Introduction

I

In this part are included the hymns on the temples of the Cola country which, according to Cekkilar, our poet visited whilst he was living with Paravai at Thiruvarur. There is hymn No. 25 which specifically mentions Thirumudhukundram, but which, Cekkilar holds, was sung at Thiruvarur for getting from the tank there the gold thrown into the river at Thirumudhukundram. Those who may not believe in the supernatural, will prefer this hymn to have been sung at Thirumudhukundram. In that case, we may group this along with the hymns of the first part where occurs the Tirukkolili hymn referring to Paravai’s sufferings in the same way in which this hymn mentions her under straitened circumstances. This will make us assume that in that period our poet had been to Thirumudhukundram.

II

The following are the exclamations which escape from the heart of our poet during this period: “When we contemplate with all our heart, Ah! how sweet is He!” (H. 30); “There is the temple, the place of the Lord of these acts” (H. 22); “What? Forget Him! Forgetting Him what shall I think of?” (H. 57); “I had a vision of the Lord and worshipped Him at Kanattu mullur” (H. 40); “Come along! Let us reach the temple of our Father at Edirkolpadi” (H. 7); “Would I have come to serve Him if I had known this, His wearing of serpent, etc”. (H. 18); “Bless me, O, Lord! so that the miseries may be destroyed” (H. 25); “Is the Lord and Master of us all such and such? (H. 33); “Lord of Nallaru is Nectar unto me, His slave; What else shall I think of, forgetting the Lord of Nallaru, the Nectar?” (H. 68); “The Lord Supreme of Katavur Mayanam is such and such” (H. 53); “Ah, my Lord! my Nectar! Who is there as my companion except yourself”? (H. 28)); “Valampuram is the place of the Lord of these qualities and activities” (H. 72); “O, Lord of Venkatul Why these contradictory acts of yours?” (H. 6); “His favourite resort is Nanipalli” (H. 97); “I took refuge in your feet having heard of your blessing, insects and beasts and all” (H. 65); “Tiruninnyur is the place of the Lord of such and such activities and characteristics” (H. 19); “Is it possible to get away from Him without falling at His feet?” (H. 56); “I had seen and experienced the Lord at Kolakka” (H. 62); “Are you not of this place Kurukavur Vellatai?” (H. 29); “O, Lord of Kazhippalai! Is it just, not to say, ‘Ah!’ even when I get puzzled?” (H. 23).

III

Worship through music, poetry and dance, keeping the three ‘karanas’ pure and in His service, the ancali pose, sahasranama or the thousand names of the Lord, worshipping with the eight flowers, festivals of drum and pancagavya—are all mentioned. The worshippers are often divided into Bhaktas and Siddhas. Tontar and Atiyar are also mentioned. Tontars are referred to as playing on the drum. The followers of the Lord never get perturbed. Their birth is a hallowed one; for they are said to be the servants of the Lord for seven generations. He also refers to the surrender or subjection of the six passions. Our poet speaks of the community of Bhaktas as ‘Arunkulam’. These Bhaktas are as it were our masters and our leaders. Our poet falls at their feet, hankering after their mere physical presence. Our poet calls himself the ‘Ilankilai' or the youngest of the Bhaktas. Our poet mentions Nana Campantar, Tanti, Namikkaracar, Kannappar and Koccenkanan. We had already referred to our poet’s conception that the South is the favourite place of the Lord and in this part he mentions the poets of the South as the great Bhaktas. Here also we find a mention of another colony of Brahmins at Karupariyalur, the Antanars who bathe regularly, weave garlands of flowers for the Lord and worship Him according to the Vedic path.

IV

Puranic stories are as usual described. The Bhikshatana form, it is clear, is the great motif of our poet’s art and we have interpreted very many of these hymns as Bhikshatana hymns.

V

Nature attracts the attention of our poet and he gives us very many dynamic and dramatic pictures of Nature. Nature offers her feast to all our five senses, but her beauty is not only material but moral and spiritual, as is revealed by the Antanar and women worshipping the Lord. Our poet is fond of describing the city or the places as attaining Sarupya of Shiva by crowning itself with the crescent moon. The sea also is described. The rivers referred to in these hymns are Nanni and Kollitam.

VI

Here also our poet emphasizes the fact that God is impossible to be known. He is one who has to be experienced. The Lord is transcendental and immanent. He is like the sweet fragrance of the flower. That He is all kinds of relationship is once again emphasized. He is nearer to us in the incarnation of beauty in the temples than anywhere else. He is light, Love and Happiness. Our poet as usual is fond of the terms Masilamani and Manikkam, emphasizing the Jnana aspect of God as the Supreme value. He dispels darkness of the words and the subject matter. He is the Art. He is the Nectar and the Medicine. He is Time, the Past. Dharmic aspect is also emphasized, for our Lord is called the Dharmic ascetic; the teacher of the banyan tree blessing all, though Himself impossible to be known. In this connection, our poet’s conception of the whole universe forming a happy family, a gurukula, with the Lord as the Guru may be referred to. He is our wealth running our errands through the saviour on our head. He is the Truth and the Pure, the deathless, the ageless, the sexless and the birthless. He is ‘engunattan’, a phrase which is found in Tirukkural; the ‘astamurta' or eight forms are often mentioned. He is Sambhu, Sankara. Our poet refers to the Lord also as Gurumani. The Lord is sometimes identified with the followers as Pattan, Pacupatan and Caivan.

VII

Our poet in preaching to the world starts emphasizing the ephemeral nature of this world, its miseries, the fear of death and the waywaraness of women. He assures that God will save us all from the miseries and karmas, however downtallen we may be. He refers to the chieftains riding on the elephants. He describes his shoulders as being hillock-like. He refers to His garland of lotus. He describes himself as the father of Cinkati and Vanappakai. All these make it clear that these hymns belong to the period of his political influence and to the latter part of his married life when Cinkati and Vanappakai should have become spiritually great. There seems to have been some cloud cast over his political greatness. He speaks of the Lord saving him from the scandal.

VIII

The last verses of these hymns as usual speak of the idealrelief from all miseries, extinguishment of karma, freedom from suffering night and day, destruction of sins inflicting us, immersion in divine bliss with no more death or entrance into the world, the bliss of Paraloka, Shivaloka, ruling Vanulaku, life in the heaven of bliss, the higher heavens of goodness and immense bliss dedicated to Tapas, reaching Sivagati, to be in communion with the Lord whilst worshipped by this world and the other, becoming leaders or the rulers of the world of the Devas, destruction of the delusion of the mind.

The Vaishnavites refer to the spiritual state: “Bhodhayantah parasparam”, ‘where the Saints or the Bhaktas speak about the glories of the Lord to each other’. Our poet also speaks of becoming the worshippers of the Lord; he refers to the blabbering of the mad community of Bhaktas, repeating the hymns to the Bhaktas as a great ideal to be reached. They are sure of attaining salvation and, therefore, that tantamounts to Sivagati.