11th Thirumurai. The 40 Prapanthams by 11 authors form the 11th Thirumurai. It begins with Thirumugapaasuram which was composed by Lord Siva Himself as Thiruvalavayudaiyar of Madurai and ended with Nambiandar nambigal’s Thirunavukkarasudevar Thiruyekathasamalai. The greatness of the 11th Thirumurai is having Lord Himself being the first author.
Pulavar (scholar) from the 3rd Sanggam period St Nakkirar, added another greatness to this by doing his work ‘Thirumurugatruppadai’ together with nine other works here. The great devotee, Karaikkal Ammaiyar has done 3 works. Aiyadigal Peruman, Cheraman Peruman, Kapila Devar, Kalladathevar, Pranathevar, Ilamperuman adigal, Athiravadigal, Pattinattu Pillaiyar and Nambiandar Nambigal are the rest of them where total of 40 Prabanthams are compiled.
These 40 prabandhams, are divided into 25 prabandhams about Lord Siva, 3 prabandhams on Lord Vinayagar, 1 prabandham on Lord Muraga and the rest of the 11 prabandhams explains the greatness of Lord Siva’s devotees who had attained the grace of Lord Siva. Out of these 11, 6 prabandhams are about St Nganasambanthar by Nambiandar Nambigal.
12th Thirumurai is Periya puranam or Thiruthondarpuranam; the greatest work of epic in the world of Saivism which hold a unique position. It is a large work which consist of 4286 verses or better known at “quatrains”. Its “payiram’ starts with; “ Ulagelam Unarthothar...”
It is a marvellous achievement in the field of Bakthi literature during Chola period. Sekkilar peruman who was also the King’s minister, had written this grand epic at the request of Kulothungga II. St Sundarar’s Thirutthondathogai was used as a guide by Nambiandar Nambigal to do his work Thiruthondar Thiruvanthati. Here Sekkilar peruman has done an elaborated work from the initial works of the saints.
Periya puranam narrates the story of sixty three saints who are better known as Nayanmargal. It starts with Thirumalai Sarukkam and ends with Vellanai Sarukkam; total 13 Sarukkams. ( Sarukkam means – Padalam or Kathai pirivu ). Periya puranam gives a clear picture of the live of the Saints who lived in all different parts of Tamil Nadu, who belongs to various class of society, men and women, high and low literate and illiterate. Most of the Saints have to pass through an ordeal where their devotion is put to severest test but everyone of them emerged out of it with victory through the grace of Lord Siva.
Nothing is impossible for the devotees; sacrifice all earthly possessions is nothing; sacrificing his wife, child, nor give the eyes. A deep faith and overflowing love which is above the capability of a normal human is potrayed well in all the verses of all the Saints and is also very well brought out in the lives of the Saint sung by Sekkilar.
In Periya puranam there are thirteen sub divisions called Sarukkam as follows:
1. Thirumalai Sarukkam
2. Thillaivaalanthana Sarukkam
3. Ilaimalintha Sarukkam
4. Mummaiyaal Ulagaanda Sarukkam
5. Thirunindra Sarukkam
6. Vambara Varivanda Sarukkam
7. Varkonda Vanamulaiyaal Sarukkam
8. Poiyadimai illatha pulavar Sarukkam
9. Karaikkandan Sarukkam
10.Kadal Sooltha Sarukkam
11.Pattharai panivai Sarukkam
12.Maniiyaseer Sarukkam
13.Vellanai Sarukkam
The study of the social, economic and religious pattern of life of the Tamils, as learned from Periyapuranam will enable the modern Tamilian where ever they are to see the greatness of the lifestyle that was shown to us in order for us to follow in this world.
The subject of Periyapuranam deals in poetic line where it explains the Nayanmars who moved far and wide in the Tamil land and in their daily encounter of person, they heard the real nature of the world with its joys and sorrows and participated in it fully.
It is to be noted that Periyapuranam is an anthology of esteemed old stories of sanctified persons whose mind, soul, speech, thought and action was fixed on truth, love and faith; pursued the four fundamental pathways of every true Saivite Sariyai, Kiriyai, Yoga and Njana – the paths of service in the physical and mental aspect, the path of synthesis leading to the life of wisdom and serenity.
Sekkilar peruman visited many places far and wide to see personally the places associated with the lives of the Nayanmars. It is said that this glorious work took a full year to complete and the exposition ( Aranggetram ) also took a full year; the King Kulothungga II was beside him with joy. This was a great event at the thousand pillared Raja Sabha of Lord Nataraja which turned Chidambaram into Kailash, the Sivalogam on earth.
Chola King Kulothungga II,It was during his rule, Sekkizhar was a poet and the chief minister
Kullottonga Chola II was a staunch devotee of Lord Ambalavanan at Chidambaram. He continued the reconstruction of the center of Tamil Saivism that was begun by his ancestors. However, Kullottonga II was also enchanted by the Jain epic, Jivaka Cintamani.
Jivaka Cintamani, is a royal epic that consisted of erotic flavor called Sringara Rasa. In the work, the hero of the epic is Jivaka who combines heroics and erotics to marry seven damsels and gains a kingdom. In the end he realises the impermanent of possessions and renounces his kingship and finally attains Nirvana by prolonged tapas or meditation.
In to order to divert Kullonttonga Chola II away from a work such as Jivaka Cintamani, Sekkizhar undertook the task of writing the Periyapuranam .The study of Jivaka Cintamani by Kullottonga Chola II, deeply affected Sekkizhar .
He persuaded the king to abandon the pursuit of impious erotic literature and turn instead to the life of the Saiva saints celebrated by Sundaramurti Nayanar and Nambi Andar Nambi. The king there upon invited Sekkizhar to expound the lives of the Saiva saints in a great poem. As a minister of the state Sekkizhar had access to the lives of the saints, visited the places of these saints and after he collected the data, he wrote the poem in the Thousand Pillared Hall of the Chidambaram temple
This work is considered the most important initiative of Kullottonga Chola II's reign Although, it is only a literary work elaborated of the Saiva saints composed by Sundarar and Nambiandar Nambi, it came to be seen as the establishment of high standards of the Chola culture, because of the highest order of the literary style ( Ilakkiyam)
Kullotongga Chola II was extremely impressed with Sekizhar’s work. It is said that this glorious work took a full year to complete and the exposition ( Aranggetram ) also took a full year; the King Kulothungga II was beside him with joy. This was a great event at the thousand pillared Raja Sabha of Lord Nataraja which turned Chidambaram into Kailash, the Sivalogam on earth.
The Periyapuranam is considered as a veritable fifth Veda in Tamil and immediately took its place as the twelfth and the last book in the Saiva canon. It is considered as one of the masterpieces of the Tamil literature and worthily commemorates the Golden age of the Cholas. So as Raja Raja Chola requested Nambiandar Nambigal’s work to be in 11th Thirumurai, based on the above fact possibilities of acknowledging Periya Puranam as the fifthe Veda and as the 12th Thirumurai by Raja Raja Chola’s successor Kulothungga Chola II seem to be a strong fact as well.
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