Robbery.

Vedupuri Vibhavam — Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār, the Thief, and the Divine Robbery

Before he became Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār, the fierce poet-saint of was known as Kaliyan — a valiant chieftain whose love for his wife Kumudavalli drove him to desperate acts. To fulfill her wish for boundless charity to devotees, Kaliyan turned into a highway robber, stealing from travelers and redistributing the wealth.

It is at this point that the Lord Himself chooses to be robbed.

The Divine Couple Enter the Forest

One night, in a dense forest near Tirumaṅgai, Kaliyan waits for travelers. Suddenly, the forest is lit not by torches, but by unmistakable divine radiance.

Approaching him is a newly married couple:

The Lord, appearing as a young bridegroom, adorned in royal silks, dazzling jewels, and priceless ornaments

Śrī Mahālakṣmī, walking beside Him as the bride, resplendent with anklets, bangles, necklaces, waist ornaments, and toe rings

They are not dressed as ascetics or forest dwellers, but in full bridal finery, as though deliberately inviting attention.

This is Vedupuri Vibhavam — the Lord taking up the bow not as a weapon, but as a strategy of grace.

The Thief Begins the Looting

Kaliyan stops them and demands their wealth. The bridegroom smiles gently and agrees without resistance.

One by one:

Neck ornaments are removed

Armlets are loosened

Waist belts are unclasped

Bangles are taken off

The divine couple stands silently, compassionately, allowing themselves to be looted.

Yet, when Kaliyan gathers all the ornaments and tries to lift the bundle, it does not move.

No matter how hard he strains, the plunder remains unliftable, as though rooted to the earth.

The Final Act — The Toe Ring of Thāyār

Determined to take everything, Kaliyan turns to the last remaining ornament — the toe ring (metti) of the Divine Mother.

He bends down and tries to pull it out.

It will not budge.

He pulls harder.

Still, it does not come off.

That single toe ring, delicate and small, defeats the strength of a seasoned warrior.

At that instant, realization strikes him like lightning.

Recognition and Collapse

Kaliyan understands:

This is no ordinary couple

This is the Lord of the universe

The weight he could not lift was the burden of karma

The toe ring he could not remove was Śrī’s eternal presence, inseparable from Nārāyaṇa

Overwhelmed, Kaliyan drops everything and falls at the divine couple’s feet.

“If even a toe ring cannot be taken without Your will,

what can I ever take as mine?”

The Lord Speaks — The True Robbery

The Lord then asks Kaliyan one simple question:

“Tell me the meaning of the Tirumantram.”

Kaliyan stands silent.

The thief who robbed kingdoms realizes he lacks the true wealth of knowledge.

The Lord, now revealing Himself as Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, initiates Kaliyan into the Aṣṭākṣara Mantra.

Thus:

The thief is robbed of ignorance

Pride is stolen

Ego is stripped away

This is the greatest robbery in all of bhakti history.

Vedupuri Vibhavam — The Bow Without an Arrow

This episode is called Vedupuri Vibhavam because:

The Lord does not punish

He does not threaten

He draws the bow of compassion, not the arrow of destruction

The forest becomes His battlefield

The thief becomes His devotee

The loot becomes liberation

From Thief to Āḻvār

That night, Kaliyan is reborn as Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār — the one who would later:

Sing the fiercest pāsurams

Claim intimacy with the Lord

Demand, scold, tease, and adore Him openly

The toe ring that would not come off becomes the seal of surrender.

Closing Bhakti Verse

Mettiyum kazhala villai

Vil eḍutta vēṇḍām

Kallanai āḻvāranākki

Koṇḍān Vedupuriyān

The toe ring would not come off,

No bow needed to be raised;

He turned a thief into an Āḻvār—

Such is Vedupuri Vibhavam.

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