In the second half of the song, kaitthala niRai kani, that Arunagirinathar describes some three stories is what we saw in the previous part. Let us look at them.
Story 1:
mutthamizh adaivinai muRpadu girithanil muRpada ezhuthiya mudhalvOnE
முத்தமிழ் அடைவினை முற்படு கிரிதனில் முற்பட எழுதிய முதல்வோனே
Iyal, Isai and Naatakam are termed as mutthamizh – the three elements of Tamil.
Iyal – literature without musical elements (prose).
Isai – literature with musical elements like paN, rAgam, tAlam etc (poem).
Naatakam – literature with dance elements like abhinayam, jathi etc (drama).
Every language has these elements and there are certain rules for creating them. That is called the grammar. Lord Vinayaka was the first one (muRpada ezhuthiya mudhalvan) to write these rules (adaivu) for the three elements of Tamil (mutthamizh) in the Meru mountain. Meru mountain is the most ancient mountain and hence Arunagirinathar calls it as muRpadu giri (foremost mountain). Tamil is an ancient language. Arunagirinathar calls it as Mundhu Thamizh in one of his Tiruchendur Thiruppugazh. It is interesting to note that the grammar for an ancient language Tamil is written by the first and foremost deity Vinayaka on the ancient mountain Meru!
Similar to this, Arunagirinathar describes another event of Lord Vinayaka writing Mahabharata for Sage Veda Vyasa. Veda Vyasa wanted a scribe who could write the content dictated by him at the speed same as the dictation, understanding the meaning. He approached Lord Shiva for getting a scribe. Lord Shiva asked Vinayaka to accompany Sage Vyasa and help him out. Vinayaka accepted the condition and went with the sage to Meru mountain. He also posted a condition that if the sage could not cope up with the writing speed and is unable to deliver the content for writing, then he will stop and come back to Kailasa. Vyasa agreed and both of them went and started the work. Vinayaka started writing the verses as Vyasa dictated. At times when Vyasa couldn’t get a sloka, he will give some word puzzles to be solved in order to keep Vinayaka engaged. Time went on and both of them worked harder and harder. Suddenly the tip of the pen with which Vinayaka was writing broke. Fearing that Vyasa may over take his speed, he broke one of his tusk and started writing with it. Thus came the great epic Mahabharata to this world.
Arunagirinathar describes this incident in a common Thiruppugazh – guhaiyil nava naatharum as follows:
பகைகொள் துரியோதனன் பிறந்து
படைபொருத பாரதம் தெரிந்து
பரியதொரு கோடு கொண்டு சண்ட வரைமீதே
பழுதற வியாசன் அன்று இயம்ப
எழுதிய விநாயகன் சிவந்த
பவள மத யானை
pagaikoL dhuriyOthanan piRandhu
padaiporutha bhAratham therindhu
pariyathoru kOdu koNdu saNda varaimeethE
pazhuthaRa viyAsan anRu iyamba
ezhuthiya vinAyakan sivandha
pavaLa madha yAnai
Meaning: Duryodhana, enmity personified, was born to wage the Kurukshetra war with his huge army. Knowing this story of MahAbhArathA, Vinayaka whose complexion is red as a coral and form is of a raging elephant, scribed it, sitting on top of the great mountain – mEru with one of His tusks as Sage VyAsa narrated flawlessly.
In another song orupathum irupathum, sung at Srisailam, Arunagirinathar describes this as pazhamozhi ezhuthiya gaNapathy (பழமொழி எழுதிய கணபதி) – gaNapathy who wrote the ancient text, MahAbhAratham. Vinayaka puranam states that he wrote the epic for Vyasa in Kailash. Some scriptures says that it was written on Meru mountain.
Story 2:
Muppuram yeri seitha achchivan uRai ratham acchathu podi seitha athi dheerA
முப்புரம் எரிசெய்த அச்சிவன் உறை ரதம் அச்சது பொடிசெய்த அதிதீரா
Muppuram is also called as Tiripuram. TArakAkshan, KamalAkshan and VidyunmAli were three asuras who did tapas and got a boon from Brahma that they want to rule the entire universe and want three fortresses made out of Gold, Silver and Iron that could fly anywhere. Also they got a boon that they could be killed by a single arrow at one particular instant when all the three fortresses come in a straight line.
Having got this boon, they flew over the sky, attacking the Kingdom of Indra (svarga), landed on the Earth, there by causing hindrance to the living beings and went deep inside the under world and affecting the inhabitants there and so on. This persisted for a long time. Devas pleaded with Lord Shiva for a solution. Lord Shiva took the form of a warrior and marched to wage a war against the TripurAsurAs.
Earth became his chariot, Surya and Chandra became the wheels, The four Vedas became the horses to pull the chariot, Brahma became the charioteer. Mount Meru was made as the bow. An important item in this Tripura Samharam is the single arrow. It should be so powerful that it strikes all the three fortresses in a single attempt. So, Vayu became the rear part of the arrow to move it at a quick pace. Lord Vishnu became the central part (stem) of the arrow. Agni became the tip of the arrow so that Tripura can be burnt easily.
With all these arrangements in place, Lord Shiva climbed up the chariot. Suddenly there was some cracking sound. He saw that the pivot holding the chariot wheel was broken into tiny pieces; in fact, the pivot had been powdered. If it is broken, we can mend it. But since it is powdered, it is beyond the scope of mending.
The chariot struggled to stand upright. Immediately Lord Vishnu attained the form of a bull and supported Lord Shiva on his back. Amongst different types of Rishaba vahanams for Shiva, one type is called as mAl vidai (மால் விடை) – mAl stands for Vishnu, vidai is bull. Arunagirinathar refers to Lord Shiva on mAl vidai as kuzhaloodhum kaiyan misai yERu umban (குழலூதும் கையன் மிசை ஏறு உம்பன்) [The dEva (umban) mounted (yERu) on (misai) Lord Krishna who plays the flute (kuzhaloodhum kaiyan)] in Kollimalai Thiruppugazh (thollai mudhal naal).
In another song mAlinAl sung at Vaidheeswaran Kovil, Arunagirinathar refers to this as – kAmabANa mattu anantha kOti mAdharai puNarndha kaaLai yERu kartthan (காமபாண மட்டு அநந்தகோடி மாதரைப் புணர்ந்த காளை ஏறு கர்த்தன்). [Lord Krishna, to save the 16100 women who were held in captivation by Narakasura, married all of them. So he is referred as the one who was struck by Cupid’s arrow (kAma bANa mattu) and married the women (anantha kOti maadharai puNarndha). Upon Krishna who became the bull (kALai), mounted (yERu) Lord Shiva who is the doer (karthan) of all actions]
Why did all these happen? It is because Lord Vinayaka was not worshipped before starting this mission. Lord Shiva realised this and restarted this mission after paying obeisance to Lord Vinayaka. Then happened the Tripura Samharam. We will see detailed write up later sometime.
This incident happened at a place called Accharapakkam, Chengalpat district, Tamil Nadu. It’s actual name is Acchirupakkam (அச்சிறுபாக்கம் – Acchu – pivot, iru – irutthal – broken, pakkam – place with tank and water bodies).
Story – 3:
atthuyar athu kodu subbiramaNi padum appunam athanidai ibamAgi akkuRamagaLudan acchiru muruganai akkaNam maNamaruL perumALE
அத்துயர் அதுகொடு சுப்பிரமணி படும் அப்புனம் அதனிடை இபமாகி
அக்குறமகளுடன் அச்சிறு முருகனை அக்கணம் மணமருள் பெருமாளே
Lord Muruga after defeating Soorapadma in the battle, wanted to take rest in some place shedding all the anger. He chose a hill surrounded by cool water bodies where senkazhuneer (waterlilies) bloomed. That place came to be known as TiruttaNi. ThaNidhal is being in a calm state. ThaNikAchalam, ShAnthAdhri, kallAragiri are few names of this abode.
Sage NAradA came to TiruttaNi and informed Muruga about a nearby place called vaLLimalai where lives a beautiful girl VaLLi – the foster daughter of NambirAjan, the hunter chief.
Arunagirinathar mentions TiruttaNi and vaLLimalai are very close and the distance between them is 25 miles and they are separated by just a field. In the song vadana sarOruha – pathi kAdham kAdharai onRum oorum vayalum orE idai (பதி காதம் காதரை ஒன்றும் ஊரும் வயலும் ஒரே இடை)
KAdham – 10 miles
KAdham kAdha arai – 10+10+(10/2) = 25 miles.
NAradA telling about vaLLi is also being mentioned in the Thiruppugazh – yEvinai nEr vizhi (Tiruchendur) as – nAvalar pAdiya nool isaiyAl varu nAradanAr pugal kuRa mAdhai nAdiyE kAnidai koodiya sEvaga (நாவலர் பாடிய நூலிசையால் வரு நாரதனார் புகல் குறமாதை நாடியே கானிடை கூடிய சேவக)
[The brave warrior (sEvaka) who went in search (nAdiyE) of tribal girl (kuRa mAdhai) in the forest (kAnidai) and married her (koodiya) upon listening to the words (pugal) of Sage NAradA (nAradanAr) who is praised by poets (nAvalar pAdiya) in their works (nool isaiyAl varu)]In another song thOlodu moodiya (Tiruchendur), this incident is sung as below:
seelam ulAviya nAradar vandhutru
eedhavaL vAzhpunamAm ena mundhith
thEmozhi pALitha kOmaLa inba giri thOyvAy
சீலம் உலாவிய நாரதர் வந்துற்று
ஈதவள் வாழ் புனமாம் என முந்தித்
தேமொழி பாளித கோமள இன்பக் கிரிதோய்வாய்
[Sage NAradA, known for his greatness, came to you (Muruga) and told you about the millet field where VaLLi was living. You then rushed over there to see the sweet tongued VaLLi and embraced her beautiful and huge bosom, fragrant with the aroma of camphor.]To meet VaLLi and receive her nod to get married, Muruga went to VaLLi malai and entered the millet field where she was protecting the crops from the birds. She was seated on a raised platform called as paran or idhaN, having a catapult and stones to be thrown on birds coming to eat the crops. Muruga went there disguised as a hunter, Vengai tree (வேங்கை மரம்) and as an old man. The old man asked VaLLi for some food and then some water. When she gave water, he persuaded her to marry him. When she refused, Murugan called his elder brother Vinayaka to come as an elephant in front of VaLLi. Vinayaka took a form of huge wild elephant and threatened VaLLi. VaLLi requested the old man to save her from the elephant, for which he told that he will save only if she agrees to marry him. With no other option, VaLLi agreed to marry and the elephant went off. When she tried to look for the old man by her side, Muruga revealed his original form and blessed her and told her who she was in her previous birth and how she came to this hill and so on.
Please note that a short version of the Valli Kalyanam is being written here in order to focus only on the role of Vinayaka. We may see the exclusive Valli Kalyanam episode later.
Another song thath dhanamum (தத் தனமும்) describes this episode of Vinayaka coming as an elephant in front of Valli and helping out Murugan to marry her.
அத்திமுகவன் அழகுற்ற பெழை வயிறன் அப்பம் அவரை பொரி அவல் தேனும்
அப்பி அமுதுசெயு மொய்ப்பன் உதவ அடவிக்குள் மறமகளை அணைவோனே
aththi mugavan azhagutra pezhai vayiRan appam avarai pori aval thEnum
appi amudhu seyu moyppan udhava adavikkuL maRamagaLai aNaivOnE
[The strong (moyppan) Vinayaka who is elephant faced (atthi mugavan), beautiful (azhagutra) and has a huge belly (pezhai vayiRan), consumes (appi amudhu seyu) appam, lentils (avarai), puffed rice (pori), rice flakes (aval), honey (thEn) helped (udhava) Murugan to marry (aNaivOnE) VaLLi (maRamagaL) in the forest (adavikkuL)]With Vinayaka’s effort, Lord Muruga married VaLLi.
These are the three stories described in this song on Lord Vinayaka. Let us see more such stories in the coming issues.
