Arunagirinathar’s name has come to be associated with Muruga worship. This saint poet is said to have lived around the 15th century and there are numerous legends and stories about his life that it is difficult to cull the actual details from them. But it is clear that he brought about a spiritual renaissance at a crucial time when many other faiths were prevalent causing doubt in the minds of many.
He instilled faith in Muruga worship among people as he was blessed to realise Muruga as the very essence of the highest Truth in his inner vision as well as with his sense of perception, pointed out Sri S. Sivasubramanian in a discourse. It is said that Muruga saved him from extreme depression and conferred jnana and the gift of poetry to sing songs in His praise.
His experience of Muruga was translated in the form of his innumerable songs sung in beautiful Tamizh. Each one is a gem and a treat to the ear and sense. He joins the company of the saints and Nayanmars such as Tirunavukkarasar, Manikkavachagar and others who visited temples and sang the glories of the deities in these temples. His works reflect the influence of his predecessors, the poet Nakkeerar of Tirumurugatrupadai fame and Kachiappa Sivachariar whose Kanda Puranam was composed in the thirteenth century.
His prolific output has in turn inspired many Muruga devotees such as Thayumanavar, Pamban Swamigal, Ramalinga Adigalar, etc. The Muruga worship he propagated during his time helped to bridge the differences and factions between the Saiva, Vainava and Sakta forms of worship and devotion. This he brought about by extensively alluding to many Purana stories that hail the glories of the Trimurtis, Tirumal, Brahma and Rudra and their consorts. Arunagirinathar exemplifies the truth that by God’s grace alone can one be inspired with jnana, and thereby make one’s life meaningful and strive for salvation.
