This is Narayanan’s family utsavam. The schedule is as follows:
- 7AM Abhishekam Swami, Ambal, Chandrasekara
- 10AM Offering clothes to temple priests and servants (We didn’t see this, but saw the clothes there, names marked out for distribution)
- 1030AM Deeparadhanai, Chandrasekara puja/ carrying soil to Chandrasekara
- 11AM Theerthavari, performance of Sri Sokkanath Peruman carrying earth and mahadeepa pradhana at the temple kulam – this is the Man Sumanda Thiruvilayadal
They’re late to start. We spend the time singing with Subramani.
Utsavar comes out with Sokkanatha alankaram, taken to the kulam, abhishekam happens – then Guru mama introduces, the Maniyakkarar tells the story sings (Here’s part of what he sang), and there’s a ceremonial filling mud in the pot on sokkanathar’s head. This is a tradition from Madurai, brought into this temple.
பண்சுமந்த பாடற் பரிசு படைத்தருளும்
பெண்சுமந்த பாகத்தன் பெம்மான் பெருந்துறையான்
விண்சுமந்த கீர்த்தி வியன்மண்ட லத்தீசன்
கண்சுமந்த நெற்றிக் கடவுள் கலிமதுரை
மண்சுமந்து கூலிகொண் டக்கோவால் மொத்துண்டு
புண்சுமந்த பொன்மேனி பாடுதுங்காண் அம்மானாய்
But he sings more, yet to transcribe.
“Pann-sumanta song” means a song containing musical modes (pan); “He who bestows a fitting reward” means the one who graciously grants an appropriate reward; “He who has a woman occupying one half” means the one who possesses a form in which a woman abides on one side; “the Lord” means the Supreme One; “He who dwells at Perunturai” means the one who resides at Tirupperunturai; “He whose fame fills the heavens” means the one whose fame is such that even the inhabitants of the celestial world praise him; “the great” means one possessing greatness; “the Lord of the vast sphere” means the Lord of the earthly world; “the God whose forehead bears an eye” means the God whose forehead bears an eye. Let us sing of the glory of our Lord, who, in bustling Madurai, carried earth for the woman who sold puttu, received puttu as his wages, and was struck by that king—the Pandya king—and whose golden body was consequently wounded. Let us sing of the glory of that wounded, golden body in the form of an Ammanai song.
When the saint-poet came to speak of the greatness of the Lord, he proclaimed with full voice that he was “one whose fame fills the heavens” and “the Lord of the vast earthly sphere.” But when he came to mention the Pandya king, he referred to him merely as “that king” (akkoval), deliberately alluding to the king’s lowliness. The story of the Lord carrying earth is related in the Kirttit Tiruvakaval, Thiruvasagam Chapter 2.
Thus, what is being expressed here is the Lord’s immense compassion. Some notes:
- பண் (pan) = a musical mode or melodic type in ancient/classical Tamil music; hence pan sumanta patal means a song endowed with musical modes.
- பெண் சுமந்த பாகத்தன் refers to Siva’s Ardhanariswara form, “he who has a woman occupying one half [of his body].”
- மண் சுமந்து கூலி கொண்டு refers to the famous Pittu-vilayitta episode: Siva takes on the guise of a labourer, carries earth for the old woman who sells puttu, and accepts puttu as his wage.
- அக்கோவால் மொத்துண்டு means that he was beaten by that king—the Pandya king. The commentator stresses the contrast between the exalted descriptions of Siva and the deliberately dismissive “akko” used for the king.
- புண் சுமந்த பொன்மேனி is literally “the golden body that bore wounds,” referring to Siva's body after being struck.