Forever thinking of thee

நின்றும் இருந்தும் கிடந்தும் நடந்தும் நினைப்பது உன்னை,
என்றும் வணங்குவது உன் மலர்த் தாள்.-எழுதாமறையின்
ஒன்றும் அரும்பொருளே. அருளே. உமையே. இமயத்து
அன்றும் பிறந்தவளே. அழியா, முத்தி ஆனந்தமே.

Even while I stand, sit, sleep or walk I always think of thee;
I forever worship thy lotus feet, Oh Goddess, who is the hidden meaning
of the scriptures! The one who is the form of grace, The daughter
of the mountains and the source of everlasting bliss!

(Abhirami Andhadhi, 10)

Subrahmanya dikshitar better known as Abhirami bhattar composed 100 verses in praise of goddess Abhirami in the Thirukkadaiyur temple, known as the Abhirami Andhadhi (Andhadhi is a collection of poems where every verse starts with the last word of the previous verse).  This is the story for those unfamiliar with it.

India has always been a land of saints and miracles. It is however not unfair for us from the 21st century to question the mythical fabric that forms the basis of our religion. Did Sambandhar really bring back a girl from a pot of ashes to life? Did Tukaram really fly to the heaven on an eagle? Did Abhirami bhattar really make the moon shine on a new moon day? The answers to these questions are not simple especially when the incidents in question date back to thousands of years before our times. Identifying themselves as one with the cosmic spirit, the saints I believe were able to manifest their ideas, which may have defied physical laws. After all, 'miracle' is a label we give to whatever does not seem possible in our perception of reality. However, the myths and the literature at times need to be viewed with an investigative eye too, for they may be talking of these episodes in a metaphorical sense to express a higher truth.

Being a relatively recent event in comparison to others, we do have interesting clues on the miracle performed by Abhirami Bhattar. Inscriptions exist today that stand proof to the fact that King Sherfoji ordained for a part of all harvest from five surrounding villages around Thirukkadaiyur to be given to Bhattar's family and his descendants. He also bestowed the title 'Bharati' to him that his descendants carried. Even today, his existing descendant by name Amirtha Bharathiyaar receives harvest from not five but two villages and uses them to perform special celebrations for the goddess during Navaratri. We may not have photographs to show how the Goddess saved her devotee by displaying her earrings to the entire world as the moon; But we do know with certainty that the devotee performed a certain miracle that moved the King enough to confer upon him high honors!

Coming back to the verses, we see an interesting aspect that does not take long to recognize. These tamil poems bear a strong resemblance to many verses in Adi Shankara's Sanskrit master piece 'Soundarya lahari'. The verse taken above is a striking example. The same thought of complete surrender is expressed with equal beauty in the 27th verse of Soundarya lahari.

जपो जल्पः शिल्पं सकलमपि मुद्राविरचना
गतिः प्रादक्षिण्यक्रमणं अशनाध्याहुति विधिः |
प्रणामस्संवेशः  सुखमखिलं आत्मार्पणदृशा
सपर्यापर्यायस्तव भवतु यन्मे विलसितं ||

Let my idle chat be chanting of your name, all my gestures your ritual gestures
My walking perambulation around thee, my eating a sacred fire offering to you
My sleeping prostration at your feet, every action of pleasure be an offering to the 'atma'
May whatsoever I do be counted as thy worship

Many more are such parallels between the two. While Shankara assumes a more impersonal tone and describes the goddess's beauty and grace in an objective way, Bhattar is very personal and his verses are infused with deep devotion. His myriad emotions from helplessness to resignation to gratitude add a personal touch to the poetry. It is not far fetched to assume that, being a follower of the Sri vidya tradition, Bhattar was well versed in Soundarya lahari and was inspired by Shankara while singing his own. Not many tantric texts exist in pure tamil that abide this tradition of goddess worship and hence his contribution is indeed priceless.

(The picture above is of Goddess Brihannayaki in the Dharasuram temple, flanked by her attendants. Goddess Abhirami's image is similar as she holds the same paraphernalia in her hands)