pUja

[Giridhar]

There are several interesting incidents about Kulashekara Azhwar, who wrote
Mukunda mala.
There is also a related incident about an old lady who used to sing bhajans
before Lord Krishna in a temple. It seems everyday Krishna used to come and
dance before her. One day, the great poet Purandara Dasa went by that
route, heard of that lady and came to hear her singing. He hid behind a
pillar and heard her sing and saw Krishna dance. But she was not singing
properly, here tala and raga were wrong. He, therefore, decided to correct
her and shouted the correct tala. Krishna disappeared !

But one should be careful in interpreting these incidents. These people
chanted or sang only bhajans or stotras, not Shruti. There are no rigid
fixed rules for the former, though the effect is multifold if these are
read properly. For example, srimad bhagavatam can be read in a particular
way such that it can be completed in a specific time. The same is true for
Rama charita Manasa. But one is not guilty if one reads it in some other
way. But this is not the case with Shruti, for which not only proper
adhikara but also proper intonation is necessary.

Further, I think bhaktas like kannappa or kulasekara would not be compared
to us. They are way beyond in their bhakti.