15  Arunakiri, The Great Magician

Aruṇakiri¹ is the essence and condensation of a type: probably the greatest language-tamer among Tamil poets, certainly one of the greatest formalists in Tamil literature. And that is also why some scholars would say of him and his work: “As religion and as poetry his verses are not much … (they show) a revelling in the erotic element first and then a religious reaction against it other works are mere word-jugglery for the lover of literature”.²

¹ The name Aruṇakiri or Aruṇakirinātar means “(The lord of) the Aruṇahill (of the fiery hill, or, mountain of light)”, i.e. of Aruṇācalam. The poet was born in Tiruvaṇṇāmalai, under the Aruṇācalam mountain; much later, in our century, the place became the site of the āśvam founded by Sri Ramaṇa Mahāṛṣi.

² C. and H. Jesudasan, op. cit. pp. 212-213.

Why this judgement? Because this wizard of language and rhythm has indeed reached the dangerous brink between true poetry and mere formalistic skill. Some of his lines are indeed clever, sophisticated, expert bijoutry. But most of his poems are brilliant jewels, glittering and glowing with emeralds, rubies, amethysts and carbuncles, with gold and pearls.

At the same time, Aruṇakiri is the sum and substance of that type of Tamil poets who have achieved a complete and harmonious integration of two cultures: Sanskritic and Tamil. In this type, there is a total penetration of the Tamil structure by the Sanskrit structure, and the result is a happy and immensely rich blend. In Aruṇakiri, it is an ambrosial amalgam above all in the expressionside of his poetry, in language and prosody. Even in stanzas which are very heavily Sanskritized,³ the final effect is marvellous, e.g.

³ Considered to be a grave sin by some critics: “His poetry is heavily packed with Sanskrit words”. C. and H. Jesudasan, op. cit. p. 212.

      ēltalampukal kāvēriyāl vilai
      cola manṭala mītē manōkara
      rāca kempira nāṭāļum nāyaka
      vayalūrā

      “O lord of the fields,
      o prince who rules
      above the vast and charming kingdom,
      the Cholamandalam, fertile by Kāvēri
      famous for its seven shrines

Here, the ratio is about 60% of Tamil words to 40% of Sanskrit. But in the next stanza

      tipa mankala cōti namōnama
      tuya ampala līlā namōnama
      tēva kuňcara pākā namōnama
      arultārāy

there is less than 30% of Tamil items and more than 70% of Sanskrit loanwords. Observe the cantam, the rhythmic pattern:

tána tánana tánā tanánana;

this is maintained throughout the stanza, ending with tánanāná: arultārāy.

Two of the four main properties of Aruṇakiri’s songs are revealed in this stanza: immensely rich vocabulary⁴ having as its source the treasures of Tamil as well as of Sanskrit;⁵ and cantam or regular rhythmic pattern.

⁴ “Words, marshalled with rhymes and alliterations interspersed, break from him in a deluge.” C. and H. Jesudasan, op. cit. p. 212.

⁵ In a sense, Aruṇakiri’s god is also a happy blend of the two cultures, and his two wives symbolize this fact: Teyvayānai, the daughter of Indra, stands for Sanskrit, Vaḷḷi for Tamil. Murukaṉ himself has been always considered the prince of poets, cf. Kumarakuruparar’s invocation: “O Prince Bard of Caṅkam literature!”

⁶ The poets noted for skillful use of cantam were, after Tirumālicai Āḻvār (8th Cent.) who has probably been the one most responsible for its introduction into Tamil prosody (in his Tiruccantaviruttam): Tirumaṅkai Āḻvār, Paṭṭiṉattar the Elder, Nampiyāṇṭār Nampi, Cayankoṇṭār, Oṭṭakkūttaṉ, Villi, and, of course, Aruṇakiri.

⁷ A poem in cantam has, in addition to other formal properties (prosodic pattern, toṭai, i.e. “rhymes”, alliteration, assonance etc.), a rigidly set rhythmic pattern in terms of syllabic quantity. E.g. in Tiruppukaḻ 418: tirumakalulāvum | irupuyamurāri | tirumurukanāma | perumāļ kāņ; the cantam is tána tána tánā’na | tána tána tánā’na | tána tána tánā’na | tána tā’nā, i.e. — 00/000000/0-00000/00000.00

The term and notion of cantam needs somewhat detailed discussion. Historically, it means an assault of Sanskritic, mātrā-type and syllabic-based (“syllabic” in our Western sense) metrics on the indigenous metrical system of Tamil which was not syllabic, but acai-based (cf. the beginning of Chapter 5). cantam is a rigidly set pattern of rhythm, based on syllabic quantity. The beginnings of its influence in Tamil prosody are naturally connected with the adoption of fixed melody-types (pan) for poetry which is identified with (devotional) singing. Poetry as (devotional) song set to a fixed melody evolved in Saiva and Vaiṣṇava bhakti texts, and hence also the first poets who employed, on the Sanskritic models, quantitative prosody of the cantam (chandas) type, were Campantar and Tirumālicai Āḻvār, two early Saiva and Vaiṣṇava bhaktas.⁶ The influence of cantam grew steadily until it reached its peak in the poems of Aruṇakiri.⁷ This is part of the process whereby the connection between poetry and music becomes closer and closer, more and more intimate, until the kīrttanai is born-a form in which music is as indispensable as the text itself. And Aruṇakiri’s Tiruppukaḻ, singing the ‘praise of the Lord’, is one of the basic foundations of kīrttaṉai; only it has no refrain yet, no pallavi (like kīrttaṉai).

In thought-content and themes, Aruṇakiri is one of the peaks in a particular line of bhakti poets; another poet of the same line-yet different because deeper, because more of a thinker and mystic than Aruṇakiri, and less of a poet, yet basically belonging to the same type Tayumāṇavar (1706-1744), admired and loved Aruṇakiri, and praised him more than once, e.g.

      aiyā aruṇakiri appā unaippōla
      meyyāka ōr col viļampinar yār

“O sir, Aruṇakiri, friend, who ever uttered such true words as you?” And elsewhere he speaks about him as maturam poliyum aruṇakiri, “Aruṇakiri, who pours forth sweetness”.

Typical is also the legend of the poet’s life; it is a characteristically late bhakti legend. The hero leads a wretched life. Without his personal merit, and so to say in the last moment, God in his mercy intervenes, turning the scoundrel into a saint, into a bhakta and into a poet. And once more the deity is localized in a particular South Indian shrine, under the Aruṇācalam mountain.

Aruṇakiri was born in Tiruvaṇṇāmalai and spent his young years as a rioter, good-for-nothing brawler, drunkard and unbridled seducer of women. Everyone despaired of him. The most unhappy of all was his sister, who was the only one that kept a place for him in her heart, when all others turned their back on him because with progressing years his lack of self-control and his daring increased.

The poet describes in vivid colours this stage of his life, speaking about his kāmukan akappaṭṭa ācai, “the passions of a lewd man”, about his vilaimātar kaṇivāyil kanṇalivu vaitta putti “blind mind guided only by the senses inflamed by harlots”.

After having ruined his health⁸ and reputation and having become a real menace to society, he one day tried to commit suicide, disgusted with life and with himself, and unable to bear the pains of his ruined body. He threw himself into the abyss from the northern tower of the famous Tiruvaṇṇāmalai temple to end his wretched life.

⁸ According to one version, he suffered from a stomach (or duodenal) ulcer; according to another version, from a venereal disease.

However he did not shatter his limbs by the terrible fall, but landed softly in the arms of a holy man who just at that moment appeared unexpectedly at the bottom of the gopura and who was none else but the god Murukaṉ himself. After having thus saved Aruṇakiri’s life he expelled from his heart the threefold craving— mannācai ponnācai peṇṇācai—the desire for earth, gold and women, he touched with the point of his spear Aruṇakiri’s tongue and exclaimed: nī pāṭuka! Sing! Naturally, Aruṇakiri was in no mood to sing, not to mention the fact that he did not know how or what to sing. And so Lord Murukaṉ himself sang the first verse beginning with the words muttaitaru pattittirunakai kurupara “O my guru … with the lovely smile of your pearl-like teeth!”

The next moment Aruṇakiri was a new person. Even the physical signs of his deterioration vanished from his depraved face and body, and Aruṇakiri, young, handsome and pure, burst into streams of beautiful songs, which amazed the crowds, led by his sister.

From that day Aruṇakiri became the most ardent devotee of Murukaṉ, wandering from temple to temple throughout Tamilnad, praising life and God in verses which have no like in Tamil literature.

Thus far the legend.

About the real Aruṇakiri we know very little. He himself mentions a ruler by name of Praudhadevaraya, who probably is no else than the noted Deva Raya II, the Vijayanagara king known as Gajabēṭe- kara “Hunter of elephants”. He was a great patron of poets and a great builder, reigning from 1426 till 1446. On the other hand, a Sanskrit poet, Rajendra Kavi, who lived in the 15th Cent., speaks of a Sarvabhauma Dindima Kavi as of his father, and there is some reason to identify this kavi with Aruṇakiri.

Aruṇakiri left behind a huge poetic work: 1367 stanzas of Tirup- pukaḻ, praises of Murukaṉ, the eternally young, the handsome lover and warrior, symbol of youth and strength, victory, of movement and change in life and nature, the patron of poets and god of travellers. Apart form Tiruppukaḻ, Aruṇakiri is the author of many hundreds of other poems, forming several large collections (the chief among them being Kantaralankāram of 102 stanzas and Kantaranupūti of 51 stanzas), imbued with tremendous knowledge of mythology and legends, and characterized by perfection of form and sovereign command of diction and prosody.

A South Indian wood-carving from Tamilnad. Property of the author.

The work of Aruṇakiri may be described as religious, lyrical hymnody, interwoven with Saiva Siddhānta philosophic doctrines, and fed profusedly by Aryan and indigenous mythology. At the same time, however, his poetry has a vitality gushing from the poet’s own inner experience; the poet’s all-embracing and glowing love for all aspects of life, from the beauty of a pearl or an emerald through flowers, birds, beasts to men-especially women-and ultimately for God.

Several streams converge and merge in his work: the hymnic tradition of Saiva and Vaiṣṇava bhakti, the reflective stream of Śaiva Siddhānta philosophy, the ancient inheritance of bardic poetry, both puṟam and akam, the vast resources of Aryan mythology, the deep wells of indigenous Tamil myths and legends connected with the cult of Murukaṉ, and, last but not least, his own shattering life-experience.

There are basically poems of three types in Aruṇakiri’s work: lyrical poetry of personal experience with rich autobiographical material, reflective lyrical poetry with elements of philosophy, and straightforward hymns praising Lord Murukaṉ.

If we apply the scheme of the segments S₁₂O₁₂ we see that all these segments are usually present, but the segments S₂O₂ are predominant. As an illustration, here is Tiruppukaḻ 200. The first portion comprises segments (S₁)S₂:

      “I was ensnared and smitten with love
      of maids whose tresses are fragrant night,
      I was attached to mountain-like breasts
      of women arousing lust,
      fed by desirous lips
      of females skilled in Madana’s tricks!”

Next comes the segment O₁:

      “But you have never forgotten
      your friendship,
      you have not left me alone
      enmeshed in desire,
      you have endured my sins
      and you gave your grace
      to live in the shade of your sacred feet
      and grasp your eternal bliss!”

And, finally, O₂ which is quite developed:

      “O Guha, master of Śiva,
      lover of Vaḷḷi, your bride!
      You dwell in Tiruvēṟakam
      on Kāviri’s northern shores
      with fully-grown shady groves,
      sweet child of Umai, Gaņeṣa’s brother,
      great hero, destroyer of demoniac pride!”

O₂ is of course based on both Sanskritic and Tamil mythology: Guha is Aryan–but the lover of Vaḷḷi is Tamil; child of Umai, brother of Gaṇeṣa, destroyer of the demons is probably Sanskritic; but he who lives in Tiruvēṟakam on the shores of Kāviri is indigenous.

      “Those women
      with swaying breasts
      lovely red hands
      filled with bangles
      as they jingle
      with dark cloud-like tresses
      where bees sing
      and soft beseeching words like the kuyil
      lovely as the five-coloured parrots
      their voices honey
              fish-like eyes
              vieing
              warm with fear
      their forehead a crescent moon
      By them I was lured
      in their magical ways
      into this sea of birth
      Your slave am I
      Help me reach the shore
      of your brave noble feet
      Conquer and bless me”.

      —
      (Tiruppukal ii, 26)
      (Transl. S. Kokilam)

This motive appears again and again: Aruṇakiri, the sinner and Aruṇakiri, the saint; temptation and redemption. Though the material and the form are very much alike, yet no two stanzas repeat themselves in a dull and uninteresting manner.

      “Two tusks of black elephants
      are those mountainous breasts
      sparkling with gold chains
      Lovely forehead
      lovelier than the crescent moon
      Are they sharp spears
      those beautiful eyes?
      Like the dark nightfall
      their tresses flow
      They come these women
      who trade for wealth
      with sweet words
      with soft caresses
      These lewd women lured me
      into their homes
      into a life filled with karma
      This wasted sinner
      Give me the strength
      to reach your noble feet
      Give me the joy of enlightenment”.

      —
      (Transl. S. Kokilam)

In the second type of Aruṇakiri’s poetry-the philosophical stanzas with no autobiographical material—the segments (O₁) O2 are usually the only segments present. As an illustration, a perfectly beautiful quatrain form Kantaraṇupūti (51) may be quoted. First the music of the original:

      uruvāy aruvāy ulatāy ilatāy
      maruvāy malaray maṇiyāy oļiyāyk
      karuvāy uyirāy katiyāy vitiyāyk
      kuruvay varuvāy aruļvāy kukanē

      “You who have form and who are formless,
      you who are both being and non-being,
      who are the fragrance and the blossom,
      who are the jewel and its lustre,
      who are the seed of life and life itself,
      who are the mode and act of existence,
      who are supreme guru, come
      and bestow your grace, o Guha”.

I suggest that this stanza is no “word-jugglery” but perfection itself as far as philosophic poetry goes—both in thought-content and in form: a whole philosophy is expressed in three lines of poetry which sounds like music. This is Aruṇakiri’s real greatness: he has reached extreme limits in his masterly use of the phonaesthetic qualities of Tamil, and such stanzas are therefore untranslatable.

I mentioned two properties of his poetry: his exceptionally copious vocabulary, and the use of cantam; the other two properties are his supreme skill in vanṇam or ‘colour of sounds’, and in the ōcai or ‘basic tone and rhythmic flow’ of his stanzas.

vaṇṇam (Skt. varṇa) is the prevalent phonaesthetic quality of a stanza, determined by the quantitative relations and structural positions of vocoid and contoid phonemes. Aruṇakiri is famous for this feature of his poems. The stanza from Kantaranupūti which was just quoted is an instance of a prevalent iṭaiyina vaṇṇam or “sonant, liquid colour” (prevalence of y,r,l, v, 1, 1). The stanza is, however, carefully patterned from the point of its thought-content, too the basic principle being that of positive: negative pairs and pairs of actor: action or result.

uru(vu) “form”: aru(vu) “formlessness” ulatu “existence”: ilatu “non-existence” malar “blossom”: maru “fragrance” maṇi “jewel”: oḷi “lustre” karu “seed” uyir “life” kati “mode”: viti “act”

Some of his poems are a blend of reflection and prayer, like the following one (Tiruppukal VI.186):

      “We need clothes
      to dress
      Rich drink to quench our thirst
      To be resplendent lovely attire
      water and perfumes
      To cure ills medicine
      A young wife for a home
      A cottage to rest
      as protector of kith and kin
      Life passes by
      as it withers aimless
              So
      be merciful to me
      Give me the knowledge
      of realization
      Redeem me from this karma
      the swirling mountain of life
      Will there come a day
      when you will reach this slave?”

      —
      (Transl. S. Kokilam)

Finally, as an instance of the pure prayers, praises, hymns addressed to Murukaṉ, we have chosen one in which Aruṇakiri the bhakta points to himself as a maid of the Lord (Tiruppukal V.69):

      “Lord with the spear
      worshipped by
      the spouse
      the mountain kings’ daughter
      the spouse of the daughter of learning
      the spouse of the daughter of wealth
      You
      with the deer of the millet fields
      with the deer of the heavenly groves
      in love embraced
      in your merciful arms
      Rescue
      this daughter of the earth
      where great poets stray
      with your golden-rayed spear
      residing on the hills of Tiruttaṇi
      You redeem those lonely followers
      all day mounted
      on your beautiful peacock
      O pride of prides!
      Those bedecked women
      with luring words
      mingled with the sounds of horns
      and the call of black kuyils from the shore
      echo of the sea
      merged with waves of thoughts
      From the murderous arrows of Manmatan
      rescue this woman with creeper-like waist
      from being destroyed in sorrows
      You adorned with the kura flower
      grant me your garland of kaṭappa blossoms
      strung round your wide arms!”

      —
      (Transl. S. Kokilam)

When two great poets meet, we may expect a happy outcome. This is in fact the case of a stanza of Aruṇakiri, translated into English by Subrahmanya Bharati (1882-1921), and published in his Agni and Other Poems:

      “Like a child unto the barren womb,
      Like a mine of new-found treasures,
      Like a floor of diamonds,
      so be my songs.

      Like the wilful embrace of Love’s soft bosom,
      Like a string of the purest gems,
      Like a garden of fragrant blossoms,
      Like the river that descends from heaven,
      even so be my songs.
      Like the daughter of the ocean,

      Like eyes unto poets,
      Like a stream full to the brim easy to drink of,
      Like the vase of the nectar of Thy beauty,
      So be my wondrous songs of love,
      by Thy grace, o Lord”.

Lastly, there is one more feature of Aruṇakiri’s poetry that should be mentioned: his conception of Murukaṉ. True to the ancient, almost pre-historic tradition, Murukaṉ and Tamil are one for Aruṇakiri. Murukaṉ, the “lion who presides over the famous bards of powerful speech” (Tirumurukārṛuppaṭai), is the supreme patron of poetry, and the god of the Tamil language.

      “The bridegroom of Vaḷḷi
      with tresses adorned with garlands
      is ready to foster
      even those who curse and abusein
      threefold Tamil!”

And, elsewhere, Aruṇakiri cries out, full of rapture, in verses in which Tamil and Sanskrit blend in resonant music:

      muttamil vitva
      vinōtā! kītā!
      marravar oppilā
      rūpā! tīpā!

      “O beauty, o wisdom of three-fold Tamil!
      O song!
      Incomparable, unique Form !
      O light!”