Chapter 14 - Thiruveezhimizhalai or Tiruvilimilalai (Hymn 88)

I

The conflicts of the world gain upper hand in our poet’s mind. When he turns world ward they become inescapable, except through the Grace of God. He, however, sees in the world the saved souls who remain unperturbed in the midst of these miseries and he, therefore, cries to the Lord, “Will you not bless me even as you have blessed others?” He is indeed himself a saved soul but the world is still too much with him, tantalizing him whenever the old habits of thoughts occur and hence this cry of his. But even this cry implies his strong conviction of the conquest, by the chosen few, of the contradictions and miseries of the world.

II

Thiruveezhimizhalai is the very heaven on earth. It is the Heaven with its towers of lions descending on this world (2), where come and dance even now the dancing girls of Heaven whilst Visnu and Brahma stand worshipping Him (4). It is not for merely resolving the contradictions and dualities that He is here in this temple. It is the greatness of the worshippers here that draws Him there (9), etc.

Thiruveezhimizhalai is a colony of a class of Brahmins, who fill the whole of that place (6,7). Tiruvicaippd of Centanar (2-8) speaks of the 500 of Thiruveezhimizhalai even as others speak of the 3000 of Tillai. These with others worked for the Hindu revival as against the Buddhists and Jains whose stronghold was asceticism. The Digambar a Jains went a step further, refusing salvation to women. As against this, the Tevaram praises the devinity of women and the holiness of the right kind of domestic life (1). It is here that Shiva’s form of Umdpati and Ardhanarisvara become significant (1,2,3), the very forms which receive worship at Thiruveezhimizhalai, The contemplation of this form takes a firm hold in the minds of these Brahmins enabling them to protect the world from the evils of Kali age (2). What is more, in the sacrifice, they perform—the sacrifice which is the home of the sacred Vedas—the poet sees shining their women glorious like Laksmt, the Goddess of Wealth and Beauty (1). Tiruvllimilalai is great because of this beauty (1, etc.). Is not this the very message of the life of Nampi. Arurar?

Brahmins as the worshippers of God are further described. They are Antanar (1,6,7), those of beautiful and loving character who bless those that have faith in them, in short, they are the gurus. They have obtained harmony, peace and repose (Taninia Antanar—7); they have mastered the Vedas (6); they sit on the edge of the sacrifice where they kindle the holy fire with a fire drill (9). They are the Brahmins of the Vedas, reciting the Vedas and following the morality of the Vedas (10). Social service is not foreign to them. There is the rosy hand of righteousness and munificence (4). In their strong palatial residence wealth abounds (7). It is a characteristic feature of the place where even the dark groves of flowers shower drops of honey (6).

Tillai 3000 are reputed to be identical with Shiva and it looks that Nampi Arurar is identifying the Brahmins of Thiruveezhimizhalai, those who become great and worship the Lord, with Shiva who rides the chariot to destroy the three castles of the air (5). Their mind remains firm in Him (2). They contemplate on Him as the creator of all fetters and salvation, a great deceipt, that way (4). They daily perform the ceremonial worship out of Love (6). Every day at the sandhi worship, at dusk, they shower flowers on Him, which the Lord adorns Himself with all grandeur (7). There are other descriptions of the Lord which may be taken as the forms which these worshippers contemplate on. The Lord comes within the body and becomes its very life. He is the three great lights (3). He is fond of the honeyed bath of Pancagavya and clear water (3). He is fond of the begging surrounded by the ghosts (8). His deer (3), battle-axe (3), His consort (1,3), His beggary (9), the dstruction of the three castles (5) are all mentioned; but of all these the begging tour seems to be very important; for the poet says, ‘to those who seek the esoteric significance, the Lord shines as the greatest truth’ (9).

The Vili Brahmins are thus the beacon lights for those groping in the darkness and misery. Our poet’s mind has become chastened by the worship of the saints of Thiruthondathogai. The thought of Shiva’s followers has been peeping in here and there in the previous hymns. In the Vili hymn, it becomes the central idea. Their example encourages him to cringe at the feet of the Lord for a similar redemption. The Brahmins of the place suggest other saints Arjuna (7), Baghtrata (7), Candi (6) and Kannappar (6) to whom the Lord has assigned a high rank. They are mentioned specifically whilst others are generally grouped under the terms Bhaktas and Siddhas (6,7). That the ghosts of the burning ghat represent the Shaiva followers has been explained elsewhere. The great form of worship our poet likes most is as explained by Cekkilar “Arccanai pattu”, i.e., the worship with the musical hymns. Therefore, he is reminded of his leaders in this line, the two great saints Appar and Campantar, whose songs the Lord was so fond of, that He gave them gold coins at Vili (8).

III

This hymn thus expresses the poet’s way of looking at the communion which the Bhaktas have with the Lord and, therefore, according to him those, who recite these lines of good Tamil of our poet of Navalur where even the bees hum the music of supreme nada are sure to achieve the same communion with the Supreme (10).