The Poet of Divine Utterance  - Ratna Ma Navaratnam

Manikkavachakar is acclaimed as one of the renowned poet, saint and sage. It is very difficult to disentangle his history from the multitude of legends in which it is involved. We have two major works Tiruvachakam and Tirukovaiyar ascribed to him, and believed to be genuine. From these, something of his character, history, and teaching may be gathered. When they are carefully studied, we see the real man, the poet of divine utterance and the scribe of eternal love.

Few of the world’s biographies are more interesting than that of this man of rare genius who, in his early life, when he was the chief minister of the great Pandya King, met with, and was consecrated by a Guru, whom he then and always believed to be Lord Siva. He became at once an utterly self-renouncing, ascetic saiva mendicant,patient in suffering, and constant in devotion, and ever singing the glory of the supreme Sat-Chit-Anandam.patient in suffering, and constant in devotion, and ever singing the glory of the supreme Sat-Chit-Anandam.

The poet perceived, realized, lived and communicated to man, the supreme experience that Sivam is the Parasivam, transcendent and immanent Reality, pervading the whole visible and invisible universe, and that His fivefold acts of creation, preservation, destruction, embodiment and gracious release are embodied in his ceaseless mystic dance at Tillai. In man’s sleep and at all times, his activity goes on. The heart-beat continues. Who regulates it, when all his other limbs are at rest? By the power of His immanence, He works through ‘Sakti’ or Grace, and moves into activity the listless limbs of man.

In the hearts of all men, Lord Siva has planted His lotus feet and energizes man to create, preserve, destroy, embody and release. This is known as the mystic Dance. As an external symbol of the human heart, Tillai signifies the center of the universe from where He performs His Cosmic Dance. He is thus the active force behind both the movement of the universe as well as of man, and this in essence is the message of St. Manikkavachakar.In the hearts of all men, Lord Siva has planted His lotus feet and energizes man to create, preserve, destroy, embody and release. This is known as the mystic Dance. As an external symbol of the human heart, Tillai signifies the center of the universe from where He performs His Cosmic Dance. He is thus the active force behind both the movement of the universe as well as of man, and this in essence is the message of St. Manikkavachakar.

When Manikkavachakar had taken his abode at Chidambaram in the evening of his life, contemplating on the resplendent form of the Lord of Tillai, the source of Being, pure Intelligence and Bliss ineffable, the devotees there discovered his manuscript of Tiruvachakam on the alcove of the Temple. They came in a body to the author of the poem and wanted him to explain the full import of his exquisite composition. Manikkavachakar took them to the inner sanctuary of the temple and pointed to the image of the Lord in the Holy of Holies and said that He was the Subject, nay the Essence of Tiruvachakam, and in the great awakening flame that arose from within, he mingled in oneness.

© "Tiruvachakam: The Hindu Testament of Love" by Ratna Ma Navaratnam, published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapati Munshi Marg, Mumbai 400 007. Reprinted with permission.

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