VIJAY TV BHAKTHI THIRUVIZHA SEASON 12, DAY 3 – BHAKTHI MANDRAM

VIJAY TV BHAKTHI THIRUVIZHA SEASON 12, DAY 3 –BHAKTHI MANDRAM

Next was Bhakthi mandram similar to patti mandram but without the competition part. The Judge was my favourite Professor Dr. Selvaganapathy, who I have heard talk about the nayanmars on Doordarshan many times.

The speakers were Pulavar Ramalingam on Navukarasarin Bhakthi Nerigal (நாவுக்கரசரின்  பக்தி நெறிகள்) and Vijayasundari on Gnanasambandarin Bhakthi நெறிகள் (ஞானசம்பந்தரின் பக்தி நெறிகள்) .

The talks were very interesting but I felt that they sometimes went off their allocated topics when Pulavar Ramalingam started talking about Gnanasambandar and Vijayasundari about Navukarasar. 

But on the whole it was a new concept and very informative about both the Shiva devotees and made one emotional about their Bhakthi towards Lord Shiva!

Nayanmar 3 - Ilayankudi Mara Nayanar

Ilayankudi Mara Nayanar (இளையான்குடி மாற நாயனார்)

Birth place: Ilayankudi

Star: Aavani Magam

A rich farmer in Ilayankudi, Maran had the good habit of feeding the devotees of Shiva every day. Years rolled by, Maran lost all his property and became very poor. Even then he continued to feed at least one devotee every day. It came to a stage that one rainy day he and his wife did not have any food to eat the whole day and went to sleep starving.

Lord Shiva took the form of a devotee and knocked at Maran’s door. Maran opened the door and welcomed the devotee. It was obvious that the guest was hungry and there was not a single grain of rice at home. Maran requested the devotee to rest for some time until the food was prepared.

Maran went to the fields and collected the rice grains sown for cultivation which were floating in rain water. He also plucked some greens in the backyard and came back home. When he came to know that there was no firewood to light a fire for cooking, he removed the wood from the roof and asked his wife to use it as firewood. Maran’s good wife prepared food and Maran woke the devotee up requesting him to have the food. The devotee disappeared and Lord Shiva along with Goddess Parvathi gave darshan to the Maran couple and blessed them with mukti.

At the Ilayankudi Shiva temple, there is a sannidhi for Mara Nayanar and the street he used to live in Ilayankudi is called Maran Street even today.

VIJAY TV BHAKTHI THIRUVIZHA SEASON 12, DAY 3 – NAMASANKEERTHANAM BY SRI SATTANATHA BHAGAVATHAR

VIJAY TV BHAKTHI THIRUVIZHA SEASON 12, DAY 3 – NAMASANKEERTHANAM BY SRI SATTANATHA BHAGAVATHAR

The third programme was Namasankeerthanam by Sri Sattanatha Bhagavathar associated with Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamigal.

Ms. Sumathi introduced them with an interesting narration that when she asked Sattanatha Bhagavathar from when he was involved in Namasangeerathanam, he said right from the age of 7 and has been rendering Namasangeerathanam for the past 25 years, but the person looks only about 30 years old! She went on to compare Sattanatha Bhagavathar with Thirugnanasambandar who was also from Seeragazhi and had the blessings of the Almighty at a very young age!

The Namasangeerthanam was a beautiful 30 minutes with total devotion. I loved the rendering of Muralidhara swamigal song “hare rama hare rama".The crowd got very much involved with clapping and repeating during the namasangeerathanam.

 

Nayanmar 2 - Iyarpagai Nayanar

Iyarpagai Nayanar (இயற்பகை நாயனார்)

Birthplace: Kaviripoompatinam

Star: Margazhi Uthiram

Iyarpagai Nayanar – Iyar + pagai (opposed to nature) - this Nayanar’s name itself suggests his devotion to the Lord, that he did unnatural, abnormal things out of his devotion to the Lord.

Iyarpagai Nayanar lived with his wife in Kaviripoompatinam. He was well known for giving away anything the devotees of Lord Shiva asked for.

One day Lord Shiva took the form of a Brahmin and came to Iyarpagai Nayanar. Very happy to receive him, Iyarpagai wanted to know what the Brahmin wanted. The Brahmin asked Iyarpagai to give his wife. Without blinking an eye, Iyarpagai called his wife and asked her to go with the Brahmin. Though taken aback for a moment, Iyarpagai’s wife got ready to leave with the Brahmin.

The Brahmin was worried that Iyarpagai’s relatives may object to him taking the latter’s wife and asked Iyarpagai to escort them for some distance. Iyarpagai armed himself with some weapons and accompanied them. Many relatives gathered around, objecting to Iyarpagai’s wife being sent with the Brahmin. The Brahmin appeared to be frightened by this but Iyarpagai’s wife assured him saying that “Iyarpagai will take care of them”. A woman mentioning the names of her husband was unheard of in those days. Iyarpagai’s wife mentioned his name thereby proving that she belonged to the Brahmin and did not consider Iyarpagai her husband anymore.

photo courtesy : shaivam.org

When the relatives tried to attack the Brahmin, Iyarpagai killed the relatives without hesitation making way for the Brahmin and his wife to move forward. After some distance, the Brahmin asked Iyarpagai to go back and he did so promptly. As he turned around and walked back, he heard the Brahmin calling him “Iyarpagai, come back” He turned back again and saw that the Brahmin had vanished.

Lord Shiva along with Goddess Parvathi gave darshan to Iyarpagai Nayanar and his wife and blessed them with mukti. The relatives killed by Iyarpagai Nayanar were also given mukti.

The temple where Iyarpagai Nayanar, his wife and relatives attained mukti is Thiru Sayakkadu close to Kaviripoompatinam.

Recipe - Adaidosai

Adaidosai (அடைதோசை)

This is a simple dosai recipe I learnt from my mother in law. I think this tiffen item needs a proper christening as it is usually called jovially “neither adai nor dosai” as it is not as heavy as adai and not regular dosai either. Jokes apart, this is an easy-to-make breakfast and full of moong dal nutrition. It is quite similar to pesarat but lighter than that.

Ingredients

Yellow moong dal (பயத்தம்  பருப்பு/ பாசிப் பருப்பு)   - 1 glass

Raw rice  (பச்சரிசி)                                                        - a handful

Red chillies (காய்ந்த மிளகாய்)                                    - 4 or 5

Green chillies (பச்சை மிளகாய்)                                   - 1 (optional)

Curry leaves (கறிவேப்பிலை)                                      - 2 sprigs

Asafoetida  (பெருங்காயம்)                                          - 2 pinches

Salt  (உப்பு)                                                                    - to taste

Oil (எண்ணெய்)                                             

Method:

Soak the moong dal and raw rice together for about 30 – 40 minutes. Add this to the mixie, add the chillies, curry leaves, salt and grind after adding some water. Make sure the end product is not too smooth and a little grainy. Add asafoedita and add some more water to bring it to a dosai batter consistency. 

 

Pour a ladle full of the batter on a tawa, add little oil and make like a dosai. This does not need as much oil as an adai.

Yummy Adaidosai is ready to eat. Side dishes can be sambar/chutney/milagai podi/pickle/sugar or it can be had plain too!