Kumaragurupara Desikar
Encyclopedia
Kumaragurupara Desikar was a poet
and Saivite ascetic connected with the Dharapuram
mutt
.
family of Srivaikuntam
, Tirunelveli district
. He seems to have accumulated poetic talents at an early age for he wrote his first poem Kalivenba when he was barely 5 years old. The poem was dedicated to the shrine of Murugan
at Tiruchendur
. A few years later, he wrote Pillaitamizh in praise of Madurai
Meenakshi temple. Soon afterwards, he enrolled at the mutt at Dharapuram where he began to study Saiva Siddhanta.
and Sanskrit
. Convinced of his deep learning and sincerity towards leading an ascetic lifestyle, the heads of the mutt conferred upon him the title of "Tambiran". He then travelled to Kasi
and presided over the local mtt until his death.
.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and Saivite ascetic connected with the Dharapuram
Dharapuram
Dharapuram is a town and a municipality in the Tirupur district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Dharapuram one of the Oldest Town in Tiruppur District. Dharapuram, then known as Rajarajapuram was the capital of Kongu Nadu under Kongu Cholas. The Amaravathi River flows through the ancient...
mutt
Mutt
A mutt is a mixed-breed dog.Mutt may also refer to: -Nickname or codename:* Mutt Carey , New Orleans jazz trumpeter...
.
Early life
Kumaragurupara Desikar was born in a VellalaVellala
Vellala is a small village in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is near the town of Proddutur in the Kadapa District.The village got its name from the locally famous "Vellala sanjevaraswami ", a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman....
family of Srivaikuntam
Srivaikuntam
Srivaikuntam is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the river Thamirabarani.-Geography:...
, Tirunelveli district
Tirunelveli District
Tirunelveli District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Tirunelveli is the district headquarters. A unique feature of this district is that it encompasses all five geographical traditions of Tamil Literature; kurinji , mullai , marudham , neithal and palai...
. He seems to have accumulated poetic talents at an early age for he wrote his first poem Kalivenba when he was barely 5 years old. The poem was dedicated to the shrine of Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
at Tiruchendur
Tiruchendur
Thiruchendur is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This town has a different name called Thirucheer Alaiwai.-Demographics:...
. A few years later, he wrote Pillaitamizh in praise of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
Meenakshi temple. Soon afterwards, he enrolled at the mutt at Dharapuram where he began to study Saiva Siddhanta.
Adoption of an ascetic lifestyle
On entering the Dharapuram mutt, he made a detailed study of the system of Saiva Siddhanta and worked on improving his knowledge of TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. Convinced of his deep learning and sincerity towards leading an ascetic lifestyle, the heads of the mutt conferred upon him the title of "Tambiran". He then travelled to Kasi
Kasi
KASI or Kasi may refer to:* Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, South Korea* Kingdom of Kashi, or Kasi, an ancient kingdom with Varanasi as its capital* 1430KASI, a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa...
and presided over the local mtt until his death.
Literary contributions
In all, Kumaragurupara has compiled 14 poems, the best of which, the Nidineri-vilakkam has been translated into EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.