Saturday, September 12, 2009

Thiru Gnana Sambandar

Thiru Gnana Sambandar the child prodigy belongs to the 7th century A.D. He was better known as "TAALA VENDHAN" (the unparalleled King of Rhythm). His poetry abound in literary and musical values, is an inseparable aspect of all the "Padigams".

Sambandar is one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars. His hymns to Shiva were later collected to form the first three volumes of the Tirumurai, the religious canon of Tamil Saiva Siddhanta. He was a contemporary of Appar, another Saiva saint.

Sambandar was born to Sivapada hrudiyar and his wife Bhagavathiar who lived in Sirkazhi in Tamil Nadu.

According to legend, when Sambandar was three years old his parents took him to the Shiva temple where Shiva and his consort Parvati appeared before the child. The goddess nursed him at her breast. His father saw drops of milk on the child's mouth and asked who had fed him, whereupon the boy pointed to the sky and responded with the song Thodudaya Seviyan - the first verse of the Tevaram.

At his investiture with the sacred thread, at the age of seven, he is said to have expounded the Vedas with great clarity. As a wandering minstrel Sambandar sang hymns opposing Jain and Buddhist thought and is credited with the conversion of a Pandya king from Jainism.

The first volumes of the Tirumurai contain three hundred and eighty-four poems of Sambandar. Reputedly he sang more than 10,000 decads but only 4,232 have survived. Sambandar attained liberation (mukti) in "Visaka Nakshtara" in the Tamil month of "Visakam" at the age of sixteen soon after his marriage.

Both his parents were ardent devotees of Lord Siva. They refused to embrace Jainism and give up Saivism, even though the forces of Jainism were powerful. His father Sivapada Hridayar prayed to the Lord for the boon of a worthy son to him who would reestablish the glory of Saivism.

Sambandar’s life is full of pilgrimages. Once Tiru Neelakanta Yazhpanar, an ardent devotee of the Lord and an expert musician on the Yazh (Veena) met Sambandar. Sambandar requested Yazhpanar to play the Yazh. The music melted the heart of Sambandar and since then both would travel together to various temples; Yazhpanar to play on his instrument while Sambandar sang in praise of the Lord.

Sambandar went to Chidambaran. The very sight of the Lord entranced him. Then Sambandar went to Tiru Arathurai. He would sometimes walk and at other times sit on his father’s shoulders. In this manner they approached Maranpadi.

The Lord wanted to alleviate His child’s suffering by presenting him with a palanquin. He appeared in the dream of the Brahmins of Tiru Arathurai and told them that they would find a pearl palanquin and a pearl umbrella, and asked them to take them to Sambandar. The next morning, the Bhaktas handed over to Sambandar the Lord’s gifts to him. Sambandar worshipped the gifts and ascended the palanquin.

Sambandar returned to Sirkali, after visiting a number of shrines on the way, and singing Padigams in praise of the Lord everywhere. During the course of his pilgrimage, Sambandar came to Tiru Pachilasramam. The daughter of the Mazhava King was suffering from an incurable disease. Sambandar saw the pitiable condition of the girl. He sang a Padigam praying for His grace upon the girl. She at once got up to the surprise of all.

After some more pilgrimages, Sambandar came to Tiruvavaduthurai. His father wanted to perform a big Yajna and needed a lot of money. Sambandar prayed and at once a Siva Gana appeared before him, handed him a purse containing one thousand gold coins and said. ‘This purse has been given to you by Lord Siva.’

During his stay in Sattamangai, Sambandar would daily go to Tiru Marugal to worship the Lord. One day a merchant had come there with his wife. When they were asleep, a poisonous snake bit the man and he died. Doctors failed to revive him. The wife prayed to the Lord for His mercy. At that time Sambandar entered the temple and heard the woman’s wailing. Sambandar sang a song, and the merchant at once came back to life!

Appar and Sambandar stayed at Tiruveezhimizhalai for some more time. There was a severe famine there. Appar and Sambandar were moved by the sufferings of the Bhaktas. They offered prayers to the Lord and found a gold coin at different temples on different entrances.

The Jain influence was growing in Madura, and even the king had succumbed to it. Only the queen Mangayarkarasiar and the minister Kulacchirai Nayanar resisted it. They had heard the glory of Sambandar. So, without the knowledge of the king they sent some wise men to Tirumaraikadu to persuade Sambandar to rescue Saivism from the Jain influence.

The news of Sambandar’s arrival had reached the Jains. The king took their counsel. The Jains sought his permission to burn Sambandar’s camp with the help of black magic. Instead the king experienced burning sensation all over the body. All the endeavours of the doctors and the Jain priests to alleviate the king’s suffering proved futile. The queen understood the real cause of the king’s ailment and requested him to call Sambandar immediately so that his grace might relieve him of the distress.

The king asked the two parties to demonstrate their powers by curing his disease. The Jains volunteered to cure the disease on the left side, leaving the right to be dealt with by Sambandar. Sambandar sang a Padigam in praise of the sacred Ash (Bhasma) and with his own hand smeared the Ash on the right side of the king’s body. At once the burning sensation stopped and the king experienced a cooling sensation.

The Jains said that both the parties should write the essence of their respective religions on palm leaves and put them into fire: that religion should be considered as the real one whose inscriptions survived this test. Sambandar, offering his prayers to the Lord, opened the bundle of palm leaves which contained his soul-stirring hymns on Lord Siva. The Jains also put their writings into the fire. The latter was at once burnt: Sambandar’s leaf was quite safe.

The Jains, however, wanted a third test. This time both the parties should throw their palm leaves in the river Vaigai and the palm leaf which swam against the current contained the Truth. Sambandar threw his leaf which swam beautifully against the current, without sinking or getting lost. In the Padigam which won this test, Sambandar invoked the Lord’s grace on the king. The leaf reached the place known as Tiruvedagam. Thus was Saivism re-established in Madura.

After staying at Madura for some time, Sambandar proceeded on a pilgrimage, accompanied by the royal couple and the minister. From Rameswaram, they offered mental prostrations at the Feet of the Lord of Tirukonamalai and Tiruketheesvaram (in Ceylon).

When he heard that Appar Swamigal was at Tirupoonthurithi, Sambandar went forward to meet him. Quietly, Appar got mixed with the crowd and joined the group of devotees who were carrying Sambandar’s palanquin. When Sambandar enquired about Appar, Appar responded from below: ‘Here I am, carrying the palanquin, due to the virtuous deeds of many past lives.’ Sambandar jumped down and embraced the great saint Appar.

After visting a number of shrines, Sambandar returned to Sirkali. He had reached his sixteenth year. His father wanted to get him married. The wedding was to take place at Nallur Perumanam. On the appointed day, Sambandar took leave of Thoniappar and reached Nallur Perumanam. Sambandar went to the temple, worshipped the Lord and got His blessings. Accompanied by the devotees, the couple went into the temple and worshipped Him, with total self-surrender. Sambandar sang a Padigam praying for Liberation. The Lord granted his wish and said: ‘Oh Sambandar, you, your wife, and all those who witnessed your marriage will merge in the Siva Jyoti and come to Me.’ At once, an effulgent Light emerged from the Lord before merging in that Light.

Sambandar was all of 16 but his influence continues till date.

1 comment:

  1. Lot of controversial things said about the Debate between
    Thirugnana Sambandar and Thirumangai Alwar.What is the correct position/ I do not think Sambandar would have asked Thirumangai to say a KURAL. Kattrarai kattrare Kamuuruvar

    ReplyDelete