THIRU AMARANEEDI NAYANAR - NAYANAR WHO GIVES HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY TO LORD SHIVA
Amaraneethi Nayanar was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva belonging to the Shaivite sect of the Hinduism. He stands seventh in the list of 63 Nayanmars.
Amaraneedi Nayanar was a Vaisya by caste. He belonged to Pazhaiyaarai in the
Chola Kingdom. Pazhaiyaarai was a very fertile place, surrounded on all sides
by gardens and green fields. In those days this place was very famous.
Amaraneedi Nayanar was a trader in gold, diamonds, silk, and cotton goods. He
used to import these goods from foreign countries and was selling them at
reasonable prices. He earned money honestly and became rich. Though he was
engaged in worldly activities, his mind was fixed on Lord Siva. He was an
ardent Siva Bhakta.
He would invite Siva Bhaktas to his house and worship them. He would give the
Kowpeenam-special cloth, etc., and feed them nicely and send them away happily,
with other gifts. [The Kowpeenam,kaupinam, kaupina, langot, or lungooty (langoṭī) is
a loincloth worn by men in the Indian subcontinent as underclothing. Even now it
is still commonly worn by small boys and men in villages].
He used to visit the sacred temple of Tirunallur during festivals and worship
Lord Siva with intense faith and repeat Panchakshara Mantra[OHM NAMAH SHIVAYA]
daily with great devotion.
Not being satisfied with this visit during festivals only, he wanted to settle
down there once for all, always enjoying the Lord’s Darshan, and feeding Siva
Bhaktas. So, he left Pazhaiyaarai and migrated with his family and relatives,
to Tirunallur. He built a beautiful Mutt there to accommodate Siva Bhaktas who
visited the temple. Daily he used to invite Siva Bhaktas and offer Kowpeenam,
food and all basic necessities.
Lord Siva was highly pleased with Amaraneedi Nayanar’s Kowpeena charity and
extreme kindness to Siva Bhaktas. He wanted to show to the world His Bhakta’s
greatness and shower his blessings on him.
[Thirunallur Thiru KalyanaSundareshwarar temple, near Kumbakonam. The temple in which Amaraneedhi Nayanar used to perform pooja every day]
TEST OF LORD SHIVA
So, one day Lord Siva came in disguise of a Brahmachari,
with beautiful matted locks on his head, sacred ashes on his forehead, with a
staff on his shoulder, appeared before Amaraneediar’s Mutt. Two Kowpeenams and
a small ash-bag were tied to one end of the staff. He had a charming face. The
Brahmachari’s eyes were glittering. He
walked gracefully into the Mutt. Amaraneediar,
with extreme joy, welcomed him and worshipped him. The Brahmachari said: ‘Oh
friend, you are a noble soul. People are highly praising your Kowpeena charity.
I have come to you for Darshan.’ Amaraneediar begged of him to take Bhiksha.
He readily agreed and said: ‘I shall go to the river and return after finishing
my bath and Nitya Karmas. Rain may drench my Kowpeenams. So, please keep this
dry Kowpeenam safely with you, and I shall come back for it. The Kowpeenam is
very precious, as you already know. So, please keep it safe.’
The Brahmachari went away, and Amaraneediar kept the Kowpeenam safely inside
the house. But the Lord willed that it should disappear! Soon after the
Brahmachari came back after his bath, and asked for the dry Kowpeenam as rain
had drenched the Kowpeenam he had on the staff. Amaraneediar could not find it.
He prayed hard to the Lord. Yet, he could not find it. He approached the
Brahmachari, trembling, with another Kowpeenam, and explained his predicament
to him. But the Brahmachari was in no mood to take any explanation.
Amaraneediar offered much wealth, etc., in compensation. But, the Brahmachari
said: ‘What have I to do with all this wealth? All these are of no use to me. I
only need a Kowpeenam.’ And, in saying so, the Lord in the guise of the
Brahmachari, uttered a very great truth.
He continued: ‘I have got another Kowpeenam: you can give me another of the
same weight.’ Amaraneediar was greatly relieved when he heard this. He brought
a balance. He put the Kowpeenam on one side and another piece on the other. The
Brahmachari’s scale went down. Whatever Amaraneediar put on his side, the
Brahmachari’s scale was heavier. Amaraneediar was amazed: and he understood
that it was God’s own Leela. All his wealth could not equal the Brahmachari’s
Kowpeenam! How could it be possible ? Lord Siva’s Kowpeenam represents the
Vedas. The fibres of his Kowpeenam represent the Shastras.
Amaraneediar was on the horns of a dilemma.
He fell at the Brahmachari’s feet and asked him to allow himself, his wife, and
his child to be weighed against the Brahmachari’s Kowpeenam. The Brahmachari
agreed. Amaraneediar got on the scale with his wife and his child, saying: ‘If
I have truly served the Siva Bhaktas, with faith and sincerity, let this scale
be equal in weight to the other one.’
THE GREATNESS OF THE NAYANAR DEVOTION
[Statue of Amaraneedhi Nayanar inside Thirunallur Kalyanasundareswarar Temple]
Immediately the two scales were equal. The merit of Amaraneediar’s selfless service of the Siva Bhaktas was equal to the merit of Lord Siva’s Kowpeenam. The people who witnessed this were wonderstruck. They prostrated[to lie face-downward in submission] before Amaraneediar and praised him. Devas from the heaven showered Parijatha flowers.
The Brahmachari disappeared, and Lord Parameswara and Mother Parvathi appeared
on their Rishabha before Amaraneediar, his wife and child.
He blessed them: ‘I am immensely pleased with your whole-hearted and sincere
service of My Bhaktas. I am immensely pleased with your Kowpeena charity. You
three will come to My Abode and live there happily for ever.’
