A chosen devotee of the Almighty

CHENNAI, JULY 26. The galaxy of saints of the Saiva fold in South India has been chronicled in the Thiruthondar Puranam by Sekkizhar. Because of the greatness of the devotees whose lives are detailed in it and due to the sheer compass of the hagiography spanning the lives of 63 Nayanmars it has come to be known as Periya Puranam. It encompasses their spiritual attainments and hence looked upon as a devotional classic expounding the manner in which each one of them became the recipient of Lord Siva's grace.

Among them, Sundaramurti Swamigal, Manikkavasagar, Thirugnanasambandhar and Thirunavukkarasar are considered as Samayakuravars for the role they had in systematising the faith through their hymns, Thevaram and Thiruvasagam, which have been canonised in the Tirumurai by Nambiandarnambi. Karaikal Ammaiyar is a lady among the Nayanmars and she is one of the few whose spiritual legacy has come down to us in her own words through her hymn, Arputha Tiruvandadi, in 101 verses.

In his discourse, Sri Mathivannan said that the opening verse of this hymn attested to the fact that she was a chosen child of God, even before she was born, like Prahlada who had the opportunity to listen to the glory of God even while in his mother's womb. Named as Punithavathi at birth, she grew up as the apple of her father's eye, since she happened to be the only daughter of a rich merchant in Karaikkal. The turning point in her life came when her husband happened to learn about her spiritual attainments. A merchant like her father, once he happened to get two mangoes of a special variety. By chance a devotee came to her house and as was the custom she offered food and one of the mangoes to him.

When her husband wanted the remaining fruit after she served him the other one she became anxious and prayed to God. No sooner did her mind dwell on Lord Siva another fruit appeared on the palm of her hand. Her heart filled with gratitude and she served the fruit to her husband. The matter did not end there. Curious that the second fruit tasted very delicious, he stated that it was unlike the first one served to him and wanted to know the reason. She related how she had obtained it with God's grace. Convinced that his wife was a goddess of some sort he asked whether she could get another fruit. When another one was given when she prayed, he decided that he could not treat her as his wife and deserted her. She became like a wraith and lived in total union with the Lord singing His praise and was privileged to be addressed by Lord Siva as His mother.

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