Saint Arunagirinathar !! Thirupukazh and its origin!!

Om Sri Gurubyo Nama:

 

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

 

Vetrivel Muruganukku Ara Aro Ara !!

 

 

 

 

 

Arunagiri was born in Thiruvannamalai, a town in Tamil Nadu. His father died soon after his birth and his mother and sister brought him up in the rich cultural and religious traditions. Legends claim that Arunagiri was attracted to the pleasures of the flesh and spent his youth in pursuing a life of debauchery.  He used to get money from his sister each time to go to find sensual pleasures.  His sister always gives whatever she earned to make her brother happy. One day he demanded money from his sister, but unfortunately she had no money.   She was very sad and said, "Oh brother, I am sorry that there is no money to give you today." Arunagirinathar shouted at her and was totally dejected.  His sister said "Brother, if you need to have pleasure then please sell me to someone and that money can be used for your bodily pleasures".   After listening to her heartbreaking voice Arunagirinathar realized how self centered and selfish he was.  He decided to put an end to his life, went to the temple hit his head in all the pillars and steps, begging for forgiveness. Then he jumped down from the tower of Thiruvannamalai temple. Instantaneously he was miraculously saved by Lord Muruga and this incident transformed him to a revered holy saint.  Immediately after this miraculous event Arunagiri started composing glorious verses praising on Lord Murga and continued singing the glories of Lord all through his life.    He was a passionate devotee of Lord Muruga and worshipped Lord at the temple of Lord  Vedapureeswarar situated on the river banks of  Cheyyar.

 

His fame stirred jealousy in chief minister of the Kingdom. He proclaimed that Arunagirinathar as a false saint and not a true devotee of Lord Subramaniya. So the king arranged a public gathering and asked Arunagiri to show Lord Subramanya to others also.  Arunagiri passionately sung praising the Lord.   Soon Lord Muruga appeared in one of the stone pillars in the form of child.  His resemblances were hundreds of suns and the people who were witnessing the phenomenal were unable to recognize with their ordinary eyes.   Due to this everybody lost their eye sight including the King and   his ministers.  It was suggested that bringing the Parijatha flower could only get the eyes sight.   Arunagirinathar is said to have entered the body of a parrot in order to fetch the parijatha flower. In the meantime, his opponent Sambandan burnt his body which was kept safely.   Hence Arunagirinathar settled himself on the temple tower in the form of the parrot and sang his famous composition Kantharanubhuthi. There is a Kili Gopuram positioned here as a witness to this incident.

 

 

Thiru Arunagirinathar rendered the song ‘Muthai Tharu’ immediately after the miraculous escape at Thiruvannamalai.  He visited temples all over South India and composed over 16000 songs. The songs show the way to the life of virtue and righteousness.  Arunagirinathar was a Tamil poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Tiruppugazh a book of poems in Tamil in praise of Lor Muruga/Subramanya/Karthikeya.  He was a prolific composer, who is believed to have composed over 16000 songs, of which only about 1330 remain today.  His poems are known for their beautiful flowing lyrics coupled with complex rhymes and rhythmic structures. Thiruppugazh is considered as one of the major works of mediaeval Tamil literature for its poetical, musical, religious, moral and philosophical content.

 

 

In our Sastras & Scriptures said that the state of mind of a person at the last moment when life is about to leave the body, is very important from the point of view of his rebirth.  If one were to utter the name of Narayana or Shiva and fix his mind on His form at the time of death, he is assured of Salvation.  Arunagirinathar had realized with great poignancy that the body had failed to serve the purpose for which God had intended it. He had misused it for immoral purposes. What was there left for him to do except to surrender the mind and the body to the Lord?

 

Saint Arunagirinatharhad given to us nine most valuable gems of his works:

• Kandar Anubhuti

• Kandar Alankaram

• Kandar Andhathi

• Tiruezhukuttrirukkai

• Vel Virutham

• Mayil Virutham

• Cheval Viruthm; and

• Tiru Vaguppugal.

 

Arunagirinathar’s birth place Tiruvannamalai was one of the sacred places in India held in great veneration by the Saivites. The very thought of this place is believed to confer Salvation. He was a great devotee of Lord Muruga and this devotion to Murugan must have run in his blood, whether or not it was conscious. The main thrust of Arunagiri in his works was his repeated appeal to humanity to follow Love, non-hatred, and charity.  His single minded devotion to  Lord Murugan and marvel of family harmony by relating Murugan to Siva and Parvathy as his parents, Ganapathy as his elder brother and to Vishnu and Lakshmy as his parents in law can be seen throughout his compositions. The sages and saints of all religions are unanimous in their finding that the soul can find everlasting happiness and peace only if self-realisation or communion and union with God. Arunagiri reminds that human birth is rare to obtain. Yet if it is not rightly used in worship of the Lord and service to his creatures, we shall have thrown away a golden opportunity. We must not put off till the very end. This learning must not only be in respect of the sound understanding of the meaning of the verses, but it must also be letter-perfect.

 

 

Arunagirinathar was driven by an urge for carnal pleasures led a life of sin. At one point of time, he realized his mistake and decided to put an end to his life by falling from the temple tower of Tiruvannamalai.  out of nowhere someone appeared and rescued him.   Arunagirinathar felt he heard the divine command of Lord Muruga.  Songs flew out of his mouth like a perennial river.

 

 

Arunagirinathar set out on his holy mission. He traveled the length and breadth of Tamil Nadu, beginning from Vayalur. He visited the six most sacred abodes of Lord Muruga, Thirupparankundram, Thiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Thiruthani, Pazhamudhir Cholai, 216 holy shrines of Muruga, Siva and other deities, composing song on the significance of each.

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 Kandhar Andhathi is a hymn consist of 100 stanzas of four lines each, the first word of all four lines starting with the same word yet each carrying a different meaning. As Arjuna is known for his talent in archery, Arunagirinathar is known for his power of vocabulary (Villukku vijayan, vakkukku Arunagiri).   Thiruppugazh is a treatise on truthful and virtuous life. While the forms of composition are soul stirring, the contents are inspiring and worth contemplating upon.  Some of his songs are addressed to the Lord with a prayer to provide solace and salvation, while some others are addressed to fellow beings to come out of their world of illusion and seek the way to real and lasting happiness.  The best path that leads to ultimate salvation and puts an end to this cycle of birth and death is one of knowledge, Gnana Marga. One who adopts this path is redeemed from this material world. At Thiruavinangudi, the saint composed the song: "Sivanar Manam Kulira, Upadesa Manthram Iru Sevi Meethilum pakar sei, Gurunatha" (Oh! Muruga, let the knowledge you imparted to the pleased Lord Siva be given to my ears too.) The song further seeks a removal of sufferings caused by ignorance and grant of bliss by getting enlightened. "Arul Gnana Inban Athu, Purivaye."

 

 

Arunagirinathar believed that Bhakti Marga, the path of devotion, is equally compatible. (Bhaktiyal tam unnai, pala kalum, patriye na tiruppugazh paadi." "For long I have been singing your glory with devotion, Oh God, grant salvation to this life." He stressed the importance of nama Sangeerthanam in Kandar Anupoothi thus: "Paadum Paniye Paniyai Arulvai." (Grant me a life that I could devote entirely for singing your praise).

 

 

Thiruppugazh is a book of treasure from which a Karma Yogi also can draw lessons on Dharmic life. There are prayers meant to fulfill the different aspirations of people. The song: "Viral Maran Aindhu Malar Vali Sindha" is ideal for removing the marriage obstacle, "Jegamayai" for the growth of baby and mother during pregnancy and "Irumalum Roga" for health. The song that will shower wealth and prosperity is "Charana Kamalalayathai Arai Nimisha." The "Ainkaranai Otha Manam" number gives a happy and harmonious life, "Sinathavar Mudikkum" combats miseries caused by foes and "Antarpathi Kudiyera" helps one to own a house. While the hymn "Nal En Seiyum" is a safeguard from adverse planetary influence, the song "Iravamal Piravamal" helps to get the blessings of guru or teacher. The list goes on endlessly. In short, the poet saw Lord Muruga in different roles, that of a handsome youth, an intellectual guide, a savior, a physician and a friend.

 

 

Apart from six holy shrines of Lord Subrahmanya, viz. Tirupparamkundram, Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruttani and Pazhamutircolai, Arunagirinathar visited a large number of holy places in the country and sang in praise of Lord Subrahmanya manifesting in these shrines. He also visited Katirkamam, the abode of Muruga in Sri Lanka. Because of the divine accreditation, Thiruppugazh songs are marked for distinct masterliness, exquisite poetic beauty and unique rhythmic pattern and are replete with deep spiritual fervor Arunagirinathar lived at a time when the differences between Saivism and Vaishnavism were almost receding. He believed that all forms are manifestations of one Supreme Being. He found as much joy in singing the glory of  Lord Vishnu or Narayana as that of Lord Siva or Muruga. He visualized Lord Muruga as admiring young Krishna's mischiefs like stealing butter ("Navaneethamum Tirudi" from the song: "Sivanar Manam Kulira").  Besides, Arunagirinathar ended almost all his songs by addressing Muruga as "Perumal", the word normally used by Vaishnavites. The songs of Thiruppugazh, so rich in content and so universal in concept, can rightly be acclaimed as great.

 

 

 

It was the learned Vallimalai Sri Sachidhananda Swamigal (1870-1950) of Thiruchengodu, who initiated the movement of popularizing Thiruppugazh.   In his task he received the blessings of Sri Seshadri Swamigal and Sri Ramana Maharashi.  He dedicated his entire life to this endeavor, compiling songs, setting them to music and conducting bhajans.  Judge T. M. Krishnaswamy Iyer of Madras carried the Thiruppugazh message to greater heights by his bhajans.   Guruji A. S. Raghavan started a movement for expounding the cause of Thiruppugazh through songs. He has been providing an able leadership to a group of devotees called "Thiruppugazh Anbargal" spread in different parts of the country. Having selected 475 songs and setting them to music with different "Raga and Tala," Thiruppugazh Anbargal has systematized a formal method of conducting the recital (Isai Vazhipadu). A Thiruppugazh recital is started with an invocation song on Lord Vigneswara, followed by an obeisance song to the teacher (guru) and conducted with songs of Aru Padai Veedu.   It is continued with Kandhar Anuboothi and hymns in praise of Vel, Mayil and Seval and concluded with the "Eru Mayil". The dedicated disciples of Guruji Sri Raghavan have been conducting the recital in various centers by adhering to this method.

Vetrivel Muruganukku Ara Aro Ara !!

 

 

 

 

 

Jai Sriman Narayana !!