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SAMBANDHAR AND APPAR
WHILE ON A pilgrimage, the twelve-year old Sambandhar and Appar reached Vedaranyam. The main gate of the Vedaranya temple was found locked. It seems that long ago the ancient Vedas took human shapes. They worshipped the Lord in the temple with abhishekam (pouring of water) and puja. On going away, closed the main gate and sealed it. Since then no one had the courage to open it and so a hole was bored through the wall and a side gate improvised for people for coming and going out. When Appar and Sambandhar enquired about the closure of the main gate, the watchman told them this story and suggested that they could go in by the side gate. They did not feel like using that gate and so decided to pray to Iswara for the opening of the main gate. Sambandhar suggested that Appar should pray. It was then that Appar sang a hymn of ten verses. Iswara is fond of Appar's songs and it seems He was so absorbed in hearing them, that He forgot to open the gate. When the gate did not open even on singing the ninth verse, Appar was overwhelmed with grief and sang the tenth verse saying, “Oh Lord, has not your heart melted yet?” When even that had no effect, he sang the eleventh verse beginning, “Avakkanai Vavalaladar Thittaneer”, the purport of which is, “When Ravana lifted Mt. Kailas with his hands you struck him down with your little finger and inflicted trouble on him for a thousand years. That being so, how will you have compassion for me?” When this was sung, it seems that Iswara regretted the delay and immediately opened the doors.
After entering the temple and worshipping the Lord therein, they came out. Appar requested Sambandhar to pray
