Home > Devotees > 63 Nayanmar Stories

In the chOza kingdom renowned for its fertility, is the town thirup peru maN^galam green with fields, white with flags displaying fertility. Seen with huge crowds that show to Heaven how better the latter could be more happy chanting the holy names of the Eldest Lord, that town appeared like the abode of Lord shiva. In that bright town born the brilliant general of the state army by name kalikkAmar in the tradition of Eyar . Ornated with the glittering gem of affection for that Almighty, he served the devotees of that sweet Stain-throated Lord with pleasing modesty. He did excellent services to the Lord - Giver of refuge, taken abode in the town thiruppunkUr .

The devotee chun^dharar perumAn (1) never used to plead to anybody but asked only the Lord - the Giver of Self, everything he wanted. For him the Lord went as messenger to his wife paravaiyAr . Hearing that chun^dharar without any fear sent the Lord as a messenger to a girl, the devotee EyarkOn kalikkAmar who propitiated the Lord in all his feelings with peeking love and adoration, was appalled, felt hurt, lamented and furied. "What a slavery is this where the slave commands the Master ! That is for consoling a girl ! What a sin, even after hearing this unbearable deed I am not dead ! Even if the Lord who was unexplorable even to vishNu and brahma was ready how was he not hesitant to ask for such an favor?! What will happen if I ever happen to see him ?", he blasted. He was not able to digest the happening. His love was so great that it was pricking as thorns the way the softer than flower feet of the Lord walked in the streets of thiruvArUr in a night between chun^dharar and paravaiyAr's homes. He wanted an answer to this. He pleaded to the Lord all these everyday.

God who was dipped in the delicacies of the two different but both unparalleled great love of chun^dharar and EyarkOn, wanted to show to EyarkOn the sincerity in the love and slavery of chun^dharar. He made the painful chUlai disease to appear in EyakOn's stomach. With the pain poking like the head of the spear he held the feet of the Dancing marvel and cried. The Lord said that it could not be cured by anybody other than chun^dharar. He screamed, "Oh Lord, while we for so many generations trust only on you, depend only on you, worship you as the only Master, somebody who asked you to work for him is going to heal this illness ! What a pity ! If that is the case than getting cured by him it is better if it tortures me." "Oh Graceful ! You made it sure that the position of chun^dharar is right !", he lamented. The Lord obscured Himself to him and went to chun^dharar and asked him to cure the chUlai of EyarkOn. Saluting the Lord obediently chun^dharar sent message to EyarkOn and started to his place.

EyarkOn who was pain-ridden in the stomach, frustrated by the Lord's words heard with gloom that chun^dharar was coming to cure him. He did not want him to heal his painful disease. Rather he decided before chun^dharar could come there he would pierce and cut his own stomach that had the sinful chUlai disease. He took the sword and cut his stomach apart bringing the life to end and curing the chUlai ! His loving wife who had very great respect for the devotees was about to sacrifice herself along with her husband but then heard that chun^dharar had reached at their residence. Serving the devotees was the highest priority even in her pain stricken mind. That exclaimable woman asked others not to cry or show any sign of what happened, hid the body of her beloved husband and went to welcome the saint with all good omans. Accepting their warm welcome with a smiling face chun^dharar perumAn went inside the house and sat. Accepting their salutations he conveyed his anxiety and eagerness to cure the painful disease of the devotee EyarkOn. On the order of that great lady the people there told him that EyarkOn was alright and was sleeping inside. But chun^dharar insisted that at least to satisfy his self he should see EyarkOn. Unable to persuade they took him to show the EyarkOn who was floating in the flood of blood.

The true devotee chun^dharar who had immense adoration for the Lord and His devotees due to which he reiterated in most of the hymns that he was the slave of the slave of the slaves of the gaN^gadharan, was stricken with gloom on seeing the devotees body and determination. He raised the dagger to sacrifice himself too. At that moment by the act of that Merciful Master, EyarkOn got life, rose to stop chun^dharar - now realizing his real flawless love. chun^dharar fell on EyarkOn's feet prostrating him. EyarkOn kalikkAmar fell on his feet. The world wondered and praised this marvel. Who can command the Omniscient for whom the earth became the chariot, the Sun and Moon the wheels of it, the mountain the bow, the Lord of protection the arrow and the entire dEva crowd in His service, but burnt the three daemons just by His smile ! It was because of the untainted wholesome ever-flowing love of chun^dharar that the Lord out of His mercy went as a messenger. His grace is unlimited ! His name be hailed !

Out of the feeling of very good friendship the two devotees hugged each other, went and praised the Wet-matted-haired Lord of thiruppunkUr. chun^dharar sang with all devotion the song an^dhaNALan praising the grace that the Lord showed and mentioned the greatness of EyarkOn in it. Then for some days there were together in thiruvArUr worshiping the Mighty in the ant-hill. Later EyarkOn 'alikkAmar returned back to his town to perform his wonderful services and resided finally under the cool feet of the Lord who comes on the red eyed Bull. Let the caring love and adoration for the Golden-bodied Lord that EyarkOn kalikkAmar perumAn had stay in the mind.

NOTE:
cundharar thEvAram at thiruppunkUr also gives one more detail about this great devotee. EyarkOn kalikkAmar donated grand amount of land in the service of God, in an occasion when there was drought to get rains for the benefit of the people. When it rained it really flooded out. (Probably God thought for the request of this devotee things should be given without any "holding back" ! Then kalikkAmar gave another 12 vEli measure of land to Lord shiva praying to avoid the flooding due to excess rain. God enjoying his offering, blessed so.