Manikkavacakar
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| Tirumurai | |
| The twelve volumes of Tamil Shaivite hymns of the sixty-three Nayanars | |
| 1, 2, 3. Tirukadaikkappu | Campantar |
|---|---|
| 4, 5, 6. Tevaram | Appar |
| 7. Tirupaatu | Cuntarar |
| 8. Tiruvacakam and Tirukkovaiyar | Manikkavacakar |
| 9. Tiruvisaippa & Tiruppallaandu | Various poets |
| 10. Tirumandhiram | Tirumular |
| 11. Prabandham | Various poets |
| 12. Periya Puranam | Sekkizhar |
Manikavasagar (மாணிக்கவாசகர்){literally words like jewels, was a Tamil poet who wrote Tiruvasagam, a book of Shaiva hymns. Manikavasagar was one of the Nayanmar poets of the Hindu bhakti revival: his work forms one volume of the Tirumurai, the key religious text of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta. A minister to the Pandya king Varagunavarman II (c. 862 C.E. – 885 C.E.), he lived in Madurai. His work is a poetic expression of the joy of God-experience, the anguish of being separated from God.
His Guru pooja day is being celebrated on Tamil Month "Aani" in "Magam" nakshtram.
[edit] Early life and Revelation
Manikavasagar is said to have been born in Vadhavoor, seven miles from Madurai on the banks of river Vaigai. He was born into the group of saivite servitors who wore tuft in front of head to identify themselves like nambudiris of kerala.[1]
According to legend the king entrusted him with a large amount of money to purchase horses. On his way he met an ascetic devotee of Siva, who in fact was Siva himself. Manikavasagar was given enlightenment, realised material things are transitory and built the temple of Siva in Tirupperunturai with the money.[2]
Thereafter Manikavasagar moved from one place to other, singing and composing devotional songs. Finally, he settled in Chidambaram. He Thiruvasagam is placed near the image of Shiva there.
Another notable work of Manikavasagar is his Tiruvembavai, a collection of twenty hymns om which he has imagined himself as a woman following the Paavai Nonbu and praising Shiva. The twenty songs of Tiruvembavai and ten songs of Tiruppalliezhuchi on the Thirupperundurai Lord are sung all over Tamil Nadu in the holy month of Margazhi ( The 9th month of the Tamil calendar, December and January).
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
- http://www.tamilnation.org/sathyam/east/thiruvasagam/tvasagam0.htm
- http://www.geocities.com/thiruvasakam_in_symphony/index.html
- http://www.shaivam.org/admanika.htm Life history of Manikkavasagar
- http://www.shaivam.org/siddhanta/thiru08.html Complete thiruvacakam and thirukkovaiyar
