2
Moorka
Nayanar
Thiruverkadu…
Being the month of Thai,
harvesting of paddy is going on in full swing…
Due to a bumper harvest the
farmers are exuberant and the other public are very happy. Keeping the first sheared crop separately, they
fill up rest in the sacks. Completing their work before sun set, the farmers
reach the temple of Vedapureeswarar for offering their share to Easan as a
thanksgiving for His grace.
The head of the farmer’s
community is given a special honour by tying a parivattam by the Gurukkal which
is appreciated by the assembled farmers enthusiastically. The Gurukkal looks up to the imposing leading farmer of
Thiruverkadu.
Gurukkal
(politely)
Ayyane! Because the people call
you as “Moorkan” (ruffian), I am not aware of your true name. May I know your
actual name?
Moorkan
(angrily)
Why must you know my name?
Gurukkal
(frightened)
When I conduct
the deepaaradhanai after Namavali, I have to utter your name! That is why!
Moorkan
I know who I am…
Iraivan also knows who I am… What is there in a name? You refer me as Moorkan only!
The Gurukkal goes
into Sannadhi for deepaaradhanai wondering how could there be a man like him!
*******
The house of
Moorkanar…... There are mounds of paddy kept all over the place.
It is early
morning and like every year traders arrive for purchase of paddy. Moorkanar
welcomes all of them and get them seated.
Moorkanar
(looking at them)
Well! What have
you come for?
Surprised to hear
this question, they go dumb. Getting no answers …
Moorkanar
(angrily)
Will someone answer me?
One
of the traders
We are traders in paddy. Why should we come to
you but for procurement of paddy? We all have come for that very purpose only.
Moorkanar
(calmly)
That is fine! But
who invited you here for procurement?
Finding his
response and acts very strange, the trader who spoke earlier is confused. He
looks at other traders.
Another
trader (getting up)
After the last
harvest season, we came here and procured paddy from you. This time the harvest is much more bountiful
than last time. After keeping for your
own needs, you have to after all only sell off the surplus paddy! You are to sell… We are here to buy… Where
is the question of any invitation?
Moorkanar
If I were to sell the paddy, I may call you…
If I am not inclined to sell, I need not invite you. I do not welcome any
uninvited guests!
The traders who
were seated patiently so far get up in anger. The trader who spoke first ask
them to resume their seats and maintain calm.
The
Trader
Have you decided
to sell the paddy to anyone other than us?
Moorkanar
Do you suppose that I must reply to your
question?
The
Trader
I agree that it
is our mistake to have come here uninvited. But you cannot humiliate us like
this. We shall see who dares to procure paddy from you from now onwards?
Moorkanar gets up
calmly and after cupping his in respect and signals them to leave the house
showing the way out. The dejected
traders leave the place angrily.
One
of the traders
No wonder that he is named as “Moorkan”!
The others follow
him and after all of them leave, the wife of Moorkanar rushes outside.
His
wife
What is this? If
we antogonise the traders, where will we find buyers for our paddy?
Moorkanar
Earlier, the
traders used to come individually and quote the price. I used to sell for the
highest quote. Last time itself, they came here as a syndicate and quoted a
very low price. How I can I sell it at that low rate? The farmers who toil in their lands will not
get their due if the rate is so low. Only to teach thm a lesson I spoke like
that.
His
wife
I agree with you!
But to whom are you going to sell this paddy for a fair price now?
Moorkanar
Wait! When did I
tell you that I am going to sell off the paddy?
Shocked, his wife
slumps down unable to even stand. Moorkanar gives a loud laugh!
*******
After he returns
home that night, there is absolute silence in his house. He freshens up and
sits down for dinner. He finds that his wife has not kept the food for serving.
Understanding that his wife is still angry with him, he gets up, goes to his
bed and lies down. He prays to Easan for a while. He senses that his wife is
approaching his bed. The sound a vessel getting placed next to him is heard. He
opens his eyes after a few minutes and finds the pitcher of milk kept near him.
He also finds that his wife is lying on her side facing away.
Moorkanar
(to his wife)
Yesterday
when I took the first crop to the temple for offering, a thought came to me!
The moment his
wife hears the word temple, she gets up quickly eager to hear what her husband
is going to say.
Moorkanar
(continues)
We are all local
people. After the puja is over, we come home to have our food. But where will
the adiyavars who come to the temple from outside go for their food? No one has
made any arrangements to satiate their hunger.
When I questioned myself as to how can I let them leave this village in
hunger, I decided not to sell the paddy this time but to use it instead to feed
the adiyavars. That is why I rebuked the paddy traders in the morning. I have
also arranged to erect a huge shed near our house. They will start and complete
that work tomorrow morning itself. I have also made arrangements for feeding
them from tomorrow itself!
On hearing these
words, his wife starts crying aloud holding his feet with her hands. Moorkanar
Wife
(sobbing)
Ayyo! How shamefully I have behaved not
realising your great intent! I used to serve you food every night without your
ever having to ask for the same. But
today, because of my arrogance I have denigrated you. I now realise the true import of what you told
me and the traders today. They have come truly from your heart and not meant to
humiliate us. Please forgive me, come and have food.
Moorkanar
Satiating the
hunger of adiyavars is profound in my thoughts and so the thought of having
food for myself is obliterated! I know that you will not take food without me
eating first. Come. Let both of us eat together today!
Wife
(to herself – walking along)
How they refer such a kindhearted person as
‘moorkan’?
******
Thiruverkadu...
The temple is always full of adiyavars as they
are confident of getting their food at anytime during the day...
As the fame of
Moorkanar spreads, the people of Thiruverkadu hold him in high esteem. As his
charity continues to enlarge, his expenses also keep piling up. As he is
totally dependent on farming for his income, a stage is reached where he has to
sell off his land to meet the expenses for feeding the adiyavars.
One day, as
Moorkanar’s wife is standing near the kitchen where food is being cooked for
feeding adiyavars, a cook comes up to her and bows seeking permission to speak.
Wife
(looking up at him)
Please
go ahead!
The
cook (after looking here and there)
Amma! Are you
aware that Ayya has sold off our fertile lands?
Wife
(not intending to give any importance)
Yes!
She walks away
not wanting to continue any further talk. The cook follows her.
The
cook
Earlier we used
to cook food only for the noon meals. Now we are cooking non-stop from morning
till late night. We have also employed ten more people now to cope up with the
work. Anyone and everyone is coming here for food just after smearing
thiruneeru on their forehead. If it continues like this, all your properties
will be lost and you will be on the streets! I am cautioning you as I deem fit!
Now it is up to you to take care of your properties!
As he goes away, Moorkanar’s wife stands
transfixed hearing his warning. Moorkanar comes there with a smile.
Moorkanar
(with a mild laugh)
What has
happened? Has he confused you?
Wife
No. Not at all!
All these days, the feeding of adiyavars has been going on. I have also been
coming here once in a while. All these workers have been showing great respect
and were even afraid to talk. I am
shocked that one of them has even the temerity to complain against you now!
Moorkanar
Adada! I thought
that perhaps you were shocked on hearing the news from him. Pardon me for that. In a way, he has actually
done a good deed. I was wondering as to how to break the news of selling off
our land to you. Even if we sell of our house and all other items, we may not
be able to manage for even three more months.
Wife
What do we do
after that?
Moorkanar
What is there
under our control? Everything happens as per Easan’s plan. He will find a way
for us!
He laughs aloud.
Wife
(to herself)
How come he is
able to laugh even after driven to this stage? I am blessed to have him as my
life partner. I can blindly follow him wherever he takes me in great
confidence.
She bows to
Easan.
******
That night...
When Moorkanar is
about to have his food, a loud voice is heard from outside his house seeking
alms.
“Bhavathi
Bikshamdehi”. Hearing this, he rushes outside and sees an elderly Anthanar
wearing thiruneeru standing there.
Moorkanar
(bowing to him)
My house is
blessed by your presence. Please come inside.
The
Anthanar (in a firm tone)
Do you mean to
let me in without doing Padapujai? Where is your wife?
His wife rushes
outside with a pitcher of water, a Tambalam with other items for the puja.
Wife
Adiyavare! Till now no adiyavar has ever come to our
residence. My husband has invited you to step inside as he is unaware of the
rituals. Please pardon us for the mistake. I have all the items ready for doing
the Padapujai. She makes him stand on
the Tambalam and washes his feet with water. Moorkanar dries his feet and does
the Padapujai for the first time in his life. Both of them place flowers on his
feet and get up after prostrating in front of him.
Easan is
delighted seeing their pious nature.
Adiyavar
I am pleased by
your acts. First you give me good
clothes to wear.
Moorkanar quickly
brings a set of new clothes which the Adiyavar puts on discarding his old ones.
He seated on a He
gets seated and a plantain leaf is put in front of him for serving his food.
First the vegetables are served and then the hot cooked rice. As the rice is
hot, Moorkanar fans it to cool it down. By this time his wife brings Sambar and
pours it over the hot rice. As she looks up ...
Adiyavar
(angrily)
What are you
doing? I am an elderly person ... What
if I get choked during eating? Aren’t you aware that you must keep water first?
Moorkanar’s wife rushes to the kitchen to
fetch water.
Adiyavar
Adiyavare! Only
if you promise Me a thing, I will touch this food.
Moorkanar
(respectfully)
Please tell me
what it is.
Adiyavar
You must provide
Me with clothes and food during your entire lifetime.
After hearing his
request, Moorkanar goes to the kitchen and tells his wife about the adiyavar’s
condition.
Wife
Do you need to take my concurrence for these
things? It is our duty to give whatever
he asks for. It is not proper to keep him waiting. Come let us go to him.
Both of them rush
to the Koodam. They see the Adiyavar standing without taking his food in great
fury.
Adiyavar
Hey! Moorkane! Not taking care of Me while I am having food
and not answering my question, how dare you have gone inside to hobnob with
your wife? Is this your style of treating an adiyavar? Do you think that I have
come here for these measly clothes and this food? You come and see in
Kumbakonam! There are plenty of
Adiyavars there who will even give up their lives for Me!
He vanishes from
there to the astonishment of Moorkanar and his wife. Moorkanar’s wife
prostrates where the Adiyavar was standing while Moorkanar stands still
stupefied.
Wife
How blessed we are! Iraivan Himself has come
to our abode to bless us! We must have done enormous good deeds to have touched
His feet and conduct His Padapujai!
Moorkanar comes
back to his senses hearing the word Iraivan and he also prostrates where the
Adiyavar was standing.
Wife
Our Peruman has given
us some subtle message. Though His words sounded harsh, His look was one of extreme
compassion.
Moorkanar
True! Very True! He asked me to come and see
Kumbakonam. That implies that He wants
us to come to Kumbakonam. He also ordered me to give clothes and food to
Adiyavar during my entire lifetime. That means that He wants to stay there and
serve the adiyavars. While these are
clear to me, I only cannot understand why he said that there the Adiyavars are
prepared to give even their lives for Him!
Wife
What is the confusion? He has simply said that
in Kumbakonam, His adiyavars are prepared to sacrifice even their lives for His
sake!
Moorkanar
If that is the
case, why should He then ask us to come there?
Wife
We
will get an answer to your question when we reach there. I will keep things
ready for our journey tonight itself. Tomorrow, we will leave for Kumbakonam by
daybreak.
Both of them
start their preparation for their journey forgetting even to have their food.
******
As they reach
Kumbakonam, they are awe struck by the number of temples and their imposing
gopuram they see everywhere.
Moorkanar
My dear! They
have given a very apt name for this town. From whichever angle (konam) one
looks he can see the kalasam (kumbam) of the Gopuram.
Wife
I can discern
that there are innumerable temples here. I wonder how many adiyavars visit this
town everyday! Please look for a house for us. I will cook and let us feed the
adiyavars to rid them of their hunger.
After searching
for a suitable house for some time, they find a house close o the temple of
Aadi Kumbeswarar and decide to stay there. After taking their bath on the next
morning, they visit the temple for the darisanam of Easan. They find there are
no devotees in temple and the temple precincts are unkempt and littered with
rubbish. It appears that it has not been swept for ages. The temple Gurukkal
comes there seeing this couple looking aghast.
Gurukkal (off handedly)
It appears that you are new to this town.
Moorkanar
(sadly)
Yes! We are new
to this town. Only yesterday we have come here. Our house is close to this
temple. It seems that the temple has not been taken care of for a long time.
Gurukkal
You are new! That
is why you speak like this. After a couple of days I may not see you also here!
As he goes way, Moorkanar
runs ahead and bars his way.
Moorkanar
Ayya! Gurukkale!
Is this state of affairs only for this temple or for all others?
Gurukkal
(laughing painfully)
This state of
neglect is confined only to this temple... All the temples in Kumbakonam are in
an equally state of neglect! Now look at the Mahamaha Kulam... There is not a
drop of water there. We have not seen
water in the river for the past many months. There is no farming due to lack of
water and no one goes to work. The whole town is dependent on agriculture. As
there is no work here, many of the people have left to pursue other activities.
No one ever comes here from outside. As adiyavars are not visiting the temples,
they have lost their sheen. I wonder
when the adiyavars start coming and the temple pujas start resuming as
before!
Moorkanar
Gurukkale! You
said that as there is no farm work, the people have left for other activities.
Where do they go to for such activity?
Gurukkal
I am mortified even
to mention it. Anyway, since you have come here please have the darisanam of
Easan.
They follow him
and have the darisanam. Easan is seated all by Himself in the Sannathi.
*****
After leaving his
wife in the house, Moorkanar goes around the town to unlock the puzzle as to
where the people have gone and for what activity. Street after street are devoid of any body.
Even children are not found loitering. As he enters the street of shops, he
finds all of them locked up. Even a couple of stray dogs are found famished
unable even to bark. He walks along greatly perturbed. He sees a couple of
women carrying head loads of dried twigs. He stops them.
Moorkanar
Pengale! What
amazement! The entire town is devoid of men folk. Even children are not found
playing around. Where have all the people of this town gone?
One
of the women
As there is water
in the river, the men folk who have no work have gone out for gambling. Unable to stand it, their women have left for
their home and have gone back to their parents taking their children along.
Having enough money from previous harvest, the men folk have taken to gambling unmindful of their
wives and children. For those women who have nowhere to go, we help them by
bringing these twigs from the jungle.... This town flourished reverberating
with sacred mantram once upon a time! They are all stories now!
As they walk away,
Moorkanar returns home totally in shock. He narrates the whole thing to his
wife.
Wife
There is some reason
behind Iraivan asking us to come here.
We not able to make out what it is.
The day passes and in the night Iraivan
appears in Moorkanar’s dream. Moorkanar bows to Easan in great reverence.
Iraivan
My devotees here are
basically good people! The river and the ponds have gone dry due to Adiyavars
absence here. If the town has to flourish again, a large number of adiyavars
must come to this town. You must make arrangements to feed and clothe them. You
must liberate My devotees from the clutches of evil.
After giving
these orders, Iraivan vanishes. Moorkanar wakes up and unable to resume his
sleep he starts planning a strategy to fulfill the orders of Easan. A grand
plan opens up in his mind.
*****
Early morning on
the next day, Moorkanar goes to the temple and starts cleaning its precincts.
In about two hours, the area looks neat and tidy. He goes into the Sannadhi and
prays to Easan. As he comes out he meets the Gurukkal who looks surprised to
see the change in its surroundings. Bowing to the Gurukkal he leaves for home.
Moorkanar
(to his wife)
Today, I am going
to visit the place where the men folk of this town go every day.
Wife
(praying to Easan)
Let whatever you
do turn for the good of this town and its people.
Moorkanar reaches
the gambling shed where the men folk gather. He is surprised to see a huge shed
teeming with people. There is as much crowd as during a festival. People who are indulging in gambling and the
onlookers create a great din that it is difficult to converse with anyone
without raising one’s voice.
Moorkanar goes
around the shed observing the people indulged in gambling. Those who have
produce in their possession, gamble with it. Only a very few are gambling with
gold as stake. Those who have nothing in their possession played with seeds,
shells while those who are rich play with dice made of ivory. They have their
own book keepers to keep their account of wins and losses. The whole shed
reverberates with the sound of merriment and despair of those who are winning
and losing respectively.
Moorkanar looks
around and thinks.
Moorkanar
(to himself)
How can I sit
among these people to gamble? Will it not bring shame to my clan?
The voice of
Easan reverberates in his ears once again. “My devotees here are basically good
people! The river and the ponds have gone dry due to Adiyavars absence here. If
the town has to flourish again, a large number of adiyavars must come to this
town. You must make arrangements to feed and clothe them. You must liberate My
devotees from the clutches of evil.”
Moorkanar
This is the order
of Easan. I have to abide by it at all cost. If Adiyavars are to come here in
large numbers, I need to build a large shed for serving them food. For that I
need materials. To ensure that the villagers do not come here to gamble, I must
go their way to convert them.
He goes to one of
the groups and asks them to include him also.
One
of the Gamblers
What have you got
to put as stake?
He shows the gold
nuggets kept in his hand. Seeing the
gold, the people admit him with great respect and regard. He loses the first,
second and subsequent rounds. The gold in his possession also starts depleting
alarmingly. But the others who have been winning are increasing the bets and at
one stage the wager amounts’ to a thousand gold coins. Everyone in the shed
converge here to see how Moorkanar is gambling. Time flies and it is nearing
sun set. Moorkanar starts winning steadily now and overtakes all the opponents.
When he finally wins the entire stakes, there is a great din raised by the on
lookers. As Moorkanar gathers the coins and bundles them in a sack, one of the
gamblers stops him from leaving.
One
of the Gamblers (in a threatening tone)
You cannot leave
the game after cornering all our gold. You must continue to gamble. So do sit
down now.
Moorkanar
(calmly)
I will continue….
but on one condition. Every one of you must pitch in the same amount as I put
as stake. Here are the thousand gold coins I have won as my stakes. Are you all prepared to place the same amount
as your bet? If you are ready, then first show me what you have got in your
hands!
The gamblers not
having any gold to place as stake go quiet. Moorkanar lifts the sack of gold he
has won and walks away. A few of them, planning to rob him walk along closely
surrounding him. As he steps outside the
shed, it is already dark. A little ahead
they block his way to snatch the sack of gold. But they get beaten up. They are
not able to make out who is beating whom. Fearing that others would come from
the shed to share the loot if they made noise, they bear the beatings in
silence. At one stage, the beatings become so severe, they run away unable to
bear it any longer. Moorkanar reaches home and shows the sack of gold coins to
his wife.
Moorkanar
I am going to
start constructing a huge shed for feeding the Adiyavars tomorrow itself.
His wife bows to
Easan in gratitude.
***
Two days pass by. Hearing that a huge shed to
accommodate and feed a thousand adiyavars has come up near Mahamaha Kulam, all
the gamblers leave their gambling and rush to the Kulam where Moorkanar is
supervising the work. The town’s people reach there and pay due respects to
him.
One
of the People
Ayya! We heard
that you have done a great service to adiyavars in Thiruverkadu by ridding them of their hunger. You have
erected a huge shed to seat a thousand adiyavars and to feed them. While we, even the local people of this town
have forgotten to visit the temple, how do you expect adiyavars from outside to
come here and that too in thousands!
Moorkanar
This town is called
Kumbakonam as one can see the Kumbam on temple gopuram anywhere when one looks
up. You are not aware of your greatness. But the world is aware of it. Since
Easan Himself has declared that everyone who is born here is a great soul, I
have come here to be with you.
He bows to Easan.
The
one who spoke
What! Has Iraivan
said that we are of noble descent? We have been doing ignoble things … We have
forgotten our family and children … We have been bringing disrepute to our
clan… Did Easan declare us as dignified people?
He sheds copious
tears in repentance. All those who have come there touch Moorkanar’s feet in
reverence repenting their deeds.
****
The next day…
In the temple of
Aadi Kumbeswarar….
A small crowd of
Adiyavars assemble in the Sannathi and receive thiruneeru from the Gurukkal.
One
of the Adiyavars
Gurukkale! We
have learnt that a great soul named Moorkanar from Thiruverkadu, has made
arrangements for the stay and food for adiyavars in a grand scale. Where can we
meet him?
Gurukkal in great
fervor tells them the route to reach his shed.
*****
Moorkanar is
seated in the shed and a large number of Adiyavars come and have their food. By
their grace, the heavens soon open up with copious rains and all the water
bodies gets filled up. The river once again flows in all its glory. The
Mahamaha Kulam is filled to the brim. The farming works starts in great
enthusiasm. The women and children who have left their homes return for the
happy reunion. Needless to say that the
gambling shed goes empty!
*****
That is the day
of Masi Maham (the day of the Star Maham in the Tamil month of Masi)!
There are
thousands of devotees assembled to have their dip in Mahamaha Kulam and then go
for the darisanam of Aadi Kumbeswarar. The whole town sports a festive
look. Thousands of Adiyavars have their
food in the Moorkanar’s shed. Moorkanar gifts them new clothes to each one of
them personally as they leave. One of the Adiyavars comes close to him. His
radiant countenance make Moorkanar go into raptures.
Easan
in the guise of The Radiant Adiyavar
The food you have
served is far superior to even to the one that is partaken by the Devas!
Moorkanare! By
losing the wagers in the first few rounds and then winning them all and earning
enormous wealth only to spend them all in the service of Adiyavars, your deeds
are indeed worthy of great adulation!
Taking your food only after feeding the Adiyavars, your act is praise
worthy. After completing your work here, you will reach Me and stand on to My
right side. Moorka Nayanare! Your name
and fame will remain as long as this world remains. Whosoever worships Me will
worship you as well.
Easan blesses him
and vanishes while the heavens open up with a shower of flowers.
*****
The days pass by…
The wealth of Moorkanar also starts dwindling. His wife looks alarmed.
Moorka
Nayanar
My dear! Why are
you looking distressed?
Wife
The gold coins
that you gave have all been spent. As there are no grains and other items, my
mind is perturbed. The local people have changed their evil ways and turned
good. But what do we do to feed the Adiyavars?
Moorka Nayanar
laughs aloud confusing his wife even more.
Moorka
Nayanar
Well! There are
many adjacent towns which also have gambling dens.
He laughs and
Easan and Annai also laugh hearing it at Kailayam!
Their laughter
resounds as the great Onkaram spearing the heavens!
Thiruchchitrambalam
