63 Nayanmars - Life of Thirunalai Povar Nayanar - Thiru Nandanar !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Chirerum Icchai Padaithu Thiru Thondar Thiruvayil

Nerekkum Bidavendum Yena Ninanaindhar Kathunervar

Karerum Yeyirpunkurk Kkanudhalar Thirumunbu

Porrendrai Vilanga Arul Purindhu Aruli Pulapaduthar

 

Thiru Nalaipovar was born in a village called Thiru Adhanur on the river banks of Kollidam.  ‘Nandan’ was born in an out casted family.  At an age of eight years he started to work hard in the farm fields of a Vedic Scholar in that village.   The Vedic scholar was a brilliant orator, used to give lectures about the glories of Lord Shiva in the temples of that village.  Nandan had lot of respect and affection towards the Vedic Scholar and his family.  The childless couple treated Nandan as their own child and poured lot of affection.  In return Nandan worked so hard for them and remained a sincere servant.  As he was born in the out casted family, he was used to converse in slum language to Vedic Scholar and his family that was purely out of love.  They loved Nandan with all their hearts for his honesty and sincerity.

 

One day, Nandan arrived late from the farm field after finishing his daily chores.  He had a habit to meet his master and report the day’s progress in the fields before leaving home.  As usual, Nandan was in search for his master to describe the progress of the work in the fields.   Unfortunately, he could not find him anywhere in the house.  Vedic Brahmin’s wife asked Nandan to have food and leave.  She also informed him to come and meet her husband on the next day.  But, Nandan was not willing to leave like that.  He decided to stay behind and wait for his master to come home.  Finally, Brahmin’s wife instructed him to go and meet him in the nearby temple of Lord Shiva where he was giving speeches about the glories of Lord.  Nandan shyly arrived on the spot, he was well aware of the fact that he was not allowed to move freely amongst the crowd of the villagers.  There was a system prevailed in those days that the out casted people are not allowed to mingle or move freely with the people of the village or worship inside the temple premises.  So he moved away from the crowd and stood alone watching and listening to his master with admiration.  He was deeply moved at the speech and intelligence of his master, it raised his respect twofold towards his master. 

 

Nandan was inquisitively listening to the speech of his master with awe.  That day the speech was about the glories of Chidambaram Lord Nataraj.   His master passionately illustrates the glories of the Lord and concluded his speech with those amazing words that a life is futile without visiting the temple of Lord Nataraja and an eye without witnessing the enthralling beauty of the Lord Nataraja is plain waste.  Nandan enthusiastically picked up those concluding messages instantly.  He got back to his master’s home and waited for his master to get back home.  Shortly, his master arrived home and was surprised to see Nandan roaming around the backyard in odd hours.  His master asked the reason why he was stayed back.  Nandan fervently overloaded his master with tons of queries about Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram.  His master was little surprised but did not pay much attention to his fresh idea.  He comforted Nandan to have food and get some good sleep in his courtyard.  But Nandan was not ready to accept any of his advices; instead he wanted to know more about the Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram.  His master gave a brief knowledge about the Lord and asked him to chant ‘Shiva Chidambaram’ as Moola Mantra to get his Blessings.

 

Nandan was restless in the whole night.  He continued to chant the Moola mantra initiated by his master.  He kept awake in the whole night, his anxiety made him to rush to the field and finish the next day’s chore.  In the early morning he approached his master seeking permission to go home early.  His master was surprised to see the obvious changes in Nandan’s behavior.  He let Nandan go home and relax.  Nandan arrived at his hut and continued to meditate ‘Shiva Chidambaram’ for hours and hours.  He continued to stay in the same state for another two days and when he rose from the meditation there was a noticeable changes in him everyone could perceive.  He was very calm and composed different from his usual style.  His slum slang has totally changed into a Sangam period’s pure Tamil.   The whole villagers were shocked to see the tremendous changes in Nandan and rushed to Nandan’s master to inform about the terrific changes in Nandan.  His master ordered to bring Nandan immediately.  His master was surprised to see Nandan’s charisma.  Nandan was already accepted his master as his ‘Acharya’ wholeheartedly, immediately fallen at his feet seeking permission to visit Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram. 

 

Nandan’s strange behavior and his request to visit Chidambaram were strictly refused by his master.  His wife requested to explain the reason for denial of Nandan’s request.  Vedic Brahmin painfully explained the reason that Nandan’s visit to Chidambaram would be his final journey; he can’t return to his village and cannot be with them once again.  The ceaseless affection and love towards Nandan forced the Vedic Bramin to put an obstruction to Nandan’s craving request.  Nandan’s master ordered him to prepare the 120 acres land for cultivation immediately and Nandan could start his journey to Chidambaram once the harvest season is over.  Nandan was miserable at the order of his master; he shed tears looking at the dry land.  He remembered life is too short and he heartily wanted to take up the journey to Chidambaram at the earliest.

 

 

On that night, Lord Shiva at Kailash commanded his celestial Bootha Ganas and Nandi to prepare the 120 acres of land for harvest in an overnight, so that Nandan could precede his journey to Chidambaram and visit Lord Nataraja on the day of Arudra Darisanam.  Before the next day morning, as desired by the Vedic Brahmin the entire process of cultivation was completed.  In the morning the Vedic Brahmin and his wife was stunned to see the heap of grains on their backyard.  The whole villagers assembled and witnessed the miracle and described Vedic Brahmin about what they have seen in his farm field yester night.  Many a times Nandan’s master much loved to hug Nandan for his affection, sincerity, honesty and respect.  Every time his ego stopped him to do so, thinking that Nandan was born in an out casted family.  This time his master could not resist himself thinking about cast or creed, inferiority or superiority, he rushed to Nandan, fallen at his feet with lots of respect and hugged him.   Nandan was taken aback and devastatingly ran off from the spot as if he had committed a huge sin.  Nandan fallen at the feet of his Master - Guru – Vedic Brahmin, received permission to start his journey to Chidambaram immediately.

 

Nandanar resumed his journey through Thiruppangur, which is 8km away from Thiru Adhanur/ Nandanar’s  birth place.  The deity of Thiruppangur is Lord Shivalokanathan & his consort Goddess Sri Chokkanayaki, there was a huge Nandi positioned in front of the sanctum sanctorum.  Nandanar had the reticent feeling about his low status always.  He earnestly wanted to have dharshan of Lord, but the big bull stood as a hindrance to his desire.  He wept like a child standing out of the village frontier.  At once, Lord ordered His Dwarapalakas to instruct Nandi to move a bit so that His fervent devotee Nandanar could have Dharshan of Him.  Nandi a faithful servant of Lord who chants the holy hymns of Lord Shiva with his two nostrils uninterruptedly agreed to move a bit and turned his neck to one side. Nandanar had good dharshan of Lord Shivalokanathan.  This miraculous incident happened in Thiruppangur can be viewed in these days too.   Nandanar continued his journey and visited the famous temple of Lord Vaitheeshwara in Sheerkazhi.   Finally, he arrived at the border of Chidambaram.  Nandan was in seventh heaven, remembering the glories of Lord Nataraja and his cosmic dance.  He was uncontrollable crawled on the ground like a child with vigor and devotion to Lord, circumambulated the entire village and danced in an ecstasy witnessing the majestic temple tower of Lord Nataraja.  Throughout his journey he painfully remembered his lower status which haunted him and stopped him to enter into the village to have the Dharshan of Lord Chidambaram.  He kept himself away from the villagers of higher status.  His heart was too heavy and he was totally distraught, fallen asleep in an open place just few yards away from the temple.

Nandan had a dream that night in that Lord Nataraja’s divine instruction was Nandanar should visit the sanctum sanctorum of the temple through the East Rajagopuram at the earliest.  Nandanar could not control himself, he wept bitterly.  He cried to Lord and revealed his piteous low status preventing him to enter inside the temple.  Lord Nataraja passionately enlightened him to shred out his lower status by walking through the sacrificial fire and surrender to Lord. The most compassionate Lord appeared in the each and every villager’s dream and informed about the zealous devotee Nandanar, also instructed to arrange a sacrificial fire in front of East Gopuram and receive his much loved devotee ‘Nandanar’  inside the temple with due respect and honor.  The whole villagers assembled at the East Gopuram and Nandanar after finishing morning ablations walked through the crowd prostrating each and everyone.  The moment arrived, Nandanar walked into the massive sacrificial fire as the crowd was witnessing, and he emerged out of it with brilliant radiance.  His dazzling appearance was so captivating with holy ashes beautifully smeared all over the body, garlands of rudraksha embellished his body, he was clothed  as Vedic Brahmin with matted hair locks everything made him the most attractive.  He walked gracefully with the Vedic Brahmins inside the temple with all the respect and honor, visualizing the cosmic dance of Lord.  Abruptly, Nandanar was disappeared from the sight; the crowd continued their search for him.  Later, they found his attire from the feet of Lord Nataraja.  He vanished in the luminous blue light radiated from the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Nataraja. 

In the Tamil month Purattasi – Rohini is widely celebrated as the Guru Puja day in Thiruppankur and  Thiru Adhanur.

 

 Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!




 

Jai Sriman Narayana !!