Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve

By Lakshmi Devnath

Wrapped up years roll themselves out as eleven-year-old Poorva whisks through centuries to enter the bygone era of twelve Vishnu devotees of South India, collectively described as the Azhvars. The miracles that she witnesses in their lives leave her speechless while her own journey has her bemused. She finds herself walking through solid walls and riding limpid clouds. Animals and birds offer her company. A Wishing Food Tree floors her with its sumptuous fare of delectable dishes as does a worm-bird by its generous offering of a beak-ful of worms! Cruising through these adventures Poorva gets to experience events of different hues from the lives of the Azhvars. She is mesmerized by the marriage of Andal with Lord Ranganatha and shaken up to see a bankrupt king turn to robbery before his final transformation into an Azhvar.

Poorva—Magic Miracles and the Mystical Twelve is a breathtaking adventure woven around the stories of the Azhvars, using the strands of mythology, fantasy and history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Jan 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9789352065226

Book preview

Poorva

Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve

LAKSHMI DEVNATH

Republished by

Heritage Publishing House

69/1 Chamiers Road,

Chennai - 600 028

Powered by

Notion Press Media Pvt. Ltd.

Old No. 38, New No. 6

McNichols Road, Chetpet

Chennai - 600 031

Copyright © Lakshmi Devnath 2016

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN 978-93-5206-522-6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the author of this book.

Illustrations by Tharith Bhattacharji

To my parents

Contents

Title

Copyright

Dedication

The Press Gives Poorva a high—five !

Poorva, You Rock!

From the Same Author

About the Author

1. Poorva

2. An Era Begins

3. Roots in the Air and Shoots in the Soil

4. The Light Beckons

5. The Royal Devotee

6. Roles Reversed

7. The Divine Bride

8. An Ordeal with a Purpose

9. For Whom the Temple Doors Opened

10. Word of Honour

11. Treasure Retrieved

12. The Mystery Continues

Glossary

A Peek into Poorva’s Palm-leaf Manuscript

Chariot Poem by Thirumangai Aazhvaar

Poorva - In the Vedic Age

Prologue

Acknowledgements

The Press Gives Poorva a high–– five !

Adopting an easy, engaging, conversational style, Devnath takes her reader on a magical journey … to educate the young in cultural, religious and literary history.

— The Hindu

A delicious peephole into classical Tamil literature told through the adventures of a little girl! Lakshmi Devnath brings freshness and life to these stories. Even if one emerges from these pages steeped in information, there is also the satisfaction of having read a good tale. If not for an educated and clever revival such as this, the story of the Azhvars might remain obscure in today’s practical, material world.

— Deccan Herald

Recreates the age of twelve saint-poets and tells a simple yet engaging story, not losing the reader for a minute.

— The New Indian Express

Written in a racy style full of history, stories, anecdotes and poetry, the book will appeal to adults as well.

— The New Sunday Express

An interesting blend of fantasy, history and spirituality.

— Eves Touch

Lakshmi Devnath’s racy and ingenious narration makes the extraordinary seem plausible and deftly draws the reader into the world of her creation—a blend of action, history and fantasy.

— Bhavan’s Journal

On the face of it, the book would appear to be for children and so it is, an excellent one. But older persons looking for the stories of the Alwar-s told in an attractive form would find the book equally absorbing and therein lies the author’s skill.

— Sruti Magazine

The journey is indeed a package of suspense and surprises.

— Gokulam

Lakshmi Devnath offers soulful matter on a golden platter.

— Vedanta Kesari

An unusual, charming presentation of the lives of the twelve Azhvars.

— Tattvaloka

Potter–ukku Potti! (Competition for Harry Potter).

— Amudhasurabhi

Poorva is a delightful read for young and old alike and hopefully the first of many more such works.

— Shanmukha

The style of writing is so captivating that it keeps you glued to the book until you have finished it.

— Samudhra

The breezy style of the author enables the reader to share a back seat in the ‘cloud cab’ with Poorva and enjoy the ride thoroughly.

— The Mail

The book deserves wide reading.

— Sri Ranganatha Paduka

The racy narrative springs surprise after surprise… history, mythology, fantasy and adventure – stories on Azhwars in virtual reality format!

— Mylapore Times

Poorva, You Rock!

(Eminent personalities celebrate poorva)

I recommend this book to every child, parent, grandparent, and schools in particular to establish our roots in our hoary tradition while living in the present and imbibe our immemorial, glorious culture to make us realize the great Indian heritage.

– Dr. (Mrs.) Y. G. Parthasarathy, Dean and Director, Padma Seshadri Group of Schools

This is the need of the day, something original to make our spiritual history come alive. I could not leave the book until I finished reading it, even amidst all my other engagements. I wish the book a global circulation, which it deserves.

– Swami Gautamananda, President, Sri Ramakrishna Math (Chennai)

Innovative format … striking.

– N. Murali, Co-Chairman, The Hindu Group, and President, The Music Academy

Hardwired into the human consciousness is a heritage of religio-spiritual images and stories that we try to pass on to our children. Lakshmi Devnath gives these traditional legends a contemporary voice and life with retellings that are both mythic and fictional – at once simple and subtle, realistic and symbolic, local and universal.

– Mini Krishnan, Editor-Translations, Oxford University Press

This is the first time I have seen a book cater to the needs of both children and adults – not a dull moment, not a boring event, not a hackneyed expression in the entire narrative. Lakshmi has chosen a mighty theme and produced a mightier book. She has breathed life into the lives of all the Azhvars by bringing in historical data to support her narrative, making it more credible and educative. This book deserves to go global.

– Dr. M. Narasimhachary, Founder-Professor and Head (retd.), Dept. of Vaishnavism, University of Madras

Poorva! You travelled centuries back and witnessed a lot. But one thing you may not know. We also travelled with you. Yes! You took us with you. In fact, I wonder why we came back to the present. Where are you going to take us next? We very eagerly look forward to it.

– B. M. Sundaram, Scholar and Musicologist

Words of A Young Reader

I read your adventures with Swami Thatha, how you discovered the life stories of the 12 Azhvars. I liked the book 10 times more than all the other books I’ve read before – very interesting!! I finished it within 2 days; couldn’t put it down. It’s fit for everybody, children and adults. Has all the elements that a book should have: humour, adventure, etc. After I finished reading it, I said the Azhvars’ names in the correct order – my mother was very astonished! I’ll keep reading it till I get all the dialogues by heart! Just wanted to say: I LOVE YOUR BOOK!!!

– Shree Varshini Krishnakumar

[e-mail]

From the same Author

A Class Apart: the biography of renowned educationist Dr. (Mrs.) Y. G. Parthasarathy.

An Incurable Romantic: The Musical Journey of Lalgudi Jayaraman.

Poorva - Arbutham niraintha panniru aazhvaargalin paravasam ootum kadhai (Tamil edition of Poorva- Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve).

Pictures of Melody: (Graphic biographies of Carnatic music legends).

 M.S Subbulakshmi - The Queen of Song

 G.N Balasubramaniam - Speed Thrills

 Madurai Mani Iyer - The Joy of Song

 T.Brinda - Bowing to Classicism

 Alathur Brothers - United in Music

 Composer Series

Maharaja Swati Tirunal - A King & a Composer

 Vernacular Series

M.S Subbulakshmi - Isai Arasi (Tamil edition)

About the Author

Lakshmi Devnath is a well-known writer on Carnatic music and other aspects of Indian culture. She has commendable knowledge of Sanskrit as well. Her deeply-researched articles, numbering more than two hundred, find a place in prestigious publications such as The Hindu, Sruti and Sri Nrisimhapriya. Her body of work includes such diverse subjects as composers of Carnatic music, texts on Indian music philosophers and saints of India, and the Vedas, among others.

Lakshmi’s passion is to familiarize the young with India’s glorious cultural heritage through innovative and exciting writing that appeals to their lively imagination. To this end, she has authored Sargam, a series of short stories that unveil milestones in the evolution of Carnatic music, and Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve, a contemporary retelling of literary hagiology. Poorva has since been translated into Tamil as well. Her ongoing graphic series on Carnatic music legends, endearingly titled Pictures of Melody, is another path-breaking initiative.

Lakshmi’s other books include A Class Apart: the biography of renowned educationist Dr. (Mrs.) Y. G. Parthasarathy, and An Incurable Romantic: The Musical Journey of Lalgudi Jayaraman. Both became runaway successes, requiring multiple reprints. An Incurable Romantic was sold out even before the official book launch.

Lakshmi’s ability to write with ease on a variety of subjects and for diverse age groups has won her wide admiration. She is currently engaged in penning the much-awaited Poorva sequel, Poorva in the Vedic Age.

Hi folks,

I’ve just returned from a rollicking adventure way back in the past. Believe it … because I saw the lives of twelve fantastic saint-poets (who once lived in our country) unfold before my very eyes. The journey took me unawares and raced forward till the very end, with its package of suspense and surprises.

But I must not tell you too much. Discover for yourself the thrill of conquering time and space. Just flip the page and get going. Bon voyage!

On your return, share with me the experiences of your trip. Email me at: [e-mail] 

Magically yours,

Poorva

Poorva

O ne hundred and fifty, Poorva concluded. Boredom had forced her to count the ants crawling out of her window in a perfectly straight line. How I wish I were one of them, she sighed. Standing near the window, Poorva watched with utmost irritation as yet another salt-and-pepper head bobbed into her house. She shifted her position and saw the ungainly figure attached to the almost non-existent neck. God! It was the lady from across the street. Aunties, uncles … so many of them – they kept coming … coming to see HIM!

Poorva walked towards the staircase and leant over the railing. Yes, there he was – the old man with the saintly smile. His eyes looked so gentle that Poorva felt her anger wane. Her change in mood, however, lasted for barely a few seconds. He was the supreme saboteur, she reminded herself. The one who had ruined her holiday plans!

Poorva had been forced to remain at home for the last two months. First, her baby brother had fallen ill, and then she had come down with chickenpox. Notwithstanding all these setbacks, the family had just decided to make the most of the last week of her holidays, when the old man had come to stay in their house, completing the disaster sequence, Poorva fumed. Anger surged within her as she recalled yesterday, the day her mother had brought home this Mr. – or should she say ‘Swami’ – Ramaswamy. Apparently, he was her granduncle, who had surfaced after a long time.

The previous night, her mother had gushed to her father, We always addressed him as ‘Swami Maama’ and now he has evolved into a true swami! I’ve heard from so many people that his spiritual powers are enormous. Don’t you think we did the right thing by inviting him home? I can understand Poorva’s disappointment, but we may never get another opportunity to have somebody like Swami Maama stay with us. She had then turned to Poorva, standing beside her with a pronounced scowl on her face, and said, Kanna, don’t look so grumpy. I’m sorry that I have upset your holiday plans. But I came to know only yesterday that he was visiting Chennai. Poorva, Swami Maama is like your Thaatha. I’m sure you’ll get to like him.

Not impressed, Poorva had cut in, When will he be leaving?

Her mother had replied, with a reproachful glance, Stop being rude, Poorva. It’s a privilege to have him stay with us.

This was surely the most pathetic holiday ever, or so Poorva thought.

An Era Begins

The Stories of Poigai Aazhvaar, Bhootham Aazhvaar and Pey Aazhvaar