Greatness of devotees

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Kulasekhara Azhvar was a king who surrounded himself with Sri Vaishnavas, because it was their company that he liked, said Akkarakkani Srinidhi in a discourse.

Powerful men in Kulasekhara Azhvar’s court were jealous of the proximity of Sri Vaishnavas to the King. They knew that to tell the king to get rid of them would never work. So they stole an ornament that adorned the idol to which Kulasekhara Azhvar offered worship everyday. They then told the King that they suspected that the Sri Vaishnavas were the ones who had stolen it.

The King wanted to show everyone the greatness of Lord Narayana’s devotees. He then said that a pot with a venomous snake in it should be brought to him. He would stick his hand into the pot. “If the Sri Vaishnavas are indeed guilty of the crime they stand accused of, then let the snake bite me,” he declared.

A pot with a snake in it was brought to him, and he stuck his hand inside. He kept it there for a few minutes, but the snake did not bite him. He then pulled out his hand and asked the ministers if they were now convinced of the innocence of the Sri Vaishnavas.

The ministers were repentant and confessed to what they had done.

Kulaskehara Azhvar abdicated, gave up the luxurious life of the palace and went to Srirangam. To a devotee like Kulasekhara Azhvar, being in a scorching fire is preferable to being away from the Lord’s devotees. He was born into a royal family and was accustomed to royal luxuries.of

Once one has enjoyed luxuries on that scale, it is difficult to give them up. But Kulasekhara Azhvar did without any hesitation.-'The Hindu' today