Letters from Sri Ramanasramam

Ch.188 – 4th May, 1948

The verses written by Appar and other devotees are mostly padikams. That means a particular topic dealt with in ten verses. Yesterday was the anniversary of Appar and so Sundaresa Iyer and Sivanandam were singing the verses of Appar at the rate of one or two from each of the Padikams and Bhagavan was explaining to them the meaning of each verse. When the last verse in the Stotra Padikam composed at Vedaranyam was being sung, Bhagavan said:

“While on a pilgrimage, the twelve-year old Sambandar and Appar reached Vedaranyam. The main gate of the Vedaranyam Temple was found locked. It seems that long ago the ancient Vedas took human shapes. They worshipped the Lord in this temple with sprinkling or pouring of water (abhishekam) and puja, and on going away, closed the main gate and sealed it. Since then no one had the courage to open it and so a hole was bored through the wall and a side gate improvised for people for coming and going out. When Appar and Sambandar enquired about the closure of the main gate, the watchman told them this story and suggested that they could go in by the side gate. They did not feel like using the gate and so decided to pray Ishwara for the opening of the main gate. Sambandar suggested that Appar should pray. It was then that Appar sang this hymn of ten verses. Ishwara is fond of Appar’s songs. It seems He was so absorbed in hearing them that He forgot to open the gate. When the gate did not open even on singing the ninth verse Appar was overwhelmed with grief and sang the tenth verse saying, ‘Oh Lord, has not Your heart melted yet?’ When even that had no effect, he sang a eleventh verse beginning with ‘Arakkanai viralal adarthitta neer...’, the purport of which is ‘when Ravana lifted the Kailasa with his hands you struck him down with your little finger and inflicted trouble on him for a thousand years. That being so, how will you have compassion for me?’ When this was sung, it seems that Ishwara regretted the delay and immediately opened the doors.”

Bhagavan continued: “After entering the temple and worshipping the Lord therein, they came out. Appar requested Sambandar to pray to Ishwara to close the door and when Sambandar sang only one verse, the doors closed with a bang.

On this occasion, Ishwara tested Appar by not answering his prayers until he sang eleven songs and favoured Sambandar by promptly closing the doors when he sang only one song. On another occasion, it was Sambandar that was put to a severe test while Appar was readily granted favour. That is another story.” When I asked about that story, Bhagavan related it:

“From the time Ishwara put him to a severe test at Vedaranyam, Appar felt aggrieved and began worshipping Ishwara with greater devotion than ever. Subsequently both Appar and Sambandar went on a pilgrimage with their respective retinues and reached a village called Tiruveelimalai. At that time the village was in the grip of a famine. Unable to bear the sight of the sufferings of the people they decided to stay in two different mutts along with their attendants and distribute food to the people. They had of course no money with them and so went to the local temple to pray to Ishwara. Pleased with their devotion, Ishwara gave them a sovereign each every day. The sovereign used to be kept on the doorstep. The one given to Appar was accepted by the vendors of food supplies and the required articles were readily purchased. Food could therefore be given to the people before the afternoon set in. The sovereign of Sambandar was however below the standard purity of gold and so the dealers offered to take it only at a discount. The attendants had therefore to come back to the mutt to obtain Sambandar’s consent, then return to the shop, buy the required articles and then feed the people rather late, by about 2 p.m. every day.

“In due course this delay came to the notice of Sambandar. On enquiry he found that it was all due to the bad coins he was getting from the Lord daily. He felt very sad, went to the temple and sang ten songs beginning with ‘Vaasi teerave kaasu nalguveer’, which means, ‘Swami, why are you giving me coins which are not pure gold!’ Then the Lord who is the embodiment of kindness, said, ‘Appar is worshipping me with his mind, thought and deed, while you are doing it with your mind and thought only. (It seems Appar was washing the idol and worshipping it daily, along with menial service to the temple.) It was only to point out the difference that I have been doing like this. Henceforth, I shall give you also good coins. Don’t worry’. And from that day onwards good coins were given. There are many stories like this in their biographies,” said Bhagavan.