Manikkavacakar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Vaadhavoor Adigal Tiruvadhavoor |
| Honors | Nalvar saint |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | ShaivismBhakti |
| Religious career | |
Manikkavacakar was a 3rd-century Tamil saint and poet who wroteThiruvasagam andThirukkovaiyar, books ofShaiva hymns. Tamil scholars and researchers share that he was a minister to thePandya kingNedunjeliyan II (3rd Century CE) and lived inMadurai (or) he was a minister to the Pandya kingArikesari (6th Century CE).
He is revered as one of theNalvar ("group of four" in Tamil), a set of four prominent Tamil saints alongsideAppar,Sundarar andSambandar.[1] The other three contributed to the first seven volumes (Tevaram) of the twelve-volume Saivite workTirumurai, the key devotional text ofShaiva Siddhanta. Manikkavacakar'sThiruvasagam andThirukkovaiyar form the eighth volume. These eight volumes are considered to be theTamil Vedas by the Shaivites, and the four saints are revered asSamaya Kuravar (religious preceptors)[2]
His works are celebrated for their poetic expression of the anguish of being separated from God, and the joy of God-experience,[2]: 48 with ecstatic religious fervour.[3] In his expression of intimacy to God, Manikkavacakar mirrors the sentiments expressed by his fellowBhakti period saints referring to the Lord as the "Divine Bridegroom"[4] or theNityamanavaalar ("Eternal Bridegroom"),[5] with whom he longed to be united in "divine nuptials".[6]
3rd Century CE
We get historical details about Manikkavacakar fromThiruvilaiyadal Puranam written by Paranjothiyar. In this book, the song2799 "arikanai thoduthu vezham attavanchezhiyan vayil theri kalai amaichar", and the song3044 "pandiyan muthukil pattathu chezhiyan panniyar (wife) udambinil pattathu" clearly states that the king's name isChezhiyan.
In Sangam literature,Pathupattu describesNedunjeliyan II's wars in detail, including hiskadumpakattu yaanai – a type of elephant known for its swift movements on the battlefield – while engaging combatants seated on horses.Nedunjeliyan II was adorned with many titles in Sangam literature, mostly after the chariots and elephants he possessed. So, the same king is referenced with the titleArimarthanan in the songs2718,2721 and3081 found in Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam book.
Another reference describes that Manikkavacakar's period isAppar's (6th Century CE)Tevaram 4.004 Thiruvaroor, Song 2 "Nariyai kuthirai seivanum" as this refers to the incident described by Manikkavacakar himself in his Thiruvasagam,Section 50 ஆனந்தமாலை, song 7 "Nariyai Kuthirai pariyaki gnala mellam nihalvithuperiya mathuraiyellam picha thetrum perunthuraiyai".
InPandya Dynastry, there isno Pandiya king with the name asArimarthanan, because it is a Title only. People mistakenly consider Manickkavacakar's period with that of the KingVaraguna II (8th Century CE). Varaguna II is the king's name and people say his title asArimarthanan. If Varaguna was the actual king, the Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam should have mentioned his name and the title. Instead, the songs refer him with the name,Nedunjeliyan II and his wife in the songs2799 and3044 and the title,Arimarthanan in2718,2721,3081. It negates that Manickkavacakar and Varaguna || are contemporaries. Meanwhile, the Thiruvilaiyadal puranam songs line, "Arikanai thoduthu vezham attavan chezhiyan vayil theri kalai amaichar" states thatChezhiyan the King is known for his bravery of killing Elephants. In Madurai Kanchi poem, Mangudi Maruthanar describes the wars ofNedunjeliyan II (Chezhiyan) and that thousands of Elephants were killed in it.
6th Century CE
Narayana Ayyar, C. V. wrote the bookOrigin and Early History of Śaivism in South India. Madras University of Madras, 1974. In that book he has detailed about Manikkavacakar's period from page 398 to page 443 and concludes that his period is 6th Century CE.
  | ||
|---|---|---|
| The twelve volumes ofTamilŚaiva hymns of the sixty-threeNayanars | ||
| Parts | Name | Author |
| 1,2,3 | (Tevaram) Thirukkadaik Kaappu | Sambandar |
| 4,5,6 | Tevaram | Thirunavukkarasar |
| 7 | (Tevaram) Thiruppattu | Sundarar |
| 8 | Thiruvasakam & Thirukkovaiyar | Manickavasagar |
| 9 | Thiruvisaippa & Thirupallandu | Various |
| 10 | Thirumandhiram | Thirumular |
| 11 | Saiva Prabandham | Various |
| 12 | Periya Puranam | Sekkizhar |
| Paadal Petra Sthalam | ||
| Paadal Petra Sthalam | ||
| Rajaraja I | ||
| Nambiyandar Nambi | ||
Manikkavacakar is said to have been born in Vadhavoor (known today as Thiruvathavur, nearMelur seven miles fromMadurai in modern dayTamilnadu state in South India).[3]
He belonged to thePandithar Shaiva temple priest guild. His father was a temple priest. The guild wore a top tilted head knot "Purva Sikha" to denote servitorship to the GodShiva. A mural and statuette of Manikkavacakar with Purva Sikha head knot is seen inTirupperunturai near Pudukkottai. A poetic and elaborate hagiography of Manikkavacakar and his works were written in the 16th Century CE and is calledTiruvilayadal puranam, meaning "An account of divine deeds". Another one calledVadhavoorar puranam and yet anotherSanskrit work of the 12th Century CE on the same saint are now missing.
According to accounts, the king ofPandyan dynasty had selected Manikkavacakar as one among his legion after seeing his military acumen. He was conferred with the title,"Thennavan bhramarayan" by the Pandyan king.[7] The king had once entrusted him with a large amount of money to purchase horses for his cavalry. On his way he met an ascetic devotee of Shiva, who in fact was the God Himself. Manikkavacakar received enlightenment, realising that material things are transitory in nature and built a temple for Shiva inTirupperunturai with the money given for purchasing horses.[8] King Varaguna was also preached about the knowledge of reality and was blessed with salvation after Shiva made him realize about his worldly mistake.
Manikkavacakar's birth name is unclear, but he was known as Vadhavoorar after his birthplace.Manikkavacakar means 'man with words as precious asManikkam'.
According toRamana Maharishi, Manikkavacakar attained salvation by merging with a blinding bright light.[9]
Thereafter Manikkavacakar moved from one place to other, singing and composing devotional songs. Finally, he settled inChidambaram. HisTiruvasakam is placed near the Murti of God Shiva there. Several verses of Tiruvasagam including theAccho Patikam, after singing which he attainedMukti at Thillai Natarajar's feet, are also engraved on the walls of theChidambaram temple. TheTiruchazhal hymn, after singing which the communal Buddhists were exposed, is also engraved in one of the prakarams of the temple. The work,Thiruchitrambalakkovaiyar was sung entirely inThillai Chidambaram. Throughout his work he discusses how important it is to forego attachments of life and to cultivate dispassionate, devoted, sincere and simple hearted love towards the Lord Shiva in order to attain his beatitude and also that the Five Tamil Letters ofNa Ma Si Va Ya alone give oneMukti.
Manikkavacakar's works have several parts. TheThiruvempaavai, a collection of twenty hymns in which he has imagined himself as a woman following thePaavai Nonbu and praising the God Shiva. The twenty songs ofThiruvempaavai and ten songs ofTiruppalliezhuchi on the Tirupperunturai Lord are sung all over Tamil Nadu in the holy month ofMargazhi (The 9th month of theTamil calendar, December and January).
He wroteThirukkovaiyar before he attained Mukti in which he follows the tradition of having Lord Shiva as Thalaivan and considering himself as Thalaivi. It has a deeper meaning ofAanmah trying to reachShivam.
Manikkavacakar is believed to have won intellectual arguments withBuddhists ofCeylon at Chidambaram.[10] His festival is celebrated in the Tamil month of Aani (June - July). Manikkavacakar's hagiography is found in theThiruvilaiyadar Puranam (16th century CE).
In 1921, an English translation of Manikkavacakar's hymns was done by Francis Kingsbury and GE Phillips, both ofUnited Theological College, Bangalore (Edited byFred Goodwill) and published in a book asHymns of the Tamil Śaivite Saints, by the Oxford University Press.[11]
Manikkavacakar visited various temples in Thanjavur, North Arcot, Chengalpattu, Madras, Tirunelveli and Madurai districts of Tamil Nadu and revered the deities.[12]
Tiruvempaavai is sung along with Sri Andal'sTiruppaavai widely across the temples in Tamil Nadu during the Tamil month ofMargazhi (December - January).[14]
Manikkavacakar's stone image is worshipped in almost all the Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu. AChola bronze idol of Manikkavacakar with 57 cm (22 in) size in standing posture dated about 12th Century was found inVelankanni inNagapattinam district. He is sported with his right hand inUpadesa posture and left hand holding a palm leaf manuscript. He is sported also as wearing a thin loincloth and a sacred thread over his chest. Another bronze idol of Manikkavacakar with a height of 64 cm (25 in) in standing posture dated about 1150 CE was found inTiruindalur inNagapattinam district. Unlike other idols, in this idol he is sported with locks of hair encircled with beads ofRudraksha. These bronze images are stored in the Bronze gallery inGovernment Museum, Chennai.[15]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
