Thirunavukkarasar

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Thirunavukkarasar (Tamil:திருநாவுக்கரசர), popularly known as Appar, was a Saivite saint who lived in Tamil Nadu during the seventh century CE. He is one of the 63 Saivite saints known as Nayanars. He was a contemporary of the Pallava king Mahendravarman I and was responsible for the conversion of the king to the Hindu faith. Thirunavukkarasu himself spent a few years of his life as a Jain ascetic under the name Dharmasena. He eventually returned to the Saiva faith.

Appar then started singing Tamil hymns while travelling from village to village. He is known to have travelled to about 125 temples in different cities or villages in Tamil Nadu HIs hymns are set to melodic patterns known as Pann. Around 3066 of his songs are available today. These have been collected into the Tevaram along with the compositions of Sundarar and Sambanthar.

Contents 1 His life 2 Appar's Tevaram 3 Notes 4 References

[edit] His life

The details of Appar's life come to us from his own hymns, Sekkizhar's Periyapuranam and Sundarar's Thiruttondartokai.^[1]

Appar was born Marulnikkiyar in Thiruvamur, on the banks of the river Pennai (near Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu), to a Vellalar family. His parents were Puhalanar. Marulnikkiyar had an elder sister named Tilakavathi. When the children were still young, the parents died. This and other setbacks in life led Tilakavathiyar to lead a life of penance and worship devoid of worldly matters. Marulnikkiyar, stung by immediate tragedies gave away his wealth to charity and impressed by Jainism's doctrine of non-killing and he travelled to Patalipura (near Cuddalore) to join a Jain monastery.^[2] He was given the name Dharmasena by his Jain teachers and he learnt the Jain scriptures there. Meanwhile Tilakavathiyar became a devout Saivite and was serving the temple of Lord Siva at Atikai ( Panruti). She kept appealing to Lord Siva to bring back Marulnikkiyar to Saiva fold.

After a while Dharmasena was afflicted by a painful illness and when the Jains could not cure him he come back home to seek his sister's help.^[3] At her behest Marulnikkiyar went to the Siva temple and prayed for relief and was cured miraculously. He sang his first hymn kurrayinavaru vilakku and was acclaimed as 'Navukkarasu' (meaning 'king of the tongues(Lord of Language) in reference to his poetic skills).

The reconversion of Dharmasena into the Saivite faith prompted the Jains to complain about him to the Pallava king Mahendravarman I. the king subjected Appar to a number of ordeals and punishments.^[4] Navukkarasar overcame all of these apparently miraculously. The ashtonished king himself converted into the Hindu faith from Jainism.

Navukkarasar is supposed to have stayed many years at Tiruatikai with his sister. Possibly after his sister's mokhsa he began visiting other Siva temples and sang in praise of Siva . He then heard of Sambanthar and went to Sirkali to meet him. Sambanthar respectfully addressed Navukkarasar as Appar (father). Sambanthar and Appar travelled together singing hymns.

Appar attained Mukthi in "Sadya Nakshtra" in the Tamil month of "Chithirai" at Pukalur. His age was then 81.

[edit] Appar's Tevaram

Appar’s Tevaram hymns, as we have them now, are grouped into three books, which form the fourth, fifth and sixth Tirumurai of the Tamil Saiva canon. The compilation of these books is generally ascribed to Nambi Andar Nambi in the 10h Century.

Some of Appar's hymns set to various Panns, melodic meters of the Ancient Tamil music which the rest are set to Thirunerisai and Viruttam metres. Sundarar in his Tiruttondartokai states that Appar composed 4900 hymns of ten verses each. This is repeated by both Nambi Andar Nambi and Sekkilar. Out of these only 313 have survived.^[5]

[edit] Notes

[1]Life of Thirunavukarasar

[edit] References

• Dr. R. Nagasamy. Siva Bhakti. Tamil Arts Academy. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
• Anna Dallapiccola. 'Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend.