Sundaramoorthy Nayanar
Encyclopedia
Suntarar also known as Sundaramurti, was one of the most prominent among the Nayanars
, the Shaiva bhakti
(devotional) poets of Tamil Nadu
. He was a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal
and Kotpuli Nayanar who also figure in the 63 Nayanmars. The songs of praise are called Thiruthondathogai and is the original nucleus around which the Periyapuranam is based. The Periya Puranam
, which collects the legends of the Nayanars, starts and ends with him. The hymns of seventh volume of the Tirumurai
, the twelve-volume compendium of the poetry of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta
, were composed by him.
couple, Sadayanar and Isaignani, in the village of Tirunavalur. The ruler of the local kingdom (Thirumunaipadi-Nadu), Narasingamunaiarayar, adopted him and brought up as his own son, attracted by the beauty of the child he saw playing in the street.
Legend states that while Cuntarar was being married, the service was interrupted by an old ascetic who asked for Cuntarar as his servant, claiming that Cuntarar's grandfather pledged him according to an ancient palm leaf manuscript in his possession. Cuntarar and those assembled at the wedding were outraged and called the old man a madman (piththaan: Tamil). But a court of Vedic scholars concluded that the palm leaf was legally valid. Crestfallen, Cuntarar resigned himself to servitude in the old man's household and, following him to Thiruvennainallur village, was led to the Thiruvarutturai Shiva temple.
The old man was said to be Shiva himself, who told him: "You will henceforth be known as Vanthondarm, the argumentative devotee. Did you not call me a mad man just a short while ago? Begin your hymn addressing me 'O mad man!'".
Subsequently, Cuntarar moved around Tamil Nadu, visiting several Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. In Tiruvarur
, in the Thanjavur district, he fell in love with a girl named Paravayar, of the Rudra Kanyakayar caste of female ascetics, and married her. The poet himself mentions his two children; Vanapakai and Cinkati.
In Thiruvottriyur, a sea-side suburb of Madras, he prayed at the Padampakkanathar/Thyagarajar/Vadivudaiamman Temple, where he saw a farmer's girl, Sangiliyar, who was preparing flower garlands and married her, promising never to leave.
The legend states that at Tiruvarur he recited the names of all sixty-three future Nayanars: this recitation is called Tiruttondar-Tokai. In it, he refers to himself as the servant of servants of these saints. His fame reached the ears of the Cheraman Perumal
, who came to Tiruvarur. Both embarked on a pilgrimage. But Cuntarar became tired of life and was taken up to heaven by a white elephant. The king followed him on his horse. This occurred in "Swathi Nakshtra" in the Tamil month of "Aadi".
Temple at Thillai(Chidambaram
), Tiruvadhigai Veerattaanam Temple at Tiruvadhigai, Manikkamenivaradhar Temple at Tirumanikusi (Thirumaandakuzhi), Tirundheeswarar Temple at Tirurinainagar (Teerthanagiri), Brahmapuresar Temple at Sirgasi, Saptapreswarar Temple at Tirukolaka, Shivaloganaathar Temple at Tirupungur, Mayooranaathar Temple at Mayiladuturai(Maayooram), Tiruvambar Maakaalam Temple at Tiruvambar (Ambal), Agnipuriswarar Temple at Tirupugalur, Tyageapruman Temple at Tiruvarur
, Kolilinathar Temple at Tirukkolili (Tirukuvalai), Karinateswarar Temple at Tirunatiyathankudi, Manatunainatar temple at Tiruvalivalam, Cuntareswarar Temple at Tirupanaiyur, Prakasheswarar Temple at Tirunanilam (nannilam), Vizhiyasagar Temple at Tiruvisimasalai, Vanjaligeswarar Temple at Tiruvanjiyam, Swarnapuresar Temple at Trikaduvaikarai Putur, Cuntarareswarar Temple at Tirunaraiyur, Padikalitta Eeswarar Temple at Arisirkarai Putur (Azhagar Puthur), Masilamaiyisar Temple at Tiruvavaduthurai, Marudappar Temple at Tiruvidaimarudur, Shenbagaranyeswarar Temple at Tirunageswaram, Brahmapuri Nayagar Temple at Tiruchivapuram, Amirdhakalayeswarar Temple at Torukalayanalur (Saakkottai), Kumeswarar Temple at Tirukudamuku (Kumbakonam
), Sithisar Temple at Tiruvalanjusi, Periyandeswarar Temple at Tirunallur, Tolayacelvesar Temple at Tiruchotruturai, Virataneswarar Temple at Tirukkandiyur, Panchanadhiswarar Temple at Tiruvaiyaru, Pushpavananadheswarar Temple at Tirupundhuruti, Atmanadeswarar Temple at Tiruvalamposil and Vajranadeswara Temple at Tirumasabadi.
Nayanars
The Nayanars or Nayanmars were Shaivite devotional poets of Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE...
, the Shaiva bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
(devotional) poets of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. He was a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal
Cheraman Perumal
Rama Varman Kulashekhara was the last King of the Later Chera Dynasty and the first ruler of the independent Venad state from 1102 A.D to 1122 A.D, according to the Rameswarathukoil Inscription. Kotha Varman Marthandam succeeded him as the ruler of Venad.-The end of the Chera dynasty:Rama Varman...
and Kotpuli Nayanar who also figure in the 63 Nayanmars. The songs of praise are called Thiruthondathogai and is the original nucleus around which the Periyapuranam is based. The Periya Puranam
Periya Puranam
Periya Puranam , that is, the great purana or epic, sometimes also called Tiruttontarpuranam is a Tamil poetic account depicting the legendary lives of the sixty-three Nayanars, the canonical poets of Tamil Shaivism. It was compiled during the 12th century by Sekkizhar...
, which collects the legends of the Nayanars, starts and ends with him. The hymns of seventh volume of the Tirumurai
Tirumurai
The word Thirumurai literally means the sacred book. It is a compendium of songs or hymns in the praise of Shiva in the Tamil language...
, the twelve-volume compendium of the poetry of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta
Shaiva Siddhanta
Considered normative tantric Saivism, Shaiva Siddhanta provides the normative rites, cosmology and theological categories of tantric Saivism. Being a dualistic philosophy, the goal of Shaiva Siddhanta is to become an ontologically distinct Shiva . This tradition was once practiced all over India...
, were composed by him.
Life
Cuntarar is unique among the Nayanars in that both of his parents are also recognised as Nayanars. He was born Nambi Arurar to an Adi Shaiva (temple priest) brahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
couple, Sadayanar and Isaignani, in the village of Tirunavalur. The ruler of the local kingdom (Thirumunaipadi-Nadu), Narasingamunaiarayar, adopted him and brought up as his own son, attracted by the beauty of the child he saw playing in the street.
Legend states that while Cuntarar was being married, the service was interrupted by an old ascetic who asked for Cuntarar as his servant, claiming that Cuntarar's grandfather pledged him according to an ancient palm leaf manuscript in his possession. Cuntarar and those assembled at the wedding were outraged and called the old man a madman (piththaan: Tamil). But a court of Vedic scholars concluded that the palm leaf was legally valid. Crestfallen, Cuntarar resigned himself to servitude in the old man's household and, following him to Thiruvennainallur village, was led to the Thiruvarutturai Shiva temple.
The old man was said to be Shiva himself, who told him: "You will henceforth be known as Vanthondarm, the argumentative devotee. Did you not call me a mad man just a short while ago? Begin your hymn addressing me 'O mad man!'".
Subsequently, Cuntarar moved around Tamil Nadu, visiting several Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. In Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur is a town and a municipality in Tiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruvarur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvarur district. Tiruvarur is one of the oldest towns which has been popular as cultural head quarters for many centuries...
, in the Thanjavur district, he fell in love with a girl named Paravayar, of the Rudra Kanyakayar caste of female ascetics, and married her. The poet himself mentions his two children; Vanapakai and Cinkati.
In Thiruvottriyur, a sea-side suburb of Madras, he prayed at the Padampakkanathar/Thyagarajar/Vadivudaiamman Temple, where he saw a farmer's girl, Sangiliyar, who was preparing flower garlands and married her, promising never to leave.
The legend states that at Tiruvarur he recited the names of all sixty-three future Nayanars: this recitation is called Tiruttondar-Tokai. In it, he refers to himself as the servant of servants of these saints. His fame reached the ears of the Cheraman Perumal
Cheraman Perumal
Rama Varman Kulashekhara was the last King of the Later Chera Dynasty and the first ruler of the independent Venad state from 1102 A.D to 1122 A.D, according to the Rameswarathukoil Inscription. Kotha Varman Marthandam succeeded him as the ruler of Venad.-The end of the Chera dynasty:Rama Varman...
, who came to Tiruvarur. Both embarked on a pilgrimage. But Cuntarar became tired of life and was taken up to heaven by a white elephant. The king followed him on his horse. This occurred in "Swathi Nakshtra" in the Tamil month of "Aadi".
List of temples reputedly visited by Cuntarar
Tiruvarutturai Temple at Tiruvenai Nallur, Tirunaavaleswarar Temple at Tirunavalur, Turaiyurppesurar Temple at Trurhuraiyur (Tirutarur), NatarajaNataraja
Nataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...
Temple at Thillai(Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
), Tiruvadhigai Veerattaanam Temple at Tiruvadhigai, Manikkamenivaradhar Temple at Tirumanikusi (Thirumaandakuzhi), Tirundheeswarar Temple at Tirurinainagar (Teerthanagiri), Brahmapuresar Temple at Sirgasi, Saptapreswarar Temple at Tirukolaka, Shivaloganaathar Temple at Tirupungur, Mayooranaathar Temple at Mayiladuturai(Maayooram), Tiruvambar Maakaalam Temple at Tiruvambar (Ambal), Agnipuriswarar Temple at Tirupugalur, Tyageapruman Temple at Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur is a town and a municipality in Tiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruvarur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvarur district. Tiruvarur is one of the oldest towns which has been popular as cultural head quarters for many centuries...
, Kolilinathar Temple at Tirukkolili (Tirukuvalai), Karinateswarar Temple at Tirunatiyathankudi, Manatunainatar temple at Tiruvalivalam, Cuntareswarar Temple at Tirupanaiyur, Prakasheswarar Temple at Tirunanilam (nannilam), Vizhiyasagar Temple at Tiruvisimasalai, Vanjaligeswarar Temple at Tiruvanjiyam, Swarnapuresar Temple at Trikaduvaikarai Putur, Cuntarareswarar Temple at Tirunaraiyur, Padikalitta Eeswarar Temple at Arisirkarai Putur (Azhagar Puthur), Masilamaiyisar Temple at Tiruvavaduthurai, Marudappar Temple at Tiruvidaimarudur, Shenbagaranyeswarar Temple at Tirunageswaram, Brahmapuri Nayagar Temple at Tiruchivapuram, Amirdhakalayeswarar Temple at Torukalayanalur (Saakkottai), Kumeswarar Temple at Tirukudamuku (Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
), Sithisar Temple at Tiruvalanjusi, Periyandeswarar Temple at Tirunallur, Tolayacelvesar Temple at Tiruchotruturai, Virataneswarar Temple at Tirukkandiyur, Panchanadhiswarar Temple at Tiruvaiyaru, Pushpavananadheswarar Temple at Tirupundhuruti, Atmanadeswarar Temple at Tiruvalamposil and Vajranadeswara Temple at Tirumasabadi.