Periyapuranam (20 - Part (i))

[Guest guest]

Sai

Ram Brothers & Sisters

 

This

is the continuation of the “Periyapuranam

Series”…………………..

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">This is the life story

of a Nayanar who was named as “Thirunavukkarachar” (meaning

"the King of the Tongue") by the Supreme Lord

Himself who gave the holy Vedas, and saluted by the child prodigy Thirunyanachampandhar as

“

font-style:normal">Appar” with

great devotion. He was such a great devotee and he had so much of Lord’s

grace in his life, so hope to write his life story in few parts.

10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue">20. THIRUNAVUKKARACHU

NAYANAR (Part i)

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue">The kingdom called Thirumunaippadi,

situated in the central part of Thamilakam, was fertile with lots of water and

soil resources. In that same Kingdom superior devotees of the Lord Shiva Thirunavukkarachar and

font-style:normal">Sundharar were

born! Among the prosperous towns of that kingdom, due to its spreading of the

fragrance of shaivam the town called Thiruvamur,

is outstanding. In that land covered by green paddy clothing, there lived a

couple of good hospitality Pukalanar and

his wife

font-style:normal">Madhiniyar in

the profession of removing the world's hunger - agriculture. That blessed couple

gave birth to the wealth - a girl

by the name of

font-style:normal">Thilakavathiyar. After a few years

they got a son - a sun to drive away the ignorance from the hearts of people by

his magic words of complete love - and named him Marunikkiyar (meaning

“remover of illusion”).

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue">When Thilakavathiyar completed twelve,

the Colonel of the king by name Kalippakaiyar who

had a lot of love for the Lord wanted to get married to her. With the both

sides accepting happily to the marriage the procedures started. At that time

Kalippakaiyar had to go on the request of the king to the Warfield to fight

against a King of north. So he went before getting married. Meanwhile Pukalanar

fell sick and reached heaven and Madhiniyar followed him unable to bear the

shock. When the grief stricken children Thilakavathiyar and Marunikkaiyar

received the message of the death of the valiant Kalippakaiyar in the

battlefield they shattered into pieces. Thilakavathiyar felt that when

her parents decided to get her married to him, then itself she had become one

for him. So she did not want to live without him.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">Marunikkiyar held the

feet of his sister and cried that he was still surviving after their parents'

passing away only because he was able to salute her and live, if she also

decided to leave him alone in the world then he would prefer to die first. That

merciful soft-hearted lady made up her mind for her loving brother. She lived a

saintly life - away from all the lures of the world with pure love for all the

lives. Marunikkiyar

trying to come out of the gloom involved himself in doing charities, set up

inns, water shelters and hosted the hungered. He started thinking about the

uncertainty in life and analyzed the religions. For realizing the Truth above

all one should have His grace. For drinking water just thirst is not sufficient

but there should be water source as well. As the Lord did not show him the

truth then, he was attracted by the glitter of non-violence of Jainism while

its philosophies were incomplete and impractical.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">He went to a place

called

font-style:normal">Patalipuththiram (Kadalur) which

was famous for the Jain institutions. He learnt the scriptures of that religion

with the real spirit and was praised for his knowledge by the Jains over there.

He was given the title “Dharma Senar” by

them. The entire Jain groups were happy to have such a superior leader. During

this period Thilakavathiyar stayed away from all the relations with the

relation of all the lives - the Lord Shiva in the holy place Thiruvadhikai.

She did all the services in all humbleness to the Lord. That woman of pure

heart prayed to the God many times to rescue her younger from the ignorance and

show him His grace. She was more than a mother for Marunikkiyar, she not only

brought him up but also praying day and night for him to realize the truth in

life - she became her guide and philosopher too.

color:blue">

bold">The Light of the Universe appeared in the dream of that saintly lady and

blessed her not to worry. He would bring Marunikkiyar to the right path, who

was doing austerities in the previous births to reach Him, by giving the

font-weight:bold;font-style:normal">Chulai disease

font-weight:bold">

color:purple;font-weight:bold">(a terrible stomach pain).

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue">Like the mother who beats her child in

order to correct, the Merciful Lord gave the unbearable pain in his stomach.

Dharma Senar rolled down and screamed unable to tolerate the terrible pain.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold">No medicine was useful

to mitigate it. Appalled by the severity of the disease the Jains who torture

themselves in the name of attaining liberation, chanted all the mantras they

knew and gave the water thus obtained to him. Instead of alleviating the pain

it amplified. They touched throughout his body with the peacock feather. It did

not stop him from screaming. Frightened and confused the Jains gave up their

efforts. With raising

pain and nobody to help, Marunikkiyar remembered his loving adorable sister. He

sent a person to convey his pain to Thilakavathiyar.

bold">She though felt pity for her brother conveyed back to him out of her

strong determination for seeking his permanent betterment and not just the

curing of this illness that she would not come to the place of Jains.

color:blue">There was the grace of God for Marunikkiyar to come to a decision

that he would leave the company of Jains and submit himself to his sister. He

left all the symbols of Jainism there itself and

proceeded to Thiruvadhikai. He clad himself in a white cloth and

reached the hut of Thilakavathiyar and fell on her feet. Praising the glory of

Lord Shiva she upraised him and

told, "It is the grace of that matted haired Lord. Surrender yourself to

Him who smashes down the painful bonds of His asylum seekers and serve

Him". She gave him the Holy ash chanting His Holy five letters,

before taking him to the Supreme's abode in Thiruvadhikai. Accepting humbly the

Holy ash of the Lord who owns all the wealth, he thought he got the real prosperity

in life. In a blooming morning the caring sister took him to the temple with

the service instruments for the Thirupallieluchchi (name of the first worship

in the temple - meaning the prayers for waking up the Lord who never sleeps).

Prostrating to the Lord who is the king of all the

medicines including for the illness of bonds and births, Marunikkiyar sang the

Thevaram (hymn) "Kurrayinavaru Vilakkakilir", that should even melt a

stone like heart.

color:purple;font-weight:bold">The God who is melted very easily with pure

devotion, immediately removed his illness. Thrilled with happiness he thanked

the Lord who took him out of the ocean of suffering and darkness of ignorance.

By the grace of the Lord there rose a voice, "As you sang the beautiful

hymns enriched with nice words of excellent meaning, let your name be praised

in the worlds as Navukkarachu " (the King of the Tongue).

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue">

color:blue">

"Comic Sans MS";color:green">All the creatures surrounded by bonds are

subjected to ignorance, illusion and the effects of the past deeds. There could

be hardly few exceptions to this. It is the quality of the great that once they

get a thread to come out of this situation they raise to the peaks of knowledge

and not only that they stand like the full moon that reflects the light of the

Sun - like that of the God, to the world that is in complete darkness. In one

song if the God says to him that he is the king

of words, what a great transformation his mind would have achieved it.

He is so great and a huge mass of devotees would be always expressing their

gratitude to him for the unparalleled words of devotion he has expressed in his

hymns.

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue">

10.0pt;font-family:Arial">

Attachment: (image/jpeg) image001.jpg [not stored]