In this video, Tamizh writer, Joe De Cruz, when talking about his mystic experiences, casually mentions about Pattinathar (பட்டினத்தார்) & Pathirigiriyaar (பத்திரகிரியார்). Clearly, he expects this to common knowledge. There was only one issue. I didn't have the faintest clue on who was Pattigiriyaar. An interesting mystery.
Pattinathar is considered by Tamizhs to be the greatest Turavi (Source: Haridas Giri Upanyasam). Turavi can be loosely translated to ascetic. But it has a deeper meaning. Per the Upanishads, there are four states of consciousness:
- Jagruthi (being awake) in the Bhuta Sharira (gross body)
- Swapna (dream state) in the Sthula Sharira (subtle body)
- Sushupti (dreamless state) in the Sukshma Sharira (causal body)
- Turiya (a final state of being constantly aware of when one is awake, dreaming, in dreamless sleep, about to fall asleep, about to awaken)
One who has attained the Turiya state is called a Turavi.
Fine, so we have a basic idea of who Pattinathar was. But who was Pathirigiriyaar? Is the name lost in translation from Samskritam to Tamizh?
Maybe he was called Badri-Giri? After the famous Badrinath temple & nearby hill?
Or maybe he was Bhadra-Giri? After the famous BhadrAchalam hill, associated with the famous poet composer saint Ramdas?
It turns out that he was King Brathra-Hari. Samskritam exerts enormous influence in the Indo-European languages. Mathru is mother, Brathru (भ्रातृ) is brother. (Samskritam's influence is also a political battle. A new language: Proto-Indo-European/PIE has been hypothesized without evidence as the parent of both Samskritam & other Indo-European languages).
As a king, Brathrahari's jewels were stolen. The robbers had cast away a jewel, which fell on top of a meditating Pattinathar. Pattinathar was captured by the king's soldiers on suspicion of robbery & sentenced to death by sitting on a spike (Kazhu in Tamizh). Pattinathar would sing a song & the spike burns down. Brathrahari would apologize, give up his kingdom & follow Pattinathar as a Sishya (disciple). But the story gets more intriguing.
There are two types of Bhiksha (loosely translated to the similar sounding Indo-European English word: beg or getting alms, without the negative connotation in English). Bhiksha is Pitchai in Tamizh. When a childless couple get a child through Pitchai from the divine, they will name the child Pitchai. Pitchai is common name is Tamizh.
The first type of Bhiksha is someone who goes around collecting alms. In India, sometimes, wealthy people do this as a spiritual practice or as an offering to divinity, which inspired the Tamizh thriller movie, Pitchaikaaran. Sanyasis (ascetics who give up all attachments), Turavis & Brahmacharis (unmarried men invested with the sacred thread) would also follow this as a spiritual practice to reduce the ego.
There is a famous story that showcased this practice. Adi Sankara, the founder of Advaita (also called Siva Gnana Bodham), doing Bhiksha, goes to a indigent woman's house. She is in penury. Unwilling to turn away the radiant child, she searches, finds a half-rotten gooseberry (nellikkai in Tamizh) & give it to him. Sankara then composes the famous KanakaDhara stotram which results in a rain of golden gooseberries. This house is preserved to this day near Kalady, Kerala.
This tradition was the highest recommended practice for the Brahmanas, to lead a life of austerity, with the toughest called Uncha-Vritti. This tradition is used by Brahmana-haters with cognitive dissonance to mock the Brahmanas as beggars, while simultaneously calling them as oppressors.
The second type is someone who would only take whatever alms came to them. This is a superior form of Bhiksha. This was followed by the famous Carnatic musician & poet, Muthuswamy Dikshitar. This is also followed by many Sanyasis & Turavis. This was also the approach followed by Pattinathar.
Since Pattinathar would eat only whatever came to him & would go hungry if nothing came his way, Brathrahari decided that he would help feed his Guru. He would follow the first Bhiksha approach, go around collecting alms, give his Guru the food & also eat from it. He would cast aside the leftovers. There was a dog in the vicinity. It would eat the leftovers. And eventually, the dog and Brathrahari grew attached to each other. It would constantly be with Brathrahari on his rounds.
Pattinathar was residing near the east Gopuram of the Thiruvadaimarudhur Mahalingaswami temple. Brathrahari was residing near the west Gopuram.
One day, a beggar came to Pattinathar for food. Pattinathar told him that he was an ascetic with no possessions. And asked him to go to the family man (kudumbasthan) at the west Gopuram. The beggar approaches Brathrahari & tells him that the ascetic at the east Gopuram sent him to find a family man in the west Gopuram. But there was no one else here.
Now, Brathrahari realizes that Pattinathar was referring to him! He had given up his kingdom but developed new attachments. He had grown attached to his begging bowl & the dog.
He throws away his begging bowl. And is no longer attached to the dog. He composes Tamizh verses called Mei-Gnana Pulambal (the complaints of truth & wisdom).
Anyone who has experienced a dog knows how unselfishly attached the animal is. The dog, still attached to Brathrahari, not understanding his indifference, dies pining for him. And is now reborn as the princess of Kashi, the holiest place of Shiva. The princess also remembers her past life.
Per the Puranas, only someone with a special kind of Punya (good Karma from good deeds) can remember the past life. The Samskritam term for this ability is called JAti-Smara. JAti can be loosely translated to species (miriga-JAti meaning animal species) or tribes/castes (manusha-JAti). Smara means remembrance.
The dog had been attached to a great saint. Good attachments never go in vain & will eventually take one to the final detached state, casting themselves aside (like a lamp that burns itself out, per the Upanishads). This good attachment to a saint allowed the princess to remember her past life. She tells her father, the Raja (king) of Kashi, that she as a salivating dog belonged to her master, the ascetic, Brathrahari. The king brings her to Brathrahari. Brathrahari is nowadays living now only on Bhiksha that came to him like his Guru, Pattinathar. Brathrahari is surprised seeing the princess & hearing her story. He comes to his Guru followed by the princess. Pattinathar meditates on Shiva. A light emanates from Brathrahari & the princess to merge with the Mahalingaswami Shiva Lingam. The SatGuru takes the entire lineage of Sishyas to the final state of Mukthi.
The second type is someone who would only take whatever alms came to them. This is a superior form of Bhiksha. This was followed by the famous Carnatic musician & poet, Muthuswamy Dikshitar. This is also followed by many Sanyasis & Turavis. This was also the approach followed by Pattinathar.
Since Pattinathar would eat only whatever came to him & would go hungry if nothing came his way, Brathrahari decided that he would help feed his Guru. He would follow the first Bhiksha approach, go around collecting alms, give his Guru the food & also eat from it. He would cast aside the leftovers. There was a dog in the vicinity. It would eat the leftovers. And eventually, the dog and Brathrahari grew attached to each other. It would constantly be with Brathrahari on his rounds.
Pattinathar was residing near the east Gopuram of the Thiruvadaimarudhur Mahalingaswami temple. Brathrahari was residing near the west Gopuram.
One day, a beggar came to Pattinathar for food. Pattinathar told him that he was an ascetic with no possessions. And asked him to go to the family man (kudumbasthan) at the west Gopuram. The beggar approaches Brathrahari & tells him that the ascetic at the east Gopuram sent him to find a family man in the west Gopuram. But there was no one else here.
Now, Brathrahari realizes that Pattinathar was referring to him! He had given up his kingdom but developed new attachments. He had grown attached to his begging bowl & the dog.
He throws away his begging bowl. And is no longer attached to the dog. He composes Tamizh verses called Mei-Gnana Pulambal (the complaints of truth & wisdom).
Anyone who has experienced a dog knows how unselfishly attached the animal is. The dog, still attached to Brathrahari, not understanding his indifference, dies pining for him. And is now reborn as the princess of Kashi, the holiest place of Shiva. The princess also remembers her past life.
Per the Puranas, only someone with a special kind of Punya (good Karma from good deeds) can remember the past life. The Samskritam term for this ability is called JAti-Smara. JAti can be loosely translated to species (miriga-JAti meaning animal species) or tribes/castes (manusha-JAti). Smara means remembrance.
The dog had been attached to a great saint. Good attachments never go in vain & will eventually take one to the final detached state, casting themselves aside (like a lamp that burns itself out, per the Upanishads). This good attachment to a saint allowed the princess to remember her past life. She tells her father, the Raja (king) of Kashi, that she as a salivating dog belonged to her master, the ascetic, Brathrahari. The king brings her to Brathrahari. Brathrahari is nowadays living now only on Bhiksha that came to him like his Guru, Pattinathar. Brathrahari is surprised seeing the princess & hearing her story. He comes to his Guru followed by the princess. Pattinathar meditates on Shiva. A light emanates from Brathrahari & the princess to merge with the Mahalingaswami Shiva Lingam. The SatGuru takes the entire lineage of Sishyas to the final state of Mukthi.
Pattinathar's Sishya lineage had now attained Mukthi. Now, Pattinathar pleads with Shiva for his Mukthi. Shiva asks him to start wandering with a sugarcane. This sugarcane, however, strangely won't be sweet. The place where it turns sweet would be his final place. After many wanderings & more events, eventually, in Tiruvottiyur, the sugarcane is sweet. Now, Pattinathar plays a game with some local boys.
"Cover me with this basket. I'll show you a magic trick." Pattinathar tells the boys. The boys oblige. He disappears within the basket & comes walking from outside towards the boys. The boys cover him again. To the same effect. They try this again, the third time. Now, nothing happens. They open the basket. Pattinathar has disappeared permanently. This spot is a Samadhi and a shrine in Tiruvottiyur.
I've spoken with multiple meditation practitioners who have meditated every day for decades. They told me that in the deep meditative state, they have sensed that only love pervades everything, and that feel only pure love towards everything & everyone. The phrase: "Anbe Shivam" (meaning: Love is Shiva) is not just a mere slogan. It is the truth. We can realize it ourselves by following the path of the meditation practitioners.
Even if we lack the ability or inclination to meditate, there is nothing to worry about. There is nothing anyone needs to do or believe. Some paths are faster, some are slower. It is only a matter of multiple lives; we will all eventually unite with the all pervading Shiva, also within us. This is everyone's & everything's final destination. The wave will eventually die & merge with the ocean. There is nowhere else to go.
Om Shivoham.
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