Chapter 3 - The Problem of Numbers

I

Man aspires for all that is the purest gold. Disappointment, however, meets him on all sides, from very early times. Man creates, therefore, a mythology of poetry to give expression to his feeling of loss, especially of culture and learning. An Asura of darkness rolls up the world with its Book and disappears into the ocean and God unable to bear the sufferings of Man, goes to recover it in the form of the Fish. This is one vision of the Loss of the Book. There is another vision but still of the Great Waters, reminding us of the age of the Floods. The Book is thrown into the Deep and is devoured by the Fish. The Lord, the Fisherman, goes fishing with His net. In a similar way the story of the loss and recovery of Tevaram is described in a puranic vein. Tevaram is at once great poetry and great musical composition and this story of its loss is more than a tragedy. Is it possible to arrive at an estimate of this loss? It is therefore a problem for the student of Tamil to find out the number of verses sung by Tevaram Saints, especially of Nampi Arurar whom we have taken up for study.

II

The total number of verses sung by these three Saints is believed to have been much more than what is available today. According to Tirumuraikanta Puranam, most of these hymns had been eaten away by white ants, before the remaining portions were recovered. This Puranam consoles us by reporting of a voice heard from the Heavens that what was necessary for the world had been preserved and the king need not be sorry that the other hymns had been lost. This Puranam is our authority on the question of the original number of hymns.

Verse No. 14 therein gives that the first hymn sung by Campantar begins with the words, “Totntaiya ceviyan” and the last is that beginning with “Kallur”. The verse mentions that Campantar “Patinar patikankal pavil onram patinarayiram ulatap pakarumante”: This can be interpreted in two ways: (1) ‘He sang the patikams in poetry and the number of patikams is 16,000’. This will make us believe that Campantar sang 1,60,000 verses. (2) ‘He sang the patikams. Expressed in terms of verses the total number is 16,000’. The second interpretation will reduce the total number of verses sung by Campantar to the reasonable figure of 16,000. Nampiyantar himself in his Alntaiya Pillaiyar Tiruvantati gives this number 16,000 patikams, “Patinarayiram Pathigam”. In his other work on Campantar, viz., ‘Alntaiya Pillaiyar Tiruttokai’, he states that the total number of verses that Campantar sang is 16,000, “Paccaip patikattntan patinarayiram pT vittup porulai vilaikka vala perumul”. No contradiction need be found here if we take Pathigam in the sense of an individual stanza, i.e., 16,000 verses.

The total number of verses sung by Appar is given in the 15th verse of the Tirumuraikanta Puranam. The first hymn sung by him begins with the word “Kurrayina” and the last with the word “Orumanai”. The total number is given as 49,000: “Orunarpat tonpatina yirama takap perunamap pukaluril Pathigam kulip pinnakanar atiyinaikaj perrulare”. This is also capable of two interpretations: One is that after he sang the Pathigam or hymn at Pukalur, the total number of verses became 49,000 and he reached the holy feet of Shiva. The other interpretation is that he sang 49,000 patikams inclusive of that sung at Pukalur and he reached the holy feet of Shiva. According to the second interpretation the total number of verses Appar sang will assume the huge number of 4,90,000.

Fortunately for us, we have more reliable and authoritative statements about the total number of verses sung by Appar.

Nampi Arurar in his Thirunindravur hymn, No. 65, in verse 2, sings thus: “inaikol elalu nuru irumpanuval inravan Tir-navinukkaraiyan” which confirms the first interpretation that he sang only seven into seven hunared, i.e., 49,000 works or patikams. This verse cannot be brushed aside as an interpolation for Cekkilar refers to this particular statement of Nampi Arurar in his Periyapuranam in describing the singing of the hymns by Nampi Arurar at Tiruninviyur: “NinUyur meyarai.... Paduvar ntaiya aracu ennim ulakilar ninkap paliya elelu nurum anr cirappittu ancol Thirupathigam aruj ceytar”. Even prior to the age of Cekkilar, Nampiyantar Nampi, in his work Tiruvekatacamalai, in praise of Tirunavukkaracar, gives the same number in the very same phrase, “Pathigam elalu nuru pakarum ma kavi yogi paracu navaracu”. But, in the same work, the verse No. 3, as it stands at present gives the number as “Elimuru arumpatikam”, i.e., 700 patikams. The verse runs as “Itaya nekave kacin titayam elimuru arum patika nitiye polintarulu Tirunavin enkal aracu”. As in these lines there is a repetition of the word ‘itayam’, our sense of poetry drives us to omit the second ‘itayam’ and insert the phrase, “Kacinta el ejunuru” to suit the metre on the basis of the oft repeated “0| eju nuru”. All this will give only 4,900 patikams or 49,000 verses.

The total number of verses sung by Nampi Arurar is given in verse No. 16 of Tirumuraikanta Puranam. The first hymn begins with the verse “Pitta” and the last hymn ends with the verse “Ulitorum”: “Pitta ermum nipamutal Thirupathigam ulitarum iray muppattennayiramataka munpu pukanru avar notittan malaiyil cerntar”. This is also capable of two interpretations: The first is that Nampi Arurar began with the verse “Pitta” and ended with the verse “Ulitorum” to make 38,000 patikams and reached Kailas; the second interpretation which it must be admitted is somewhat strained, is that Nampi Arurar sang from “Pitta” to Ulitorum”, 38,000 verses in Tiruppatikams and reached the Mountain Kailas. But on the basis of the interpretation given with reference to the other two verses 14 and 15 of Tirumuraikanta Puranam, the second interpretation is reasonable.

III

In this connection it may be noted that Pathigam is used in the sense of ten stanzas and also in the sense of an Individual stanza. This second meaning has already been noted, in discussing the two verses of Nampiyantar Nampi on the verses of Campantar. The oft repeated form ‘Patiyam’ has this meaning of a stanza in places like “Pannu tiruppavaip pal patiyam” occurring in the ‘taniyan’ in the stray verse on ‘Antal’s Tiruppavai’.

Therefore, in all the three verses of Tirumuraikanta Puranam, even if it is taken that the number is of Tiruppatikams, we can safely interpret the Tiruppatikams as individual stanzas and that therefore these three verses give us the total number of verses sung by these three Saints. Unfortunately the previous editors of Tevaram have taken the total number given as that of hymns, each Pathigam consisting of ten or more verses. According to them the total hymns are 1,03,000 (One lakh and three thousand) and the total verses are more than ten lakhs and thirty thousand. If the number given in Tirumuraikanta Puranam is taken as referring to individual verses we will get only one lakh and three thousand verses.

It is very doubtful whether even this lesser number gives us the correct position. It has already been pointed out that much reliance cannot be placed on Tirumuraikanta Puranam especially because of its confusion of the names of the kings. It must, however, be admitted that it represents the tradition in vogue when it was written. It is also clear that at least with reference to the works of Appar and Campantar it had before it, the authoritative statements by Nampiyantar Nampi himself. On analysing, however, the verses of Nampiyantar Nampi, we find new light thrown on this question. It has already been pointed out that the word Pathigam has been used with reference to Campantar’s works in the meaning of individual stanzas. If this word is interpreted in this sense as used by Nampiyantar Nampi with reference to the works of Appar in Tiru Ekatacamalai, we get the total number of his verses as “El ejunuru” or 4,900, which will roughly be 490 tens or Tiruppatikams.

Arurar’s statement that Appar has sung “El ejunuru irumpanuval” can also be interpreted as referring only to 4,900 verses; the word ‘pamival’ is no difficulty in the way. The meaning of a stanza, especially musical stanza, for the panuval is as old as Purananutu: “Vari navil panuval”. Cekkilar merely mentions the number “El ejunuru”. It may be stated that if he wanted to refer to the units of ten stanzas, he would have made it clear by stating so. In the absence of any such specific statement, his number can refer only to individual verses. If this interpretation is correct, the total number of verses of Appar would be 4,900 and not 49,000. Unfortunately no such statement is available from Arurar, for Campantar’s poems. Nor have we any authoritative statement of Arurar’s poem by any one who had lived near his times.

The number of patikams available from those of Appar is 307. That works out as 60% of the total 490. Thus 40% of the total verses may be taken to have disappeared on account of the ravages of time and white ants. At the time, when Tirumurai kanta Puranam was composed, the number of patikams available is given in verse No. 25. The total number of Campantar’s patikams available then was 384, that of Appar was 307 and that of Arurar 100, in all making 791 patikams.

On the basis of the rough calculation made by us that on an average only 40% of the verses were lost, we may assume that the original number of patikams composed by Campantar was 640 and that of Arurar 160, making 800 patikams in all and if the patikams of Appar are added the total will be nearly 1,300 patikams or 13,000 verses in all. This number 640 will give us roughly 6,000 verses for Campantar and if “Patinarayiram” in Nampi’s verses is taken to be a wrong reading of the original “arayiram”, one may get a confirmation of the rough calculation. If we take into consideration the number of temples described by Cekkilar, as having been sung by these Saints, these calculations of ours may be justified. Cekkilar’s poems can never justify the fabulous number given by the commentator of Tirumuraikanta Puranam. In this connection, we must bear in mind that Natamuni recovered all the songs of Alvars without any loss whatever.

Even the number given in this verse of Tirumuraikanta Puranam is not followed by some of the editors of Tevaram; a few like Ramaswamy Pillai of Maturai, give the number 384 for Campan tar, 311 for Appar, and 100 for Arurar, making a total of 795 as against 791 of Tirumuraikanta Puranam, whilst others like Mr. Sabapati Mudaliar (Panmurai) give the total number as 796, whereas Arumukha Navalar in his prose version of Periya+puranam gives the number of patikams of Appar as 312 as against 311 of Tirumuraikanta Puranam and the number of Arurar’s patikams 101 as against 100, thus making up a total of 797 as against 791 of Tirumuraikanta Puranam.

IV

Even with reference to the statement about the verses available at the time of Tirumuraikanta Puranam, this Puranam cannot be relied upon. According to this Puranam, the number of Campantar’s patikams available were 384 of which 383 alone were available till very recent times. The inscription found on the walls of the temple at Tiruvilaivay has given us Campantar’s Pathigam for that temple, thus making up a total of 384 as given in Tirumuraikanta Puranam. But Cekkilar in his Campantar’s Puranam specifically mentions, in verse No. 342, the Saint’s visit to Tiruvalanturai, Tiruccenturai and other temples. We know no hymns of these temples are found included within the number 384 mentioned in Tirumuraikanta Puranam. In the inscriptions of these temples belonging to the reign of Rajaraja I, and Parakesarivarman Uttama Cola, it is said that Tiruppatikams were sung in those temples. But it may be said that Cekkilar does not mention in his verse that Campantar sang any hymn when he worshipped in these temples. However, when Campantar worshipped at Tiruttavatturai, the modern Lalgudi temple, Cekkilar specifically refers to the hymn sung by the Saint and the inscription of this temple refers to the singing of the Tiruppatiyam during the reign of Rajaraja, the Great. This Tiruppatiyam for Lalgudi which must have been in existence during the times of Cekkilar is not found included in the modern editions of Tevaram. From these, one has to conclude that more than 384 hymns of Campantar were available during the times of Cekkilar and the statement in Tirumuraikanta Puranam that the hymns, over and above 384, were lost to the world for ever could not be relied on.

V

A similar reference to Cekkilar’s Periyapuranam will reveal that this number 100 given for Arurar’s hymns available is not correct. Four of the present hymns in one sense and seven in another sense are not mentioned by Cekkilar whilst eight to ten hymns referred to by him are not found in the collections now available.

Cekkilar refers to more than 187 times to Arurar’s worshipping in places surrounding the important temples mentioned by him. He speaks of itankali ‘inim pala’, ‘itankaj enaippala’, ‘tanam pala’, ‘pira pati’, ‘patikal pira’, ‘patikal pala’, ‘manila patikal’, without mentioning the names of the temples; in a few places he mentions the important or starting places alone as “Inkoymalai mutalaka vimalartam pati pala”, “Cemponpalli mutal......pati pala”. In most of these places, Cekkilar uses the words ‘panintu’, ‘irainci’, ‘tola’, ‘Vannnki’, ‘Talatu’, all meaning ‘bowing down’ before the Lord, without specifically referring to the singing of the hymn by Arurar. In two places, however, Cekkilar does speak of Arurar singing hymns. Again on Arurar’s return journey to Thiruvarur from Thiruvottiyur after leaving Kanci, Cekkilar speaks of Arurar worshipping temples and offering his garland of verses to the Lord in every one of them, on his way before he reached Amathur: “Tiruppatikajtorum.... itaincip pannu tamilt totai catti”. These hymns are not now available and there is no means of deciding how many of them there were during the time of Cekkilar. Since he himself does not give any particulars about these hymns, these were probably not before him in which case, he must have had tradition of the Saint having sung in those places.

In this connection, mention may be made of those hymns which give a catalogue of the temples. One is ‘Natnittokai so called because the ‘Nanis’ or the Provinces in which the temples are situated are also given in this hymn. The other is ‘Urthogai’ giving the names of the ‘Ur’ or holy places. The third is Ttaiyarruttokai’ giving another list of holy places, and it is called ‘Idaiyatruthokai’ because every verse therein ends with the phrase Tnkyarru Itaimarute’. Cekkilar does not mention these hymns anywhere specifically. It is for consideration whether these three hymns may not be a few of those mentioned to have been sung at the various other places.

VI

In a few other places Cekkilar refers to Arurar’s singing hymns on more than one occasion at one and the same temple. At Thiruvarur, Cekkilar mentions ten times when Arurar sang. With reference to the first hymn sung there, he has given the substance of the hymn and such a hymn is available as hymn No. 73 of Arurar’s collection. In other places Cekkilar mentions Arurar singing hymns on some occasions at Thiruvarur, but in these places he gives the initial phrase of the hymns along with the substance of the hymns; and with these particulars we can identify those hymns as hymns Nos. 39, 25, 33, 96, 37 and 95 of the present collection of Arurar’s poems. There is a hymn No. 59 referring to Thiruvarur but Cekkilar tells us that this was sung at the capital of the Cera when Arurar amidst the Royal feast he was enjoying thought of his Lord of Thiruvarur. In Tank. vv. 126 and 182 and in Eyar. v. 30 and in Kalarir. 122 Cekkilar also refers to Arurar singing four hymns on four different occasions. These poems are not to be traced. There is hymn No. 8 which may be one of these. Perhaps when in v. 30 of Eyarkonkalikkama Nayanar Puranam, Cekkilar uses the word ‘Ettiniar’ he might not have intended that any specific hymn was sung. In that case, there will be missing only three hymns on Arur and if hymn No. 8 is one of them, there will be only two hymns missing.

At Pukalur, Arurar is said to have sung a hymn on entering the temple expressing his mind’s desire After waking up from a miraculous sleep he is said to have sung a hymn which from the particulars given can be identified as hymn No. 34. With reference to the hymns of Thiruvarur and Pukalur not available now, we must assume that they have been lost to us.

In 74 places including those 41 references to miscellaneous temples, the poet Cekkilar refers to Saint Arurar worshipping at the various temples. He does not mention that the Saint composed any hymns on these places. But still hymn No. 68 is available for ‘Nallaru’, No. 6 for ‘Venkadu’, No. 23 for ‘Kazhippalai’, the three of the temples mentioned among those 33 specific references to temples. It is not clear why Cekkilar has not referred to Arurar’s singing these. Or, should we assume that Cekkilar wants us to understand that Arurar also sang in these places where he is said to have merely worshipped?

Cekkilar specifically mentions the Saint’s singing in 29 places. This included the references already given for Pukalur and Thiruvarur. Of these 29 hymns, or 27 hymns, if Arur and Pukalur are omitted, that for Itaimarutu, for Vencamakkutali for Karknti, for Nanipalli, for Kalukkunru for Paruppatam for Ketharam, for Amathur, for Nagaikaronam and for Matottam (Tirukketiccuram) are available. At Kapapper, Arurar is said to have sung a second time but what he had composed on the first occasion alone is found included in his Tevaram. The rest of the hymns are not available.

VII

Over and above these general references to the singing of hymns by Arurar, there are specific references to hymns, in Cekkilar’s Periyapuranam, where the poet gives the beginning of the first verse and in some places the names of the hymns in addition to the substance of the hymns. There are 81 such references. Of these, for 66, the initial lines or phrases are given: for three, the names of the hymns are given. In 16 places, he gives the substance of the hymns without giving the initial phrases or lines. In 35 places he gives both the substance and the initial phrases. Of these 66 hymns, the hymn on Tillai is not traceable today though it must have been in the hands of Cekkilar when he sang V. 107 of Tatut-tatkonta Puranam (Tennila).

There is one other hymn to be mentioned. This is as it appears today, sung at the temple at Thirunindravur. There is another hymn on this very same temple and it is this which is referred to by Cekkilar in unmistakeable terms. Therefore, there is no reference whatever to this hymn No. 19 in Periyapuranam. Either it is a new addition or it has missed the attention of Cekkilar. On reading this hymn No. 19, one wonders whether this may not be a hymn on Tiruninravur which is referred to by Arurar himself as the place of Pucalar. The references to the devotee in honorific plural in the verses in h. 19 may be Pucalar. This name Pucalar is itself explained by the phrase of the second verse; “Niru pucattinar pukal innakar porrum em punniyattal”—‘Our embodiment of virtue who holds sacred this city which is the refuge of the Saint Pucalar.’ The reference in V. 5, to God presiding in the hearts of those who take refuge in Him may be taken as a reference to this Saint. So may be the phrase “Pucai iccikkum iraivar”, “Cilamum ceikaiyum kantuvappar,” “Vayar manattal ninaikkum avarukku aruntavattil tuyar,” and “Pukali tontar.”

VIII

This study of Cekkilar thus reveals the existence in his times of at least nine more hymns of Arurar, thus giving us a total of 109 as against 100 of Tirumuraikanta Puranam. But if it is assumed, on a reading of Cekkilar, that seven of the hymns now available are not mentioned by him and that therefore were not before him, one may be tempted to reject them. Then the total number of hymns will come to 102. This falsifies the theory that a major portion of Arurar’s poems were lost and that only a negligible part of it had been recovered. What one learns here justifies a belief in the story of Natamuni’s recovery of all the verses of the Vaisnnvite Saints without any loss. The reverence with which the Tevaram hymns were copied and recited in Temples, as already pointed out, could not have allowed thousands of verses to be eaten away by white ants.

If one argues that in every place Cekkilar refers to Arurar’s worship, one must assume a hymn to have been sung, even then the total number of hymns cannot be more than 187, a figure which comes very near 160 which was arrived at on the calculation of the statistical average of the percentage of verses lost as against the percentage recovered.