At this juncture, we would like to inform the readers of this story about an incident related to the historical research of Tamil Nadu. There is a village called Anbil in Lalgudi taluk of Tiruchirappalli district. The Sanskritists have translated it as 'Premapuri'. About forty-five years ago, a Vellalar in this village dug the foundation of his old house to demolish and rebuild it. Then a strange object was found from under the earth. Many copper plates were pierced at the tip and tied together with a ring. Something was engraved on the plates. For some time he kept the plates, which were too heavy for two men to lift. Later, Sri R.S.L. came to the village to renovate and renovate the temple. He handed over the plates to Lakshmana Chettiar. Sjt. Lakshmana Chettiar guessed that the plates contained historical information and took them to Mahamahopadhyaya Swaminatha Iyer. Mr. Iyer found that the inscriptions contained very important details, and Mr. T.A. Iyer who was engaged in the research of Silasasana at that time. Gopinatha Rao, M.A. He handed over the plates to me. When Sri Gopinatha Rao saw the copper plates, he was as happy as if he had found a treasure. Because such important details about the dynasty of the Chola kings were engraved in those copper plates.
The details of the ten velis of land granted by the emperor to Anbil Anirutha Brahmarayar, the 'honorary minister' of Sundara Chola emperor in the fourth year of his accession, were inscribed in those copper plates. Madhava Bhattar, the author of this land charter had mentioned the Chola dynasty up to Sundara Cholar. He also wrote about the Vaishnava lineage of Anirutha Brahmaraya and the services rendered by his father, mother, grandfather and great-grandfather in the temple of Sri Ranganathar. The Anbil plates bear a striking resemblance to the Cola genealogy given in the earlier Anaimangalam and Tiruvalangadu plates. Thus it was confirmed that the inscriptions were historically true. The Anbir copper plates became very popular in the field of historical research in Tamil Nadu as there were some other details which were not found in the other two copperplates.
Therefore, we request the viewers to continue reading the story keeping in mind that Anirutha Brahmarayar is a famous Chola Empire minister in historical copper plates.
Azhvarkadiyan entered the mandapam where the chief minister Anirutha Brahmarayar was sitting. He circled him three times! He prostrated himself and got up!
"Om Hram Hreem Vashattu," he uttered four times in a loud voice, and then said, "Goodbye, Master."
Aniruthar smiled and said, "Thirumalai! What are you doing? Why are you asking me for an answer?"
"I am going to dedicate the Srivaishnava Sampradayam and the name 'Azhvarkadiyan' and the privilege of serving you in this ocean and join the Veera Saiva Kalamukha Sampradayam. I will go from place to place with a skull in my hand chanting the great mantra 'Om Hram Hreem Vashtu'! With a matted crown on my head and a long beard on my face, I will smash the skulls of all the Srivaishnavas with this stick..."
"Uncle! Stand! Stand! Is that the fate of my head too?"
"Guru! Are you still a defender of the Srivaishnava Sampradaya?"
"Thirumalai! Why do you doubt that? Who do you think I am!"
"Who are you? That's what I'm skeptical. Aren't you the great-grandson of Anbil Ananthalvaar Swamigal who hypnotized between two rivers and whose purpose in life was to serve Sri Ranganathar, the protector of all the earths?"
"Yes, Uncle? It's me!"
"Aren't you also the grandson of Anbil Anirutha Bhattachari who explained the greatness of Srimanth Narayana Nama to all of us?"
"Yes; It's me! They named me after that saint?"
"Aren't you also the Sakshath Seemanta sons of Narayana Bhattachari who entertained millions of devotees by singing the sweet songs of the Azhwars?"
"Yes, father; Yes!"
"Aren't you also the son of Mangaiyar Thilakam who lit the Nunda lamp daily in the Ponnaranga temple with Sri Ranganathar Palli and fed the pilgrims on a silver plate?"
"No doubt!"
"So, are my eyes deceiving me? Is what I see before my eyes a lie? Is it a lie that I have heard with my two ears?"
"What do you mean, father? What has happened to your eyes and ears that you have doubts?"
"I heard with my ears that you went to this Shiva temple and performed abhishekam and archanas."
"That's true; Your ears have not deceived you."
"Perhaps it is true that my eyes see the marks of your visit to the Siva temple on your body!"
"That's true too!"
"Isn't it Gurudeva who taught me that Srimanth Narayanan is the God in this Kaliyuga, that the hymns of the Azhwars are the Vedas, and that Harinama Sankeerthanam is the path to moksha?"
"Yes; So what?"
"If what you, Master, say and do is one thing, what am I, a disciple, to do?"
"Thirumalai! Are you talking about my visit to the Shiva temple?"
"Gurudeva! Which God did you see there?"
"What's the doubt? It is Narayana Murthy!"
"Haven't I heard that there is a Linga inside the Rameswaram temple? Isn't that why the Veerashaiva pattarmars here surrounded me and shouted so much?"
"Bhai! Isn't it true that we have assumed that you are a devotee of our Sadagopa, who incarnated in Thirunagari?"
"What's the doubt about that?"
"Just remember the words of Nammazhwar. If you forgot, I'll remind you; Hear;
'Lingathitta Puranathirum
Monks and merchants,
In discourse deep, they traverse,
Amidst life's ebb and flow,
Stands divinity's glow.
When Sadagopare has achieved this, is it wrong for me to have darshan of Narayana in the Shivalinga?"
"Aha! O Grace of Sadagopa! Vote! See, he took the worshippers of the Linga along with the Jains and the Sakyas!"
"Uncle! I don't know when your stupidity will leave you. Listen to what our Sadagopa has to say:
'Water as fire, as fire
As the vast sky stretches its azure hue, With sun and stars, in celestial view, There lies the essence, divine and true, Unified, in the eternal debut.
Sri Narayana Murthy is the one who is there. Listen more, Thirumalai! Listen and wipe your heart out!
'Muni, I am Mukhane Mukkannappa!
Amidst the folds of my dreams,
Lies a gem, as gentle as moonlight's gleams.
My solace, my heart's own whisper,
A solitary soul, longing to twirl and twister.
Oh, life! you come as a fleeting breath,
Tantalizing, with the allure of death.
Did you hear, our Sadagobar has called out 'Mukkannappa!' and prayed for Thirumalai to come on his head! And you object to my going to the Shiva temple...
"Gurudeva! I'm sorry; Forgive the blasphemy! Since I did not know all the hymns of NammazhwAr, I spent my time in futile quarrels. I doubted them too. Now give me a boon."
"If you tell me what boon you want, you can think about giving."
"I want to go to Thirukurukur and stay there. I want to collect all the 1000 songs of our Sadagobar and then go from place to place and sing those songs ..."
"Why did you have this desire?"
"On my way from Vada Venkatam, I sang some Azhwar hymns in the shrine of Veera Narayana Perumal. Hearing this, an elderly man by name Eswarabhattar, who was performing Kainkariyam in that shrine, cried tears of joy..."
"Isvara Bhatta is a great devotee; Good teacher."
"One of his young sons was standing beside him and listening. The young boy's milky face shone like the full moon after listening to Azhwar's pasuram. 'Do you know the other songs?' asked the little boy with a mouth that did not change the smell of milk. I was ashamed to say, 'I don't know.' At that time I thought why not dedicate this dog to the service of the Azhwars. Today, that thought has been confirmed..."
"Thirumalai; Didn't Geethachariyar bless everyone to follow swadharma?"
"Yes, Master!"
"Saints will incarnate to collect and propagate the hymns of the Alwars. Similarly, incarnations who can prove the Vedic essence of the songs of the Azhwars and establish them all over Bharatha continent through Sanskrit language will also be born in this country. You and I have the service of the kingdom as our swadharma. Have you forgotten that we have vowed to sacrifice body, material and spirit in the service of the Chola emperor?.."
"I haven't forgotten, Master! But the doubt of its adjudication is gnawing at my heart. Especially if you hear people talking about themselves in some places..."
"What are they talking about?"
"Some people say that they have given up the Vaishnava tradition because the emperor has given them a grant of ten velis of land and written it on copper plates. They also say that they ignored caste dharma and sailed ..."
"Don't mind what those jealous people say. They think that our race should be frogs in the well. It is true that the emperor has given me a grant of ten vellis of land. He has also written it on copper plates. But don't you know that I became the emperor's minister four years before that?"
Azhvarkadiyan was silent.
"Do you know when the emperor and I became friends? We both studied under the same teacher when we were young. We learnt classical Tamil and Sanskrit. We studied mathematics, astronomy, logic and vyakarana. In those days no one had ever dreamt that Sundara Cholar was going to ascend the throne. Neither he nor I thought about it. Who thought that Rajathithar and Kandarathithar would pass away and Arinjaya Cholar would ascend the throne? Who would have thought that Arinjayar would die so soon and Sundara Cholar would come to the throne? When Sundara Cholar ascended the throne, he expected many problems. He said he would accept the title if I would help him, but refuse if I didn't. I promised to help him in the administration of the kingdom. I am still fulfilling that promise. Don't you know all this, Thirumalai?"
"I know, Master! What's the use of just me knowing? People don't know, do they? Gossipers in the country and in the city don't know."
"Don't worry about gossipers. Earlier, I myself had sometimes been confused about my renunciation of the hereditary profession of priesthood and entering the royal service. But for the last two days I have had no such confusion. Thirumalai! Don't you know that I did not come here to have darshan of the Lord at Rameswaram temple but to go to Mathottam?"
"I guessed so, Master!"
"You guessed right, just as Sambandar and Sundaramoorthy excitedly described that day, Mathottam is still there on the banks of the Palavi river.
'Vandupancheyum Mamalar Pozhil
மஞ்ஞை நடமிடுமாதோட்டம்
தொண்டர் நாடொறுந் துதிசெய
அருள்செய் கேதீச்சுர மதுதானே!’