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Fighting Adharma (Kali)
Angry high castes and arrest by the King
Seeing and hearing all the social and religious reforms led by Ayya Vaikuntar, caste Hindus became angry as well as afraid. When the King was visiting a nearby place (Suchindrum), they complained that Vaikuntar was deceiving the masses in the name of God. As they had full influence over the King and the states, they convinced the King to arrest Lord Vaikuntar. The king consequently sent a troop to arrest the Lord.
As Lord Vaikuntar knew that, He plunged into the nearby sea (Mutta-pathi) and met Lord Vishnu who told Him what the King would do and instructed Lord Vaikuntar as to what He should do. The troop waiting for Vaikuntar tied Him with hemp ropes and brought Him to the King who was temporarily residing in Suchindrum, a place about 4 miles from Swamithoppu. When brought before the King, He was forced to drink posion but the poison had no effect on Him. The King then ordered the troop to bring Him to Trivandrum, the capital of Travancore.
Miracles of Lord Vaikuntar in jail
Vaikuntar was put in an open air jail at Singarathoppu from November 1838 to the beginning of March 1839 for a total of 120 days and imposed into many tortures. As the high castes wanted to kill Lord Vaikuntar, they induced the King to test Vaikuntar for His Godship. He was asked to drink a heavy dose of poison in milk, but it did not do any harm to Him. He was then asked to walk through a high and lengthy flaming fire made with huge wooden logs with ghee poured on. Vaikuntar walked into it as a breeze and came out unharmed. Once again they attempted to kill Him. They placed Vaikuntar inside a lime kiln and lighted it. Inside the burning lime kiln, Lord Vaikuntar was very happy as though flowers were showered on Him. Next day the King's men were shocked to see Him alive.
Even then the high castes and the King did not stop. They put Him in an air-tight room with burning chillies and fumigated it. Vaikuntar was not hurt even a bit. Finally the King decided to test Vaikuntar by putting Him with a hungry tiger. A team was sent to the forest to bring a tiger. The team after intensive search could not find even a single tiger. Being afraid of the angry King and to escape the severe punishment, they approached Lord Vaikuntar to bless them to get a tiger. Ayya Vaikuntar told them that they would now catch a real big tiger and the team indeed did, and brought the tiger in a cage to the King. The tiger was put without any food for days. Then the tiger was led into the cage were Vaikuntar was kept. But as soon as the tiger saw Vaikuntar, it knelt down before Him. The King got angry and asked one of the soldiers to poke the tiger with a javelin. When the soldier poked the tiger with the end of the javelin, the tiger caught hold of the javelin and the soldier pulled it out hard. The tiger released the javelin which then hit a Nambudiri (Brahmin) and he died on the spot. The King became grievous as killing a Brahmin has more sin than killing a thousand cows and he left to his palace.
The King later asked Ayya Vaikuntar to sign an agreement forcing Him to be only with the people of His caste and
to leave the jail. But Lord Vaikuntar refused to sign and tore off the agreement. He said that He has no caste
or creed and was common to every body. He also told the King that He would leave the jail only when He chooses
to do so.
Returning to Swamithoppu
On the 19th day of Tamil month Masi (March 3, 1839) Ayya Vaikuntar decided to go back to Swamithoppu. With all glories, His followers carried Him back to Swamithoppu overnight and reached there on 20th day of Masi. This day is very auspicious to all His devotees and now every year this day is celebrated as a grand function and is currently a declared public holday for the district in South India.
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