The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : All-consuming devotion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

All-consuming devotion

CHENNAI, JUNE 10. Come holiday, everyone wants to simply relax. However, what happens is that a sense of sluggishness sets in, and what is normally achieved in a short span of time takes longer. How does one shake off such lethargy? It does not happen voluntarily, yet, when someone else prods us it is natural reaction to resent such interference. One neither knows self-correction, nor is one willing to listen to good advice.Referring to Adi Sankara's view that when one keeps company with four like-minded people, the mind stops wandering and when non-essential thoughts have no room to thrive on, it automatically turns towards thoughts of salvation, said Dr. Sudha Seshian in her discourse. Similar is the role played by the Nayanmars, the 63 servitors of Lord Siva. They did not even want mukti (liberation) since, God could be experienced only by human beings. Such powerful, all-consuming devotion was experienced by the Nayanmars, who even spurned liberation, so that they could serve humanity at large.

Sekkizar's Periapuranam is neither a stand-alone Saivite epic nor a biographical entity; rather, it is a statement on principled living where the love of the Supreme Being alone is given due importance, and, as natural corollary, an empathy with fellow human beings who are his creation. Sundaramurthy Nayanar treated Siva like a bosom pal, while the seven-year old Sambandar and the 80-year old Appar shared a symbiotic relationship forged by their identical devotion to the Lord. They served others in distress, since to them people were nothing but Paramathma (the Supreme One).

Sundarar restored to life a boy swallowed by a crocodile years after the event. Kootruva Nayanar wanted none but Siva to coronate him and the Lord obliged His devotee who cared for his people. Kotpuli Nayanar was another devotee, who had a violent way of expressing devotion. While setting off for war, he ear-marked bushels of grain as belonging to God; but a severe famine caused his family to consume the same.. When the enraged saint was ready to behead the family for the violation, Lord Siva intervened and blessed his devotee who held service to God to be more important. Another devotee, a king was astounded when he was informed that a thief caught raiding the royal granary was doing so in order to feed the savants, after having spent his entire wealth in such work. Immediately, the king threw open his granary, ashamed that he had amassed instead of feeding the servitors of the Lord.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Miscellaneous

News Update

Stories in this Section

Cartoon

The Hindu Crossword 8006

Solution to puzzle 8005

All-consuming devotion

dated June 10, 1954: Eden's new proposal

dated June 10, 1954: Suez question

dated June 10, 1954: Kripalani replies

dated June 10, 1954: Andhra High Court

Weather