6. TĒVĀRAM 6.1. Introduction, 7th to 9th century The period between seventh and ninth centuries witnessed the full flowering of Prabhandam traditions with the Śaivite Nāyaṉmārs. Songs were composed and collected into separate Books called the Tamiḻ Maṟai (Tamiḻ Vedas). They were clearly after the Vedic models adopted for the compositions and collections. The leading four composers were called “The Four - (Nālvar)”. Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar and Māṇikkavācakar, the first three of them are called, the Tēvāram Trios, whose songs are called Tēvāram, and the fourth, Māṇikkavācakar, whose songs are called Tiruvācakam. Similarly, the songs of all the Āḻvārs (twelve Āḻvār) were collected and grouped into four books like the four Vedas and called the Tamiḻ Vedas.
Among the Śaivite four, Sambandar, Sundarar and Mānikkavācakar were Brāhmins who had studied Vedas in their boyhood. Appar belonged to the Veḷḷāḷar among the agriculturists and had studied the Vedas. In many songs Appar gives verbatim translations of Vedas, especially the Satarudrīya. As mentioned earlier their songs are virtual renderings of the essence of the Vedas, the legends, and episodes in the 18 Mahāpurāṇas, and the epics. We also know that the epics and Purāṇas were the extensions of the Vedas. The Tamiḻ Śaiva Saints made the Vedas and Vedāntas fully understandable through Tamiḻ music and propagated it with growing number of temples. Vedas, temples and Tamiḻ music became integrated into one homogeneous culture. The presence of Vedic Brāhmaṇas in considerable number spread all over Tamiḻnāḍu on the one side, while on the other side, the songs of the Vaiṣṇava Saints and building of temples made Tamiḻnāḍu, the Land of the Vedas.
Appar lived till 80 years of Age, probably from 590 to 670 CE. Sambandar had a short life of 16 years between 650 and 670 CE. Hence, Sambandar and Appar were contemporaries. Sundarar lived for 32 years of age between 700 and 740 CE. Māṇikkavācakar also had short life and is held a contemporary of Varaguṇa Pāṇḍya II in the latter half of 9th century. The age of the Tēvāram saints need to be studied within this frame. We shall first take up Sambandar as he has over 4000 songs and is placed first in the list.
6.2. Sambandar One of the greatest villages, in the history of Tamiḻnāḍu around 600 CE was Sīrkāḻi, the birthplace of Jñānasambandar. Situated on the shores of Bay of Bengal at a strategic position near Kāvēri Pūmpaṭṭinam, the ancient international port and near several Buddhist halting places on east coast. It seems to have attracted several people of diverse professions. It had as many as twelve different names in the time of Sambandar. It had such generic names as Ūr, Puram, Nagaram, Maṅgalam, etc. Ūr means where all people live. Puram is a capital, big or small, with a royal palace, markets, Brāhmins and cultivator’s habitations, craftsmen, and musician’s quarters etc. Nagaram means a merchant’s town. Kāḻi means with back waters on the coast. It seems all such parts existed as colonies side by side. The following are the names mentioned by Sambandar in his poems. • Brahma-puram • Brahmā-puram • Indra-puram • Tōṇi-puram • Veṇu-puram • Śira-puram • Ṣaṇbhai-nagar • Ven-kuru • Pukali • Pūn-tarāi • Kaḻu-malam • Sīr-kāḻi Most of the names are based on nature's beauty in this village or are from local legends. Brahmā-Puram:- this name is due to a local legend mentioned by Sambandar himself in his poem. Brahmā, the Creator of the Universe and giver of all the Vedas is said to have come to this village in ancient times and worshipped Lord Śiva here with lotuses and hence it got the name Brahmāpuram i.e., the place of Brahmā. It is significant that Jñāna Sambandar who belonged to a Vedic Brāhmaṇa family was born here. We shall discuss the significance of this further in the course of this write up. Indra-Puram:- the capital of Indra, the king of the Gods is called Amarāvati where all wealth is said to abound. This village is said to possess all wealth which resembled Amarāvati, the celestial capital. This village is also called by an alternate name Devēndra-Puram or Amarar-Kōṉ-Puram.
Tōṇi-puram: Tōṇi is a prākṛtized Tamiḻ word for Droṇi (Sanskrit), i.e., boat or vessel. Here it stands for boat according to a local legend mentioned by Sambandar. Once at the end of an eon, the whole world was engulfed by the oceanic waters. This village alone floated as a boat so that all the Vedas could survive and when the next creation was made, it returned to its position. So, this village was called Droṇipuram (Tōṇi-Puram) and this local legend seems to be a Vedic legend of the primordial floods.
It is more likely that as this village was on the coast, there were fishermen with boats that went into the sea for fishing that gave the village its name. The presence of fishermen was mentioned by Sambandar in his poems. Another reason seems to be there were many boats (small ships) frequenting this village laden with commodities from the Vaṅga country through the Bay of Bengal. As it was a prominent coastal town with plenty of boats, it probably was called Droṇipuram. Veṇu-Puram:- Veṇu means bamboo which is praised in literature as it is used for making flute, the musical instrument. It gives sweet music. Also, when the wind passes through a cluster of bamboo trees, through its dried leaves it gives a delightful hissing musical sound. Bamboos are grown in large numbers on the coastal regions and this village being on the coast was full of bamboo and hence, the name Veṇu-Puram. Ṣeṇbai-Nagar: - Ṣeṇbagam is a fragrant flower that blooms in large numbers in this locality giving a fresh smell of this flower in this village. Kaḻu-malam: - The word Kaḻu-malam consists of two parts. Kaḻu means to wash off or clean, Malam means impurities. It was believed that those who lived here will have their impurities, born out of their own actions, cleaned in the past and the present. According to the Śaiva system, individuals accumulate three kinds of impurities called ahamkāra, karma, and māyā. These are called three malas. A Śaiva devotee washes off these impurities and reaches Godhood. This village, being a great Śiva kṣetra it was called the place that washed away the impurities.
Puhali: - Pukal in Tamiḻ means to take refuge. If one takes refuge in this village their redemption is assured.
In one of the verses, Sambandar mentions that Śiva gave birth to Kumara and through him destroyed the opponents of the celestials. Kumara is called in Tamiḻ Piḷḷaiyār (the boy). As Jñānasambanda was fed by Goddess here at Sīrkāḻi with her breast milk, Sambandar is called the son of this Divine pair. This legend is carried further and said that it was Kumāra Subrahmaṇya born as Sambandar. Oṭṭakkūttaṉ, a famous poet who was in the court of Rājarāja Chōḻa II, in mid 12th century, calls Sambandar the incarnation of Murugaṉ. A festival is conducted to this day in this temple, the spectacle of Umā giving milk to Sambandar enacted in the month of Chittirai (April). Ever since, Jñānasambandar is worshipped as an incarnation of Murugaṉ. It is also interesting to record that Murugaṉ is adored in Tamiḻnāḍu as a great musician and giver of Tamiḻ. Jñānasambandar is the greatest musical composer of Tamiḻ songs. This tradition seems to be indicated by the verse of Sambandar himself in this temple.
This must also be studied in connection with another verse of Sambandar. He mentions in a hymn called Thiruttāḷaj-jati verse no 51, the cokka nṛtta performed by Śiva. This is perhaps the earliest reference to cokka nṛtta, which means the 108 nṛtta karaṇas mentioned in Bharata's Nāṭya Śastra. In fact, it is Śiva who taught the karaṇas to Nandikēśvara which Bharata learnt and brought to Earth.
6.3. Thirujñānasambandar Sambandar was born in a Vedic family in the Kauṇḍinya gōtra, at Sīrkāḻi which had twelve names as mentioned earlier. His family was known for performing Vedic sacrifices regularly and is known as the family of Caturvedins. His father’s name is given as Śivapāda Hṛdayar, and Mother Bhagavati.
He had sung nearly 4,150 songs which have been compiled into Thirumurais 1, 2, and 3 in the later years. All his songs were composed as hymns of tens with an eleventh called kaṭaik-kāppu and are equivalents of Phala-stuthi in Sanskrit. Such tens are called Patikam derived from the Sanskrit word Padyam i.e., songs (the prose rendering is generally called Gadyam). Some mediaeval Sanskrit writers also derive this from what they call as tens dasakam (pattu) Sambandar himself calls this as “Pattu”.
For the purpose of this study, we mention individual verses as songs and each group of ten songs as hymns. The total number of hymns Sambandar sang is 383. These songs have been copied from palm leaf manuscripts and printed in several editions since the first printed edition. A feeble effort of comparative examination of manuscripts has been done. But an amazing find of one of Sambandar’s hymn was found inscribed in 10th century Tamiḻ characters of Thiru-viṭai-vāyai temple (Śrī Puṇyakōṭi Nāthar temple) in Tañjāvūr district. It consisted of eleven songs including the kaṭaik-kāppu (colophon), in full exactly in the same format as the published version. This hymn has not been found in any manuscript so far. There is a literary tradition that the Tēvāram hymns are far more in number than what has been found so far, and many manuscripts were eaten away by white ants and what are now available are only in parts. The Tēvāram inscribed on stone seems to give credence to this claim.
Another point that needs to be stressed is that the popularity of the Vedas and other Sanskrit studies in Tamiḻnāḍu, and the importance of Śiva Tāṇḍava gained by the role of Nāṭya Śāstra in the region, had tremendously increased. The composition of musical songs for music and dance as classified by Bharata in his Nāṭya Śāstra has been absorbed in temple culture and that Sambandar was the first to exploit as many traits of Bharata as possible which are reflected in the Tēvāram songs. Sambandar has composed songs in as many meters as possible, both in chandas and vṛttas. That is their poetic forms were based on the number of syllables, (akṣaras), phonetic length of the syllables (short or long), padas (words) and pādas (lines). Similarly, he has employed the four basic types of similes, like Upamā, Rūpakam, Dīpakkam and Yamakam. In Yamakam category alone he has used as many Yamakam’s as possible. He has used as many paṇs (tunes of rāgas) as possible such as Gāndhāram, Kauśikam, Indōḷam (Hindolam), Naṭabhāṣā, Sādāri, Kuruñci(krauñci), Pañcamam and Cevvaḻi. He has also sung both Aham (erotic) and Puram (worldly) songs that is Lāsya (tender and voluptuous) and Tāṇḍava (vigorous). A list of rāgas used and Paṇs are listed in Section
6.5. Sambandar’s Śaivam was vaidika Śaivam (Vedic Śaivam). Sekkiḻār, the immortal poet of Periya Purāṇam begins the narration of his life as “Sambandar was born for the prosperity of the vēda neṟi (Vedic path) and śaiva neṟi (Śaiva path) to spread all over the world” . That sums up Sambandar’s the life’s mission. Sambandar’s service in Tamiḻnāḍu is inseparably entwined with the Vedic tradition. No one can claim greater service to Tamiḻ, than Jñānasambandar. He himself claims that his profession was to tend the three Vedic fires daily (mut-tī: āhavaniya, gārhapatya, and dakṣiṇāgnī) and yet spent every minute of his life in the service of Śiva through Tamiḻ. His contributions live from his times of the mid 7th century to this day. He is referred to as “Tamiḻ Jñānasambandaṉ” and also called “Vēdiyar Adhipati”, the lord of Vedic people.
According to Jñānasambandar Śiva is above the Vedas, the Vedas cannot comprehend him fully. Śiva himself is the embodiment of Veda and Veda Mantras. Śiva moves about singing Vedic music — “Vēda Gita” . With his Viṇā in hand he moves around singing Sāma gāna. Śiva is the symbolic representation of Vedantic knowledge that is the Upaniṣadic knowledge. Jñānasambandar himself says that his songs are Jñānat-tamiḻ. It would fall under what was later known as Śivādvaitam. This tradition has continued in Tamiḻnāḍu even in Chōḻa times. The Rājaguru of the Chōḻa emperor Kulōttuṅga III, who built the Tribhuvanam temple, says he interpreted all the Upaniṣads extolling the Supreme nature of Śiva in a text called Siddhānta Ratnākara.
6.4 Brahmā Puram Sambandar’s native place was Sīrkāḻi which had twelve different names. It had two interesting names as Brahmā-Puram and Brahma-Puram. The first one is derived from Brahmā the Creator who is said to have worshipped Śiva here and so it got the name Brahmā-Puram. The other name Brahma-Puram is derived from Brahmam of the Vedāntins. The Vedic Brāhmaṇas hold Brahmam as the final entity and so say all the Upaniṣads. As followers of this system of Vedānta, the Vedic Brāhmaṇas lead their life. Sambandar refers to the life of Vedāntins who regulated their life based on this path which is the Advaitic in nature. This is also called the Smārta way of life. The Vedic Brāhmaṇas who lived in the Caturvedi-maṅgalam, followed this path. Sambandar in a verse gives the details of this, which is virtually the Vedic life (see Section 6.7).
Sambandar in his kaṭaik-kāppu, says that he mastered the four Vedas and the six aṅgas (ṣaḍangas) in verses, maṟai nāṉkinōṭum aṅgam ārum vallavaṉ (3.100.11) and aṅgam nīṇṭa maṟaikaḷ valla aṇikoḷ cambandan urai (1.047.11). The second verse means the six aṅgas are the extensions of the Vedas. Sambandar mastered them with the Alaṅkāras. Jñānsambandar is said to have mastered the four Vedas, which tell the famous and beneficial sacrifices. He was an expert in Vedic Śrutis that are essentially to be heard and composed these ten songs full of poetic excellence. He was very well learned in other texts as well in addition to the four Vedas and six aṅgas. In a large number of songs, he mentions that he was a Caturvedi, nāṉmaṟai Jñānasambandaṉ.
At the same time, he also calls himself “tamiḻ jñānasambandaṉ”. He was proud that he was a Tamiḻ and sang in Tamiḻ. A famous saying by him was that he was spreading Tamiḻ through musical compositions ccentamiḻāl icai parappum jñānasambandaṉ. In a beautiful expression he says he was “Sambandaṉ of three Tamiḻs and the four Vedas” (mut-tamiḻ nāṉmaṟai jñānasambandaṉ). True to his statement there was no Caturvedi Brāhmaṇa who had composed 4,150 Tamiḻ songs in the history of India. In fact, it is not only in Tamiḻ but there is no one music composer of classical songs in thousands as him. His songs attained great fame even during his lifetime. He refers to his songs as paṇkaḷ (musical renderings). At another place his songs are called garlands of Tamiḻ songs in the paṇ system.
He calls his songs as Tamiḻ songs in different forms of garlands. col-mālai, icai-mālai, tamiḻ-mālai, centamiḻ-mālai-pattu (classical Tamiḻ ten), paṇ-mālai, jñāna-māmalar (the great flowers of knowledge), ēttum-pāṭal (prayer songs or stotras of Sanskrit), col-malku-pāṭal (songs with full of words padas), muṟaimayāl-conna-pāṭal (sung in the proper order), unique garland of Tamiḻ of everlasting attraction, jñānam-mikka-tan-tamiḻ-mālai (sweet songs of Tamiḻ full of knowledge), vāḻum-tuṇai-tamiḻ-mālai (garland of Tamiḻ that remains a companion of life), nikarillā-tamiḻ-mālai (unparalleled garland of Tamiḻ), cintaṉai-moḻi (language of consciousness), chanda-niṟai-tan-tamiḻ (the poems full of chandas known to Tamiḻ, rendered into music), chanda-mālai (garland of chandas), Tamiḻ in which the songs are rendered through kalik-kōvai, full of Chandam, iṉ-col-kalaikaḷ (the ten arts, the songs are called arts).
In the village Kaḻumalam, where masters of the Vedas reside, Sambandar - who mastered the entire Tamiḻ, composed these poems. In one song he says as jñāna-mā-muṉivaṉ marshalled all the meanings of the four Vedas and six aṅgas and fastened them in these songs. This is a significant mention. First of all, he calls himself as jñāna-muṉi, saint of knowledge. He has composed these Tamiḻ songs with the meanings of the four Vedas, and six aṅgas. Clearly, Sambandar was conscious that his Tēvāram songs reflected the meaning of the Vedas. That is the reason why he is never tired of calling himself the Vedic Jñānasambandaṉ, the singer of classical Tamiḻ. He is also called śiva-jñāna-sambandar.
The nature of Vedic Brāhmaṇas is described in one complete hymn of ten verses at Ōmampuliyūr2. He says their fame spread to all eight directions. They knew all the eight dark nights of the Yāmams and tended the three fires regularly. It evidently refers to the mastery of jyotiṣa-śāstra, by the Vedic Brāhmaṇas which is one of the ṣaḍaṅgas six auxiliary sciences. The Vedic Brāhmins respected the cows, tended, and worshipped them in their houses. They got up in the morning worshipping the cows. They were frequently called bhūmi-dēvas, who establish different Vedic sacrifices, yajñas, with the Vedas and studied the six Vedāṅgas understanding their meanings and tended sacrificial fires regularly at Koccaivayam. The Vediyars were highly learned and masters of the four Vedas and were classical musicians (jāti gīta vardhamānās). By the time of Sambandar there were six schools of Buddhists called Aruvahai Tērars.
The Vedic Brāhmaṇas of Sīrkāḻi, were great masters of Vedic words and were called good people whose profession was to tend Vedic fires. They were foremost tattva-jñānis, philosophers, who were great poets in arts whom Lord Śiva never let down. The four Śrutis (Vedas) were not only sought in this world but also in heaven by the celestials who were fond of them. In Koccaivayam, the Vedic Brāhmaṇas assembled in Maṇḍapas and eradicated the evil effects of Kali, the dark age. The sound of the great Vedic mantras and the Vedic sacrifices never ceased in the village of Sambandar. The Brāhmins there had no wants, for they were full of learning and entertained no hatred towards any.
The performance of five yajñas (deva, pitṛ, bhūta, mānuṣya, and ṛṣi) are followed by the study of six aṅgas of Vedic studies. They are śikṣā kalpam, chandas, vyākaraṇam, niruktam, and jyotiṣam. Śikṣā begins with the proper pronunciation of sound (phonetics). Sambandar mentions āraṅga mutal eḻuttu ōti. This concept of śikshā is found in Taittirīya Upaniṣad and begins as varṇas svaras, mātrā balam, sāma santānaḥ). Among the six aṅgas the recitation of varṇas is the first. Sambandar mentions this beginning. The sixth system is jyotiṣam which Sambandar names it as varaṉ muṟai payinṟu eḻu vāṉ tanai vaḷarkkum (1.125), i.e., one who gets up and completes his daily routines. Sambandar says this village Brahma Puram followed these routines. And Lord Śiva of this village manifests because this system was regularly followed by the inhabitants. As Jñānasambandar gives this complete lifestyle of Vedic Brāhmaṇas of this village it gets the name of Brahma Puram. As he calls this Brahma Puram and mentions six aṅgas with Taittirīya Upaniṣad, it is evident that Sambandar brings out the Advaita Vedantic lifestyle based on Upaniṣadic teachings. We may now be sure that the hundreds of Caturvedi-maṅgalam had Brāhmaṇas following this lifestyle. Sambandar says he belonged to this Vedantic tradition. 6.5. Poetic meters mentioned by Jñānasambandar • Eka-pādam • Īṟaṭi (Dvipād) • Mukkāl (Tripād) • Nālaṭi (Catuṣpād) • Īṛaṭi-mēl-vaippu (add to Dvipād) • Nālaṭi-mēl-vaippu (add to Catuṣpād) • Viṉāviṭai (prasnottara mālikā) • Thirut-tāḷajati • Thiru-irukkuk-kuṛaḷ • Thiru rāgam • Moḻi-māṟṟu • Cakkara-māṟṟu • Eḻu-kūṟṟirukkai • Gomūttiri • Kūṭac-catukkam All these are mostly based on a line pāda of the poem. These are mentioned in all the printed editions. If one takes the cīr and syllables of the variety of poems composed, their number is enormous. Rāgas used by Sambandar are 22 in number. • Naṭa-bhāṣā • Takkā • Paḻam-takka-rāgam • Takkēci • Kuruñci,(Krauñci) • Vyāḻak-kuruñci • Mēgharāgak-kuruñci • Indōḷam • Sīkāmaram • Gāndhāram • Piyandai-gāndhāram • Nāṭṭai • Cevvaḻi (sumārgi) • Kolli • Kolli-kauvānam • Gāndhāra-pañcamam • Kaucikam • Pañcamam • Sādāri • Paḻam-pancuram • Pura-nīṟmai • Antālik-kuruñci • 6.6. Vedic Brāhmaṇas Singing the greatness of Mutukuṉṟam (1.053), Sambandar stated that staying in his ancient village Kaḻumalam, which had twelve names, he observed his profession of tending three flaming fires (āhavanīyam, gārhapatiyam and dakṣiṇāgni) and whatever songs he composed and sang, if sung by devotees they are sure to attain salvation. Controlled five senses pañcendriya are: śraddhā (faith), samādhi (concentration), vīrya (energy), smṛti (mindfulness), prajñā (wisdom); antaḥ-karaṇam are four (mind, intellect, ego, and consciousness); Guṇas are three in numbers (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas); two are the breathings (inhale and exhale). These are brought into oneness oruṅku means regulate into one. The celestials regulated their life in this manner and adored the Lord. These are the paths prescribed for the Vedic Brāhmaṇas. Sambandar specifically explained the numbering system for the Brāhmins.
The Brāhmaṇas with single pointed mind, are said to be twice born (dvijas). The first birth is from the blood related parents. The second is the teacher and his wife, for the teacher gives the life of knowledge. They performed the obligatory Vedic sacrifices (ā havanīyam, gārhapatiyam and dakṣiṇāgni) three times a day without fail. The performance of these sacrifices makes one an Agnihotri. Agnihotras on three sandhis is an obligatory rite for Brāhmaṇas. Then they are expected to recite the four Vedas. This is followed by performance of five yajñas, deva yajña - worship of Devas; ṛṣi yajña - worship of Ṛṣis, the originators of the family; pitṛ yajña worship of the dead ancestors; atiti yajña - worship of guests; and paśu yajna - worship of animals and birds. The worship of these five takes place by feeding.
6.7. Eḻukūṟṟirukkai While singing his native village Sīrkāḻi (1.128), he composes a poem in a peculiar format called thiru eḻukūṟṟirukkai3, in which a number of stanzas are included. This poem is based on numerals. It starts with number one and increases in numerical progression as two, three, four, five, six and seven, giving one aspect with each stanza. After reaching seven the numbers are reversed in regression as seven, six, five, four, three, two, one (1, 121, 12321, 1234321, 123454321, 12345654321, 1234567654321). In this way the numbers are increased with each stanza up to seven and returned to one, and that would constitute one stanza. In the same way four or five stanzas may be composed. This is called eḻu-kūṟṟu-irukkai. eḻu means seven, kūṟṟu means division and irukkkai stage. Sambandar composed on Sīrkāḻi in this manner and gives one name of the village for each number. The culminating name was Brahmāpuram
6.8. Jñānasambandar’s songs Some of sambandar's songs mention “The famous songs of Sambandar”. This is clear evidence that Sambandar’s song attained great fame in his own lifetime. He says, the songs sung with music; Jñanasambandaṉ of great learning sang in the presence of men of great learning (kāñci anēka-taṅgā-padam); select Tamiḻ songs; the classical Tamiḻ songs with full of chandas, sung on Kailāsa mountain by Sambandaṉ; the kṣetrak-kōvai songs of śivajñāna sambandaṉ, when sung by devotees day and night, will for sure reach the sacred feet of Śiva. தொல்லை ஊழிப் பெயர் தோன்றிய தோணிபுரத்து இறை நல்ல கேள்வித் தமிழ் ஞானசம்பந்தன் நல்லார்கள் முன் அல்லல் தீர உரை செய்த அனேகதங்காவதம் சொல்ல, நல்ல அடையும்; அடை யா சுடுதுன்பமே. (2.5.11) அம்மானை, அருந்தவம் ஆகிநின்ற அமரர்பெருமான், பதி ஆன உன்னி, கொய்ம் மா மலர்ச்சோலை குலாவு கொச்சைக்கு இறைவன் சிவ ஞானசம்பந்தன் சொன்ன இம் மாலை ஈர் ஐந்தும் இரு நிலத்தில் இரவும் பகலும் நினைந்து ஏத்தி நின்று, விம்மா, வெருவா, விரும்பும்(ம்) அடியார், விதியார் பிரியார், சிவன் சேவடிக்கே. (2.039.11) The Vedic Jñānasambandar, who hailed from the village which had its beginning from Brahmā (Brahmāpuram) sang these songs that would prevent the evils of planets and stars. It is the song of a Muni - Jñānasambanda muni, which will keep the bad effect of grahas such as the hymns of Vedic Ṛṣis (kōḷaru patikam). The devotees who sing these songs will reach heaven. This is my order (āṇai/ utterance; āṇai namatē) that the orders of the Ṛṣis are always effective. He sang these songs after great deliberation. தேன் அமர் பொழில்கொள் ஆலை விளை செந்நெல் துன்னி, வளர் செம்பொன் எங்கும் நிகழ, நான்முகன் ஆதிஆய பிரமாபுரத்து மறைஞான ஞானமுனிவன், தான் உறு கோளும் நாளும் அடியாரை வந்து நலியாத வண்ணம் உரை செய் ஆன சொல் மாலை ஓதும் அடியார்கள், வானில் அரசு ஆள்வர்; ஆணை நமதே. (2.85.11) Sambandar refers to the four Vedas, six aṅgas, and the eighteen purāṇas in his songs on Kēdāram. While the four Vedas and six aṅgas were well known from early period, the reference to 18 Purāṇas gives a terminal date for the compositions of the 18 Purāṇas. Dating of the Purāṇas are generally attempted from the northern literature, especially Sanskrit literature. The Tamiḻ literature, especially the Tēvārams, gives irrefutable date for the Purāṇas. This is further substantiated by the references to many stories and exploits of Śiva and Viṣṇu in the songs of the Tamiḻ saints. பாதம் விண்ணோர் பலரும் பரவிப் பணிந்து ஏத்தவே, வேதம் நான்கும் பதினெட்டொடு ஆறும் விரித்தார்க்கு இடம் தாது விண்ட(ம்), மது உண்டு மிண்டி(வ்) வரு வண்டு இனம் கீதம் பாட(ம்), மடமந்தி கேட்டு உகளும் கேதாரமே. (2.114.2) Sambandar loved Tamiḻ language and sang sweet songs in it (thiru-go-karaṇam). Sambandar further says that thiru-go-karaṇam, the place of Śiva, who knows the order of the Vedas, taught their meanings to the Ṛṣis, under the shades of a banyan tree and compiled all the Vedas, and formulated the religious systems. In this passage Sambandar suggests that Śiva having examined all the Vedic saṁhitas, formulated (samayas), different philosophies, and taught them to the Ṛṣis. The word Maṟai used in this passage suggests Upaniṣads, (tattvas), and (tahuti kaṇṭu) and examined the appropriateness and established different schools of philosophy. This is to say Śiva himself established different systems of Śaiva schools. This is echoed in many of his other verses also, such as aṟu samayam vahuttavaṉ. This is also ascribed to Ādi Saṅkarācārya, as ṣaṇmata sthāpanācārya. முறைத் திறம் உறப் பொருள் தெரிந்து முனிவர்க்கு அருளி, ஆல நிழல்வாய், மறைத் திறம் அறத்தொகுதி கண்டு, சமயங்களை வகுத்தவன் இடம் துறைத்துறை மிகுத்து அருவி தூமலர் சுமந்து, வரை உந்தி, மதகைக் குறைத்து, அறையிடக் கரி புரிந்து, இடறு சாரல் மலி கோகரணமே. (3.79.3) 6.9. Dancers and Musicians The Mahākāḷa temple at Irumbai village, was worshipped by Vedic people. Maṟaiyavar, men of great penance, who were Vediyas worship him in Mahākāḷam and adore him as Bhikṣāṭaṇa, as he moves through many streets. In the song on Accarapākkam, he sings that both Tamiḻ and “vaḍacol” adore the lord's feet. Devotees will sing flawless varnas and dance. "மைம்மலர்க்கோதை மார்பினர்" எனவும், "மலைமகள் அவளொடு மருவினர்" எனவும், "செம்மலர்ப்பிறையும் சிறை அணி புனலும் சென்னிமேல் உடையர், எம் சென்னிமேல் உறைவார்" தம் மலர் அடி ஒன்று அடியவர் பரவ, தமிழ்ச்சொலும் வடசொலும் தாள் நிழல் சேர, அம் மலர்க்கொன்றை அணிந்த எம் அடிகள் அச்சிறுபாக்கம் அது ஆட்சி கொண்டாரே. (1.77.4) Singing about Lord Ekāmranāta at Kāñcīpuram, Sambandar sings in Yamaka format (sound) the Vedas sung by the celestials. Lord Śiva is the primordial meaning of the Vedas and seating beneath the banyan trees, expounds the same. Sambandar also sings in the same verse that he is capable of composing Tamiḻ songs in kalikkōvai as songs of Chandam which is meant to be sung and danced. His songs are full of padas and cīrs (nāṭal arinta cīr). பாயும் மால்விடைமேல் ஒரு பாகனே; பாவை தன் உருமேல் ஒரு பாகனே; தூய வானவர் வேதத் துவனியே; சோதி மால் எரி வேதத்து வனியே; ஆயும் நன்பொருள் நுண்பொருள் ஆதியே; ஆலநீழல் அரும்பொருள் ஆதியே; காய, வில் மதன் பட்டது கம்பமே; கண் நுதல் பரமற்கு இடம் கம்பமே. (3.114.1) அம் தண் பூங்கச்சி ஏகம்பனை, அம்மானை, கந்து அண் பூங்காழி ஊரன் கலிக்கோவையால் சந்தமே பாட வல்ல தமிழ் ஞானசம் பந்தன் சொல் பாடி ஆட, கெடும், பாவமே. (2.12.11)
He also sings about dancing girls, whom he calls kai-arivaiyar, scattered flowers with their soft fingers. Here kai-arivaiyar means dancing girls who danced Nṛtta in front of the deity during worship. When it is said that they were scattering flowers with their tender fingers it means they were performing tala-puṣpa-puṭham, the first karaṇa out of the 108 karaṇas classified by Bharata in his Nāṭya Śāstra. This suggests how the dancers were using the pure karaṇas in rituals. கை அரிவையர் மெல்விரல்(ல்) அவை காட்டி, அம்மலர்க்காந்தள், அம் குறி பை அராவிரியும் புறவு ஆர்பனங்காட்டூர், மெய் அரிவை ஓர்பாகம் ஆகவும் மேவினாய் ! கழல் ஏத்தி நாள்தொறும் பொய் இலா அடிமை புரிந்தார்க்கு அருளாயே ! (2.53.7) Śiva is the singular deity of the six systems (samayams) with goddess Umā as his part, clear like crystal, and is yet can be comprehended by the four Vedas; the six tastes (ṣaḍ rasas), seven tunes (sapta-svaras, ēḻicai), eight qualities (ṣaḍ guṇas, eṇ guṇas) which means he is beyond all delightful experiences. The beauty of the god with visual perception, seven notes with hearing, six rasas, tastes by physical contact, and the eight qualities (guṇas) could be perceived at human level, these being the best and greatest perceptions one can experience. Śiva is in all these and beyond which essentially is a Vedic concept.
6.10. Kaḻumalam In one song Sambandar mentions that Śiva gifted the four Vedas that teach dharma while seated beneath a Banyan tree. At the request of all the celestials, he cut off one of the heads of Brahmā. It probably is the reference to Brahmā siraścheda mūrtiform of manifestation. It reminds us that if one has even mastered the supreme knowledge, the Vedas, but exhibits arrogance, beyond civility, he is bound to lose his head.
Sambandar mentions his native village Kaḻumalam had twelve names where he attended to his profession of tending three fires of the Vedas and composed classical Tamiḻ songs. Those who sing the Tamiḻ songs of the Vedic Sambandar will rule the heaven. This is the height of synthesis of Vedas and Tamiḻ. We may remind ourselves that Sambandar was never tired of calling himself Vedic Sambandar in more than one thousand songs. No song composed by Sambandar in Sanskrit has survived. In the same vein, he also proclaims in thousands of poems that he sang most classical songs in Tamiḻ of which more than 4,150 songs have survived for over one thousand four hundred years, and is sung to this today, an unquestionably unparalleled tradition in the history of the world.
In another song Sambandar says knowledgeable men, who understood, fully the Vedas and conquered their five senses, and observed silence, performing penance in isolation, abound in Mutukuṉṟam. It attests many Vedic Brāhmaṇas, took to penance on that hill. In a hymn he sings that some are like mā vṛati men. This is a reference to Pāśupata ascetics in which some are called ātivarṇāśrami, who virtually behave like mad men, inviting ridicule from the public. They would dance, laugh, cry dhumr dhum karaṇai etc., according to the Pāśupata sūtras of Lakulisa. According to their system they should not react to ridicule and conquer the sense of shame. Sambandar sings that Śiva who subdued the arrogant ten headed fool Rāvaṇa was a Tāṇḍava Mūrti dancing the Bhujaṅga-rāga Nṛtta. Bhujaṅgam is a form musical composition and there exists one beautiful Bhujaṅga composition on Subramaṇya attributed to Ādi Saṅkarācārya. Sambandar calls this Bhujaṅga-rāga. மயங்கு மாயம் வல்லர் ஆகி, வானினொடு நீரும் இயங்குவோருக்கு இறைவன் ஆய இராவணன் தோள் நெரித்த புயங்க ராக மாநடத்தன், புணர் முலை மாது உமையாள் முயங்கு மார்பன், முனிவர் ஏத்த மேயது முதுகுன்றே. (1.53.7)
6.11. Sambandar on Naṭarāja Some of the Western Indologist pride themselves as great Master of Art History and say the word Naṭarāja is found in inscription only from around 14th century and so the concept of Naṭarāja itself is late and has nothing to do with Vedic tradition. Several references in poetry appear about Naṭarāja as illustrated by Ananda Coomaraswamy, but they insist that the word Naṭarāja appearing late is the clue to the concept. There is a specific mention of dancing Śiva as “the King of dance” in the verse of Sambandar. In his verse in Thirumurai (Thiruppuhali Verse no 9), Sambandar says Śiva is the King of Dance (naṭam āḍiya vēntaṉ). Vēntaṉ is king, Rāja, naṭam āḍiya i.e., one who danced. It is a definite proof to show the concept of Naṭarāja is earlier to 600 CE. மாண்டார் சுடலைப் பொடி பூசி, மயானத்து தீண்டா, நடம் ஆடிய வேந்தன், தன் மேனி நீண்டான் இருவர்க்கு எரி ஆய், அரவு ஆரம் பூண்டான், நகர் பூம் புகலி(ந்) நகர் தானே. (1.30.9) Read this poem of Sambandar on Pūmpuhali, in which he describes Śiva as naṭam āḍiya vēntan. Which means the “king of dance”. Vēntan in Tamiḻ stands for king. This is an exact equivalent of the word Natarājā. This is an irrefutable reference to the concept of the “King of dance” in 600 CE. This must be read with another beautiful verse by Sambandar on the Lord of the same village Sīrkāḻi, also known as Kaḻumalam. Here, there is the specific mention of Śiva performing the Cokka Nṛtta dance in the pañcabhūtas, earth, air, water, fire, upper space, with the goddess. This is an extraordinary reference to Cokka Nṛtta dance of Śiva with the goddess, திக்கில்-தேவு அற்று அற்றே திகழ்ந்து இலங்கு மண்டலச் சீரஆர் வீறு ஆர் போர் ஆர் தாருகன் உடல் அவன் எதிரே புக்கிட்டே வெட்டிட்டே, புகைந்து எழுந்த சண்டத்தீப் போலே, பூ, நீர், தீ, கால், மீ, புணர்தரும் உயிர்கள் திறம் சொக்கத்தே நிர்த்தத்தே தொடர்ந்த மங்கை செங்கதத்தோடு ஏயாமே, மா லோகத் துயர் களைபவனது இடம் கைக்கப் போய் உக்கத்தே கனன்று மிண்டு தண்டலைக் காடே ஓடா ஊரே சேர் கழுமல வள நகரே. (1.126.5) Cokka Nṛitta is also called Suddha Nṛitta classified in Bharata's Nāṭya Śāstra, chapter IV, where it is described as dance performed by Śiva, who taught this dance to Nandikeśvara who then taught to Bharata. It is also known as the pure dance movements classified as 108 karaṇas and designated technically as Nṛtta karaṇas. When the movement of dance is purely beautiful without any evocative suggestion, that dance is called Nṛitta but when the beautiful dance movement is combined with evocative suggestions, it is called Nṛitya/abhinaya. The employment of the phrase in this poem of Sambandar, cokkatte nirttatte clearly indicates the saint points to the 108 Nṛitta karaṇas. It is the Nṛitta karaṇas danced by Śiva during the evening times, (sandhya kāla), that give him the special name Naṭarāja. Some people considered this name Cokka Tāṇḍava, as a later development, but this poem of Sambandar shows that has been in use much earlier than 600 CE. We may also point out in a hymn of ten verses on the village of Thirucciṟṟēmam, Sambandar, has mentioned that the main mission of Śiva, was to dance. In other words, the dancing form of Śiva is the most significant and important manifestation among all the forms. நிறை வெண் திங்கள் வாள்முக மாதர் பாட, நீள்சடைக் குறை வெண் திங்கள் சூடி, ஓர் ஆடல் மேய கொள்கையான்- சிறைவண்டு யாழ்செய் பைம்பொழில் பழனம் சூழ் சிற்றேமத்தான்; "இறைவன்!" என்றே உலகு எலாம் ஏத்த நின்ற பெருமானே. (3.42.1) நெடு வெண் திங்கள் வாள்முக மாதர் பாட, நீள் சடைக் கொடு வெண்திங்கள் சூடி, ஓர் ஆடல் மேய கொள்கையான்- படு வண்டு யாழ்செய் பைம்பொழில் பழனம் சூழ் சிற்றேமத்தான்; கடுவெங்கூற்றைக் காலினால் காய்ந்த கடவுள் அல்லனே! (3.42.3) In all the ten verses of this hymn Sambandar mentions Śiva as the Lord of dance. In the second line of each verse cited here, Sambandar says that it was the avowed aim of the Lord to keep dancing all the time. In other words, Śiva's supreme form is the Dancing form. That Śiva is not only fond of dancing himself, but he also loves the dance of beautiful girls, who also sing. In a beautiful verse Sambandar expresses the dance of singing girls. "பங்கயம்மலர்ச்சீறடி, பஞ்சு உறு மெல்விரல், அரவு அல்குல், மங்கைமார் பலர் மயில், குயில், கிளி, என மிழற்றிய மொழியார், மென் கொங்கையார் குழாம் குணலை செய் கோட்டூர் நற்கொழுந்தே!" என்று எழுவார்கள் சங்கை ஒன்று இலர் ஆகி, சங்கரன் திரு அருள் பெறல் எளிது ஆமே. (2.109.2) This song on the Lord of Kōṭṭūr extols the dance of dancing girls, in the morning evidently during thiru anantal rite. It is interesting to note Sambandar mentioning them as one with sweet voices like parrots, and cuckoos and are like pea****s. This also confirms that dancing girls sang and danced during the morning temple rites. 6.12. Sambandar on Mutukuṉṟam Sambandar teaches Aram, Poruḷ, Inbam, and Vīṭu. In a very significant verse on Mutukuṉṟam, Sambandar gives the symbolic meaning of the Form of Śiva. சுழிந்த கங்கை, தோய்ந்த திங்கள், தொல் அரா, நல் இதழி, சழிந்த சென்னி சைவவேடம் தான் நினைத்து, ஐம்புலனும் அழிந்த சிந்தை அந்தணாளர்க்கு அறம் பொருள் இன்பம் வீடு மொழிந்த வாயான், முக்கண் ஆதி, மேயது முதுகுன்றே. (1.053.6) In this verse there are four parts to understand. The first part says Śiva assumed the form of a Śaivite, by wearing Gaṅgā, the crescent moon, a deadly snake, and fragrant flowers on his head. These four on his head makes him a “Śaiva veṭaṉ”, that is, he has worn the attire of a Śaivite. The second part mentions visualising these four on the head of Śiva. The third part deals with the state of a devotee. He subdues his senses, instruments of perceptions that are likely to distract one from pointed devotion. So, the five senses must be dissolved and then the devotee can concentrate in his consciousness. One who is capable of achieving this state, is called Antaṇāḷar, he is a Brāhmin.
The fourth part says Śiva teaches Aram, Poruḷ, Inbam and Vīṭu which are the four puruṣārthas of the Vedic way of life, known as Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa in Sanskrit.
Obviously, Sambandar explains the Dakṣiṇāmūrti form of Śiva, when he teaches the four Brāhmaṇas. In many verses elsewhere, Sambandar sings that as Dakṣiṇāmūrti seated beneath the banyan tree, Śiva taught the Vedas to the Brāhmaṇas and at other places Sambandar says that Śiva summarises the meaning of the Vedas (vedattin poruḷai) and at another place he says Śiva taught the meaning of the Vedas, it means he expanded the meaning of the Vedas (viṛittānai). So, what Śiva taught was the four puruṣārthas of the Vedas. That is perhaps why Smārtha Vedic Brāhmaṇas are greatly attached to the Dakṣiṇāmūrti form of Śiva.
As this is symbolic but ultimate teachings of Śiva, the four symbols he wore on his head mentioned at the beginning as Gaṅgā, Moon, Snake and fragrant flower are to be understood in symbolic forms. Gaṅgā stands for purity. Moon represents knowledge (candraḥ sarvajñatā rūpaḥ), the snake represents the sense perceptions, (it is known that the snake with five hoods in the waist of Śiva represents the senses) and fragrant flower is the ultimate Flower of this path. One has to purify oneself for this path by Gaṅgā choose the right path with one’s knowledge symbolised by the crescent moon, senses are extremely useful if under control, symbolised by the Snake, then one is face to face with the most fragrant everlasting stage symbolised by the flower. Now Śiva himself becomes Śaiva veṣadhāri. Thus, Gaṅgā and the other symbols on Śiva’s head are not mere decorative elements but symbols of eternal ideas.
As Jñānasambandar was born in the family of vaidika Smārta Brāhmaṇas it is perfectly clear that he emphasised the fulfilment of four Puruṣārthas, Dharma, Artha, Kāmaand Mokṣa, (vaidika dharma mārga paratā) in the verse. This makes it clear why Sambandar speaks of them around 650 CE. The question then arises, what about the early Saṅgam Tamiḻs? I say the entire early Tamiḻ kingship of the Saṅgam age is based on the four puruṣārthas. In many verses of Puṟanāṉūṟu we get references to Aram that is Dharma. But in two verses on the Chōḻa ruler Nalam Kiḷḷi, we find Aram, Poruḷ and Inbam are mentioned together. For example, Puṟam 28 by Uraiyūr Mutukaṇṇaṉ Sāttanār sings the three puruṣārthas together and extols them as the most revered aims of kingship. அதனால் அறனும் பொருளும் இன்பமும் மூன்றும் ஆற்றும் பெரும நின் செல்வம் ஆற்றாமை நின் போற்றாமையே.. புற. 28 Similarly, Puram 31 by Kōvūr-kiḻār also mention the same three aims together as the exalted aims of kingship. சிறப்புடை மரபின் பொருளும் இன்பமும் அறத்து வழிப்படூம் தோற்றம் போல.. புற. (31) As they occur in the body of the texts there is no doubt that the four puruṣārthās; Aram, Poruḷ, and Inbam were the guiding aims in the Saṅgam age as well. That proves the main aim of the Tamiḻ society from the Saṅgam age onwards, is the vaidika dharma mārga.
6.13. Maṅgayarkaraci When Sambandar visited Madurai, he sings the chief queen of the Pāṇḍya as Mā Perum Dēvi; of charming eyes like that of a deer. Mā Perum Dēvi is the Tamiḻ equivalent of Mahādevi — meaning the chief queen whose name is given as Maṅgayarkaraci. She is said to be the daughter of Chōḻa King, Vaḷavarkōṉ Pāvai. She was beautified with shining bangles in her hands and who was the daughter of Lotus — Paṅgayaccelvi. She had coral-like lips and eyes resembling a fish. She played with golden balls with her tender fingers and patronised the vibhūti of Lord Śiva. She resembled a “Swan on a Red Lotus” (Lakṣmi) with an attractive face. Pāṇḍimādevi was wearing necklaces of pearls. The Pāṇḍyan country was famous for pearls, sandal paste and vibhūti (sacred ash). She was the daughter of the Chōḻa King with precious crown who was ruling his country prosperously. This Queen was a great devotee of Śiva and was ever engaged in the services of Lord Śiva. Sekkiḻār praises this queen in his immortal “Periyapurāṇam” and draws his conclusion mainly from Sambandar’s own poems. One such source is what Sambandar mentions in the colophon of each hymn. Sekkiḻār mentions the order in which Sambandar sang the Pathikams at Madurai. His first Pathikam was the hymn beginning with the address to the queen of the Pāṇḍya King, Maṅgayarkaraci. In other verses of this hymn, he mentions the temple as “this is the Thiru-ālavāy worshipped by the Queen”. Similarly, he sings in alternate versus the Minister to the Pāṇḍya, Kulaccirayār and the temple as “this is Thiruālavāi worshipped by the Minister” . The hymn was sung when both Maṅgayarkaraci and Kulachiraiyār welcomed Sambandar to Madurai when they visited the temple.
It would be interesting to note what Jñānasambandar had said about himself, about the Pāṇḍya King and the situation in Madurai. He sang altogether 10 Pathikams, each consisting of 11 verses. Unlike other Pathikams, Sambandar gives more historical details. He makes specific references to the Pāṇḍya, whom he calls Teṉṉavaṉ (Southerner), Pāṇḍiyaṉ, Vaḻuti, Pañcavaṉ, Tamiḻpāṇḍyaṉ, Pāṇḍiyaṉ of Muttamiḻ, Iyal, Isai and Nāṭaka Tamiḻ and Pārtipaṉ who protected his subjects with justice.
When they visited the temple, he sang the second hymn “those who worship the Lord of Ālavāy will rule the world”.
Sambandar sings about the Jains who lived in Madurai and its surroundings. They lived and experienced many forms of sufferings by taking refuge in hills like Ānamalai near Madurai. They moved naked at night. When the Maṭha in which Sambandar stayed at night was torched by the Jains, he sang the heat should afflict the Pāṇḍya for not offering protection to Śaivites. This hymn begins with ceyyaṉe tiru ālavāy meviya ayyaṉe.
All the verses in this hymn end with the saying “Let this heat torched by Jains consume the King but let it do so slowly”. When Sambandar was invited to the palace by the Queen and the Minister to cure the King, he sought the blessings of the Lord of Ālavāy to enter into a debate with Jains who were ridiculing the Vedas and Vedic sacrifices. He also refers to the insult heaped on the Vedic sacrifices, and Brāhmaṇās who recited the Vedas. So, he begins the hymn veda vēḷviyai niṉdaṉai ceidu uḻal ādam illi amaṇoḍu tērar and expresses his desire to engage the Jains in debate.
The next hymn mandiram āvathu nīru was on the greatness of the Vibhūti (tiru-nīru) and its curative effects. All the ten verses of the hymn extoll the sacred ash which Sambandar applied on the Pāṇḍya that cured him. மந்திரம் ஆவது நீறு; வானவர் மேலது நீறு; சுந்தரம் ஆவது நீறு; துதிக்கப்படுவது நீறு; தந்திரம் ஆவது நீறு; சமயத்தில் உள்ளது நீறு; செந்துவர்வாய் உமை பங்கன் திரு ஆலவாயான் திருநீறே. (2.66.1) The last line of the next hymn says that it was sung by Sambandar in the presence of the Pāṇḍya King when the Queen was worried whether the boy saint could withstand the treacherous and cunning Jains. The hymn addresses the Queen, "Listen Oh Queen of Pāṇḍya, don't be afraid whether I will be able to withstand the Jains as I am only a small boy". Māṉiṉ nērviḻi mādarāy vaḻutikku mā perumdevi keḷ and the end part of this hymn says that it was sung by Sambandar to eradicate the burning fever of the King. மானின் நேர் விழி மாதராய்! வழுதிக்கு மா பெருந்தேவி! கேள்: “பா நல் வாய் ஒரு பாலன் ஈங்கு இவன்” என்று நீ பரிவு எய்திடேல்! ஆனைமாமலை ஆதி ஆய இடங்களில் பல அல்லல் சேர் ஈனர்கட்கு எளியேன் அலேந்- திரு ஆலவாய் அரன் நிற்கவே 3.39.1 The Jains ridiculed Sambandar despite their failures. Sambandar assured the Queen not to be afraid of the antics of the Jains but “see that I will cure the King, fortified by the grace of Lord Śiva of Ālavāy”. In one of his verses, Sambandar directly addressed the Queen, “Maṅgayarkaraci” that adds to the historicity of Sambandar’s visit to Madurai. He says, the sacred ash is the Vedic mantra, the tantra and Samaya (Religious observance).
மங்கையர்க்கு அரசி--வளவர்கோன் பாவை, வரி வளைக் கைம் மடமானி, பங்கயச்செல்வி, பாண்டிமாதேவி— பணி செய்து நாள்தொறும் பரவ, பொங்கு அழல் உருவன், பூதநாயகன், நால்வேதமும் பொருள்களும் அருளி, அம் கயல்கண்ணி தன்னொடும் அமர்ந்த ஆலவாய் ஆவதும் இதுவே. 3.120.1
மங்கையர்க்கு அரசோடு குலச்சிறை, “பொங்கு அழல்சுரம் போக்கு!” என, பூழியன் சங்கை மாற்றி, சமணரைத் தாழ்த்தவும் இங்கு உரைத்த கிளியன்னவூரனே. 3.126.10 In another verse (2.066.2), he says that the sacred ash in Veda gives knowledge (bodham). It prevents meanness, lowness and vileness in one’s behaviour and it is in Satyam and fit to be learned. It also gives liberation and kindles devotion in mind and provides purity and is praised by the people. The Jains move, naked and accustomed to eating with their hands. They were called Amaṇar, Ādar, Amaṇaveḍar, Jinakar, Aruhar and Sāttar. They abandoned Sanskrit with Āgamas and mantras but shouted their sayings in Prakṛt (pākatam) of their saints. They held onto the concept of Asti-Nāsti (Present-Absent). They had the text like Kiḷivṛuttam as their authority. They also proclaimed that they had no bondage (Bandham). They also repeated the Vāchakaslike “we have no wants and state Antanam, Aruhantanam, Buddhanam, Siddhanam (this refers to the Pañchāmaskaras of the Jains). They plucked their hair and suffered deadly pain and smeared their body with powders and emitted a foul smell while speaking. They neither cleaned their teeth nor washed their mouth. They have the habit of ridiculing poets (Pulavars of other faiths) and resorted to arguments frequently. They observed extreme penances. They did not realise the greatness of attaining liberation and reaching heaven. Sambandar points out that they did not know the Vedas and their auxiliaries (aṅgas). They did not know the recitation of the Vedas and the sūtras. They also did not perform Vedic sacrifices (Veḷvi). On the other hand, they insulted the Vedas and the Vedic sacrifices. They did not follow the Vaidīga-mārga. They do not observe the customs and manners prescribed in the Vedas. They hate the six aṅgas. Thus, they are great sinners. They question the meaning of performing Vedic sacrifices and decry the path of the Vedic Brāhmaṇas who perform sacrifices in fire. Even the breeze that passed through the bodies of Vaidīgas should not be tolerated. They appear blue bodied men and observed fasting.
There are three aspects that Sambandar stressed in their attack on Vaidīgas: He mentioned the antagonism of the Jains towards the Vedic traditions, knowledge and sacrifices which incidentally shows, Sambandar was a staunch Śaivite steeped in the vaidika system. The second point that Sambandar mentions is that they hate and insult and ridicule the Vedic people. The third point Sambandar mentions is that Samaṇas frequently resort to arguments (Vāda).
In a full hymn of 11 verseus, Sambandar sings the greatness of the Veda and Vedic sacrifices, the Jains insulting behavior and ridicules them and his own determination to defeat them in logical arguments. This led the Jains to extreme envy and attachment to power and influence - the very traits they wanted to discard. They had deep faith in the miraculous cure but when it was not successful, resorted to physical elimination of other faiths. The episodes relate to the Jains torching the Maṭha where Sambandar and his devotees were sleeping. When Sambandar and his followers were engulfed by the fire, he prayed to let the fire take hold of the King (For the King had the duty to protect the followers of all religious faith and their people). In this case, he had not protected the Śaivites, so Sambandar prayed for a punishment to the King for his failures. It is said the King from that moment onwards felt unbearable heat in his body. This episode is directly referred to by Sambandar in one of his full hymns in 11 verses. In each verse, he says the fire ignited by the Jains should affect the Pāṇḍya King and consume him. This seems to give rise to the narration of Pāṇḍya feeling the unbearable heat in his body and the failure of the Jains to cure the King with their miraculous powers. Maṅgayarkaraci invited Sambandar to the court and requested him to cure the King. When Sambandar reached the King, he sought the blessings of the Lord of Ālavāy. In the last verses of the song, Sambandar mentions, by the grace of the Ālavāyappaṉ, Lord of Madurai, the heat of fever caught by the Pāṇḍya King was cured.
Sambandar seems to have been deeply hurt by the efforts of Jains to set fire to his followers and attack them severely in his songs. In two songs, he declares his intention to debate with them and seeks the blessings of the Lord of Madurai. Each ten verses displayed the tendency of the Jains. In the first ten, he says, I will drive away the Jains who do not perform Vedic vēḷvi (vedavēḷvi ceyyā amaṇ kaiyar). He also says, I will eliminate the Samaṇa-Siddhas who follow false penance. It is my intention to destroy the creation of this Chākiyars, Samaṇars and Teṉṉer. The Samaṇas do not learn Veda by rote (vocal recitation). They seem to have received food in hand by begging and ate. The Samaṇas do endless penances, but their penance ends only with their death. I want to engage in debate and rattle them and thrash them in arguments. The Samaṇas do not know what salvation is. Sambandar wants the fame of the Lord of Madurai to spread all over the world which he repeats in every song.
In Seven out of Eleven verses, he shows the desperate nature of the Jain's antagonism towards Vedic tradition. In all the other verses, he sings Śiva's form and exploits. It indicates that the approach of Sambandar, the path of vaidikas and the path of the Śaivas are one. In other words, Vedantic tradition and Siddhantic tradition were complementary to each other and in the end are the same. We find the Śaivism of 7th Century, Vedantic and Siddhantic tradition had the same aim. This may be kept in mind while studying a copper plate of Pāṇḍyaṉ King, Arikēsari Parāṅkusa Māra Varmaṉ, who made a gift of land to a Vedic scholar who was a master of both Vedānta and Siddhānta. Among his dharmas, Arikēsari acted in two different paths. First, he built several temples including one named “Arikēsaraīśvaram” to Śiva Chandraśēkara. Secondly, he was a performer of several Vedic sacrifices including Hiraṇyagarbha and Tulābhāra.
Sambandar in his songs, calls the city as Madurai and the temple as Ālavāy. After curing the Pāṇḍya King, the Jains approached the King saying that Sambandar has played a trick with a mantra which caused the fever, but they are ready to engage him in a debate to prove that their system was superior. The debate (Vādam) will center around fire (Aṇal) and water (Punal) ordeals. In the fire ordeal, the tenets of each side should be written on a palm leaf and thrown into a glowing fire. The side that gets the palm leafleave without being burnt, is the winner. The second ordeal, a palm leafleave written with the respective mantra should be thrown into the Vaigai river and if it moves against the stream that side’s philosophy will be declared the victorious. In the first fire ordeal, Sambandar sang the poem, pōkam ārtta pūṇ mulaiyāḷ (1.049) and followed it by another hymn taḷiriḷa vaḷaroḷi (3.087.1). The leaf deposited by the Jains was burnt to ashes immediately while that of Sambandar remained intact. In the second ordeal, leaf thrown by Samaṇas in the Vaigai river, was swept away by the stream. While the one thrown by Jñānasambandar went against the stream and proved that the claim of Jains was defeated.
வாழ்க அந்தணர் வானவர் ஆனினம் வீழ்க தண்புனல் வேந்தனும் ஓங்குக ஆழ்க தீயதெல்லாம் அரன் நாமமே சூழ்க வையக முந்துயர் தீர்கவே. 3.054.1 According to literature of the period, one by Sēkkiḻār and the other by Oṭṭakūttar in “Takkayāgaparaṇi”, two different versions are presented. One that Jains challenged Jñānasambandar, they asked what the punishment for the side should be that loses the contest. The Jains immediately retorted saying the losers should be hanged. So, one version says that Jainars in large number were hanged by the Minister “Kulaccirai”, but the second tradition says Jñānasambandar appealed to the jains to give up their faith, wear Vibhūti and become Śaivas so that they can escape the gallows. On hearing this, some of them ran away from the site; some others wore the signs of Śaivism like Vibhūti and became Śaivas, but one group adamantly said that they will go to the gallows rather than join Śaivism. So, they were sent to the spikes.
Both Jñānasambandar's verses and later literature make it clear that there was severe antagonism between the two sects, Śaivas and Jainars and ultimately the Jains lost their influence in the court. This is one of the instances in Tamiḻnāḍu which proves that there was a conflict between Vedic tradition and Jain tradition and perhaps also the Buddhist but there is no other conflict between the Vedic followers and the Jain population. Though there were many subsects among the Śaivas, we do not find any dispute recorded.
6.14. Jñānasambandar at Tillai Having learnt the Vedas and adoring sacrificial fires, the Brāhmins of Tillai - Chidambaram conquered the Kali and remained adoring the Hall of consciousness - the Ciṟṟambalam. They spread Dharbha grass and made sacrificial offerings in different yajñas and they were the worshippers of dancing Śiva at Tillai. Chidambaram is called both the little hall (Ciṟṟambalam) and a Great Hall (Pēṟambalam). Jñānasambandar addresses the dancing God as “Oh Lord, Remain Singing Ever in Chidambaram, You sang many musical songs (pal-gītam) with the Veda”. He called the Chidambaram Brāhmins famous for their truthfulness. They never left the village and never rest from praising Śiva's dance. Śiva is also called Vēdiaṉ. Please note that Jñānasambandar calls himself as a Chaturvedin (Nāṉmaṟai Jñānasambandar) and as a great lover of Tamiḻ who sang Śiva with sweet music (īcaṉai icaiyāl coṉṉa campantaṉ).
He also mentions that Goddess Pārvati stood by Śiva's side when he was dancing. The sound of the Vedas and Vedic sacrifices never ceased in Tillai Nagar. Śiva has Viṣṇu as his Bull Vāhana, white in colour on which he rides (1.039.5). Sambandar is praised as a Vedic Brāhmaṇa (paḻiyillā maṟai jñānasambandar - 2.077.11). Neither the beginning nor the end of his music is known — Chandam.
Jñānasambandar is also praised as a great Vedic singer. Chandra, Sūrya, Brahmā are said to be worshipping Śiva at Chidambaram. The Vedas with mantras prosper at the temple of Mahēndrapaḷḷi and the men of Mahēndrapaḷḷi praise Śiva with Sambandar’s poem. Śiva is the supreme (One). He is Two as Ardhanāri and Harihara combined forms. He is Three as Trimūrtiand he is the Four Vedas. He is Five as Śadaśiva or pañcha-mahā-yajña. He is Six in six aṅgas - Ṣaḍaṅgas and is Seven in Saptasvara. He is the embodiment of Āgamas as Virinūlaṉ and Vedamudalvaṉ, meaning he is the Lord of the Vedas. He is adored by Brāhmins who expound the meaning of the four Vedas. He is also praised as col, tēr — the chariot constituted by the words in which he rides and here the word col stands for the Vedas. Veṇupuramanother name for Sīrkāḻiis filled with the sounds of the Vedas. Śiva expanded the meaning of the great and unique Vedas. The devotees adore him with antimantra (Sandhya Mantra).
Sambandar calls himself as Kauṇiyaṉ (Kauṇḍinyaṉ). Sambandar at one place says he was a master of the four Vedas and six aṅgas, nāṉmaṟaiyoṭu angam ārum vallavaṉ. Also, he calls himself as mutamiḻ nāṉmaṟai Jñānasambandaṉ. The Vedic scholars are called as masters of ancient art — tolkalai kaṟṟa vallār.
6.16. Saint Appar It is impossible to reduce one’s electrifying experience of reading, thinking, or singing or even dancing the immortal poems of Saint Appar into writing. He has more than 3,050 songs, divided into three books, book 4th, 5th, and 6th Thirumurai. For the past one thousand four hundred years, the Tamiḻs have been so thrilled with his poetry that they called him the emperor among poets nāvukkarasar and the lord of poetic composers vāgīsa. That is how the Tamiḻs address this master of hymns. For devotees of Śiva, he was the embodiment of Śaiva devotion. With his lucid and lyrical songs, he enchants the reader. One of the musical compositions consists of four very long lines containing more than 25 syllables, a difficult format which goes by the name tāṇṭakam. He was a master of this composition and was called tāṇṭakam vēntu the king of tāṇṭakam poems. Tāṇṭakam is a Tamiḻ form of Sanskrit Daṇḍaka.
As mentioned earlier he belonged to an agriculturist family and his poems repeatedly eulogise the Vedic ideology. His Śaivam was the Vedic Śaivam as that of Sambandar and Sundarar. His works are filled to the brim with Vedic philosophy and of all the Hindu concepts, logic, etc. One needs to write a volume of considerable size to give all that Saint Appar has said. I have written a volume over thirty years ago about Saint Appar under the heading Śiva Bhakti4. I am therefore attempting his account only briefly here.
Saint Appar also treats his poems in ten verses each but does not include a last verse as kaṭaik-kāppu, like Sambandar and Sundarar. However, he has given biographical details about his life. In the very first hymn he refers to a stomachache (Sūḷai Nōi in Tamiḻ) he was suffering and prays for its cure. He too mentions about the confrontation with the Jains and the ruling king’s suffering inflicted on him. Appar is a symbol of a fearless warrior against all onslaughts. When the king’s soldiers came to arrest him at the command of the king, he boldly said "I am not the subject of any human king, we are not afraid of death, we are eternally happy and never suffer, we are the subjects of Śaṅkara who is not the subject of anyone; he is our Lord; he is our king, and we have enslaved ourselves to that great lord”. He rejected the earthly authority of any (we will look at an elaborate version of this hymn in a later section). He gives in detail all Purāṇic episodes that are found in the mahāpurāṇās.
We have seen Sambandar using a number of animals and birds as messengers in ahat-turai tradition of sṛṅgāra bhāva. Appar also has some songs in such ahat-turai format. In one full ten song he mentions cuckoos, breeze (teṉṟal), sparrow, cranes, parrot, and swans sent as messengers (4.012). In Thiruvaiyāṟu patikam (4.003), he uses a novel method of singing one animal or bird coming as a pair of male and female in each of the ten verses. Thus, he sings of an elephant (Kaḷiṛu), pig (Ēnam), chicken (Kōḻi), **** (Sēval), cuckoo (Kuyil), striped cuckoo (Varikkuyil), pea**** (Mayil), Ibis (Anril), black buck (Karuṅkalai), crane (Nārai), and parrot (Kiḷi).
There are several forms of reference in Appar’s poems to the Vedas and their meanings. Śiva is called an expert in the four Vedas and six aṅgas. Śiva is also praised as the Vedic words and their meaning. Śiva expounded the four Vedas and composed different Vedas and taught their padas, sandhis, and their meanings to the four sages.
Śiva is fond of music and is said to listen to music in different forms. In his hymn on Gokaraṇam he says that Śiva wearing Kapāla in his hand sang to the accompaniment of Dhundhubhi Parai, different gītās (pal gītam pāṭināṉ kāṇ), also he danced to the beat and followed by listening to the great music accompanied by the Vedas. Here pal gītam stands for musical compositions other than the Veda. The music of Veda is called mahā-gītam. In his Vīḻimiḻaḷai songs, Appar says Śiva recites Chandoga Sāmaveda (4.064.7) by mouth. Sāmaveda is set to music and sung. Competent authorities say that Indian songs, particularly the musical songs, were called Gandharvam in ancient times. Appar says the Lord is paṇ which he exhibits through musical song set to Gāndharvam (gāndhāram pāṭṭicaiyil kāṭṭukiṉṟa paṇṇavaṉ kāṇ).
கண் அவன் காண்; கண் ஒளி சேர் காட்சியான் காண் கந்திருவம் பாட்டு இசையில் காட்டுகின்ற பண் அவன் காண்; பண் அவற்றின் திறம் ஆனான் காண் பழம் ஆகிச் சுவை ஆகிப் பயக்கின்றான் காண் மண் அவன் காண்; தீ அவன் காண்; நீர் ஆனான் காண் வந்து அலைக்கும் மாருதன் காண்; மழைமேகம் சேர் விண் அவன் காண்; விண்ணவர்க்கும் மேல் ஆனான் காண் விண் இழி தண் வீழிமிழலையானே 6.52.1 Indian music is derived from Sāmaveda. In another place puḷḷirukku vēḷūr (Vaidīśwaran Kōvil), Appar says Śiva is even beyond the four Vedas and six aṅgas. This is also in tune with the Vedic declaration that the words cannot reach the supreme, in other words they return without reaching him. It is an expression that God cannot be fully comprehended by words - yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saḥ5. இருள் ஆய உள்ளத்தின் இருளை நீக்கி இடர்பாவம் கெடுத்து, ஏழையேனை உய்யத் தெருளாத சிந்தைதனைத் தெருட்டி, தன் போல் சிவலோகநெறி அறியச் சிந்தை தந்த அருளானை; ஆதி மா தவத்து உளானை ஆறு அங்கம் நால்வேதத்து அப்பால் நின்ற பொருளானை; புள்ளிருக்குவேளூரானை; போற்றாதே ஆற்ற நாள் போக்கினேனே! (6.54.4) Śiva is defined as aṣṭhamūrti of eight forms. It is known that the five basic elements earth (Nilam), air (Kāṛṛu), fire (Neruppu), water (Nīr) and ether ((ākāyam)), Sun (Suriyaṉ), Moon (Chandraṉ), and priest (Yajamāna) which are called the eight forms of Śiva, the aṣṭhamūrti. Another Vedic reference is that Śiva is a friend of Mitra and Vaiśravana who are adored as dual deities in the Vedas. At Thiruvīḻimiḻalai Appar says Śiva is fond of Agastya, even as he taught dharma (aram) seated beneath the banyan tree. Agastya is worshipped on par with Śiva in early temples, whose sculpture is found on the walls of the main tower. Śiva is one who understood the Vedas without learning them. Śiva is the seven days of the week. Śiva is a lover of seven notes of the music (ēḻin icaiyē ukappāy). அன்று ஆலின் கீழ் இருந்து அங்கு அறம் சொன்னானை அகத்தியனை உகப்பானை, அயன்மால் தேட நின்றானை, கிடந்த கடல்நஞ்சு உண்டானை நேரிழையைக் கலந்திருந்தே புலன்கள் ஐந்தும் வென்றானை, மீயச்சூர் மேவினானை மெல்லியலாள் தவத்தின் நிறை அளக்கல் உற்றுச் சென்றானை, திரு வீழிமிழலையானை சேராதார் தீ நெறிக்கே சேர்கின்றாரே 6.50.3 That Śiva remained as five qualities specifically in the five basic elements: Ākāśa – 1, Air – 2, Fire – 3, Water – 4, Earth – 5. Appar refers to the construction of the bridge across the Sētu that is Rāmēśvaram by Rāma who crossed the bridge with his senā army and in the fight destroyed the demons. Appar uses the word “Setu bandhanam” for the construction of the Setu bridge, in his song on Valampuram. செங்கண்மால் சிலைபிடித்துச் சேனை யோடுஞ் சேதுபந் தனஞ்செய்து சென்று புக்குப் பொங்குபோர் பலசெய்து புகலால் வென்ற போரரக்கன் நெடுமுடிகள் பொடியாய் வீழ அங்கொருதன் றிருவிரலால் இறையே யூன்றி அடர்த்தவற்கே அருள்புரிந்த அடிக ளிந்நாள் வங்கமலி கடல்புடைசூழ் மாட வீதி வலம்புரமே புக்கங்கே மன்னி னாரே. 6.058.10 At Śivapuram he declares that the three languages vaṭa moḻi (Sanskrit), prākṛt, ten tamiḻ and the four Vedas (nāṉ maṟai) are Śiva himself. Thus, with the clear-cut recognition of the Vedic language, Sanskrit, Prākṛt and Tamiḻ are languages on par with each other. வானவன்காண்; வானவர்க்கும் மேல் ஆனான் காண் வடமொழியும் தென்தமிழும் மறைகள் நான்கும் ஆனவன்காண்; ஆன் ஐந்தும் ஆடினான்காண் ஐயன்காண்; கையில் அனல் ஏந்தி ஆடும், கானவன்காண்; கானவனுக்கு அருள்செய்தான்காண்; கருதுவார் இதயக் கமலத்து ஊறும் தேன் அவன் காண்; சென்று அடையாச் செல்வன் தான் காண் சிவன் அவன் காண் சிவபுரத்து எம் செல்வன்தானே 6.87.1 Śiva appears as a Siddha and Mukta for those who adore him. “If men of narrow mind create out of spite, a different religion and expound the same, our lord would accept even that”. It is clear that Appar was not a narrow sectarian but shows that men who are not broad minded might create another religion but as Supreme lord he is above all religions.
Śiva is called Vēdiyaṉ and Veda-gītaṉ. The celestials call him brother (Viṇṇavar Aṇṇā) and worship his feet with flowers (4.062.1). He manifests to them as Ardhanāri.
In Āvaṭuturai Śiva gave Sambandar (kaḻumalaūrar) one thousand gold coins (kaḻumala ūrarukku amp on āyiram koṭuppar pōlum) according to the biography of Sambandar, his father Śivapādahṛdayar wanted to perform a Vedic sacrifice for which he needed money. Śivapādahṛdayar took Sambandar, then a child, on his shoulders and went to different temples of Śiva. While at Thiruvāṭuturai sang a song on the presiding deity of that place who presented him with one thousand gold pieces. With this money Sambandar’s father performed the Vedic sacrifice. The reference to this episode confirms the contemporaneity of Sambandar with Appar and credence to the receipt of 1000 gold pieces at Thiruvāvaṭuturai.
Appar refers to the Harihara form of Śiva as Mādhavaṉ bhāgar. In the Tṛpurāntaka episode Appar mentions that while Nandi and Mahākāḷa stood as gatekeepers and the celestials were performing worship at Śiva's feet, he destroyed the three cities, even before they thought of it. All the episodes connected with the manifestations of Śiva as told in the Mahāpurāṇās are found fully in Appar's songs. Even some rare forms not commonly known are found in his songs that shows Appar has mastered all the Mahāpurāṇās connected with Śiva. For example, the story of Upamanyu who as a boy wanted from his mother to give him cow’s milk to drink but as his poor mother could not afford to get it, he started weeping. Śiva is said to have created an ocean of milk for the boy. This episode is referenced in Appar’s song. Another episode is that of Śiva’s affection for Agastya.
One complete hymn of eleven verses is devoted to the Liṅgodbhavamūrti episode in which Brahmā and Viṣṇu fought with each other on the point of who among them was superior. At that time a loud noise was heard and from its middle appeared a terrific shaft of fire whose root and top could not be seen. Viṣṇu went down as a boar to find the root while Brahmā went up as a swan and having failed when they returned Śiva appeared from middle of the shaft as Liṅga and told that all Ātmās were one.
This legend of Liṅgodbhava is an extension of the Kena Upaniṣad story, in which when the celestials were quarrelling as to who was responsible for the victory there appeared in the middle a shaft of fire Jyoti. First, Agni the god of Fire tried to find who it was but failed. Then, Vāyu the God of wind tried his power, but he too failed. Indra, the King of gods came but the figure disappeared from his sight and presented herself as Brahamam before him. It was Umā Haimavati who appeared before Indra as Brahmam. In this Upaniṣadic legend two celestials, Agni and Vāyu failed and Uma appeared as a Shaft of fire Brahmam. In the Liṅgodbhava legend, the two gods Brahmā and Viṣṇu failed and Śiva appeared as the Supreme Brahman appearing as a shaft of fire, Liṅga before them. Clearly the Purāṇiclegend is a modified extension of the Vedic legend. The Upaniṣadpassage tells only tapas, dharma, and karma and with satya as abode for one to attain Brahamam.
In the Liṅga Purāṇa hymn, Appar gives first, personal observances and self-control, and the process of worship and finally with truthfulness through which the Liṅgodbhava can be seen. It is in the last verse Appar mentions that Śiva appeared a, liṅkatte tonṟiṉān. It is a well-structured hymn that illustrates the Upaniṣadic base. செங்கணானும் பிரமனும் தம்முளே எங்கும் தேடித் திரிந்தவர் காண்கிலார் “இங்கு உற்றேன்!” என்று இலிங்கத்தே தோன்றினான் (5.95.11) In another interesting hymn titled pāpanāsa kuṟum tokai (5.099), he sings thirty songs in alphabetical order (cittat tokai kuruṅtokai6) the thirty consists first of twelve songs beginning with the vowels and remaining 18 listed in consonantal order (there is a mixing up in two songs may be due to copying some time back.)
Appar advises devotees to be true in their mind to attain Śiva’s path otherwise all paths observed conventionally are of no use. Appar is forthright in his views in this poem by asking what use it is if true devotion is not there. We do understand what the customary observances of that period were based on faith. I am giving below the views of Appar on this point. All these appear in the pāpanāsa hymn.
Appar instructs a devotee that there is no use of doing so many acts for they will not be successful in removing their sins, attachments, and infamy unless they adore in one’s own inner mind the lotus feet of Śiva. There is no use of being an exponent of Śāstras (Bhaṭṭar), there is no use of listening to Śāstras. There is no use of offering of great worship, in front of the deity, there is no use of eight-fold path of yoga, ekānta worship or dēvata worship, there is no use of learning Vedas or doing Vedic sacrifices, nor there is any use of Dharma Śāstras. What use is it if one takes bath early in the morning and follow strictly the Vedic injunctions (vidhi vaḻi), there is no use of going to yāgaśālā, and performing Vedic sacrifices, no use of wandering in forests as a vāna-prastha, no useful purpose will be achieved by performing penance, as a tapasvins, no use of looking to the sky after fasting, no use of joining secret assemblies, there is no use of suffering the body and undertaking austerities, no use of climbing hills and taking bath in the water falls. These acts are like that of a stupid fellow who fills up a pot with a drain hole with running water and covers it up with a lid. Appar says all these observances will not wash away one’s sins and bestow spiritual merit unless one has deep devotion in mind. Only deep devotion can bestow salvation and not these external acts. Another hymn is equally important. It is called Ādi purāṇa hymn that is Primordial purāṇa which begins with the praise of Śiva as Ādi Nāyakaṉ. Who is the God of the Vedas and the Vedic people He is the Lord of a woman (Umā Devi). He is The Lord of men of penance and lord of Ārdra nakṣatra. He is the Lord of sanctity. வேத நாயகன்; வேதியர் நாயகன் மாதின் நாயகன்; மாதவர் நாயகன் ஆதிநாயகன்; ஆதிரைநாயகன் பூத நாயகன் – புண்ணியமூர்த்தியே (5.100.1) There are some who kindle fire, but they don't know that it is the manifestation of Īśan. There are some who adore Arukkaṉ (Sūrya) during all the sandhis, but they do not realise that he is Śiva, for they don't know that the four Vedas, beginning with the Ṛg Veda, worship Īśvara. எரி பெருக்குவர்; அவ் எரி ஈசனது உரு வருக்கம் அது ஆவது உணர்கிலர், அரி அயற்கு அரியானை அயர்த்துப் போய் நரிவிருத்தம் அது ஆகுவர்; நாடரே (5.100.7)
We have seen that the Bṛguvalli of Taittirīya Upaniṣad, has been popular among the Vedic people of Tamiḻnāḍu this is reflected in Appar’s Tēvāram. This Vedic passage is extolling Food, Land, Water, Body, Lives etc. Appar's Tēvāram on Śivaperumāṉ has one song in which these ideas are mentioned together. Please see the following verse. Śiva is the land (earth), he is the crops (payir) that grow in it, he is the rain that grows the grains, (tuḷi), he is the water that stays in the rains (nīr avaṉ kāṇ), he caught the water in his matted locks of hair, he is the people in the mind of lords of the lands pēr avaṉ kāṇ, nila vēntar might refer to cultivators or it might refer to the rulers of the land whose thoughts are concerned with protection of the people (niṉaivil toṇṟum pēr avaṉ kāṇ). Thus, we find sequential reference to land, rains, water, crops (payir), men and the kings equal to Pṛthvī, Ākāśa, Āpah, Annam, kings and Prāṇis. In this song, clearly found in the Taittiriya Upaṇiṣad, all of them are equated to Śiva in Tēvāram and Brahmam in the Upaniṣad. It is interesting that Appar brings in here Veḷḷai Varāha that ploughs into earth. Veḷḷai Varāha is the symbol of plough that is instrument of cultivation. Varāha is one of the avatars of Viṣṇu and might represent Balarāma. Viṣṇu ploughs into the earth to fathom the earth. In the poem Appar says as white Varāha he remains inseparable with Śiva (piriyātu), this an interesting allegory of Śiva appearing as Jyoti. பார் அவன் காண்; பார் அதனில் பயிர் ஆனான்காண் பயிர் வளர்க்கும் துளி அவன் காண்; துளியில் நின்ற, நீர் அவன்காண்; நீர் சடைமேல் நிகழ்வித்தான்காண் நில வேந்தர் பரிசு ஆக நினைவு உற்று ஓங்கும் பேரவன்காண்; பிறை எயிற்று வெள்ளைப்பன்றி பிரியாது; பலநாளும் வழிபட்டு, ஏத்தும் சீரவன்காண்; சீர் உடைய தேவர்க்கு எல்லாம் சிவன் அவன் காண் சிவபுரத்து எம் செல்வன்தானே (6.87.6) This is a complex Upaniṣadic idea. Brahmā is the symbol of sound, Vedas appearing in sky, for sound moves through space Ākāśa, so Brahmā is shown flying in Ākāśa. Viṣṇu as Balarāma ploughs the field as Varāha known as Pṛthvi, the earth. In the midst of the two appears Jyotih - the Agni. From Agni comes Āpa, water. Sucked into Ākāśa as clouds, comes down as water, the combination of two (1) fertilise the land and (2) produce food, lives, and bodies. The combination of all these created the Universe. Liṅgodbhava is the symbolic form of the Supreme, the Brahman of the Upaniṣad. Another verse of Appar also brings in these ideas in a different way. He says, that which stands and that which moves nirpaṉavum, naṭappanavum which refers to cara and acara. For e.g., trees are acara and all living beings that move are caras. Even the trees and creepers have life though they do not move. Hence, nirpaṉavum, naṭappanavum stands for all living beings.
The next is nilanum, nīrum, neruppiṉōṭu kāṟṟāki, neṭuvānāki. These constitute the basic elements, land, water, fire, air, and space that are required for lives. First, the land followed by water is brought together. neruppu is fire and kāṟṟu - wind are brought together. When the water is heated up it turns into vapour which is sucked up as clouds in the sky, the cloud when heated up rains again as water. Between land and heaven, water, wind, and fire come together to bring water and land together.
Then we get arpam, little; perumai, great; arumai, wonderful; and eḷimai, simple. For those who have devotional love, it becomes immeasurable supreme, aḷappariya tatparam āki, the supreme becomes ever auspicious, Sadāśivam, this becomes he and me (God and man) his nature and we shall have only this golden speech and not the words of liars.
நிற்பனவும், நடப்பனவும், நிலனும், நீரும் நெருப்பினொடு, காற்று ஆகி, நெடு வான் ஆகி அற்பமொடு பெருமையும் ஆய், அருமை ஆகி அன்பு உடையார்க்கு எளிமையது ஆய், அளக்கல் ஆகாத் தற்பரம் ஆய், சதாசிவம் ஆய், தானும் யானும் ஆகின்ற தன்மையனை நன்மையோடும் பொற்பு உடைய பேசக் கடவோம்; பேயர் பேசுவன பேசுதுமோ? பிழை அற்றோமே (6.98.7) Here, Appar speaks about visualising Nature and the lives on earth and that he calls the golden speech. According to the biography of Appar, when the ruling king sent his soldiers to fetch and imprison him at the instigation of the Jains, Appar sang a hymn which is a landmark in the history of devotional movement (a brief mention of this hymn was made in an earlier section). His declarations are firm and bold. He refused to go with them in all the ten songs of this hymn, he refuses to obey any mortal power, money, status. embellishments, or human authority. He rejects them outright. In the first verse he says “We are not the subject of any mortal ruler! We are not afraid of the god of death; we cannot be cheated. We do not know what is suffering, we will never be subject to sufferings in hell, we have subjected ourselves to Śaṅkara; he is our lord we have made our Lord forever, we have no attachment and we will not revere any who comes on any vehicle and command us; even if he is the emperor of whole of Jambūdvīpa, who sends his men, we shall not obey or serve them”. Appar tells the guards “Look, Śiva is our Lord. If your king with his whole army comes along with you, we will neither come nor serve him”. நாம் ஆர்க்கும் குடி அல்லோம்; நமனை அஞ்சோம் நரகத்தில் இடர்ப்படோம்; நடலை இல்லோம் ஏமாப்போம்; பிணி அறியோம்; பணிவோம் அல்லோம் இன்பமே எந்நாளும் துன்பம் இல்லை, தாம் ஆர்க்கும் குடி அல்லாத் தன்மை ஆன சங்கரன், நல் சங்கவெண்குழை ஓர் காதின் கோமாற்கே, நாம் என்றும் மீளா ஆள் ஆய்க், கொய்ம்மலர்ச் சேவடி இணையே குறுகினோமே (6.98.1) The point is clear: “We have no attachment for anything in this world and we are now fully immersed in Śiva consciousness. So, what can you do with us?”, that was Appar’s Śiva Bhakti. Vedic Nature of Appar's Saivism Vaidika Mārga The Śaivite saints of Tamiḻ country followed the vaidika Śaiva School, which later on came to be designated as the Śaiva Siddhānta Mārga. Innumerable references to the Vedas, Vedāṅgas, and the Vedantic concepts in the Tēvāram hymns, especially of Appar and Sambandar attest that they chose the Vedic path, a few of which are examined here in relation to Āgamic texts.
The words veda, caturveda, sāmaveda, candogasāma, aṅga, mantra and tantra occur frequently in Appar’s Tēvārams. While a section of the vaidikas hold Veda as without beginning and Svayambhū, the Śaivites hold Śiva as the author of the Vedas, Aṅgas and Āgamas. Appar’s verses make pointed references to this aspect. Jñānasambandar states that Śiva set forth the Vedas, the six Aṅgas, and the Āgamas. According to Appar, Lord Śiva is the embodiment of the four Vedas and the six Aṅgas. The four Vedas constitute his form (rūpa) (7137). He is the very Ṛg Veda and the meaning of the Ṛg. He is Svayambhū, the self-manifest in the form of Sāmaveda (4605). He taught the Vedas to the four sages (4227) (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumāra, and Sanatsujāta) who are also referred to as antaṇar (Brāhmins) (6472). He expanded the meaning of the Vedas to the four sages and taught the six Aṅga (4227, 4648). He resides in the Vedas (6364). That Vedas are śrutis (heard and not learned) is also alluded to (6507). He is said to have perceived them and not learned them (6507, 6804). He mastered the very end of the Vedas. He is the meaning of the Vedas and is the knower of the Vedas-Vedavid (7030). He is also the inner meaning of the mantras (6732). He is the very end of the Vedas (veda tuṇḍa) (6510). He is the Lord of the vedas-vedanāyaka and vedanāta (5806). While he is the import of the Vedas, he also remains beyond the comprehension of the Vedas and six Aṅgas (6918). Even the Vedas cannot fully comprehend Him (6787). The word of the Vedas and their Aṅga, cannot reach him (6918). This expression is clearly after the Upaniṣadic expression yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha.
The best of the sound is produced by the recitation of the Vedas (5057). The Vedas were not merely recited but sung as music. The Lord is frequently singing the Vedas (4512). His love of Vedic music is so great that he is called Vedagīta. He sings the music of the Vedas (6849). Śiva is fond of listening to the music of Vedas, which is called the great music, māgīta (6737). When Veda is set to Vīṇa music, it delights his heart. He made Cāmuṇḍi dance singing the Sāman chant (4475). Rāvaṇa pleased the Lord, singing the Vedic music, making use of his nerves as the strings of Vīṇa. Śiva’s love for Sāmaveda is not only frequently mentioned (7192, 6276) but he is said to revel in singing the candoga sāmans in delightful tune (6745). Lord Śaṅkara is the embodiment of Vedic sacrifices vēḷvi. He is the author of all the vēḷvis. He is the Vedas and vēḷvis of the Vedic Brāhmins (5057). He manifests as the sound of Vedic sacrifices (6643). It is Śiva who made the Brāhmins to perform vēḷviss (4.48), sacrifices. Yet he remains the essence of vēḷvi without himself performing them (6817). He is the goal of the Vedic sacrifices (6333). He is the mantra of the āhuti offered by Brāhmins (6417). Śiva is adored by the four Vedas. The Devas praise him by singing the Vedic hymns (4506). The Gods recite in turns the Ṛg hymns and worship him as the ultimate abode (4445). In short, he codified the Vedic path (vedaneṟi and vedamārga). The Vedas themselves adore the lotus feet of Lord Śaṅkara (6974). Śiva is worshipped by the chanting of Ṛg Vedic hymns which are also recited during abhiṣekas. A point of importance that deserves special mention is the equal emphasis laid on Tamiḻ and Vedas. Appar unequivocally states that the Lord is the embodiment of both Tamiḻ and the four Vedas (683). At another place, the saint says that Tamiḻ, Sanskrit and the four Vedas are the forms of Śiva (7104). It is interesting to note that the Vedas are distinguished from Sanskrit - (vaṭamoḻi), and all the three languages treated on the same footing. It is not out of place to mention that in the great temple of Tañjāvūr, there were singers of both Āryam and Tamiḻ, in the 11th Century.
Such references to Śiva as the embodiment of Vedas, Vedānta and Vedavēḷvi and that the Vedic chants were used in Śiva worship, clearly indicate that Appar followed the vaidika Śaiva system, also known as Siddhānta mārga.
Impact of Śatarudrīya Mention has been made of the fact that by the time of Appar (7th Century), Śiva was adored as the embodiment of the four Vedas and the six aṅgas. It is also said that the Vedas praise Śiva's real nature. Naturally Appar's Tēvāram reflect the ideas enshrined in the Vedas. Among the four Vedas, the Śatarudrīya also called Rudram, a part of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda is held to be the hymn par excellence, on Śiva. “The Śatarudrīya is in eleven anuvākas. In the eighth anuvāka, occurs the words nama śivāya ca śivatarāya ca. This is considered the most significant and almost the one mystic line in the whole of Yajur Veda. The word namaśivāya, called the pañcākṣara is composed of five letters and even in that the two letters Śiva are the most sacred”. The impact of Śatarudrīya on later day Śaiva concepts and myths are explained in detail by C. Śivaramamurthi in his work Śatarudrīya (Śatarudrīya: Vibhuti or Shiva's Iconography). In fact, most of the concepts connected with Śaivite faith can be traced to the Śatarudrīya. Among the 63 Śaivite Saints, Rudrapaśupati Nāyaṉār, as his name itself indicates, was the one who recited constantly the Rudra (another name for Śatarudrīya) and attained liberation.
Some of Appar's references could undoubtedly be traced to Rudram. For example, the Śatarudrīya refers to Śiva as a child with limbs still undeveloped, apagalbhāya interpreted as aprarūdhendrya bālaḥ. This is a rare expression. Appar describes Śiva, exactly with the same epithet Bālanāy, vaḷarnttilā pānmaiyāne. Similarly, another interesting epithet, applied to Śiva, in the Rudra is that he is present in the swift current of streams - śībyāya ca (p.67). Appar echoes the same concept when he sings culāvāki culāvukkōr cūḻalāki. Similarly, Appar’s reference to Śiva as “The lake full of water” – ēri niṟaintanaiya celvaṉ is clearly the term sarasyāya ca of the Śatarudriya.
These significant parallels are sufficient to sketch further similarities of a few more concepts, which are listed below. Number Rudram Appar 1 nādyaya ca peruki alaikiṉṟa āre - i.e., overflowing river 2 varṣyāya ca karuki poḻintoṭum nīrē. i.e., The raining clouds 3 meghyāya ca mukilē i.e., the cloud 4 vidyuthyāya ca miṉṉvaṉ i.e., lightning 5 kūlyaya ca, pāryāya ca veḷḷamum karaiyum, i.e., flood and the bank 6 miḍhuṣṭamāya ca maḻaiyāy eṅkum peivānai, i.e., rain 7 girisāya ca malaiyāki, i.e., mountain 8 kimśilāya ca Kallarāhi it i.e. stone 9 vanyāya ca Kānāhi, i.e., forest 10 kakṣāṇāṁ pataye Putalāhi, shrubs 11 saspiñcarāya ca A aḻaḷvaṇṇa vaṇṇar i.e., shining like glowing fire 12 tviṣīmate ca ceḻuñcuṭar i.e., glowing fire 13 pūrvajāya ca muṉṉavaṉ i.e., elder 14 aparajāya ca piṉṉavaṉ i.e., younger 15 prathamāya ca mutalvaṉ i.e., the first 16 jyeṣṭhāya ca periyāyai, i.e., elder 17 kaṇiṣṭāya ca ciriyaṉ i.e., younger 18 tiṣṭadbhyo dhāvadbhyas ca nirpaṉavum naṭappaṉavum i.e., Standing and moving 19 vancate parivancate Kaḷḷamay Kaḷḷattullar Karuttumay i.e., deceit and deceitfulness 20 bhavasya hetyai pacu pacap pirappai nīkkum eṉ tuṇai 21 pathīnām pataye tanmavaḻi eṉakku nalki, i.e., the lord of righteous path 22 virūpa nirūpiyāy i.e., formless 23 diśām ca pataye ticaiyākit ticaiynukkōr teyvamāki – i.e., the lord of the quarters 24 bhavāya pavaṉ 25 rudrāya rudraṉ 26 Śivāya Śivaṉ 27 gaṇapatibhya kaṇanātar 28 niṣādebhya veṭarāy i.e., hunter 29 Tārakamay ōmkāraṉ. 30 nīlagrīva nīlamāmaṇikaṇṭa 31 bṛhate periyōy, i.e., the great 32 vāmana vāmaṉa 33 vṛddha virutta 34 srava col 35 hantā kūṟṟuvan These are some of the illustrations that demonstrate the impact of Śatarudrīya on Śiva worship in the 7th century. உள்ளும் ஆய்ப் புறமும் ஆகி, உருவும் ஆய் அருவும் ஆகி, வெள்ளம் ஆய்க் கரையும் ஆகி, விரி கதிர் ஞாயிறு ஆகி, கள்ளம் ஆய்க் கள்ளத்து உள்ளார் கருத்தும் ஆய் அருத்தம் ஆகி, அள்ளுவார்க்கு அள்ளல் செய்திட்டு இருந்த ஆப்பாடியாரே (4.48.7)
இரு நிலன் ஆய், தீ ஆகி, நீரும் ஆகி, இயமானனாய், எறியும் காற்றும் ஆகி, அரு நிலைய திங்கள் ஆய், ஞாயிறு ஆகி, ஆகாசம் ஆய், அட்டமூர்த்தி ஆகி, பெரு நலமும் குற்றமும் பெண்ணும் ஆணும் பிறர் உருவும் தம் உருவும் தாமே ஆகி நெருநலை ஆய், இன்று ஆகி, நாளை ஆகி, நிமிர்புன்சடை அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே! (6.94.1)
மண் ஆகி, விண் ஆகி, மலையும் ஆகி வயிரமும் ஆய், மாணிக்கம் தானே ஆகி கண் ஆகி, கண்ணுக்கு ஓர் மணியும் ஆகி கலை ஆகி, கலைஞானம் தானே ஆகி பெண் ஆகி, பெண்ணுக்கு ஓர் ஆணும் ஆகி, பிரளயத்துக்கு அப்பால் ஓர் அண்டம் ஆகி எண் ஆகி, எண்ணுக்கு ஓர் எழுத்தும் ஆகி, எழும் சுடர் ஆய் எம் அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே (6.94.2) கல் ஆகி, களறு ஆகி, கானும் ஆகி, காவிரி ஆய், கால் ஆறு ஆய், கழியும் ஆகி புல் ஆகி, புதல் ஆகி, பூடும் ஆகி புரம் ஆகி, புரம் மூன்றும் கெடுத்தான் ஆகி சொல் ஆகி, சொல்லுக்கு ஓர் பொருளும் ஆகி சுலாவு ஆகி, சுலாவுக்கு ஓர் சூழல் ஆகி நெல் ஆகி, நிலன் ஆகி, நீரும் ஆகி நெடுஞ்சுடர் ஆய் நிமிர்ந்து, அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே (6.94.3)
காற்று ஆகி, கார் முகில் ஆய், காலம் மூன்று ஆய் கனவு ஆகி, நனவு ஆகி, கங்குல் ஆகி கூற்று ஆகி, கூற்று உதைத்த கொல் களிறும் ஆகி குரைகடல் ஆய், குரை கடற்கு ஓர் கோமானும் ஆய் நீற்றானாய், நீறு ஏற்ற மேனி ஆகி நீள் விசும்பு ஆய், நீள் விசும்பின் உச்சி ஆகி ஏற்றானாய், ஏறு ஊர்ந்த செல்வன் ஆகி, எழும் சுடர் ஆய், எம் அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே, (6.94.4)
தீ ஆகி, நீர் ஆகி, திண்மை ஆகி திசை ஆகி, அத் திசைக்கு ஓர் தெய்வம் ஆகி, தாய் ஆகி, தந்தையாய், சார்வும் ஆகி தாரகையும் ஞாயிறும் தண்மதியும் ஆகி, காய் ஆகி, பழம் ஆகி, பழத்தில் நின்ற இரதங்கள் நுகர்வானும் தானே ஆகி நீ ஆகி, நான் ஆகி, நேர்மை ஆகி நெடுஞ்சுடர் ஆய், நிமிர்ந்து அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே (6.94.5)
அங்கம் ஆய், ஆதி ஆய், வேதம் ஆகி பால்மதியோடு ஆதி ஆய், பான்மை ஆகி கங்கை ஆய், காவிரி ஆய், கன்னி ஆகி கடல் ஆகி, மலை ஆகி, கழியும் ஆகி எங்கும் ஆய், ஏறு ஊர்ந்த செல்வன் ஆகி, எழும் சுடர் ஆய் எம் அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே (6.94.6)
மாதா பிதா ஆகி, மக்கள் ஆகி மறிகடலும் மால் விசும்பும் தானே ஆகி கோதாவிரி ஆய், குமரி ஆகி கொல் புலித் தோல் ஆடைக் குழகன் ஆகி போது ஆய் மலர் கொண்டு போற்றி நின்று புனைவார் பிறப்புர் அறுக்கும் புனிதன் ஆகி ஆதானும் என நினைந்தார்க்கு அஃதே ஆகி அழல்வண்ண வண்ணர் தாம் நின்ற ஆறே! 6.94.7
ஆ ஆகி, ஆவினில் ஐந்தும் ஆகி அறிவு ஆகி, அழல் ஆகி, அவியும் ஆகி நா ஆகி, நாவுக்கு ஓர் உரையும் ஆகி நாதனாய் வேதத்தின் உள்ளோன் ஆகி பூ ஆகி, பூவுக்கு ஓர் நாற்றம் ஆகி பூக்குளால் வாசம் ஆய் நின்றான் ஆகி தே ஆகி, தேவர் முதலும் ஆகி செழுஞ்சுடர் ஆய், சென்று அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே! 6.94.8
நீர் ஆகி, நீள் அகலம் தானே ஆகி நிழல் ஆகி, நீள் விசும்பின் உச்சி ஆகி பேர் ஆகி, பேருக்கு ஓர் பெருமை ஆகி பெரு மதில்கள் மூன்றினையும் எய்தான் ஆகி ஆரேனும் தன் அடைந்தார்தம்மை எல்லாம் ஆட்கொள்ள வல்ல எம் ஈசனார் தாம் பார் ஆகி, பண் ஆகி, பாடல் ஆகி, பரஞ்சுடர் ஆய், சென்று அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே! 6.94.9
மால் ஆகி, நான்முகனாய், மா பூதம் ஆய் மருக்கம் ஆய், அருக்கம் ஆய், மகிழ்வும் ஆகி பால் ஆகி, எண்திசைக்கும் எல்லை ஆகி பரப்பு ஆகி, பரலோகம் தானே ஆகி பூலோக புவலோக சுவலோகம்,ம், ஆய் பூதங்கள் ஆய், புராணன் தானே ஆகி ஏலாதன எலாம் ஏல்விப்பானாய் எழும் சுடர் ஆய், எம் அடிகள் நின்ற ஆறே! 6.94.10
Numerals That numerals are the embodiments of Śiva, is reflected by Appar in an interesting hymn consisting of ten verses called viṭam tīrta patikam, (4335), i.e., the hymn that removed poison. Each verse emphasises one number beginning with one and arranged in progression as one, two, three etc. ending with ten. A similar format is found in a much earlier poetry, the Paripāṭal assigned to the Saṅgam age. Such compositions are frequently employed in Vedas like the Yajur Veda. Syllables Eḻuttu generally means the letter. The ancient Tamiḻ grammar, Tolkāppiyam has a chapter on eḻuttu – The commentator Nacciṉārkkiṉiyar defines eḻuttu as that which is “raised” (phonetic) or “written”. In the Tēvāram hymns, Lord Śiva is frequently addressed as the embodiment of eḻuttu, eṇṇāki ēḻuttuāki (6.083.1). In most cases eḻuttu is used by the Tēvāram saints in its phonetic sense. However, in one instance it seems to refer to the written form eṇṇāki eṇṇukkōr eḻuttu māki (6.094.2). It indicates that numerals had separate symbols in the 7th Century C.E. which is attested by inscriptions. Śrī. I. Mahadevan reads an inscription on Arikkamēṭu potsherds of the 2nd century C.E. as a numeral.
In other instances, which are quite frequent, the Tēvāram saints obviously intend the phonetic form. Appar in one verse states that the Lord manifested as the source of letters “அ” to “ன” . (āṉattu muṉ eḻuttāy niṉṟāy - ஆனத்து முன் எழுத்து ஆய் நின்றார் போலும் - 6.028.5)7.
That the sound emanated from the Supreme is an ancient concept found in the Vedas as svaraśca me ślokasca me. The Āgamas go a step further and trace the origin of sound and words. The Ajitāgama has the following to say in this regard. “At the beginning of creation, sound (śabda) emanated from Ākāśa which is none but Paraśiva. From the śabda emanated letters akṣara (syllables) and syllables constitute speech. The Āgama goes on to divide the letters into nine vargas, the vowels and consonants constituting a total of 50 letters. The vowels from a to Visarga (16) are called bijas and the consonants (34) called akṣaras. The word or treatises are grantharāsi made of these 50 syllables.
Appar’s āṉattu muṉ eḻuttāy niṉṟāṉ points to this concept. It must also be mentioned that in an interesting hymn, Appar has thirty verses, each verse beginning with the vowel or consonant arranged in alphabetical order from "அ" to "ன". Here, we recall The hymn called cittat-tokai kuruṅtokai6 is perhaps the earliest such composition in Tamiḻ with verses arranged in alphabetical order. This deliberate arrangement, read with the hymn consisting of verses in numerical order, seems to emphasise that the Lord is the embodiment of numerals and alphabets.
The Mṛgendrāgama gives further details about the śabdasvarupa of Śiva. “A” the first vowel is said to be the first perceptible form of Śiva. Appar’s reference - you stood as the source of “அ” to “ன” - seems to suggest this concept. Nārāyaṇakanta, the commentator or Mṛgendrāgama states that Śakti represents the Kuṇḍalini power of Paraśiva in the form of paravāk. From it emanates an indistinguishable sound – wave nāda. From nāda emanates bindu like an inner muttering ripple. From bindu arises the indestructible eternal sound OM which is called akṣara and from akṣara come the mātṛkas – “A” to “Kṣa”. Since speech arises from the syllable’s “A” to “kṣa”, they are called the mothers - mātṛkas. Up to the Omkāra stage, it is the inner power producing the necessary articulation to give out the Omkāra, the first sound to be heard. The primordial power that produces them is called the paravāk of parameśvara.
Appar refers to two distinct sound forms of Śiva as mentioned in Āgamas. Śiva manifests as the indistinct or unarticulated sound, ōvāta cattattu oli (6794). This is obviously a reference to paravāk, the Primordial sound form of Śiva. Appar, also refers to both the inarticulate and articulate sound form of Śiva's in ōcai oliyelam ānāy nīye, where ōcai refers to the inarticulate form of sound and oli, the articulate form. This indicates that by the time of Appar this concept mentioned in Āgamas has already been assimilated into Tamiḻ Śaivism, eṇṇāṉāy, eḻuttāṉay, eḻuttiṉukkōr iyalpānay (4228). As mentioned earlier eḻuttu also stood for the phonetic form. The phrase eluttunikkōr iyalpu, is the initial effort to produce the sound that is Śakti which is nothing but the form of Śiva, i.e., Śabda Svarūpa or the Śabda Brahman OMKĀRA. Śiva is said to be the mystic syllable OM; OMKĀRA (6359). He also stands as the inner meaning of Omkāra.
The significance and greatness of Omkāra has been frequently mentioned in Upaniṣadas. The Atharva sikhopaniṣad, for example, is devoted to the exposition of OM, which is said to be the primordial dhyāna / meditation employed. OM consists of four padas. The first syllable of this is “A” representing Brahmā, the Earth, and the Ṛgveda. The second syllable “U” stands for Rudra, antarikṣa, the Yajurveda, the triṣṭub metre and the Dakṣināgni fire. The third syllable “M” symbolises Viṣṇu, heaven, the Sāmaveda, the Jagati metre, and the āhavaniya fire. The fourth and the last syllable is in fact half a syllable with its “m” sound deleted. It represents Atharvaveda. The first syllable “A” is said to be red in colour, the second “U” white in colour, the third “M” black in colour and the fourth “m” is similar to lighting. However, not all the Upaniṣads agree on this. Some later Upaniṣads give a slightly different interpretation; for example, the Yogacūḍāmaṇi Upaniṣad holds A as representing Brahmā, U - Viṣṇu and M - Rudra. However in the Bhagavad gīta, Lord Kṛṣṇa declares that He is “A” among the syllables, akṣarāṇām akārosmi. All this indicates that the initial alphabet is the embodiment of Godhood.
The Śaiva Āgamas give a vivid picture of OMKĀRA. The Ajitāgama for example holds OM as the personification of knowledge. It represents the three guṇas, three worlds, three vedas, three kālas, and the three tattvas. The Supreme is called parabrahma and śabdabrahma. Parabrahmam is identical with paraśiva and the śabdabrahman is sadāśiva.
OM is the body of Sadāśiva who has five faces through which he expounded the Vedas and Āgamas. It is this “light of speech that illumines the Universe and without it, darkness of ignorance alone engulfs the world”. Thus, when Appar sings Śiva as the embodiment of OMKĀRA and its inner meaning, he is reflecting the Śaiva-Āgamic tradition. That OMKĀRA consists of the ardhamātrā is also pointedly mentioned by Appar (6303).
Pañcākṣara The most sacred chant for a Śaivite is the Namaśivāya called Pañcākṣara, the five letters. The term Namaśivāya could be traced back to the time of the Vedas. With the advent of the devotional movement, this “chant” assumed the most exalted position in the Śaiva canon. All the three Tēvāram saints Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar, have sung the efficacy of the Pañcākṣara mantra Namaśivāya. Some of the miracles performed by the saints are also associated with this chant. When Appar was tied to a stone and thrown in the sea, he is said to have survived by chanting the word Namaśivāya. In a number of verses, Appar sings the glory of the chant Namaśivāya.
By the 7th Century, this chant has come to stay in the recitation of all the Śaivites in Tamiḻnāḍu. Inscriptions of the Pallava rulers of this period, begin with this word Namaśivāya. For example, the inscription of Rājasimha at Kāñcīpuram begins with this benediction. The Velūrpāḷayam copper plate charter of Nandivarman begins with the benediction Namaśivāya. The Liṅgapurāṇa devotes one full chapter to give a vivid picture of Pañcākṣara. (Ling.P. 1-84). The chapter is called Pañcākṣara Māhātmya. Śiva, according to this text, expounds the greatness of Pañcākṣara to Devi Pārvati. “At the time of Praḷayam, the great deluge, both sentient and non-sentient beings, return to their primordial nature, Prakṛti alone remains. All the Vedas and Śāstras remain in Pañcākṣara in subtle forms protected by me. They are not destroyed but remain under my protection. I taught the Pañcākṣara, with my five faces to Brahmā”. The Pañcākṣara is Śivajñāna and is the supreme abode. It is the Brahmavidyā.
etāvad hi śivajñānam etāvad paramam padam etāvad Brahmavidyā ca tasmād nityam japed budhaḥ It would be interesting to notice the importance given to the Pañcākṣara by Appar, in his verses 8.
Even if tied to a stone slab, and thrown into the sea, the best succor is Namaśivāya. The best ornament to the tongue is Namaśivāya. The only resource that would totally eliminate the sins committed in this world is Namaśivāya. Even if pressed down by a pile of sins weighing like mountains it is Namaśivāya that removes the tremble of fear.
“We will not beg from any even while suffering in extreme distress. For a vrati, the sacred ash is the ornament, for the Brāhmins, it is the Vedas and Aṅgas, for the moon, Śiva's high jaṭāmuḍi; for us the succor is Namaśivāya. Namaśivāya will bestow welfare suited to their kula, even on those who are born in low families following the divine path. I rushed to the assembly of devotees, longing for salvation and beheld their devout forms and sought Namaśivāya. I am sure of taking refuge in the path devoted to the Lord of three eyes. For those who take refuge in him, the auspicious path is Namaśivāya. Those who sing the Namaśivāya - (Ten verses) in praise of Lord Śiva, will never fall in distress (4262). The grace of Lord cannot be obtained if one does not control the mind and recite śivāya nama (5075). I wear the sacred ash reciting śivāya nama. The five lettered mantra, rising from the pada, is recited (5175). Grant me the boon to recite this mantra till my death, thy names and the five letters Namaśivāya (5153)”.
Appar recited the Namaśivāya patikam when he was tied to a stone and thrown into the sea under orders of the Pallava ruler. Sēkkiḻār refers to this episode in his Periyapurāṇam. It is a symbolic story indicating that a man thrown into the turbulent ocean of life, tied to a heavy stone, could still survive the troubles, if only he takes recourse to the Pañcākṣara mantra. The sanctity of the Pañcākṣara can be traced to the Vedic age. The words namaśivāya ca śivatarāya ca, occur in the Śatarudrīya and are considered the most significant mystic line in the whole of Yajurveda.
The Pañca Brahmā Upaniṣad, one of the 108 Upaniṣads, extols the greatness of Pañcākṣara. Śambhu, the parabrahma svarūpi is of the nature of Pañcākṣara. The Pañcākṣara consisting of “na” to “ya” should be learned and recited. pañcākṣaramayam śambhum parabrahmās svarūpiṇam nakāradi yakārantam jñāttvā pañcākṣaram japet The Thirumandiram of Saint Thirumūlar has several verses of Pañcākṣara. According to this text (see chapter 4) the letters na, ma, śi, vā and ya could be compounded in different ways for different prayers, the most prominent being Na-ma-śi-vā-ya and Śi-vā-ya-na-ma. According to Thirumūlar, the sacred syllables Śi-vā-ya-na-ma represent the supreme dance of Lord Śiva. kūtte Śivāya nama vā yiṭum. It is seen that Appar refers to both the usages Nāmaśivāya and Śivāyanama. It is thus clear, that different combinations of the syllables Namaśivāya was known prior to the 7th Century C.E. in Tamiḻnāḍu.
It is also seen that when the Śaivites applied sacred ash on their forehead, they recited the mantra Śivāyanama. It was also held sacred to recite the word Namaśivaya at the time of death. It is of interest to mention that even now, when a Śaivite dies, the relatives sit around the body and recite the Thiruvācakam of Maṇikkavācakar, beginning with Namaśivāya Vaḻka.
Vibhūti-Sacred Ashes Appar holds vibhūti as a venerable object and refers to it in almost all his Patikams. It is called nīṟu, poṭi i.e., powder, cāmpal (i.e., ash, bhūti (vibhūti) and cāndu). It is often referred to as veḷḷai nīṟu, i.e., white ash or Tirunīṟu i.e., sacred ash.
Lord Śiva wears this sacred ash on his body and head (4192). His whole body is smeared with the white ash (4200) meyyellām veṇṇīṟu caṇṇitta mēṉiyaṉ. Śiva holds the ash as the most priceless fragrant powder and wears it on his body. vilaiyili cāntam eṉṟu veṟi nīṟu pūci viḷaiyāṭum veṭa vikirdar (4.08.9). In fact, he beautifies his body with the ash (4254). In a famous verse addressed to Lord Naṭarāja, Appar states that the Lord wears the milky white ash on his body, (4.081.4)9. Śiva wears the burnt white powder (5370). The ash powder resembles the white of glowing fire. The Lord wears it on his forehead (5395). Śiva, wearing this white ash powder on his forehead, applies over that a tilaka (forehead mark) like a digit of the moon. Even now some of the Śaivite saints wear three stripes of sacred ash on the forehead and over that a moon like stripe with sandal paste, tēypoṭi veḷḷaipūci atan melōr tiṅkaḷ tilakam patitta nudalar (4232). In one place, Appar says that Śiva wears Sandal paste, Kumkum, and the sacred ash, cantaṉamum kumkumamum sāntum tōynta tōḷānai (6914). The sacred ash that Śiva wears is obtained from the cemetery, cuṭalai (4439). It is the ash of the dead cremated ventār veṇpoṭi pūci. In a significant verse, the pāśupata veṣa of Śiva is mentioned. He wears ash, bones, skull, and a thread made of human hair, from the cemetery strewn with dead bodies. Śiva wears the pāśupata veṣa, in order to support the world, bhava. cavam tānku mayānattu cāmpal enpu, talai ōṭu mayirk kayiru tarittāṉ taṉṉai,pavantānku pācupata veṭattāṉai (6743).
While at one place we have reference to the ash of the cremated bodies from the cemetery used as sacred ash, at another place Śiva is said to use the ashes of the burnt-up twigs of the palasa tree. The palasa twigs are used in sacrificial homa offerings and their ashes from the sacrificial altars were also used by the Śaivas, palacam kompin cuḷḷalaic cuṭalai veṇṇīṟanintavar (4432). It seems to suggest that most of the Śaivites made use of ashes from sacrificial altars, some followers taking the extreme pāśupata vows, did use the ashes of the cremated bodies. Śiva is said to carry a pouch made of cloth, filled with sacred ashes, poṭināru mēṉiyar pūtip paiyar (6363). pokkaṇatta veṇṇīṟṟān kāṇ (7105). In some of the early sculptural representation of Dakṣiṇāmūrti, the vibhūti pouch is prominently shown. The vibhūti ashes were also used in the abhiṣeka of Śiva, which the Āgamas call basmāsanāna.
The devotees of Śiva wear the sacred ash. Lord Viṣṇu, was a great Śiva bhakta. He wore the sacred ash all over his body and daily offered pūjā to Śiva with one thousand lotuses, nīṟṟinei niṟaiyap pūci nittal āyiram pūkkoṇṭu ēṟṟi (4635).
It is Śiva, says Appar, who made the devotees wear the sacred ash (4533). There is no better fragrant powder than the sacred ash (4557). The Śaiva devotees should wear the sacred ash at dawn (6855). The sacred ash worn on different parts of the body is called Tilakamaṇḍala by Appar (6164). The noted symbol of the vratins is the sacred ash (4266). While applying the sacred ash on the body the word Namaśivāya should be recited as a mantra. If the devotee recites Namaśivāya, any ailment (nōy) would disappear as a wood consigned to glowing fire. The cycles of birth and death disappeared and the two viṉai (Nalvinai - good and Tīvinai – bad). The belief is that by regularly wearing the sacred ash, the devotee would be freed from the actions of Karma. The faith that the sacred ash would cure diseases was as common in the times of Appar as it is today. According to Appar both viṉai and nōy (Karma and diseases) would be burnt to ashes when the ash is worn – ventu arum viṉaiyum nōyume. It almost seems to suggest the symbolic meaning of the sacred ash is that all impediments to Godhood like desires, greed etc., would be burnt up by true devotion, symbolized by ashes. At another place also, Appar echoes the same thought, when he says that sacred ash should be worn as a malady to even to incurable diseases (7178). A true devotee would bow down immediately to anyone who is seen wearing Śaivite signs like the ash on his forehead (6846). And finally, Appar says, that all his aspirations and acquisition of knowledge, are to think about the devotees wearing the sacred ash, viccai āvatum, veṭkai āvadum, nica niṟaṇivārai ninaippate. (6136).
It is well known that Saint Jñānasambandar, cured the disease of the Pāṇḍya ruler, Arikēsari by chanting Namaśivāya and applying sacred ash on him. By this process he was able to cure what the Jain monks were unable to achieve by their medicines and chants. Sambandar also says that the sacred ash is the mantra. The Atharvaśīropaniṣad speaks about ash as Agni, Vāyu, Jala, Sthala, Ākāśa and all that is world.
To smear one’s body with sacred ash is pāśupata vrata. It is the very Brāhmaṇa and this pāśupata vrata is intended to release the soul from its bondage. yasmād vratam idam pāśupatam ya bhasmān aṅgāni samsprśet tasmād Brahmā tadetad pāśupatam yat bhasmān aṅgāni samsprśet tasmad Brahmā tadetad pāśupatam paśupāsa vimokṣanāya (Atharvasīropaniṣad-5).
The Bṛahad-Jabala-upaniṣad, (2nd brāhmaṇa) details how the sacred ash should be prepared from cow’s dung. The fourth brāhmaṇa however stipulates the other sacred ash, like the ash from the agnihotra sacrifice for the use of the upper three varṇas and the ash from the kitchen fire of the dvijas for the fourth varṇa. For Ativarṇāśramins i.e., extreme ascetics, the cremated ash smaśanāgni is prescribed. All could make use of the ash from temples. The Śivayogins should use ash produced by Śivāgni. The same text at another place refers to the application of sacred ash on 32, 16, 8 or five parts of the body reciting different mantras for each part. In one instance it says that it should be applied to the forehead, with the mantra, namaśivāya smaran namaśivāyeti lalāṭe tad tripuṇḍrakam.
That Appar refers to wearing nīṟu with the mantra, Namaśivāya, deserves notice. The Bṛhad-Jābāla Upaniṣad says (7.7) that one should wear ashes and lie on a bed scattered with ashes. He should constantly speak about Śivasāyujya. Such a person will have no rebirth and would reach immortality. bhasmacchannaḥ samsārān mucyate bhasma śayānaḥ tad śabda gocara, śivasāyujyam avāpnoti na sa punarāvartate na sa punarāvartate, rudradhyāyī san amṛtatvam gaccati. Appar echoes the same idea when he says, “Lord you bestow grace on those who wear the ashes, roll on the ground and pray at your feet as their succor” (4907). Sacred Ash of the Sacrificial Twigs Lord Śiva wears the sacred ash of the burnt palāsa twigs, says Appar. The term cuṭal ai is generally taken to mean cemetery. The Tamiḻ Lexicon gives another word cuṭal the charred end of a burning twig. It is seen from this usage that the word cuṭal ai also stands for burnt twigs, not necessarily associated with cemetery. In this case the use of Palāsa twigs shows it is from the Vedic sacrifices, yajñas. The ash from the Vedic altars was dear to Lord Śiva-Rudra. Thus, it is seen that the Śaivites held three types of ashes as sacred, the ash made from the cow dung, the ash from Vedic altars and the ash of the cemetery. It is necessary to draw attention to the fact that when sacred ash is prepared from the cow dung, the preparation – the lighting of cow dung cakes-is to be done exactly like Vedic āhuti in a yajña, to the accompaniment of Vedic hymns (Bṛāhad-Jābāla Upaniṣad 3-10-14). Another point that needs elucidation is the cremation of the dead bodies. When the body is consigned to the fire it is conceived as an offering, to the chanting of the Vedic hymns. The cremated ash also would thus be a sacrificial ash.
6.17. Saint Sundarar's contribution to Tamiḻ Ethos The Śaiva Saint Sundaramūrti, who lived in the 8th century, was an extraordinary personality whose contribution to Tamiḻ history deserves special study. He has sung one hundred hymns in praise of Lord Śiva as presiding deity of different temples like his forebears Appar and Sambandar who lived about 50 years earlier. The songs of these three are called the Tēvāram which are devotional songs, each hymn consisting of generally ten or eleven verses. Sundarar sang 100 hymns, and his songs are compiled into the seventh book of Śaiva Tirumurais.
While Sundarar followed Sambandar and Appar in his devotional path, he has also composed some innovative poems which are of course born out of his personality. Here, we examine only his last hymn. Last Hymn In the first verse Sundarar says that lord Śiva the deity of Thiru Noṭittānmalai, created him, and made it clear the purpose of his birth was to sing poems on the Lord, Siva blessed him with the elephant to ride, and to receive him, and then separated his life from his body. tāṉ eṉai muṉ paṭaittāṉ; atu aṟintu taṉ poṉ aṭikkē nāṉ eṉa pāṭal? antō! nāyiṉēṉaip poruṭpaṭuttu vāṉ eṉai vantu etirkoḷḷa, mattayāṉai aruḷpurintu ūṉ uyir vēṟu ceytāṉ - noṭittāṉmalai uttamaṉē 7.100.1 This first verse indicates that the saint realized he was in his last days and was feeling he was leaving his mortal coils and was going to heaven. We learn from other sources Sundarar was an attendant of Śiva in Himalayas and was sent to the earth for casting lustful eyes, on the girls Kamalini and Aninditai in the flower garden, but he was pardoned by Śiva who led him to sing his praise while at earth and return after that. His coming to earth was the creation of Śiva. That apart the Śaiva system holds that God sends mortals to earth so that they can purify themself of the Malas (three malas; āṇava, karma, and māyā) which would enable him to attain salvation. Thus, Śiva made him go to earth to impress the Śaiva Siddhānta philosophy. That is mentioned in the next phrase of the verse which declares the aim of his birth.
In the second part of the verse one, he says at the end of his service, he was taken back by Śiva by sending the greatest of elephants, the white elephant Airāvata of Indra, prepared the heaven to receive him and then separated himself from his earthly body, meaning that he passes away. In short, it was the journey of Śaivite souls to Śivaloka. Airāvata elephant was the royal elephant of Indra, the Lord of the Devas. It was the divine kingly Elephant. This means Sundarar now became a leader of the Devas.
In the second verse, Sundara remembered the fury and fierce nature of skinning the elephant by Lord Śiva as Gajasamhāra and wanted that enmity to disappear. He meditated on the lord as the embodiment of bright knowledge by controlling his senses and body. As if remembering this the god presented him an elephant on which he could go to heaven, where he was welcomed by the celestials. āṉai uritta pākar aṭiyēṉoṭu mīḷakkolō ūṉai uyir veruṭṭī oḷḷiyāṉai niṉaintiruntēṉ vāṉai matitta, amarar valam ceytu eṉai ēṟa vaikka āṉai aruḷ purintāṉ, noṭittāṉmalai uttamaṉē 7.100.2 There is a metaphor in this verse in which the saint says he wanted to forget the elephant that was destroyed in a ferocious fight by the Lord, and it looked as if to remove that fear the Lord gave him an elephant that would take him to heaven. The Lord removed the fear and then took him to heaven. mantiram oṉṟu aṟiyēṉ, maṉaivāḻkkai makiḻntu, aṭiyēṉ ****aravēṭaṅkaḷāl - turicē ceyum toṇṭaṉ eṉai antara mālvicumpil aḻaku āṉai aruḷpurinta tum taramō? neñcamē! - noṭittāṉmalai uttamaṉē (7.100.3) In the third verse Sundarar refers to his love for pleasurable worldly life, and yet the Lord bestowed grace on him. The saint says “I haven’t learnt the Vedic mantras properly but was after family life and its pleasures. I was fond of clothing myself in attractive dresses and forms. I squandered my life with such a wasteful life and yet the Lord presented me with a beautiful elephant and made me ride through space to heaven. Think my heart whether it is appropriate?”. The point is that he was a devotee and should have led a proper life to achieve this grace and yet God has been merciful. This verse lays some emphasis on three words, mantira, sundara, and antara (intermediate sky) through which Sundara ascended heaven. Also, it may be seen that the saint refers to Sundara Veṣa i.e., attractive forms and family pleasures. The saint came to be called Sundarar from this phrase of this verse. Secondly, Sundara is portrayed as a pleasure-loving personality in his life which draws its source from this verse. The Śaiva system lays more importance on family life than Sanyāsa.
In this verse Sundarar says that he was deeply immersed in pleasure after women by their powerful sports, but the Lord diverted me to the path of a devotee and presented me with an elephant. Sundarar says, “you listen my mind that I was deeply immersed in the attractive actions of women and their company, but my Lord retrieved me from that life, made me a devotee and gave me an elephant to ride not suited to the status of a devotee, and made even the celestials to follow me”.
Those who wrote about Sundarar have noted that Sundarar led a pleasure-loving life early and became a devotee. This poem is the main source for that history of his life. The devotees are servitors but what the Lord gave him was a status equal to Indra by giving the elephant. maṇṇulakil piṟantu nummai vāḻttum vaḻi aṭiyār poṉṉulakam peṟutal toṇṭaṉēṉ iṉṟu kaṇṭoḻintēṉ viṇṇulakattavarkaḷ virumpav, veḷḷai yāṉaiyiṉmēl eṉ uṭal kāṭṭuvittāṉ - noṭittāṉmalai uttamaṉē (7.100.5) In this verse he says that he observed that devotees born on this earth and adored the Lord were blessed with svargaloka, but I find that the Lord had made me ride on the white elephant (of Indra) to the delight of celestials. añciṉai oṉṟi niṉṟu alar koṇṭu aṭi cērvu aṟiyā vañcaṉai eṉ maṉamē vaiki, vāṉa naṉnāṭar muṉṉē tuñcutal māṟṟuvittu, toṇṭaṉēṉ param allatu oru veñciṉa āṉai tantāṉ - noṭittāṉ malai uttamaṉē (7.100.6) In this verse Sundarar addresses his mind “You, my tricky mind, you have not led me to adore the feet of the Lord, completely immersed in the sacred five letters (pañcākṣara, na-ma-śi-vā-ya)” and yet see the Lord has changed the course of my death, and made me, a devotee, to ride on the white elephant of Indra, in the presence of celestials. nilai keṭa, viṇ atira nilam eṅkum atirntu acaiya malai iṭai yāṉai ēṟi vaḻiyē varuvēṉ etirē alaikaṭal āl araiyaṉ alar koṇṭu muṉ vantu iṟañca ulai aṇaiyāta vaṇṇam - noṭittāṉ malai uttamaṉē (7.100.7)
Sundarar was riding through the peaks of the Himalayas to reach the abode of the Lord. The speed and force of the elephant shook the heaven violently, and there was trembling everywhere. The Lord made the king of oceanic waters Varuṇa come to welcome him with flowers in hand. This is an important verse which captures Sundarar’s velocity of movement upwards which made the waves of the ocean roll over which tossed the sea life with force. ara oli, ākamaṅkaḷ aṟivār aṟi tōttiraṅkaḷ viraviya vēta oli, viṇ elām vantu etirntu icaippa varam mali vāṇaṉ vantu vaḻitantu, eṉakku ēṟuvatu ōr ciram mali yāṉai tantāṉ - noṭittāṉmalai uttamaṉē (7.100.8) The scene now reaches heaven. Sundarar is being received on his elephant back. The sound of Harahara echoed in heaven. The prayer songs of Āgamic units reverberated everywhere and the all-pervading Vedic chants filled the space and the Devas of the heaven assembled and paved the way for Sundara’s entry. intiraṉ, māl, piramaṉ eḻil ār miku tēvar, ellām vantu etirkoḷḷa, eṉṉai mattayāṉai aruḷ purintu mantira mā muṉivar, "ivaṉ ār" eṉa, emperumāṉ "nam tamar ūraṉ" eṉṟāṉ - noṭittāṉmalai uttamaṉē (7.100.9) Now it is the abode of Lord Śivā. Indra, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and all other resplendent Dēvas welcomed Sundarar on his elephant. The sages who were here asked Lord Śiva who this man who was received with such celebrations, and He said it is our own person who has arrived. ūḻitoṟu muṟṟum uyar poṉ noṭittāṉmalaiyai cūḻ icai iṉ karumpiṉ cuvai nāvala ūraṉ coṉṉa ēḻ icai iṉ tamiḻāl icaintu ēttiya pattiṉaiyum āḻi - kaṭal araiyā! añcaiyapparkku aṟivippatē! (7.100.10) In the tenth verse Sundarar refers to this hymn of ten verses composed by him on the immortal Mēru hill of the Lord (pon noḍittaṉ malai), sweet as the juice of sugar cane rendered in the delightful music of seven notes (eḻu isai). This was meant to be sung by the king of the ocean (kaḍal araiyaṉ) in the presence of the Lord of añcai (añcaikkulam - vañcikkulam). This shall remain till the very end of the eons.
This is the end verse of hymns, the last hymn sung by him according to the tradition glorified later, the king of añjaikkalam, ceramān perumāḷ was a great friend of Sundarar, accompanied him to Kailasa on horseback. That seems to be suggested, by this word kaṭal araiyan. The Cēra rulers were always referred to in Tamiḻ poems as kings of the ocean.
There is one poem by this Cēra saint of Thiru Vañchikkulam called “pon vaṇṇattu antāti” . That is a continuation of Sundara’s poem on pon noḍittān malai, which is Mēru mountain. Meru is the abode of Śiva. The impact of these poems on Tamiḻ ethos and art of international aesthetics deserve a special study.
1. Tiruttāḷaccati by Jñānasambandar பதிகம் = 1/126/136; திருத்தலம் = திருக் கழுமலம் திருத் தாளச்சதி ; பண் = வியாழக்குறிஞ்சி திக்கில்-தேவு அற்று அற்றே திகழ்ந்து இலங்கு மண்டலச் சீறு ஆர் வீறு ஆர் போர் ஆர் தாருகன் உடல் அவன் எதிரே புக்கிட்டே வெட்டிட்டே, புகைந்து எழுந்த சண்டத்தீப் போலே, பூ, நீர், தீ, கால், மீ, புணர்தரும் உயிர்கள் திறம் சொக்கத்தே நிர்த்தத்தே தொடர்ந்த மங்கை செங்கதத் தோடு ஏயாமே, மா லோகத் துயர் களைபவனது இடம் கைக்கப் போய் உக்கத்தே கனன்று மிண்டு தண்டலைக் காடே ஓடா ஊரே சேர் கழுமல வள நகரே. (5) 2. Tiru Ōmampuliyūr patikam by Jñānasambandar (3.122) பூங்கொடி மடவாள் உமை ஒருபாகம் புரிதரு சடைமுடி அடிகள், வீங்கு இருள் நட்டம் ஆடும் எம் விகிர்தர், விருப்பொடும் உறைவு இடம் வினவில்— தேம் கமழ் பொழிலில் செழு மலர் கோதிச் செறிதரு வண்டு இசை பாடும் ஓங்கிய புகழ் ஆர்--ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர், வடதளி அதுவே. (1)
சம்பரற்கு அருளி, சலந்தரன் வீயத் தழல் உமிழ் சக்கரம் படைத்த எம்பெருமானார், இமையவர் ஏத்த, இனிதின் அங்கு உறைவு இடம் வினவில்— அம்பரம் ஆகி அழல் உமிழ் புகையின் ஆகுதியால் மழை பொழியும், உம்பர்கள் ஏத்தும்--ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர், வடதளி அதுவே. (2)
பாங்கு உடைத் தவத்துப் பகீரதற்கு அருளிப் படர்சடைக் கரந்த நீர்க்கங்கை தாங்குதல் தவித்து, தராதலத்து இழித்த தத்துவன் உறைவு இடம் வினவில்— ஆங்கு எரிமூன்றும் அமர்ந்து உடன் இருந்த அம் கையால் ஆகுதி வேட்கும் ஓங்கிய மறையோர்--ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர் வடதளி அதுவே. (3)
புற்று அரவு அணிந்து, நீறு மெய் பூசி, பூதங்கள் சூழ்தர, ஊரூர், பெற்றம் ஒன்று ஏறிப் பெய் பலி கொள்ளும் பிரான் அவன் உறைவு இடம் வினவில்— கற்ற நால்வேதம் அங்கம் ஓர் ஆறும் கருத்தினார் அருத்தியால்-தெரியும் உற்ற பல்புகழார்--ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர் வடதளி அதுவே. (4)
நிலத்தவர், வானம் ஆள்பவர்,கீழோர், துயர் கெட, நெடிய மாற்கு அருளால், அலைத்த வல் அசுரர் ஆசு அற, ஆழி அளித்தவன் உறைவு இடம் வினவில்— சலத்தினால் பொருள்கள் வேண்டுதல் செய்யாத் தன்மையார், நன்மையால் மிக்க உலப்பு இல் பல்புகழார்,--ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர் வடதளி அதுவே. (5)
மணம் திகழ் திசைகள் எட்டும், ஏழிசையும், மலியும் ஆறு அங்கம், ஐவேள்வி, இணைந்த நால்வேதம், மூன்றுஎரி, இரண்டுபிறப்பு, என ஒருமையால் உணரும் குணங்களும், அவற்றின் கொள் பொருள் குற்றம் மற்று அவை உற்றதும், எல்லாம் உணர்ந்தவர் வாழும் ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர் வடதளி அதுவே. (6) Missing patikam no. 7 தலை ஒரு பத்தும் தடக்கை அது இரட்டி தான் உடைஅரக்கன் ஒண்கயிலை அலைவது செய்த அவன் திறல் கெடுத்த ஆதியார் உறைவு இடம் வினவில்— மலை என ஓங்கும் மாளிகை நிலவும், மா மதில் மாற்றலர் என்றும் உலவு பல்புகழ் ஆர்--ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர் வடதளி அதுவே. (8)
கள் அவிழ் மலர்மேல் இருந்தவன், கரியோன், என்று இவர் காண்பு அரிது ஆய ஒள் எரி உருவர் உமையவளோடும் உகந்து இனிது உறைவு இடம் வினவில்— பள்ள நீர் வாளை பாய்தரு கழனி, பனிமலர்ச்சோலை சூழ் ஆலை, ஒள்ளிய புகழ் ஆர்--ஓமமாம்புலியூர் உடையவர் வடதளி அதுவே. (9)
