WITNESS-2 -MARKANDEYA MAHARISHI AS A
WITNESS
Is the term "kari" used
by nam AzhwAr. Thamizh is a very rich language.Each word has several meanings.
"kari" is one such word.
It means coal. It refers an elephant. Here it
alludes to sAkshi-witness.
swAmi nam-AzhwAr has used this word in
poliga-poliga padhigam. He has referred to mArkaNdEya maharishi as a
witness.
"niRuthi num vuLLthuk koLLum dheivangaL
ummai vuyyakkOL,
maRuthum avanOdE kaNdEr
mArkaNdEyanum kariyEa,
kaRutha manam vonRum
vENdA kaNNan allAl dheivam illai,
iruppadhellAm avan mUrthiyAya avaRkEA
iruminEA" thiru voi mozhi 5-2-7
It may be thus observed that mArkaNdEyan has been
cited as a witness here in this pAsuram. What for? This is being discussed in
the context of, whether other demi-gods can rescue us? For this AzhwAr summons
this muni and recalls that event. This pAsuram read with another will throw
light on that event. In thiru voi mozhi 7-5-7
"...vaNduN malarth thongal
mArkaNdEyanukku vAzhu nAL, iNdai sadai mudi Esan udan koNdu vusAch
chella
koNdanguth thannodum koNdu, vudan
chenRadhuNarndhumEA" AzhwAr has referred to the same
event.
It is well known that mArkaNdEayn's parents were
granted a boon that they will be granted a wise son but his longevity will be
limited. The son was a devotee of shivA. When parents grieved that the death for
their son was nearing, mArkaNdEayn told them not to worry and appraoched
shivA, whom he had been worshipping all along and requested for further
lifetime. shivA displayed his long hair in private, thus enunciating to
mArkaNdEayn that he is also a soul like mArkANdEyan and the only person who can
rescue him, grant him salvation, full of auspicious qualities is
sriman nArAyaNA. The Lord granted him his wish, as if he had been
recommended by pirAtti. Edu vyAkyANam is wonderful:
"oru nALilE vandhavARE, thalaik
kadaiyum puzhaikkadaiyum adaithu, jadaiyai virithuk kAtti,......vunakkOr
Asrayanam kAttap pArAi!
enRu, avan saulabhyAdhi gunangaLaiyum, mOksha parathvathvAdhi gunangaLaiyum
vusAvik koNdu, sarva lOkan pakkalilE chendRAn,.... oru
pirAtti purushakAramaga varuvAraik kaik koLLimAp pOlE, kaik
kONdu..."
The idea here is that the demi-deities cannot help
the souls. They cannot grant mOksham or greater long term benefits. They are
subservient to the Lord like other souls. For this, the aforementioned
mArkaNdEyan's experience is called as a witness.
Here the supremacy of the Lord is established and
counselling is done by AzhwAr which is aptly mentioned by mAmunikal
as
"vulagil thirundhAdhar thammai thiruthiya mARan
sol"
(to be continued)
vanamamalai padmanabhan
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