The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : He redeems all by grace

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

He redeems all by grace

CHENNAI, OCT. 14. One irrefutable attribute of the times we live in is the palpable presence of evil in virtually every sphere of life. Compounding such a state of affairs is the level of stress that permeates and impacts one's superficial life. It is for this reason scriptures advocate that one should listen to good things in life and make a habit of the same. This helps detoxify the accumulated impurities in a person's spiritual life. The lives of great men serve as testimonials to virtuous conduct.

By virtue of their self-effacing nature, sacrifice, unswerving devotion to God and, by extension, to His ministers, many great men such as the Nayanmars were trailblazers, said Sri S. Kannan in his discourse.

The lives of these devout servitors of Siva are in essence the very nectar of an aspirant's spiritual journey. By their very acts these saints showed the way to overcome the three-fold taints clinging to the soul, in order that the struggle to gain freedom from the fetters of the cycle of rebirths can fructify. Sekkizhar, in his lyrical Peria Puranam, proves that the Divine is Supreme and all is resolved and redeemed by His grace.

One cannot find a more democratic devotional literature since Peria Puranam chronicles the successful spiritual quest of people from all strata of society; it is the epic of men of learning and science; the legend of Kannappan who gave his eye is proof of awareness of organ transplant; other episodes throw light on such aspects as blood donation, history of the times and the like, thereby making this devotional work both relevant and of practical value to current day aspirants.

The devotional experience of Chiruththondar is a prime example of a wife's unstinting support to her husband in his spiritual quest. Born as Paranjothi, as the captain of the elephant corps he returned triumphant from a foray into Vatapi, and records state that he was instrumental in bringing the Ganapathy idol from that kingdom to the south. Realising that his true interests lay in serving men of eminence, the king released him from military duties. Pleased with the devotion of the couple Lord Siva tested their faith in order to confer His abounding grace on them. In the guise of a ferocious mendicant when He appeared to the wife first, it was with the gracious purpose of preparing her mind for the ultimate sacrifice he demanded of the parents. When they readily offered the total extirpation of attachment — by serving up their son — it was to highlight detachment, which alone can fetch salvation.

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