THE
PRIESTS' AND THEIR GLORY
The
priests too reposed implicit faith in the Lord and they defied the command of
the earthly lords however superior and powerful they were. They were very proud
of their learning and office. They never recognized the superiority of earthly
power. Once they flatly turned down the Maharaja Marthanda Vimana's invitation,
soliciting their participation in the Murajapam he started. They went to the
extent of sending the reply clothed in vituperative language - "We are in
the service of Rajarajeswara, and he is our supreme authority. We obey only
perumtri kovilappan, but not any other! Their dedication and audacity merit
whole-hearted appreciation and emulation.
May their tribe increase! Sure, moving
and breathing there round the clock in the temple of Rajarajeswara they could
not but behave otherwise. They imbibed the imperial dignity and breathed out
sovergnity. So everything here exudes royalty and inspires dignity, nay it
begets in the immediate progeny and bequeaths to the distant posterity too.
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