The story of saiva saints/MANIKKAVACHAKAR
MANIKKAVACHAKAR
Manikkavachakar was born at Thiruvathavur near Madurai and he was called Thiruvathavurar. The then ruling king Arsmarthana Pandya, having heard of his attainments, appointed him prime minister and conferred on him the title Thennavan Brahmarayan. Once he went to Thirupperunthurai with bags of money to purchase horses and saw Lord Siva seated under a Kurunda tree with a large congregation. He forgot his mission, prostrated before Him and got His grace. Then he sang the sweet and thrilling songs, and Siva on hearing the “holy word” of Vathavurar bestowed on him the name Manikkavachakar and disappeared. Manikkavachakar then spent all bags of money he had in repairing and rebuilding the Siva temple there. The king having heard of what had happened, summoned Manikkavachakar to his court. Manikkavachakar not knowing what to do implored the Lord who told him to return and inform the king that the horses would arrive on the Avanimoolam day.
On the appointed day Lord Siva converted all the jackals of the jungle into horses, converted himself and the demons into horsemen, rode to Madurai, delivered the horses to the king and disappeared. In the night all the horses turned again into jackals and fed away. When the king heard of the great fraud, he frowned and put Manikkavachakar to torture. The Saint appealed to the Lord. There came a huge flood in the river Vaigai. The king ordered that every family should send one member to do the work of strengthening the banks of the river. All obeyed. There was an old woman called Vanthi a vendor of rice cakes and she wanted a servant to represent her. Lord Siva appeared as a Kooli and offered his services in return for the Pittu (made of rice) that she cauld give as wages. His name was enlisted. He did no work, but he chatted with others wasting their time also and finally laid himself down to sleep. The king sommoned him and gave him a blow with his stick. The blow was felt by the whole Universe and the king too felt the blow. The Divine Labourer poured one basket of the earth in the portion allotted to him and vanished. The king realised the greatness of Manikkavachakar and permitted him to retire.
Manikkavachakar went on pilgrimage and reached Chithambaram. There he held a dispute with the Buddhists of Ceylon, and defeated them by making a dumb girl to answer their questions. The answers through the dumb girl are immortalised in a hymn called Thiruchchalal.
It is said that Lord Siva came in human form, requested him to dictate all his Thiruvachakams and wrote them Himself. He then requested him to say his Thirukkovaiyar and after writing it down, subscribed his name, placed them at Ponnambalam (the Golden Hall) and disappeared.
Manikkavachakar attained beatitude on the Makha day in the month of Ani.
of the Tiruvachakams, Sivapuranam, Tiruchchathakam and a few others were sung at Tirupperunthurai; Neeththal Vinnappam at Uttarakosa Mangai; Tiruvembavai and Tirupalliezhuchchi at Tiruvannamalai and a host of others at Chithambaram.
Whether he was prior to the Thevaram Trio or posterior to them is immaterial to Siva Bhakthas. His Tiruvachakam and Kovai are gems of sacred Literature and they embody doctrines of Saiva faith as found in the Vedic lore.
Om Namassivaya !