Thank you Sriman Venkatesh for your points - I will reflect on them. Adiyen just has a point to make about Appar Swamigal.
Adiyen thinks it is interesting that out of the Moovar, and also of all the Nayanmaars only Appar seems to have incurred the wrath of the Pallava king to such an extent. Could it be because Appar was not just any Saivite, but a Saivite who had been a leading Jain scholar - thereby, earning the hatred and enmity of the Samanas? It could also be that Appar was expert in converting Jains to Saivism as a result of his "inside knowledge" of Jainism.
More importantly, maybe it is good to reflect on why a king would want to persecute a relatively 'harmless' ascetic whose only goal was uzhavaara pani. Kings usually do not go out of their way to persecute someone for religious views unless those religious views are subversive to the State.
It may be possible that Appar's views were considered subversive - look at his pathigam 'Naamarkum kudiyallom, namanai anjom'. He is essentially declaring himself to be outside (above) the law!Rightly or wrongly, this could have misconstrued by both the Pallavas as well as saivites to mean that one does not owe any obedience to a 'paramatha' king. Not surprising if the king decided to stamp out such subversive ideas!
Appar Swamigal was one of the leading Jain scholar and became saivaite. Since the jains went and complained to the king, fearing that more people will convert to Hinduism, they asked him to punish.
Because of those punishments only the greatness of Appar was realised and more people started following and converting, which included the king himself. ( and we got Ganapathi ennum Kaliru)
Hi I really appreciate the indepth thought you have given to this appar episode. makes it all the more interesting for me as I am writing a book about the pallavas now. i think sambandar was born after the " casting into the sea episode" of appar. and sundarar much later. so questions of conflict do not rise there are conflicting stories on conversion of the pallavas to shaivism though its parallel in madurai is featured prominently in our literature.
while kalki conveniently portrays the pallava king as hindu and a close friend of appar truth must have been otherwise.
Sambandar was born when appar was in 60s and left much before him also.
Appar at 18-19 itself a great jain scholar and converted into Saivism.
Mahendra converted to saivam after realising the greatness of Appar.
Then Mahendravarman lived for another 25-30 yrs.
Then Sambandar came.
Then Narasimmavarman went to Vatapi.
After Vatapi conquest, Paranjothi returned and settled in Thiruchengotankudi.
Then Sambandar comes to meet appar and find him carrying his carriage.
Travel together upto Vedaranyam
Then Sambandar's visit to madurai.
Then Sambandar meets Paranjothi at Thiruchengotankudi, and after some time joins god.
Then appar travels to Madurai, then back to Cholanadu and joins lod in Thiruppugalur.
Appar had a long life in which Mahendra was an adversory, then his student..... sambandar...Vatapi....Madurai.... Thiruppugalur.
According to paramacharya, Swami came as a lion from the lingam and ate appar. " Enakku valikkude endru appar sonnar adarku swami ne enakku inikkiraye " endru sonnar. There seems to be a samll engraving behind the lingam when mahaswami saw which disappeared later.