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An ineteresting episode involving Nadadur Ammal & 'adiyEn'

From the Bhakti List Archives

Venkatesh K. Elayavalli • July 16, 1999 


Dear members,

Once when Sri Nadadurammal was young, he wanted to learn
Sri Bashyam from his father Nadadur alvan. Alvan, however,
asked Ammal to go to Engal Alvan (also known as Vishnu chiththar)
at Tiruvellarai and learn it from him. So, Ammal went from Kanchi to
Tiruvellarai and knocked at the door of engal alvan. When Engal
Alvan asked to who it was knocking at the door, Nadadurammal is
said to have replied as 'I' (nNaan). To this, Engal Alvan replied
"nNaan seththu nNii vaa" meaning "Let the conciept of "I" die and then
return". So Nadadruammal returned to Kanchi and recounted the
events to his father. Nadadur Alvan then told ammal to giveup the
sense of Ego and 'I' and start refering to himself as "Adiyen"
(your obedient servant). Having shed his ego, Nadadur ammal went
back to Tiruvellarai and became a sishya of Engal Alvan.Engal Alvan
also came to be  known as Ammal Acharyan, whose descendents till
today go by this name.


aazhvaar emperumaanaar acharyarkal jeeyar thiruvadikalE Saranam,

Adiyen

Venkatesh Elayavalli