-By Shivashankar N

 

திருச்சிற்றம்பலம்

 

This is a translation of an essay written in Tamizh, titled adhuvO aruL (அதுவோ அருள்) by Sri Ki Va Jagannathan (student of Sri U Ve Swaminatha Iyer), a devout and prolific poet, author and translator of works in Tamil. He is renowned for his exposition of periyapurANam and abhirAmi andhAdhi. The translator’s personal favourites are Sri Ki Va Jagannathan’s essays that were published in Kalaimagal Magazine as a series titled ‘Thirumurai Malargal’ - with each article focusing and espousing on a selected pathigam from the Thirumurais. The following article is a translation into English of one such essay written in Tamil featured in a compendium titled சிற்றம்பலம் (Chitrambalam), published by Amudha Nilayam in 1958.

 

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Sri Gnana Sambandar, during one of his extensive travels, stayed at a holy town named Thiruvavaduthurai, situated on the southern bank of the Kaveri river (in present day Mayiladuthurai district, in Tamil Nadu). The history of the kshetrA according to purANAs state that Goddess Uma had taken the form of a cow to worship Lord Siva, who appeared in front of the Goddess and transformed her back to her original divine form and embraced her. The sthalam is hence named Avaduthurai { ஆ - அடு - துரை}. 

 

While Sambandar was staying in this town with his retinue, his father wished to perform several sacrifices in accordance with his dharmic duties, which needed several materials and the requisite wealth. Upon understanding his father’s wish, Sri Sambandar, for whom Lord Siva alone was the ultimate and boundless treasure, went to the Lord’s temple in Thiruvavaduthurai to seek blessings and fulfilment of his father’s needs. There, Sri Sambandar sings a decad of hymns (pathigam) which convey meaning akin to: “My father has sought money from me, to fulfil ritual sacrifices that he is duty bound to perform; I have no wealth I can call my own - is your grace such that I have to say no to those who seek from me?”

 

At that instant, by the Lord’s grace, one of His attendants appeared in front of Sambandar, and placed in front of him a purse (கிழி) containing a thousand gold coins. Sambandar praised the Lord’s grace and provided the purse to his father, who was then able to complete his ritual sacrifices in his hometown of Sirkazhi.

 

What makes Sambandar’s life remarkable among all Saiva nAyanmArs is that most of it is accurately chronicled - both by himself, and by a galaxy of other nAyanmArs and devotees who were present with him during his travels. At Thiruvavaduthurai, the great Saiva nAyanmAr, Appar, was present with Sambandar and witnessed everything that happened, and recorded these divine events in the pathigams that he composed. Of the Lord’s blessing of the purse with a thousand gold coins to Sambandar at Thiruvavaduthurai, Appar swamigal records the event thus:

 

“மாயிரு ஞால மெல்லாம்‌ மலரடி வணங்கும்‌ போலும்‌ 

பாயிருங் கங்கை யாளைப்‌ படர்சடை வைப்பர்‌ போலும்‌ 

காயிரும்‌ பொழில்கள்‌ சூழ்ந்த கழுமல ஊரர்கீ கம்பொன்‌ 

ஆயிரம்‌ கொடுப்பர்‌, போலும்‌ ஆவடு துறைய னாரே”

 

These verses feature in the first hymn of the 46th pathigam of the fourth thirumurai.

 

Sambandar never sought his material needs from any person; those were promptly fulfilled as and when needed by the Lord, throughout Sambandar’s journeys from one holy site to another, singing about the Lord across a multitude of temples. Hence it isn’t surprising that Sambandar didn’t realise he had no material possessions until his father sought his help to perform a sacrifice. Whatever the Lord had provided to Sambandar was received with gratitude, and joyfully shared with his fellow devotees. Sambandar lived in such an exalted age, that having rice grains was sufficient to gain the necessities for life and there wasn’t any attention given to money or gold, until the need was expressed for his father’s sacrificial duties.

 

Sambandar’s greatness is such that even at that moment of need, he clearly understood that true (and only limitless) wealth is the Lord’s grace attained through devotion (“அந்தமில் பொருள் ஆவன ஆவதுறையுள் எந்தையார் அடித்தளங்கள் அன்றே” - Periyapuranam, Thirugnanasambandar, 423). Sambandar remembered that whatever obstacle one faces, whatever problems or needs one has, whatever sorrows one encounters, can truly be removed only at the Lord’s lotus feet. 

 

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The problems faced by people are threefold by nature: in Indian philosophical traditions, they are termed thApathraya - and are namely,  Adhi bhouthikam (troubles arising from inclement weather, seasons and other elements of nature and the universe), Adhi daivikam (aging, death, and disabilities that are destined to occur from birth), and AdhyAthmikam (mental and physical illnesses, and difficulties that arise due to other people or animals).  

 

Sambandar firmly believed that the solace offered by the Lord’s feet is the only remedy for any of these three predicaments. He begins the pathigam by proclaiming that “I shall always attain succour and rise up, by being devoted at your feet, whether I am troubled by storms, or I become frail due to aging, or sickness”.

 

இடரினும் தளரினும் எனதுறுநோய்

தொடரினும் உனகழல் தொழுதெழுவேன்

 

இடர் - idar is used to signify obstacles that are impossible to avoid due to the vagaries of time and seasons, and imply those categorised as Adhi bhouthikam. தளர் (thaLar) in தளரினும் signifies troubles associated with Adhi daivikam. எனது உறு நோய் means diseases or afflictions resulting from one’s actions - clearly indicating AdhyAthmikam. கழல்(kazhal) are anklets worn by warriors, and signify the Lord’s divine feet. No plight from these threefold troubles is big enough for exalted devotees like Sambandar, to compel them towards anything other than firm devotion to the Lord’s feet, for gaining relief.

 

It is very rare to be blessed with the conviction to remain affixed in devotion to the Lord, no matter what obstacles or afflictions one is confronted with. It is more commonplace to try and rely on one’s own capacity and wit to gain remedy, or at best seek relief based on the strengths of those who are near and dear. True devotees are those who rely only on the Lord. For the Lord who stepped in to save even deities and other beings of superhuman abilities from mortal dangers which were beyond their ken, protecting people from mere afflictions is trivial. The episode of amruta mathanam is described in several purANAs. The devAs churned the ocean expecting to extract amrutam which would bestow them immortality. But what emerged first from the ocean was the hAlahAla poison, which threatened to mix with and doom the amrutam. When the devAs prayed to the Lord, he removed the obstacle of hAlahAla by consuming it and yet retaining it in his throat, so that the deadly venom doesn’t destroy the universe and the countless beings that dwell within Him.

 

“I shall always attain succour and rise up, by being devoted at your feet, whether I am troubled by storms or I become frail due to aging or sickness. I am of the firm conviction that you can remove any obstacle, O Lord who saved the devAs from annihilation” - so goes Sambandar’s pathigam, when he reminds us of the events from the old purANAs.  

 

கடல்தனில் அமுதொடு கலந்த நஞ்சை

மிடறினில் அடக்கிய வேதியனே

 

கலந்த (kalantha) - the usage of this specific word denotes how the devAs expected the pure immortality-bestowing elixir, only to be threatened by being poisoned by the deadly hAlahAla. 

வேதியன் (vEthiyan) - One who is the very essence of the vEdas; One who constantly chants the vEdas.  

 

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Sambandar then appears to consider his state, even as he ponders - ‘The Lord took me into His fold. Thus far I had thought being His devotee is the highest possible level of existence; one where I may not feel any need. Alas, now for the first time, I feel the absence or want of something, despite being devoted to the Lord who is Himself complete and boundless. How may I go seek someone else’s charity? Is there a deficiency in my devotion? Is this how you claim me, my Master?’

இதுவோ எமை ஆளுமாறு? - Sambandar asks the Lord, perhaps with a hint of sadness.

 

The Lord is a benefactor who can bestow anything. An exemplary benefactor is one who knows what’s needed and provides. But the Lord’s munificence is such that those who receive from him receive in abundance, and in turn themselves become exemplary benefactors. Sambandar asks the Lord “Why haven’t you blessed me with this magnanimity, my Master? Is it fair to provide to me, like how worldly benefactors do? Aren’t your blessings infinitely more bountiful? Aren’t you the Master who anticipates not just my needs, but the needs of those who may seek from me? Is this the extent of your grace, O Lord of thiruvAvaduthurai?”.

 

இதுவோ எமை ஆளுமாறு?

ஈவதொன்றெமக்கு இல்லையேல்,

அதுவோ உனது இன்னருள்? 

ஆவடுதுறை அரனே!

 

இது - idhu refers to his current state of need; ஈவது ஒன்று - eevadhu ondru that which is provided to others in need; அருள் - aruL is grace by which one’s needs are fulfilled without asking; இன்னருள் - innaruL is divine grace by which even the needs of those who seek from one are anticipated and fulfilled.

 

Sambandar sang the first pathigam to mean - “Whatever my troubles or obstacles, I am always devoted to your feet my Lord; O one who saved the world from deadly poison, is this how you limit your grace?”

 

இடறினும் தளறினும் எனதுறு நோய்

தொடரினும் உனகழல் தொழுதெழுவேன்;

கடல்தனில் அமுதொடு கலந்த நஞ்சை

மிடறினில் அடக்கிய வேதியனே

இதுவோ எமை ஆளுமாறு? ஈவதொன்று எமக்கு இல்லையேல்,

அதுவோ உனது இன்னருள்? ஆவடுதுறை அறனே!

 

sEkkizhAr perumAn, when describing the events around this pathigam by Sambandar sings:

 

“சென்று தேவர்தம் பிரான்மகிழ் கோயில்முன்பெய்தி

நின்று போற்றுவார் 'நீள்நிதி வேண்டினார்க்கு ஈவது

ஒன்றும் மற்றிலேன்; உன் அடி அல்லதொன்று அறியேன்’

என்று பேரருள் வினவிய செந்தமிழ் எடுத்தார்”

 

What Sambandar sung as “ஈவதொன்று எமக்கு இல்லையேல்”, sEkkizhAr perumAn explained it as  'நீள்நிதி வேண்டினார்க்கு ஈவது ஒன்றும் மற்றிலேன்’. Beyond providing for devotees who seek, the Lord’s nature is to make those devotees themselves generous benefactors, which is further attested to by appar swAmigaL by his words - “இரப்பவர்க்கு ஈய வைத்தார்”. It is indeed an exalted state to not seek anything from others. It is a further exalted state where one is able to give without limits to everyone who seeks help, which is what Sambandar sought from the Lord of thiruvAvaduthurai. 

 

While the first four verses of all ten songs of this pathigam are all unique, all songs end with the two verses “இதுவோ எமை …. ஆவடுதுறை அறனே”. This verse structure, with four unique verses followed by a two-verse refrain, is called நாலடி மேல்வைப்பு. In the final song of this pathigam, Sambandar sings 

 

நலமிகு ஞானசம்பந்தன் சொன்ன

விலையுடை அருந்தமிழ் மாலைவல்லார்

In these verses, the phrase ‘விலையுடை அருந்தமிழ்’ can be considered as ‘thamizh verses that are too rare or profound to be sung by exalted ones’; Or it can also be interpreted that since Sambandar obtained a thousand gold coins after singing this pathigam, it could mean ‘thamizh verses which gained priceless wealth’.

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