Pattinathar / பட்டினத்தார் - Part 2

Pattinathar / பட்டினத்தார் 

Life story of Saint Pattinathar - Part 2

Sri Pattinathar

"காதற்ற ஊசியும் வாராது காண் கடைவழிக்கே" - Even an eyeless needle won't accompany you in your final journey.

Pattinathar and Sivakalai were happily married and successful, but had concern after many years they did not have a child.

After five years his mother started to worry that he didn't have any kids and suggested he look for a second wife. He refused and told his mom to not talk about this any further. You can make a cot at will, but cradle can be given only by God's blessings (Kattil undu thottil illai). They did what everyone in their situation does - pray to god and visit temples.  Sivakalai was in tears. When he wiped her tears, he heard a baby's cry. Thinking it was a miracle, he went to bed. 

When asleep, he had a dream, where an old couple is sitting on the front porch. He gave them water to wash and asked what they wanted, they replied, not much, but please save our child. He didn't see a baby in their hands and inquired where they came from and where is the child? They replied they came from Thiruvottiyur and the baby is in Thiruvidaimaruthur. It didn't make any sense. They gave an old saree and asked him to make a cradle/thottil (swinging cot). When he opened the saree, he saw a Nandhi from Chidambaram temple and after that they disappeared.

He woke up from sleep yelling. Told the story to his wife and later to his mother and said it appears God is playing an experiment. His mom told them to go for a pilgrimage between those temples and gave some jewellery for donation. His sister mocked him hearing the news, that after this many years they are suddenly going to find a baby in the temple? She is of the thought, without any heirs to her brother, the wealth will finally belong to her. There is no relation if we look for nuisance.

On the way, Sivakalai began to sweat in cool weather and began to cry. When he wiped her tears, he heard the same cry. Is that an illusion? Outside the temple, he saw a tree and an old couple sitting with a cradle hanging from the tree. They appeared to be the ones from the dream. He approached them and asked where they were from? Thiruvidaimaruthur was the reply. The cradle was made with the same saree, same nandhi picture. When he asked about the child, they said, The baby is ours and is born after a long time. We were very poor. We had a dream to hand this baby to Pattinathu Chetty and get some gold in return. We were on the way to meet him, and took a break to rest.

His eyes were watery, and when Pattinathu Chetty wiped the poor man's tears he heard a baby laugh. He took them back to his place. No doubt this child is godsend. They decided to adopt the child and made arrangements for a big ceremony. His sister was arguing not to adopt a baby from different caste. Ignoring her, he set for the gold weighing for the baby (Thulabaram - presenting ones weight in gold). It appeared to pull more gold than babys' weight - finally when he put the gold chain he bought for the temple, the scales were equal. 

[[Editor's note: There are variations found to this story - Variyar's discourse explains that Lord Shiva went into the poor man's dream and asked him to handover the baby found on the temple grounds to Pattinathu Chetty in exchange for money and he himself took the form of baby]].

The child was named Maruthavanan. Like father, he wasn't interested in studies and was playful. He questioned his teachers instead of answering them. To teach him protech the wealth, the father took him to the business.

He will take a gemstone and asked what will happen if he threw it in fire. His dad replied, it'll be burnt to ashes.  He then took a dried cow dung and asked what will happen if it was thrown in fire. Ashes, was the reply. Such line of questions, made him think his son is good for nothing.

He wanted to learn the trade and was happy and was looking forward to go overseas. Marudhavanan proclaimed, Dad, i'll go and get you never before seen wealth. He set off to far away land and was welcomed by the locals and treated well. He accumulated good wealth, but gave away most of it to needy. He carried sacks of cow dung patties and husk back into the ship and was ridiculed by fellow traders.

On their return journey, in the middle of ocean there were storms and ship had no heat. When fellow traders asked for the dried patties (veratti) he made them sign agreements stating, once they reach shore they'll return him an equivalent patty like the sample. They signed and exchanged the patties for temporary warmth.  The ship returned home after eighty six days, the playful kid is now a siva devotee. 

When the father went to receive his son, Marudhavanan proclaimed, he got him treasures never heard off. He carried a small box in his hand, and asked the father to  supervise the load. The workers started to unload the goods - instead of boxes, came sack after sack, making him wonder why is gold and silver tied like this. When he opened a sack he saw it was full of husk and dried cow dung. Anger got him and yelled at a worker to carry a sack home. 

Pattinathar saw his mom at home and asked where his son was. He showed her the patties he brought back and the agreement forms and screamed that why need agreement signed for patties that are used to cremate? He threw them in anger - to his surprise the shattered patties contained all kinds of gems and gold was concealed in husk bags. The fellow travellers were taken aback looking at the sample, thinking how could they replace such a thing?

His joy knew no bounds. In one ship he got much wealth than one could imagine. Suddenly he realized he was mad at his son and made a mistake and called out to him. His mother said, son, he is a playful kid. He gave this box for you and told not to search for him and went out. Pattinathar thought what kind of miracle he is pulling this time. 

On opening the box, inside was an eyeless needle and a scroll with words on a palm leaf.

   "Even an eyeless needle won't accompany in your last journey". 

     (Tamil: காதற்ற ஊசியும் வாராது காண் கடை வழிக்கே /Kaadhatra oosiyum Vaaradhu Kaan Kadaivazhikae - A needle eye is referred to as "needle ear" in Tamil - Kaadhu - ear).

 

It simply means this small needle with a broken eye has no worth in the market - Even this useless eyeless needle won't be helpful in your last journey (after death).

 

Suddenly, it dawned to Pattinathar that his son has indeed brought him invaluable wealth in form of wisdom. He understood his life's purpose and seem determined to pursue it.

He saw the mansion circling before his eyes. His mother appeared like Goddess Shakthi and his son as Lord Murugan. He had known so many things in life, but this small message came out of nowhere. Instead of calling "son", his mouth uttered "Lord". His first Wisdom is born. He called his chief accountant Sendhanar and asked him to throw away the wealth. 

Thayumanavar mentions this later in his song: "பாரனைத்தும் பொய்யெனவே பட்டினத்துப் பிள்ளையைப் போல் ஆரும் துறக்கை அரிது" - meaning, it is very rare to see anyone renunciate like Pattinathu Pillai.

He understood in a second how impermanent materialism is and ran to his house and took vibuthi. With vibuthi in his hand, he wondered how ash (vibuthi is ash)  is stuck  to the hand which will soon become ash as well (after cremation). He heard someone shouting "It's all LIE LIE (maya)" inside his head. He pondered if anything is permanent - went upstairs and looked at the city. 

Those who want to know where the items are extends their hand; those who beg too extend their hand. Even the wealthiest run in search of money; and the poor does the same. The merchant who lies accumulates wealth; and those who speak truth suffer the most.

To keep wife happy and secure, wealth is needed; to keep wealth safe, wife is needed. Without money, family is a pain. If you want to run, relations put a break. It's like the monkey sitting on the split log trying to move the wedge separating the two pieces.

He sang: 

நாபிளக்க  பொய்யுரைத்து  நவநிதியம்  தேடி 

நலனொன்றும்  அறியாத  நாரியரைக்   கூடி 

பூப்பிளக்க  வருகின்ற  புற்றீசல்  போல 

புலபுலென  கலகலெனப்    புதல்வர்களை  பெறுவீர் 

காப்பதற்கும்   வகையறியீர்  கைவிடவு  மாட்டீர்  

கவர்பிளந்த  மரத்துளையிற்  கால்நுழைத்துக்  கொண்டே 

ஆப்பதனை   அசைத்துவிட்ட  குரங்கதனை  போல 

அகப்பட்டீரே  கிடந்துழல அகப்பட்டீரே

You tell lies in search of wealth, you have relationship with ill,

like the winged ants coming out of the ant hill, you'll have many kids;

you don't know how to raise them; nor do know how to leave them;

you suffer like a monkey with the legs between a split branch trying to remove the wedge;

 

He saw the waves hitting the beach. The coming ones are desire; the receding are full of wisdom. He decided to renounce. The societal dharma is accomplished. Wife is happy, now comes the duty. No one can accuse him of running away from responsibilities.

His wife cried but decided to stay at home and follow a life of sanyasi. Pattinathar remembered they were worshipping the clothes of an ancestor who undertook sanyasam many years ago. He took that box and walked across the street to see his mother.  The whole street looked at him and wondered why was he walking. He told his mother what happened, and she said "I expected this". Seeking her blessing, she asked Pattinathar to open the box. He saw instead of a full robe, it contained a loin cloth for chastity. She said, it belonged to her father-in-law, who said those who fully renunciate shouldn't wear full clothing. Second wisdom was born - even full clothing is a burden - it is materialistic.

He came back wearing a loin cloth and his mother advised, son, now the burden on body is gone, but how is the burden on your mind? Is it gone too? She continued, Mind is like a dog, it'll follow you. He took leave saying, "I'm leaving now and will come back" (it's a common phrase in tamilnadu when one leaves the house to say "poi varugiren"). She said, a sanyasi should "go" and not come back - meaning once you decide to renounce, there should be no turning back to home life. Third wisdom is born.

She took promise from him to stay within the city limits till she is alive. Though he became a sanyasi, as a son, he still has to perform final rituals for a mother. She tied something in his hip and told, if this opens, i'm in my deathbed. Do come wherever you are. She told him to get his Guru's blessings at the Ashram.

The ashram was built by his ancestors to serve the devotees and people in need. He took blessings from the Guru. The Guru said, "for the one bathing in water, fire will be hot, for the one bathing in fire, water will burn, those who sit in the middle, will be hurt by both. For you, if you decide to go back to old ways, it is not possible". He blessed and said a siva mantra in the left ear. He heard a vishnu mantra at the same time in the right ear.  Pattinathar realized Brahma is one. Outside the ashram, he received a thiruvodu (begging bowl) and walked to his mother's home to get his first alms as it is the tradition.

People gathered to watch the scene: He thought:  "You have your house, your mother, you wife, relations, kids, cows, calves, all wealth you accumulated, but what have you become now (sanyasi)". He begged at his mother's doorstep. She came out and said, son are you still rich? Wondering what made her say that, she replied, you left the house and wealth, but still own a bowl for begging (Tamil: “வீடு உனக்கு அந்நியம் ஆகிவிட்டது ஆனால் ஓடு உனக்கு சொந்தம் ஆகிவிட்டதே”). Fifth wisdom was born. When he was about to throw it, she stopped him from doing so and said, keep it but don't be attached to it.

He continued his way to his wife and then to his sister. His sister insisted on him coming inside for food and he obliged. Before he had the first bite, she stopped and said "Brother!". We are the only kids to our parents, if something happens to you tommorrow what will happen to the estae - can you transfer it to me with evidence present? She wasn't convinced she got her fair share. Pattinathar left without eating. On the road there was a family fight between brothers. One said, to get rid of the sin, i need to do circle the temple lying on the floor. Pattinathar did the same and slept at the ashram. Next day, some lady was singing, "Pattinathu chetti paradesi anandi" (the wealthy man became a sanyasi). 

One day he was laying down on a corn field ridge (Varappu) in meditation. Two women went to gather water from the well nearby. First woman said, look at this great person, he left his mansion, his bed, his comforts, his family and became a penchant. The second woman replied, yes, what you said is true, but there is a tiny bit left in completing his renounciation - he got rid of the pillow, but not the thought of having a raised platform for his head (meaning he was using the ridge as a pillow). So renounciation is not complete. What will we do when someone comments snarkly - we get upset. Pattinathar hearing this looked at the women's path and saluted saying Goddess Raja Rajeswari came in this woman form to teach him this lesson. 

The women on their way back saw him laying flat. The first woman said, look at him now laying flat on the ground. Do you think his renounciation is complete. The second woman said, yes it is complete, but a miniscule amount is left. What is it? He is listening to what the villagers are talking about him. Now he realizes another wisdom. He sings:

Tamil:

ஆவியொடு காயம் அழிந்தாலும் மேதினியில்

பாவி என்று நாமம் படையாதே - மேவியசீர்

வித்தாரமும் கடம்பும் வேண்டா மடநெஞ்சே

செத்தாரைப் போலே திரி.

Meaning - Even after your death, don't be called a sinner - i do not want many kinds of wealth; Oh mad Mind; roam like the dead without input from anybody.

[[Editor's note: The movie version shows this song in a different setting - Pattinathar undertakes silence meditation and won't ask for food verbally, instead claps his hands. While doing so, someone new to the area misunderstands this thinking he is teasing a girl, and beat him. He then sings the song with intention of not worrying about searching for food anymore.]]

Meanwhile, his sister was behind him sending spies to watch him. Out of frustration, she mixed poison in Appam (Patthinathar's favorite food) and send it through her kids to him. The kids were affectionate and loved him. Noticing the poison, he wanted to test it out, and at night he threw the appams at his sister's roof and said "Than vinai thannai sudum, ottappam veetai sudum (Tamil: தன் வினை தன்னை சுடும் ஓட்டப்பம் வீட்டை சுடும்)" - which means, our own deeds (karma) hurt us; the poisoned cake will burn the house. Next day, when sun came out, the house was in flames. When the sister surrendered and asked for forgiveness, he said, "God please forgive them who don't even know they were sinning" and the flames were out.

Pattinathar was teaching and visiting nearby temples. One day the pouch his mother tied came loose and he rushed back to see her. By God's grace she was able to utter few words before her final breath. His sister was arguing about her share and made a scene, but was overruled by relatives.  The body was taken to the cemetery for cremation. Pattinathar forgot he became a sanyasi and cried uncontrollably - he became child like.

[[Editor's note: There are slight variations between different accounts here - some versions say, he directly went to cemetry for the final rituals. Few entries online note of a rainy time preventing a cremation]]

He asked them to remove the firewood and kept her body on green plantain leaves.

He sang few verses starting with :

Tamil: 

ஐயிரண்டு திங்களாய் அங்கமெலாம் நொந்து பெற்றுப்

பையலென்ற போதே பரிந்தெடுத்துச் செய்ய இரு

கைப்புறத்தில் ஏந்திக் கனகமுலை தந்தாளை

எப்பிறப்பில் காண்பேன் இனி

"Oh mother, in which birth will i see you again? You spent ten months carrying me with all the pain. You'll be in pain, if i got hurt, you cleaned me and nurtured me. 

Oh mother, how can i put rice in your mouth? for this mouth was the one who called me Honey, Amritha (sweet nectar) and treated with such.

And when he sang this song, the plantain leaves were in flames.

Tamil: 

முன்னை இட்ட தீ முப்புறத்திலே

பின்னை இட்ட தீ தென்இலங்கையில்

அன்னை இட்ட தீ அடிவயிற்றிலே

யானும் இட்ட தீ மூள்கமூள்கவே

Munnai itta Thee mupurathilae

Pinnai itta thee then ilangaiyela,

annai itta thee adi vayitrila,

yaanum itta thee moolga moolgave.

Sri Variyar gives a good explanation here: Munnai/Pinnai - here "I" (tamil: ஐ) refers to God/Kadavul. Some refer this to before/after which is wrong. "I/ஐ " has the three "arams" in tamil - agaram, igaram and yagaram - all inclusive hence god is also refered as such. Lord Shiva is considered the first god (Mudhal kadavul) - he burnt the Tripurm with his third eye.  The second fire burnt Lanka.

Vishnu is referred as the second God - here refers to Lakshmi (Janaki/Sita). Who do you think burnt Lanka in Ramayana - is it Hanuman? No (Technically yes, as his tail was lit with flames and he went all around the turn burning it down - but what was the power behind him that helped to do this).

Kamban writes:  Vibisheenasa  says to Ravana,

(Tamil: கோநகர் முழுவதும், நினது கொற்றமும், சானகி எனும் பெயர் உலகின் தம்மனை ஆனவள் கற்பினால், வெந்தது அல்லது, "ஓர் வானரம் சுட்டது" என்று உணர்தல் மாட்சியோ? )

Konagar muzuvadhum ninadhu kottRamum

Janaki enum peyar ulagin tham manai

aanavaL kaRpinaal vendhadhu alladhu Oru

vaanaram suttadhu enru uNardhal maatchiyo?

Meaning - Ravana, do you really think this havoc by fire is caused by a monkey in the great kingdom of yours? No, it is by the Lady called Janaki with her chaste, don't think any other way.

The Third fire is lit in the lower abdomen of my mother (Kundalini Sakthi). If all these three fires were true, let the fire i lit now shall burn. When he finished that song with "moolgave" (let it burn), without any firewood or fuel, the body was cremated.

He continued, In this fire, the hand that fed me, that protected me from birds and insects is burned and turned to ashes.

He concluded with this song:

வீற்றிருந்தாள் அன்னை; வீதிதனில் இருந்தாள்

நேற்றிருந்தாள்; இன்று வெந்து நீறானாள்; பால் தெளிக்க

எல்லாரும் வாருங்கள்! ஏதென்று இரங்காமல்

எல்லாம் சிவமயமே யாம்.

She has come to you oh Lord - she forgot me and made her journey forever. She was there at home yesterday, then in street, now is burnt to ashes. All of you please turn to lord siva for his grace". It showed what we think as permanent life is only temporary and this is god's rule. She wouldn't have happiness or suffering anymore. When will i reach that stage? God, please don't give me rebirth and the same suffering again. 

He left the town after cremation. He visited many Siva temples and preached to the villagers.

To be continued...