Arunagirinathar
Vettrivel Muruganakku Haro Hara
Arunagirinathar was a great saint-poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Thiruppugazh (meaning "Holy Praise" or "Divine Glory"), a book of poems in Tamil in praise of Lord Murugan (son of Lord Shiva). His devotional songs, coming straight from his heart out of deep experience of Lord Murugan have greatly contributed to awakening God-consciousness in society, and continue to be greatly popular to this day.
Arunagiri was born during the 15th century in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. He spent his youth in pursuing a life of debauchery. His sister always gave whatever she earned to make her brother happy, and he frequently visited the devadasis. Since he was enjoying his life in dissipation, he started to suffer from various diseases.
At one point of time, she lost all her wealth in satisfying her brother's needs. But he continued to pester her for money. To keep him happy, she said that he should sell her in order to raise money for his lust. Lo! Those words entered Arunagiri's heart like sharp arrows and shook his very being so fundamentally that he repented with a contrite heart for all his past misdeeds and wept bitterly. In a moment he decided to put an end to his life as an expiation for all the sins committed by him. He climbed the tower of the Arunachala Temple, repented with an honest feeling, cried aloud the Name of the Lord, "Muruga! Muruga! Muruga!" and jumped down, to put an end to his miserable existence and thereby be freed from his sins.
Ere Arunagiri fell towards the ground, when there stood the Lord with His outstretched hands and held Arunagiri in His warm embrace.
With His Vel, the Lord wrote His sacred Mantra on Arunagiri's tongue, gave him a Japa Mala, named him "Arunagiri-naathar," and commanded him to sing His glories. Arunagirinathar hesitated. The Lord Himself then gave the first line as:
muthai-tharu pathi thiru-Nagai
athi-kiRai sathich-saravaNa
muthi-koru vithu-guru-bara ...... enavOthum
The Lord then disappeared. Arunagirinathar stood there totally transformed. He adopted the life of a renunciate. The erstwhile sinner shone now as a saint. His body was cured of all its diseases; his mind was purged of all impurities; his heart was brimming with devotion and he was in a highly ecstatic mood.
Arunagirinathar, having now got the complete grace and command of the Lord, at once completed the song. He was full of expression, love, and supreme devotion. As the waters of a reservoir rush forth when the floodgate is thrown open, wisdom and love flowed through the Saint in the form of Thiruppugazh songs.
Arunagirinathar then undertook a pilgrimage to pay his homage to Lord Murugan enshrined in almost ever town, village, and even out-of-the-way places, and wherever he went he paid his tribute to the Lord of that place by dedicating one or more Thiruppugazh songs in honour of that Lord by referring to the name of the place in that particular song. He visited more than 200 places of Lord Skanda, big and small, scattered all over Tamil Nadu, especially the six prominent abodes - Thiruthani, Swamimalai, Palani, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparankunram and Thiruchendur.
The Thiruppugazh songs had a special charm. These verses appealed to the people and touched their hearts because of their beauty, style, rhythm, depth of meaning and above all the grace of the Lord who commissioned Arunagirinathar with the mission of moral regeneration, religious unity, and dissemination of spiritual wisdom.
The Thiruppugazh poems were felt to be a boon by one and all - the sensuous man found not only his deplorable condition portrayed but also a way out shown; vain Pandits who wasted their time in debates were made to see their folly; devotees who needed more inspiration found verses of surrender and invocation; the aspirant who thirsted for wisdom go the required material for contemplation and enquiry; etc. Thus, the Thiruppugazh songs were a mine of social, religious, and spiritual wealth that could satisfy and uplift each and every kind of person. People were, therefore, easily attracted towards the Thiruppugazh songs. Men and women everywhere began to sing Arunagirinathar's verses and dance in ecstasy. This brought him name and fame, and great reverence from every quarter.
The widespread fame of Arunagirinathar brought jealousy into the mind of Sambandandan, the minister of the local king Pravuda Deva. Sambandandan challenged Arunagirinathar to manifest Lord Murugan in front of everyone. A big assembly was convened at the courtyard of the Arunachaleshwarar Temple. The king with his consort, nobles and the public at large gathered there to witness this unusual contest. Sambandandan made all sorts of feats, pomp, and show to manifest his Ishta Devata - but failed. Now came Arunagirinathar's turn. The Saint made no special efforts, but sang a Thiruppugazh song, which begins with "Athala Sendanarada".
No sooner did Arunagirinathar finish the song than the Lord appeared before the assembly, on a dancing peacock, by manifesting Himself from a pillar and gave Darshana to all. The pillar from which Lord Murugan appeared as also the Mandapam where the assembly was convened are to be seen even today in the Arunachaleshwarar Temple, where a small shrine is dedicated to Lord Murugan. As the Lord here came out of a Khamba (pillar), He is called, "Khambattu Ilayanaar."
Arunagirinathar composed almost 16,000 Thiruppugazh songs, of which only about 1,365 are available today. His other major poetic works are Kandar Alangaram and Kandar Anubhuti.
Arunagirinathar attained the highest state of Sayujya — the Advaitic realization of being one with the Almighty Lord Skanda (Parabrahman). Thus, did Arunagirinathar live a glorious life of God-consciousness, exhibiting many a super-human deed, lifting people from the quagmire of samsara (cycle of birth-death-rebirth) and planting them firmly in the awareness of God; and the Saint continues to guide seeking souls to perfection, lending them the needed support, even today. May the grace of Saint Arunagirinathar be upon us all, always!
Arunagirinathar was a great saint-poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Thiruppugazh (meaning "Holy Praise" or "Divine Glory"), a book of poems in Tamil in praise of Lord Murugan (son of Lord Shiva). His devotional songs, coming straight from his heart out of deep experience of Lord Murugan have greatly contributed to awakening God-consciousness in society, and continue to be greatly popular to this day.
Arunagiri was born during the 15th century in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. He spent his youth in pursuing a life of debauchery. His sister always gave whatever she earned to make her brother happy, and he frequently visited the devadasis. Since he was enjoying his life in dissipation, he started to suffer from various diseases.
At one point of time, she lost all her wealth in satisfying her brother's needs. But he continued to pester her for money. To keep him happy, she said that he should sell her in order to raise money for his lust. Lo! Those words entered Arunagiri's heart like sharp arrows and shook his very being so fundamentally that he repented with a contrite heart for all his past misdeeds and wept bitterly. In a moment he decided to put an end to his life as an expiation for all the sins committed by him. He climbed the tower of the Arunachala Temple, repented with an honest feeling, cried aloud the Name of the Lord, "Muruga! Muruga! Muruga!" and jumped down, to put an end to his miserable existence and thereby be freed from his sins.
Ere Arunagiri fell towards the ground, when there stood the Lord with His outstretched hands and held Arunagiri in His warm embrace.
muthai-tharu pathi thiru-Nagai
athi-kiRai sathich-saravaNa
muthi-koru vithu-guru-bara ...... enavOthum
Arunagirinathar, having now got the complete grace and command of the Lord, at once completed the song. He was full of expression, love, and supreme devotion. As the waters of a reservoir rush forth when the floodgate is thrown open, wisdom and love flowed through the Saint in the form of Thiruppugazh songs.
Arunagirinathar went from tower to tower of the Arunachaleshwarar temple and poured forth poems in exquisite Tamil. He then went round the streets of Tiruvannamalai, singing the glories of the Lord in diverse ways. He was God-intoxicated out and out, and started on a pilgrimage to all holy places, singing the Thiruppugazh, wherever he went, enjoying various kinds of divine experiences at different places.
Arunagirinathar then undertook a pilgrimage to pay his homage to Lord Murugan enshrined in almost ever town, village, and even out-of-the-way places, and wherever he went he paid his tribute to the Lord of that place by dedicating one or more Thiruppugazh songs in honour of that Lord by referring to the name of the place in that particular song. He visited more than 200 places of Lord Skanda, big and small, scattered all over Tamil Nadu, especially the six prominent abodes - Thiruthani, Swamimalai, Palani, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparankunram and Thiruchendur.
The Thiruppugazh poems were felt to be a boon by one and all - the sensuous man found not only his deplorable condition portrayed but also a way out shown; vain Pandits who wasted their time in debates were made to see their folly; devotees who needed more inspiration found verses of surrender and invocation; the aspirant who thirsted for wisdom go the required material for contemplation and enquiry; etc. Thus, the Thiruppugazh songs were a mine of social, religious, and spiritual wealth that could satisfy and uplift each and every kind of person. People were, therefore, easily attracted towards the Thiruppugazh songs. Men and women everywhere began to sing Arunagirinathar's verses and dance in ecstasy. This brought him name and fame, and great reverence from every quarter.
Arunagirinathar composed almost 16,000 Thiruppugazh songs, of which only about 1,365 are available today. His other major poetic works are Kandar Alangaram and Kandar Anubhuti.
Arunagirinathar attained the highest state of Sayujya — the Advaitic realization of being one with the Almighty Lord Skanda (Parabrahman). Thus, did Arunagirinathar live a glorious life of God-consciousness, exhibiting many a super-human deed, lifting people from the quagmire of samsara (cycle of birth-death-rebirth) and planting them firmly in the awareness of God; and the Saint continues to guide seeking souls to perfection, lending them the needed support, even today. May the grace of Saint Arunagirinathar be upon us all, always!
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