The Nectar of Thiruppugazh

Read the previous posts: Part 1 Part 2 In விடுங்கை , the poet Saint Arunagirinathar describes in great detail not only the Vali vatham but also the slaying of Ravana. கொடுங்கைப் பட்டம ராமர மேழுடன் நடுங்கச் சுக்ரிவ னோடம ராடிய குரங்கைச் செற்றும கோததி தூளெழ நிருதேசன் குலங்கட் பட்டநி சாசரர் கோவென இலங்கைக் குட்டழ லோனெழ நீடிய குமண்டைக் குத்திர ராவண னார்முடி அடியோடே பிடுங்கத் தொட்டச ராதிப னாரதி ப்ரியங் கொட் டக்கநன் மாமரு கா

Read here the first part of the trilogy on Ramayana as described in Thiruppugazh..... The next episodes that find mention in a few of the 503 Thiruppugazh songs taught by Guruji Shri A.S.Raghavan: Rama and Sita, along with Lakshmana, live in the Panchavati hermitage where Surpanakha comes across them and is infatuated with the handsome brothers. Angered by their spurning her love, Surpanakha attacks Sita, and Lakshmana, obeying Rama's orders, chops off Surpanakha's nose. Surpanakha stomps into Ravana's court, and incites Ravana to force Sita to marry him. மூக்கறை மட்டைம காபல காரணி சூர்ப்பந கைப்படு மூளியு தாசனி மூர்க்க குலத்திவி பீஷணர் சோதரி முழுமோடி மூத்தவ ரக்கனி ராவண னோடியல் பேற்றிவி டக்கம லாலய சீதையை மோட்டன் வளைத்தொரு தேர்மிசை யேகொடு முகிலேபோய் மாக்கன சித்திர கோபுர நீள்படை வீட்டிலி ருத்திய நாளவன் வேரற மார்க்கமு டித்தவி லாளிகள் நாயகன் மருகோனே Notice that the poet refers to Surpanakha as the sister of the virtuous Vibhishana rather than the depraved Ravana. Thi

References to Ramayana have occurred in more than 150 Thiruppugazh songs, but in this post we will cover only a few of them from the 503 songs that Guruji Shri A.S.Raghavan has taught us. The objective of Rama's incarnation was to annihilate asuras and their king, the demon Ravana. Asuras complain to Vishnu about the atrocities committed by Ravana and seek His asylum. Lord Vishnu then decides in what forms various devas should be born on earth and assist Him in this mission. Accordingly, deva s take birth as vanara s in Kishkintha with Surya and Indra as Sugriva and Vali respectively and Rudra as Hanuman; Brahma descends on earth as Jambhavan, the king of bears and Agni as Neela. This is described beautifully in karuvadainthu ( கருவடைந்து )

Though his Ishta devata was Lord Murugan, Saint Arunagirinathar showed equal love for Vishnu and Shiva. In his poems he decribes the divine sports of Vishnu and then addresses Murugan as His beloved nephew, just as he sings the glories of Shiva and eulogises Murugan as His son. In this way, he brings about a rapproachment between Vaishnavites and Shaivites. The Vamana Avatar is the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu as a human and the fifth of the Dasavatars. In the Vamana Avatar Lord Vishnu incarnates as Mahabali, the grandson of Prahlada, a great ruler who is loved by his people. Mahabali learns the Vedhas from his grandfather Prahlada and from the great Asura teacher Shukracharya. Mahabali performs severe penance to please Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma grants him invincibility against Indra. Subsequently, Bali defeats Indra and takes over the heavens. However, Bali remains always righteous and is devoted to Lord Vishnu. Indra begs Lord Vishnu to help him. Lord Vishnu incarnates as the