Sunday, September 10, 2017

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore – Literary Mention

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore – Literary Mention
There is no reference to the temple in Sangam literature of the 1st to 5th centuries and the earliest mention is found in 6th century Tamil literature. The temple and the deity were immortalized in Tamil poetry in the works of Thevaram by poet saint belonging to the 7th century - Thirugnana Sambandhar has composed the 6th Poompavai pathigam in praise of the temple. Arunagirinathar, the 15th century poet, sings praise of the temple in Thirumayilai Thirupugazh. The 12th-century poet, Guna Veera Pandithar sings about Neminathar under Theerthangar Neminathar Pugazh. Thirumayilai Prabanthangal is a compilation of four works on the temple and the deity.
Great Saivite Saints Thirugnana Sambandar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundarar had sung the glory of Lord Kapaleeshwarar in their Thevaram hymns.  This is the 24th Shiva temple in Thondai Nadu region praised in Thevaram hymns. The temple is closely associated with the history of Saint Thirugnana Sambandar who restored Poompavai to life from the bones and ashes preserved by her father Sivanesar. The father was intending to give his daughter to the saint in marriage. But fate had it that she died of snake bite. Yet, the father preserved her bones in a pot to be handed over to the child saint when he visited the place. 
Sambandar did visit the place. Narrating his sad story, he placed the pot before the saint. Sambandar sang a pathigam-10 verses, beginning with the line, ‘Mattitta Punnai’ listing the various festivals of Lord Shiva in the first three lines asking her in the final line, how she could miss the festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva. The pot broke off and Poompavai came alive in her full beautiful form.  His joy knowing no bounds, the father asked the saint to accept his daughter. Sambandar told him that he had now become her father as he gave her life again and could see her only as a daughter. Poompavai spent the rest of her life alone praying to Lord Shiva attaining salvation in the end.