In the year 1849 when Vallalar was 26 Years old a young person by the name Tholuvur Velaayudha Mudhaliyaar who is 17 years old wanted to test Vallalar on his mastery in Tamil Language. He wrote lot of poems himself on the style of Older Sangam Tamil Literature and showed to Vallalar saying the poems were from Sangam Tamil. But Vallalar humbled Velaayudha Mudhaliyar and proved that the songs were not from Sangam Tamil Literature and was written by the person himself. Seeing the greatness of Vallalar Tholuvur Velaayudha Mudhaliyaar from that day became the first student and discipline of Vallalar.
In the age of 27 in the year 1850 because of the constant compulsion from his relatives and also because of his Karma Vallalar married his Sister Unnamulai’s daughter Thanamaal. Vallalar had no interest in the family life. He was always thinking of union with the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and had no interest in sensual pleasures. In the nuptial night after the marriage Vallalar gave upadesam (divine teachings) to his new wife from the great scripture TiruVaasagam throughout the night.
In the next morning itself Vallalar quit the family life. His relatives felt distressed on this and thought they have committed a great sin by forcing Vallalar in to marriage life. It is because of the relation from the previous birth Vallalar was forced to tie the marriage knot. Touching the girl for tying the marriage knot alone is the deed of Vallalar and in his song in Tiruvarutpa Vallalar asserts that “Only my hand touched the women for tying the marriage knot and I have never had union”
It is the good fortune of the Chennai city that Vallalar stayed there till the year 1858 which is his 35th age. In these days Vallalar did great Service to the Tamil Language as well. Lot of Scholars and Learned men came to Vallalar and learned from him. To the children, Vallalar thought stories of justice and imparted morality and virtuousness to them. He also published lot of books. In the days where the books with prose styles were rare he published lot of prose books. Some of the prose books he published were “ManuMurai Kanda Vaasagam” and “Jeeva Karunya Olukkam” (Virtuosness and Discipline of Compassion”). He also certified lot of poets and scholars and their works. Among them the book dealing with justice written by Mayavaram Muncif Vedha Nayagam Pillai also includes.
Our Vallalar started disliking the noisy environment of Chennai. He also did not like to be with family and friends. He wanted to be alone. His hunger to attain the lord increased day after day and hence he wanted to be with awareness all the time. Penance became his only aim. He started walking towards a place which has calmness. He started to move out of Chennai. The Lord of Thillai (Chidambaram) who overwhelmed Ramalingar at the age of 5 months called back Vallalar in the age of 35.
The world slowly came to know about the greatness and Scholarness of Vallalar in many fields. Vallalar is an Author as he wrote new books, Vallalar is a publisher as he published scholarly books, and Vallalar is a Text Commentator as he wrote commentaries on lot of existing spiritual and other works. He is also a teacher who have thought to so many people. He is a Guru of Gnana as he showered the grace of light through his eyes for people to get blissful life of deathlessness. Vallalar gave great annotation and explanation to the word of Tamil and established the greatness of Tamil and hence he was the master of exposition.
Vallalar has cured many diseases by providing medicines to the people who came to him. He collected and published medicinal information. He is also the master in doing Rasavatham (Art of converting one material to other material particularly mercury to gold). Only a person who is a Gnanai and Siddhar can do all these. Vallalar is master in everything. In fact Vallalar is a great Siddhar and a great Gnanai.
Even Atheist people praise Vallalar. Do you know why? Because of greatness in Vallalar’s views and ideas for the upliftment of the society. Vallalar’s grace event bought changes in the religious outlook and religious beliefs in the society. Such was his greatness. He Propagate that “When husband dies wife need not lose her holy knot. One should never see differences based on religion and caste. In society there is no one greater or smaller. There is no need of superstitious religious ceremonies for dead persons. Smaller Deities should never be worshipped. There should never be killing of animal or anything in the name of Lord. People eating Non-Veg food will never get the grace of the Supreme Lord”. In the spiritual house build by him he sculpted in stone which tells “Only People who do not kill and do not eat Non-Veg food should enter”. Such were his revolutionary ideas of Vallalar.
Vallalar by the grace of Supreme Lord has sung many songs when he was still a boy. Tiruvarutpa is the collection of around 6000 songs sung by Vallalar when immersed in the grace of Supreme Lord. There is no doubt that Vallalar is a Poet of Grace and Gnani of Grace. He is called with love by beloved people as Tiru Arul Prakasa Vallalar which means “the great one who shines and showers with Grace”.
The Supreme Lord in Thiruvotriyoor Tiyaagaraja Perumaan who has also blessed the great saint SundaraMurthy Naayanar came in different forms like Brahmin, old man and temple priest and gave Vallalar divine experiences in different states of Gnanam. Similarly there is no dearth to the love and mercy shown by divine mother Vadivudai Maanickam of Thiruvotriyoor.
Vallalar used to often meditate in the Pattinathaar jeeva Samadhi. The old women there kept asking Vallalar to show her some miracles. Vallalar heeded her request one day, Vallalar took some sand in his hand and gave it to the old woman. Vallalar then asked the old women to open the hand once he left. When the old women opened her hand all the sand particles were converted in to small sivalingams.
One day in the street of Tiruvotriyoor there was a naked saint sitting and commenting on the people going that way. He was commenting on the people going that way as dog is going, fox is going, donkey is going depending on the character of those people. The people there use to think him as mentally disordered person. When Vallalar came that way this naked saint immediately covered himself, stood up and told “here comes a noble and virtuous man”. Vallalar went near him and whispered something on his hear and from that time the naked saint is not seen.
Once after visiting Tiruvotriyoor and returning back, due to tiredness Vallalar took rest in an open hall and slept little bit. During this time a thief came there and started to remove his earring slowly. Knowing this Vallalar slowly turned around as if moving in sleep and showed his other earrings also to the thief so that that too can also to be taken. Vallalar is such a great person who showed compassion and grace even to a thief who came to steal from him.
In his young age Vallalar kept so much hair in his body. Later he just wore a small white dhoti in his hips. He also had a veil in a white towel covering his head. He never wore the Saffron cloth. According to Vallalar wearing saffron cloth and tying Rudraksha beads were only for people who do not have firm Will. Vallalar always walked with his hands tied with one another. He will not wave his hands while walking. He always talks slowly and with love. There will not be any tremble or shake while he talks. Right from his young age he use to take food in little quantity once or twice a day. Whoever sees him were attracted towards him by his gracious eyes. He had a lean figure. Once when he was photographed his form was not recorded. Light form cannot be photographed isn’t!? Always he would be surrounded by beloved people. Some came to him to learn Tamil as he is a great Tamil Scholar. Some came to him to
receive his spiritual grace. Some came to him to learn lessons from him. It is no surprise that birds flock a ripened fruit.
In the age of 35 Vallalar went towards Chidambaram to create a new world. The Supreme Lord as “Thanigai Velavan” attracted Vallalar towards him. The Supreme Lord in Thiruvotriyoor ThiyagaRajar and Goddess Vadivudai Ammai took care of Vallalar like their child and they took Vallalar to greater heights in spirituality. They showered their grace on Vallalar with all the knowledge and Gnanam and made him as a great Siddhar and Gnanai and a person of great compassion and love and made the world to praise him.
The Supreme Lord in Chidambaram Thillai Natarajar also showered his grace to his divine child Vallalar. During those days Vallalar visited so many holy places and temples. Everywhere Vallalar sang divine songs on the Supreme Lord with devotion and felt bliss. Once Vallalar visited a Siva temple and saw the Sivalinga there without clothes due to negligible income in the temple. Vallalar was pained to see this site and sang a divine song there praising the Lord. Right from that time till this day that temple was with good prosperity.
In Chidambaram a good hearted person by the name Venkata Rediyaar saw Vallalar and at once he understood the greatness of Vallalar. He requested and invited Vallalar to come and stay in his house in the village Karugkuli. Seeing the love and humbleness of Maniyakaarar Venkata Rediyaar TiruArutPrakasa Vallalar heeded his request and stayed in his house. Karungkuli is a very small village near Vadalur and even today after 150 years it is still a small village.
From the year 1858 to 1867 Vallalar stayed in Karungkuli. It is really a great merit and true love of Venkata Rediyaar to have such a great Gnani like Vallalar to stay in his house. From there Vallalar used to visit Chidambaram.
Often during night time Vallalar use to write divine songs of Grace. Knowing this Venkata Rediyaar gave a lamp and a small vessel to have oil for the lamp. One day night Vallalar was writing. The light of the lamp became dim and hence Vallalar poured from the oil vessel to the lamp. The light of the lamp grew brighter and Vallalar also finished his writings. In the next day morning Venkata Rediyaar wife came back from the town and with trembleness saw the lamp and found the lamp was filled with water. Since the older oil vessel was broken, Venkata Rediyaar wife has bought a new oil vessel. In order to make the vessel acquainted she has poured water in it. Because of the hurry to travel to the town she forgot to replace water with oil in the oil lamp. But Vallalar not knowing this thought water to be oil and used it to lite the lamp. The lamp glowed with more brightness than usual. Knowing this Vallalar felt very happy and hailed the grace of the Lord. This incident was honored by Aadhinam Chidambara Swamigal in his song on the praise of Tiruvarutpa.
Transliteration of the Song:
“Thanner Vilaku eritha thanmai poon manthar tham Unneer sivam vilanga onuguvikum kanmaniyaam Nangal Ramalingan nalla arut paamuraiyai Thungamura Maana Tholu”