The Religion and Philosophy of Tevaram (Thevaram)
by M. A. Dorai Rangaswamy | 1958 | 410,072 words
This page describes “nayanar 35: sirappuli (cirappuli)” from the religion of the Thevaram: a comparative study of the Shaivite saints the Thiruthondathogai. The 7th-century Thevaram (or Tevaram) contains devotional poems sung in praise of Shiva. These hymns form an important part of the Tamil tradition of Shaivism
Nayanar 35: Sirappuli (Cirappuli)
The 35th saint is Cirappuli Nayanar (Sirappuli). The words of Arurar are, “Cirkonta pukal vallal Cirappulikkum atiyen”— ‘I am the servant of Cirappuli foremost among the munificent patrons of fame’. The name Cirappuli is taken as Sirapuli by the Sanskrit and Kannada versions and, therefore, translated as Nirddha-Sardula, which, therefore, makes him a warrior who entertained all the Sawite saints that went to his house, but what Arurar emphasizes is his munificence. Therefore, Nampiyantar makes him a Brahmin leader of Akkur which, as Cekkilar reminds us, was praised by Campantar for the munificence of its residents.
Nampiyantar Nampi considers the greatness of the saint to consist in honouring (Cirappu) the Shaivites, thereby suggesting that
Cirappuli was so called because of the ‘Cirappu” or honour he paid to the Shaivites, ‘cira being the root of ‘cirappu and cirap-patu’.The Ddrasuram sculptures represent this story with a picture of three persons one of whom is Cirappuli, the Brahmin, with a sacred thread while the other two are the recipients of gifts from him. The inscription underneath runs as Sirappuliandar.