Narayan Ravi - Mumbai

Pavanapuresha-Series

Pavanapuresha series part 7: Poontanam Nambudiri.

Poontanam, a great devotee of Lord Guruvayurappa, hailed from Angadipuram - around 60 kms from Guruvayur.

Poontanam was an embodiment of pure devotion. He was blessed with a child after years of prayer at Guruvayur. But the child died on the 'Anna prasna' day - a tragedy which deeply affected Poontanam. He came to Guruvayur, determined to recover his lost child. However, gradually, Unnikrishna (child Krishna) took the place of his son in his heart & Poontanam was at peace. The small metal figure of Unnikrishna that Poontanam worshipped during his lifetime is now worshipped regularly at Narayanalayam.

During the last 54 years of his life, Poontanam used to regularly come every month to Guruvayur for worship. On one such trip, he was stopped by robbers in the middle of a forested path. In desperation, he cried out to Guruvayurappa for help. Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves was heard. To his amazement, Poontanam saw that it was Mangat Achan - the army commander of the Zamorin king! Seeing him, the robbers spared Poontanam & ran away. In gratitude, Poontanam took off his ring & presented it to Mangat Achan. The next morning when Poontanam reached Guruvayur the Melsanthi handed over a ring to him. To his wonder, Poontanam realised that the ring was his own and that the previous night it was not Mangat Achan who saved him but Guruvayurappa Himself! The Melsanthi said that the Lord had appeared in his dream & asked him to hand over the ring (which he would find on the deity in the morning) to Poontanam.

When Poontanam became very old, he used to have visions of Lord Guruvayurappa. His family believed that he had gone mad due to old age but they failed to understand Poontanam's pure devotion. One day Guruvayurappa Himself came down in a heavenly chariot to personally take Poontanam to Vaikuntha. Poontanam called out to his family to come along, saying Guruvayurappan Himself had come. But no one paid attention to him, except the family's maid servant - a simple lady who had faith in Guruvayurappan. After some time, when Poontanam's wife came out of the kitchen she saw that Poontanam had disappeared & the maid was lying dead. Both the simple devotees of the Lord had attained His heavenly abode!! May the ever-compassionate Krishna bless one and all.

Hare Krishna