Ep 10: Shiva's Gold is sub-standard!

Welcome to the first season of ancient anecdotes, powered by ListenCup. This is your host, Ramanathan Ayur and this is Lalitha Ramanathan and this is Neethi Ramanathan. Appa! What is it Lalitha maa? At school, we are going on a field trip, for that I need to give 250 rupees to our class teacher. Okay, no problem, I will transfer the amount to her account. Appa! But why are you transferring the amount when I can give her the amount in person? Appa, transferring money to your teacher's account is a much safer thing to do. Moreover, if you give it to her in person, you will only be able to do so tomorrow, isn't it? If I transfer it now, she will get it immediately. Appa! Nowadays to transfer money, we have mobile phones and computers, but how do people transfer money in olden days when there were no computers? We didn't need them. You know, Lord Shiva helped Sundramurthy Nayanar send 12,000 gold coins through water. Through boats? Nope! Nothing! No boats! Just through water. Huh? Appa! Tell me! What about sending money to your teacher? Appa! You said that it will happen, you immediately know! You can do it after the story. Now tell me! Thief fellow! Okay, listen now. This story happens in the 9th century CE. Parvainachyar was the wife of Sundramurthy Nayanar. She gained fame as an accomplished dancer within the Grand and Ancient Temple at Thiruvarur. Grand had used to tell us that Parvainachyar used to practice her Bharatanatyam from inside the sacred Kamalambika shrine. Oh! Kamalambika! What a lovely name! Legend has it that Parvati herself performed rigorous penance in this shrine to earn Lord Shiva's blessings. Parvati Devi is said to have turned blue from her austerities and her innocent love for Lord Shiva and hence came to be called Neelotpalambika. Despite this divine transformation, her wish to bid Lord Shiva remained unfulfilled. Parvati Devi became one with Shiva even without getting a glimpse or touching him. One day, Parvayar hears Sundarar composing the beautiful 73rd Padigam of his Tevaram at the Thiruvarur temple. In these lines, Sundarar wonders, "I haven't done anything great with my life. I haven't demonstrated either great devotion or great intelligence or discipline or even truth. All I do is ask for one thing after another from Lord Shiva." Oh! All you Sivanadhyars, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord who wears the moon and the snakes on his matted locks, will you ask the Lord for me if He will accept me as well? All you Sivanadhyars, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur, devotees of the Lord of Arur. Listening to these touching lines, dripping with the highest devotion, Parvayar remembers Parvati's timeless penance within the same temple. Fueled by an unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva, Parvayar made an extraordinary decision to offer selfless contributions to the temple and the countless pilgrims who frequented its sacred grounds. What a lady! She gave away everything, Pa. Yes. And do you know what is more surprising? She kept getting more from somewhere whenever she wanted to give, at the right time. Can you believe it? Oh! Yes. Among the people who were awestruck by Parvayar's devotion to just keep giving was Sundarar himself. Now, Sundarar was a travelling point and had no riches to his name. Nonetheless, his devotion to Lord Shiva was as deep, if not deeper, than his profound affection for Parvayar. He was resolute in his desire to aid her in her divine service. With an unwavering faith, Sundarar resolved to seek assistance from the Lord of the Universe, whom he regarded as his dear friend to provide the financial support that Parvayar needed for her charitable endeavors. In his travels, Sundarar walked to the city of Vrindachalam at the end of a long 121 mile walk over 3 weeks passing through Arielu and the forests of Rambalur, Sundarar reaches the massive Vrindagirishwarar temple. Why is it called Vrindagirishwarar, Pa? Is Lord Shiva old? No, dearest. Lord Shiva is Mahakala. He is beyond time. It is said that before the creation completed on Jambudvipa, in the first age, Lord Brahma comes to a puzzle he is unable to solve. He did not know how to make the soil from water, so Shiva is said to have manifested as a mountain and showed him how to take the process of creation forward. He is the oldest mountain in this part of the world. Before Brahma ever created other mountains. Hence, in Tamil, Shiva is called as Paramalai Nadar and the place is called as Mudukundram or the old mountain. In Sanskrit also it means the same thing. Virudha means old and Virudhagiri means the old mountain. Similarly, Virudhachalam is also a Sanskrit name for old mountain. So, Paramalai Nadar, also known as Virudhagirishwarar, is basically Shiva as the oldest mountain. Got it? Upon arriving in Virudhachalam, Sundarar began to sing soul-steering padigams, hymns filled with devotion that resonated through the very fabric of existence. His heartfelt prayers pierce the heavens and in response, Lord Shiva, pleased with Sundarar's unwavering devotion, appeared before him in all his divine glory. The legendary 63rd Padigam goes as follows. The Padigam goes, "O Lord who smeared with ashes on his divine body, whose voice is verily the four Vedas, who wields the terrible trident and watches the three worlds with his three eyes, he who has seen all my lifetimes, may you protect our childlike belief in you." To Sundarar's astonishment, at the end of the Padigam, Shiva bestowed upon him an astounding gift, a gift of 12,000 gold coins, a treasure beyond measure in those days. "O great Shiva, thank you so much for your kindness, I am humbled and overjoyed that I can use every bit of this great wealth for parvayars, charities," said Sundarar, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the divine gift bestowed upon him by Lord Shiva. But as he reached the end of the sentence, a perilous thought crossed his mind and casted a shadow over his joy. Suddenly time stood still, and the temple walls reverberated with Shiva's booming voice as the temple came alive with the Lord of the Universe's physical presence. Lord Shiva walked out of the sanctum and stood with one hand on the divine trident, the Trishula, and another on his hips. He looked concerned at Sundarar, "Sundarar, what seems to be the unsaid concern that weighs upon your heart? Speak, speak without hesitation," said the Lord, in his sonorous voice. Sundarar's eyes filled with tears as he feasted on the Lord's divine form, shaking himself from the trance Sundarar finally spoke. "O Sarveshwara, such a heavy amount is tough to move across from Viridachalam to Thiruvarur by foot. Let alone the wariness of carrying it. It is the perilous journey back to Thiruvarur, I fear. What of the thieves in the forests of Birumbalur? What if they rob me on the way?" The Lord laughed out aloud and said kindly, "That is quite true. You are a tiger with your words, for sure. But you might not be able to wield any other weapon as effectively as you wield your devotion for me. What would you have me do, O dear Sundarar?" Sundarar bowed his head in request, "O dear Father, please reach this gold to Parvayar in Thiruvarur. May your benevolence shine brighter than your golden gift. Please help keeping this gold beyond the reach of any evil." "Is this where it happens? Wireless money transfer?" Patience my love. Lord Shiva thought for a moment and said, "Dearest Sundara, I have a plan. Drop these coins into the Manimuttare river and collect them from the Kamalalaya tank in the western flank of the Thiruvarur temple. With a twinkle in his eyes, the Lord continued, "Be rest assured Sundara that the gold will find its way, unhindered and untouched to its intended destination." "O my God, wireless money transfer by water?" "Yes, his heart aglow with the faith and trust fell at the Lord's feet. He resolved to carry out Lord Shiva's unique and divine solution. He prostrated at the Lord's feet and walked several steps. As he heard, the Lord of the Universe walked back into the sanctum. As he passed the entrance of the great Paramalayanatha temple to the banks of the Manimuttare river, he heard the most melodious and young call in his entire life." "Apa, apa, apa?" "Yes, papa." "Let me be Vinayagar's voice." "Sure, da." "Sundara, where are you going without wishing me?" Lord Vinayagar stepped out of the shadows of a nearby Belva Tree and right onto the pathway leading to the river. "Pilayarappa, a thousand pardons in my happiness of receiving gifts from the Lord. I forgot you totally," Sundarar said apologetically. "You only remember my father. However, I assure you that my love for you is greater. You never remember me. But see, I always come on time, only for protecting your interest, even now," said Vinayagar with a sigh. "My interests? I don't understand, Pilayarappa." Sundarar looked puzzled. "Never mind. What are these gifts you speak about? Show me, show me, show me." Said Lord Vinayagar playfully and jumped at Sundarar's laden hands. Lord Vinayagar opened the cloth knot, covering the plate and examined the underlying gold carefully and smiled at Sundarar. "Oo, patarai mata tangam, twenty-four carats of pure gold from my father. You are so fortunate, Sundarar. My father really likes to hear your verses, and he is willing to give you anything if he can make you sing something," said Vinayagar gleefully and continued. "But don't drop every coin in the river. I think you should just keep a small piece for reference, since the gold has to travel some distance. You have to prove that it is indeed your gold at Tiruvaru, right?" Sundarar agreed and kept a small piece with him as reference. He walked to the river and dropped the gold pieces into the water. He prayed to Lord Shiva with all his heart, saying, "Tenna rudaya sivane, go tree," and started walking away. Sundarar walked through many cities, singing the praises of Lord Shiva with so many padigams on the way, and finally reached Tiruvaru. Back in Tiruvaru, Sundarar went to Parvayar and eagerly took Parvayar's hand and took her to the Kamalaya tank in the Tiruvaru temple with a childlike excitement. "Where are you taking me in such a hurry?" "You know, I went and asked the great lord for gold to help you with all your charities." "You did what?" asked Parvayar breathlessly as she was being dragged to the temple by Sundarar. "Yes, and he gave me twelve thousand gold coins. Can you believe it?" "Twelve thousand? Oh my God! We can donate this for life. Really twelve thousand? Where? Where are they?" asked Parvayar curiously. "Oh, the lord asked me to drop it into the Manimutta river and collect it from the Kamalaya tank," said Sundarar, and he jumped into the tank with a loud splash. Parvayar could not believe her ears. "How can anyone drop anything into a river a hundred miles away and collect it from the temple tank? The two water bodies don't even share any connections, no canals or ducts. How then is this possible?" She wondered. The entire town had collected at the temple, brimmed with anticipation. They had heard about what was happening. People of Tiruvaru had dropped everything and had come, for it was not every day that a devotee demonstrates such a divine miracle. And yet, to Sundarar's dismay, the precious gold seemed to have vanished. As if swallowed by the very waters of the tank itself, Parvayar stood fixed to her spot, her eyes writ with disappointment and sadness. Climbing out of the tank and meeting Parvayar's sad glances, Sundarar breaks into the most epic Padigam ever. "Pun Saitam Eni Eni, Pulitholai Arayakasaiti, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Muthu Unru Amaranthi." "Pun Saitam Eni, Pulitholai Arayakasaiti, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, Mun Saitam Uvehiilum Yeritthi, asking innocently for help from Lord Shiva. There are so many miracles of how assistance comes to those who have asked unexpectedly. Soon, Sundarar walked out of the tank carrying a plate full of gold coins, his heart filled with devotion and gratitude to Lord Shiva. Just as he was about to reach Parvayar and hand her the gold coins, he heard the most unexpected young, magical voice again. "Sundara, are you missing something? You forgot me again," said the voice with feigned dismay. There is a small Vinayagar temple near the Kamalaya tank in Thiruvarur even today. It is said that the Lord Ganesha walked out of the sanctum of this small temple with twinkling eyes and ran towards Sundarar. "O Anaymugatthanda, O my dear Vinayagar, what a fool I have been! Please bless me and please bless Parvayar so that her intentions to serve is fulfilled to her heart's content with the gold your father has given," said Sundararar with a smile. Exactly like how you had said, the gold has indeed manifested only after my singing. The Lord, Sundarar began, but Vinayagar stopped him in mid-sentence. "Sundara, you have not completed the Padigam. Show me the gold again and show me the coin you kept with you from Virudhachalam." Sundararar gave the coin that he had with a sinking heart. As Sundararar watched, Lord Vinayagar meticulously examined each and every coin and at the end of the scrutiny Vinayagar spoke with a big naughty smile. "See, I told you, the single coin you gave me is still 24 carats, but this plate of coins you carry from the tank are far less in value," Sundararar clutched his heart as a pang of disappointment gripped it. Vinayagar continued, "Ask him. Ask my father. You haven't completed the Padigam. Complete it." Undeterred by the mysterious turn of events and realizing the Lord's love for his verses, Sundararar continues to sing the Padigam, begging Lord Shiva to return the gold to its original quality. With each verse, he poured his heart out in devotion and his hymns resonated through the temple and soared into the heavens. His faith remained unshaken for he knew that the divine always had a purpose. Parvayi val vaduhin raal, yam parumaan arulir adiyen, ittalam kedavai, patta patharagal karul sayum parambarane, mutham mukkannane, mudhun drammamandavanai, maitharum tadangan paravayi val vadamai, patta tadangan paravayi val vadamai, patta patharagal karul sayum parambarane, mudhun drammandavanai, maitharum tadangan paravayi val vadamai, mangayore kuram arundir, marainaan kum virithukandir, tingal sadayakannindir, thigalum mudhukundram arundir, kongayin allal paravayi, unangkondiruthal mukappai, anganane arulayi, adiyen, ittalam kedavai, mayyarum idattray, marumar puram munriritha, sayarmeniyanethigalum mudhukundram arundai, payyarum maraveral kulalival, vaduhin raal, ayyatandarulayi, adiyen, ittalam kedavai, Responding to Sundarar's unwavering and sincere devotion, Lord Shiva, in his infinite grace, orchestrated a divine miracle that would leave an indelible mark on the annals of time. Even as the townspeople stood watching with bated breath, the gold, seemingly lackluster, suddenly started sparkling, mildly at first, and in just a few minutes, the inner walls of the entire temple was bathed in light from Sundarar's plate of gold, defying the laws of nature. To Paravayar's utter astonishment, the value of the gold had undergone a significant transformation. The once ordinary coins had metamorphosed by the divine touch into something extraordinary, matching the depth of Sundarar's devotion. Paravayar immediately started distributing the gold among the people to ensure everyone got the blessings of Shiva. These coins served as a living testament to the inexorable power of devotion and the unwavering nature of faith and the profound connection that exists between a devotee and their deity. In the sacred town of Tirwarur, this extraordinary episode continues to inspire pilgrims and seekers from all corners of the world. It serves as a timeless reminder that when devotion and faith remain unshakable, the divine has the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, to turn adversity into triumph, and to illuminate the path of those who seek it with a pure and loving heart. What? What question is bothering you now? Oh, plenty of that. How did the coins travel to Tirwarur? In his padigam, Sundarar is referring to Shiva as the Lord of Udukundram. Yes, Virudha Chilam was where Sundarar got the 12,000 gold coins. But, at the time of singing the song, Sundarar is in Tirwarur. Why didn't Sundarar call out to Lord Shiva who lives in Tirwarur itself as Vidi Vidangar? He didn't even have to raise his voice then. Lord Shiva's shrine was so close by. Oh, that can be your one-up point in your version of the school project. You can say wireless money transfer also originated in India, and wireless communication also originated here only. Appa, Sundarar's devotion predates traveler's checks. Okay, fine. But how do Vinayagar know beforehand that Sundarar will not sing all the verses? Hmm, that is a very nice question, Pa. Granddad used to tell me that there is a deep symbolism behind this story. What was the reason Shiva entertained Sundarar's asks throughout his life? If you keep asking me for a pencil or a rubber or a scale every week, you will definitely get booted, isn't it? Exactly. Why did Shiva agree to keep giving? Sundarar always asked for someone else, not for himself. That is the key point. When we pray to the universe for another person's benefit, it happens so quickly. This is the strongest prayer there is. Also, we pray for something genuinely and get it. We never stop to see if this effort is the best possible from our end at all. We become satisfied even with mediocre results. If our true capabilities are not used, you know what will happen? Nature will force us to do this. To enthusiastically put our efforts until all our talents are completely used in any venture, especially if it is for others. Lord Ganesha represents this enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is what is able to distinguish mediocre results from the highest quality results. This quality of results is represented by Sundarar's gold that Lord Shiva gives him. This is the core symbolism behind this story. Pa, why did Vinayagar say the first gold was Paturai Matri gold? What is Paturai Matri? In olden days, the measure of gold quality was done by a unit called as Matri or exchange value. The highest quality gold was able to resell at ten and a half times its original cost. Ten and a half is called as Paturai Matri in Tamil. That is why Paturai Matri Thangam. This is the reason why the Vinayagar over there in Vrindachalam is called as Matru Uraita Vinayagar. Which means the Vinayagar who informed Sundarar about the quality of the gold. You know, there is a beautiful story behind how Ganesha actually knew that Shiva was going to send substandard gold before itself. Oh, tell me. Hear it first on. Ancient anecdotes. On your favorite podcast, Streaming Providers. Tune in every week for a brand new episode.