Apoodhi adigalar

Courtesy : Sivayanama laximanarayan sarma

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If one wants to know how an entire family should work with the service motto,
the best example is the life of appUdhi adikaL n^AyanAr. adikaLAr lived in a
village called thiN^kaLUr , the place where the Moon worshipped the Lord.
Devotion to the Lord who stopped the poison in His throat was adikaLAr's
determination. Anger, lie, deception, infatuation and low quality thoughts do
not reside with him as the fog can not approach the Sun. He came in the
tradition of chanting the sweet vEdas. Though never seen before tied himself
mentally to the feet of the king of wordsthirun^Avukkarachar (1), hearing about
his devotion and the grace the Lord made for him.
His love for thirun^Avukkarachar was so much that he became slave of his name.
He named the kids, the cows, the cooking vessels, everything one sees in his
house as thirun^Avukkarachu . Probably if one had asked what his name was, He
could have said thirun^Avukkarachu . He had never seen his form but always
remembering his name and his service to the Lord. He founded a lots of inns,
digged ponds, installed many tents where cool water and drinks were served to
the passers by travelling in the severe heat, much much more for the benefit of
the slaves of shambhu . All these were bearing the name of only
thirun^Avukkarachar, and no where his own name seen.
While his service continued in the name of the servant of the shankar , that
great thirun^Avukkarachar, chanting of whose wonderful words could be the
greatest boon to one's tongue, after worshipping and doing the uzavArap
paNi(Removing the pests and plants that cause disturbance near the temples by a
small instrument ) in the town calledthirup pazanam , came in the way to
thiN^kaLUr as he wished to pray the Lord in other nearby towns. Under the heat
of the hot Sun that was like the mental saffocation of the jealous, he saw a
water shelter that was like the peace of mind that God offers to the devotees.
He arrived in that shelter to have some water, the thing more worthy than even
the food. He was surprised by the name thirun^Avukkarachar beautifully written
all over there. That most humble sage asked the people there who was running
that service in that name. They told him that it was one among the services that
a person by name appUdhi adikaLAr who does the worship growing fire everyday for
the well being of the entire world.
thirun^Avukkarachar arrived at appUdhi adikaLar's doorsteps. As soon as appUdhi
adikaLAr heard that there was a devotee of the Lord who holds the holy
river ganga in His head, arrived in his house, he rushed forward to welcome him.
Without knowing that he was the man he had been worshipping all along, he
prostrated to that devotee who prostrated to him even before he did. When
appUdhi adikaL asked what was the big austerity he did to recieve a man of well
grown love to the Lord. The marvellous sage, thirun^Avukkarachar who always
thinks only about the service to the Lord told him that he saw the nice water
shelter and heard much about the other services as well that he did but was
wondering why in place of his name he wrote some other name . Irked by his
reference to the name of his adoration as "some other name", appUdhi adikaL
shouted, what a statement you gave, is the name of one who won the sabotage of
the silly among the jains combined with the king by the marvel of his holy
service some other name for you? The world knows the fame of that flawless for
whom the rock that he was tied to and put in the sea became a boat out of his
love for Him. In the holy dressings you told this unpleasent words, Who are you,
Where do you come from ?
The humblest of the humble, thirun^Avukkarachar knowing his love told, "Am the
silly person who without realising the greatness of Lord shiva joined some other
religions and enslaved by the mercy of the lord by giving a severe stomach
pain." Shocked, speechless, petrified was appUdhi adikaLar when he realised that
that devotee was thirun^Avukkarachar. Fell down and held his feet on his head
with stammering words. He felt like a poor getting heap of gold. He sang
danced in happiness, brought the entire family, friends and relatives to salute
the great sage. Sprinkling the water on themselves with which they washed the
feet of the king of the tongue the entire family rejoised. He appealed to accept
the feast at his house. When thirun^Avukkarachar accepted it he felt it was a
boon much more than his good karma and must be the grace of Almighty only. His
wife prepared plenty of pleasing food varities. The couple asked their eldest
son by name mUththa thirun^Avukkarachu (eldest thirun^Avukkarachu) to get the
banana leaves to serve the food on. That boy was fast in action thinking he got
this covetable opertunity by the order of a good mother and father. When he cut
the leaves a snake bit him in the hand. That young immense devotee hastened up
to hand over the leaves to his parents before the speed of the poison could kill
him with the determination not to reveal the snake bite as it would delay the
feast to the devotee. Should the father be praised for bringing up such a nice
child or is it the child for living for the principles of the father ? Anyway
the entire family excelled.
The parents found out from the son who fell down dead after handing over the
leaves that he was dead by snake bite. With the enthusiasm to host the devotee
occuping the mind they covered their loving son in a mat and obscured it from
the sight. He rushed to the sage as it was getting delayed for his feast. After
appUdhi adikaLAr washed his fet, before having the food thirun^Avukkarachar
blessed the couple and their children with the holy ash. Then he asked where the
eldest son was to have the holy ash. Not willing to tell what happened, adikaL
said, "He won't be of use now". With something striking his heart
thirun^Avukkarachar asked him to tell what happened. Though didn't want to miss
the hosting of feast to the devotee, unable to conceal it against his principles
as he had asked for the fact, appUdhi adikaL told him the incident. Apalled by
his action thirun^Avukkarachar prayed to the God in his magnetic words with the
thEvAram onRu kolAm avar chin^dhai uyarvarai to bring the child back to life.
For the man of sincere service Almighty will do anything. While the town
exclaimed at the kid's survival, adikaL was little worried that he disturbed the
feast little bit !
thirun^Avukkarachar came to his house for accepting his feast and doing away
with his disappointment. appUdhi adikaL arranged the banana leaf beautifully for
the food. The sage asked him and the children to have food along with him.
Devotees yearn for having food along with other devotees. That feast was more
than satisfying for that family and so was it for the sage. After staying with
him for some days the emperor of simple sweet words left for thirup pazanamto
recite hymns on the Lord where he adored the love of appUdhi adikaLar in one of
the thEvAram. With the love for the God and slavery for thirun^Avukkarachar
mutually promoting one another resided under the dancing feet of the Lord. Let
the selfless service of appUdhi adikaL n^AyanAr and his family stay in the
mind.gurupUjai : thai - sathayam.Birth place of appUdhi adikaL nAyanAr

knr

--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.

  Every moment, thank God