In his divine work Arul Villaka Maalai in Tiruvarutpaa Vallalar sings like this:
Transliteration of the song in Tiruvarutpa :
“Thaai Mudhalaroodu Siru Paruvamathil Thillai
Thalathidaiyae Tirai Thooka tharisitha pothu Vei Vagai mel Kaataathe en Thanakae Ellam
Veliyaaga Kaatiya En Mei Uravaam Porulae” ArulVilaaka Maalai Tiruvarutpa
[Meaning: With my mother and others in my small age in the temple of thillai, When the veil is lifted and when I had darshan the thing that is not reported above the roof, You showed me that and made me know the divine secrets of Vast Open Space oho my true friend]
These were mentioned by Vallalar himself in his great work Tiruvarutpa. The Supreme Lord is the Guru for Vallalar. Vallalar did not learn anything from others and he did not seek any one for knowledge. Without going to school the Supreme Lord bestowed his grace on Vallalar the capability to compose great poems and Songs. When his brother send Vallalar to the teacher in Kanchipuram he heared his teacher teaching as “ Donot forget your mother even a day, Donot spend a day without reading, Donot tell ill of others”. Hearing this 6 year old Vallalar felt bad and felt one should not pray the lord in negative way like “don’t” instead one should Pray the lord in positive way like “I want”.
Transliteration of the song in Tiruvarutpa “Orumaiyudan ninathu malaradi ninaikinra
Uthamar tham uravu vendum Ul onru vaithu puram onru pesuvaar
Uravu kalavaamai vendum
Perumai peru ninathu pugal pesa vendum Poimai
Pesaathiruka Vendum
PeruNeri Pidithu Oluga vendum Mathamaana Pei
Pidiyaathiruka Vendum
Maruvu Pen Aasaiyai marakavae vendum Unai
Maravaa tirukavendum
MathiVendum NinKarunai nidhi vendum Noyatra Vaalvil
Naan VaalaVendum
Tharumigu Chennaiyil kantha kottathul Valar
Thalam ongu kanthaVelae ThanMuga Thuyyamani unmaga Saivamani
Shanmuga Theivamaniyae”
– TheivaManiMaalai – Tiruvarutpa
[Meaning: The friendship of the noble people who always think about your Lotus feet with Single Mindness should be got. Getting rid of the friendship of those who have something in mind and talk something outside should be got. Talking always about your glory should be got. Getting rid of my falseness should be got. Always following the noble and great path should be got. Seeing that the demon of religion not come to me anytime should be got. Forgetting about the union with women should be got. Never forgetting you anytime should be got. Intellignece should be got , Your compassion should be got, Prosperity should be got, Living a life without disease should be got. All these bestow to me Oho the lord residing as Lord Kantha in Chennai Kantha kottam, who removes the Lowness and purifies the one who looks inwards. ]
In this way Vallalar sings with devotion in front of the Lord Muruga in the sanctum of Chennai Kantha Kottam temple. Our Vallalar in his previous birth have already completed the stages of Sariyai, Kiriyai and Yoga in spirituality and took this birth only to get Gnanam. That’s why he came to know everything through the grace of the Supreme Lord. He always felt happy and bliss singing in the sanctum of the lord. In his young age itself he have got the capability to sing beautiful divine songs. He learned everything without any reading. By the grace of Supreme Lord he came to know about everything and became a great Gnani.
His brother not knowing his greatness thought incorrectly that Ramalingam was not studying properly and was just roaming the city. So he instructed his wife not to provide him food. Thinking this as a favor Ramalingam started going temple after temple in divine bliss.
His brother’s wife (Sister in law) requested Vallalar to at least have some food in the house in the evening time when his brother is not available. Vallalar accepted this and used to have food in the evening when his brother was not available. The day of remembering his dead father once in a year came. His brother provided tasty food to many people and then he ate. When having food Sabapathi felt sad as his brother has not come to take food. As usual Ramalingam came in the evening and his Sister in law started to serve food to the Vallalar. She cried to Ramalingam telling if he studies like other child he need not require to take the food that has gone cold. When Ramalingam saw tears in his sister in law’s eye his mind withered. One’s Sister in Law is to be considered as one’s own mother and Vallalar who saw his Sister in Law as his own mother felt very bad. He then told his Sister in Law that hence forth he will study properly and requested to provide him with a separate room in the upper floor. His brother and Sister in Law felt very happy on hearing this and they gave him a separate room as requested by Vallalar.
With a Mirror and Lamp and with books of Gnanam Vallalar entered the room. He spent all his time in singing about the glory of the Lord and in Meditation. One day he was bestowed with the sight of Lord Muruga in front of him. He sings of this experience:
Transliteration of the Song in Tiruvarutpa
“Seer Konda Theiva Vathanangal Aarum
Thaar konda Panneru Tholgalum Thaamarai Thaalgalum Oor Koor konda Velum Mayilum Nar Kolik kodiyum Arut
Kaar konda vanmai Thanikaasalamum En Kan utrathae”
– Pirathanai Maalai – Tiruvarutpa
[Meaning : Beauty of Six faces, Strong and benediction giving Shoulders twelve, Lotus Feets, Single Sharper Spear, Peacock, Flag having rooster, Raining with Grace Of bountiness I saw the Lord of Thanigaasalam in my eyes]
{Thanigaasalam – means the Lord one who appears when our impurities melt away}
Who will get such a boon? The great saint TiruGnanaSambandar in the age of 3 got this divine vision and had the elixir (Amirtha) from the Supreme Lord. In this way the great saint KumaraGuruparar who by birth is dump got his speech by the grace of Lord Muruga of Tiruchendur and through his grace got the capability to sing and got price from the divine hand of Goddess Madurai Meenatchi . Like this in the age of 5 months itself Vallar was overwhelmed by grace of Supreme Lord as Chidambaram Natarajar. In his 6 years of age Supreme Lord again gave his vision in the form of Lord Muruga and as Lord Thanigaasalam. So the child Ramalingam grew as the divine child with the grace of supreme lord.
Ramalingam brother sabapathi use to give regular religious discourse in the house of a beloved person by the name SomuChettiyar. One day due to some illness Sabapathi was unable to go to Somu chettiyar house for the religious discourse. So he asked his brother Ramalingam to go there and just sing a song from the great saivite book “Periya Puranam” and inform them of his inability that day and come back.
In the house of Soma Chettiyar people gathered there were surprised to find Ramalingam in the place of Sabapathi. But when Ramalingam sung a song from the saint TiruGnana Sambandar in PeriyaPuranam the people were overwhelmed with the divine voice and requested Ramalingam to give religious discourse. Like water gushing out from the opened gates of the dam Ramalingam gave religious discourse till late night and people consciousness were filled with divinity.
When the next time came the people wanted only Ramalingam to give discourse and they informed Sabapathi about this. Sabapathi was surprised and wanted to know what sort of discourse Ramalingam gives. So without knowing any one he hid himself and heard the discourse given by Ramalingam. On hearing Ramalingam Discourse Sabapathi was moved very much by the greatness and content of the speech. On returning home he told his wife about the greatness of Ramalingam speech and cried that he is not just his brother but a great Gnani. He also felt very bad and cried a lot for making Ramalingam to go hunger for many days without realizing his greatness.
When Ramalingam came back to the house both brother and his wife felt on the feet of Ramalingam and asked him to forgive them. Ramalingam told them that they should not fall on his feet as they are equivalent to his parents and consoled them. From that time onwards Ramalingam started to give regular discourses at that small age itself. He did not just tell Puraninc stories but explained in simple way the deep philosophical meanings in that and immersed every one who hear it with bliss.
In the age of 9 Vallalar Ramalingam was completely overwhelmed by the Supreme Lord. In his Tiruvarutpa Vallalar sings as “I am fully overwhelmed by you oho lord ocean of grace”. From that time Vallalar fame and glory starts to spread throughout Chennai. Ramalingam daily used to walk to the temple in Tiruvotriyoor which is around 15 Km from the house where he stayed. He use to pray with devotion to the deity Lord Tiyagesa Perumaan and Vadivudai Maanicka Ammai in the temple in Tiruvotriyoor. He lived a life in which his only aim was to humble before the Supreme Lord with devotion. By the Grace of the Lord, Ramalingam’s Gnanam overflowed which gave benefit to this world.
Once after visiting Tiruvotriyoor, Vallalar came back to his house. That time it has become night. Vallalar does not wanted to wake any one from the sleep and hence slept in the pedestal outside his house. Within some time his sister in law waked Ramalingam and provided him with food. Ramalingam ate the food and slept again. After some time his sister in law came out and asked Ramalingam to come inside the house and have food. Ramalingam was surprised and asked her sister in law, “some time back you have come and fed me with food and the plantain leaf that was used to serve food also lying there and you are asking me to for take food again.” Ramalingam sister in law was now surprised and told Ramalingam that now only she was coming out. Ramalingam using his divine vision came to know that it was none other than Goddess Deity in Tiruvotriyoor Vadivudai Maanickam who has come in the form of sister in law and provided him with food. Knowing this he felt very happy and bliss. The Supreme Lord first showers his graces on any one in the form of divine mother. Divine mother is called as Vaalai and she was the one who is as deity vadivudai maanickam in Tiruvotriyoor. She came and feed her divine child with elixir (Amirtham). Vallalar sings about this incident in his Tiruvarutpa.
Transliteration of the song in Tiruvarutpa
“Thetriyilae Naan pasithu paduthilaitha tharunam
Tiru Amudhoor Tiru Karathae thigal valla theduthae Otriyir poi pasithanaiyoo enraenai eluppi
Uvanthu koduthu aruliya en uyirku inithu thantha thaayae Patriya en patru anaithum than adi patraa
Parintharuli enai inra panbudai en thaayae Petriyulaar sutri ninru potra mani pothuvil
Peru nadam sei arasae en pithatrum uvathu arulae”
– ArulVillaka Maalai Tiruvarutpa.