Tiruppukal
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The Tiruppukal (
Description
There are no historical records of the life of Arunagirinathar, and what we know of the composition of the Tiruppukal is largely derived from oral traditions and legends recorded in commentaries on the work. According to these, Arunagirinathar led a hedonistic life as a young man. His disgust at his own conduct led him to attempt suicide by jumping off the temple tower at Tiruvannamalai. He was saved by Murugan himself.[3] Arunagirinathar was transformed, and began a long pilgrimage, visiting the Arupadai Veedu (Six Abodes of Murugan), the six temples most sacred to Murugan, and over 200 other holy shrines in India and Sri Lanka. At each of these, he composed songs in praise of Murugan, which are collected together in the Tiruppukal.[4] The majority of the songs are sung to Murugan, but there are also a few songs that sing of deeds of Shiva or the avatars of Vishnu, and of the power of Parvati. Almost all songs end addressing Murugan as Perumal, a term that traditionally had strong associations with Tamil Vaishnavism.
The worship of Murugan has strong roots in
Genre
Early medieval Tamil religious poems were written in a language and style that followed the pattern of
The Tiruppukal makes extensive and deliberate use of the imagery associated with the five landscapes of classical akam poetry. The usage is not, however, straightforward. Whereas akam poetry uses the imagery in the context of secular, sensuous love, the Tiruppukal uses the same imagery in the context of the longing of the individual for God. The imagery used in the following verse is illustrative of this usage:
- I do not wish to dwell in this illusory body,
built of the sky, water, earth, air, fire and desires.
Enlighten me, that I may praise the glory of your holy name
in the wise, beautiful Tamil tongue,
O Lord of the celestial heavens
who protects the Kurava woman of the sweet, child-like words
who wields the spear which destroyed the majestic hill
and wears a garland of scarlet flowers
where bees dance seeking honey. (Song 1304)
- I do not wish to dwell in this illusory body,
The reference to Kuravas and hills, and the imagery of the bees making honey from scarlet ceccai flowers, are characteristic of the kuriñci landscape. In secular poetry, the image of bees entering flowers symbolises the clandestine union of lovers, and the backdrop of the hills calls to mind the raw forces of nature. The union which Arunagirinathar uses this to symbolise, however, is that of the soul with God, and the imagery specifically calls to mind the legend of Murugan's wooing of Valli, the daughter of a Kurava chief. This appropriation of secular imagery to religious purposes is characteristic of the Tiruppukal: just as it call people to turn from hedonistic pleasures to a life centred on God, it turns the language formerly used to celebrate carnal love to celebrate God.
See also
- Murugan
- Six Abodes of Murugan
- Valli
- Devasena
- Arunagirinathar
References
- ISBN 978-93-80607-21-4.
- ISBN 978-1-317-74473-3.
- ISBN 978-1-57003-647-7.
- ISBN 978-2-85539-221-9.
- ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.
- ^ Journal of the Institute of Asian Studies. Institute of Asian Studies. 1984. p. 176.
External links
- Full text of the anthology (pdf) from Project Madurai
- Tiruppukal in Tamil and English with meaning from Kaumaram website.