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The pallvA kingdom was famous for its scholars. It is rich with many beautiful abodes of Lord of meru bow. chEkkizAr describes some of them in this n^AyanAr's purANam. The city kAnychIpuram was its capital renowned for so many centuries throughout India for its institutions to be praised 'Of all cities it is kAnychi (the distinguished)". This is the place where the Mother of the Universe showed the greatness of devotional worship embracing the Lord.

Living in one part of the city coming in the EkAli tradition love filled in heart was a devotee of the Blue-throated God. The three important things - mind, intellect and speech - were dedicated to the glory of the Lord who burnt the three forts like a straw with just His smile while the entire Universe was in His command. He rejoiced in serving the Companionless God in the lotus of his heart. His service to the devotees of the thousands named God was so great that just a small indication will do and they don't need to ask explicitly for something. So he was called thirukkuRipputh thoNdar. He was washerman famous in the city. He used to wash the clothes of the devotees as a service to them. He washed away all the dirt and stains in their garments - in that discipline washing away the three impurities of ego, good & misdeeds and illusion that force the rebirth. His inside temple turned out to be of stainless love where the Stain-throated Lord of blotless glory resided. Our n^AyanAr cared for the clothings of the devotees who did not care for anything other than the Supreme Lord shiva. With the Holy Five Letters in his words he would wash their clothings clean and give them with great love.

The Lord who saw the peak of devotion in the love of shakti in that city, wanted to show the sincereness in n^AyanAr's service, his care and true devotion and to bless him. He came as a sage smeared in lightning like Holy Ash, looking lean and tired, with the holy feet that were not found by vishhNu taking short steps on the ground cladded in a cloth that was dark like the rain-clouds with dirt. At the sight of the reverend sage n^AyanAr went and prostrated down under His feet. Reading his feelings n^AyanAr invited Him with sweet words ad was anxious about His fatigue. Yearning to serve the devotee of his Sweet heart, n^AyanAr requested Him to gibe the clothes to be washed. It was a winter season. The Lord who came as a shaivite sage told that though the clothes were in quite a bad state needing a wash desperately, He could not toler the chillness of the night and hence wanted him to return the clothes washed by the evening. thoNdar assured to wash it immediately without any delay and give it to Him in time. If he did not return the clothes by the evening he had made a big harm to His body, the Lord told.

thoNdar washed the cloth cleaning away all the dirt with the water. When he was satisfied with the cleanliness of it he went to dry the cloth. At that time by the play of the bhagavan there was a sudden heavy rain. It poured like the suffering cry of the misdeedful and the tears of devotion of the slaves of Lord shiva who keep weeping thinking of the unscalable grace the Lord showed on them for their devotion. The devotee was quite worried about this sudden hurdle. He was looking for the rain to get over at some point of time. But it was in fact the rain of His grace for him. How can it stop ? The day settled and the darkness creaped too, still it didn't stop raining. He lost his heart as his service to the devotees was interrupted. How will that sage who was already tired and lean would be able to toler the chillness of the night when it had rained too in that winter, he worried. What a big harm I had done to the devotee, he thought. He went to the rock beating them on which he used to wash the clothes. He started dashing his head against the rock. There came the hand that drives away the fear of the surrendered - the blooming hand of the Lord who got the impression of the bangles of the Goddess in His body - to halt the devotee. The rain became the floral rain. The Lord whose matted hair emanates nice odor with the jasmine, lily, bhilvam, erukku, vanni and various other flowers came accompanied by the flower like soft bodied Goddess to the side on the Holy Bull to bless the devotee with the inseparable life with Him in His abode. Let the devotion of thirukkuRipputh thoNdar with which he dedicated his service to the devotees of the Lord and great love that did not want to harm a devotee even by mistake stay in the mind.

gurupUjai : chiththirai svAthi