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Thiruvasagam (Tamil:திருவாசகம்,romanized: tiruvācakam,lit. 'sacred sayings') is a volume ofTamil hymns composed by the ninth centuryShaivitebhakti poetManikkavasagar. It contains 51 compositions and constitutes the eighth volume of theTirumurai, the sacred anthology of the TamilShaiva Siddhanta.
Legend has it that Manikkavasakar was appointed as minister by king Arimarttanar and sent to purchase 10,000 horses fromhorse traders[1] but spent the money building a temple inTirupperunturai.
As the legend goes,Thiruvasagam is the only work which is signed as well as written by Shiva in guise of a Tamil man when narrated by Manikkavasagar. The poet chased the writer but without success but the palm leaf manuscript had been seen inside the locked sanctum sanctorum of Thillai Nataraja with the Lord's signature.
Manikkavasagar'sThiruvasagam andThirukovayar are compiled as the eighthThirumurai and is full of visionary experience, divine love and urgent striving for truth.[2] Though he is not counted as one of the 63 Shaivanayanars, he is counted as one of theNalvars ("The Four") consisting of himself and the first threenayanars namelyAppar,Sambandar andSundarar.[3] He was born in an Pandithar saivite temple priest guild in Tiruvatavur near Madurai. His father was an adivsor to the Pandya king and he followed his father's footsteps in becoming the king's minister.[3] His period is 3rd century CE. Manikkavasagar was the king's prime minister and renounced his post in search of divinity.[2] The king bestowed his minister to buy horses, but he was taken to divinity by the vision of Siva with his saints.[4] The minister spent his entire sum of money in building the temple atThiruperunturai, considered an architectural marvel among Hindu temples. From the time, the saint poet wandered to various temples and devoted hymns on Siva. His conversion is attributed toSivagnana bodham, an saivite work by Meykandar.[4] He was an orthodox saivite and representsbhakti at its highest form in his age.[5]
Tirupperunturai (Tamil:திருபெருந்துறை), also known asAvudayar Koil, is a Shiva temple where Thiruvasagam is believed to have been originated. Manikkavasagar is said to have converted the king toShaivism and built the temple with money that had been intended for war-horses.[6]
  | ||
|---|---|---|
| The twelve volumes ofTamilŚaiva hymns of the sixty-threeNayanars | ||
| Parts | Name | Author |
| 1,2,3 | Tevaram | Sambandar |
| 4,5,6 | Tevaram | Thirunavukkarasar |
| 7 | Tevaram | 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 | ||
Most of the portions inThiruvasagam is first sung inThillai Nataraja Temple atChidambaram.[3] It is considered one of the profound works ofTamil literature and it discusses every phase of spiritual path from doubt and anguish to perfect understanding inShiva, from earthly experience to teacher-disciple relationship and ultimately freedom from rebirth.[7] There are 658 poems in the work and along with 400 poems inTirukovayar by the same author make it the 8th volume ofTirumarai - the 12 volume Shaiva canon.[7] The author finds both theistic and pantheistic ideas corresponding to medieval India, but identifies God with the universe. Manickavasagar often finds himself unworthy of Shiva being his saviour. "கடையவனேனைக் கருணையினால் கலந்து, ஆண்டுகொண்ட விடையவனே ". It is said that this made Shiva feel sorry for Vasagar and bless him.[8] As a devotional literature, it finds alternatives between joy and sorrow.[9]
"Tiruvempavai" - the early morning wake up songs sung for Shiva on Tamil month Margali are part of Tiruvasakam. Tiruvempavai songs were composed inAnnamalaiyar Temple.[10]
In Thailand, an annualGiant Swing ceremony known asTriyampavai-Tripavai was held in major cities until 1935, when it was abolished for safety reasons.[11] The name of the ceremony was derived from the names ofTiruvempavai andTiruppavai (a Vaishnavite hymn byAndal). It is known thatTiruvempavai verses —poet pratu sivalai ("opening the portals of Shiva's home") — were recited at this ceremony, as well as thecoronation ceremony of theThai king.[12] According to T.P. Meenakshisundaram, the name of the festival indicates that Thiruppavai might have been recited as well.[13]
Raja Raja Chola I (985-1013 CE) embarked on a mission to recover the hymns after hearing short excerpts ofTevaram in his court.[14] He sought the help of Nambi Andar Nambi, who was a priest in a temple.[15] It is believed that by divine intervention Nambi found the presence of scripts, in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in a chamber inside the second precinct inThillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram.[14][15] Thebrahmanas (Dikshitars) in the temple opposed the mission, but Rajaraja intervened by consecrating the images of the saint-poets through the streets of Chidambaram.[14][16] Rajaraja thus became known asTirumurai Kanda Cholan meaning one who saved theTirumurai.[16] Thus far Shiva temples only had images of god forms, but after the advent of Rajaraja, the images of the Nayanar saints were also placed inside the temple.[16] Nambi arranged the hymns of three saint poetsSambandar,Appar andSundarar as the first seven books,Manickavasagar'sTirukovayar Thiruvasagam as the 8th book, the 28 hymns of nine other saints as the 9th book, theTirumandiram ofTirumular as the 10th book, 40 hymns by 12 other poets as the 10th book,Tirutotanar Tiruvanthathi - the sacredanthathi of the labours of the 63 nayanar saints and added his own hymns as the 11th book.[17] The first seven books were later called asTevaram, and the whole Shaiva canon, to which was added, as the 12th book,Sekkizhar'sPeriya Puranam (1135 CE) is wholly known asTirumurai, the holy book.
Thiruvasagam songs are a collection of dynamic grammar (யாப்பு). The following யாப்பு are used in 51 pathigams.
வெண்பா
ஆசிரியப்பா
கலிப்பா
விருத்தம்
மற்றவை
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There is a famous saying
" திருவாசகத்துக்கு உருகார் ஒரு வாசகத்திற்கும் உருகார்"
translating to "One who is not melted byThiruvasagam cannot be melted by anyvasagam (saying)".[8]George Uglow Pope, an Anglican Christian missionary, was born on 24 April 1820 onPrince Edward Island inCanada. He became interested inTamil and learned the language during a six-month ship voyage to India. Hismagnum opus, an English translation ofThiruvasagam, appeared in 1900. Pope found a close affinity to the utterances of sincere devotion in such verses as 'Longing for devotion alone', 'Without thy presence I pine', 'Deadness of soul', 'God all in all', 'I am thine, save me', 'His love demands my all'.[18] He also compared Manickavasgar to the likes ofSt. Paul andSt. Francis of Assisi.[8]
G.U.Pope translated Thiruvasagam.
Victory to the foot of the King, who soothed my soul's unrest and made me His !
Victory to the jewelled foot of Pinnagan, who severs continuity of birth !
Victory to the flower-foot of Him Who is far from those without !
Victory to the anklets of the King, rejoicing 'mid those that fold adoring hands !
Victory to the anklets of the glorious One, who uplifts those that bow the head ! (10)
And in places G.U.Pope mentions the difficulty about translating these Tamil poems to the proper meaning in English.He states,"Lines 66-95 are well nigh untranslateable, for they contain a subtle and intricate allegory, by means of which the grace of the manifested Shivan, who is praised under the title of the 'Cloud' is set forth. The idea is that the Infinite sea of rapturous supreme felicity is Civan, but - as the Cloud in the monsoon season sucks up water from the sea, and rises in black masses that cover the sky, while all the phenomena of the wonderful outburst of the beneficient, but also fearful, monsoon are exhibited - so does the Supreme manifest Himself as the Guru, the Object of Love, and Give of grace to His worshippers..."[19]
In 1921, an English translation of the hymns bySambandhar,Apparswami,Sundaramurthi 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.[20]
Noted Tamil film music composerIlayaraja had composedThiruvasagam in Symphony from the verses of Manikkavasagar's Thiruvasakam as a tribute to the saint and theTamil itself. All songs are orchestral renditions of the verses of Thiruvasagam.[citation needed]
Ramalinga Swamigal (1823-1874 CE) is believed to have taken inspiration fromThiruvasagam for his devotional work.[9]
Portions of Thiruvasagam are also read out by the Chief Brahmin Priest of Thailand during the coronation ceremony of a newThai King. The ancestors of theBrahmins of the Thai Royal Household are thought to have emigrated fromRameswaram toThailand centuries back.[21]
| S.No. | Name of the temple | Location | Photo | Presiding deity | Notes/Beliefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram | Chidambaram,Cuddalore district Tamil Nadu 11°23′58″N79°41′36″E / 11.39944°N 79.69333°E /11.39944; 79.69333 |  | Sivakami and Natajar | Thillai Nataraja temple dedicated toNataraja –Shiva as the lord of dance. The temple is considered the centre ofShaivism. Chidambaram, the name of the city and the temple literally means "atmosphere of wisdom" or "clothed in thought", the temple architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and spirituality, creative activity and the divine.[22] The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from theNatya Shastra by Bharata Muni, and these postures form a foundation ofBharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance.[23] The temple is one of the five elemental lingas in theShaivism pilgrimage tradition, and considered the subtlest of all Shiva temples (Kovil) in Hinduism.[24] It is also a site for performance arts, including the annual Natyanjali dance festival onMaha Shivaratri.[25] |
| 2 | Sattainathar Temple, Sirkazhi | Sirkazhi,Nagapattinam district Tamil Nadu 11°14′16.96″N79°44′21.45″E / 11.2380444°N 79.7392917°E /11.2380444; 79.7392917 | .jpg) | Periyanayagi and Sattainathar | The temple has three levels with Bhramapureeswarar shrine in the lower level, Periyanakar with Periyanayaki on aThoni in the second level and Sattainathar/Vatukanathar in the third level. Three different forms of Shiva are worshipped here, the Shivalingam (Bhrammapureeswarar), a colossal image of Uma Maheswarar (Toniappar) at the medium level, andBhairavar (Sattanathar) at the upper level. The temple is associated with the legend of childSambandar who is believed to have been fed byParvati on the banks of the temple tank. The child later went on to composeTevaram, a Shaiva canonic literature on Shiva and became one of the most revered Shaiva poets in South India.[26] |
| 3 | Annamalaiyar Temple | Tiruvannamalai,Tiruvannamalai district Tamil Nadu 12°13′54.76″N79°03′59.83″E / 12.2318778°N 79.0666194°E /12.2318778; 79.0666194 |  | Unnamalaiyamman and Annamalaiyar | It is significant to the Hindu sect ofShaivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, thePancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of fire, orAgni. Shiva is worshiped as Arunachalesvara or Annamalaiyar, and is represented by thelingam, with his idol referred to asAgni lingam. His consortParvati is depicted as Unnamalai Amman.[27] The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Shaiva canonical work, theTevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as thenayanars and classified asPaadal Petra Sthalam. The 3rd century CE,Shaiva saint poetManikkavasagar composed theTiruvempaavai here.[28] |
| 4 | Vedagiriswarar temple | Thirukalukundram,Chengalpattu district Tamil Nadu 12°36′35.77″N80°03′32.94″E / 12.6099361°N 80.0591500°E /12.6099361; 80.0591500 |  | Thirupurasundari and Vedagiriswarar | The word Thirukazhukundram comes from the Tamil words Thiru (Respectful), Kazhugu (Vulture/Eagle), Kundram (mount). It was known as "Thirukazhugukundram" in ancient times, which over time became Thirukazhukundram. The town is also known as Pakshi Theertham (Bird's Holy Lake) because of a pair of birds -Most likelyEgyptian vultures- that are believed to have visited the site for centuries. These birds are traditionally fed by the temple priests and arrive before noon to feed on offerings made from rice, wheat,ghee and sugar.[29][30] |
| 5 | Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur | Thiruvarur,Thiruvarur district Tamil Nadu 10°46′33.99″N79°37′58.80″E / 10.7761083°N 79.6330000°E /10.7761083; 79.6330000 | .jpg) | Kamalambal and Thygarajar | The main idol of worship is Tyagarajar, depicted as aSomaskanda form. The temple complex covers 30 acres, and is one of the largest in India. It houses nine gateway towers known asgopurams. The temple has the largest chariot in Asia and the annual Chariot festival is celebrated during the month of April. The temple has ninegopurams, 80vimanas, twelve temple walls, 13 halls, fifteen large temple water bodies, three gardens, and three large precincts.[31] |
| 6 | Mangalanathaswamy temple | Uthirakosamangai,Ramanathapuram district Tamil Nadu 09°18′57.14″N78°44′15.04″E / 9.3158722°N 78.7375111°E /9.3158722; 78.7375111 |  | Mangalambigai and Mangaleswarar | Manickavasagar, the 9th century Tamil saivite saint poet has revered Mangalanathar and the temple in his verses inThiruvasakam, compiled as theEighth Tirumurai.Arunagirinathar, a 15th-century Tamil poet has composed Tamil hymns glorifyingMurugan in the temple. There is a 6 ft (1.8 m) tall ancientmaragathaNataraja idol carved out ofemerald inside the temple.[32] A hall of Saharasralingam has thousand lingams enshrined in it. At the entrance of the main precinct, the temple features exquisite stone carvings ofYali (mythological dragon), depicted with a rolling stone ball inside its mouth. |
| 7 | Tirupperunturai | Avudaiyarkoil,Pudukkottai district Tamil Nadu 10°04′33.26″N79°02′35.17″E / 10.0759056°N 79.0431028°E /10.0759056; 79.0431028 |  | Athmanadaswamy temple | One of the sacred books ofTamilShaiva Siddhanta,Manikkavasagar'sTiruvacakam, originated from this shrine. Manikkavasagar is said to have converted the king to the religion ofShiva and built the temple with money that had been intended for war-horses.[33] Athmanathar temple is a testimony to the temple architectural skills of ancient Tamil Sculptors and engineers. The temple covers an area of over 10 acres (40,000 m2) with three enclosures and faces south, constructed so that the setting sun strikes the sanctum even though it is cloistered within three circumambulatory paths. The presiding deity is formless (Atmanatar); there is noShivalingam but only a pedestal {Avudayar} located in the sanctum, hence the name Avudayar Koil.[34] The God faces South in this temple- in Dakshinamurthy or Guru form. His consort is worshipped as Siva Yoga Nayaki(Yogambal) in iconless form. There is noNandi bull icon as is conventional in almost all Shiva temples. There is deep spiritual significance in this.Hinduism allows deity worship for the novice. As one's devotion matures, one begins to contemplate the truth of formlessness of the Brahman. The temple has been designed to illustrate this theology. This one of the rarestShaivite shrine in whole ofIndia to portray the supreme truth symbolically. Since the soul (atma) has no form, the deity is called Athmanathar.[35] There are five lamps in the sanctum indicating the five time scales and 27 lamps indicating the 27 stars.[36] |