Tiru Nalaippovar - Nandanar- Purattasi, Rohini star day:
Today is the day of liberation of Nandanar. This is being celebrated in all Saiva Maths and in
all Saiva homes.
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Tiru Nalaippovaar, a great devotee who rose up to rejoice in the lotus feet of the Lord in spite of all
the troubles met by him because he was one from the so called lower caste. The only hold he had
throughout in all the hard times was the love, not an ordinary love to die off at the meeting of obstacles,
a determined, pure, sincere love for the Almighty. While the real devotees like Sundaramurti Nayanar,
who came in the Brahmin tradition and brought up like a king was looking forward to say, I am a slave
to Tiru Nalaippovar, it is the people who do not digest the philosophy make the chaos. Imagining and
feeling of Tiru Nalaippovar's dedication to Siva, in the kind of society he lived would be a kindler to
conquer the hurdles and reach Siva.
On the banks of river Kollidam, that sprinkles the water with its tidal hands onto the hands of the lotuses
that lean up on both the banks to receive it in bloom, is the village Adhanur. In that fertile village was a
slum that gave birth to the pearl by name Nandanar. The real affection only to the glorious feet of Lord
Siva, peerless, disciplined in his profession were his characters. The simple devotee who knew only love, devotion, dedication to the Lord and nothing about ostentation, self-pride and worthless talk did the best
of the service, he out of his traditional profession could do. He made the drums and parts of the various
music instruments like Veena, Yazh, that are played in the worship of the Lord who chants the Vedas
in the tune of Veena, when all the noises of the world have settled down. He offered the Korachanai,
for the worship of the Lord of devas. (In the middle ages while the Supreme is praised that it is tradition-less
(kulamili) people were differentiated by their birth with the caste system according to profession. The
people of the so claimed lower hierarchy were refused entry into the temples of God. What a pity !
When the Lord is worshipped as the Lord of all creatures from the worm that moves in the gutters to
the superior celestial powers, how could one refuse a human being an entry into the holy abodes which facilitate enlightening the self and pave way for liberation - a basic requirement and ultimate goal of all
the lives ! There would of course be distinctions in accordance with ones discipline but how could the permit
be refuted to one to the Form of Mercy's abode just because of the birth ?
This man of immense love for the Lord, which was probably not understood by anyone around other
than that Lover Himself, would stand outside the temple wherever he finds one, chant, sing , dance
and enjoy in that Glory that is Omnipresent. He wished to salute and serve the Siva Loka Nathan,
of Tirup Punkur. With an immense interest to worship the God he came by the door side straight in front
of the Lord's altar. The holy Bull that is in front of the Lord came in between his vision to the Lord as
he had to stand outside the temple. The Lord Asutosha, the Easily Pleased, knowing the ardent love of
this splendid simple devotee, showered Its grace by asking the Bull to move aside a little bit so that
Nayanar, could see Him. He showed the world that it is the sincerity of devotion that matters to Him
nd not the caste, creed or race. The differences are only in the crooked eyes of the human beings and
not in Its graceful vision. For Him the so claimed higher caste, so called untouchable, a black, brown,
white, blue, rich or poor, a male or female all the same and what matters is the love. The humble devotee
who felt on the top of the world saluted, bowed down, fell down, prostrated. The poor devotee wanted to
do whatever service he can possibly do to the Lord of Siva Loka. Looking at the bad state of the
surroundings of the temple he with growing enthusiasm cleaned up and dug a nice pond. At the completion
of service circumambulated the God and returned back to his place happily.
This way he went to many of the Lord's abodes to salute and did whatever service he could. A wish to
see the Blissful Dance at Tillai, came often in his mind. He won't sleep that night, in the dawn he would
think he might not be able to go because of his so called low caste birth and wouldn't go. Still he never
wanted to drop that thought, he would say, "I will go tomorrow". (Nalaip Povan) - hence he became known
as Tiru Nalaip Povar). The tomorrows went on and on and he couldn't bear it. Finally he convinced himself
to go to Tillai. Reaching the frontier of that holy place, he saw the smoke from the sacrifices that were
being made and heard the sound of Vedas, being chanted. Scared to enter the town that appeared
so holy with what he thought an inferior birth, he circumambulated the town many times and out of
fatigue he slept there. How can the Lord who comes to us taking us as His slaves giving bliss, His sincere devotee who was longing to see His dance lying outside the town anxiously ? He came in the slave's dream telling him to enter through fire His holy abode.
The Lord appeared in the dreams of the priests of Tillai, instructing the same to them. The fearful priests
came to the devotee and told the Lord's saying. Feeling blessed the excellent devotee of the Lord whose
love can never be charred by any fire entered the flame praising the Holiest of the holy things, His
graceful feet. Nandhanar, came out amidst the shower of flowers by the devas, salutations of the priests
of Tillai, rejoice of the devotees as a reverend sage to worship the Dancing Marvel. With the priests
following, he saluted the tower of the Lord raising deer in His left, he entered fast the Holy abode. They
all saw him entering the Cosmic Dancer's place and they saw only the Cosmic Dancer's idol. The
Supreme which could not be stained by the blots of human manners took this sincere devotee in
Its blissful Feet. Let the reverend wonderful devotion of Tiru Nalaip Povar Nayanar, because of which
in spite of the mountain of hurdles, he reached the Lord, stay in the mind.
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Arunachala Siva.
