Do not waste time, but seek Lord Siva’s feet at once, urges Saivite saint Manickavachagar in his Tiruvachagam. The enemy known as worldly life is got rid of when we seek Him, says the saint.
Manickavachagar visited many shrines of Lord Siva and one of them was the temple in Sirkazhi, in Tamil Nadu. The saint was so overwhelmed by the beauty and magnificence of this shrine that to him it seemed as if Mount Kailash itself had taken the form of a temple there. Sirkazhi is known as Tonipuram. The word ‘toni’ in Tamil means a boat. It is believed that when at the end of an aeon the world is destroyed by a deluge, Sirkazhi alone floats on the waters of the deluge like a boat. Hence the name ‘Tonipuram,’ explained K.Sambandan, in a discourse.
Manickavachagar speaks of himself as undesirable and defiled. But the Lord came to him and gave him spiritual bliss. He cries out in gratitude because the lord has chosen to live in his heart. How blessed he is to have the incomparable One shine in his heart, he exclaims.
Lord Siva is the one who cuts off the root of all desires and worldly ties. And He is pleased if we offer our worship to Him. He is the delight of sages and of those who have renounced worldly attachments. Manickavachagar says his mind is devoid of gnana, and yet the Lord has chosen to come to Manickavachagar. A mother is ever mindful of her child’s needs and welfare, and in this respect the Lord is like a mother to Manickavachagar. The Lord has entered his body, claims Manickavachagar, as if it is an opulent shrine made of gold. But the human body, made of flesh and blood, will shrivel as one ages and will lose its attractiveness. Yet the Lord chose to make the saint’s body His abode and the saint marvels at His kindness.
