As Tavayogi and I drove by a temple in Avinasi which was known back then as Thirupukoliyur, he pointed out to me that that was the temple where the saint Sundarar had sang a padigam and brought forth a child who was eaten alive several years earlier by a crocodile which appeared in the swollen waters of the river. Sundarar delivered the child to the wailing mother in the form and age he would be in, if he had not been swallowed. How was that possible? Wasn't he killed the moment the crocodile eat him? Wasn't he digested in the crocodile's stomach? Where was he all these years? How did he emerge from the crocodile's stomach alive and grown compensating the lost years? It is as if Sundarar went back to that particular moment in time, recreated the moments before the tragic event, saved the boy, and brought him back to current times, now older with the passing years. Simply amazing!
The story of Abhirami Pattar is another where when challenged to prove that the tithi was Purnima as claimed by him, when in fact it was Amavasai, the divine comes to his aid and switches the tithi bringing on a large full moon for all to see. How is that possible?
Similarly we are told of many miracles that abound the saints who were living representatives of Erai, who moved with the society, blessing them, guiding them and occasionally bringing them out of their predicaments.
It is recorded that Ramalinga Adigal when realizing that the light from the oil lamp was fading and dying off reached for the oil vessel and began topping up the oil in the lamp unknowing that it contained water instead of oil. He continued to write down his compositions on the divine at this home of a merchant Vengada Reddiar in Karungkuli. He did not realize the miracle till it was pointed out to him later by the mistress of the house he lived in that she had mistakenly filled up water and not oil in the vessel before leaving home for a temple fest. Erai had kept the lamp burning throughout the night with water so that Adigal's divine work would not come to an abrupt halt! This miracle took place in the years between 1858 and 1867.
A rather similar miracle took place even earlier in the years before 600 AD in Naminandhi Adigal's life. The story goes that Naminandhi Adigal on realizing that the oil in the lamp at the temple had burnt off, he seeked for some oil from a home nearby only to be insulted by the house owner. "Since your Shiva holds fire in his hand, why do you need to light a lamp?", saying thus they refused to give him oil, shamed him and sent him away. This is when Lord Shiva instructed him to light the lamps with water from the temple tank. Naminandhi Adigal did as instructed and lighted up all the temple lamps using water!
A young couple who had eloped from their homes had taken refuge for the night in a madam. A snake bit the man and he died. When Sambandar came along he inquired what had taken place. The lady related her sad story to him, breaking down. Sambandar sang a hymn or padigam, "Sadaiya yenummaal", seeking the grace of the lord to revived the dead man. The lord granted Sambandar's prayer. Sambandar married the couple off in the presence of the lord.
Sivanesan, a wealthy man, lost his only daughter as a result of being bitten by a snake. None could revive her. Three days had gone by. Saddened by the sudden turn of events, and unable to forget his daughter, Sivanesan kept the ash from her cremation in a vessel at his home. When Sivanesan who was an ardent fan of Sambandar heard that the saint was nearing his hometown in Mylapore, rushed to meet him, with the urn of ash, at the Kapaleeswarar temple. Hearing what had taken place Sambandar sang a padigam, "Mattitta". The bones among the ash in the vessel began to take form. At the end of the padigam the form came to life. The vessel broke as the form of Sivanesan's daughter appeared before all of them.
Closer to present times, a couple who were from India, and were working in Singapore had brought their son to Chennai for treatment having failed to find a solution to their son's illness in Singapore. Someone recommended them to see Sankar Aiya, a Siddha parctitioner at Kumbakonam. Sankar Aiya takes care of Agathiyar (Ganapathy), Ambal and Lord Muruga's sannadhi on the outer fringes of the Adi Kumbeswarar Temple. Sankar Aiya told me over the phone that he too was surprised when the boy began to move his limbs and jump around the instant Sankar Aiya took his hands to examine him. It was the wish of the lord that the boy should recover at Agathiyar's sannadhi!
Closer to present times, a couple who were from India, and were working in Singapore had brought their son to Chennai for treatment having failed to find a solution to their son's illness in Singapore. Someone recommended them to see Sankar Aiya, a Siddha parctitioner at Kumbakonam. Sankar Aiya takes care of Agathiyar (Ganapathy), Ambal and Lord Muruga's sannadhi on the outer fringes of the Adi Kumbeswarar Temple. Sankar Aiya told me over the phone that he too was surprised when the boy began to move his limbs and jump around the instant Sankar Aiya took his hands to examine him. It was the wish of the lord that the boy should recover at Agathiyar's sannadhi!
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| Shankar Aiya (left) |
How is all these possible. Ramalinga Adigal too has sang in numerous places of his Arutpa that the dead shall arise and had asked of his followers not to be cremated but buried. When I put this question to Tavayogi, he very honestly told me he did not know. The Siddhas explain that man when they rise up the evolutionary ladder where they have then the ability to interact and move nature to do their will. The divine does wonders through them. Faith and belief in the divine can do wonders.