In an earlier post we saw how Hanuman came out alive from a Crocodile’s belly. Now, we are going to see another such feat.
Darasuram has some amazing miniature story board like freezes. One such depicts the Periapuranam legend of Saint Sundarar, by his infinite devotion to Lord Shiva, making a crocodile regurgitate a boy.
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The story goes thus, in the town of Avinashi, two young boys, close friends just completing their 5th year, go for a swim in a nearby lake. Unfortunately a large crocodile swallows one of the boys, while the other manages to escape and return home. The loss of their dear son greatly grieved the parents and they never managed to get over the grief.
Couple of years pass and the other boy is old enough for his thread ceremony, so his family prepares for it in great fanfare, a festival atmosphere prevails with beating of the ceremonial drums etc. On seeing this the parents who had lost their young child, are reminded that if not for the unfortunate incident, their home would also be bedecked and resound with similar joy and celebrations. So great was their loss that years couldn’t lessen their lament.
To their good fortune. the great saint Sundarar had taken an invitation from his dear friend Cheraman Perumal to see him in tiruvelam. so as he was moving there from thiruvaroor, he passed through Avinashi. As he was passing the street, he heard laughter, rejoicing and all auspicious sounds from one house and from the other house he heard the heart wrenching lament. he inquired around and learnt the story of the two boys. Just then the weeping parents heard that the great saint was passing by, and they wiped their tears and being true devotees of shiva, offered their respects to him. Moved by their devotion and wanting to alleviate their suffering, the saint decided that he would resurrect their son and then only worship the god in the town’s temple. So he composed his divine verse right there, imploring the Lord – who loves his worshipers, he who dwells eternally in the minds of his followers,
he who is the start and end point of all, he who resides in this beautiful town of avinashi, please bring forth the boy on this tank bund.
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Lo and behold there came the crocodile and regurgitated the boy, much to the delight of his parents and all around. Thus is the grace of the lord and his benevolence to his followers.
Thanks to Mr. V. Subramanian, for his valuable guidance with regard to the verse references.
http://www.geocities.com/nayanmars
விஜய்,
‘சென்றதினி மீளாது’ என்பது வேதாந்தக் கருத்து. (பாரதி பாடல் கூட உண்டு)
ஆனால் அதிசயங்கள் என்று ஏற்படும்போது அதை அப்படியே ஏற்றுக்கொள்வதுதான் நம் சிந்தனைக்கு நல்லது என்று நினைக்கிறேன். ஏன், எப்படி என்ற ஆராய்ச்சி மேலும் மேலும் நம்மைக் குழப்பவே செய்யும்.
அப்பர் சுவாமிகள் அப்பூதி அடிகளின் மகனை உயிர்ப்பித்த விதம் பெரிய புராணத்தில் மிக அழகாக விவரணை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. (அப்பர் சுவாமிகளே கொடிய பாம்பின் விஷத்திலிருந்து மீண்டவர் என்பது சரித்திரம் கண்டது). அதே போல மயிலை பூம்பாவை இறந்தபின் அந்தக் குருத்தின் சாம்பல்களைப் பாதுகாத்து வைத்து சம்பந்தர் பாடல் மூலம் உயிர்ப்பித்த கதையையும் நாம் அறிவோம். அதே போல சுந்தரர் எப்போதோ முதலையால் கொல்லப்பட்ட அந்த அந்தணச் சிறுவனை முதலை வாயில் இருந்து சில வருடங்கள் கழித்து மீட்ட கதை.
இவை மந்திரம், மாயம் அல்ல. மூவருமே இறைவனை செந்தமிழில் பாடி ‘சென்றதினி மீளாது’ என்ற கருத்தை மறுத்து வரம் பெற்றவர்கள். தமிழ்மந்திரப் பாடல்கள் இந்த அற்புதத்தை செய்திருக்கின்றன. அதிலும் சுந்தரர் பாடிய பாடல்கள் படித்தோமானால், அவர் இறைவனை செல்லமாக அதட்டிக் கேட்பதையும் ரசிக்க வேண்டும். ‘உயிரை முதலை மூலம் பறித்த காலனை இந்தக் ‘கரைக்கு
கொண்டு தரச் சொல்லு’ என்று கேட்பார்..
‘கேட்பார் கேட்டால் எதுவும் கிடைக்கும்’
திவாகர்.
must create an entire blog on darasuram stories..what say ?
It is amazing work that you are posting. Pls keep up the great work. Allows people like us not knowledgeable to enjoy reading these posts.
Hi Raghunathan,
We all started as not knowledgeable, its an amazing learning journey. I am sure next time you go to temple, you will look for the finer sculptures and appreciate the greatness of the sculptor.
rgds
vj
Oh yes, the sculptures at Darasuram are a class by themselves. Well, certainly they mark continuation of the great, unsurpassed and unmatched tradition of building and architectural tradition of the Cholas but even then this particular temple is so, so different from the Big temple of Tanjore as well as the GKC temple. Well this year in July (I feel very sad now after seeing these wonderful pics which refreshed my memory thoroughly), I had taken Rockfort Express to Kumbakonam and was heading for Thirukkannapuram and Thirukkanangudi through that city. At that time I did enquire from one or two people about the location of the fourth great Chola temple which is Tribhuvanam Kampahareswarar temple built by either Kulothunga II or Kulothunga III. Even that temple from pics on the net appears to be a masterpiece. To that extent my coverage of the great Chola temples is still incomplete. Of course there is a fifth temple, the Thiruvanaikoil at Tiruchy, which is one massive Chola temple with good contributions from first the Pandiyans and then some gopurams and prakarams built by the Vijayanagara kings. These temples really take one to heaven and do not fail in giving at least temporary bliss to the utterly needy like us sinners.
Lovely note. The next time am there shall look a bit more closely for this… 🙂