Saturday, June 30, 2018

Chapter 3: His early works and marriage

Vallalar was spending most of his time in Thirvotriyur Temple, is near to a place where the king of all thavam (தவம்), Thiru Pattinathar is blessing people of Chennai in the form of samadhi, and 3 nayanmars (Thirugnana Samanthar,   Thirunavukarasar, Thiru Sundaramurthi) composed Thevaram here. Apart from this, many wonders happened and still happening in this temple.

He used to pray in this temple and spend special time in the place where Balasubramani (other name of Murugan) Idol is there. During the days when Vallalar was composing Ezhuthariyum Peruman Malai, he lost all attachment to worldly (materialistic) life. People around him considered him as a very respectful ascetic, a modest and as someone who creates great and flawless poems. He also comes out covering his whole body (from head to toe) with white cloth. He never argues or speaks unnecessarily with anyone. He kept expressing a great respect and feeling for all kinds of living beings and the rights of those souls living in it.



Becoming author to books

Kancheepuram Sabhapathi Mudaliyar (his kindergarten teacher), came to him and asked him to write a book 'Manumurai Kanda Vaasagam' which should be good for children to learned person to understand it. Anyone who reads this book will shed tears, gain wisdom and appreciate the depth and greatness of Vallalar's Tamil.

Later when there was a confusion among Tamil literacy group on a title they found in Tholkapiam (a work on grammar of Tamil language), 'Thonda Mandalam' vs 'Thondai Mandalam'; they asked Vallalar to analyze and provide clarification. He analyzed and provided a detailed and convincing explanation on why 'Thonda Mandalam' is correct in those days.

He thought of writing explanation for Olivilodukkam, but since Tiruporur Chidambara Swamigal had already written it, he just have a special preface explaining a key poem in that and allowed it to be printed along with that book.

Around this time he composed Sivanesa Venba, Nencharivruthal, Mahadeva maalai, Ingitha maalai and few other poems.



Becoming a teacher

Around that time (1830s), a learned person residing in Chennai named Thozhuvur Velayutha Muthaliyar, approached Vallalar with his 100 poems, in palm leaf, very difficult to understand. He brought it to Vallalar saying that those poems are from Tamil Sangam period. On seeing it, Vallalar kindly said "These are poems written by a kid who don't understand both the meaning and grammar of Sangam Tamil; if it is Sangam Period poems, then it wouldn't have these many errors".  From that moment Thozhuvur Velayutha Muthaliyar became a student to Vallalar. He later learned both Tamil and North Indian languages with deep and minute grammatical details and wrote many books.

Later people like Narasingapuram Veerasamy Muthaliyar, Ponneri Sundaram Pillai came to Vallalar and learned few subjects from Vallalar.

Famous experts such as Thamiraan at time visit Vallalar and clarify their doubts and questions then and there. Like this he was so busy in teaching which became a big barrier to his spiritual practice and remaining alone. Sometimes Vallalar go to the outskirts of Chennai, to stay alone.



Few interesting events

One day when a person from Chennai named Lakshmana Pillai and Thirumazhisai Kanthasamy Muthaliyar while going together with Vallalar to Thiruvotriyur, a ghost appeared and tried to harm both these guests, and as soon as Vallalar said something, it disappeared. He gave Thiruneeru to both of them.

Another day when Vallalar and few other people came to Thiruvotriyur to worship god. After a while when all became hungry, a temple priest came and offered food.  Later when all searched for that priest, they couldn't find them. When they enquired about him, they learned that that priest went to his native town, 2 days ago.

Somu Chettiyar from Chennai used to give him some money and material as a fee for Vallalar's discourses he gave based on his request. Vallalar will either throw away those money and things to the streets or roof tops. On hearing this, Somu Chettiyar gave all those material and things to his brother's family instead of Vallalar from that day onward.

When one of the good student named Kandasamy Mudhaliyar, due to poverty when he asked Vallalar he wrote this song:

ஏட்டாலும் கேளய லென்பாரை நான்சிரித் தென்னைவெட்டிப்
போட்டாலும் வேறிடங் கேளேனென் னாணைப் புறம்விடுத்துக்
கேட்டாலு மென்னை யுடையா னிடஞ்சென்று கேட்பனென்றே
நீட்டாலும் வாயுரைப் பாட்டாலுஞ் சொல்லி நிறுத்துவனே.

and explained the truth that, anything to be asked we should ask to our lord only.



Marriage

When Vallalar was going on the spiritual path, his mother, brothers and sisters kept on asking him to marry. Later they started pressurizing him to accept marriage with the help of Siva Yogis as well. As the repetition of the requests increased, he agreed to marry her sister Unnamulai Amma's daughter for the sake of the world.

On first night, Vallalar, using the light of oil lamp to read and explaining the meaning of the great compilation named Thiruvasagam by a great saint Thiru Manikavasagar. Both read it with tears flowing down the eyes till next day morning.

After few days their family members realized that nothing could change the path of Vallalar and they realized their mistake of arranging marriage.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Chapter 2: His early days in Chennai

Education

Vallalar's brothers Sabhapathi Pillai and Parasurama Pillai got education from famous writer / speaker Kanchipuram Sabhapathi Mudaliyar. And Sabhapathi Pillai earned money for the joint family through giving discourse on Indian puranas (like Kantha-puranam, Mahabharatham, Ramayanam etc).

When Vallalar was 5 years old, Sabhapathi Pillai started giving him basic education. Later Sabhapathi Pillai took his brother to Kancheepuram Sabhapathi Mudaliyar and asked his teacher to provide education to his youngest brother also. As soon as Vallalar learned 4 or 5 lessons from his teacher, he started going to Chennai Kanthakottam temple near Parrys Corner (old Madras), and composing excellent poems in Tamil and singing them as song in the temple. As soon as his teacher, Sabhapathi Mudaliyar came to know about this, he started giving different reasons and delayed/stopped his teachings to Vallalar and Vallalar too started spending most of his time in the Temple.


Theiva Manimalai

During this time, at this small age, he started composing devotional poems in Tamil which has very rich and very deep meaning in both language & spiritual view point. You can read it from http://www.thiruarutpa.org/thirumurai/v/T1/tm/theyvamani_maalai. Let us take a sample and see how true my statements above are:

கரையில்வீண் கதைஎலாம் உதிர்கருங் காக்கைபோல்
கதறுவார் கள்ளுண்டதீக்
கந்தம்நா றிடஊத்தை காதம்நா றிடஉறு
கடும்பொய்இரு காதம்நாற
வரையில்வாய் கொடுதர்க்க வாதம்இடு வார்சிவ
மணங்கமழ் மலர்ப்பொன்வாய்க்கு
மவுனம்இடு வார்இவரை மூடர்என ஓதுறு
வழக்குநல் வழக்கெனினும்நான்
உரையிலவர் தமையுறா துனதுபுகழ் பேசும்அவ
ரோடுறவு பெறஅருளுவாய்
உயர்தெய்வ யானையொடு குறவர்மட மானும்உள்
உவப்புறு குணக்குன்றமே
தரையில்உயர் சென்னையில் கந்தகோட் டத்துள்வளர்
தலம்ஓங்கு கந்தவேளே
தண்முகத் துய்யமணி உண்முகச் சைவமணி
சண்முகத் தெய்வமணியே. 

My understanding:  

Without experimenting or experiencing god, speaking about him based on what others say or write, is like making sounds of crows (where one crow make kaa sound and others will also make that sound) which lives short and dies without achieving anything. 

Burning toddy or a mouth with teeth never cleaned will smell badly. But telling lies smell even worse than that. People who tell such lies or don't experience god will make logical arguments and fights in this world. 

Great people who are experiencing the god will keep their golden mouth in silence. But this world will argue that such silent people are fools or lazy / useless.

Even if the world gives 'fool' title to such great people who never speak or refer about themselves instead they always praise god's greatness; please bless me to live along or develop relationship with such great people.

Theivayani (kriya sakthi - responsible for any action happening in this world) and tribe's daughter, Valli (icha sakthi - responsible for desire that triggers actions) are in happy state because of such a greatness of you.

In a physical world, you are residing & ruling all in Chennai Kanthakottam. In the real world you are inside every one of us.




Miracle in Mirror

Later his brother Sabhapathi Pillai, came to know about his youngest brother is not learning from his teacher and without knowing the back ground of all that happened he was very much worried. When Vallalar heard about his brother's concerns for him, he came to an agreement with his brother to learn by himself from that day onward and went to a room in first floor (of 38th house in Veerasamy Street, Seven Wells, Chennai) and fixed a mirror in the wall, kept some flowers & fruits, ignited an oil lamp and looked at the mirror for long time. That day, Thiruthani Murugan's image appeared in the mirror.

From that day, he started worshiping Thiruthani Murugan's image in that room (no reading books or learning ☺).




First Discourse

One day while Sabhapathi Pillai was giving discourse on Periya Puranam on weekly Saturdays, he felt sick and asked Vallalar to do it for that day. And Vallalar went to the organizers and informed this. On seeing the 9 year old child the organizers said him to cover only 2 poems in order to avoid discontinuity. The topic that was supposed to be covered was Vallalar's arut-guru (one who guides others to gain God's grace / wisdom) Thiru Gnana Sambanthar.

The discourse started, Vallalar started from where his brother left last week. It continued till 12.00 AM, but not even on poem was completed. The crowd was in absolute receiving mode and wanted Vallalar to come and complete it in coming weeks. He agreed to it.

While his brother was giving discourse, Sabhapathi Pillai came and stood away from the crowd and was listening on how his little brother was giving discourse. After seeing it, he was extremely happy and went and said to his wife "I thought he is my brother, but that is not true, he is Lord Murugan only! What a great gift we have received!"

From that day onward, Vallalar received too much of respect and devotion from the family and he couldn't attach himself with the family because of this and he left.



Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Chapter 1: Vallalar's Birth and Origin

Note: This is an attempt by me to document the best of Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar's history from different sources I received. All credits to them and mainly to my Guru / Asaan / Valikaati. Any errors and poor writing belongs to me.



Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar was born in a village named Maruthur, which is located near to the north western direction from Chidambaram. He was born to Ramaiah Pillai and Chinnammai.

Ramaiah Pillai is well educated, worked as a teacher to small children and taking care of accounts for the Village. And he was a devotee of Siva, spends most of his days thinking/meditating his lord and serve food to saints and devotees, who roam around in search of Lord Siva.

Ramaiah Pillai's first 5 wives died early and Chinnammai is the 6th wife. And this couple had 4 children named Sabhapathi Pillai, Parasurama Pillai, Sundrammal, Unnamulaiammal.



Serving food to Siva Yogi

One day, in the peak of noon, one Siva Yogi with Thiruneeru (திருநீறு), looked so tired due to not having food for long time, came to their house and asked food. Chinnammai, prepared food and served it with love and care. The sincerity & love reflected as good taste & goodness of the food. The Yogi, after having food, was very happy and satisfied, bless her "soon, you will get a boy child like me" and went on his path.



Birth of Vallalar

On 5th October 1823 (சுபானு வருஷம் புரட்டாசி மாதம் 21ஆம்  தேதி), when the moon was in a straight line between Maruthur and 4th segment (4ஆம் பாதம்) of Star Chithirai (Spica in English), Chinnamai gave birth to Vallalar, as blessed by the Siva Yogi. The couple named the child as 'Ramalingam'.



Visit to Chidambaram Temple

When Ramalingam was 5 years old, the couple took the child to Chidambaram Temple. As soon as the child looked at the face of the dancing lord, laughed loudly with eyes widely opened, without winking for few moments. Look at this the deekshithar in the temple said to Ramaiah, "this is not your child this is Nataraja's child", and asked them to visit his house. The couple along with children went to deekshithar's house, was given good care by the deekshithar and came back to Maruthur.



Father's Death and relocation to Chennai

Three months after the Temple visit, Ramaiah died. Vallalar was then a 8 months old child. The eldest brother, Sabapathy Pillai along with his brothers left Maruthur to their grand mother's house at Ponneri and then moved to Chennai.