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Divine intercession

CHENNAI : The intercession of divine grace documented in the lives of saints proves without doubt that God never forgets His devotee. With immense patience the Lord gives His devotees enough time to reform totally before claiming them as His own because the bonded soul has to be rid of all worldly desires for liberation to be possible. The life of Sundarar, one of the foremost Saiva saints, illustrates how God interceded in his life.

In his discourse, Sri R.Ramamurthy said the Lord became Sundarar's accomplice when he wanted to marry Sangili Nacchiar after being happily wedded to Paravai Nacchiar. Why did the Lord allow His devotee to marry a second time? How could saints like him who must set an example to others err like the laypeople? His birth in the world holds the key to his transgressions, which God later condoned. He was one of the eternal beings in Lord Siva's service created by Him in His image. Lord Siva named him Alala Sundarar as he was very handsome and also for his help during the churning of the milk- ocean when Siva drank the poison that emerged.

A momentary indiscretion when he was attracted to two maidens who served the Divine Mother caused his fall from Kailas. He repented immediately and requested the Lord to intervene whenever he strayed from the spiritual path. Hence the circumstances of his birth were extraordinary. God in the guise of a mendicant claimed him as His slave just when he was about to get married. He became His devotee and, later married Paravai Nacchiar and led a pious life.

It was during his pilgrimage to Tiruvottriyur that he became infatuated with Sangili Nacchiar who had vowed to remain a spinster. Sundarar prayed to God and He mediated on his behalf by appearing in her dream when she questioned how he would be faithful when he already had a wife. He advised her to extract a promise before the deity that he would not step outside the town. Sundarar beseeched the Lord to retire under a tree in the temple precincts forgetting that the Lord was omnipresent when he promised her. But he could not stop thinking about the Lord in Tiruvarur and when he set out for this sacred place he lost his vision, which became the turning point in his life.

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