Post by Amritha Varshini on Nov 22, 2014 10:45:34 GMT 5.5
SRI SREEDHARA VENKATESA AYYAVAL - An epitome of compassion [Article by Sri O.N. Ravi]
Providence endows the human beings with virtues depending upon their respective Karmas. However, when such virtues flow from some beings without any reason, one cannot but be struck with awe and reverence of those personages. One such Great Soul was Sri Venkatesa Sridhara Ayyaval, of Thiruvisanallur of Kumbakonam district in Tamil Nadu. What was so great about Sri Ayyaval, as he was affectionately called.? He was the very epitome of compassion. Though considered as an avatar of Lord Shiva, even as a normal human being, he exhibited matchless compassion for the fellow human beings. Sri Ayyaval lived in the 17th century.
Hailing from a Kannada Brahmin family, he was living in the State of Mysore , as a Divan to the King of Mysore, inheriting an abundance of wealth from his father, who also served as a Divan of Mysore. Sri Ayyaval was a very great devotee of Lord Shiva and was found ever immersed in the thoughts of the Lord even when discharging his royal responsibilities. He was living like water drops on the Lotus leaves, not attached to the position that he occupied and had an uncommon humility. One day, he decided to quit his royal post and gave up his entire wealth in charity to the needy, much to the consternation of the King and walked off with his wife and mother towards Tamil Nadu. The loving supplication of the people of Mysore and King could not succeed, to make him stay back, as his love for propagation of Lord’s message, for which he was born, overpowered him. His first sojourn was to the city of Tiruchirapalli (Tiruchi) in Tamil Nadu. At that time, Tiruchi was ruled by a Nayaka King, a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. In those days, there was a constant tug of war between Shaivites (Devotees of Shiva) and Vaishnavites (Devotees of Vishnu) in establishing the Supremacy of their respective faiths. This internecine religious discord at times led the Kingdoms to be used as puppets in the hands of the fanatics who glorified their school of thought and downgraded all other faiths. This not only confused people who meandered in the dark alleys of ignorance for want of proper guidance but also blinded some Rulers who were in vice-like grip of such fanatics, into the meaningless pursuit of dogmatic religious activities.
Against this backdrop, Sri Ayyaval, came to the city of Tiruchi and was leading a very pious life devoting his time glorifying the Greatness of Lord Shiva. As a true Saint, he had no differences between various cults and beheld the Supreme Lord in all forms of worship, as one and the same. Some of the jealous Vaishnavites of the city misled the King into the belief that Sri Ayyaval had pronounced bias against Lord Vishnu. They impelled him to test Sri Ayyaval’s real devotion by arranging for a procession of Lord Shiva’s statue of the Temple of Mathrubhutheswar in Tiruchi dressed up in the attire of Lord Krishna. When the procession came in front of his house, the Saint, beholding the sight of Lord Shiva as Krishna, spontaneously burst out with a poetic composition on the glory of Lord Krishna, called Krishna Dwadasa Manjari. His detractors hung down their heads in shame and fell at his feet. The King apologised to him realising Sri Ayyaval’s greatness and asked him to permanently settle in Tiruchi. But not to get coiled up in any such trap which led only to attachment, Shri Ayyaval left the city that night itself towards the city of Thanjavur. Tanjore or Thanjavur at that time was ruled by a Marahtta ruler, Shahaji. After spending some time in Tanjore, guiding the King in the affairs of the State, Shri Ayyaval, settled in a village called Tiruvisanallur, near Kumbakonam.
Thereafter, he devoted his entire time only in worship of the Lord. Around this time, he composed a number of texts extolling the greatness and virtues of Lord Shiva, such as Aarti Hara Stotram, Daya Satakam, Aakya Shashti etc. His greatness as devotee was tested on number of occasions. Once on a Janmashtami Day, Lord Krishna’s painting was taken around the village with pomp and splendour to the accompaniment of bhajans. When the procession neared his residence, the priests who were jealous of him, did not allow him to give floral offerings to the Lord, on the pretext that he was a staunch saivaite and proceeded further. Insulted thus, Shri Ayyaval was content with mental offering to Lord Krishna and went inside his house. Even when the procession was on, the priests suddenly noticed that, to their utter shock and disbelief, the painting of the Lord was missing from the decorated floral palanquin. Immediately, they realised their folly as well as the greatness of the Saint and rushed to his house only to witness the devout spectacle of Shri Ayyaval offering with loving care various sweetmeats to the missing painting of the Lord. Thereafter the entire village joined him in ceaseless singing of His glory throughout that night. During this time, he composed a beautiful work called “Krishna Dola Navaratna Maalika”.
There was one more incident highlighting his matchless devotion to Lord Shiva. Lord Mathyagarjuna or Mahalinga of Thiruvadai Maruthur, a famous Siva temple was located on the opposite side of River Cauvery to the village where he lived. It was a regular practice of Shri Ayyaval to visit the temple by crossing the river. It was also his custom to have his meal only after the daily worship of the Lord. One day, there was an unusual flood in the River accompanied by a torrential down pour. He tried his best to locate a boatman to take him to the other shore. No one came forward. Not able to proceed further due to the turgidity of the river and turbulent weather, he returned home with heavy heart, totally sunk in spirit and mood. He skipped his dinner and went to sleep. There was knock at the door. At the doorstep was the main priest of the temple beaming with a benign smile. The priest spoke to him sweet words of comfort on hearing his agony of not having seen his Lord. The priest told him that since he knew that Shri Ayyaval would not eat even a morsel of food without taking Lord’s Holy Ashes, he came straight from the Temple to give the Prasadam. On hearing this and getting the blessed Holy Ash from the priest, his joy knew no bound. Transported to a realm of happiness, Shri Ayyaval glorified the greatness of the Lord and profusely thanked the priest for his thoughtful gesture. Next day when he met the same priest in the temple, he once again thanked him for the pain he had taken on his behalf last night to hand over the Prasad. Totally confused, the priest replied that how any one could have crossed the river which was in great deluge last night and come to his place. He maintained that he did not come to meet Shri Ayyaval, that night. Only then Shri Ayyaval realised that Lord Himself had come to see him last night and Lord alone can make even impossible feats into possible events. Tears rolling down his cheek, he was overwhelmed by the waves of ecstasy.
Shri Ayyaval, was embodiment of compassion. In his work, Daya Satakam, he appeals to the compassion of the Supreme Lord to bestow his Grace on him. Further, he glorifies the greatness of being compassionate to all living beings. An incident which took place during his stay in Tiruvisanallur illustrates his compassion towards humanity without any distinction of caste or creed. Once, his father’s Sraadh came for which the food was prepared with great care for the purpose of feeding the priests who were to officiate in the ceremony.
Shri Ayyaval , as usual, went for the morning ablution in the River Cauvery. While returning, he beheld a pitiable sight of low-caste man lying on the side path totally enervated on account of starvation for days together. Not able to bear the condition of the man, he brought him home and fed sumptuously with the food prepared for the ceremony. In those days of rigidity and uncompromising conservatism, the bastion of upper class was steeped in dogmatic principles and rules. Any deviation from the set rules would be looked down with disapproval and shock. Surely, this kind of infraction from the rigid rule was certain to be viewed as heretical even qualifying the committer of the act to ostracism. In the instant case also, it almost came to that. After the poor man was fed, Shri Ayyaval, instructed fresh food to be prepared for the ceremony.
Thereafter, he went to invite the priests for the purpose of conduct of the ceremony. By that time, the news reached the priests, who were emitting molten lava on the turn of events, were waiting to pounce on the saint. When beseeched by Shri Ayyaval, they refused to come for the ceremony stating that the food prepared for the Sradha had become polluted on account of his having fed a low caste man. Shri Ayyaval implored to their good sense and tried to make them understand that what he had done was as per Sastras. He explained that it was the bounden duty of the follower of Sanadana Dharma to feed a dying man and that outweighed all other rules.
But all his exposition on finer points of dharma fell on deaf ears. The ego of the swelling moralists was not to be appeased by any such talk. They were adamantine and refused to officiate at the ceremony. He also pleaded with them to complete the ceremony upon which he would do any act of Penitence prescribed by them to undo the effect of his act. They were unrelenting from their stance. Left with no other option, Shri Ayyaval, surrendered to the Lord, as no priest was ready to come forward to conduct the ceremony. It is said that Trinity, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, themselves, came in the form of priests to complete the ceremony for the sake of their ardent devotee.
Later on , Shri Ayyaval, approached the priests on the course of action to be adopted by him which would satisfy them. They asked him to take bath in the holy River Ganges which alone could rid him of the impurity of having fed the low-caste man. He pleaded with them on the impracticality of the suggested action as the River was very far off and it would not be physically possible for him to complete a trip to the far off land and return. In those days, a trip to the city of Kasi was considered as a rare feat as the people had to cover the entire distance only by walk.
However, the priests were adamant in their demand. He told them that, instead, he would bring Ganga, herself in the well of his house and take bath in it. The priests ridiculed him stating that it was preposterous suggestion and an impossible feat to achieve. Shri Ayyaval, went near the well in his house and composed beautiful eight verses on Goddess Ganga, called Gangashtakam. Upon completion, the River Ganga surged out of the well and started flooding the streets of the village. The overflowing water contained bangles, flowers, turmeric and all other auspicious articles that are normally given as offering into the River by the people. Shocked and totally shaken, the priests fell at the feet of Shri Ayyaval, and pleaded guilty of having tested a great man.
They begged him to make the River recede to its source, lest it should inundate the entire village. Shri Ayyaval, compassion incarnate, pleaded with the River Goddess to subside who obeyed to his request. This happened in the month of Kartik on a New Moon day. Even to this day, this incident is celebrated at Tiruvisanallur Ayyaval on Kartik Amavasya, where people assemble in large number to take bath in that well said to be equivalent to taking bath in Ganges.
Thereupon, Shri Ayyaval, visited various places and propagated the cult of bhakti. It is also said that he was contemporary to the other great Saints namely, Sadasiva Brahmendral and Bhodendral Swamigal, Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt. Shri Bhodentral and Shri Ayyaval were said to have propagated the cult of nama sankirtan in south by travelling together.
It is said that Shri Ayyaval, during his last days, spent time totally immersed in the thoughts of the Lord and one day when he was praying to the Lord in the Temple, he suddenly ran towards the sanctum and sanctorum towards the Mahalinga, even brushing aside the priest who tried to stop him, and vanished into the Siva Linga, thus proving the point that He was Lord Himself.
He was one of the few saints who merged into the Almighty with the physical body, others being Sri Ramalinga of Vadalur, Tamil Nadu, Sri Gnana Sambandar, one of the famed 63 Saivaites, Shri Andal and Saint Kabir.
Salutations to the feet of Shri Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval.
Article by Sri. O.N. Ravi (onravi12@gmail.com)
Providence endows the human beings with virtues depending upon their respective Karmas. However, when such virtues flow from some beings without any reason, one cannot but be struck with awe and reverence of those personages. One such Great Soul was Sri Venkatesa Sridhara Ayyaval, of Thiruvisanallur of Kumbakonam district in Tamil Nadu. What was so great about Sri Ayyaval, as he was affectionately called.? He was the very epitome of compassion. Though considered as an avatar of Lord Shiva, even as a normal human being, he exhibited matchless compassion for the fellow human beings. Sri Ayyaval lived in the 17th century.
Hailing from a Kannada Brahmin family, he was living in the State of Mysore , as a Divan to the King of Mysore, inheriting an abundance of wealth from his father, who also served as a Divan of Mysore. Sri Ayyaval was a very great devotee of Lord Shiva and was found ever immersed in the thoughts of the Lord even when discharging his royal responsibilities. He was living like water drops on the Lotus leaves, not attached to the position that he occupied and had an uncommon humility. One day, he decided to quit his royal post and gave up his entire wealth in charity to the needy, much to the consternation of the King and walked off with his wife and mother towards Tamil Nadu. The loving supplication of the people of Mysore and King could not succeed, to make him stay back, as his love for propagation of Lord’s message, for which he was born, overpowered him. His first sojourn was to the city of Tiruchirapalli (Tiruchi) in Tamil Nadu. At that time, Tiruchi was ruled by a Nayaka King, a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. In those days, there was a constant tug of war between Shaivites (Devotees of Shiva) and Vaishnavites (Devotees of Vishnu) in establishing the Supremacy of their respective faiths. This internecine religious discord at times led the Kingdoms to be used as puppets in the hands of the fanatics who glorified their school of thought and downgraded all other faiths. This not only confused people who meandered in the dark alleys of ignorance for want of proper guidance but also blinded some Rulers who were in vice-like grip of such fanatics, into the meaningless pursuit of dogmatic religious activities.
Against this backdrop, Sri Ayyaval, came to the city of Tiruchi and was leading a very pious life devoting his time glorifying the Greatness of Lord Shiva. As a true Saint, he had no differences between various cults and beheld the Supreme Lord in all forms of worship, as one and the same. Some of the jealous Vaishnavites of the city misled the King into the belief that Sri Ayyaval had pronounced bias against Lord Vishnu. They impelled him to test Sri Ayyaval’s real devotion by arranging for a procession of Lord Shiva’s statue of the Temple of Mathrubhutheswar in Tiruchi dressed up in the attire of Lord Krishna. When the procession came in front of his house, the Saint, beholding the sight of Lord Shiva as Krishna, spontaneously burst out with a poetic composition on the glory of Lord Krishna, called Krishna Dwadasa Manjari. His detractors hung down their heads in shame and fell at his feet. The King apologised to him realising Sri Ayyaval’s greatness and asked him to permanently settle in Tiruchi. But not to get coiled up in any such trap which led only to attachment, Shri Ayyaval left the city that night itself towards the city of Thanjavur. Tanjore or Thanjavur at that time was ruled by a Marahtta ruler, Shahaji. After spending some time in Tanjore, guiding the King in the affairs of the State, Shri Ayyaval, settled in a village called Tiruvisanallur, near Kumbakonam.
Thereafter, he devoted his entire time only in worship of the Lord. Around this time, he composed a number of texts extolling the greatness and virtues of Lord Shiva, such as Aarti Hara Stotram, Daya Satakam, Aakya Shashti etc. His greatness as devotee was tested on number of occasions. Once on a Janmashtami Day, Lord Krishna’s painting was taken around the village with pomp and splendour to the accompaniment of bhajans. When the procession neared his residence, the priests who were jealous of him, did not allow him to give floral offerings to the Lord, on the pretext that he was a staunch saivaite and proceeded further. Insulted thus, Shri Ayyaval was content with mental offering to Lord Krishna and went inside his house. Even when the procession was on, the priests suddenly noticed that, to their utter shock and disbelief, the painting of the Lord was missing from the decorated floral palanquin. Immediately, they realised their folly as well as the greatness of the Saint and rushed to his house only to witness the devout spectacle of Shri Ayyaval offering with loving care various sweetmeats to the missing painting of the Lord. Thereafter the entire village joined him in ceaseless singing of His glory throughout that night. During this time, he composed a beautiful work called “Krishna Dola Navaratna Maalika”.
There was one more incident highlighting his matchless devotion to Lord Shiva. Lord Mathyagarjuna or Mahalinga of Thiruvadai Maruthur, a famous Siva temple was located on the opposite side of River Cauvery to the village where he lived. It was a regular practice of Shri Ayyaval to visit the temple by crossing the river. It was also his custom to have his meal only after the daily worship of the Lord. One day, there was an unusual flood in the River accompanied by a torrential down pour. He tried his best to locate a boatman to take him to the other shore. No one came forward. Not able to proceed further due to the turgidity of the river and turbulent weather, he returned home with heavy heart, totally sunk in spirit and mood. He skipped his dinner and went to sleep. There was knock at the door. At the doorstep was the main priest of the temple beaming with a benign smile. The priest spoke to him sweet words of comfort on hearing his agony of not having seen his Lord. The priest told him that since he knew that Shri Ayyaval would not eat even a morsel of food without taking Lord’s Holy Ashes, he came straight from the Temple to give the Prasadam. On hearing this and getting the blessed Holy Ash from the priest, his joy knew no bound. Transported to a realm of happiness, Shri Ayyaval glorified the greatness of the Lord and profusely thanked the priest for his thoughtful gesture. Next day when he met the same priest in the temple, he once again thanked him for the pain he had taken on his behalf last night to hand over the Prasad. Totally confused, the priest replied that how any one could have crossed the river which was in great deluge last night and come to his place. He maintained that he did not come to meet Shri Ayyaval, that night. Only then Shri Ayyaval realised that Lord Himself had come to see him last night and Lord alone can make even impossible feats into possible events. Tears rolling down his cheek, he was overwhelmed by the waves of ecstasy.
Shri Ayyaval, was embodiment of compassion. In his work, Daya Satakam, he appeals to the compassion of the Supreme Lord to bestow his Grace on him. Further, he glorifies the greatness of being compassionate to all living beings. An incident which took place during his stay in Tiruvisanallur illustrates his compassion towards humanity without any distinction of caste or creed. Once, his father’s Sraadh came for which the food was prepared with great care for the purpose of feeding the priests who were to officiate in the ceremony.
Shri Ayyaval , as usual, went for the morning ablution in the River Cauvery. While returning, he beheld a pitiable sight of low-caste man lying on the side path totally enervated on account of starvation for days together. Not able to bear the condition of the man, he brought him home and fed sumptuously with the food prepared for the ceremony. In those days of rigidity and uncompromising conservatism, the bastion of upper class was steeped in dogmatic principles and rules. Any deviation from the set rules would be looked down with disapproval and shock. Surely, this kind of infraction from the rigid rule was certain to be viewed as heretical even qualifying the committer of the act to ostracism. In the instant case also, it almost came to that. After the poor man was fed, Shri Ayyaval, instructed fresh food to be prepared for the ceremony.
Thereafter, he went to invite the priests for the purpose of conduct of the ceremony. By that time, the news reached the priests, who were emitting molten lava on the turn of events, were waiting to pounce on the saint. When beseeched by Shri Ayyaval, they refused to come for the ceremony stating that the food prepared for the Sradha had become polluted on account of his having fed a low caste man. Shri Ayyaval implored to their good sense and tried to make them understand that what he had done was as per Sastras. He explained that it was the bounden duty of the follower of Sanadana Dharma to feed a dying man and that outweighed all other rules.
But all his exposition on finer points of dharma fell on deaf ears. The ego of the swelling moralists was not to be appeased by any such talk. They were adamantine and refused to officiate at the ceremony. He also pleaded with them to complete the ceremony upon which he would do any act of Penitence prescribed by them to undo the effect of his act. They were unrelenting from their stance. Left with no other option, Shri Ayyaval, surrendered to the Lord, as no priest was ready to come forward to conduct the ceremony. It is said that Trinity, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, themselves, came in the form of priests to complete the ceremony for the sake of their ardent devotee.
Later on , Shri Ayyaval, approached the priests on the course of action to be adopted by him which would satisfy them. They asked him to take bath in the holy River Ganges which alone could rid him of the impurity of having fed the low-caste man. He pleaded with them on the impracticality of the suggested action as the River was very far off and it would not be physically possible for him to complete a trip to the far off land and return. In those days, a trip to the city of Kasi was considered as a rare feat as the people had to cover the entire distance only by walk.
However, the priests were adamant in their demand. He told them that, instead, he would bring Ganga, herself in the well of his house and take bath in it. The priests ridiculed him stating that it was preposterous suggestion and an impossible feat to achieve. Shri Ayyaval, went near the well in his house and composed beautiful eight verses on Goddess Ganga, called Gangashtakam. Upon completion, the River Ganga surged out of the well and started flooding the streets of the village. The overflowing water contained bangles, flowers, turmeric and all other auspicious articles that are normally given as offering into the River by the people. Shocked and totally shaken, the priests fell at the feet of Shri Ayyaval, and pleaded guilty of having tested a great man.
They begged him to make the River recede to its source, lest it should inundate the entire village. Shri Ayyaval, compassion incarnate, pleaded with the River Goddess to subside who obeyed to his request. This happened in the month of Kartik on a New Moon day. Even to this day, this incident is celebrated at Tiruvisanallur Ayyaval on Kartik Amavasya, where people assemble in large number to take bath in that well said to be equivalent to taking bath in Ganges.
Thereupon, Shri Ayyaval, visited various places and propagated the cult of bhakti. It is also said that he was contemporary to the other great Saints namely, Sadasiva Brahmendral and Bhodendral Swamigal, Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt. Shri Bhodentral and Shri Ayyaval were said to have propagated the cult of nama sankirtan in south by travelling together.
It is said that Shri Ayyaval, during his last days, spent time totally immersed in the thoughts of the Lord and one day when he was praying to the Lord in the Temple, he suddenly ran towards the sanctum and sanctorum towards the Mahalinga, even brushing aside the priest who tried to stop him, and vanished into the Siva Linga, thus proving the point that He was Lord Himself.
He was one of the few saints who merged into the Almighty with the physical body, others being Sri Ramalinga of Vadalur, Tamil Nadu, Sri Gnana Sambandar, one of the famed 63 Saivaites, Shri Andal and Saint Kabir.
Salutations to the feet of Shri Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval.
Article by Sri. O.N. Ravi (onravi12@gmail.com)
