Indian Antiquary Vol 54

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 14

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JANUARY, 1926
unsoiled by the dissipations of a royal court and had dedicated his life to the service of the god at Tiruvanjaikkaļam in tending the temple flower-gardens and in supplying garlands for the god's daily worship. But when Sengorporaiyan abdicated at the end of a long reign and retired to an anchorite's life, this prince+ was selected by the ministers to succeed to the throne and was prevailed upon with great difficulty to don the royal purple, after he had obtained divine sanction for his reluctant acceptance of the exalted office, He was of such a pious disposition that when, on his preliminary royal entry into the capital, he came across a washerman whose body was whitened with Fuller's earth (uvarman), he made obeisance to the washerman in the belief that he was a Siva bhakta smeared with the holy ashes, and that his appearance was a timely reminder to him from on high to persevere in his pious life. On another occasion, it is said that Siva sent a poet-musician called Papabhadra from Madura with a letters of introduction to him that the bearer should be patronised and well-rewarded with riches, and that the king, who was immensely pleased with the high honour that this divine commission implied, even went the length of offering his whole kingdom to the god's protégé. His devotion towards the god Nataraja of Chidambaram grew in intensity, and the great Dancer used to reward his piety by enabling him to hear the tinkling rhythm of his golden anklets (porfilambu) at the end of his daily puja. Failing, however, to hear this accustomed token on a particular day, the king was very much disheartened and would have stabbed himself to death, if Nataraja had not intervened in time to save His votary from an unnatural end. The royal saint also learnt that the beautiful hymns sung by the arch-devotee Sundaram ürti in the temple at Chidambaram were so enthralling as to make the god forget His accustomed token to himself. This incident was a turning point in the life of Chêraman and thenceforward his ardour grew, if anything, more fervid, and he was filled with a longing to visit not only Chidambaram, the favourite abode of the god Natanasabhêsa, but also pay homage to the great soul whose songs had kept Siva spell-bound.
Accordingly he set out from his capital and after passing through the Kongu-nadu, through which lay in those days one of the highways between the eastern districts and Malai-mandalam, finally reached Chidambaram, where the divine vision which was vouch. safed him evoked a fitting response in the poem named the Ponvannattandаdi. He then proceeded to Tiruvarur, the headquarters of Sundaramûrti-Nayanar, and formed with him a memorable friendship which, while earning for the latter the so briquet of Chera. manrolan, continued unabated in its sincerity till the time of the simultaneous and mysterious exit8 of both of them from Tiruvaõjaikkaļam. After having composed the Tirumummanikkôvait in honour of the god Valmikanátha during his short stay at Tiruvárûr, the Chêra king
4 சீலமிகு மலைசாவொழ் கொடுங்கோளூர், சிறந்த செங்கோற் கோதையார் செல்வர் திரு வஞ்சையிறை மெல்லடி பணிர் திட, செய்யபொறை யன் றவ முற
-Tirutto dardatakam. 6 This verse beginning with ' alyef LLSOLD' is the first piece in the Padinorantinumurai.
-- நம்பற்கு காற்சிலம்பின் சந் தணிந்து கண்ணி யணிந்து தினர்
& my Call Str Di-Tiruvdrar-ula. 7 This has been collected in the Padinorantirumurai. 8 களையாவுடலோடு சேரமானாரூான்
28% WTL S LO Qalerer 2 w Ostrerar-Köyit Tiruvidaippd, v. 4. कैलासगमने पथि संस्मृतेन
भक्तेन सुन्दरवरेण स चेरभूपः । आरुह्य वाहमधिगम्य च शैलमाशे
figt i after Il Balaramabharatam, (TAS., IV, 109.)