Sekkizhar chronicles the advent of Saint Gnanasambandar as Siva’s response to the fervent prayer of Sivapadahridayar for a son who would establish the glory of Saivism and Vedanta over other religions and faiths. Accordingly, the birth of the child brought immense joy to the couple.
One morning, when the child was about three years old, he wished to be taken along with his father who was ready to have his bath in the temple tank in Seerkaazhi. Placing the child nearby, the father had his ablutions. When he had a dip inside the water, the child not seeing the father began to cry aloud.
In a discourse, Sri R. Selvaganapathy drew attention to the boundless compassion of the Divine Couple who appeared before the child, as if unable to brook the child’s cries. A mother’s love is such that she runs in haste to alleviate the discomfort of a crying baby. What greater fortune could have befallen this child who looked at the spire of the temple and cried out “Amma and Appa”? Siva indicated to Parvati to feed the child with the milk from her bosom in a gold cup. No wonder the child was graced with extraordinary jnana along with milk.
In answer to the father’s query about who gave him milk, the child sang eleven stanzas in versatile Tamil that convey the essence of the Vedas, with the verse commencing with the phrase “Thodu-udaiya-sevian”.
Through divine grace, this enlightenment about the glory of Siva and the truth of Reality was transmitted to this child. The songs that flowed henceforth from the child ring with this absolute knowledge and claim unambiguously that contemplating on the auspicious feet of the Lord is the sure way to be relieved from the cycle of birth. Such jnana is not easily attained even by sages steeped in meditation.
