HOW DEVOTION HELPED DISSOLVE KARMA

The story is from the Kaisiki Puranam, which I would like to retell as salutary. There once lived a highly evolved devotee called Nambaduvaan who was born a so-called 'outcaste'. He was a staunch devotee of Mahavishnu at Thirukkurungudi. Every night, he would walk several miles to the temple and with utmost devotion stand before the Lord and sing many hymns in his praise. He would quietly leave before dawn. This continued unnoticed for almost 10 years.

- RENUKA NARAYANAN

story is performed each year around Kartikai Ekadasi in the temple town of Thirukkurungudi, over 70 km from Thoothukudi, by dancer Anita Ratnam's Arangham Trust. Kartikai Ekadasi is on December 12 this year.

One year, he set out as usual with an extra spring in his step to sing to the Lord on the holy occasion of Kartikai Ekadashi. Picking his way to the temple, he was suddenly waylaid by a brahmarakshasa. The demon was about to gobble him up when Nambaduvaan pleaded pitifully with it to let him have a last darshan of the Lord. He promised to come back to the brahmarakshasa after that. The rakshasa refused to believe him. "Who comes back to die?" it scoffed, nor was it so foolish as to let go of a handy dinner.

But Nambaduvaan pleaded earnestly with the rakshasa to allow him sing in praise of the Lord one last time in the temple. He promised to come back in the morning for the demon's breakfast.

Though the demon continued to laugh scornfully, Nambaduvaan kept pleading. Finally, he said that 18 terrible sins would accrue to him if he failed to keep his word. He described the sins in great detail and their consequences. The 18th sin was the worst and the one he dreaded the most.

Said Nambaduvaan, trembling at the thought, "If I equate Lord Vishnu with anyone, I will have committed the gravest sin. I will never get moksha and be liberated from the cycle of birth and death."