Nayanar 21: Appar (Tirunavukkarasar)

The fourth verse in Thiruthondathogai begins with the phrase “Thirunindra cemmaiye” and the first saint described in this verse is Tirunavukkaracar [Tirunavukkarasar], the 21st saint in the list. “Tiru ninra cem-maiye cemmaiyak konta Tirunavukkaraiyanran atiyarkkum ati-yen” are the words of Nampi Arurar. This line is based on Tirunavukkaracar’s own words: “Sivanenum ocaiyalla taraiyo ulakil tiru ninra cemmaiyulate.”

Arurar says: “I am the servant of the servants of Tirunavukkaracar, who had taken it as his justice, that justice where exists Tiru”. ‘Tiru ordinarily means wealth; whilst worldly wealth is evanescent and ephemeral, the spiritual wealth is eternal and permanent.

Campantar calls this, “Cenrataiyata tiru”. Tirunavukkaracar is said to have refused to follow the commands of the ruling monarch relying more upon God and His Grace. Tiru also is taken in the sense of Kaivalyam or Salvation in Arurar’s Tevaram, and in the inscription of the Eastern Archipelago.

Nampiyantar Nampi makes Tirunavukkaracar a native of Amur which Cekkilar identifies as ‘Amur’ in Timimunaippatinatu.

Periyapuranam further describes him as the member of the Kurukkai Velalar. Nampiyantar Nampi refers to God placing his feet on the head of Tirunavukkaracar and the latter eating the poisoned food and his acts of opening the gates of Tirumaraik-katu temple and to his floating on a stone. Nampiyantar refers to his sister, but Cekkilar explains in detail the story of his sister Tilakavati bringing him up and finally converting him to Shaivism. He also mentions about the persecution by the Pallava king, Guna-bhara, and narrates how he refused to obey the order of the Pallava and how he escaped the elephant and the lime-kiln.

Nampiyantar speaks of the colic pain which was cured after Tirunavukkaracar became a Shaivite. He also speaks of this saint being saved at Thiruvathigai, and the story of Urvacl and others failing to tempt Tirunavukkaracar. The ‘ulavarappatai' (the hoe) is also referred to in the same verse. He also refers to Tirunavuk karacar becoming converted to the right path at the instance of his sister who had conquered her passions. Cekkilar describes further Appar’s pilgrimage to Kailas and his return to see the vision of Kailas as directed by the God at Tiruvaiyaru, basing this conclusion on the Aiyaru hymn. He also refers to the meeting of Appar and Campantar, of Appar and Apputi, basing on the references to the hymns of Appar. He describes how Appar got ‘patikkacu (coins) at Thiruveezhimizhalai, basing on Arurar s hymns. He describes the special vision at Vaymur and his satyagraha at Palaiyarai for restoring the Shaiva temple, basing on tradition he must have heard. God feeding Appar on his way to Tiruppainmli, Appar throwing away the gems into the tank without falling into temptation and his final salvation on the Cataiyam day on one Cittirai month are all narrated according to the tradition of Cekkilar’s days. The story of Appar bringing to life the son of Apputi is not referred to by Appar himself though he mentions the name of Apputi.

Nampiyantar Nampi mentions that Appar has sung 700 pati-kams. In another place he mentions that he has sung ‘el elu-nuru’ which is probably based on what Arurar has sung in his 65th hymn, verse 2—“Inaikol el elunuru irumpanuval inravan Tirunavinukkaraiyan”.

Pattinattar refers to the three Tevaram saints as “Vittakap patal muttirattatiyar”, He suggests that Tirunavukkaracar had crossed the waters with the help of a rock as a float and he asks the Lord, ‘Is there anyone else who has done so?’ Sometimes, it is asked whether Pattinattar would have sung like this if the story of Appar’s floating on a rock had not been popular in his days but what Pattinattar is referring to is the crossing of the sea of Samsara with the help of the dangerous boat of his own dangerous body. Though everybody is engaged in this adventure his own danger is more than what others face; the tradition about Tirunavukkaracar has been growing and in the Thiruppugalur Puranam, we read that the Lord appeared in the form of a lion and swallowed him so as to give him salvation. This is based on Tirunavukkaracar addressing the Lord, “Cankai onrinriye tevar ventac camuttirattin nancuntu cava muvdc cinkame unnatikke potukkinren Thiruppugalur meviya tevateve.” This is a fair sample of the way in which traditions grow.

The story of the Lord supplying a gold (coin) every day to each one of the two great saints Campantar and Appar from the temple treasury of Thiruveezhimizhalai, when the saints stayed during a great famine is referred to by Arurar in hymn 46:5, 7 and in the 88th hymn, verse 8. Arurar also speaks of the life of Appar showing him the way of God’s Grace looking upon the faults of his servants as good qualities. Perhaps the fault of Appar was his going astray from the path of Shaivism before he became reconverted as a Shaivite. Arurar is laying the emphasis on the beautiful Tamil verses sung by the saint in which he feels the Lord Himself reveals.

The Sanskrit and Kannada traditions speak of Tirunavukkaracar as Appar, Vaglsa or Dharmasena. According to them, he was a Brahmin who wrote a number of learned works on Jainism. It is said that he got rid of colic pain through Shaivite charms and the use of ashes. He is said to have composed a number of songs both in Sanskrit and Tamil in praise of Shiva and to have accompanied Campantar to Madura to reconvert King Kubjapandya.