Article written by London swaminathan

Date: 20^th  September 2015

Post No: 2175

Time uploaded in London :– 19-18

(Thanks  for the pictures) 

This happened during the Great Indian Mutiny in the year 1857. Indian soldiers revolted against the British Government and the government took stern steps to put them down. The result was, people left the villages in panic. At one place, when they were running away, they saw a Sadhu coming towards their village which they had abandoned. The villagers warned the Sadhu that the British soldiers would be there shortly and kill him mercilessly. The sadhu did not pay heed to the advice, but went on. When he was nearing the village, a British soldier came towards him and stabbed him. The sadhu was fatally injured. He fell down and was about to die. The soldier was looking at him to make sure if he was dead. Before breathing his last, the Sadhu looked at the soldier, his murderer, and smilingly said “You also are He” (Tat Tvam Asi).

Even in the agony of death, the Sadhu saw God in him. What a glorious vision was his! It is indeed wonderful.  Such is the vision of one who has realised God.

Safeway to a Tamil Murderer

Periyapuranam is a great Tamil literary master piece which deals with the lives of sixty three Saivite Saints of Tamil Land. One of the sixty three saints was Meypporul Nayanar who ruled a small kingdom from Tirukkovilur in North Tamil Nadu. He had a rival in a neighbouring kingdom whose name was Muthanathan. He invaded Meypporul Nayanar’s country several times but was defeated. So he planned to kill him by hook or crook. He knew that Nayanar respected Saivite devotees a lot.

One day Muthanathan came to Nayanar’s palace disguised as a Saivite saint. It was dead of night and so the guards at the gate refused him permission to enter the palace but he insisted that he had brought something important to give it to the king. Then Nayanar’s bodyguard Tattan came and allowed him in; but Tattan was very suspicious about this ascetic guy. So he was ready to meet any eventuality.

When Muthanathan went into the palace, Nayanar was sleeping with his queen in the bed room. She woke up at the slightest noise and woke her husband immediately. As soon as he saw someone with holy ash smeared all over his body he fell at his (Muthanathan’s) feet. Nayanar asked him what brought him at the dead of night to the palace. “Ascetic” Muthanathan told Nayanar that he had got a rare book and wanted to teach him the same night. Nayanar told him that he was ready to receive it the very next minute. But Muthanathan insisted that his wife should not be in the room. Immediately she left the bed room.

When Nayanar fell at Muthanathan’s feet in the traditional way before start of the lesson, Muthanathan took his sword from inside the ascetic robe and stabbed Nayanar. He fell on the floor. As soon as the body guard Tattan heard the noise he rushed into the bed room and caught Muthanathan red handed. But Nayanar, before breathing for the last time, instructed Tattan, “Tatta, He is our man. Please allow him a safe passage”.

As instructed by Nayanar, he took Muthanathan, inspite of a big lynching crowd, out of the city limits and allowed him a safe passage. He was pardoned by Nayanar just because he came in the guise of a Saivite (Shiva) saint.

There are several episodes like this in Indian literature.