ADIVICE GIVEN TO BLACK SPARROW

Suguna Pandiyan son of Raja Rajan took up the mantle to rule after the demise of his father. During his rule there was a kari kuruvi(black sparrow) that stayed in a town near Madurai. In its previous birth, it was a powerful and strong male person. He was born in the present birth as a kari kuruvi due its bad deeds in that birth.  Kites and crows drove away this kari kuruvi. The sparrow was spending its time under  fear only. So it left that town and went to a nearby forest. Since there were no enemy birds like crows it was spending its time there. Once a devotee of Lord Shiva came and sat under the tree( on which  the sparrow was staying) to take rest. At that time few persons who were passing on that route worshipped the Shiva devotee. He gave some advice to them. Further he told them about the fame and glory of Madurai city and further said that a mere visit to Madurai one will not have rebirths. It is enough even the water of the Portamarai tank touch the body. Only will get all prosperity and no further births  in this world. The sparrow which heard this while sitting on the tree, flew towards Madurai uttering the name of Lord Shiva. It entered the temple and went to the water of Portamarai tank and saw to it that its body touched the water in it. It circumambulated the court surrounding the inner shrine in the temple(called Praaakaaram in tamil). Then it sat on the beam in the shrines of both Meenakshi and Sundarreswarar and had a divine darsanam(LOOK).

It had the darsanam for three days continuously. On seeing this Goddess Meenakshi asked her husband Lord Sundareswarar about the sparrow. Lord explained to her about its previous birth. Then he uttered into its ears Mrithyunjana Manthram. That manthra is meant for the upliftment  of its life and the removal of the sufferings of this birth. The sparrow which heard the manthram from the God said, “O” God, other birds are giving torture to me. You should give me enough strength to manage their torture.”The God accepted its request. “Sparrow, here after people will call you “VALIYAN”. You will be a sparrow with immense strength. You will get the strength to drive away other birds. He also uttered the Triambaga Manthram into its ears. After learning this Manthra the sparrow lived for a very long time and reached the lotus feet of the god. We should not trouble the sparrows. We should consider their sound as the Manthra sound. Because the God who gave the upadesam to the Valian bird also told it that its hereditary will also be called hence forth by the name Valian. Sundareswarar did upadesam not only for the sparrow. He gave eternal bliss (Mukthi in tamil) foe a stork (Naarai in tamil). He has shown his grace not only to human beings but also ao all his creations.