Picture shows Sambandhar and other 3 Saivite saints.
Flu epidemic has killed 37 children in the U.S. says a latest news story. This infectious disease reaches epidemic proportions in winter. Elderly people, Children and pregnant women are more vulnerable and are advised to take Flu jab well in advance. It is caused by a virus. Getting flu vaccine every year is still the best way to protect against influenza (flu). It reduces the risk of illness and complications .This is what we read in news papers and medical journals. 1300 years ago, Tamil Nadu was also in the grip of a flu epidemic. But they had a miraculous cure according to Tamil Hymns Thevaram and Paeriyapuranam.
A boy wonder known as Thiru Gnana Sambandhar did a lot of miracles in Tamil Nadu in the eighth century. A few of them were medical miracles curing diseases with Tamil hymns.
Anti Flu Hymn
The boy genius was touring Tamil Nadu visiting different temples. He came to Kongunadu region to worship Shiva at Tiruchengodu temple. That was during severe winter months. The flu that was prevalent spread to all the devotees who accompanied the young poet. Devotees who were very familiar with many miracles of the saintly boy were looking for some miraculous cure. In those days there was no flu jab. Feeling the pulse of his followers he sang a decad (ten verses) beginning with ‘’Avvinaik kivvinai’’ in Tamil. Immediately all were cured of Flu. It was reported in later day books that all the people of the town were also cured of the illness. Even today devotees, who visit temples in the early morning after a shower, wear holy ash by reciting this verse. They are in good health. It is a miracle cure.
Picture shows Flu attack in US schools
Epileptic Attack
Sambandhar did another miracle with a girl who was suffering from epileptic attacks (Muyalakan in Tamil). When he visited Mazanadu, the daughter of the chieftain Kolli Mazavan was having fits. One day she fainted and Kolli Mazavan took his daughter to Tiruppachchilasrama temple. Sambandhar happened to be there at that time. He asked about her condition and Kolli Mazavan told him that all the medicine men have washed their hands off this young woman. He sang a decad beginning with ‘’Thuniva Thingal…..’’. Immediately the woman stood up and went near her dad. He was extremely happy. She was completely cured of her illness.
Tamil literature has numerous incidents of deaths due to snake bites. There were several cases where the ‘dead’ were revived by Godly men or miraculous cure. Native medicine men suck the poisoned blood with cocks and hens. Though the animals die at the end, humans survived. Saivite saints applied holy ash and revived many of them. Sambandhar revived one business man at Tirumarugal by singing a hymn.
Tamil references for Tamil readers:
திருச்செங்கோடு பதிகம் (Anti Flu Hymn)
அவ்வினைக் கிவ்வினை யாமென்று சொல்லு மஃதறிவீர்
உய்வினை நாடாதிருப்பதும் உந்தமக் கூனமன்றே
கைவினை செய்தெம் பிரான்கழல் போற்றுதும் நாமடியோம்
செய்வினை வந்தெமைத் தீண்டப் பெறா திருநீலகண்டம்
திருப்பாச்சில் பதிகம்
துணிவார் திங்கள் துளங்கி விளங்கச் சுடர்ச்சடை சுற்றி முடித்துப்
பனிவளர் கொள்கையர் பாரிடம் சூழ ஆரிடமும் பலிதேர்வர்
அணிவளர் கோலமெல் லாஞ்செய்து பாச்சில் ஆசிரமத்துறைகின்ற
மணிவார் கண்டரோ மங்கையை வாட மயல் செய்வதோ இவர் மாண்பே.
திருமருகல் விஷம் தீர்த்த பதிகம்
சடையாய் எனுமால் சரண் நீ எனுமால்
விடையாய் எனுமால் வெருவா விழுமால்
மடையாய் குவளை மலரும் மருகல்
உடையாய் தருமோ இவளுண் மெலிவே
