Gift BN
The Lord Who
Alwars are ardent devotees who sang pasurams (songs) in Tamil in praise of Lord Srimannarayana. Thirumazhisai Alwar one among the 12 Alwars declared to the world about the supremacy of Srimannarayana
Alwar served the Lord at Thiruvekka divya desam near Kanchipuram along with his disciple Kanikannan. Perumal at this divya desam is in unique reclining
position with his head resting on his left hand and with special thirunamam ‘Sonna Vannam Seydha Perumal’ (the one who does as told to do). Let us see how he got this name. We all know Bhagavan is the supreme lord and controls everyone but how come he acted according to what his devotee Thirumazhisai Alwar said?.
Alwar and his disciple Kanikannan while living in Kanchipuram were always involved in the service of Perumal. There was an old lady who was serving them and helping them in doing their daily chores like temple cleaning. Alwar impressed by her service grants her a boon. Due to old age she was unable to do services like before and the lady fed up of her old
Age asks him to grant her youthfulness. Alwar by the grace of Srimannarayana had divine powers and grants her wish and turns her into a beautiful lady forever. The king by name Pallavarayan ruling the kingdom gets attracted to her beauty and marries her.
They lived happily and years passed by and the king was getting old but his wife was ever young. The king asked her about the secret and came to know about Alwar and his special powers. Alwar and Kanikannan would get their daily meal by taking alms (bhiksha).
One day Kanikannan visits the king’s palace for taking alms. The king asks Kanikannan to take him to his master so that he can also be blessed by him
To be ever young like his wife. But Kani kannan refuses saying that Alwar would not grant such worldly desires. Then the king asks Kanikannan who is a poet to sing a song in praise of him.
Kanikannan refuses and says he will sing only in praise of Srimannarayana and none other. The king very much annoyed by his refusal, banishes him from the kingdom.
Kanikannan narrates the +whole incident to Alwar and seeks his permission to leave as he can’t stay in the kingdom because of the punishment. Alwar says he will also come with desire to live in a place where his disciple cannot live.
But Alwar not able to tolerate separation from Emperuman (Lord of Thiruvekka) goes to the temple and requests Perumal to accompany them and describes to him the entire situation in a verse
Kanikannan po:gindra:n ka:maru pu:m kacchi Manivanna! ni: kidakka ve:nda |
thunivudaya senna pulavanum po:gindre:n ne:yum unthan painna:gappa:y suruttikkol ||
Manivanna! Kanikannan banished by the king is leaving the kingdom. I do not want to stay in a place where my disciple is not honored. “What would you do here without us? You roll up your serpent bed Adisesha and follow us” ordered Alwar.
Lord in the Archa murthi form without a word obeys his command and rolls his sleeping mat (Adisesha) and follows them like a boy following his mother’s instructions. Alwar, his disciple, Perumal, the three leave the place.
Meanwhile without Perumal and his devotee’s the kingdom loses all its opulence and the people were into all sorts of troubles. Drought and famine caused distress. The king quickly realizes the grave mistake he has done and enquires about the whereabouts of Alwar and requests the three to come back to the kingdom.
Then Alwar asks Perumal to return to his place saying “Kanikannan is leaving this place and going back to the kingdom. I am also leaving so you should follow us. Roll up your bed and lets go” and the three come back to the kingdom.
Kanikannan po:gu ozhinda:n ka:maru pu:m kacchi Manivanna! ni: kidakka ve:ndum |
thunivudaya senna pulavanum pokozhinden ne:yum un painna:gappay paduththukkol ||
The Lord obeyed his devotee’s order immediately without second thought which gave him the name ‘Sonna Vannam Seydha Perumal’ (one who did as his devotee said) in Tamil, Yatho:kthaka:ri (yathaa uktha ka:ri) in sanskrit. Swami Desikan in ‘Ve:gase:thu sthothram’ glorified Emperuman as ‘Bhakthimatha:m Yatho:kthaka:ri’ – one who is bound to what his devotee wishes.
The Lord obeyed his devotee’s order immediately without second thought which gave him the name ‘Sonna Vannam Seydha Perumal’ (one who did as his devotee said) in Tamil, Yatho:kthaka:ri (yathaa uktha ka:ri) in sanskrit. Swami Desikan in ‘Ve:gase:thu sthothram’ glorified Emperuman as ‘Bhakthimatha:m Yatho:kthaka:ri’ – one who is bound to what his devotee wishes.
In all other divya desam’s Perumal is in reclining position from left to right with his head resting on right hand while in this divya desam is resting in the opposite direction right to left with his head on his left hand. Our elders also say that Perumal took this position in order to show us as a proof that he has left the place and returned back on the instruction of Alwar.
If anyone troubles our dear one’s we get upset. Similarly the devotees are very dear to the Lord and one should be careful about one’s behavior towards them and not to commit any offense knowingly. This wonderful story also tells us how Lord Srimannarayana follows his true devotee’s requests and instructions.
– By Sridevi Ankisetty, from the Mukundama:la teachings of His Holiness Sri Ahobila Jeeyar Swamiji