Story of Abhirami Pattar (aka) Subramania Iyer & Significance of Abhirami Anthadhi.

Story of Abhirami Pattar

Subramania Iyer (aka) Abhirami Pattar (Late 18th Century and Early 19th Century)  was a Hindu priest cum saint from a village called Thirukadayur in Tamilnadu.

He is the author of a collection of hymns (verses) dedicated to Goddess Abhirami called "Abhirami Anthadhi" which was spontaneously composed by him on the spur of the moment with intense devotion and sung in praise of Goddess Abhirami to invoke her blessings.

Subramania Iyer was born to Amirthalinga Iyer in the village of Thirukadayur in Tamilnadu in the Brahmin Agraharam which was established by the famous Maratha King Serfoji Bhonsle-1 (Sarabhoji Bhonsle-1).

Since his childhood, Subramania Iyer was drawn to Goddess Abhirami and became an ardent devotee. He would all the time keep meditating upon the Goddess, singing in praise of the Goddess, and was fully immersed in utmost devotion. He then started seeing all the women in the village as Goddess Abhirami and showered flowers on them. As a result, the people in the village started calling him as a madman.

Raja Serfoji Bhonsle-1 (Raja Sarabhoji Bhonsle-1)was the King of Thanjavur in Tamilnadu. (1675- 1728)  Raja Serfoji Bhonsle-2 (Raja Sarabhoji Bhonsle-2) ruled Thanjavur from 1798-1832.

King Serfoji Bhonsle-1 (Sarabhoji Bhonsle-1) not only patronized but also was a great admirer of Bards in the State of Tamilnadu.

There is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the village of Thirukadayur called Amirthaghateswarar-Abhirami Temple. In this temple, Lord Shiva is also called as Mrityunjayar as he had annihilated Lord Yama in order to bless the kid saint Markandeyan and save him from death. After saving Markandeyan, Lord Shiva gave punar-janma to Lord Yama to enable him to perform his worldly duties. In this temple, the male folks in Tamilnadu on reaching the age of 61 years, perform for themselves "Sashtiabdhapoorti" praying for longevity of their lives.

One day Raja Serfoji Bhonsle-1 (Raja Sarabhoji Bhonsle-1) the King of Thanjavur visited the temple at Thirukadayur. On noticing the peculiar behavior of Subramania Iyer, the King enquired about him with other temple priests. Some of them told the King that he was a madman. While others told the King that he was an ardent devotee of the Goddess Abhirami and a Bard.

Seeking to know the truth, the King approached Subramania Iyer and asked him what day of the month (Paksha Thithi) it was? Subramania Iyer replied instantaneously to the King that it was Pournami (Poornima) Thithi. (Full Moon Day). Whereas in reality, it was Amavasya Thithi (New Moon Day). Subramania Iyer was in a state of trance at that moment and was meditating at the glowing face of the Deity Abhirami and instantly mistook it as Full Moon. (Pournami). The King was annoyed at the misbehavior and intolerable mistake of  Subramania Iyer and announced the punishment that his head be cut off, if the moon did not appear in the sky that night.

Subramania Iyer soon came out of the state of trance he was in and immediately realized his mistake and lit a huge fire and erected a platform over the fire supported by 100 ropes. He sat upon the platform and started to pray to Goddess Abhirami by instantly composing and singing the  "Abhirami Anthadhi" comprising of 100 hymns (verses). He would cut off one rope after singing one hymn (one verse). By cutting the ropes one by one after singing each hymn, he was descending into the fire below the platform.

Subramania Iyer completed singing  78 hymns (verses) in succession and cut 78 ropes and was closing in into the fire.

When Subramania Iyer completed the 79th hymn (verse), a great miracle had happened, Goddess Abhirami appeared before him and blessed him. Then the Goddess threw her Thadanga (diamond ear ring) on the sky and it shined as a full moon with bright light on the horizon to the amazement of people gathered around him.

Subramania Iyer was in ecstasy  and was overwhelmed, he offered his prostration to the Goddess and continued to compose and sing 22 more hymns (verses) in praise of Goddess Abhirami.

The King repented his mistake in imposing death penalty on Subramania Iyer and immediately withdrew the same. The King then bestowed the title "Abhirami Pattar" on Subramania Iyer.

Significance of Abhirami Anthadhi

Abhirami Anthadhi is a brilliant piece of modern Tamil literature.  It contains 100 hymns (verses).

The term "Anthadhi" refers to the particular style of composition wherein each new hymn (verse) begins with the same word that was used in the end of the previous hymn (verse)

After reciting the 79th hymn (verse), the Goddess Abhirami appeared before Subramania Iyer.

In the Tamil film "Adhiparasakthi", 24th hymn (verse) was chosen to show the appearance of the Goddess Abhirami in the film. But in reality it was the 79th hymn (verse) which triggered the appearance of Goddess Abhirami before Subramania Iyer.

In Thirukadayur temple, every year on the Thai Amavasya day ( New Moon Day in January) is celebrated as the day on which Goddess Abhirami appeared before Abhirami Pattar. All the 100 hymns (verses) are recited before Goddess Abhirami on that day in the Pooja performed in the night.

I dedicate this blog to my wife who recently turned 50, and whose native place is Thirukadayur.

 79: விழிக்கே அருள் உண்டு, அபிராம வல்லிக்கு, வேதம் சொன்ன 

வழிக்கே வழிபட நெஞ்சு உண்டு எமக்கு, அவ்வழி கிடக்க, 

பழிக்கே சுழன்று, வெம் பாவங்களே செய்து, பாழ் நரகக் 

குழிக்கே அழுந்தும் கயவர் தம்மோடு, என்ன கூட்டு இனியே?

அபிராமியின் விழிகளில் என்றும் அருளுண்டு. வேதமுறைப்படி அவளை வழிபட எனக்கு நெஞ்சமும் உண்டு. ஆகையால் பழியையும், பாவத்தையுமே விளைவித்து, பாழ் நரகக்குழியில் அழுந்தி வாடும் பேதையர்களோடு எனக்கு இனி என்ன தொடர்பு? (அபிராமி அன்னை சிறந்த துணையாவாள்).

24: மணியே, மணியின் ஒளியே, ஒளிரும் மணி புனைந்த 

அணியே, அணியும் அணிக்கு அழகே, அணுகாதவர்க்குப் 

பிணியே, பிணிக்கு மருந்தே, அமரர் பெரு விருந்தே.- 

பணியேன், ஒருவரை நின் பத்ம பாதம் பணிந்தபின்னே.

அபிராமித்தாயே! மணியாக விளங்குபவளே! அம் மணியில் உண்டாகும் ஒளியாகவும் விளங்குபவளே! ஒளி பொருந்திய நவமணிகளால் இழைக்கப்பட்ட அணியாகவும், அந்த அணிக்கு அழகாகவும் திகழ்பவளே! நின்னை அணுகாதவர்க்குப் பிணியென நிற்பவளே! நின்னை அண்டிவரும் பாபாத்துமாக்களின் பிணிக்கு மருந்தாகவும் நிற்பவளே! தேவர்களுக்கு பெரும் விருந்தாய்த் தோன்றும் அன்னையே! நின் அழகிய தாமரை போலுள்ள சேவடியைப் பணிந்த பின்னே, வேறொரு தெய்வத்தை வணங்க மனத்தாலும் நினையேன்.

நூற்பயன் 

ஆத்தாளை, எங்கள் அபிராம வல்லியை, அண்டம் எல்லாம் 

பூத்தாளை, மாதுளம் பூ நிறத்தாளை, புவி அடங்கக் 

காத்தாளை, ஐங்கணைப் பாசங்குசமும் கருப்புவில்லும் 

சேர்த்தாளை, முக்கண்ணியைத், தொழுவார்க்கு ஒரு தீங்கு இல்லையே.

எங்கள் தாயானவளை, அபிராமி வல்லியை, எல்லா உலகங்களையும் பெற்றவளை, மாதுளம் பூப்போன்ற நிறத்துடையவளை, உலகமெல்லாம் காத்தவளை, திருக்கரங்களில் மலர் அம்புகள் ஐந்தையும், பாசத்தையும், அங்குசத்தையும், கரும்பு வில்லையும் வைத்திருபவளை, மூன்று கண்களையுடைய தேவியைத் தொழுவார்க்கு ஒரு தீங்கும் நேராது; உலகில் வளமும் நலமும் பெற்று வாழ்வர்.