Arunagirinaathar was born in ThiruvaNNaamalai, being the son of a dEvadaasi. Since Arunagiri's mother had expired while he was child, he was raised by his sister, DharmaambaaL who had nursed and pampered him. She also had him married to a girl called 'Gnyaanam'. Due to his womanising behaviour and loose living, Arunagiri had lost all the property and his wife and sister were supporting the family. He also went down with leprosy. So they were living in abject poverty.
Arunagiri was a terrible womaniser. Even after his marriage, he was carrying on with gusto. Finally he lost all his wealth and also developed leprosy. Leprosy, in those days, was considered as a 'karma viyaadhi' - a disease which is caused by karma and a disease to suffer away the accrued karma.
But rankled with desires and disease, he could find no way to satiate his lust. No woman of even the loosest moral character would look at him, much less have intercourse with him. By that time, his sister and wife had sold even the smallest mite that was in their possession.
His sister advised him to take her to the public forum and sell her into slavery. She would fetch a good price which would be sufficient to allow a visit to a brothel.
At this suggestion, Arunagiri was aghast. It was because of his beastly and limitless sexual urge that his sister who was even more than his mother to him would be pushed into the very extreme of exasperation.
At last, he realised that his life had no more meaning and no more use. He could not battle with his urges until he died a slow death due to his disease.
He decided to kill himself. He climbed up the tower of ArunaachalEsvarar temple and jumped down.
At the nick of the moment, Murugan appeared in the form of a monk and bore him and saved him.
Arunagiri asked Murugan why he was saved and what he should do.
Murugan said, 'summayiru; sollaRa'. 'No words; keep quiet'.
Arunagiri sat in the temple and meditated upon the meaning of Murugan's words. What was that 'Quietitude' that Murugan advised? Was it merely being silent? Silent in what? Words? Thoughts? Cores of thoughts? A real silence could only be achieved when the thoughts are prevented from arising. Thoughts will arise as long as the mind is there. Annihilation of the mind! Yeas! Thats it. Annihilation of the mind. That would be silence and quietitude. That would make him attain a state of samaadhi.
Having found the means, Arunagiri sat there in samaadhi for twelve years.
At the end of that period, Murugan appeared and aroused him.
Murugan commanded Arunagiri to sing His Glory, Grace, Power, and Praise. 'thiruppugalzaip paadu; muthu muththaagap paadu'.
Immediately Arunagiri sang the first of his Thiruppugalz songs -
'muththaith tharu paththith thirunagai aththikkiRai saththich charavaNa
muththikkoru viththukkurupara enavOdhu'.
The song gushed forth in a torrent of divine inspiration, poesy, imagination, celestial rhythm, and great bauty and diction.
After singing that, Arunagiri went back again into meditation.
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