Manickavachagar, in his Tiruvachagam, compares Lord
Siva to a cloud. His devotees are seen as farmers. Just as
farmers look forward to copious rains in order to harvest a
bounteous crop, so do His devotees for the rain of mercy
from the Lord. A similar thought is expressed by the
Saivite saint Appar, who says that the joy of devotees is like
the joy of farmers who behold a lake full of water. If
devotees are like farmers, what is the field that they
plough? What are the seeds that they sow? Worshipping
Him, singing His names — these constitute the field. The
seed is bhakti. So the devotee ploughs the field of worship,
bhakti being the seed, elaborated K. Sambandan in a
discourse.
Manickavachagar extols Lord Siva and says that the One
who wears a snake as a belt should be praised. He is the
One who blesses the devout. He is a warrior who destroys
fear. Here fear means the fear of rebirth. Lord Siva draws
people to Him. He gets rid of sorrows, which are the
results of our karma. He is the Cosmic Dancer, whose
Consort is Uma, the Goddess with shoulders like bamboos.
To those who approach Him with love, He is a priceless
treasure. But to those who do not seek His feet, He remains
a stranger.
He is present everywhere and yet you cannot see Him.
Even your mind is incapable of comprehending His
greatness. He makes things move, or makes them
stationary, as He wills.
A Sangam period poet said the king was the lifeline of
his subjects. The Lord is the lifeline of everyone. He
sustains His devotees, and they seek succour from Him.
Manickavachagar exclaims that he is no longer able to bear
his body.
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