Spiritual Stories by Ramana

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THE FIRE OF DEVOTION

 

With reference to a devotee's account of the miraculous appearance of

sugar candy and almonds, which dropped into the hands of some ladies

in a trance, Bhagavan replied, " We hear of so many things. There are

certain sects which work for such things. But who sees or gets them?

You must see that. In the Periyapuranam a similar occurrence is

mentioned. "

 

KARAIKAL AMMAIYAR WAS a great devotee of Lord Siva and a poetess, many

of whose verses are still preserved. She was the wife of a rich

merchant of Karaikal, whose name was Paramadattan (meaning `one

endowed with heavenly gifts'). Her own name was Punithavathiyar

(meaning `the pure one'). She was very devout, and especially eager to

entertain all devotees of Lord Siva that came to her door. One day her

husband received from some persons who had come to him on business a

present of two mangoes of a very superior variety which he sent home

to his wife. Soon afterwards, a holy devotee came to her house as a

mendicant. Since she had no cooked food ready to offer him except some

boiled rice, she gave him one of the aforesaid mangoes along with the

rice. At noon her husband returned and after having his meal ate the

remaining mango. It pleased him so much that he said to his wife,

" There were two, bring me the other. " She went away in dismay, but

remembering that the Lord to whose servant she had given the fruit,

never deserts those who serve Him, she offered a mental prayer, and

straightaway found a mango in her hand, which she took to her husband.

Being a divine gift, it was of incomparable sweetness, so he asked

her, " Where did you obtain this? " She hesitated at first to reveal the

wonder that had taken place on her behalf, but thinking that she ought

to hide nothing from her husband, she told him everything. He gave no

credence to her words, but roughly replied, " If that is so, get me

another like it. " She went away and said in her heart to God, " If You

do not give me one more fruit, my word will have no weight! "

Immediately she found another fruit in her hand. She brought this

fruit to her husband but as soon as he took it, it disappeared.

Wondering at this strange happening, he concluded that his wife must

be a divine being and therefore decided that he should no longer live

with her. However, he revealed this decision to no one. One day he

quietly hired a ship on which he placed a great deal of his wealth,

and then on an auspicious day, worshipped the god of the sea. With

sailors and a skilful captain, he set sail for another country where,

by trading his merchandise he accumulated a fortune. After some time

he returned and came to another city in the Pandiyan kingdom, where he

married a merchant's daughter and lived in great luxury. A daughter

was born to him, whom he named Punithavathi after his first wife,

with whom he had feared to remain but for whom he retained

great reverence.

 

After a while, his return and prosperity became known to his friends

in Karaikal, who resolved to compel him to receive again his first

wife, their kinswoman, whom he had deserted. They accordingly

proceeded to his new residence, carrying with them in a litter his

saintly spouse, Karaikal Ammaiyar. When he heard that she had arrived

and was halting in a grove outside the town, he was seized with great

awe. He proceeded with his second wife and daughter to where, she was

camping – surrounded by her relatives. He prostrated before her with

profoundest reverence, saying, " Your slave is happy here and

prosperous through your blessings. To my daughter I have given your

sacred name, and I constantly adore you as my tutelary goddess! " Poor

Punithavathiyar was utterly confounded by this salutation and worship,

and so took refuge among her relatives, who all asked with wonder,

" Why is this madman worshipping his own wife? " To this Paramadattan

replied, " I myself saw her work a miracle, so I know that she is no

daughter of the human race, but a divine being. Therefore I have

separated myself from her, and I worship her as my tutelary deity and

have dedicated my daughter to her " . Hearing this, Punithavathiyar

pondered over it and prayed within herself to Siva, the Supreme Lord,

saying, " O Lord, this is my husband's belief. So take away from me the

beauty that I have till now cherished only for his sake. Remove from

me this burden of flesh, and give to me the form and features of those

who always attend on Thee, and praise Thee. " Immediately, by the grace

of God, her flesh dried up and she became a skeleton, becoming one of

Siva's hosts whom the earth and the heaven hold in reverence. Then the

gods sent down a rain of flowers, heavenly minstrels resounded, and

her relatives paid obeisance to her and departed in awe. Having thus

assumed the form of a skeleton, she lived in the wild jungle of

Alankadu, and through the inspiration of God she sang several sacred

poems, which are sung even to this day. After some time there came

upon her an irresistible desire to see the sacred Mount Kailas, so

with great speed she travelled northwards till she arrived at the foot

of the Mountain. Considering that it was not right to tread on the

Holy Mountain by foot, she began to climb it with her feet in the air

and with only her head touching the ground.

 

The goddess Uma, Siva's consort, saw her ascending in this manner and

said to Her Lord, " Who is this that approaches in this strange

fashion, a gaunt skeleton sustained only by the power of love? " Lord

Siva replied, " She is Karaikal Ammaiyar, and she has obtained this

form by her prayers. " When She drew near, He addressed her with words

of love, calling her `Amma' (Mother), a name which she bears ever

since. As soon as she heard the word she fell at His feet and

exclaimed, " Father! " Siva then said to her, " What boon do you wish to

ask from me? " She replied, " O Lord, grant undying love and infinite

blessedness to me, Your slave. I would be glad never to be born on

earth again, but If I must be so born, grant me at least that I may

never, in any form or at any time forget You, my Lord; and when You

perform Your sacred mystic dance, may I stand in rapture at Your feet

and sing Your praise " . The Lord replied, " In Alankadu you shall see my

dance, and with rapture you shall sing. " Then the holy Karaikal

Ammaiyar returned to Alankadu, still covering the distance on her

head, and there she beheld the Lord's sacred dance, and sang her

renowned lyrics in His praise.

 

Karaikal Ammaiyar's devotional hymns form sixth part of Thirumurai.