While saints and sages came from different places to Tiruvannamalai in quest of knowledge, Arunagiri was blessed to be born here. Even at his young age, he was driven by devotion towards Arunachala. He has studied epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Kanda Purana and has also mastered Dhevaram, Thirumanthiram, Thirukkural and Thirumurugatrupadai, as is evident from his works. But then, Arunagiri found himself in a dilemma. Even though his heart was overwhelmed in devotion and intellect yearning for real knowledge, he could not find peace within. Having found that his body, making diverse demands, was hindering his spiritual pursuit, he decided to discard the body itself. As he fell from the tower of Arunachala temple, alas, he found himself not at the hard surface of the ground but within the hold of two soft hands of a saviour. The saviour was none other than Lord Muruga who appeared to rescue his devotee and remind him that he was not born to die but to fulfil a divine mission. Addressing him as Natha and initiating him to sainthood, Lord Muruga has set the mission for him: “Sing Thiruppugazh on Me”. Arunagiri said: “Oh Lord, you are the reflection of eternal reality, the Brahman. How can I, an ordinary individual, compose songs on you, whose glory even Vedas could not describe in full? The Lord then initiated him to sing by reciting the first few lines Himself. Sri Arunagirinathar then rendered his first song, “Muthai Tharu”. “Give me the seed that would germinate the divine love in me leading to immortal bliss of freedom (Mukthi)”.
Sri Arunagirinathar realized that his life’s mission was to sing the glory of the God and he went to Vayalur and sought the blessings of Poyya Ganapathi. Lord Ganapathi has set the task before him. “Sing about Muruga, his, peacock, his Vel (spear), his Seval (rooster), his Kadappa garlands, His Lotus Feet, His twelve sacred shoulders and his abode, Vayalur”. As songs came from Sri Arunagirinathar one after another, hailing the glory of Lord Muruga at great height, he became the cynosure of all eyes and ears. His eloquence and erudition was noticed even by the King of the region, Prabuda Deva, who invited him to the Royal Court to render Thiruppugazh. One day, after worshipping Arunachala and mother Unnamulaiyar, Arunagirinatha Swamigal set out his divine journey of visiting temples. Apart from the six sacred temples, Arupadai Veedu and many other temples in Tamil Nadu, he went to Kasi and then to Kadhirkaamam in Sri Lanka and rendered songs, instantly composed, on the significance of each temple. With the grace bestowed on him by the Lord, songs came one after another like water that gushed forth from a reservoir. Every song that came from the poet of Tiruvannamalai was unique for the spirit of devotion it kindled, for the light of Jnana (real knowledge) it radiated, for the excellence in its composition, for the beauty of Muruga it portrayed, for the music it reverberates, for the concordant notes of Taaal (time-measure) it denotes, for the message of one-ness (Advaita) it conveys and above all for what it grants; the liberation or Mukthi. According to research carried out by Sri Chengalvarayan, Arunagirinatha Swamigal has composed over 16,000 songs.
Thiruppugazh is an excellent expression of devotion. Devotion (Bhakthi) means supreme love towards God. The seed of devotion is already planted in the heart and he who recognizes it and develops it becomes pure devotee. The love that we express towards God is devotion and the love God gives us in return is called grace. The divine love that overflows from the heart has no parallel. It is devoid of any expectation. Most of the Thiruppugazh songs convey the devotees’ love towards Muruga and hail His glory. Thiruppugazh songs explain how through pure devotion towards Lord Muruga one can overcome the adversities of Karma, fear of death and attain immortality. Swamigal says: “Oh Muruga, I have been hailing your glory for long with Bhakthi and grace me the bliss of Mukti” (1) In the song rendered at Tiruvannamalai, the saint-poet says: “Oh Arunachala!, as I chant your sacred name in different ways like ‘Sivayanama’, ‘Masivayanama’, ‘Namasivaya’ ‘Vayanamasi’, as my eyes are focused and heart engrossed on you, and as I hail your name that brings victory, I prostrate at the effulgent mountain which symbolizes your holy feet. Oh Arunachala! Would I not imbibe the nectar that flows from the ocean of your grace and reach your Lotus Feet?” (2) The saint sings another song of devotion thus: “I have made a garland with flowers that bloomed from my heart and weaved them with the thread of love with a mind full of devotion. This is the garland of poetic verses that hail your glory, the garland of Thiruppugazh that would add to your beauty. Oh Muruga, the Lord radiating the light of knowledge, when would I get the privilege of offering this garland at your lotus feet along with other colourful and fragrant flowers?” (3). As the devotion grows and the devotee finds himself one with the God, the light of Jnana dawns, leading to realization that Muruga is shining as the Atman within.
Thiuppugazh is described as Amrutam which means immortality (Mrithyoma Amrutam Gamaya). It is also described as giant tree (Karpaka Vriksha) that fulfils the different aspirations of the individual. There are songs that prays for basic necessities like clothes to wear (Udukka thukil Vendum), for a house to reside (Antarpathi Kudiyera), for a body free from disease (Irumalum roga) for the grace of the Lord (Ainkaranai yotha manam), for a heart full of devotion (ethilaatha Bakthi thanai mevi), for a mind free from thoughts and worries (Manakavalai), for a life free from the consequence of Karma (iruvinai anja). But, these aspirations constitute only the lower portion of the tree called Thiruppugazh. If only one takes a higher look at the huge tree and reaches out, he would find precious fruits of knowledge. It was this fruit of knowledge (Jnana Pazham) Lord Muruga symbolizes at the sacred temple of Palani. Sage Arunagirinathar rendered several songs at Palani conveying the message that there are very few things to gain in life but many things to discard, like ego, pride, anger, attachment and aversions. The sage says: “Oh Muruga! Tell me the way to reach a state where I discard all the impurities that surround me and I remain truly as myself, conscious of my Self.” (4)
All Tamil devotional literatures that extol the glory of the Lord, come under the common term; ‘Thiru Pugazh” (Glory to Lord), but only Arunagirinatha Swamigal’s works on Muruga got that exclusive title. Kachiappa Sivacharyar’s epic ‘Kandha Puranam’ and Nakkeerar’s Thirumurugratruppadai excel in description of Muruga, the purpose of his appearance and the way he guides the devotees as Swami Natha (Eternal Guru). However Arunagirinathar’s songs alone got the title, “Thiruppugazh” because it described the splendour and glory of Muruga, his benevolence, his knowledge, his valour, power of his weapon, the Vel, the peacock, his transport and rooster, his ensign all in entirety. Besides, from the song, we come to know that Lord Muruga Himself gave the title “Thiruppugazh”. Sri Arunagirinathar saw Lord Muruga as the reflection of eternal reality. In his song ‘Akaramum Aaki’ rendered at Pazhamudhir Solai, Swamigal says: “Oh! Muruga, by being the foremost in the universe, like the alphabet ‘aa’ in the world of letters, by being great power of all, by being the leader of all, by being the Self that shines in all, by being Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the protector and Siva the destroyer, by being beyond all, by being present in all, you are my saviour. Come and grace me.”
Apart from the garland of songs Sri Arunagirinathar weaved and offered as Thiruppugazh, he has also composed Kandar Alamgaram, Kandar Anubhuti, Kandar Andhati and hymns like Vel, Mayil, Seval Virutham and Vakuppu. Kandar Alamgaram is a marvellous poetry that portrays Muruga, His divine qualities, His beauty, His infinite power, His magnificence, His love and compassion. It also explains how the Lord waged war against evil forces represented by Sooran, how Indira, the celestial God gave his daughter, Deivayanai in marriage to Muruga and how the Lord went after his chosen beloved Nayaki, Valli, who symbolized humbleness and married her in a simple ceremony. Kandar Anubhuti is the revelation of Sri Arunagirinathar’s experience of having realized Muruga within. While experience is something personal and cannot be explained exactly to any other person, by the blessings of Lord Muruga, Arunagirinathar has succeeded in sharing his experience with others. In his song on Thiruthuruthi, (Malaikkanaththena) the poet had said that Lord Muruga had blessed him with the talent which made it possible for him to spell out his experience. (5)
Kandar Andhadi consisting of 100 stanzas is noted for its brilliant composition where all the starting words of stanza are the same while each one carries different meaning. The 54th stanza is unique as it contains only one root letter “th” throughout (6). Though Villiputhur Alwar was a great scholar, he was too proud of his accomplishments. He challenged Arunagirinathar for a trial of talent where the one who correctly interprets the song of the other would merit recognition. While Arunagirinatha Swamigal heard the song of Alwar and explained its meaning correctly, Alwar could not understand anything when Arunagirinathar recited the 54th stanza of Kandar Aanthathi and conceded defeat. While residing at Thiruverakam, the saint also composed an outstanding song called “Thiru Ezhu Kootrirukkai”. He composed this song consisting of number one to seven, forming like a chariot. It is believed that merely by rendering this one song a devotee would get the value of rendering all Thiruppugazh songs. (Or Uru vaakiya)
Thiruppugazh songs which underline the importance of Jnana or Self-realization are many. In a souvenir having limited space, it becomes necessary to confine within one or two songs. The song ‘Andhakan Varum Dhinam’ (the day Lord of Death comes) which Sri Arunagirinathar rendered at Tiruchendur is very enlightening. Thieves are those who come from outside, sneak into house, grab precious articles and run away. The outside thieves who come and go are tolerable but not the thieves who come from within and stay permanently. “The thieves who come and prevent me from being conscious of my Self are the senses,” says Arunagirinathar in this song (Indhiriya sanchalangalai aruthu). Adi Sankara says that the robbers called senses distort the vision of the devotee and deprive him the bliss of being in Self. “When the five thieves of senses break into me, would you not be there to safeguard me? asks Bhagavan Sri Ramana Makarshi to Sri Arunachala in his Aksharamana Malai (7). Arunagirinatha Swamigal says: “Oh Muruga, the five elements never allow me to worship you nor would they let me reach your Lotus Feet” (Ora vottar 8). He continues: “Oh Lord, rescue me from the senses and mind which prompts me to believe this illusory world as real” (9). In another song the saint says: “Oh Muruga, rescue me, before this house of body dilapidates by the evil effect of senses (10). In the Song “Anithamaana”, the poet says: “Oh! God, guide me to the realization that my Self alone is real and the body is separate from me.
A misconception prevails among some that Mukthi (liberation) is a state that is attained after death. Mukthi is attainable here and now. He who realizes that he is the Self, beyond the body and mind is liberated even while living. He is Jivan Muktha. He realizes that the Self shining in him is the same that shines in others. It is the mind which brings differences like “you” and “me”. When the light of Jnana dawns, concepts like “you” and “me” disappear and the individual experiences the bliss of Self-knowledge. In his song beginning with “Amalavayu”, Arunagirinatha Swamigal prays for the grace that would dispel all differences and create awareness of oneness (11). One may pass through different states like deep sleep, waking and dream and different stages like young, middle and old age, but it is the Self which gives him the consciousness of his continued existence. Self alone is real and ever-existing. It is the mind which generates thoughts and the ’I-thought’ is predominant among all thoughts. The state where the ‘I’ notion does not rise is the ideal state. In this song (Andhakan Varum Dhinam), Arunagirinathar says: “When would I reach a state beyond thoughts, beyond senses, beyond words and deeds where I lose my individuality?” (12) “Oh! Lord”, the poet says in the song ‘Thenunthu Mukkanigal’ “elevate me from the notion of ‘I’; from my attachment towards the body and this life, let me be transcended to the infinite vast space and experience the bliss of Siva Gnana.” (Thenunthu Mukkanigal) (13)
There are two things an individual is normally engaged in. Either his body is busy doing something or his mind is engaged in thinking something. Seldom does he remain free from the complexities of body mind, intellect and senses. Seldom does he remain aloof from the world of false images and illusion. When the mind is turned outwards it results in bondage and when the mind is turned inwards, it results in liberation. It is only to free him from the mind, body and world and guide him to know himself; Lord Muruga gave Sri Arunagirinathar the Upadesa of “Summa Iru”. ‘Summa Iru’ means remaining still and silent, devoid of all mental and physical activities and distancing oneself from the external world. Having remained in a state of stillness and silence Sri Arunagirinathar had lost his individuality in total and realized Muruga shining as Atman within. He describes this experience in Kandar Anubhuti thus: “Oh Muruga, the source of all knowledge, what a grace! You have swallowed the false ‘I” in me (yaan), and as a result I could identify myself as “I AM” (14)
What constitutes real knowledge? The knowledge one normally gains relates to matters outside him. What one knows about worldly matters is only an objective knowledge. Objective knowledge is not real because it is subject to frequent changes. The real knowledge, ‘Jnana’ is neither knowing nor not-knowing. Real jnana is to transcend the state of knowledge and ignorance. One who is transcended to a state beyond time and space, beyond knowledge and ignorance and beyond the normal Gunas (Satwa, Rajas and Tamas) realizes that he is the Self, ever pure and ever existing. Arunagirinathar says that the state which the enlightened sages sought to reach, which is beyond knowledge and ignorance is the state of being at the Lotus feet of Lord Muruga. (15)
Thiruppugazh is unique for many reasons. While other stalwarts rendered songs and hymns for many years and received grace at the end, sage Arunagirinathar was blessed enough to receive the grace at first instance and to compose the songs. Since the songs are composed by the blessings of Muruga, the songs are said to contain a divine power and value. Thiruppugazh is unique also because we find it a confluence (Sangamam) of Advaita Vedanta, Itihas and Puranas. A work as divine and magnificent as this was not known to the world in the beginning. It was Sri Subramanyam Pillai and his son, Sri Chengalvarayan who realized its value, retrieved the songs from different sources and made them available to all. Sri Chengalvarayan pursued vigorously and succeeded in tracing the songs which were scattered at different locations and brought them in a printed book form. While Sri Ardhanari was sitting before the deity at Palani he happened to hear a Thiruppugazh song being rendered by a devotee and he realized some inherent power in that song. Choosing Thiruppugazh as his life’s mission, Sri Sachidhananda Swamigal, as he came to be known, created widespread awareness about this simple and effective form of worship. Guruji Sri Raghavan set the songs in the sweet raga of Carnatic music and created a powerful Thiruppugazh movement across the world.
Seshadri Swamigal described Thiruppugazh as a Maha Mantra. Thayumana Swamigal said “Among the galaxy of devotional poets, Arunagirinatha Swamigal shines like a brilliant star”. He said “Oh Arunagiri! who else has composed the verses of truth as delightfully as you” (16) Arunachala Reddiyar, a great devotee who lived in the 19th century, described the inestimable value of Thiruppugazh in his Kavadi Sindhu song: “The songs that came from the tongue of Arunagirinathar are so powerful that the sound created by them reverberates all over the universe.” Sri Pamban Swamigal, the author of ‘Shanmuga Kavacham” has mentally adopted sage Sri Arunagirinathar as his Guru. Devotees in different stages convey their prayers to Lord Muruga who invariably answer them at the right time. Sri Arunagirinathar has set the most ideal prayer at the end of his immortal works, ‘Kandar Anubhuti’ thus: “You, who is with form and without form, who is present and also not visible, who appears as blooming flower and also as its fragrance, who appears as a precious crest jewel and also as the brilliant light radiating from it, as the foetus and also as the life grown from it. Oh! Muruga come as my Gurunatha and grace me (17).
- 'பத்தியால் யானுனைப் பலகாலும் பற்றியே மதியிருப்புகழ் பாடி'
- செயசெய அருணாத் திரிசிவ யநமச், செயசெய அருணாத் திரிமசிவ
- 'ஆசைகூர் பக்தனேன் மனோ பத்மமான பூ வைத்து நடுவே,
- 'எல்லாம் அற என்னை இழந்த நலம் சொல்லாய் முருகா .... கந்தரநுபூதி 2
- "அடைக்கலப்பொருளாமென நாயெனை அழைத்து முத்தி அதாம்அநுபூதியென அருள் திருப்புகழ் ஓதுக 'மலைக் கனத்தென'
- திதத்தத்தத் தித்தத் திதிதாதை தாததுத் தித்தத்திதாதிதத்தத்தத் தித்த திதித்தித்த தேதுத்து தித்திதத்தாதிதத்தத்தத் தித்தத்தை தாததி தேதுதை தாததத்துதிதத்தத்தத் தித்தித்தி தீதீ திதிதுதி தீதொத்ததே"
- ஐம்புலக் கள்வர் அகத்தினில் புகும்போது, அகத்தில் நீ இலையோ அருணாசலா !
- ஓரவொட்டாரொன்றை யுன்னவொட்டார் --- கந்தரலங்காரம் 4
- குப்பாச வாழ்க்கையுட் கூத்தாடு - அலங்காரம் 14
- கைவைத்த வீடு குலையும் முன் வந்து காத்தருளே (அலங்காரம் 23)
- எனதி யானும் வேறாகி எவரும் யாதும் யானாகும் இதய பாவ னாதீத மாஇருள்வாயே- 'அமல வாயு வோடாத"
- சிந்தையு மவிழ்ந்தவிழ்ந் துரையொழித் தென்செய லழிந்தழிந் தழிய (அந்தகன் வரும்)
- 'நான்' என்பதற்று, உயிர் உடல் பற்றும் அற்று பிரம்மமாம் ஒளியில் மகிழ்ந்திருக்க அருள்வாயே
- யான் ஆகிய என்னை விழுங்கி, வெறும் தானாய் நிலை ஈன்றது தற்பரமே - அனுபூதி 28.
- அறிவும் அறியாமையும் கடந்த அறிவு திருமேனி என்று உணர்ந்து உன் அருண சரணார விந்த மென்று அடைவேனோ (குகையில் ... )
- 'ஐய்யா அருணகிரியப்ப, உன்னைப்போல் மெய்யான ஓர் சொல் விளம்பினார் யார்?' என்றும் 'கந்தனாருல் பெற்றுக் கந்தர்அனுபூதி சொன்ன எந்தை அருள் நாடி இருக்கும் நாள் எந்நாளோ?' என்றும் தாயுமான்சுவாமிகள் அருணகிரியாரைபோற்றினார்.
- 'உருவாய் அருவாய், உளதாய் இலதாய், மருவாய் மலராய், மணியாய் ஒளியாய்க், கருவாய் உயிராய்க், கதியாய் விதியாய்க்குருவாய் வருவாய், அருள்வாய் குகனே.'
