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| {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Sekkilhar]] |
| {{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
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| {{Infobox
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| | above = Sekkizhar
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| | label1 = Full name
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| | data1 = {{{Native_name|Sēkkilān Mādēvadigal Rāmadēva}}}
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| | label2 = Period
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| | data2 = {{{Period|12th century CE}}}
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| | label3 = Birth place
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| | data3 = {{{Birth_place|[[Kundrathur]] (a suburb of present-day [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]])}}}
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| | label4 = Occupation
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| | data4 = {{{Occupation|Saint}}}
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| | label5 = Language
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| | data5 = {{{Language|[[Tamil language|Tamil]]}}}
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| | label6 = Notable works
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| | data6 = {{{Notable_works|[[Periyapuranam]]}}}
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| | label7 = Festivals
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| | data7 = {{{Festivals|Guru Puja in Vaigasi (May-June)}}}
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| '''Sēkkilān Mādēvadigal Rāmadēva''' (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> known popularly by his family name as '''Sekkizhar''',<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 saint and a contemporary of [[Kulothunga Chola II|Kulottunga Chola II]].<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 compiled and wrote the ''[[Periya Puranam]]'' (Great Story or Narrative) in 4253 verses, recounting the life stories of the sixty-three [[Shaiva]] [[Nayanars]], the devotees of [[Shiva]]. Sekkizhar himself was later canonised and his work, the Periyapuranam became the twelfth and final book of the sacred Saiva canon.<ref name=DictionaryofIndianLiterature/>
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| ==Life==
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| Sekkizhar was born in a [[Thondaimandala Vellala|Tondaimandala Mudaliar]] family 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> Sekkizhar was a child of precious 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 Sekkizhar 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> Sekkizhar 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> Sekkizhar 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 Sekkilar, the Bhagirathi kula tilaka, as a result of his penance.}}</ref> The ''Guru Puja'' festival for Sekkizhar is celebrated annually in the month of Vaigasi-Poosam (May-June).
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| == Compilation of Periyapuranam ==
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| {{Tirumurai}}
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| [[Kulothunga Chola II]], then a young king, was a devotee of [[Nataraja|Lord Siva]] at [[Chidambaram]] and continued the reconstruction of the center of [[History of Shaivism|Tamil Saivism]] 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]]. Sekkizhar, upon noticing this, advised the king to instead turn his attention to the lives of the [[Saiva]] 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>
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| The king thereupon invited Sekkizhar to expound the lives of the Saiva saints in a great poem. Since Sekkizhar was a scholar in both the Vedas as well as the Agamas and being a Saiva saint himself, knew about [[Nayanmars]]. He composed the [[Periyapuranam]] or the ''Great Narrative'' about the lives of the sixty three [[Nayanmars]] 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 Saiva 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>
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| According to a folklore, when Sekkizhar sat pondering at Chidambaram temple as to how to begin his work, Lord Siva appeared and said his first verse should be:
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| {{Verse translation|
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| {{lang|ta-Latn|Ulakellam unarnthu otharkku ariyavan
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| Nilavulaviya neermali veniyan
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| Alakil jothiyan ambalatthu aaduvan
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| malar chilambadi vaazhthi vanakuvom}}
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| He who is known to those who forsake attachments
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| He who is of plaited locks of hair in which river flows and baby moon grazes
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| He who is verily sublime light and who dances in the golden hall of chidambaram
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| lets worship his rosy anklet girt feet}}
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| [[Kulothunga Chola II]] was so moved upon hearing the Periyapuranam that he placed the poem and Sekkizhar 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 Sekkizhar 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 Saiva 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 Saiva canon.<ref>{{cite book|title=Textbook of Indian History and Culture|author=Sailendra Nath Sen|publisher=Macmillan, 2007 - India - 356 pages|page=102}}</ref>
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| ==Temples for Sekkizhar==
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| As per an inscription from [[Thiruvanchiyam|Srivanjiyam]], Sekkizhar 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>
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| There are temples dedicated to Sekkizhar. These include the Kundrathur Sekkizhar Temple at [[Kundrathur]], [[Chennai]], and the Devakottai Nagara Sivan Kovil (also called the "Sekkizhar Kovil") in the Chettinad region of [[Sivagangai district]] in [[Tamil Nadu]], where Saint Sekkizhar is the procession deity.
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| ==Research Centre==
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| The '''Sekkizhar 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.
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| {{portal|Poetry}}
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| {{authority control}}
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| [[Category:Shaivite religious leaders]]
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| [[Category:Tamil poets]]
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| [[Category:Indian male poets]]
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| [[Category:Texts related to Nayanar saints]]
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| [[Category:12th-century Indian poets]]
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| [[Category:Poets from Tamil Nadu]]
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