poetic shaiva vaishnava duels

June 12, 2004

There are many instances of shaiva vaishnava duels among the great poets and common men of those days.

In Sri Rangam before ramanuja's time there was a ganesh temple.Ganesh was worshipped like how he is worshipped allover the world.But with visisthathvaidha of Ramanuja a problem arose,how toworship ganesh?Can we use white ash to worship ganesh?Can we worship him at all?

Problem was solved when ganesh was renamed as vishvaksena and thumbikai alwar and the namam was given to him.Even today staunch vaishnavites turn their head when they see his adobe there,some worship him as viswaksena and others dont.

Seeing this some vaishnavites were very happy."See ganesh has become vaishnavite.He has left shiva and come to vishnu"was their opinion.Hearing this poet kalamegam,a stuanch shaivite retaliated.

"But,why did ganesh come to his uncle vishnu leaving his father shiva?Its since that shivas post of ishwara is never vacant,since shiva never was born or ends.Seeing this ganesh realized that he can never become number one.He thought that he can come and occupy his uncle vishnu's post when it gets vacant since vishnu has a beginning adna n end,unlike shiva...."

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The next story goes like this.In thiruvanaikkal there is a vishnu temple anda shiva temple side by side.Many vaishnavas willgo,pray vishnu adn willnot even turn to the side of shiva.One day a staunch vaishnava went to temple.He prayed vishnu and walked near the side of shiva temple.Suddenly a crow sat on the shiva temple,and a brick which was loose fell on the vaishnava.Blood oozed from his head.He held his head and shouted happily as follows.

'Oh,veera vaishnava crow.Thats the way to demolish the shiva temple..."

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Many such duels are mentioned in ponniyin selvan by kalki.