Chapter 60 - Thirukachi Anegathangavatham or Tirukkacci Anekatankavatam (Hymn 10)

I

Some of the hymns were observed to be on the pattern, “The holy spot is the rendezvous of the Lord”. This hymn is an elaboration of this kind of pattern expressing the joy at the place and ecstasy of the experience of the messages of the puranic stories. “This is the place of the Lord of this activity; this is the place of the Lord of another activity”—In this way, in every verse ‘itam’ or ‘place’ is repeated many a time, each time in relation with a specific puranic activity of the Lord. The tune is ‘Intalam’, the same as that of the previous hymn, but the metre moves quicker, making us feel the poet dancing in his ecstasy at the sight of the temple reminding him of the esoteric meaning of the puranic stories.

II

The puranic stories and descriptions are referred to and enjoyed one after another with a special relish. The mat-lock with humming bees wherein comes together in loving harmony the Ganges (4), the konrai flower (4), the serpent (5), the crescent moon (3), the deer (1), and the malu or the battleaxe (3), held in the hands as symbols of poetic beauty, the flag of bull (2), the blue throat (6), the ear-ring of conch shell (4), the flaying of the elephant (1) and the destruction of Death (6) and Kama (1) and the three cities (8), the dance with the ghosts (2) on the burning ghat (9) with eight serpents (7) are all mentioned. One may look upon the whole hymn as a description of this dance of ‘Attapuyankam’ or eight serpents.

The esoteric significance of these stories is also given. The deer held upon His hand is said to be the defectless Veda, “Kuraiya maraiyam manai itattatar kaiyan item” (1). The destruction of Death and Tiripuram is mentioned along with the description of the bees sleeping in the flowers of the places (8), thereby suggesting what appears to be a destruction is nothing more than rest and sleep for those concerned.

The Lord is said to be in the company of the Mother. In one place He is described as He who has Tiru in his chest, a description usually given of Visnu. “Tirumarpakalattu Atikalitam” (3). This reminds us of Nana Campantar: ‘Penkol tirumarpinir pucum pemman’. It may mean that she is sharing the chest of the Lord. “Tiru” is another name for the Mother Goddess as already noted.

III

The beauty of the place is also described. This is the place where sing the koels and where dance the peacocks (3). It is the place where glows the sun (7). It is the spot where the she-koel plays with its lover (7) and where the flower blossoming with the overflowing honey is encircled by the ‘matavi creeper’ (7)—a marriage and union of fragrance—the place where sleep the she-bees inside the soft petals of the cool matavi, mavval. kura, vakulam, kurukkatti and punnai (8). We have already referred to this sleep suggesting the esoteric significance of the destruction of Death and Tripura thus raising even the descriptions of Nature to the mystic level.

IV

The Lord is Sankara (9)—one who creates happiness. He is our Lord (Emperuman) (2) of excellent community (5) (of Bhaktas). He is a munificent patron (Piran) (7). He is our father (Attan-5, Appan-2) He is the Holy. There.are other descriptions of the Lord in relation to the blessings He confers on the Bhaktas and also descriptions suggesting the ways of worshipping the Lord. It is the place where the decaying enmity of the cruel karma ceases (3). It is the place where those who have begun their spiritual practice of being in communion with Him, keep their mind concentrated on the one unique path, where they shine, where the Bhaktas who have turned their mind on to the Heavenly feet of wealth or Grace of the Lord lose their heart captivated by Him (5). It is the place where the Lord removes this bondage of a body, this bondage of those who think of Him even whilst in their bodily existence in this birth (6). It is the place where those who have cut asunder their bondage and mental delusion worship the Lord with their hands (7). It is the place where stand many, for many aeons, for attaining salvation (10), the place where karmas disappear (10)—the place of the great men assembled for attaining excellence (10). The idea of release from karmas is emphasized often and often and in one place he refers to the spot as the place where the Lord removes the mortal agony caused by the followers of the Lord of Death to the people of our poet’s following, not merely relatives but also those belonging to his spiritual community of Bhaktas (6). The poet with reference to this describes the Lord as Sivalokan—the Lord of the world of Shiva (10).

V

In the last verse usually describing the good result following from the recitation of the hymns, our poet says no more than calling attention to this Holy spot as the place where flock together in communion, those who have mastered the verses of the garland of hymns sung by the famous Uran, who becomes a slave whilst singing of the Lord. This seems to suggest that Shivaloka is itself any place where flock the Bhaktas singing the praise of the Lord.

VI

Anegathangavatham occurs as the name of a Shaivite shrine of the North in the poems of Campantar. A temple of that type seems to have been built at Kanci by the time of Arurar. The meaning of the term is not clear. In the last verse we have another difficulty; for ‘Kalikkacci Anekatankappan’ gives the form anekatankappu.