Chapter 1 - Thiruvennainallur or Tiruvenneinallur (Hymn 1)

[Note: Numbers within the brackets denote the numbers of the verses in Arurar’s hymns except otherwise mentioned.]

I

In the first hymn, when Arurar speaks of being blessed with the unique Grace of God, ‘Peralaka Arul’ (2) the poet must have had some mystic experience of the Lord. He refers to his previous condition, his futile life of wandering like a ghost, only to become fatigued and tired without any thought of the Lord. He condemns his past life as that of a cruel liar, an ignorant fool, wasting life even as an idiot would his wealth. But, on receiving the Grace of God, he asserts that he is always thinking of the Lord without ever forgetting Him (1, 3). The Lord, he feels, is there to bless him. He does not want to prattle about things not yet clear to him and he begs of the Lord to tell him what the worshippers receive at the hands of the Lord (5). He feels certain that he will be never born and that even if he were to be born, he will never grow old (4). He addresses the Lord as the father (1); as the mother (3); as the great svamin or the master (4); as the beginning of everything (5); as the great path (8); as the beautiful person (9) and as the precious things of the world (7). The words denoting the relationship occur at the most emphatic place—in the beginning of every fourth line. Like all great mystics, he sees God in everything and sings of the Lord becoming the flesh, the life, the body, the world, the space, the land, the sea and the mountains (7).

Again, like the mystics, he speaks the language of the Puranas or allegories or parables. The Lord is crowned with the crescent jewel (1, 6). He is like fire (6). He burnt the three castles of the air (6). He rides on the bull (4). He carries the malu (9). He sings the Vedas and is with the damsel (9).

II

Thiruvennainallur is on the southern bank of Pennar. According to the tradition, the Brahmin who claimed Arurar as a slave disappeared into the temple. The temple itself was known as ‘Arutturai’. Our poet speaks of his being blessed with the special Grace of the Lord and addresses Him as ‘Arulala’, the Lord of Grace or Arul (1). All the activities of the Lord consist in removing the sufferings of those who worship Him (9). One wonders whether it is because of his receiving signs of divine Grace in this place, or whether because the place is itself called ‘Arutturai’ our poet describes the Lord as ‘Arulcila’ (1). ‘Arulalan’ is a beautiful conception of the Lord and we find it popular even among the Vaishnavites for Arulalapperumal is one of the beloved names of their Lord.

III

“Unakkalay ini alien enalame”— ‘After having become your slave, can I deny my slavery?’—This is the burden of all the verses in this hymn. It is probably because of this that the tradition speaks of Arurar first denying his being a slave and later on reconciling himself to the inevitable. With the addition of a word describing the Lord as forming various kinds of relationship, this refrain forms the fourth line in every verse inclusive of the last verse. The third line runs, if we exclude the first word which varies according to the poetic assonance, as follows: “Pen-nait-tenpal vennei nallur arutturaiyul”—‘Arutturai of Venneinallur lying on the southern bank of Pennar or Pennai”. The first two lines describe the Lord except in verses 2, 3 and 10.

In verse 3, the second line describes the Pennar and in the tenth verse the first two lines describe the river. The flood carries bamboos (2) and other plants (4). It dashes and pushes along gold, gems and diamonds (3); therefore it appears to be full of lightnings (3). The river is full of pollen dust (5) and honey (7), probably because of the flowers it carries. It thus looks as though specially adorned. The phrase, “Minnar Pennai” (3) seems to involve a pun on the word ‘Pen’ suggesting the beautifully adorned bride. It is rich in fertility (9). It receives all the waters of the cloud streaming into it (10). It begin to hew down its own bank, with its hands of waves (10). It is famous in all the cities of the world, pushing along many a valuable shining gem—thus runs the famous Pennar (10). All through this hymn runs his love of Nature, here the beautiful river of Pennai wherein probably he sees the reflection of God.