What is the object this Saint is carrying?

[Ram11]

Namaste,

In pictures Saint Sri ThiruNavukkarasar(Appar) is depicted as carrying an object with him.
A the verse in the book I'm reading says it is a hoe.
If we observe closely we can see that it is marked with the Tripundra(Horizontal Shaiva marks) and so it must be a holy object.
Does anyone the know the story/purpose of this object?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirunavukkarasar

http://i57.tinypic.com/b5jsit.jpg


http://i62.tinypic.com/5ww5ev.jpg

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Ram: I checked the Nayanar books that I have, and could not find an explanation of why its a hoe, or what the purpose was. Over the next couple of weeks I'll ask some odf the 'experts' I know. As well as being able to sing many of the thevarams, some of my Sri Lankan friends know many of the stories. I'll ask the priest here too. He may know. You could also go post it as a question on TamilBrahmins.org. (Mhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Nalvar.JPG/290px-Nalvar.JPGaybe its .com, I can't remember. Someone there will likely know.

In many temples, Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar, and Manickasagar are honored with niches.



Aum Namasivaya

[Ram11]

Vannakkam Ram: I checked the Nayanar books that I have, and could not find an explanation of why its a hoe, or what the purpose was. Over the next couple of weeks I'll ask some odf the 'experts' I know. As well as being able to sing many of the thevarams, some of my Sri Lankan friends know many of the stories. I'll ask the priest here too. He may know. You could also go post it as a question on TamilBrahmins.org. (Mhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Nalvar.JPG/290px-Nalvar.JPGaybe its .com, I can't remember. Someone there will likely know.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EM Ji,

Thanks for the help.


In many temples, Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar, and Manickasagar are honored with niches.

There is an interesting history behind the installation of the Saint Devotees in temples.(You may know already this Ji.)

Emperor Raja Raja Chola found out that the hymns of the 63 Nayanmars written on Ola leaves was stored in a vault room in the second Prakara of Sri Chidambaram Temple.When he went to the shrine,he saw that the vault was locked.He asked the Tillai Deekshitar priests to provide the keys but they refused to give.

The head of the Chidambaram Deekshitar Brahmins said that they were instructed to hand over the keys only to the Nayamars but not to anyone else.But the Saints had attained Shivaloka 400 years before.How would it be possible for them to come?

The despaired Raja Raja Chola did not know what to do.It is said that night he got divine instructions to resolve this problem.Then the Murties of the Saint Devotees were made and they were installed according to the Shaiva Agamas and brought to the temple.Since they were consecrated according to the Shastra,the Deekshitar caretakers were satisfied that the Nayanmars themselves arrived and they handed over the keys to the chamber.The chamber was opened and thus the holy Tirumurai was compiled.Then Raja Raja instituted singers to chant the canon in temples across the country for the benefit of common people.

Honored for his great efforts,the Emperor Raja Raja Chola came to be known as Tirumurai Kanda Cholan i.e. the Chola who restored the glory of the hymns.

Since then the tradition of installing the Saints in temples is continued to this day.

[ShivaFan]

Appar "converted" to Jaina religion (he became a Jain, or a strict adherent) after becoming distraught with the demise of his parents. But his sister became a devout Saiva Hindu. When Appar came down with ulcers or severe stomach medical condition, fellow Jains tried to cure him but to no avail. Appar then traveled to the Siva Temple where his sister did devotional service seeking help for his ailment. She converted him back to Saivism when he was cured. He was already quite famous as a Jain among Royals who were Jain Kings and admired the Saint, but upon learning of Appar's "return" or conversion to Saiva religion, upon advice of Jain patrons and Jain advisors to the King(s), Appar was persecuted including attempts to kill him without raising public outcry. These failed, some Royals became Siva worshippers as they were impressed with Appar.

Appar authored many, perhaps thousands, of short poems and stanzas. Despite claims that he became reactionary to all Jaina, in fact many of his works were a fusion of Hindu and Jain sentiment. not strictly Hindu.

Some early Western scholars of Indian murti images call what Appar is holding as a "spade" (as in the tool to scrape the dirt for seeds), and perhaps Eastern Mind will find some Tamil priest or other to clarify - BUT MY PERSONAL INFERENCE IS THIS IS NOT A SPADE AT ALL, RATHER IT IS A BROOM. As in the broom a Jain carries to carefully sweep any insects away from the dirt path a "White clad" Jain would use.

This broom is iconography going way back to reflect his Jain influence in my opinion. In fact, he may have even continued to carry a short broom even as a Saiva. Now Eastern Mind sources may say otherwise that it is not a broom. Let us see.

[Ram11]

BUT MY PERSONAL INFERENCE IS THIS IS NOT A SPADE AT ALL, RATHER IT IS A BROOM. As in the broom a Jain carries to carefully sweep any insects away from the dirt path a "White clad" Jain would use.This broom is iconography going way back to reflect his Jain influence in my opinion. In fact, he may have even continued to carry a short broom even as a Saiva.
Namaste ShivaFan Ji,

You have given an interesting perspective.

I wonder why he would be shown carrying a broom even if he had really carried one.After all,he is a great 'Saiva' Saint and must be presented as an ideal prototype for other Saiva devotees,right?Saiva sculptors/designers would exclude from statues such an object or any obvious Jain attributes,wouldn't they?


Now Eastern Mind sources may say otherwise. Let us see.
As you said,both sides of the story need to be known.

[Ram11]

Despite claims that he became reactionary to all Jaina

Namaste Ji,

I agree with what you said.
I have not studied any works of Sri Appar but I noticed in many places that the Saiva Siddhantins are more concerned with their own system & practices and are least interested in debating with(/disproving) other creeds.

In the Siddhanta literature it is stressed again and again not to indulge even in disparaging doctrines of other schools of Shaivism as it doesn't help a Saiva Siddhanata Sadhaka(practitioner) in anyway to progress on the path.
(If you would like to know,I can pm the references found in the Tirumantiram of Sri Tirumular)

Though Saivas engaged in polemics,they were neither aggressive nor excessive as portrayed in some works.Some narratives containing alleged antagonism between the Shaivas and the rivals are in my opinion merely exaggerations inserted by later day text editors to achieve melodramatic effects.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Yes, it is a broom. Appar was fond of cleaning in and about the temples.

Aum Namasivaya

[Ram11]

Vannakkam: Yes, it is a broom. Appar was fond of cleaning in and about the temples.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EM Ji,

Carrying a broom makes sense as the Shaiva Agamas say that cleaning shrines and taking part in maintaining them is not only meritorious but also aids spiritual progress.

I am still in the beginning of the Periya Puranam and I came across an other Nayanmar known as Sri Nandanar(Tirunalaippovar) who engaged in similar Seva.

Thanks for finding out about the object.:)

[Ram11]

Namaste,

Today I was searching for something about Sri SundaraMurthi Nayanmar and I came across the name of the object Sri Appar Swami is carrying in a travel blog.


....he spent his life singing the praise of Lord Shiva and visiting Shiva temples with “Uzhavaram”, an instrument he used to clean the bushes around the temples to help the devotees walk around the temples comfortably and conveniently.

So the object is actually a hoe/spade to clean the Pradakshina marga(circumambulation pathway).I read about this type of practice which involves maintaining temples of Lord Shiva in an extract from the Siva Gnana Siddhiyar of Sri Arul Nandi Sivacharya.

In the below link there is the blog post about Sri
Veerattaneswar temple and some very good pictures.

http://drlsravi.blogspot.in/2010/08/veerattaneshwarar-temple-thiruvadigai.html

Strangely the temple has a statue of the Nastika Buddha Gautama and by mistake it is mentioned as that of Sri Appar Swamy.I suspect it was found somewhere else and was later placed in the temple.Statues of Gautama/Digambaras(Naked Jain renunciates) found sometimes in fields/excavations in Tamil Nadu are mistaken by innocent villagers to be meditating Yogis and are placed in respectful positions,just in the same way as was done in this temple.