Thirunyanasambanthar

Thirunayasambanthar is acclaimed as a child prodigy. Sekizhar has sung his glory in quatrains, 5024 lines in Periya Puranam. That alone cannot contain the Divinity of Sambanthar and his 16 brief years, when some other spiritual giants have taken a lot more years. He himself had sung several hundreds of Thevarams but only 384 are left. And from that we know fewer then that. This young saint was born in a place called Piramaapuram currently known as Sirkazhi near Chidambaram a place where all sins were believed to be wiped off, all wastes were washed off. This place is also know with several other names from Sambanthar time like Pugali, Sirkazhi, Brahmapuram, Kazhumalam, Kazhi and many more. He was born to devoted couple SivapaathaHrudayar and Bagavathy Ammaiyar. Sivapaatha Hrudayar means the man who has lodged the lotus feet of Lord Shiva in his heart. He was a Vedic Brahmin. Sambanthar was a loving and lovable child, who was treated as a treasure of God by his parents and rest of the family. He loved to hear Vedas and smiled readily at the mention of God's name even as a infant. He was doted as a child and all that love sowed divinity in the child's mind. One day, as a child of 3 years of age, he went with his father to Thoniappar Temple ( Thoniappar means the savior, who would see ashore the struggling souls from the sea of sufferings). Sambanthar's father seated him on the steps of the temple tank called BrahmaTeertham and went in for a dip. as father was busy with his ceremonial dip, the child prompted by its solitude and probably of its previous birth's associations, called out toward the temple "Ammaye Appa" (Mother, Father) with trembling lips , eyes filled with tears. Blessed as the child was, The cosmic Father and Mother immediately rushed to its call. The Father requested the Mother Umadevi to give the crying child the milk of Divine Knowledge ( Nyanapaal). As desired by Siva, Umadevi milked with love in to a golden cup and fed the child and embraced it with love, while Lord wiped his tears; words of wisdom, unknown to a normal child of 3 years, rolled out in good rhythm and tune from the toddler's mouth. When Sivapaathahrudayar stepped out of the water and saw his child, with milk trickling from his mouth, he was furious and quite anxious as to the nature of the milk. He questioned the child as to who offered the milk, concerned that it should not infect the child. The blessed child looked at the temple tower with twinkling eyes and answered in excellent rhyme and metre, that it was the Lord of Pirammapuram with a white crescent moon on his head, ashes all over his body, the cosmic Father with his consort who came on the Bull and it was the Divine Mother who fed him with the milk. Sang the child" He who provides Absolute Joy, has stolen My heart." ( Thodudaya Seviyan).
Even as the father was stupefied, savants gathered around them. Priests led him into the temple with all honours due to the God. At the sanctum sanctorum( Moolastanam ) of Lord Thoniappar. the God of Sirkazhi, he sang a few more quatrains to the pleasure of the public gathered around. The learned scholars praised the child as a child prodigy and gift of god. His name and fame spread far and wide. All Siva devotees cheered at the advert of the precious child as the messenger of God. After visiting some neighboring temples, the father dutifully carried Sambanthar to Thirukolakka near Sirkazhi, where he sang Thevarams, beating time( thalam ) with his hands. Sambanthar's hands became red as the child was clapping his hands. Ambal gave her child a pair of gold cymbals inscribe with the mantra NAMASIVAYA. Sambanthar struck the golden cymbals only to find it did not produce sound. He prayed to the Goddess there and immediately the cymbals started to produce beautiful sound when Sambanthar struck it. The Ambal is know as Oosai Koduttha Nayagi. Thirunilakantha Yazhpanar played the Yazh ( a stringed instrument ) as an accompaniment and his wife with her sweet voice. They formed a chorus of melodious, musical creations filled with devotion, offering great spiritual enjoyment to the pub;ic. Sambanthar and his troupe crossed the Kollidam river and entered Chidambaram. At Chidambaram he was given a grand welcome and he treated the 3000 priests of the temple as Sivaganas, the followers of Lord Shiva. He sang a few more Thevarams on Lord Nadarajah at Chidambaram and went to Thiruvetkalam and to Puliyur, the birth place of Thirunilankanda Yazhpanar. After admiring the beauty of the reigning Lord at Pennagadagam, he walked on foot to Thiruaratturai. Since it was hot summer time Sambanthars foot were all red of heat burns. God appeared in the dreams of his devotees and dignitaries and the informed them of Sambanthars's arrival and directed them to bring the boy in His own palanquin ( Muthupandal ) with due temple honours. The God also appeared in Sambanthar's dream and asked him to accept all the honours and avail the palanquin service. Thus Sambanthar travelled from temple in state regalia. At Cheignalur, Sambanthar got down from his pearl palanquin and walked humbly, for it was the birth place of the great Chandesa Nayanar. Though the world treated him with great love and respect, as a boy of eight, he still was humble. The truly great always would readily appreciate others love and devotioooon. After visiting Thirupanandal and other places Sambanthar returned with his father to Sirkazhi.