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Vallalar, a revolutionary saint

CHENNAI OCT. 1 . To preach morals and tender advice to others may perhaps be the easiest job, but will those who do so, apply them in their own lives, practise and perfect them? In the spiritual field there had been saints who had not only spread God's message to enable interested men to pursue the noble path but also practically demonstrated how it is possible to adhere to divine directives. A poem refers to three types of luminaries who had been entrusted with the task of showing the doors of heaven. In their works the truth lay hidden requiring to be annotated. It is like a person desirous of tasting a sweet fruit, being asked to search for it.

The next category of verses composed by some reveal the truth but require detailed elucidation like the man in need of the fruit being directed to a grove where he can find the tree that bears it. The third type of texts spelt out the instructions directly making the aspirants study and assimilate, like the person eager to enjoy the fruit, being led by a person to the garden, himself plucking it and offering the pulp to him. To this section belongs Sri Ramalinga Adigal, more popularly known as "Vallalar" for his generous outlook.

In his lecture on this saint's greatness, Sri Ma. Ki. Ramanan said that he was a revolutionary in the sense that he advocated the study of Tamil, English and Sanskrit. He pleaded with people not to injure animals as they are God's gifts or sacrifice them in temples. Another important appeal by him was "vegetarianism". His simple answer to the doubt as to where God could be seen was "Show love to humanity and you can experience the presence of God." Love, according to Vallalar, is the golden key to paradise. He even went to the extent of advising people not to meddle with plants as they too have life.

The crux of his teachings is: "Out of love springs kindness, which in turn grows into inestimable prize of friendship. The trickling tears at the distress of one's friends will proclaim the love within. Is there a bolt to fasten one's love?" God, he added, cannot be forced to come to us but kindness, soft words, hard work and sincerity can make Him appreciate our actions. Even as a child, Vallalar was able to have the vision of God and in his later years, was deeply devoted to the deities in Kandaswami Temple and in Thiruvotriyur (in Chennai). His monumental poem, "Thiruvarutpa" gives us the juice of our religion and philosophy. Out of the 6411 verses he had sung, more than half are on Thiruvotriyur God and Goddess.

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