63. aruLAzhi kaNdEnO nallAnaip pOlE

In the banks of Kaveri river in a town lived a brahmin devotee of Sriman Narayana. One time in the floods of the river, a dead body was washed ashore in that town. The brahmin saw that in the shoulders of that body the marks of Shanka and Chakra and realized that it was a Srivaishnava. Therefore, without examining further to determine who it might have been, what caste he might have belonged to, he performed the final rites for that person.

The people in the town were not pleased with what happened. They said that the body was that of a low caste person and that this brahmin should not have performed final rites for him. Therefore, they made him an outcast. The brahmin prayed to the Lord to correct the townsfolk.

The next day at the temple in the town where the town people were gathered, the Lord spoke through the priest and told them "You may not find the brahmin devotee alright; but to Me, he is a good person ('nallAn'). Therefore, you too accept him as such". From that day forward,he and his descendants came to be known as "Nallan Chakravarthy".

The Lord's Chakra (discus) is also known as "aruL Azhi". Nallan saw only the mark of the "aruLAzhi" and nothing else. In the process, he also saw the depth of the Lord's grace ("aruL Azham").

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I see only the mark of the Lord's discus and nothing else like Nallan did?"