Sundarar, one of the 63 Saivite saints known as Nayanmars, sang many verses in praise of Lord Siva and these verses have the navarasas - capturing Sundarar's approach to the Lord. The verses show the equation he had with the Lord, for some of them even tease the Lord! There is a verse he sang about the deity of a temple near Kancheepuram. Here Sundarar says Kamakshi, the consort of Siva, is in Kancheepuram and is generous in providing food to the hungry. And yet, Her husband Siva begs in a nearby village. The verse shows that one who adores the Lord can even take humorous digs at the Lord, without the Lord taking offence at such liberties.
There are also verses where Sundarar laments his mistakes and cries out to the Lord. Here, he is like a child which seeks its mother when it has made a mistake. Once, Sundarar wanted to visit the town of Tirumudukundram. He asked an old man the way to the town. The old man took Sundarar to another town instead and disappeared suddenly. Sundarar realised that the old man was Siva and expressed his astonishment through a verse. Can such a staunch devotee of the Lord have any fears? Sundarar says he fears the company of the arrogant and those who will not give to the needy, and expresses this fear in a verse addressed to Lord Siva. But he says he isn't afraid of the snake that Siva drapes around His body!
When Sundarar loses his eyesight and prays for its restoration, he speaks angrily to the Lord. "Is it right that you do not heed the cries of the devout?" he asks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment