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Home > Devotees > 63 Nayanmar Stories
thirunyAnachampan^dha n^AyanAr - part III (The Pearl shade)
Finishing his pilgrimage enjoying the blissful sight of the Lord
seated beautifully with umA, ska.ndha on the majestic Bull in
various places, the young matured child thirunyAnachapan^dhar returned
back to chIrkAzi. The devotees and vEdic chanters of the town came
forward with decorated filled pot and heart filled eagerness to salute
the splendid prodigy of their town. Saluting those saluting crowd the
small child of immense reputation and deep humbleness went with them to
worship the wonderful wealth - the feet of Lord thiruththONiyappar.
Sending thirun^IlakaNta yAzppANar to a beautiful mansion he went to his
home. He resided in chIrkAzi with the Lord who resides on a boat in that
temple residing always in his love scenting heart.
As he was in the age of upanayanam (a ritual to open the
eye of knowledge for the young), the ceremony was arranged. The wise
prodigy who had the milk of the mother who is the female form of the
Lord who gave the vEdas and Agamas, was given the status to learn and
practice the vEdas by the pandits. To their astonishment thirunyAna
champan^dhar sang in the sweet tone the holy vEdas and AgamAs even before
they start teaching him. Who needs to teach that blessed devotee who was
given all the knowledge without any effort by the Lord Himself who is
the source all possible knowledge ! The scholars of vEdas got their
doubts on vEdas cleared with that marvelous child who
was supposed to be given initiation ! Explaining the wisdom explored in
vEdas, champan^dhar made it clear that it is the Holy Five Letters of
the Lord that is the source and superior of all the mantras, singing the
padhikam thunychalum thunychalilAdha pOzdhinum. Those
knowledged people realizing the truth from his words saluted the Lord
of chIrkAzi and lived in His feelings.
One of those fine days the king of inspiring words
thirun^Avukkarachar (1) came to chIrkAzi to salute him hearing the
marvelous hymns of the prodigy. As he came to know of his arrival the
king of chIrkAzi - champan^dhar went to welcome and adore him thinking
that was the covetable boon for his austerities. Seeing the sage of love,
of strong and soft devotion, no care for bodily desires, the hands
holding up the hand-plow to serve the Lord like his upheld determination
of service, the sacred ash smeared over the body wet with the persistent
tears of love thirunyAnachampan^dhar prostrated to that saluting seer
seeing him as the appearance of the form of holy devotee in his mind.
Along with the seer he worshipped the Lord of chIrkAzi with appar 's
words of love. He took the sage to his house to host all the devotees
feast along with the feast of his love. The two saints of mutual esteem
stayed together for some days before appar perumAn took leave to meet
again after worshipping the various abodes of the vast matted haired
Lord.
The master of thamiz literature champan^dhar sang on the Lord of chIrkAzi
many sophisticated song constructs like thiruvezukURRirukkai, mAlaimARRu
with devotion not compensated for literatural beauty. His works are
highly rich in terms of poetic similies and refreshing portrayal of nature.
With the euphonious music of yAzpANar and madhaN^gachULAmaNiyAr
he started his pilgrimage again reviving
the feeling of devotion in the nooks and corners of the land. Paying tributes
to the Attributeless he sang the Lord, traveling towards west at
thirukkaNNArkOyil, puLLirukkuvELUr, thirun^inRiyUr, n^IdUr, thiruppunkUr,
pazamaNNippadikkarai, thirukkuRukkai, anniyUr, pan^dhaNain^allUr,
thirumaNanychEri. He sang the handsome hara in the wedding
posture at thiruvELvikkudi and sang His being in
thiruththuruththi in the nights. He praised the Lord at kOdikA,
kanychanUr, mAn^thuRai, thirumaN^galakkudi, viyalUr, thirun^dhudhEvankudi,
innambar, vadakuraN^kAduthuRai, pazanam, aiyARu, perumpuliyUr,
thirun^eyththAnam, mazapAdi, thirukkAnUr, anbilAlan^thuRai,
thirumAn^thuRai.
He reached in thiruppAchchilAchchirAmam to pray the
Perennial Lord. The king kolli mazavan of the town had only
one young pretty daughter. She was suffering from a disease called
muyalakan. All the efforts to cure the ailment did not succeed.
He coming in the heritage of surrender to the white ash-smeared Lord put
his dearest daughter in the abode of the mitigating mahEsha.
When he heard the rejuvenating news of the arrival of thirunyAnachampan^dhar
he ordered to decorate the town with all good signs and welcome the devotee
of the Delightful Lord. He came forward and fell in the
feet of the child of God. Having his blessings he took him in procession
through the town to reach the illuminated tower of the Lord's abode. The
devotee of great love saw the pitiable condition of the young daughter.
The saint who cried for the benefit of the entire world was sympathetic
at the ailing girl. He saluted the Healing Herb singing to cure her
disease. At the completion of his devotional prayer the young girl
sprang up like a deer and stood with her father. The surprised and
delighted kollimazavan fell and held the tender feet of champan^dhar, but
champan^dhar was praising the unparalleled mercy of Lord shiva. Though he was
a saint of matchless spiritual power, he did these miraculous deeds only
by praying to Almighty attributing it to the glory of God and not
promoting human worship.
Adoring the Lord of thiruppAchchilAchchirAmam he went to
thiruppainynyIli, thiruIN^gOymalai to worship the Medicine on
mountain. Then he continued his journey to the koN^gu n^Adu,
the hilly north eastern thamiz land. He sang with melting heart the
Lord on fierce Bull at cheN^kunRUr, thirun^aNA and various
other beautiful abodes of the Beauty and stayed at cheN^kunRUr. That
time arrived the terrific winter. The humans cladded themselves in wool
and warm clothes; the hills cladded in white snow cloth; The Sun behind
the fog and haze; The leaves of trees under mud; The festivities behind
closed doors. The dreadful winter made the people fall sick shivering
day and night. The devotees who came with the unperturbable
thirunyAnachamapn^dhar appealed to him about their suffering. The
child of God worshipped the God saying that even though it was the
nature, Oh the Lord who stooped the terrific poison in the throat, let
the sufferings not touch Thy devotees. (avvinaik kivvinai).
Subduing to that order the painful fever got cured in that entire
land that time.
Hailing the Lord at thiruppANdikkodumudi, venychamAkkUdal
and other abodes the beacon of true philosophy turned towards east to
continue his travel. Saluting karuvUr he came to the
southern bank of river kAviri to salute the abodes in that side. He sang
the thamiz vEdham on the Lord saluting His abodes at parAyththuRai,
thiruvAlan^thuRai, thiruchchen^thuRai, thirukkaRkudi, mukkIchcharam(uRaiyUr),
thiruchchirAppaLLi, AnaikkA, thavaththuRai, thiruppARRuRai, eRumbiyUr,
n^eduN^kaLam, kAttuppaLLi, thiruvAlampozil, pUn^thuruththi, thirukkaNdiyUr,
chORRuththuRai, thiruvEdhikudi, thiruveNNi, thiruchchakkarappaLLi,
puLLamaN^gai - Alan^thuRai, chElUr, pAlaiththuRai, thirun^alUr,
thirukkarukAvUr, avaLivaNallUr, thirupparidhi, thiruppUvanUr, AvUr,
thiruvalanychuzi and numerous other places of the Prime God.
Very many centuries back when there was no proper means for easier
transportation, this child small in appearance but immensely great in
purity of devotion traveled a huge distance to light the flame of
shiva in the minds of masses. It took many seasons for this travel.
By the time they reached thiruvalanychuzi it was the burning
Summer with the heat roasting the land. While the world was afraid to
walk out on the fire of Sun, the prodigy who enjoys the presence of Lord
and which is not stopped by the physical stresses continued his
pilgrimage in spite of the heat. Wanting to go to pazaiyARai from
thiruvalanychuzi, he walked with other devotees to ARai mERRaLi,
thiruchchaththimuRRam saluting the Serpent coiled Lord and was
proceeding towards thiruppattIchcharam. The comforting Lord
of creatures blessing the firm devotee sent a bUtham with a
pleasent chill brilliant pearl shade to hold over the devotee on his
way. Praising the Lord's Mercy champan^dhar resided under that as the
shade of the pleasing raised foot of Lord of Universe. He subdued
himself in the abode of Lord of pattIchcharam and hailed His grace.
He saluted the Lord travelling further at ARai vadathaLi, irumpULai
with his mind delighting in the Honey of His feet.
See also:
1. thirun^Avukkarachar
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