Story - PESTLE POOJA...!

-R.Ponnammal

Paranjothi, popularly known as Siruthondar is venerated as one of the 63 Nayanmars.

Siruthondar, the devotee with incomparable dedication, had cooked his own young loving son and offered to Lord Shiva who was in the guise of a sadhu. Due to this ultimate sacrifice, Siruthondar was held in high reverence among the Nayanmars. However, this made him become very proud about himself and his devotion to Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva took to destroy this pride in His devotee. He disguised himself as a sage and came to Paranjothi’s place in Thiruchenkkatukudi.

“Paranjothi, let’s go to Seelavathi’s place today. She is also my devotee just like you. As you do, she too follows the ritual of feeding a sage before having the food herself”, said Lord Shiva and took Siruthondar to her place at Durgapuri.

That particular day was Amavasya**. Seelavathi had prepared a feast with sweet, vadas and many other varieties of dishes. She welcomed the two sages with due respect and requested them to have a bath in the temple pond before having the food. While they were gone, Seelavathi’s one year old son took a vada and ate it as he was hungry. Seelavathi saw this. Her anger knew no bounds. Without realizing what she was doing, she beat her son to death by a pestle. She then kept the body in a room and cleaned the place. She kept the vadas aside, deciding not to serve them to the sages.

By this time, the two sages returned and sat to have their food. “Where’s your son, amma? Call him also to have food with us”, said Lord Shiva.

“My son had already eaten vadas. Don’t bother about him. Please have your food”, said Seelavathi politely. But the sages were obstinate and refused to have the food without her son. Seelavathy lost her temper. “If you both refuse to eat NOW, I will beat you with the same pestle with which I beat and killed my son”, she blurted out.

“Go and call your son by his name”, said Lord Shiva with a divine smile. Seelavathi did as was told. The next instant, her son came running into the house and hugged her. Siruthondar was watching all that was happening.

“I had cooked my son and served the Lord because He asked for young human flesh to be served to Him. Whereas here this woman, because her little son had eaten the vadas, beat him to death and was ready to serve us food with utmost dedication as if nothing had happened. Certainly her sacrifice is far higher than mine” Siruthondar felt ashamed of himself and his pride vanished.

Later Seelavathi served the sages and her son the delicious delicacies. Lord Shiva appeared before them in His real form on the Holy Bull and blessed them.