The 63 Saivite Saints

By S. Raman

Every year in the Tamil month of Panguni (March-April), Arupaththumoovar festival is celebrated in Sri Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, Chennai. There is no such thing as a single day for these 63-saints. Actually it is the anniversary day of the miraculous resurrection of Angam Poompavai from her ashes by the Saint Thiru Gnana Sambandhar. This work is the narration about the 63-Saivite devotees, to write about whom Lord Shiva ordered Alala Sundarar, who was his attendant in Mount Kailash, to be born in Tamil Nadu. The life span of Sundarar was only 18 years, and he had accomplished this task in his last 2 years. These 63 devotees are known as Nayanmars, and their icons can be seen in major Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, mainly in the outer circuit around the main Shiva Lingam deity. Interestingly all these icons will be in standing position, except one. That exception is a woman devotee by name Karaikal Ammaiyar. Translated it would mean ‘the lady from the town Karaikal’. Only she will be in the sitting position, for special reasons. The original abridged Sundarar’s work was elaborately written in the 12th century by Sekkizhar as “Periya Puranam” which is famous for one other reason. Whereas Ramayana and Maha Bharatha were translated from Sanskrit into Tamil, Periya Puranam is the only epic work translated from Tamil into Sanskrit, as “Sivabhakta Vilasam”. Some call it also as “Upamanyu Bhakta Vilasam”. Some say that Sundarar wrote only about 60 devotees, but the later writers added him as well as his parents to make up the total of 63. Some of the narrations may contain logically unacceptable incidents, bizarre events, and the like, especially for people of the present generation. It is upto the reader to understand the moral behind or the affectionate emotions that had led to those events rather than the bare details themselves. Narration of each of the Nayanmars ends with their “Videha Mukthi” days, with details on the Tamil month and the Star of that day. To remind us that we are their devotees, significantly they are called the “Guru Puja” days.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pustaka Digital Media
• Release date: Jul 17, 2021
• ISBN: 6580530407134

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The 63 Saivite Saints

Arupaththumoovar

Author:

S. Raman

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Table of Contents

ARUPATHTHU-MOOVAR

1. The Ultimate Light

2. Knowledge through Devotion

3. Sundarar

4. The Three Thousand Thillai Brahmins

5. Neelakantar, the Potter

6. Iyarpakai Nayanar

7. Ilayangudi Mara Nayanar

8. Meypporul Nayanar

9. Viranminda Nayanar

10. Amar Neethi Nayanar

11. Eripaththa Nayanar

12. Enathinatha Nayanar

13. Kannappa Nayanar

14. Kunguliyak Kalayanar

15. Maanak Kanjaara Nayanar

16. Arivaattaayar

17. Aanaaya Nayanar

18. Moorthy Nayanar

19. Muruga Nayanar

20. Rudra Pasupathi Nayanar

21. Nandanar

22. Tirukuripputh Thondar

23. Sandikeswarar

24. Thilakavathiyar

25. Thirunavukkarasar

26. Appoothi, Appar & Sambandhar

27. Kulachchirai & Mangaiyarkarasi

28. Perumizhalai Kurumbar

29. Karaikkal Ammaiyar

30. Thiruneelanakka Nayanar

31. Naminandi Adigalar

32. Sambandhar

33. Gnana Sambandhar

34. Thiru Gnana Sambandhar - I

35. Thiru Gnana Sambandhar - II

36. Sangili & Paravai Nachchiyars

37. Kalikkaama Nayanar

38. Thirumoolar

39. Dhandi Adigal

40. Moorga Nayanar

41. Somasi Mara Nayanar

42. Sakkiya Nayanar

43. Sirappuli Nayanar

44. Siruthondar Nayanar

45. Cheraman Perumal Nayanar

46. Gananatha Nayanar

47. Kootruva Nayanar

48. Poyyadimai Illatha Pulavar

49. Pukazh Chozha Nayanar

50. Narasingha Munaiyaraya Nayanar

51. Athibakthar Nayanar

52. Kalikamba Nayanar

53. Kaliya Nayanar

54. Sakthi Nayanar

55. Aiyadigal Kadavar Kon

56. Kanam Pulla Nayanar

57. Kaari Nayanar

58. Nindra Seer Nedumaran

59. Vayilar Nayanar

60. Munaiyaduvar Nayanar

61. Kazharsinghar & Seruththunai Nayanars

62. Idankazhi Nayanar

63. Pukazh Thunai Nayanar

64. Kotpuli Nayanar

65. Baktharaay Panivaarkal

66. Poosalar Nayanar

67. Nesa Nayanar

68. Kochenkan Chozhar

69. Thiruneelakanda Yazhppanar

70. Sadaiyanar & Isaignaniyar

ARUPATHTHU-MOOVAR

INTRODUCTION

Every year in the Tamil month of Panguni (March-April), Arupaththu moovar festival is celebrated in Sri Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, Chennai. There is no such thing as a single day for these 63-saints. Actually, it is the anniversary day of the miraculous resurrection of Angam Poompavai from her ashes by the Saint Thiru Gnana Sambandhar. This work is the narration about the 63-Saivite devotees, to write about whom Lord Shiva ordered Alala Sundarar, who was his attendant in Mount Kailash, to be born in Tamil Nadu. The life span of Sundarar was only 18 years, and he had accomplished this task in his last 2 years. These 63 devotees are known as Nayanmars, and their icons can be seen in major Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, mainly in the outer circuit around the main Shiva Lingam deity. Interestingly all these icons will be in standing position, except one. That exception is a woman devotee by name Karaikal Ammaiyar. Translated it would mean ‘the lady from the town Karaikal’. Only she will be in the sitting position, for special reasons. The original abridged Sundarar’s work was elaborately written in the 12th century by Sekkizhar as Periya Puranam which is famous for one other reason. Whereas Ramayana and Maha Bharatha were translated from Sanskrit into Tamil, Periya Puranam is the only epic work translated from Tamil into Sanskrit, as Sivabhakta Vilasam. Some call it also as Upamanyu Bhakta Vilasam. Some say that Sundarar wrote only about 60 devotees, but the later writers added him as well as his parents to make up the total of 63. Some of the narrations may contain logically unacceptable incidents, bizarre events, and the like, especially for people of the present generation. It is up to the reader to understand the moral behind or the affectionate emotions that had led to those events rather than the bare details themselves. Narration of each of the Nayanmars ends with their Videha Mukthi days, with details on the Tamil month and the Star of that day. To remind us that we are their devotees, significantly they are called the Guru Puja days.

1. The Ultimate Light

The year was 1950.

The date was 14th April, the first day of almost every Tamil New Year.

The time was 8:47 p.m.

The place was a small room in Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.

The table clock in that room had stood standstill, as if it got stuck, and continued to show it until someone noticed it.

One Narayana Iyer, who was working in a nearby town as a Postmaster, was just then entering the premises of Sri Ramanasramam, situated at the foot of the south-eastern slope of the holy hill of Tiruvannamalai in the state of Tamil Nadu, situated in the southern part of India.

He was dumb struck when he saw a flash of light travelling, steadily in the north-western direction towards the top of that Hill. That flash had originated from that small room, where he knew that a great modern-day sage, known as Ramana Maharshi, was recuperating after a series of treatments including a surgery on his right arm. He did also notice a crowd of grief-stricken people, sitting in front of that room and chanting devotional hymns composed by that sage, fondly referred to as Bhagvan. The interesting thing was that the postmaster learnt later that he was not a lone witness, and that quite a few people had seen that streak of light not only from that town but also from many other places, near and far. In other words, he was a witness to an all-pervading and rare phenomenon that had just taken place.

Though noted by many, it was first reported by a French photographer, who was a visitor to that ashram. By this time, I myself had met about four people who had seen it. One of them was collecting piped water from a tap in a public place, in a nearby town called Vellore. Another person was a legal pleader in a district court of law in yet another town called Tirukkovilur. He was then sitting by the side of a living saint called Sri Gnananada Giri (ஞானானந்த கிரி) Swamigal. That saint seemed to have suddenly looked up at the sky, and uttered to him, See, there goes Ramana! And there were two more such.

As can be guessed, Ramana had just then shed his mortal coil, at the end of his earthly presence. Normally, we would describe such an event as the person is dead. But, in the case of saints, who had realized the true meaning of life, we reverentially say that the person attained videha-mukthi (விதேஹ முக்தி). As deha in the language of Sanskrit means body, Videha conveys the absence of a body. The implication is that the person had reached the ultimate stage of such a realization when alive sometime earlier during his lifetime, and now continues to exist without a body.

That is very much in tune with the goal of Indian philosophy that directs everyone to realize the truth of one’s existence. One of its methods is to question whether he or she is just the body that everyone sees, or takes for granted. Actually, it can be extended to anybody, not only human beings but equally well to all beings in this world!

Now, coming back to the event described above, we have to mention that such events do take place now and then. Are such miracles really possible? Is there any shred of truth in them? Obviously, for people who have not witnessed such miracles, or have not had similar or lesser experiences themselves, such an event may as well be a fake one. But, in this case, there were many witnesses who were people well known for their integrity, and had themselves evolved, or were in the process of evolving to higher levels of spirituality. Why would they describe something that is not true? If that rare event had not happened during my lifetime, it might have been difficult for me too to believe that such an event ever occurred.

One great epic in Tamil compiled in the 12th Century, when Chozha (சோழா) kings were ruling the fertile parts of Tamil Nadu, opens with the description of a similar event that took place in the range of Himalayas, known as Kailasha (கைலாஸா), the sacred abode of Lord Shiva. After having read that, when I heard of what took place closer to my home and in my time, my interest in such bizarre events naturally increased. Incidentally, that epic was originally written in Tamil, but later translated into Sanskrit and titled Shiva Bakthi Vilasam (சிவ பக்தி விலாஸம்). As the name suggests, it is an epic on 63 Shiva devotees. Deriving from that number, as uttered in Tamil, that entire group is referred to as Arupaththu-moovar (அறுபத்து மூவர்). That work was originally entitled Tiruthondar Puranam (திருத்தொண்டர் புராணம்), which later came to be known popularly as Periya Puranam (பெரிய புராணம்).

In its opening scene, the epic describes an on-going Vedic session in the Himalayan range by a learned sage called Upamanyu, with his disciples sitting around. Just then the disciples notice a streak of light in the sky moving towards Kailasha. The sage gets up and pays his respect to it, with folded hands. Surprised, the students ask the sage about it. He replies that the streak denotes the return of one Alaala Sundarar (ஆலால சுந்தரர்) to the abode of Shiva, after fulfillment of a task assigned to him earlier. He continued to explain that Sundarar was a resident there and an ardent devotee of Shiva. He was engaged in Kailasha with the responsibility of gathering flowers from the garden, for Shiva’s daily puja. One day, while he was engaged thus, he noticed the presence of two young and attractive women there, whom he had never seen earlier in that vicinity. Their names were Kamalini (கமலினி) and Aninditha (அநிந்திதா). As Sundarar was emotionally disturbed by their presence, he lost concentration on his divine duty. Sensing this lapse on his part, Shiva ordained that Sundarar as well as those two ladies be born in Tamil Nadu, get married there to lead a domestic life. Indeed, it was a blessing in disguise for Sundarar who would write about the life-stories of these Arupaththu-moovar (அறுபத்துமூவர்) in that period. Thus, a slip in a divine responsibility was used to initiate a public relation work of popularizing these devotees, who were also known as Nayanmars (நாயன்மார்). As per the divine wish, Sundarar was born in a place called Thirunavalur (திருநாவலூர்) but later moved to Tiruvarur (திருவாரூர்). After completing his work on the Nayanmars, he was returning to the abode of Lord Shiva, in the form of light. Sage Upamanyu narrated thus to his disciples, who joined their Guru to pay respects to that returning soul.

What is the significance of light here? Light illuminates the objects in any surrounding, and thus helps one to identify what lies around. Thus, light helps someone to see clearly. Similarly, knowledge helps one to understand the concepts behind anything, and the methods of performing anything. Thus light, or the eternal source of light which is the Sun, is synonymous with knowledge. According to philosophy, especially the ancient ones such as Hindu or Greek philosophy, the very reason for the birth of any creature is to understand one’s true nature. Hence the famous saying: Know Thyself Such an inquiry goes beyond the existence of a structure like one’s body, that of a more subtle one like one’s mind, etc. When that knowledge dawns for a person, then it is said that the person is enlightened. And, that is considered the knowledge that is ultimate which one can ever attain. To cut it short, knowing that beyond which there is nothing more to know is the real knowledge.

Such knowledge is different from the one that is intellectually gained. Because, when one is constrained to gain it with whatever one is naturally endowed with, obviously the tool of intellect which is used in that process is very much part of what one seeks to understand. So, it is said that one can utmost initiates the process of gaining knowledge but cannot complete it with whatever tool that one has. This is where certain powers, that govern the universe, seem to play a role. One of the names of such a power is God, another is Truth, and there are many such. Obeying to that power, after initiating our search for our true nature, is known as devotion. All of these 63 Nayanmars chose the path of devotion to God, and gained the ultimate knowledge. We will shortly read about their methods of surrender, and how their ways of living were affected by their respective methods. Sundarar’s role was to record their individual experiences. We will also note that their Videha Mukthi days are celebrated as Guru Puja days, presumably to remind us that we must consider ourselves as their devotees.

And, what was Ramana’s role in all these, as we may guess? Until his teen age, he was very much like any other boy of that age. At some point of time, when he started getting glimpses of the glorious purpose of life, he used to visit the Madurai Meenakshi temple, and spent his lonely moments there. That temple was just a stone throw away from where he lived. In the outer circuit of the main shrine in the temple, stone icons of these 63 Nayanmars were there. Ramana used to stand before those icons, and pray that he be blessed to be as devoted as them in his life. While praying thus, without his volition, he used to shed tears. Later, he moved from Madurai to Tiruvannamalai, as if by a divine call. He spent his entire period of life in the precincts of the holy hill of Arunachala, and merged with God, as we saw at the beginning of this narration.

2. Knowledge through Devotion

Earlier, we saw that the purpose of life is to know about one’s real nature. Why should one learn that? Because, our entire worldly experiences are based on how we look at the things and the happenings around us; in other words, our perceptions. Thus, we are in the Centre of our experiences and so, if they must be true, our knowledge about ourselves must be equally so. All of us take for granted that we are in the world. Is it really so? When we are awake, the one that appears along with the world is our mind, and so our worldly experiences will be with reference to the state in which our mind is. But that is relevant only to our wakeful state, during which the existence of mind is felt and the world is also seen. However, we also have other experiences during the states of deep sleep and dreaming. In our deep sleep, we neither experience a world nor our mind. And, in our dream it is another set of experiences for us. But, in all of those three states we continue to exist, and that is what our life is all about.

Thus, the knowledge that we are seeking about us is different from the worldly knowledge which is mostly about some object or the other. The former spans over all the three states of our being, whereas the latter is largely of the one in wakeful state, and to some extent our dream state. About the deep sleep state, we cannot claim anything at all, except saying that we had a good sleep which is an experience. That experience also can be talked about only in our wakeful state! So, we may initiate the self-enquiry about ourselves at the intellectual level, but cannot get a solution for that at that level. Because the answer must be true for all the three states. This is where devotion plays a role. So, that drives us to understand what devotion is all about.

Everyone born is sure of two things, the first being about the existence of oneself. That is, the person is not going to ask another person anything like do I exist?. No one needs any proof for one’s existence. The second is about one’s knowledge that everyone born will surely die. That is to say that for everyone there is a beginning and an end, and so he or she is a finite being. When this person starts enquiring about the purpose of a finite-duration life, it is convenient to assume that there exists an infinite being. Why so? Because, though a person realizes about his finite or limited role he or she sees a big world or universe before him in which there are many like him or her, and that their combined effect may go on for a longer time. That is, he considers the role of one person as similar to those of others, and thus extends it to that of a community or society. Thus, he presumes that there can exist a role for an infinite being, with no beginning or end, and considers it ideally as one’s goal. The easiest way of reaching that goal is then to imagine a merger of this finite being with that infinite one. And, that is nothing but the surrender of finite to the infinite. If that surrender is total, the finite will cease to exist, and the infinite alone will exist. In other words, after such a surrender one cannot entertain any doubts about one’s status. If one still continues to feel about one’s finiteness, it implies that the person has not totally surrendered. This process of becoming one with the infinite is called devotion. If that