Maanikavasagar was a 9th-century Tamil poet who wrote Tiruvasakam, a book of
Shaiva hymns. Maanikavasakar was one of the main authors of saivite tirumurai:
his work forms one volume of the Tirumurai, the key religious text of
Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta. A minister to the Pandya king Varagunavarman II, he
lived in Madurai. His work is a poetic expression of the joy of God-experience,
the anguish of being separated from God. Although he is a prominent saint in
Southern India, he is not counted among the sixty-three nayanars.
Life Manikkavasakar is said to have born in
Vadhavoor, seven miles from Madurai on the banks of river Vaigai. He belonged
to saivite temple priest guild. His father was a temple priest. The group
wore a top tilted knot to denote servitorship to Lord Siva like
sambandar, etc. A mural and statuette of Manikkavasagar with head knot is seen in
Tirupperunturai near Pudukkottai. A poetic and elaborate hagiography of
Manikkavasagar and his works was written in the 16th century and is called
Tiruvilayadal puranam, meaning "An account of divine deeds". The same is
not available now in its original form. Another called Vadhavoorar puranam and
yet another Sanskrit work of the 12th century CE on the same saint is now
missing. According to accounts the king of
Pandyan dynasty had selected Manikkavasagar as a part of his legion
after seeing his military acumen and had once entrusted him with a large amount
of money to purchase horses for his cavalry. On his way he met an ascetic
devotee of Siva, who in fact was Siva himself. Manikkavasakar received
enlightenment, realised that material things are transitory and built the
temple of Siva in Tirupperunturai with the money. King Varaguna also was
preached with knowledge of reality and blessed with mukthi after Lord Siva made
him realize his small worldly mistake. Varaguana maharaja immediately gave up
his throne and attained muthi at feet of Lord Sivan.
Manikkavasakar's birth name is unclear, but he was known as Vadhavoorar after
his birthplace. Manikkavasakar means man with words as precious as Manikam.
Literary work Thereafter Manikkavasakar moved from one
place to other, singing and composing devotional songs. Finally, he settled in
Chidambaram. His Tiruvasakam is placed near the idol of Shiva there.several
verses of tiruvasagam including the accho patikam after singing which he
attained mukti at thillai nataraja's feet are also engraved in the walls of
the chidambaram temple. The tiruchazhal hymn after singing which the communal
buddists were exposed is also engraved in one of the prakarams. The work
tiruchitrambalakkovaiyar was sung entirely in thillai chidambaram.
Throughout his work manikkavasagar discusses how important it is to forego
attachments and cultivate dispassionate, devoted, sincere and simple hearted love
to lord siva inorder to attain his beatitude and also that the fiveletters
of namasivaya alone give one mukti. Manikkavasakar's work has several parts.
The Tiruvembavai , a collection of twenty hymns in which he has imagined
himself as a woman following the Paavai Nonbu and praising Shiva. The twenty
songs of Tiruvembavai and ten songs of Tiruppalliezhuchi on the Tirupperunturai
Lord are sung all over Tamil Nadu in the holy month of Margazhi.
Manickavasagar is believed to have won intellectual arguments with Buddhists of
Ceylon at Chidambaram. His festival is celebrated in the Tamil month of Aani.
Manikkavasakar's hagiography is found in the Thiruvilaiyadar Puranam.
In 1921, an English translation of Manikkavacakar's hymns was done by
Francis Kingsbury and GE Phillips, both of United Theological College, Bangalore
and published in a book as Hymns of the Tamil Śaivite Saints, by the Oxford
University Press Associated temples
Manickavasagar visited various temples in Thanjavur, North Arcot, Chengalpattu,
Madras, Tirunelveli and Madurai districts and revered the deities.
Sculptures illustrating his life are found in the Minakshi-Sundaresvara
temple at Madurai. Manikkavasakar is said to have built the
temple of Siva in Tirupperunturai.♥ He is said to have lived at Chidambaram
Tamil Nadu. He is closely associated with Tiru
Uthirakosamangai. Tiruvembavai is sung along with Andal's
Tiruppavai widely across the temples in Tamil Nadu during the Tamil month of
Margazhi. Notes
References B.S., Chandrababu; S., Ganeshram; C.,
Bhavani. History of People and Their Environs. Bharathi Puthakalayam. ISBN
9789380325910. Dallapiccola, Anna. Dictionary of Hindu
Lore and Legend. ISBN 0-500-51088-1. iraj.blogspot.in/2014_06_01_archive.html