श्रीशिवानन्दलहरी -६३
मार्गावर्तितपादुका पशुपतेरङ्गस्य कूर्चायते
गण्डूषाम्बुनिषेचनं पुररिपोर्दिव्याभिषेकायते।
किञ्चिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकबलं नव्योपहारायते
भक्तिः किं न करोत्यहो वनचरो भक्तावतंसायते ॥ ६३ ॥
ஶ்ரீஶிவாநந்த³லஹரீ -63
மார்கா³வர்திதபாது³கா பஶுபதேரங்க³ஸ்ய கூர்ச்சாயதே,
க³ண்டூ³ஷாம்பு³-நிஷேசநம்ʼ-புரரிபோர்-தி³வ்யாபி⁴ஷேகாயதே।
கிஞ்சித்³ப⁴க்ஷித-மாம்ʼஸ-ஶேஷ-கப³லம்ʼ, நவ்யோபஹாராயதே,
ப⁴க்தி꞉ᳲ கிம்ʼ ந கரோத்யஹோ வநசரோ, ப⁴க்தாவதம்ʼஸாயதே ॥ (63)
मार्ग-आवर्तित-पादुका पशुपतेः अंगस्य कूर्चायते गण्डूष-अंबु-निषेचनं पुररिपोः दिव्य-अभिषेकायते। किंचिद् (त्)-भक्षित-मांस-शेष-कबलं नव्य-उपहारायते अहो! भक्ति: किं न करोति? वन-चरः भक्त-अवतंसायते।
शिवभक्तेः वैचित्र्यं वर्णयति – मार्गेति। पशुपतेः शिवसंबन्धिनः अङ्गस्य अवयवस्य मार्गावर्तितपादुका मार्गेषु अध्वसु आवर्तिता असकृदनुभूता पादुका पादरक्षा कूर्चायते भ्रूमध्यस्थानायते भ्रूमध्यस्थानमिवाचरति। पुररिपोः त्रिपुरान्तकस्य अङ्गस्य गण्डूषाम्बुनिषेचनं मुखप्रवेशितजलनिषेचनं दिव्याभिषेकायते दिव्याम्बुनः गङ्गाजलस्य अभिषेक इवाचरति। किंचिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकवलं किंचिदीषत् भक्षितं खादितं मांसं पललं तस्य शेषः अवशिष्टांशः स एव कवलं ग्रासः तत् नव्योपहारायते नव्यो नूतनः उपहारः निवेद्यद्रव्यं स इवाचरति। वनचरो व्याधः भक्तावतंसायते भक्तश्रेष्ठ इवाचरति। सर्वत्राचारार्थे क्यङ्। भक्तिः किं किं न करोति सर्वं करोत्येवेति भावः। स्पष्टोऽर्थः। पादुका कूर्चायते इत्यस्य कश्चन भक्तः आरब्धकालहस्तीश्चवरपुजनः भक्त्यतिशयेन महादेवस्य प्रसादसिद्धये भक्तदृढतरभक्तिपरीक्षणाय स्वमुखस्थयोः नेत्रयोः साश्रुणोः प्रकटितयोः सतोः तत्स्थाने प्रशस्ते स्वीये नेत्रे उत्पाट्य दित्सुः तन्नेत्रस्थानप्रत्यभिज्ञानाय स्वपादुकां भ्रुवोर्मध्यस्थाने निचिक्षेपेति पुराणप्रसिद्धिबलादुपपत्तिः ॥६३॥
इत्थं हि शिवभक्तविजये कथा श्रूयते–कालहस्तीनामकक्षेत्रे अरण्य मध्ये शिवलिङ्गं प्रत्यहं भक्त्या अभिषेकपूर्वकं निवेदनादिना पूजयन् भगवति भक्तः कण्णप्पनामा आसीत्। कस्मिंश्चिद् दिवसे यदा स पूजां कर्तुं शिवलिङ्गसमीपं जगाम तदा लिङ्गे चक्षुःप्रदेशाद् रुधिरस्रावं दष्ट्वा भगवतः चक्षुर्नष्टं तत्स्थानादेव च रुधिरं स्रवति इति निश्चित्य मदीयं चक्षुर्द्वयं भगवतेऽर्पयिष्यामि इति बुद्ध्या प्रथममेकं चक्षुरुद्धृत्य शिवलिङ्गे स्थापयामास। ततो द्वितीय-चक्षुःस्थापनाय स्वदेहात् तस्याप्युद्धरणे अन्धत्वापत्त्या कुत्र चक्षुःस्थापनीयमिति ज्ञानाय स्वीयपादुकाद्वयं शिवलिङ्गोपरि स्थापितवान्। तदनन्तरं स्वखादितमांसशेषं निवेद्य गतः। सा कथाऽत्र निबध्यते।
शिवाभिषेकात् पूर्वं जलपूर्णकलशे शिवमावाह्य तत्र कूर्चं दर्भनिर्मितं निधाय रुद्राध्यायः पठ्यते। समाप्तौ कूर्चस्य लिङ्गे स्थापनपूर्वकं मन्त्रपूतजलेनाभिषेकः क्रियते। एतन्मनसि निधाय आचार्येण “पादुका कूर्चायते” इत्याद्युक्तम् ॥
சிவபக்தியின் பெருமையை வர்ணிக்கின்றார்.
ஹே பகவானே! பக்தியென்ற விஷயத்தின் மஹிமையை என்னவென்று கூறுவது? பக்தி என்பது உம்மைக் கூட எவ்வாறு செய்ததென்று யோஜிதால் அதன் பெருமை நன்றாயறியலாமன்றோ?
मार्गावर्तितपादुका – மார்கா³வர்திதபாது³கா- [வேடுவனொருவனின், திண்ணன் என்ற கண்ணப்பனின்], காட்டுப் பாதைகளில் சென்று நடந்து தேய்ந்த தன் செருப்பானது
पशुपतेः – பஶுபதே꞉ – ஈச்வரனுடைய
अङ्गस्य – அங்க³ஸ்ய – சரீரத்திற்கு
कूर्चायते – கூர்சாயதே – புருவ மத்தியில் சேர்ந்தது போல் ஆகின்றது.
गण्डूषाम्बुनिषेचनम् – க³ண்டூ³ஷாம்பு³நிஷேசநம் – தன் வாயில் வைத்திருந்த எச்சில் ஜலத்தால் செய்யப்படும் அபிஷேகம்
पुररिपोः – புரரிபோ꞉ – திரிபுராந்தகரான பரமேச்வரனுக்கு
दिव्याभिषेकायते – தி³வ்யாபி⁴ஷேகாயதே – தேவர்களுக்குரிய (கங்காஜல) அபிஷேக ஜலமென்று கொள்ளச் செய்தது
किंचिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकबलम् – கிஞ்சித்³ப⁴க்ஷிதமாம்ʼஸஶேஷகப³லம் – கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாய் கடித்து ருசிபார்க்கப்பட்ட எச்சில் மாம்ஸ கவளமானது
नव्योपहारायते – நவ்யோபஹாராயதே – புதிதாகத் தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட நைவேத்தியம் என்று அங்கீகரிக்கப்பட்டது
वनचरः – வநசர꞉ – இவ்விதம் செருப்பைக் கொண்டு உமது திருமேனியைத் தீண்டியும், எச்சில் நீரை உமிழ்ந்தும், மாம்ஸத்தை வாயில் போட்டும் உள்ள அவ்வேடனை
भक्तावतंसायते – ப⁴க்தாவதம்ʼஸாயதேசிறந்த பக்தனாகச் செய்தது யாது? உம்மிடம் அவனுக்கு இருந்த பக்தியென்பதல்லவா?
भक्तिः किं न करोति – ப⁴க்தி꞉ கிம்ʼ ந கரோதி -ஆகையால், பக்தியென்ற பொருள் எதைத்தான் செய்யாது?
अहो – அஹோ – என்ன ஆச்சரியம்!
ஏ, அன்பிற்கெளிய! நீர் பக்தர்களிடத்தில் விரும்புவதில், அன்பு ஒன்றே பிரதானமாம் என்பதை யறிந்தேன். எதனாலெனின்: முன் ஈசுவர பக்தி செய்யும் முறையே இன்னதென்று அறியாத, ஒரு காட்டில் வாழும் வேடன் (கண்ணப்பனது) காற் செருப்பானது, உனது இரண்டு கண்களின் இடையே இலக்காய்ப் பொருந்தி விளங்கியது; அவன் கடித்துத் தின்ற மிச்சமான எச்சில் மாமிசத்துண்டு, உமக்கு இனிய அமுதாகியது; அவன் வாயிலிருந்து உமிழ்ந்த எச்சில் தண்ணீரும் உமக்குப் புனிதமாகிய அபிடேக தீர்த்தமாகியது. இத்தகைய இழிவுச்செயல்களைப் புரிந்த அவனும் உமது அருகில் உறும் ஸாமீப்ய பதவியைப் பெற்ற மேலான உன் பக்தனானதும் அன்றி, முடிவில் அந்தமில் இன்பவடிவ மோக்ஷத்தையும் பெற்றான். ஆகவே அவ்வித மார்கட பக்தி என்னிடத்தில் இராவிடினும், தாங்கள் மார்ச்சல நியாயம் பற்றியாவது என்னை ஆட்கொள்ளக் கிருபை புரிதல் வேண்டும் (என்பதாம்).
லிங்கவடிவமாய் எழுந்தருளியிருக்கின்ற பரமேச்வரனின் ஒரு கண்ணிலிருந்து இரத்தம் வழிவதைப் பார்த்த வேடனொருவன் தன் கண்ணைப் பறித்து அந்த இடத்தில் வைத்தான். அப்பொழுது மற்ற கண் வழியாக ரத்தம் வழிந்தது. அந்த கண்ணிலும் தன் மற்றொரு கண்ணைப் பறித்து வைக்க எண்ணிய அந்தத் தலைசிறந்த பக்தனான வேடன் செருப்பை அணிந்த தன் ஒரு காலை அடையாளமாக ஆண்டவனின் புருவ மத்தியில் வைத்தான். ஆகையால் செருப்பு ஸ்வாமிக்கு புருவ மத்தியாயிற்று. ஸ்வாமிக்கு அபிஷேகம் செய்ய ஜலம் வேண்டும். அதற்கு ஒரு பாத்திரமும் வேண்டும். வேடனிடம் பாத்திரம் இல்லாததால் தன் வாயிலேயே ஐலத்தைக் கொண்டு வந்து அபிஷேகமாக உமிழ்ந்தான். த்ரிபுரங்களை எரித்த அந்த பரமேச்வரனுக்கு வேடுவனுடைய அந்த வாய் ஜலம் திவ்யமான அபிஷேக ஜலமாக ஆயிற்று. அவனால் சிறிது உண்ட மாம்ஸத் துண்டு அவருக்கு மஹா நைவேத்யமாக ஆயிற்று. இந்த வேடுவன் பக்தர்களில் தலை சிறந்தவனாகக் கருதப்படுகிறான். ஆகையால் பக்தி எதைத்தான் செய்யாது.
ஸ்ரீபரமேச்வர பக்தியின் பெருமையை கண்ணப்பநாயனார் என்ற சிறந்த பக்தனுடைய வரலாற்றைக் கூறி விளக்குகிறார். கண்ணப்பநாயனார் வேட ஜாதியில் பிறந்தவர். பாதுகையை இரு கண்களுக்கும் மத்தியில் அடையாளத்திற்காக வைத்துக்கொண்டு அவரது கண்களைப் பிடுங்கி ஸ்ரீபரமேச்வரனுக்கு அர்ப்பணம் செய்தார். வாய் ஜலத்தால் அபிஷேகம் செய்தார். அவர் தின்று ருசி பார்த்த மாம்ஸத்தை ஸ்வாமிக்கு நிவேதனம் செய்தார். இருந்தாலும் இவை எல்லாவற்றையும் பரமேச்வரன் மிகப்புனித வஸ்துக்களாக பாவித்தார். ஏன்? அவனிடமுள்ள அளவு கடந்த பரமேச்வர பக்திதான் காரணம். பக்தி எதைத்த்தான் செய்யாது?
அங்கோலம் நிஜபீ³ஜஸந்ததி꞉ என்ற ச்லோகத்தில் பக்தியின் உன்னதமான நிலையை விளக்கினார்; ஆநந்தா³ஶ்ருபி⁴꞉ என்ற ச்லோகத்தில் பக்தியை ஒரு மாதாவாக வர்ணித்து, அந்த பக்தியான மாதாவானவள் பக்தனாகிய குழந்தையின் விஷயத்தில் எதைத்தான் செய்யமாட்டாள் என்பதை விளக்கினார். அறுபத்தி மூன்று நாயன்மார்களில் மஹா புண்ணியமூர்த்தியான கண்ணப்ப நாயனாருடைய லீலையை இந்த கிரந்தத்தில் அறுபத்தி முன்றாவது ச்லோகத்தில் வர்ணிக்கிறார்கள். கண்ணப்பநாயனாரை திருநாவுக்கரசர், ஞானசம்பந்தர், மாணிக்கவாசகர், சுந்தரமூர்த்தி ஸ்வாமிகள், பட்டினத்தார் முதலானவர்கள் அளவிலாத அன்பினால் புகழ்கிறார்கள். ஒருவராலேயும் செய்யமுடியாத அதி ஆச்சர்யகரமான லீலையைச் செய்த கண்ணப்பர், யாராக இருக்க முடியும்? கேவலம் ஒரு வேடனால் இதைச் செய்யமுடியுமா? அன்று, ஸ்ரீபரமேச்வரனுடைய திருவடியில் ஒரு கண்ணைப் பிடுங்கி அர்ச்சனை செய்து, அதிலிருந்து கிளம்பிய ஸுதர்சன சக்கரத்தைப் பெற்றுக்கொண்ட சாக்ஷாத் நாராயணனுடைய அம்சமே கண்ணப்பராக அவதாரம் செய்து நிஷ்காம்யமாக இருந்துகொண்டு அனன்ய பக்தியினுடைய உச்ச நிலையை லீலையாக செய்துகாட்டுகிறது என்று அறியவேண்டும். இந்த லீலையில் பரமதாத்பர்யம் என்னவென்றால், பரமேச்வரனிடத்திலுள்ள அனன்ய பக்தியானது எதைத் தான் செய்யாது என்பதேயாகும். உத்தமோத்தமமான சிவஸாயுஜ்யம் வரையிலுள்ள ஸகல புருஷார்த்தங்களையும் அனன்ய பக்தியானது அளிக்கும் என்பதுதான் இந்த ச்லோகத்தின் பரம தாத்பர்யம். சிவத்தொண்டர்களில் தலைசிறந்த புண்ணிய மூர்த்தியான கண்ணப்பரை த்யானம் செய்து இந்த ச்லோகத்தைச் சொல்லி நமஸ்கரிப்பவர்கள் காலக்கிரமத்தில் சிவசாயுஜ்யம் அடைவார்கள் என்பதற்கு பகவத்பாதாளின் இந்த ச்லோகமே ப்ரமாணம்.
अहो = आश्चर्य है !
मार्गावर्तितपादुका = जिसे पहन रास्तों पर चला जा चुका है ऐसा जृता,
पशुपतेः = पशुपति के,
अंगस्य = शरीर को (पोंछने की),
कूर्चायते = कूची बन जाता है ।
गण्डूषाम्बुनिषेचनम् = कुल्ले के पाने को उगलना,
पुररिपोः = त्रिपुरारि का
दिव्याभिषेकायते = अलौकिक अभिषेक हो जाता है ।
किंचिद्भक्षितमांसशेकबलम् = थोड़ा खाकर बचा हुआ मुट्ठीभर मांस,
नव्योपहारायते = नवीन भेंट बन जाता है ।
भक्तिः = भक्ति,
किम् = क्या,
न = नहीं ,
करोति = देती ?
वनचरः = जंगली व्यक्ति,
भक्तावतंसायते = श्रेष्ठ भक्त बन जाता है ।
सुवर्णमुखरी नदी के तट पर “दक्षिण कैलास” कहाने वाला श्रीकालहस्तीश्वर स्थान है । कण्णप्पा
नामक वनवासी ने वहां भक्तिपूर्वक महादेव की नियमतः पूजा की ! किंतु जंगली होने से पात्रादि तो उसके पास थे नहीं । जानवर मारता ओर चखकर देखता कि मांस भगवान के लायक है या नहीं । ठीक होने पर हाथ में जूठा-चखा जा चुका–मांस ले आता । मुँह में पानी भर लाता, उसे ही भगवद्विग्रह पर उगल देता । हाथ में तो मांस रहता अतः जूता पहने पैर से ही शिवलिंग को पोंछ कर नैवेद्य अर्पित कर देता था । एक बार श्रीविग्रह के नेत्रस्थान से उसे रक्त निकलता दीखा । उसे एक उपाय मालूम था– यदि आँख फूट जाये तो उस पर दूसरी आँख रखने से ठीक हो जाती हे । उसने तुरंत अपनी एकं आँख निकाल कर भगवान के नेत्रस्थान पर लगा दी । वहाँ से खून बन्द हो गया पर दूसरी आँख से खून निकलने लगा । कण्णप्पा को सन्तोष था कि उपचार मालूम है । किंतु समस्या थी कि जब वह अपनी दूसरी आँख भी निकाल देगा तो यह केसे जानेगा कि उसे लगाना कहाँ है ? पर तुरन्त उसे उपाय सूझा ! उसने अपने पैर का अंगूठा लिंग पर उस जगह टिका दिया जहाँ से खून निकल रहा था । अब आँख कहाँ रखनी है पता चल जायेगा । यो सब तैयार कर वह अपनी दूसरी आँख निकालने को उद्यत हआ । तभी भगवान् प्रकट हुए और उसे दिव्यता प्रदान कौ । इस कथा की ओर यहाँ संकेत है ।
विधिरहित भी भक्तिपूर्वक किया आराधन सफल होता है । यह आराधना की प्रशंसा है । भक्ति
से पूजनादि करना चाहिय । इस कथा का यह तात्पर्य नहीं कि अविधिपूर्वक ही उसे किया जाये
बल्कि यह है कि भक्तिपूर्वक करना चाहिये ॥६३ ॥
Dr.T.M.P.Mahadevan
The foot-wear worn out through the use on (forest) paths became the indicator betwixt the eye-brows on the body of the Lord of souls; the pouring of water borne in the mouth became divine bath for the Conqueror of the Cities; the remnant handful of meat, part of which had been eaten, became fresh food-offering. What will not devotion do? Ah, the hunter became the best of devotees!
Here is Sankaras’s tribute to Kannappar as the paragon of devotees. The wild hunter worshipped the Lord in his own bizarre way. He did not know the sastras. The rules of formal worship were unknown to him. Of the need for external purity while offering worship, he had not even an inkling. His strange mode of worship was regarded as an act of desecration by the temple-priest. But it was that worship that pleased the Lord most. The hunter received the name ‘Kannappar’ from the Lord, because he had given one eye to Him and was ready to give the other one also. Who can excel Kannappar in devotion? He was, indeed, the foremost among bhaktas.
Manikkavacakar has the following verse in hi Tiruvacakam (G.U.Pope’s translation)
There was no love in me like Kannapan’s
When He, my Sire, saw this, me poor
Beyond compare, in grace He made His own;
He sapke, and bade me come to Him.
With heavenly grace adorned He shines, and wears
White ashes, and the golden dust!
To Him, – of mercy infinite, – go thou,
And breathe His praise, O humming Bee.
(Thirukkottumbi – 4)
Schomerus observes: “In the Periapurana it is related of Kannappan that while out shooting he found an abandoned statue of Siva and forgetting the world and himself out of love towards Siva he put himself entirely to the service of the Siva statue and even sacrificed his eyes in the service.” (Quoted by Soderblom in Living God, O.U.P., 1933, pp 137-8)
Swami Tapasyananda
A worn-out foot-wear becomes the indicator betwixt Siva’s eye-brows; the pouring of the water carried in the mouth becomes His sacred bath; a piece of meat, a part of which has been bitten off, takes the place of fresh food-offering; and the erstwhile hunter becomes the best of devotees. What is there that the love of God cannot accomplish?
(The allusion is to the story of saint Kannappar, the wild hunter, who by the Lord’s grace became the prince of devotion in a moment. He knew none of the scriptural forms of worship, and so he made offerings to Siva’s image in his own wild fasion. When he found that the eyes of the image were bleeding, he pulled out his own eyes and placed them in their place. Since he would have no eyesight himself when placing the second eye, he marked the proper place beforehand with his worn-out sandal).
Sivaanandalahari – 63
मार्गावर्तितपादुका पशुपतेरङ्गस्यकूर्चायुते
गन्दूषाम्बुनिषेचनम् पुररिपोर्दिव्याभिषेकायते |
किन्चिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकबलं नव्योपहारायते
भक्ति: किं न करोत्यहो वनचरो भक्तावतंसायते ॥ ६३ ॥
Commentary
पशुपते: = PasupathE!
अङ्गस्य = to the body;
मार्गावर्तितपादुका = the wornout chappals;
कूर्चायुते = the place between the eyebrows;
पुररिपो: = to the enemy of the tripura viz. ParamEswara;
गन्दूषाम्बुनिषेचनम् = wetting with the gaugled water;
दिव्याभिषेकायते = become divine abhishEkam;
किन्चिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकबलं = partly eaten stale meat;
नव्योपहारायते = became the superior naivEdhyam;
वनचर: = the hunter;
भक्तावतंसायते= became the highest bhaktha;
अत: = therefore;
भक्ति: = bhakthi;
किं न करोत् = what it cannot do?
अहो = surprise!
காப்பதோர் வில்லு மம்புங் கையதொ ரிரைச்சிப்ப் பாரம்
தோற்பெருஞ் செருப்புத் தொட்டுத் தூயவாய்க் கலச மாட்டித்
தீப்பொருங் கண்கள் செய்ய குருதினீ ரொழுகத் தன்கண்
கோப்பதும் பற்றிக் கொண்டார் குருக்கைவீ ரட்டனாரே.
(தேவாரம்)
பொருட்பற்றிச் செய்கின்ற பூசனைகள் போல் விளங்கச்
செருப்புற்ற சீரடி வாய்க்கலச மூனமுதம்
விருப்புற்று வேடனார் சேடறிய மெய்குளிர்ந்தங்
கருட்பற்று நின்றவா தோணோக்க மாடாமோ.
(மாணிக்கவாசகர் திருவாசகம்)
In the sloka अङ्कोलं निजबीजसन्ततिम् AacharyaaL clearly determined, i.e. did निर्धारणम् of the the ultimate goal (paramakaashtai) and in the sloka आनन्दाश्रुभि: AachaaryaaL described Bhakti as a mother who would not hesitate to do anything for the kids. In Her doing so the example of Kannappa Nayanar is taken up by Aacharyaal and we are now going to enumerate this.
Saakshaath Kannappa Nayanar’s history is well known because there are very few who would not have known Kannappa Naayanaar. He did not worship KaaLaththeeswarar in the traditions of Aagama Saasthra because the only reason is that he had Ananya Bhakthi to Parameswara. Kannappa Naayanaar would hunt for a fat wild pig in the morning, roasting it in fire adding honey in large quantity. He would then taste it to make sure that the meat had been nicely cooked. Then he would bring the same for neivEdhyam to KaaLaththeeswarar who stays at the top of the fourth hill. Before climbing the hill he would take a mouthful of water from the Ponmukhali (swarNamukhi) river for doing abhishEkham to Eawara. This way, Kannappa Nayanaar with a bow on one hand and the cooked meat on the other and the sacred Ponmukhali water in his mouth, unfading love of KaaLatheeswara in his heart and deep worry in his thought that Easwara would be hungry that he would hasten to Him. As he reached the Lingam he would pour the water out of his mouth on the Lingam to do the abhishEkam. Then he would place the meat on the Lingam saying, “Hey! ParamEswara! I have brought this fat well cooked pig and I have made sure it is tenderized by biting it with my teeth and tasted it to make sure that it is fit for your consumption. Please accept this offering that I am making to you with all the love of my heart.” Then he would feed this meat in the mouth of KaaLatheeswara.
BhagavatpaadhaaL says: “गन्दूषाम्बुनिषेचनम् पुररिपोर्दिव्याभिषेकायते”. He uses the word ‘PuraripO!” in referring to ParamEswara. That is, O! Destroyer of the three puraas! There is a specific purpose to this usage. When destroying the three puraas what is the state of His being? He was burning with rage at the asuras. To Him who is burning with rage, the water spit from the mouth of Kannappa Naayanaar was as cooling as the waters of the Ganga!
The offering made to the deities especially Siva is a vegetarian meal such as cooked rice and fruits. Offerings are always made without tasting because such a food would be considered already offered and therefore it is ‘शेषम्’ (leftover). Even in picking the fruits for the offering we make sure that insects like ‘vandu’ has not tasted them before. The import is that the deity would reject the such an offering if it is शेषम् and there would not accrue to the devotee the effects of pleasing the lord by the offering of शेषम्.
Lo and Behold! The burnt meat that was tasted by Kannappa Naayanaar became a veritable lunch! AachaaryaaL says: “किन्चिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकबलं नव्योपहारायते”.
All these exceptional things took place solely because of the special Bhakthi of Kannappa Naayanaar.
Each morning the Brahmana by name SivakEsari Munivar would come to Siva who has taken abode in the middle of the jungle on top of hill, clean the vicinity, pour the pot of water that he had brought with VedhagOsham as abhishEkham then offer the cooked rice that he has so piously prepared at home. That was his routine. Each afternoon Kannappa Nayanaar would pour the Ponmugali water from his mouth on the Lingam and offer the cooked and tasted pig meat as neiVedhyam. That was Kannappa Naayanaar’s routine. The two bhakthaas did not know each other.
This was going on for five days. Seeing meat being left on the Lingam startled and distressed SivakEsari Munivar. In total disgust and helplessness SivakEsari Munivar decided to seek the help of the king to catch this culprit who desecrated Siva. That very moment he heard an asareeri calling him out and telling him not to go to the king but stay behind hiding behind a tree near the lingam and watch what would happen at noon time. So SivakEsari Munivar stayed hiding behind the tree wondering what was going to happen.
About noon time Kannappa Naayanaar appeared there, visibly worried that Siva would be hungry because he is late. He rushed to Siva and spat the water he carried in his mouth on Siva and placing his cooked meat for His consumption to the grave consternation of SivakEsari Munivar who was watching this behind the tree. Suddenly from the right eye of Siva blood started oozing. Kannappa Naayanaar got startled by this event and started to cry lamenting that the bleeding in the eye of Siva could be due to some अपचारम् he must have done. He immediately picked some herbs from nearby that he knew would stop the bleeding and poured the juice of the herb on Siva’s beeding eye. However the bleeding refused to stop. Kannappa Naayanaar shouted “O! Siva! If you become blind then the whole world would drown in darkness.” Then he decided that Siva’s right eye is irrepairable and should be replaced. That is when SivakEsari Munivar saw an unbelievable event! Kannappa Naayanaar took an arrow, dug out his right eye and placed it on Siva’s right eye! Immediately the bleeding stopped!! Kannappa Naayanaar was jumping with joy!! But this joy did not last long as there was bleeding in the left eye of Siva. More wonderous thing happened then.
Kannappa Naayanaar decided to dig out his left eye and place it on Siva’s left eye. Knowing that the moment he digs out his left eye he would go blind and would not know where Siva’s left eye would be and so he lifted his left foot and placed it just beneath the left eye of Siva. AachaaryaaL describes this as:“मार्गावर्तितपादुका पशुपतेरङ्गस्यकूर्चायुते” . He uses the word ‘पशुपते ’ to address Siva. Pasupathi means lord of all beings, the king of kings, and the most respected one. Contrast this to what we do when we despise someone by saying ‘beat him with a worn out chappal’! This is the worst form of insult. BhagavatpaadhaaL says that the act of Kannappa Naayanaar in placing his worn out chappal on the face of Siva is like showing the greatest respect like placing the koorcham of kusha grass on the body (अङ्गस्यकूर्चायुते).
At that moment SivakEsari Munivar witnessed the most unbelievable thing that happened. Siva rose from the Lingam and held Kannappa Naayanaar’s hand from digging his left eye! Siva said to Kannappa: “My dearest One! How can I describe the mahima of your bhakthi. You and I are verily non-different. You are me and I am you! I am the object of your aathmaprema and you are the object of my aathmaprema.” So saying Siva hugged Kannappa Naayanaar and gave him Sivasaayujya MOksham. All the Devas from Brahma onwards showered flowers on them! Aum! Namasivaaya!
Aum Namasivaaya Sivaaya Namo Aum Aum Namasivaaya Sivaaya Namo Aum
ஜெய ஜெய அருணாதிரி தனின் விழி வைத்து
ஹர ஹர சரணாதிரி என உருகி
ஜெய ஜெய குருபாக்கிய மென மருவி …..சுடர்தாளை
சிவ சிவ சரணாதிரி ஜெய ஜெயன
சரண்மிசை தொழுதேத்திய சுவை பெருக
திருவடி சிவவாக்கிய கடலமுதை ….குடியேனோ
The Saasthraas say of Bhakthi as saamaanya bhakthi and visEsha bhakthi. Saamaanya bhakthi is called SaguNa bhakthi and VisEsha Bhakthis is called Ananya Bhakthi. Again this Ananya Bhakthi has to be known in three ways as saamaanya theevram, madhyama theevram and theevra theevram. BhagavathpaadhaaL proclaims the mahima of these three types of Ananya Bhakthi by the three different leelas in this story. The first one is Kannappa Naayanaar tasting the meat before giving to Siva. What he gave to Siva is the sEsham of what he ate. Therefore it was not a naivEdhyam at all! This is to show that Siva is non-different from Kannappa Naayanaar. This is saamaanya theevra bhakthi highlighted by AachaaryaaL when he said:
“किन्चिद्भक्षितमांसशेषकबलं नव्योपहारायते”.
Next is madhya (or mridhu) theevra bhakthi. The swaroopam of this is madhya theevra bhakthi is explained as follows: “गन्दूषाम्बुनिषेचनम् पुररिपोर्दिव्याभिषेकायते”. I.e. Ponmugali water mixed with the saliva of Kannappa Naayanar that he poured on the lingam was like the cooling waters of Ganga to Parameswara.
“There is no object other than my aathma that qualify for the anirvachaneeya prema that I have on my Aanandhamaya aathmaa. Should I not offer that aathmaprema to Parameswara? That alone is called bhakthi. If Parameswara happens to be different from my aathma would it occur to me to have prema to Parameswara? The mahaavaakya says: “अयं आत्मा ब्रह्मा ”, teaching that the aathmaa is Brahma.
Therefore if we have to have aathmaprema on Parameswara we have to imbibe the import of the mahaavaakya ‘तत् त्वं असि” – That thou art. The jeevaathma in the word ‘त्वं ‘ should be dissolved in the Brahman contained in the word ‘तत्’ i.e. the ocean of Aanandha. Then only can one experience Paramasiva as the prathyagaathmaa. Therefore the aathmaswaroopa should be different from the relationship of the aathma chaithanya denoted by the word “I”, consisting of the following kosas:
The panchabhoudhika annamaya kosa that shines like the aathmaa;
The praaNamaya kosa that is the combination of pancha praaNa and karmEndhriyas;
The monOmaya kosa that contains the mind;
The विज्ञानमय kosa that containsज्ञानेन्द्रिय and the buddhi;
The aanandhamaya kosa that has the anthakkaraNa with the sathwa guna as the important constituent and that which does not roam on the objects but turned inwards into the likeness of aathmaanandha;
This above vilakshaNam (differences), we must understand, is the aathmaswaroopam that keeps saying ‘I’ that has this Brahmaanandarasam. It is this aathmaswaroopam that shines as ‘सत्’, ‘चित् ’ and ‘प्रियं’. It is the ‘त्वं ‘ padhaartham.
The brahmaanandharasam was the water that Kannappa Nayanaar carried in his mouth. No wonder it completely cooled down the destroyer of the thripuras. This Brahmaanandarasam is the lakshyaartha (object) of the thvam padhaartham of the Mahaavaakya ‘‘तत् त्वं असि”.
This thvam padhaartham that has Brahmaanandhaswaroopam is the ponmugali water that Kannappa Naayanaar carried in his mouth. Pouring this water from the mouth onto the lingam is the nimiththa kaaraNam (efficient cause).
By the knowledge of the mahaavaakya ‘तत् त्वं असि’ Kannappa Naayanaar had sunk the ‘त्वं ‘ padhaartham into ‘तत्’ padhaartham that shines as Prathyagaathma and enjoyed the brahmaanandarasa. (Imagine here Kannappa’s act of pouring the water from the mouth on to the lingam and you will understand the sinking very well) This is madhyama theevra bhakthi.
Greater to this is theevra theevra bhakthi. Kannappa Naayanaar’s leela mahima of this theevra theevra bhakthi was brought out by AachaaryaaL in the sloka: “मार्गावर्तितपादुका पशुपतेरङ्गस्यकूर्चायुते”
Aathmaswaroopam is shining in all the three avasthaas of Jaagrath, swapnam and sushoopthi. But when one avastha is shining others do not shine and therefore do not exist. For example during the waking time the other two avasthas of swapnam and sushoopthi do not exist. Therefore it becomes clear that the avasthas are creations in aathma and not natural to aathma. In fact the entire dwaitha prapancham is a creation in aathma, is the import of vedaantha. The aathmaa merely is a witness to the gross dwaitha prapancha anubhavam, to the subtle vaasanaamaya swapna prapancha anubhavam and to the ignorance of the sushoopthi avastha. We must know this aathma as the Brahman.
Because the body made of panchabhoothas of the the world of waking state has the characteristics of being born and dead and it cannot be considered nithyam. Neither can indhriyas or pancha praaNaas because they are, like the gross body, are objects of knowledge. Because mind is an instrument of knowledge of objects, mind cannot also be considered as Aathmaa. The buddhi as the knower of all objects also cannot be the Aathmaa because without objects buddhi has no function. The jeeva who is a mere reflection of aathma in the buddhi experiencing the enjoyment and sufferings cannot be Aathmaa also for the simple reason it is only a reflection. Therefore beginning from the vividly seen jaagrath prapancham at large to the jeeva who is a mere reflection of aathma ending in the aanandhamaya kosa, this kootastha chithEkarasa chaithanyam remains the witness that remains as the ‘I’ in all the jeevaraasis from Hiranyagarbha to the amoeba, which ‘I’ is the ‘thvam’ padha lakshyaartham of the mahaavaakya ‘तत् त्वं असि’. Kannappa Naayanaar had lost this ‘I’ness in the paanchabhoudhika sthoola dhEham and consequently lost the idea of ‘mine’ness too. Because of this he lost the idea that the body is the aathma and the consequent idea that when the body is lost the aathmaa is lost. He was merely enjoying his aathma as the kootastha chithEkarasam. And because of this he put his left foot with the worn out chappals on Siva’s face. Also because he had lost the ‘mama’kaaram he took one eye off the body and put it on Siva and was ready to transfer the next. Only to confirm to Sivakesari Munivar that Kannappa Naayanaar does not have the ahamkaaram in his sthoola sareeram that Siva began shedding blood from his left eye. In spite of his looks as a hunter Kannappa Naayanaar was a ज्ञानी of the Akanda Satchithaanandha parabrahmaswaroopam. ‘ब्रह्मैव सन्न ब्रह्मैव भवति’ says the Upanishads. Kannappa Naayanaar attained Sivasaayujyam because of this. This complete loss of ahamkaaram and mamakaaram in the devotion is called ‘Theevra Theevra Bhakthi’. He was none other than saakshaath Mahaavishnu who in a earlier yuga did pooja to ParamEswara with one of his eyes.
This is Advaitham.
Also the the four hills that Kannappa Naayanaar crossed to reach Sri KaaLatheeswarar are not ordinary mountains. They are the VEdhaas with parvatharoopam. He climbed to the top of the hill called ‘तत् त्वं असि’ and performed his wonderous leela! This feat was best described in Thirumandhiram as follows:
அன்பு சிவம் இரண்டென்பர் அறிவிலார்
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரும் அறிகிலார்.
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரும் அறிந்தபின்
அன்பே சிவமாய் அமர்ந்திருந்தாரே.
Also in this slOka AachaaryaaL teaches us the antharanga raaja yogam embedded in the Mahaavaakya “तत् त्वं असि”
Anyone who sings this slOka and do namaskaaram to ParamEswara is sure to attain Sivasaayujya padhavi.
Aum Namasivaaya.
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Hara Hara Shankara Jai Jai Shankara Kanchi Shankara Kamakoti Shankara 🙏🙏🙏