wife with whom he dared not live, but had great reverence.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">His friends in

Karaikal, who resolved to compel him to receive his first wife again, knew his

return and prosperity. Accordingly they

proceeded to the new residence of the merchant, taking his saintly wife in a

litter.

bold">When her husband heard that his first wife was staying in a grove outside

the town, he proceeded with his second wife and daughter, to the place where

his first wife was camping. Reaching there, the husband at once

prostrated with profoundest reverence before her and said that he was her slave

and that he was happy and prosperous through her benediction.

bold">His first wife Punitavatiyar became confounded by the salutation and

worship and took refuge among her kinswomen, who all cried out, "why is

this mad man worshipping his own wife?"

bold">To this Paramadatta replied that his wife is not an ordinary lady, but a

supernatural being. So, he ceased to look upon her as his wife and worshipped

her as their tutelary deity and also dedicated his daughter to her.

bold">Punitavatiyar pondered over the matter and prayed within herself to

Lord Shiva to take away her beauty that she cherished up till now for the sake

of her husband and give her the form and features of one of the demon-hosts

('Bhutaganas') who are attendants of Lord Shiva.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:purple;font-weight:bold">That very instant,

by the grace of God her flesh dried up and she became a demoness, one of Lord

Shiva's hosts. Heavenly minstrels sang

her praises and her relatives, in fear and awe, paid her adoration and

departed.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">So, she had now become

a demoness and her abode was the wild jungle of Alangadu (forest of Banyan

trees).

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">Through inspiration

from God, she sang several sacred hymns, which are preserved to the present

day. Alangadu is 40 miles from Thanjavur.

bold">Afterwards, she got an irresistible desire to see the sacred Kailaya.

With inconceivable speed she fled northwards till she arrived at the foot of

the mountain and realizing that it was not right to climb the heavenly mountain

with her feet, she threw herself down and measured the distance with her head.

bold">Uma, the consort of Lord Shiva, beheld her thus ascending and enquired

her husband about the demoness. To this, Lord Shiva replied that the

mighty demon-form was the Mother, who obtained this form by her prayers. When

she drew near, Lord Shiva addressed her with the words of love calling her by

the name of Mother ("Ammaiyar"), which she forever bears.

bold">As soon as she heard the word, she fell at his feet worshipping and

ejaculating, "Father!" She worshipped Lord Shiva to grant her

a boon that she should no more be born on earth and if she did, then she should

be born as a devotee of the Lord who in any form, at any time, will not forget

The Lord and that when the Lord performs the sacred mystic dance, she should

stand beneath the Lord's feet and sing in His praise.

bold">Lord Shiva granted her the boon and asked her to stay at Thiruvaalangadu.

bold">Then, the sacred Mother of Karaikal returned, measuring the distance

still on her head, to holy Alangadu where she beheld her God's sacred dance and

sang her renowned lyrics in His praise.

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10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green;font-weight:bold">N.B

color:green;font-weight:bold">Karaikal Ammaiyar temple is located in the center

of Karaikal. The main Goddess is Punithavati, also known as "Karaikal

Ammaiyar". The “Mangani Tirunal” (the festival of the mango

fruit) is observed in the month of Aani (June-July) on Pournami (full-moon)

day. The belief is that Karaikal Ammaiyar gave Annam (food) to Bhikshatanar (Lord

Shiva) during his tour round the world begging alms, with curd rice and

mangoes. To commemorate this incident, curd rice with mango is distributed on

this festival day.

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10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Sai Ram

10.0pt;font-family:Arial">

10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Shivathmika

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