Saint Sketch -7- Sri Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval -Part-2 By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji

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Radhe Krishna To All,

 

The king of Tirichirapalli was a devout Vaishnavaite (devotee of Lord Vishnu). A

few people, who had heard the discourses of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval felt that he

had more leaning towards Lord Shiva than Lord Vishnu. They voiced their opinion

to the king and wanted him to test the devotion of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval towards

Lord Vishnu. The king, who was a great devotee himself, did not like the idea of

testing a saint and also feared that it might bring downfall to him and his

kingdom. However, the desire to know the heart of this saint sprouted in him and

hence he decided to test Sri Shridhara Ayyaval without malice and hit upon a

plan.

 

He ordered the priests to dress up Sri Mathrubhuteshwara, Lord Shiva in

Tirichirapalli as Lord Krishna and take Him in procession. He thought that Sri

Sridhara Ayyaval’s reaction would indicate his bias, should he have any. When

the procession passed through the home of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, he was

meditating on Lord Shiva. Once out of his trance, he came out of his home

hurriedly and finding Lord Krishna there spontaneously prayed to Lord Krishna

" Oh! Lord Krishna! When will I spend every moment of my life in meditating on

your Lotus Feet by reminding myself of the transitory nature of this world,

being humble, knowing my deficiencies, turning blind to other's faults, being

compassionate towards all living beings, being a servant of the devotees of the

Lord and eyeing both joy and sorrow alike? "

 

He thus composed 12 verses known as 'Krishna Dwadasa Manjari'. In a few verses

in this, he did not hesitate to sing that Lord Krishna's vision was not easy for

Lord Shiva Himself! Hearing this, the king was relieved and the people who had

induced him to test fell at Sri Shridhara Ayyaval's feet and apologized for

their ignorance and arrogance. Knowing Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to be a great saint

of uncommon devotion and glory, the king wanted him to stay in his city forever.

He spoke his mind to Sri Shridhara Ayyaval at an appropriate time. But when Sri

Shridhara Ayyaval came to know of this, he decided to leave the city that very

night. He knew that if he chose to stay in one place forever, then his mission

of spreading the divine message to the world would not materialize.

 

He left Tirichirapalli that very night. The king could not console himself when

he came to know of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval's departure. Perplexed and worried, the

king felt very restless, for he felt he had offended the saint by with his

request. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval appeared in the king's dream that night in the

form of Lord Shiva and said, " Oh! King! Do not worry yourself. I have incarnated

to spread the Divine Name in this world.

I have left the city with this very purpose in mind. "

 

It was only then that the king realized Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to be Lord Shiva

Himself. Recounting the rare fortune of having been in the Lord’s presence all

this while, he considered himself blessed. After leaving Tiricirapalli, Sri

Shridhara Ayyaval passed through many cities and villages before reached the

city of Tanjavur. During the course of his journey, his mother attained the Feet

of the Lord. The King of Tanjavur, Shahaji, hearing the scholarship and devotion

of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, visited him and felt blessed by his sight. Though Sri

Shridhara Ayyaval stayed for sometime in the city, soon, he could not stand the

bustle of city life. He wished to reside in a more serene and peaceful

atmosphere and was in search of a suitable place. When he reached the village of

Tiruvisainallur, he knew he had found the place he had desired and decided to

reside there. Among all the great scholars who lived there, Sri Shridhara

Ayyaval was the most

accomplished and revered.

 

King Shahaji had tremendous devotion and love for Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and so

visited him quite often. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval also loved the king for his

devotion and sincerity. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval did not hesitate to give apt

counseling to the King whenever it was essential. He loved the King so much so

that he even consented to being the ‘Divan’ in his court. During this

period, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval performed many great literary works. As days

passed, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, who was naturally inclined towards a simple and

devout life, felt the need to give up this association with king and his worldly

affairs. However, the king would not let this. One day while Sri Shridhara

Ayyaval was pondering about this sitting in the verandah, a messenger from the

king came there. Addressing Sri Shridhara Ayyaval he asked, " Oh Bhagavata

(Devotee of the Lord)! Is the Divan in? " As soon as Sri Shridhara Ayyaval heard

this question, his face bloomed with joy

and he sent a reply in writing stating- " The Divan is dead. Only the Bhagavata

remains. " When Shahaji saw the reply, he thought Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to be

dead and could not contain his sorrow. Weeping, he reached the hut of Sri

Shridhara Ayyaval only to find him alive and happy. He enquired as to why Sri

Shridhara Ayyaval had written 'The Divan is dead'. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval said,

" Since I got the epithet of 'Bhagavata', which is a higher post in the kingdom

of god than that of Divan in your kingdom, I replied so! " Shahaji understood the

heart of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and did not compel him to continue as the Divan.

His respect for Sri Shridhara Ayyaval grew more than ever before.

 

!!! Will Continue !!!

 

Regards

 

Let’s Chant

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

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