Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

The era of the Tamil Saiva Saints Thirunaavukkarasu Naayanaar and
Thirugnanasampantha Naayanaar


Among the sixty three (63) - Tamil Saiva Saints (Thiruththondar) of the
pre-medieval and medieval period Tamil Nadu, the Saint Thirunaavukkarasu
Naayanaar, the Saint Thirugnanasampantha Naayanaar, and the Saint
Suntharamoorththy Naayanaar are the three principal Saints- as gleaned
from the Tamil Saiva religious work "Periyapuraanam" (alsoknown
as the Thiruththondar Puraanam), composed by the sage/poetSeakkeelaar,

The above three along with the Maanikkavaasaha Swamihal are considered
as the four great Saints of "Tamil Saivaism" of that period.


Period of the Pallava king Mahendravarman - 1

Thirutchiraappalli (in Tamil Nadu) we are made aware that the Pallava
king Mahendravarman - 1 (A.D.575 - 630) (date as per "Pallankoil
Jaina Copper Plate Grant" by T.N Subramanian)who ruled the northern
region of the Tamil Nadu from his capital atKanchipuram, also bore the
title "Gunabaran" among his many othertitles. Also in an
Inscriptionat Kapotesvara temple at Chezarla in Guntur district
(Karnataka), thereis a reference that `Mahendravikrama Maharaja'
who bore the birudus"Gunabara" and "Avanibhajana" ruled
from Kanchi situated on the banksof the river Vegavathi'.

In the "Periyapuraanam"under the narration of the life and times
of Saint ThirunaavukkarasuNaayanaar, there is a reference that a Pallava
king of his period builta Shiva temple at "Thiruvathihai" and
named it as "Gunabara-eechcharam"(eechcharam = eswaram) after
his title "Gunabaran".

Hence it is very clear that the Saint Thirunaavukkarasu Naayanaar
livedduring the period of the Pallava king Mahendravarman - 1. It was
duringhis time the Saint Thirunaavukkarasu Naayanaar embraced Jainism
fromSaivaism, and later again re-embraced Saivaism. It was after this
eventthe Pallava king Mahendravarman - 1 greatly influenced by this
Saintalso embraced Saivaism from Jainism.


Period of the Pallava king Narasimhavarman - 1

Further from the Velurpaalayam Copper Plates from Tamil Nadu we are made
aware that the Pallava king Narasimhavarman - 1 (A.D.630 - 668) son of
Mahendravarman - 1 defeatedthe Western Chalukiya king Pulikesin - 2 at
Vaathaapi the (presentBadami in the Karnataka State), and planted
therein a pillar ofvictory.

A stone inscription ofNarasimhavarman - 1 found on a pillar closer to
Dakkina Eerappan Templeat the present Badhami of his 13th year
equivalent to Saka 565, whichconfirms his capture of Vathaapi in the
year (565 + 78) A.D.643, wasprobably that pillar of victory.

Under the narration of the life and times of Saint Siruthonder in the
same composition Periyapuranam,it is said that before he became a full
time devotee of God Siva, hewas an army commander (Anukkan) of a Pallava
king and bore the name"Paramjothi", and on whose behalf he went
on a war expedition toVaathaapi in the north (defeated the Western
Chalukiya king) andcaptured this ancient city.

Hence it is very clear from the above two references that it
wasParamjothi who led the war expedition to Vaathaapi on behalf of
thePallava king referred in the Periyapuraanam in the year A.D.643, was
noother than the king Narasimhavarman - 1 son of Mahendravarman - 1. .

Also again from the narration of the life and times of the Saint
Thirunaavukkarasu Naayanaar in the Periyapuranamwe note after he
re-embraced Saivaism, on an occasion met the TamilSaiva Saint
Siruthondar. This could have been only at a time after theVaathaapi have
been captured by Paramjothi in the year A.D.643, andsubsequent to which
he became a full time devotee of God Siva with hisnew name
"Siruthondar".

Thirugnanasampantha Naayanaar in the Periyapuranam,we note soon after
his "Upanayanam" (sacred thread ceremony),
performedtraditionally to mark the point at which the boys of that
period begantheir formal education at 5 years, he visited many sacred
Saivitereligious places in Tamil Nadu.

This list of 95 Saivite religious places he visted would have taken 2
-years (if we take very approximately, that it took 1 - week to
visiteach religious place in the days where there had been no faster
mode oftransport like the present days), and finally he came
toThirusengaattaankudi where he met the Saint Siruthondar. That
meansSaint Thirugnanasampantha Naayanaar would have been 7 years (5 +
2)when he met Saint Siruthondar.

But we also note from the Periyapuraanam thatimmediately after the
Vathapi war in A.D.643 Siruthondar became a fulltime devotee of God Siva
and also got married. At a time he met SaintThirugnanasampantha
Naayanaar, he already had a 5 - year old son whojust started his
elementary studies ("Upanayanam") as gleaned from Periyapuraanam).That
means it was in A.D.648 (643 + 5) Saint Siruthondar met
SaintThirugnanasampantha Naayanaar who was by that time 7 - years of
age.

Further from a collection of Thanippaadalhal(collection of individul
Poems), we find a poem (as seen below), states the life period of Saint
Thirugnanasampantha Nayanar was 16 years.

".....Apparukku enbaththon(dru) arul Vaathavoorarukku
seppiya naalettinil theiveekam - ippuviyil
Sundararkku moovaaru thon Gnanasampantharkku
antham pathinaaru ari......"

Periyapuraanam - by Seakkeelaar, Thiruppananthaal Sri Kaasi Madam, Sri
Vaikuntham, Tamil Nadu.

Hence we can conclude that Saint Thirugnanasampanthar was born in
A.D.641 (648 – 7) and demised in the year A.D.657 (641+16).

Further from the Periyapuranam underthe narration of the life and times
of Saint Thirugnanasampanthar wenote, after meeting Saint Siruthondar he
has visited 36 – Saivitereligious places before coming to Mathurai
to cure the Pandiyan kingSeer Nedumaran from his "Veppu Noi"
(stomach ailment from heat) and his"hunched back"(due to an
illness), and to re-convert him back toSaivaism from Jainism at the
request of his queen Mangaiyarkkarasiyarand the chief minister
Kulasiraiyaar.

This visit would have taken three quarter of an year - say one
yearapproximately - after he leaving Saint Siruthondar (if we take
veryapproximately, that it took 1 - week to visit each religious place
)which would have been in the year A.D.649 (648 + 1). Immediately
afterthese events he was met by the Saint Thirunaavukkarasar who also
vistedMathurai. That is the last we know of Saint Thirunaavukaraser in
thenarration of the life and times of Saint Thirugnsnasampanthar.

We also note from the narration of life and times of
SaintT