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thirumaisai alwar

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Krishna Kalale • March 2, 1995 


sampath rengarajan writes:

In another sthalam he was not allowed inside the temple as he was late {Nadai
saathaap pattathu} I will get the name of the sthalam soon from India. Allwaar
went aroud the temple and it seems the moolavar perumaal  also made"about turn"
 as the alwaar

*********************************

I think the name of that place is : Perumpuliyoor

The story goes that thirumaizai alwar was walking near that place and 
there were a set of veda reciters reciting vedas : it seems that they
forgot the hymn they were reciting as they stared at the face of this
old man "thirumaisai alwar" who was assumed to be of the lower caste.
then ignoring him they asked their guru where to continue the veda hymn.
even he did not know the verse. so thirumaisai alwar took a wild black rice
seed from the ground and broke it with his nails -

then they got the hint and continued with the verse _ "
krishna vreehi naksha nirbinnam - which means " wild seed cut by nails" 

then all the people there were awestruck at this old man - thirumaisai alwar.

but some said only that it was just a coincidence that old man does not know
any hymns he must have just broken the black rice just with no purpose.

then ignoring these events thirumaisai went to near the murthi of perumbuliyoor
there the face of that idol of narayana started tracking  this thirumaisai
alwar turning around wherever thirumaisai alwar went.  then the archaka or
priest - bhattar was astonished and fell at the feet of this yogi - thirumaisai
alwar to bless him and asked him to partake the main offerings -
agra pooja for the big yajna which was being conducted that very day with
100s of bramhins in that temple.  those bramhmins objected and said when
great vedic pundits are here assembled that out caste thirumaisai should not
be honored.  When the priest begged thirumaisai alwar to help - he revealed 
in his own frail old bodya the existence of the divine effulgent diety
Sriman Narayana and blessed everyone assembled there to witness that 
divine sight.  THen everyone was astounded and meekly apologized to that
great yogi thirumaisai alwar.  

This is a small excerpt from (my recollection) of the book the story of
alwars - by Alkondavilli acharya - Ananthacharya indological book house, 
bombay.  

I think this book is excellent and it contains the story of all alwars.
giving excellent citations from vedas and naalayiram.

If anyone has the book - Divya Soori Charitham - a text apparently  a 
sanskrit book on the life of alwars, please let me know where I can get 
a copy of it.  I have started teaching couple of kids the story of our 
alwars and stories from srimad bhagawatham.  this is one way I am trying to
inculcate some hinduism to my kids and other friends in the block.

Krishna