In every renunciate's life, there will be a period of aimless wandering. In Sree Narayana Guru’s life, this Avadhoota period, when he wandered, driven by unrest, is not precisely documented. According to Dharmathirtha Swami, a disciple of the Guru, this period in his life lasted for about six years.
The Avadhoota period is a state of abandoning all ties to the material world. It involves shedding one’s clothes and becoming indifferent to heat and cold and all human emotions. An Avadhoota has no fixed dwelling place. He could take refuge in empty houses, roots of trees, temples, caves, streams or mountain peaks. The defining characteristic of an Avadhoota will be a state of ecstasy that will deem him unrecognisable from his former self. The source of such ecstasy is an understanding of the profound secrets of life. This was Guru's experience during the years he wandered through Tamil Nadu and the southern districts of Kerala.
During his travels, in a Tamil bookstore at Chalai, Guru came upon many classic Tamil texts. He used this opportunity to study works such as ‘Thirukkural’, ‘Tiruppavai’, ‘Ozhivilodukkam’, and ‘Tirumantiram’, and became proficient in Tamil. This enviable command over the language later inspired him to compose his own Tamil poems.
During the Avadhoota period, Guru was worshipped and reviled in equal measure. For those who revered him, he became ‘Nanu Swami’. Some people at Suchindram even took Guru to the temple, adorned him with garlands, and worshipped him. Among those who adored Guru, there were many Muslim and Christian believers. Muslim scholars were astounded by Guru’s ability to eloquently interpret the Quran. Some others dismissed him as mad. Either way, Guru was unswayed. He viewed insults and contempt with equanimity.
Guru kept on wandering to encounter new experiences and new ways of life. He observed rituals that went against ethical values and studied the driving forces behind them. This journey helped Guru grasp many things about the lives of ordinary people in both familiar and unfamiliar places. Guru realized the truth that sorrow and suffering are inevitable parts of human life. The time he spent living with the downtrodden communities marked the awakening of the Karma Yogi within Guru.
Guru survived on greens, roots, and fruits during these years. He said to his disciples that if the leaves of a plant called 'Kattukodi' are squeezed and kept, it hardens like bread very quickly. He also knew that one could lead a healthy life on a humble diet of 'adapathiyan' root, honey, and fresh water. Guru gained many such insights on living with the bare minimum during his Avadhoota period. He lived among the poor and dined with them, dividing his time between community engagement and solitary contemplation. The hymn ‘Subramanyakeerthanam’ was composed during this time.
