Date uploaded in London – – 16 March 2024
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Sandal Wood in Hinduism -Part 3 ; Murthy Nayanar story (Post No.13,098)
Let me continue with Kalidas where he used sandalwood similes.
Kalidasa’s knowledge about sandalwood tree is amazing. He knew where it was grown and where it could not survive. His quotations in Raghuvamsam showed that he actually saw them in Karnataka forests (please read first two parts). Here in the world-famous drama Sakuntalam he shows that his knowledge in botany.
Act 4, Sakuntalam
Kanva
My darling ! they also have to be given in marriage; it would not be proper for them (friends of Sakuntala) to with you. Gautami will accompany you.
Sakuntala
(clasping her father in her arms) rent from my dear father’s lap like a sapling of the sandalwood tree uprooted from the side of the Malaya mountain, how can I ever survive in an alien soil? (weeps bitterly)
Kalidasa’s geographical knowledge about Malaya, Darduma mountains and his botanical knowledge about sandalwood are very evident in his works. He knew why sandalwood trees are not seen in other parts of India except Malaya mountain.
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Why do you flout that rule of gentleness
Toward all living things,
Like the young of a black serpent that spoils
For other creatures, the pleasant sanctuary
That is the fragrant sandalwood tree? (Act VII, 18) Sakuntalam
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In Kumarasambhva, Kalidasa says,
तस्य जातु मलयस्थलीरते धूतचन्दनलतः प्रियाक्लमम् ।
आचचाम सलवङ्गकेसरश्चाटुकार इव दक्षिणानिलः ॥ ८।२५॥ 8-25
Once he sported on the grounds of Malaya mountain, the breeze from the South, like an adulator removed the fatigue of his beloved, the breeze which had shaken the sandal trees and which wafted the filaments of Lavanga flowers (was cool and fragrant)
Among the ancient poets, Kalidasa was the poet who used highest number of Sandalwood references than any other poet in the Indian literature.
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Beautiful simile from a Sangam poem
Narrinai is one of the eight anthologies in Sangam Tamil corpus. The very first poem in the collection of 400 poems in the book has a beautiful simile about a honeycomb on top of a sandal wood tree. We could imagine how fragrant the honey would be!
Kabilar , the brahmin with spotless character, who composed highest number of poems in Sangam Age, says,
My lover is a man of words; always sweet; he never goes away from my shoulders (doesn’t seek another woman); his passion/love for me is as sweet as the honey found in the honeycomb that is hanging on top of the sandalwood tree; that honey is gathered by the bees from the lotus flowers.
.நின்ற சொல்லர்; நீடுதோன்று இனியர்;
என்றும் என் தோள் பிரிபு அறியலரே’
தாமரைத் தண் தாது ஊதி, மீமிசைச்
சாந்தில் தொடுத்த தீம் தேன் போல,
புரைய மன்ற, புரையோர் கேண்மை;
நீர் இன்று அமையா உலகம் போலத்
தம் இன்று அமையா நம் நயந்தருளி,
நறு நுதல் பசத்தல் அஞ்சிச்
சிறுமை உறுபவோ? செய்பு அறியலரே!– நற்றிணை 1;
எழுதியவர்: கபிலர்.
Another translation :
The acquaintance with noble men of high qualities is as sweet as the honey gathered by the bees from the lotus flowers and stored in the honeycomb on the lofty branch of the sandalwood tree in high mountain.
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From 1000 year old Rajatarangini of Kalhana
Where in the shrine the residence of Shiva at Nandikhetra are to be seen, to this day, the drops of the votive sandal emollient offered by the celestials.
Rajatarangini 1-36
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Story of Murthy Nayanar and Sandalwood Paste
The Pandya country has long enjoyed worldwide fame. In that land is the fair and ancient city of Madurai, the home of academies where poets read their works and where the branches of Tamil culture flourished in the schools. In that fair city there dwelt an ancient and respected family of merchant class. As a result of austerities which they performed, there was born to them a son who severed all other attachments and with uncompromising zeal devoted himself solely to the feet of the Lord Siva and his name was Murti. It was his regular practice to provide sandal paste to adorn the lord Siva of Aalavaay/Madurai.
In those days, the king of the Vatukata Karunatars (Karnataka) annexed Pandya country with its capital Madurai. The new king took no pains to foster the prosperity of Tamil land. Instead, he forsook the religion of Siva and turned to the base religion of the Jains. In concert with the wicked Jains, he even decided to heap indignities upon Murti . In spite of the persistent attacks, Murti continued his service as before. Then the king cut off his supply of sandalwood for making paste. Murti went everywhere in search of suitable sandalwood. But when the sun went down Murti returned empty handed and despondent, and made his way to the temple of Siva.
“Today I can no longer grind sandal paste for the body of Siva and thought , but my hand will not cease from grinding”. With that thought, he placed his elbow on the grinding stone , and ground away until the skin and the bow and sinew all was reduced to pulp. From his mangled arm the blood poured out and mingled with the marrow from the bone. The Lord himself could not bear the sight and that night a gracious voice rang out.
“Sir! do not let your love drive you to such lengths. You are to take over the land now ruled by the man who has caused you so much pain”.
When Murti heard it, he refrained from further acts of self- harm. To bear out the truth of that saying the life of the war like king of Vatukata Karunatars came to its end that very night.
Upon the death of this villainous king, his wife and family were plunged into grief and totally distraught. That morning the ministers gathered , and when they performed the funeral rites, turned their thoughts to the question of a successor. For that king had no male progeny.
The ministers decided that they would blindfold the king’s elephant and let it go. Then whomsoever the elephant took hold of with its trunks, the man would be crowned as king.
With a gold plate on its forehead and the blindfold over its eyes, the royal elephant went off cheerfully and roamed through the streets of Madurai city. It went to the temple and bowed down before Murti . then it picked him up and seated him on its neck. The whole city burst into joy. Ministers helped him to get down from the elephant. When he was about to be crowned by the priests, he put one condition to accept the offer. If you give up Jainism and return to Saivism , I will become king. They readily agreed to his condition and crowned him the king of Pandya country.
Murti Nayanar is one of the 63 Saivite saints and his story is in Sekkizar’s Periya Puranam in Tamil. His statue is in all the big and famous Siva temples of Tamil Nadu.
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Sandal paste is part and parcel of Tamil culture. In Kerala, a part of Tamil Nadu 2000 years ago, all Hindus wear sandal every day after bath. In Tamil Nadu, all orthodox Hindus have a prayer room in their houses and in that prayer room there would be a grinding stone and a small sandal wood to make paste.
–subham—
Tags- Murthy Nayanar, Story, Honeycomb, Sandalwood tree, Kalhana, Kalidasa
Tamil and Vedas 