Thiruchendur Murugan Temple - Kumaraguruparar Swamigal’s
Kandar Kalivenba
A 17th century classic in praise of the glory of Thiruchendur
is Kandar Kalivenba by Kumaraguruparar Swamigal, a Saiva ascetic. The
author was born in 1625 A.D. of a Saiva Vellala family at Srivaikundam on the
northern bank of the Thambaraparani, nineteen miles from Thiruchendur. His
parents Shanmukha Sikhamani Kavirayar and Sivakami Ammaiyar were blessed with
this child after a long penance to Muruga of Thiruchendur. The boy grew of age
and until his fifth year showed no signs of speech. The parents were pained at
this and resorted to Thiruchendur penance again. Weary of waiting for months
and seeing signs of approaching speech, the parents determined to drown themselves
in the sea along with the child if he would not speak by a particular day.
The day dawned, and yet there were no signs. At last,
both the parents and the child entered the foamy waves. Deeper and deeper they
went from knee to neck and, as they were about to sink with the waves over
their heads a human form appeared with a flower in his hand and asked the child
what it was; the moment, child broke out in praise of the Lord with the words
of the lines.
"Pumevu cenkamalap putteLunterriya
Pamevu teyvap pazhamaRaiyum…."
This poem, the Kantarakalivempa of 244 lines
is a delightful piece of the Lord's praise and the truths of Saiva Siddhanta.
And it is considered even now with great propriety that its recitation with
warmth and fervour wards off many an evil attending on man.
Having studied Tamil at the feet of his father Sanmukacikamani
Kavirayar, and attained in it great proficiency by divine grace, he grew up to
manhood, took to an austere way of life, left home, and wandered throughout the
Tamil country visiting famous places of pilgrimage and composing poems on the
presiding deities.
When he was at Dharmapuram, he was drawn to the
monastery's head Macilamani Tecikar, and begged him to be admitted as his
disciple and initiated into the sannyasa asrama. Macilamani asked the
young poet to visit important pilgrim centers including Benares, and return to
him then. Kumaraguruparar felt incapable of such undertaking, arduous and
dangerous in those days. He was directed to stay at least in Chidambaram for
some time and then apply. He complied with this condition and afterwards took
the holy orders.
While he was a court-poet of Thirumalai Nayaka at
Madurai, one day as he was inaugurating his devotional poem in praise of
goddess Meenatchi at the royal court, the goddess appeared herself as a young
maiden and sat on the lap of the Nayaka king, and taking a necklace of pearls,
put it on the neck of the poet and vanished.
Finally, Kumaraguruparar left for Benares. His fame
reached even the Mughal court at Delhi. Emperor Aurangzeb expressed a desire to
see him, and the poet-saint (who had in the meantime mastered Urdu) rode to the
Mughal court on the back of a lion, the symbol of courage and pride. The
emperor was so much impressed by the poet's holiness and learning that he
bestowed on him a plot of land in Benares near the Kedar Ghat, and there Kumaraguruparar
built the Kumaraswami monastery which became soon the heart of religious
activities.
He lived in Benares till the end of his days except for
a short visit to the South to pay his respects to his guru. The tradition also
says that Kumaraguruparar who was very fond of Kampar's Tamil Ramayana lectured
on it in Benares and that Tulsidas, the great Hindi poet of Ramcaritmanas,
heard these talks and became indebted to Kamban through the lectures of Kumaraguruparar.
Amongst Kumaraguruparar other literary
works, Meenakshi Pillai-Tamil, Meenakshi-kurram, Neethineri-Vilakkami
Madhuraikkalampakam and others are ever popular and widely read.