Tīrtha Series - 5a : Thirumular in Nataraja Temple
Here is the link to Tirtha Series Master Database
Definition of tīrtha:
tirtha, (Sanskrit: “crossing” or “river ford”) in Hinduism, a holy river, mountain, or other place made sacred through association with a deity or saint.
taken from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/tirtha
Definition of Sacred:
- dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deitydevoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose)
- worthy of religious venerationentitled to reverence and respect
taken from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacred
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December 18, 2021, Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, India
I visited my in-law's house in the south of Tamil Nadu. It is a small township and basically surrounded by villages, with nothing much to do around unlike the city or any tourist spots.
Whenever I get bored sitting in their house, I go to this nearby Nataraja temple (Dancing Shiva), a small temple for Nataraja is built there (like 20+ years old ).
(Surprising fact while I writing this article, I learned the thirumular idol is at the feet of the Nataraja idol, usually, it is the child-teenage saint Thiru-Jnana-Sambandha, this temple was an exception)
Lord Nataraja is there, one can feel his presence.
But my favorite spot in the temple is "Thiruthondar Thirukovil" (Temple of Great Shiva Devotees) right next to Nataraja temple on the same premise.
The attraction was like a magnetic pull, it pulled me there, and my legs were running there.
Some historical Background and Motive of these Great Shiva Devotees :
63 Nayanmars who were Tamil saints devoted to Lord Shiva, lived during the 6-8th century AD. They ushered the Bhakti (Devotion) Movement in Southern India. All their works, poems, and songs are in Tamil Language, unlike Sanskrit.
- Their mission was to reestablish the Bhakti (Devotion) Movement in Southern land and to overcome the Sanskrit obstacle which was taught only to priests. (Like how Buddha spread his teachings in Pali rather than Sanskrit)
- Shiva sent them on a mission to unleash all the knowledge in a common man's language like Tamil. More saints were also sent here and there to disseminate spiritual knowledge in almost every language in India. Similar to how Madhva was sent to unlock the spiritual knowledge of Gitas in English as commissioned by Krishna and other deities.
- Another main mission was to block the rapid spread of Buddhism and Jainism in southern India because Hinduism was locked inside the door of Sanskrit. These saints came and overturned in a couple of centuries. Very similar to Adi Shankara's mission to revive Hinduism and blocked the spread of Buddhism.
63 and a few more saints are clearly divine people who descended directly from Shivaloka or Kailasha. Their lives are super extreme, full of miracles and can't be imitated by a layman; they came in all castes, rich, poor, king, hunter, women, child, teenage, old lady, washerman, etc on various spiritual and some political missions too.
At the end of their lives, most of these saints entered the portal opening to Shiva Loka by merging with the idol or other with a light sphere in front of lots of people (that's how the legend goes on their disappearances).
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As, I entered this "Thiruthondar Thirukovil" (Temple of Great Shiva Devotees) premise:
- All the 63 nayamars (devotees) idols were present. Most of them let them sensed me. Energy was like "We are here", not verbally but you can feel their presence and welcoming gesture.
Most closest to my heart of all is Thirumular. Because he is the only Yogi among 63 of them.
By that time, I read Madhva's Invision series 1-4 where Agastya introduces Thirumular to Madhva and teached him certain techniques on variations of padmasana. By his grace, I learned several variations of padmasana and had pretty good grasp on it. Thanks to the combination of Agastya, Thirumular and Madhva's grace.
2. When I went near thirumular statue: Cell and zonal kundalini was rising in various parts of my body in leg and torso.
Thirumular's Astral voice was (in Tamil Language):
" Appa Da
Na Appa da
Vaa
Na Appa da
Vaa da, Vaa"
"This is the father!
This is your father, my son!
Come here!
This your father, my son!
Come here, Come to me!"
He was endearing, welcoming, and happy to see me.
3. As I walked across the idols, a message came from the "The books wrapped in Red cloth" (center of the picture)
The astral message was "Look here" as I walked without paying close attention to it, thinking it should be of some coconut or some other stuff inside.
It was blazing like astral fire, very very high energy of a certain frequency compared to any idols nearby. I asked my wife, what is inside it, and both of us did know what it was.
Later on, asking my wife's uncle, I came to know they were books containing the compendium of songs written by major Nayanamars (including thirumular works) called Thirumurai.
A very powerful bundle of Sattvic energy in those books.
I have heard those songs before during my child years or even recently, few years ago, it is like a strong potent astral drug with Shiva's Bhakti Energy infused in the lyrics of the song (not the music, in the words).
When I heard or read some of the lyrics before,
- I went into trance
- Tears flow profusely
- meditation to a higher state
But all these happened very few times, not on daily or consistent basis.
It is similar to bhakti of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who goes into ecstacy when he utters Hare Krishna mantra, but others could not do it as he did.
I went a few more times, he was welcoming and happy to see me there at that premise.
When I wake up in the morning to do breath infusion at 4 am in my in-law's house, it will be so dark and little scary as some rodents keep moving around and making sounds. An astral message will come from Thirumular saying "Come here, I am here, Come here". But the irony is, you can't do yoga in the temple premise due to surroundings and circumstances.
One such recording of a pleasant visit!
I am very happy and relieved mentally to have composed this article for my father!
My beloved father!
En Appa!
