The fame of the town - Tirvarur

There is an incident in Periya Puranam which narrates an event that happened in the life of the Chozha king who came to be known as Manuniti Chozha for his renowned sense of justice. It sets an example for impartial justice by a ruler or a ruling system in the land. When the king upholds justice in spirit and action irrespective of personal loss, it is but natural that people would live with love and the land would prosper.

The king was born in the Solar dynasty of the Chozhas. He himself was the eye and soul of all the lives in the land. He propitiated the powers of the nature with numerous rituals. Devoid of enemies, the land prospered. He came to be known as the Chozha who stood for the Justice of Manu. He donated towards the worship of the Lord of Tiruvarur. He begot a son who was valorous, skilled in various arts, disciplined and had an amiable character. The proud king's loving son grew up to be a youth who deserved the title of the crown prince. One day that young son of the king was riding his chariot on the main road of the capital Tiruvarur along with his friends and the army. At that moment a calf which did not realise the activity on the road suddenly came in between the wheels. Alas! that small creature got hit by the wheel of the chariot and was crushed to death. The cow which saw its calf killed on the street was stricken with grief. It licked, cried and sat in agony near the dead calf.

The son of the king was appalled at what had happened. He was reeling with shock and guilty that he had been born to defame his father who stood for justice. He rushed to the scholars in order to perform penance for this deed before facing his father. Meanwhile the grief- stricken cow went to the palace and rang the bell of justice with its horn. The king rushed to the gate and saw the weeping cow ringing the bell. A minister who knew what had happened informed the king about the unforeseen death of the calf under the chariot. The king underwent unexplainable sorrow. Unable to bear the sight of the distressed cow, he sat there in sadness and asked the ministers what he could do to correct the misdeed. The ministers advised that he should make his son undergo penance ordained by the Vedic scholars for the killing of cows.

The king, who followed the rules of justice not just in name but also in spirit, was irked by the answers of the ministers. "How can I commit injustice to this poor cow only because it was my son’s misdeed. When I do not let go of anybody who takes another life how can I treat my son differently? Isn't it the responsibility of the king to ensure that the lives of those who live in his kingdom are protected against the fear of him, his associates, enemies, thieves and other creatures? If I create another rule for my son won't the ancient system of justice be scoffed at?" the king shouted. The ministers stated that the practice had always been to perform penance rites to atone for this sin and hence it would be just to observe that tradition. The king was annoyed at their response and said, "You speak not understanding the spirit and truth behind justice. A big sin has been committed by killing the creature that was associated with the appearance of the holy abode of Lord Shiva at Tiruvarur. The only atonement for this deed would be to execute my loving son the same way the calf was killed." The ministers were terrified and went away. The king ordered a son of a minister to run over his son with the chariot. Unwilling to do that, the minister’s son took his own life.

The king did not bother that his son was the only heir to the throne. He himself ran over his son with the chariot. That splendid king stood tall in history for serving justice to all creatures living in his kingdom. The subjects of the land wept wondering at the king's take on justice. The Lord, who raised the Flag of the Bull denoting divine justice, that Lord of Tiruvarur, appeared on the horizon amidst the praise of the celestials with His consort Parvati. The king saluted the Lord of all creatures. The Supreme blessed the king for his sincerity towards justice and by His grace the calf and sons of the king and the minister came back to life. The cow and the king both were relieved of their agony. The devotees for whom such magnificent deeds were possible lived in that holy town Tiruvarur. Let the adherence to justice in its true spirit by the great Chozha king stay in the mind.

Har Har Mahadev

• मनुनीति चोल 

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