Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple - Legends
The great Tamil poet and saint Avvaiyar had been tested by Lord Murugan here. In order to
play with Avvaiyar who was one of the very famous devotees of Lord Muruga, the
Lord played a drama. One day Avvaiyar became tired while traveling because of
very hot summer and so came under the shadow of a fruit tree. She was very
hungry and thirsty.
At that time, a small boy who was sitting on the tree
asked her whether she wanted fruits from the tree. Avvaiyar told that she
wanted fruits. At that time the boy asked Avvaiyar whether she wanted roasted
fruits or unroasted fruits. Avvaiyar who was a famous Tamil poet, litterateur
and having in-depth knowledge in Tamil thought, "Is there any roasted
fruit in the world?" and decided that the small boy didn't have knowledge
even about a fruit. But, as she was very tired, she didn't want to argue with
the small boy and asked him to pick unroasted fruits for her.
The boy shook the tree and so fruits fell under the
tree. The mud under the tree had stuck on the fruit. Avvaiyar took the fruits
and blew on the fruit to remove the mud. The boy interpreted it in the way that
as the fruits were roasted and had become warm, Avvaiyar had blown the fruits
to cool them. The boy asked Avvaiyar whether the fruits were warm.
Avvaiyar was astonished, how a small village cowboy had
played such an intelligent drama! She had thought that the small boy had no
knowledge about fruits and how the fruits in the tree may become roasted
fruits. But blowing the air on the fruit to remove the mud is like blowing air
to reduce the heat as the fruit is roasted. What a beautiful comparison. Such a
beautiful comparison would not have risen in her mind even though she had
gained rich knowledge in Tamil. She asked the small boy, "Who are you
actually?" Then small boy disappeared and in his place, Lord Murugan
appeared.
Avvaiyar realized that it was a play of God and she
understood that there were more and more things that she had to learn. She
bowed to Lord Murugan and requested him to bestow her with bountiful knowledge.
The philosophy behind the story is that human mind is
covered by the dust of materialism which should be removed to see truth and
realize God. This will be possible only if only humans develop wisdom and
true knowledge.
The Lord here gives darshan with His two divine
consorts, Valli and Devayanai representing the Iccha and Kriya Shakti with the Gnana
Shakti Velayudam on his hand. As Arunagirinathar song mentions, the Lord
answers the prayers of his devotees and removes their grief and fulfills their
wants.
People pray to Lord Murugan here for wedding, child and
academic boons. Lord Shubramanya blesses those who pray to him with the
annihilation of the fruits of action (karma phala) by making the fruits fall
down from the tree of Samsara.