Chapter 6 - Thiruvarur (Hymn 73)

I

Thiruvarur became the permanent place of Arurar’s residence and his hymns reveal a special attachment of the poet to this place. It is here he is said to have married Paravai. The first hymn according to Periyapuranam sung here, viz., hymn 73, is not a hymn of joy or bliss. Feelings of joy and despondency succeed each other in the lives of the mystics. When they think of the mystic experience, they are full of bliss. But when they open their eyes to the world and contrast their previous condition with this state of divine joy, they pass into a mood of self-condemnation and this hymn gives expression to one such feeling of despondency.

II

In the first verse, the poet speaks of Shiva as Rudralokan, the Lord of the Rudra world. It is not always clear in Indian poetry, whether the divine world the poet speaks of, is an actual world or a spiritual plane, representing the highest spritual experience. Here itself, our poet speaks of our Lord as commingling in all our speech whether in the morning or in the evening, whether on the bank or on the sea or on the mountain (1). This may either mean that everything we talk ultimately refer to Him; for nothing exists apart from Him. Or, it may mean in the midst of worldly talk, He suddenly inspires our speech. Either way this description, emphasizes the omnipresence of Shiva.

III

It is another characteristic feature of the mystic poets especially in India, that they pass without any difficulty from the personal to the impersonal forms of God and vice versa. Here, in the very first verse, Arurar speaks of the Lord as the husband of the damsel of the mountain; the king of the vanavas and tanavas (1). Our poet speaks of the Lord with the matted hair, shining with the crescent moon, the serpent and the water (4); He who is besmeared with the ash (5); He.who has adorned Himself with konrai

wreath (7); He who had restrained Ravana (8); the Eternal God worshipped by Kumara, Brahman, Visnu and other Devas (9); the Lord who had swallowed the poison (10). In every one of the verses, our poet assures that Shiva resides at Arur. All these verses are addressed to worshippers of Siva begging them to ask the Lord whether He will accept him as his servant. The spiritual mediator, a Guru or a brother worshipper holds an important place in the practical religion of the Hindus. He is a ghataka, who brings about the inter-relationship between the thirsting souls and God. In the mystic language of love poetry, the lovesick maiden addresses the birds and others (H. 37) to carry her message of love to the Lord and the Vaishnavite commentators have interpreted these as referring to their spiritual Gurus.

IV

As usual the first words of the last lines emphasize the varied relationships God bears to us. He is the king (1); He is the Beginning (5); He is our father (7); He is the Lord of the Universe (8); He is Isa (10) or the Leader; He is ‘Iraivan’, the Lord who is all-pervading (4); He is ‘Aruttan’, the wealth or that which matters (6); He is ‘Iniyan’ or the sweetest (2); He resides where the Vedas and their subsidiary ‘angas’ are recited (3).

V

All the verses, except the first, the second and the fifth are self condemning. We expressed our doubts about the genuineness of the 5th verse, where the poet praises himself as one who has never departed from the path of justice, as one who brings about freedom from trouble or danger, as one who never gets angry with Vedic scholars and who never goes to those who become angry (5). In the second verse the meaning is not very clear; in the second line, he says he is displeased with those who displease him; that he never speaks flatteringly. But the first line is a glow with his love for the God. “I had not known slighting Him on the ground that He stands lonely.” All of a sudden he is reminded of the greatness of God and he speaks of Him in honorific plural as ‘tammai’. “I love Him or regard Him a good deal”. The first verse is only a description of the Lord. In the other verses the poet is condemning himself; “I never speak things direct. I am never a help to those who follow me. I am as hardhearted as a stone” (3). “The path I follow, my knowledge, my attachment of continence and my justice are all very bad. I love or regard highly, faults and cruelty. I go about doing things as I like” (4). “I love or regard most, the wealth. I go about teaching without practising. I offer no help even to one among the many who suffer. I am no prop to those who come unto me” (6). ‘T do not cut myself away from the varying rhythms of activities of this world. I do not fall at the feet of those who had taken refuge in You” (7). “‘Nentikkonteyum kilayppan’—‘Though moving like a worm, I am sure to be enraged.’ This is certain. Even unto those who are proud of their strength, I speak only in an arrogant way. I know nothing but the fundamental principle of the universe” (8).

This statement does not harmonize with the self-condemning spirit of the poem; but the poet may be seeing nothing good about him except his reliance on God (8). In verse 2, also, he has said he has the greatest regard for God. Or, the word ‘anvi’ (8) may be interpreted as becoming angry; and the word is used in this sense in verse 10. In that case, the poet must be saying, “I lose my patience and get enraged at the discussion or statement about the fundamental principle and therefore I know nothing about it.”

VI

“I know not who are our people and who are others. I live continuing to see the same things in this world—relying upon its phenomenon, rather than on its noumenon. I am fond of the bustling noise of the world” (9). “I do not cut myself away from the fetters of attachment. I speak defying everyone. If I speak, I speak nothing but wickedness. My mind is full of faults. I love very much the bustling noise” (10).

In this way the poet condemns himself, feeling penitent for his past life, in a confessing mood; but when analysed} these exaggerated condemnations disclose nothing but his anger or frustration and his helplessness in this world. Thus this hymn reveals only the moral greatness of the poet. It is only great minds who had a vision of their ideal that would confess like this. In the last verse the poet speaks of him as one who is capable of thinking in these terms. It is this impatience which our poet talks of in this hymn that reminds us of the episode of his first quarrel with the Lord coming as the old Brahmin in Periyapuranam. His attachment to the beauties of the world and his feeling at home in the midst of the bustling noise, make him unique among the Shaivite saints. But even in the midst of the varying phenomena in the world and its attractions he confesses, he loves only the Lord. These characteristics give a picture of our saint and remind us of Great Janaka living in the midst of Royal splendour, though always concentrating his mind on the Absolute. This hymn therefore reveals the subsequent life of our saint. The spiritual revolution effected remains unchanged. His firm dependence on God is never affected. There is no fall. His worldly life is but a life of divine communion. The Shaivites look upon this as the great message of our poet’s life.

VII

References to the Puranic stories and descriptions are found in this hymn as well: viz._} the Lord’s bride, His sovereignty over the Angels and demons (1), His mat-lock with the crescent moon, the serpent and the waters (4), His sacred ashes (5), His bull and His wanderings all over the three worlds (7), the vanquishment of Ravana (8) the God worshipped by Kumara, Visnu, Brahma and other Devas (9), His feast of poison (10).

The description of Thiruvarur as a place of fruit yielding arecanuts in the groves of many fruits is significant (2). The city of Naval where our poet grew into manhood is full of fertile fields and resounds with the soft music of the drum. (11).

The poet describes himself as Aruran of Naval, as one with the round and strong shoulders embraced by the goddess of wealth (11). Perhaps our poet like so many Brahmins of the age like Mayurasarman, the founder of the Kadamba family of rulers, was politically great as a chieftain. He describes this hymn as Chandam—a rhythmic hymn sung according to a specific time or tala. It is a musical composition and those who can sing it as such will attain fame—so assures the poet. That seems to be the preoccupation of his mind.