Devotees of Lord Murukan and Their Defiance of Death

Generally, human beings, both young and old, are afraid of death. However, the devotees of Lord Murukan are an exception to the general rule. They are defiant of death, which is personified as Yaman [யமன்], or Kuurruvan [கூற்றுவன்].

The saintly author says that as a devotee of Lord Murukan, he is not at all perturbed either by the summons sent by Yaman or his messenger, because the Lord graciously manifests Himself in front of him every morning and evening, wearing the heroic girdle with a small curved scimitar [sword], the garland of red vetci-blossoms over his shoulders together with the flag of rooster, the vehicle of peacock and garlands of victory:

ஓலையும் தூதரும் கண்டு திண்டாடல் ஒழித்து எனக்குக்
காலையும் மாலையும் முன்னிற்குமே கந்தவேள் மருங்கில்
சேலையும் கட்டிய சீராவும் கையில் சிவந்த செச்சை
மாலையும் சேவல் பதாகையும் தோகையும் வாகையுமே!

[27]

A Challenge Issued to Death

In another verse, the saintly author issues a challenge to death: 'Hey anthakaa [death], I shall cut you asunder and make you suffer and fall with no more power by smashing your club and trident to pieces. I am a slavish devotee of lance-bearing Lord Murukan who has his sacred abode at Thiruccenthuur. Did you see that I possess a lustrously-beautiful-and-sharply-pointed-sword-of-wisdom which does not know of any enemy? Do come and see a bit of it, if you can reach as far as my hand!':

தண்டாயுதமும் திரிசூலமும் விழத் தாக்கி உன்னைத்
திண்டாட வெட்டி விழவிடுவேன் செந்தில் வேலனுக்குத்
தொண்டாகிய என் 'அவிரோத ஞானச்சுடர் வடிவாள்'
கண்டாயடா அந்தகா? வந்துபார் சற்று என் கைக்கு எட்டவே!

[25]

A Second Challenge

A similar challenge is issued in another verse: 'O, wily death riding on the male buffalo! I shall not let you go without cutting you asunder and putting you to flight for the whole world to know... I have in my hand the sword of power.':

பட்டிக்கடாவில் வரும் அந்தகா, உனைப் பார் அறிய
வெட்டிப் புறம்கண்டு அலாது விடேன்...
சத்தி வாள் என்றன் கையதுவே.

[64]

Why the Saintly Author Defies Death

On the question as to why a saintly author should want to defy and fight with Yaman [personification of death], it may be noted that the saintly author's defiance of death is not like the often senseless bravado of a person who challenges another to a fight by claiming that he is not afraid of death. It is also not the kind of false egoism of a fanatic who is willing to sacrifice his life and claim martyrdom for a given cause.

On the contrary, the saintly author is one whose mind has been disciplined over a period of time by sincere bhakti ['devotion and love'] for the sacred feet of Lord Murukan. He has in several verses expressed an ardent desire to forsake the illusory embodied existence in this world and attain mukthi ['liberation'] at the sacred feet of the Lord. Thus, for example, he makes a fervent appeal to the Lord for attaining liberation by reaching the Lord's heroic-anklets-wearing-sacred-feet that are more reddish than the red lotus-flower, so that he shall not re-enter the hut which is his false illusory body: "பொக்கக் குடிலில் புகுதாவகை புண்டரீகத்தினும் செக்கச்சிவந்த கழல்வீடு தந்து அருள்" [31].

The saintly author is confident that death or any other evil forces cannot harm him because he is protected by the Lord. That is perhaps why the saintly author has included the following verse among the verses [101–107] which tell us of the benefits accruing to those who recite the verses belonging to the Kantharalangkaaram:

சலம் காணும் வேந்தர்தமக்கும் அஞ்சார் யமன் சண்டைக்கு அஞ்சார்
துலங்கா நரகக்குழி அணுகார் துட்டநோய் அணுகார்
கலங்கார் புலிக்கும் கரடிக்கும் யானைக்கும் கந்தன் நன் நூல்
அலங்காரம் நூற்றுள் ஒருகவிதான் கற்று அறிந்தவரே.

[101]

["They will not be afraid of even wrathful rulers; they will not fear the combat with Yaman ['death']; they will not reach the dark pit of hell; they will not suffer from serious illnesses; and they will not be perturbed over the danger from wild animals such as tiger, bear, and elephant — for they are those who have read and understood the significance of at least even one of the hundred sacred songs contained in the good book known as Kantharalangkaaram, which tells us about the greatness of Lord Kanthan."]