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While saints and sages came from different places to Tiruvannamalai in quest of knowledge, Arunagiri was blessed to be born here.\u00a0 Even at his young age, he was driven by devotion towards Arunachala.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Having found that his body, making diverse demands, was hindering his spiritual pursuit, he decided to discard the body itself.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u00a0Addressing him as Natha and initiating him to sainthood, Lord Muruga has set the mission for him:\u00a0 \u201cSing Thiruppugazh on Me\u201d.\u00a0 Arunagiri said: \u201cOh Lord, you are the reflection of eternal reality, the Brahman.\u00a0 How can I, \u00a0an ordinary individual, can compose songs on you, whose glory even Vedas could not describe in full?\u00a0 The Lord then initiated him to sing by reciting the first few lines Himself.\u00a0 Sri Arunagirinathar then rendered his first song, \u201cMuthai Tharu\u201d.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u201cGive me the seed that would germinate the divine love in me leading to immortal bliss of freedom (Mukthi)\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Sri Arunagirinathar realized that his life\u2019s mission was to sing the glory of the God and he went to Vayalur and sought the blessings of Poyya Ganapathi.\u00a0 Lord Ganapathi has set the task before him.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u201cSing about Muruga, his, peacock, his Vel (spear), his Seval (rooster), his Kadappa garlands, His Lotus Feet, His twelve sacred shoulders and his abode, Vayalur\u201d.\u00a0 \u00a0As songs came from Sri Arunagirinathar\u00a0 one after another, \u00a0hailing the glory of Lord Muruga at great height, he became the cynosure of all eyes and ears.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u00a0One day, after worshipping Arunachala and mother Unnamulaiyar, Arunagirinatha Swamigal set out his divine journey of visiting temples.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 With the grace bestowed on him by the Lord, songs came one after another like water that gushed forth from a reservoir.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u00a0According to research carried out by Sri Chengalvarayan, Arunagirinatha Swamigal has composed over 16,000 songs. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Thiruppugazh is an excellent expression of devotion.\u00a0 Devotion (Bhakthi) means supreme love towards God.\u00a0 The seed of devotion is already planted in the heart and he who recognizes it and develops it becomes pure devotee.\u00a0 The love that we express towards God is devotion and the love God gives us in return is called grace.\u00a0 The divine love that overflows from the heart has no parallel.\u00a0 It is devoid of any expectation. Most of the Thiruppugazh songs convey the devotees\u2019 love towards Muruga and hail His glory.\u00a0 Thiruppugazh songs explain how through pure devotion towards Lord Muruga one can overcome the adversities of Karma, fear of death and attain immortality.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Swamigal says: \u201cOh Muruga, I have been hailing your glory for long with Bhakthi and grace me the bliss of Mukti\u201d (1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the song rendered at Tiruvannamalai, the saint-poet says: \u201cOh Arunachala!, as I chant your sacred name in different ways like \u2018Sivayanama\u2019, \u2018Masivayanama\u2019, \u2018Namasivaya\u2019\u00a0\u00a0 \u2018Vayanamasi\u2019, as my\u00a0 eyes are focused and heart engrossed on you,\u00a0\u00a0 and as I hail your name that brings victory, I prostrate at the effulgent mountain which symbolizes your holy feet.\u00a0 Oh Arunachala! Would I not imbibe the nectar that flows from the ocean of your grace and reach your Lotus Feet?\u201d (2)\u00a0 The saint sings another song of devotion thus: \u201cI 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.\u00a0 This is the garland of poetic verses that hail your glory, the garland of Thiruppugazh that would add to your beauty.\u00a0 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?\u201d (3).\u00a0 As the devotion grows and the devotee finds himself one with the God, the light of Jnana dawns,\u00a0 leading to realization that Muruga is shining as the Atman within.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Thiuppugazh is described as Amrutam which means immortality (Mrithyoma Amrutam Gamaya<\/em>).\u00a0 It is also described as giant tree (Karpaka Vriksha<\/em>) that fulfils the different aspirations of the individual. \u00a0\u00a0There are songs that prays for basic necessities like clothes to wear (Udukka thukil Vendum<\/em>), for a house to reside (Antarpathi Kudiyera<\/em>), for a body free from disease (Irumalum roga<\/em>) for the grace of the Lord (Ainkaranai yotha manam<\/em>), for a heart full of devotion (ethilaatha Bakthi thanai mevi), for a mind free from thoughts and worries (Manakavalai),<\/em> for a life free from the consequence of Karma (iruvinai anja<\/em>).\u00a0 But, these aspirations constitute only the lower portion of the tree called Thiruppugazh.\u00a0 \u00a0If only one takes a higher look at the huge tree and reaches out, he would find precious fruits of knowledge.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0It was this fruit of knowledge (Jnana Pazham) Lord Muruga symbolizes at the sacred temple of Palani.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The sage says: \u201cOh 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.\u201d (4) \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n All Tamil devotional literatures that extol the glory of the Lord, come under the common term;\u00a0 \u00a0\u2018Thiru Pugazh\u201d (Glory to Lord), but only Arunagirinatha Swamigal\u2019s works on Muruga got that exclusive title. Kachiappa Sivacharyar\u2019s epic \u2018Kandha Puranam\u2019 and Nakkeerar\u2019s Thirumurugratruppadai excel in description of Muruga, the purpose of his appearance and the way he guides the devotees as Swami Natha (Eternal Guru).\u00a0 However\u00a0 Arunagirinathar\u2019s songs alone got the title, \u201cThiruppugazh\u201d 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.\u00a0 Besides, from the song, we come to know that Lord Muruga Himself gave the title \u201cThiruppugazh\u201d.\u00a0 \u00a0Sri Arunagirinathar saw Lord Muruga as the reflection of eternal reality.\u00a0 \u00a0In his song \u2018Akaramum Aaki\u2019 rendered at Pazhamudhir Solai, Swamigal says: \u201cOh! Muruga, by being the foremost in the universe, like the alphabet \u2018aa\u2019 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.\u00a0 Come and grace me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 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. \u00a0Kandar Alamgaram is a marvellous poetry that portrays Muruga, His divine qualities, His beauty, His infinite power, His magnificence, His love and compassion.\u00a0 \u00a0It 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.\u00a0 Kandar Anubhuti is the revelation of Sri Arunagirinathar\u2019s experience of having realized Muruga within.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 In his song on Thiruthuruthi, (Malaikkanaththena<\/em>) the poet had said that Lord Muruga had blessed him with the talent which made it possible for him to spell out his experience. \u00a0(5)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 The 54th<\/sup> stanza is unique as it contains only one root letter \u201cth\u201d throughout (6).\u00a0 Though Villiputhur Alwar was a great scholar, he was too proud of his accomplishments.\u00a0 He challenged Arunagirinathar for a trial of talent where the one who correctly interprets the song of the other would merit recognition.\u00a0 \u00a0While Arunagirinatha Swamigal heard the song of Alwar and explained its meaning correctly, Alwar could not understand anything when Arunagirinathar recited the 54th<\/sup> stanza of Kandar Aanthathi and conceded defeat.\u00a0 While residing at Thiruverakam, the saint also composed an outstanding song called \u201cThiru Ezhu Kootrirukkai\u201d. He composed this song consisting of number one to seven, forming like a chariot.\u00a0 It is believed that merely by rendering this one song a devotee would get the value of rendering all\u00a0 Thiruppugazh songs.\u00a0 (Or Uru vaakiya)<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Thiruppugazh songs which underline the importance of Jnana or Self-realization are many.\u00a0 In a souvenir having limited space, it becomes necessary to confine within one or two songs.\u00a0 The song \u2018Andhakan Varum Dhinam\u2019<\/em> (the day Lord of Death comes) which Sri Arunagirinathar rendered at Tiruchendur is very enlightening.\u00a0 Thieves are those who come from outside, sneak into house, grab precious articles and run away.\u00a0 The outside thieves who come and go are tolerable but not the thieves who come from within and stay permanently.\u00a0 \u201cThe thieves who come and prevent me from being conscious of my Self are the senses,\u201d says Arunagirinathar in this song (Indhiriya<\/em> sanchalangalai aruthu).<\/em>\u00a0 Adi Sankara says that the robbers called senses distort the vision of the devotee and deprive him the bliss of being in Self.\u00a0 \u201cWhen 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). \u00a0Arunagirinatha \u00a0Swamigal says: \u201cOh Muruga, the five elements never allow me to worship you nor would they let me reach your Lotus Feet\u201d (Ora vottar 8).\u00a0 \u00a0He continues:\u00a0 \u201cOh Lord, rescue me from the senses and mind which prompts me to believe this illusory world as real\u201d (9).\u00a0\u00a0 In another song the saint says: \u201cOh Muruga, rescue me, before this house of body dilapidates by the evil effect of senses (10).\u00a0\u00a0 In the Song \u201cAnithamaana\u201d, the poet says: \u201cOh! God, guide me to the realization that my Self alone is real and the body is separate from me.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n A misconception prevails among some that Mukthi (liberation) is a state that is attained after death.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mukthi is attainable here and now.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0He who realizes that he is the Self, beyond the body and mind is liberated even while living.\u00a0 He is Jivan Muktha.\u00a0 He realizes that the Self shining in him is the same that shines in others.\u00a0 It is the mind which brings differences like \u201cyou\u201d and \u201cme\u201d.\u00a0 When the light of Jnana dawns, concepts like \u201cyou\u201d and \u201cme\u201d disappear and the individual experiences the bliss of Self-knowledge.\u00a0 In his song beginning with \u201cAmalavayu\u201d, Arunagirinatha Swamigal prays for the grace that would dispel all differences and create awareness of oneness (11).\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0One 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.\u00a0 Self alone is real and ever-existing.\u00a0 It is the mind \u00a0\u00a0which\u00a0 generates\u00a0 thoughts and the \u2019I-thought\u2019 is predominant among all thoughts.\u00a0 The state where the \u2018I\u2019 notion does not rise is the ideal state.\u00a0 \u00a0In this song (<\/em>Andhakan Varum Dhinam), Arunagirinathar says: \u201cWhen would I reach a state beyond thoughts, beyond senses, beyond words and deeds where I lose my individuality?\u201d (12) \u00a0\u201cOh! Lord\u201d, the poet says in the song \u2018Thenunthu Mukkanigal\u2019 \u201celevate me from the notion of \u2018I\u2019; from my attachment towards the body and this life,\u00a0 let me be transcended to the infinite vast space and experience the bliss of Siva Gnana.\u201d\u00a0 (Thenunthu Mukkanigal)\u00a0\u00a0 (13) <\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 When the mind is <\/em>turned outwards it results in bondage and when the mind is turned inwards, it results in liberation.\u00a0 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 \u201cSumma Iru\u201d.\u00a0 \u2018Summa Iru\u2019 means remaining still and silent, devoid of all mental and physical activities and distancing oneself from the external world.\u00a0 <\/em>Having remained in a state of stillness and silence Sri Arunagirinathar had lost his individuality in total and realized Muruga shining as Atman within.\u00a0 He describes this experience in Kandar Anubhuti thus:\u00a0 \u201cOh Muruga, the source of all knowledge, what a grace!\u00a0 You have swallowed the false \u2018I\u201d in me (yaan), and as a result I could identify myself as \u201cI AM\u201d (14) \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n What constitutes real knowledge?\u00a0 The knowledge one normally gains relates to matters outside him.\u00a0 What one knows about worldly matters is only an objective knowledge.\u00a0 Objective knowledge is not real because it is subject to frequent changes.\u00a0 The real knowledge, \u2018Jnana\u2019 is neither knowing nor not-knowing.\u00a0 Real jnana is to transcend the state of knowledge and ignorance.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 (15)\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Thiruppugazh is unique for many reasons.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Since the songs are composed by the blessings of Muruga, the songs are said to contain a divine power and value.\u00a0 \u00a0Thiruppugazh is unique also because we find it a confluence (Sangamam) of Advaita Vedanta, Itihas and Puranas.\u00a0\u00a0 A work as divine and magnificent as this was not known to the world in the beginning.\u00a0 \u00a0It 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.\u00a0 \u00a0Sri Chengalvarayan pursued vigorously and succeeded in tracing the songs which were scattered at different locations and brought them in a printed book form.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Choosing Thiruppugazh as his life\u2019s mission, Sri Sachidhananda Swamigal, as he came to be known, created widespread awareness about this simple and effective form of worship.\u00a0 Guruji Sri Raghavan set the songs in the sweet raga of Carnatic music and created a powerful Thiruppugazh movement across the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Seshadri Swamigal described Thiruppugazh as a Maha Mantra.\u00a0 Thayumana Swamigal said \u201cAmong the galaxy of devotional poets, Arunagirinatha Swamigal shines like a brilliant star\u201d.\u00a0 He said \u201cOh Arunagiri! who else has composed the verses of truth as delightfully as you\u201d (16) \u00a0\u00a0Arunachala Reddiyar, a great devotee who lived in the 19th<\/sup> century,\u00a0 described the inestimable value of Thiruppugazh in his Kavadi Sindhu song:\u00a0 \u201cThe songs that came from the tongue of Arunagirinathar are so powerful that the sound created by them reverberates all over the universe.\u201d\u00a0 Sri Pamban Swamigal, the author of \u2018Shanmuga Kavacham\u201d has mentally adopted sage Sri Arunagirinathar as his Guru.\u00a0 Devotees in different stages convey their prayers to Lord Muruga who invariably answer them at the right time.\u00a0 Sri Arunagirinathar has set the most ideal prayer at the end of his immortal works, \u2018Kandar Anubhuti\u2019 thus:\u00a0 \u201cYou, 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).\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n ________________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While saints and sages came from different places to Tiruvannamalai in quest of knowledge, Arunagiri was blessed to be born here.\u00a0 Even at his young age, he was driven by devotion towards Arunachala.\u00a0 He has studied epics like Ramayana,… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thiruppugazh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2912"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2913,"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2912\/revisions\/2913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thiruppugazh.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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