Ravana’s aerial vehicle could not proceed because Mount Kailash was in the way. Instead of treating the abode of Lord Siva with respect, Ravana, in his arrogance, saw it as an obstruction, said R.Narayanan, in a discourse. Nandi, the bull of Lord Siva, warned Ravana not to disturb the Lord. But Ravana mocked Nandi and made fun of his appearance. Angered, Nandi cursed Ravana and said that he would be destroyed by monkeys. Ravana tried to lift the mountain, and managed to shake it in the process. Lord Siva pressed down with His big toe, and Ravana’s hands were trapped beneath the mountain. Sage Vagisa was doing penance on the mountain, and he was disturbed by the shaking of the mountain and by the shouts of agony of the demon. The sage told Ravana that he should recite the Sama Veda. Lord Siva would be pleased to hear the Sama Veda and would release Ravana’s trapped hands from beneath the mountain. Ravana, accordingly, sang the Sama Veda and was released. Since sage Vageesa’s penance was disrupted, he took birth again. It is believed that he was reborn as Saint Thirunavukkarasar, one of the 63 Nayanmars. It is also significant that Thirunavukkarasar, because of his skill in composing poems, came to known as Vageesa.
Nandi’s curse came true when Ravana’s capital city was destroyed by Hanuman and Ravana was defeated by an army of monkeys, led by Lord Rama.
The world required the services of a great saint like Thirunavukkarasar. So the disturbance of sage Vageesa’s penance and his subsequent birth as Thirunavukkarasar must also be seen as part of God’s plan for the welfare of the world. Thirunavukkarasar was tortured by the Pallava King, but he triumphed, and showed the world the mercy of Lord Siva.
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