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{{Copy edit|date=April 2026}}{{Short description|12th century religious figure}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}

{{Infobox Hindu leader
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| image = Sekizhar1.jpg
| honors = ''Guru Puja'' in [[Vaisakha|Vaigasi]] (May-June)
| flourished = 1133–1150 CE
| birth_place = [[Kundrathur]],<br/>[[Tondaimandalam|Jayankonda Cholamandalam]], [[Chola Empire]]<br/>(now in [[Kanchipuram district]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]])
| birthname =
| philosophy = [[Shaivism]]
| literary_works = ''[[Periyapuranam]]''
| native_name = Sēkkilān Mādēvadigal Rāmadēva
}}

'''Sēkkilān Mādēvadigal Rāmadēva''', popularly known as '''Sekkilhar''',<ref>{{cite book|title=A history of Tamil literature|year=1961|url=https://archive.org/details/historyoftamilli0000unse|url-access=registration|author=C. Jesudasan, Hephzibah Jesudasan|publisher=Y.M.C.A. Pub. House, 1961|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyoftamilli0000unse/page/157 157]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A Survey of the Sources for the History of Tamil Literature|author=Mu Kōvintacāmi|publisher=Annamalai University, 1977|page=135}}</ref> was a Hindu saint who lived in the 12th century CE.<ref>{{cite book|title=A handbook of Tamil Nadu|author=K. M. Venkataramaiah, International School of Dravidian Linguistics|publisher=International School of Dravidian Linguistics, 1996|page=331}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Tirumal?ava?i Temple: History and Culture Through the Ages|author=C. Mookka Reddy|publisher=B.R. Publishing Corporation, 1986|page=43}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A Survey of the Sources for the History of Tamil Literature|author=Mu Kōvintacāmi|publisher=Annamalai University, 1977 - Tamil literature - 436 pages|page=136}}</ref> He was the author and compiler of the ''[[Periya Puranam]]'', a text recounting the life of the sixty-three [[Shaiva]] [[Nayanars]].<ref name="DictionaryofIndianLiterature" />

==Life==
Sekkilhar was born as Arulmozhithevan, meaning ''the one of the divine language''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Kalhār (white water-lily): studies in art, iconography, architecture, and archaeology of India and Bangladesh|author1=Enamul Haque|author2=Gouriswar Bhattacharya|publisher=Kaveri Books, 01-Mar-2007 - Art - 370 pages|page=366}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Śaiva Siddhānta|author=Violet Paranjoti|publisher=Luzac, 1954 - Śaiva Siddhānta - 152 pages|page=32}}</ref> He was a native of [[Kundrathur]] village (a suburb of the present-day [[Chennai]]), a sub-division of Puliyur-kottam in [[Thondaimandalam]].<ref name="DictionaryofIndianLiterature">{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850|author=Sujit Mukherjee|publisher=Orient Blackswan, 1998 - Literary Criticism - 434 pages|page=356}}</ref> He born in a [[Vellalar]] family. Sekkilhar was a child of precocious genius and having noticed this, king Anapaya, that is [[Kulothunga Chola II]] appointed him as his Prime Minister on account of his talents.<ref>{{cite book|title=Contributions of saints and seers to the music of India, Volume 1|author=Shantsheela Sathianathan|publisher=Kanishka Publishers, Distributors, 1996 - Religion - 589 pages|page=187}}</ref> His life is celebrated by [[Umapati Sivacharya]] in his fourteenth century work (1313 CE) called Sekkilhar Nayanar Puranam.<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot|author=Mohan Lal|publisher=Sahitya Akademi, 1992 - Indic literature - 818 pages|page=3904}}</ref> Sekkilhar had the title ''Uttama Chola Pallavan'' and his brother, the title ''Tondaiman Pallavaraiyan''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Glimpses of Tamil Culture: Based on Periyapuranam|author=K. Nambi Arooran|publisher=Koodal Publishers, 1977|page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=An Introduction to Tamil Literature|author=N. Subrahmanian|publisher=Christian Literature Society, 1981|page=49}}</ref> Sekkilhar is also called ''Ganga-kula tilaka'' (the glory of the Ganga race) and ''Bagirathi-kula tilaka'' (the glory of the [[Bhagiratha]] race) by Umapati Sivacharya in his work, the ''Sekkilar Puranam''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Kalhar (white water-lily): studies in art, iconography, architecture, and archaeology of India and Bangladesh|author=Enamul Haque, Gouriswar Bhattacharya|publisher=Kaveri Books, 2007|page=369|quote=It says that Sekkilar, the Ganga kula tilaka, composed the Puranam in blemishless language. The title Bhagirathi kula tilaka appears in verse 97, nikarilap-pidu ceyda Bhagirathi kula tilakar Sekkilar ceyda perum tavam, that is, this is the famoush unparalleled contribution of Sekkilhar, the Bhagirathi kula tilaka, as a result of his penance.}}</ref> The ''Guru Puja'' festival for Sekkilhar is celebrated annually in the month of Vaigasi-Poosam (May-June).

== Compilation of Periyapuranam ==
{{Tirumurai}}
[[Kulothunga Chola II]], then a young king, was a devotee of [[Nataraja|Shiva]] at [[Chidambaram]] and continued the reconstruction of the center of [[History of Shaivism|Tamil Shaivism]] that was begun by his ancestors.<ref>{{cite book|title=Epigraphia Indica, Volume 27,Volumes 13-14 of [Reports]: New imperial series, India Archaeological Survey|author=Archaeological Survey of India, India. Dept. of Archaeology|publisher=Manager of Publications, 1985|page=96}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Madras District Gazetteers, Volume 1|author=Madras (India : State)|publisher=Superintendent, Government Press, 1962|page=55}}</ref> At the same time, he was very interested in the highly erotic [[Jain]] epic [[Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi|Jivaka Chintamani]]. Sekkilhar, upon noticing this, advised the king to instead turn his attention to the lives of the [[Saiva|Shaiva]] saints as described by [[Sundarar]] in his ''Tiruthondar Thogai''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism|author1=Constance Jones|author2=James D. Ryan|publisher=Infobase Publishing|date=2006|page=327}}</ref>

The king thereupon invited Sekkilhar to expound the lives of the Shaiva saints in a great poem. Since Sekkilhar was a scholar in both the Vedas as well as the Agamas and being a Shaiva saint himself, knew about [[Nayanmars|Nayanars]]. He composed the [[Periyapuranam]] or the ''Great Narrative'' about the lives of the sixty three Nayanars or saints and would himself sing it in the ''Thousand Pillared Hall'' of the [[Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram|Chidambaram temple]] and arouse the latent Chola Shaiva zeal.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tillai and Nataraja|author1=B. Natarajan|author2=Balasubrahmanyan Ramachandran|publisher=Mudgala Trust, 1994 - Chidambaram (India) - 632 pages|page=66}}</ref>

According to a folklore, when Sekkilhar sat pondering at Chidambaram temple as to how to begin his work, Shiva appeared and said his first verse should be:{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}

{{Verse translation|
{{lang|ta-Latn|Ulakellam unarnthu otharkku ariyavan
Nilavulaviya neermali veniyan
Alakil jothiyan ambalatthu aaduvan
malar chilambadi vaazhthi vanakuvom}}
|
He who is known to those who forsake attachments
He who is of plaited locks of hair in which river flows and baby moon grazes
He who is verily sublime light and who dances in the golden hall of chidambaram
lets worship his rosy anklet girt feet}}

[[Kulothunga Chola II]] was so moved upon hearing the Periyapuranam that he placed the poem and Sekkilhar on the royal elephant and took them out on a grand procession around the streets of [[Chidambaram]], the king himself waved the fly-whisks and showered Sekkilhar with honors.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Saiva Saints|author=M. Arunachalam|publisher=Gandhi Vidyalayam, 1985 - Sivaites - 238 pages|page=206}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1971: Series 19: Tamil Nadu, Volume 6, Part 2|author=India. Office of the Registrar General|publisher=Manager of Publications, 1900 - Housing|page=49}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Chidambaram: Home of Nataraja|author1=Vivek Nanda|author2=George Michell|publisher=Marg Publications, 2004 - Travel - 140 pages|page=48}}</ref> This work is considered the most important initiative of [[Kulothunga Chola II|Kulothunga Chola II's]] reign. Although it is only a literary embellishment of earlier hagiographies of the Shaiva saints it came to be seen as the epitome of [[Chola]] literary style.<ref name="TheHomeofDancingŚivan̲">The Home of Dancing Śivan̲ By Paul Younger</ref> Among all the [[Hagiography|hagiographic]] ''Puranas'' in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], the ''[[Periyapuranam]]'' (or ''Tiruttondar Puranam'') stands first.<ref>{{cite book|title=Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections|author=Ayyappappanikkar|publisher=Sahitya Akademi, 1997 - Indic literature - 924 pages|page=522}}</ref> The ''[[Periyapuranam]]'' is considered a fifth [[Veda]] in the [[Tamil language]] and it immediately took its place as the twelfth and the last book in the Shaiva canon.<ref>{{cite book|title=Textbook of Indian History and Culture|author=Sailendra Nath Sen|publisher=Macmillan, 2007 - India - 356 pages|page=102}}</ref>

==Temples for Sekkilhar==
[[Image:sekizhar2.jpg|thumb|270px|right|Sekkilhar Peruman]]As per an inscription from [[Thiruvanchiyam|Srivanjiyam]], Sekkilhar was deified and provisions were made for the worship of his idol by a person called Anapaayan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tillai and Nataraja|author=B. Natarajan|publisher=Mudgala Trust, 1994|page=91}}</ref>

There are temples dedicated to Sekkilhar. These include the Kundrathur Sekkilhar Temple at [[Kundrathur]], [[Chennai]], and the Devakottai Nagara Sivan Kovil (also called the "Sekkilhar Kovil") in the Chettinad region of [[Sivagangai district]] in [[Tamil Nadu]], where Saint Sekkilhar is the procession deity.

==Research Centre==
The '''Sekkilhar Research Centre''' conducts research on his epic [[Periyapuranam]] and the period, art, culture, civilization, rituals, socioeconomic conditions, and religion/secularism of the times and place surrounding it.

{{portal|Poetry}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Shaivite religious leaders]]
[[Category:Tamil poets]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Texts related to Nayanar saints]]
[[Category:12th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Poets from Tamil Nadu]]

Sekkilhar - Revision history

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