Wikialpha49: reworked layout and updated info for accuracy

2026-03-28T04:41:35Z

reworked layout and updated info for accuracy

Show changes

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2022-06-07T12:16:19Z

robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

Show changes

imported>Marcocapelle: removed parent category of Category:Tamil Hindu saints

2021-05-24T10:08:03Z

removed parent category of Category:Tamil Hindu saints

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
|name= Manickavasagar
|image= Manikkavacakar, India, Tamil Nadu, Chola period, 11th-12th century AD, bronze - Linden-Museum - Stuttgart, Germany - DSC03795.jpg
|caption = Manikkavacakar, [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] bronze, 12th century India, at the [[Linden Museum]], [[Stuttgart]]
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
|birth_place= Tiruvadhavoor
|birth_name= Vaadhavoor Adigal
|philosophy= [[Shaivism]] [[Bhakti]]
|honors= [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] saint, Naalvar
|literary_works = ''[[Tiruvasakam]]'', ''[[Thirukkovaiyaar]]''
|footnotes=
}}
'''Manikkavacakar''', or '''Maanikkavaasagar''', was a 9th-century [[Tamil language|Tamil]] poet who wrote ''[[Tiruvasakam]]'', a book of [[Shaiva]] hymns. He was one of the main authors of Saivite Tirumurai, his work forms volume eight of the [[Tirumurai]], the key religious text of [[Tamil language]] [[Shaiva Siddhanta]]. A minister to the [[Pandya]] king [[Varagunavarman II]] (c. 862 CE–885 CE) (also called Arimarthana Pandiyan), he lived in [[Madurai]]. His work is a poetic expression of the joy of God-experience, the anguish of being separated from God. Although he is a prominent saint in Southern India, he is not counted among the sixty-three ''[[nayanars]]''.

==Life==
[[File:Manikkavachakar.jpg|thumb|Manikkavachakar statue in tribhanga holding Palm leaf written "Om Namah Shivaya" in Tamizh script on it. Statue is in AP State Archeological Museum|left]]
{{Tirumurai}}
Manikkavacakar is said to have born in Vadhavoor (Thiruvadhavoor, near by Melur in [[Madurai]] district), seven miles from Madurai on the banks of [[Vaigai River|river Vaigai]]. He belonged to the ''Pandithar'' saivite temple priest guild. His father was a temple priest.<ref>[[Nayanars]]</ref> The group wore a top tilted knot "Purva Sikha" to denote servitorship to Lord Siva like sambandar, etc. A mural and statuette of Manikkavacakar with Purva Sikha head knot is seen in [[Tirupperunturai]] near Pudukkottai. A poetic and elaborate hagiography of Manikkavacakar and his works was written in the 16th century and is called ''Tiruvilayadal puranam'', meaning "An account of divine deeds". The same is not available now in its original form. Another called ''Vadhavoorar puranam'' and yet another [[Sanskrit]] work of the 12th century CE on the same saint is now missing.

According to accounts the king of Pandyan dynasty had selected Manikkavacakar as a part of his legion after seeing his military acumen and had once entrusted him with a large amount of money to purchase horses for his cavalry. On his way he met an ascetic devotee of Siva, who in fact was Siva himself. Manikkavacakar received enlightenment, realised that material things are transitory and built the temple of Shiva in [[Tirupperunturai]] with the money.<ref>[[#B.S.|B.S.]] 2011, p. 77</ref> King Varaguna also was preached with knowledge of reality and blessed with mukthi after Lord Shiva made him realize his small worldly mistake. Varaguana maharaja immediately gave up his throne and attained ''mukthi'' at the feet of Lord Shiva.

Manikkavacakar's birth name is unclear, but he was known as Vadhavoorar after his birthplace. ''Manikkavacakar'' means 'man with words as precious as [[Ruby|Manikam]]'.

According to [[Ramana Maharshi]], it is said that when Manikkavacakar attained mukthi, his body dissolved in a blinding light without leaving a corpse behind.<ref>Talks with Ramana Maharshi- chapter 215</ref>

==Literary work==
[[File:Manickavasagar.jpg|240px|thumb|Manickavackar (Wooden Image), [[Archaeological Survey of India|ASI]] Museum, Vellore]]
Thereafter Manikkavacakar moved from one place to other, singing and composing devotional songs. Finally, he settled in [[Chidambaram]]. His [[Tiruvasakam]] is placed near the murti of Shiva there. Several verses of Tiruvasagam including the accho patikam after singing which he attained [[Moksha|mukti]] at Thillai Natarajar's feet are also engraved in the walls of the [[Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram|chidambaram temple]]. The tiruchazhal hymn after singing which the communal Buddhists were exposed is also engraved in one of the prakarams. The work tiruchitrambalakkovaiyar was sung entirely in thillai chidambaram. Throughout his work he discusses how important it is to forego attachments and cultivate dispassionate, devoted, sincere and simple hearted love to lord Shiva in order to attain his beatitude and also that the five letters of ''na ma si va ya'' alone give one ''mukti''.

Manikkavacakar's work has several parts. The ''Tiruvembavai'', a collection of twenty hymns in which he has imagined himself as a woman following the '' Paavai Nonbu '' and praising Shiva. The twenty songs of ''Tiruvembavai'' and ten songs of '' Tiruppalliezhuchi '' on the Tirupperunturai Lord are sung all over Tamil Nadu in the holy month of '' [[Margazhi]] '' ( The 9th month of the Tamil calendar, December and January).

Manikkavacakar is believed to have won intellectual arguments with [[Buddhist]]s of [[Ceylon]] at Chidambaram.<ref>[[#B.S.|B.S.]] 2011, p. 162</ref> His festival is celebrated in the Tamil month of '' Aani '' (June - July). Manikkavacakar's hagiography is found in the ''Thiruvilaiyadar Puranam'' (16th century AD).

In 1921, an English translation of Manikkavacakar's hymns was done by Francis Kingsbury and GE Phillips, both of [[United Theological College, Bangalore]] (Edited by [[Fred Goodwill]]) and published in a book as Hymns of the Tamil Śaivite Saints, by the Oxford University Press <ref name=Saivite>{{cite book|last1=Kingsbury|first1=F|title=Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints (1921)|date=1921|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=84–127|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/guruguha/MusicResearchLibrary/Books-English/BkE-KingsburyF&PhillipsGE-Hymns-of-Tamil-Saivite-Saints-1921-0103.pdf|access-date=8 July 2014}}</ref>

==Associated temples==
Manikkavacagar visited various temples in Thanjavur, North Arcot, Chengalpattu, Madras, Tirunelveli and Madurai districts and revered the deities.<ref>[[#B.S.|B.S.]] 2011, p. 36</ref>
*Sculptures illustrating his life are found in the Minakshi-Sundaresvara temple at Madurai.<ref>{{cite book|last=R.K.K. |first=Rajarajan|title= Art of the Vijayanagara-Nayakas: Architecture and Iconography|publisher= Sharada Publications|location= Delhi|year= 2006}}</ref>
* Manikkavacakar is said to have built the temple of Siva in [[Tirupperunturai]].
* He is said to have lived at [[Chidambaram]] [[Tamil Nadu]].
* He is closely associated with [[Tiru Uthirakosamangai]].

''[[Tiruvembavai]]'' is sung along with Andal's ''[[Tiruppavai]]'' widely across the temples in Tamil Nadu during the Tamil month of ''[[Tamil calendar|Margazhi]]'' (December - January).<ref>[[#B.S.|B.S.]] 2011, p. 74</ref>

Manikkavackar's stone image is worshiped in almost all Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu. A [[Chola bronze]] of Manickkavackar with {{convert|57|cm|in|abbr=on}} in standing posture dated to about 12th century was found in [[Velankanni]] in [[Nagapattinam district]]. He is sported with one of his right hand in ''upadesa'' posture and left hand holding a palm leaf manuscript. He is sported wearing a thin loin cloth and sports sacred thread over his chest. Another bronze idol of Manickkavackar with a height of {{convert|64|cm|in|abbr=on}} in standing posture dated to about 1150 was found in Tirundalur in [[Nagapattinam district]]. Unlike other idols, in this idol he is sported with locks of hair encircled with beads of [[Rudraksha]]. The bronze images are stored in the Bronze gallery in [[Government Museum, Chennai]].<ref name=arch>{{cite report|title=An exhibition on Chola bronzes - 1000th anniversary of Thanjavur Big temple celebration|editor-last=T.S.|editor-first=Dr. Sridhar|url=https://www.tnarch.gov.in/Library%20BOOk%20PDF/Chola%20Bronzes.pdf|format=PDF|page=45|publisher=Department of Archaeology & Government Museum|location=Chennai|year=2011}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
<ref>http://kthillairaj.blogspot.in/2014_06_01_archive.html</ref>

==References==
* {{cite book|title=History of People and Their Environs|publisher=Bharathi Puthakalayam|first1=Chandrababu|last1=B.S.|first2=Ganeshram|last2=S.|first3=Bhavani|last3=C.|year=2011|isbn=9789380325910|ref=B.S.}}
*{{cite book|title= Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend|isbn= 0-500-51088-1|first= Anna|last= Dallapiccola|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofhind0000dall}}
==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bRYdz08jc&list=PLrDHFXR22SMFonGp1s-w6ASr2HEq3EzAF Thiruvempavai explanation meaning]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDuJ0HBFz74&list=PLrDHFXR22SMFh7srDqe7w4v2-jegOmZlT Thirupalliyezhuchi explanation meaning]
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Writers from Madurai]]
[[Category:Bhakti movement]]
[[Category:Carnatic music]]
[[Category:Tamil poets]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:9th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Poets from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil Hindu saints]]

Manikkavacakar - Revision history

Wikialpha49: reworked layout and updated info for accuracy

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

imported>Marcocapelle: removed parent category of Category:Tamil Hindu saints