Ramalinga Swamigal
Ramalinga Swamigal | |
---|---|
Born | |
Disappeared | January 30, 1874 (aged 50) Mettukuppam, Vadalur, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu |
Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalār Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – 30 January 1874), also known as Vallalār, Ramalinga Swamigal and Ramalinga Adigal, was one of the known
Ramalinga ventured to eliminate the caste in India.[2] To that end, he founded a group known as "Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sathiya Sangam",[3] which spread not only due to his theoretical teachings but mainly due to his practiced lifestyle, which is an inspiration for his followers. According to Suddha Sanmarga, the prime aspects of human life should be love connected with charity and divine practice leading to achievement of pure knowledge.
Ramalinga espoused the veneration of the radiant flame emanating from a lit lamp, not as a deity unto itself, but rather as a symbol representing the enduring omnipotence of the Divine, as opposed to the adoration of statues within a monotheistic framework.[4]
Early life
Ramalingam's
Childhood and divine experiences
When Ramalingam was five months old, his parents brought him to the
In 1824, his father died. Following this, his mother moving to her mother's residence at Chinna Kāvanam, Ponneri. Ramalingam was a small child when he and his mother relocated to Chennai in 1826, where they lived with his eldest brother Sabhapati and his wife Pāppāthi at 31/14 Veerasamy Pillai Street in the Sevenwells area.[note 2]
After Ramalingam reached five years of age, Sabhapati initiated his
At one time, Ramalingam had to replace his elder brother Sabhapati at an
Ramalingam renounced the world at the young age of thirteen, but he was forced to marry his niece (on his sister's side). Legends say that the
Teachings
When I see men feeding on the coarse and vicious food of meat, it is an ever-recurring grief to me.[12]
In 1867, Ramalinga established a facility named "The Sathya Dharma Salai"
Within the complex are seven cotton fabric screens, representing the seven factors that prevent a soul from realizing its true nature. The entire complex is bound by a chain with 21,600 links, said to represent '21,600 inhalations'[17] by a normal human being. He said the intelligence we possess is Maya intelligence, which is not the true and final intelligence. The path of final intelligence is Jeeva Karunyam.[1]
Vallalār (Ramalinga) advocated a casteless society, and condemned inequality based on birth. He was opposed to superstitions and rituals.[1] He forbade killing animals, even for the sake of food. He advocated feeding the poor as the highest form of worship.[1]
One of the main teachings of Ramalinga is "
Literary works
As a musician and poet, Ramalinga composed 5,818 poems teaching universal love and peace, compiled into 'Six Thiru Muraigal', which are all available today as a single book called Thiruvarutpa[19] ('holy book of grace'). He composed the Veeraraghva Panchakam dedicated to Veeraraghava Perumal located in Tiruvallur.[20]
Other works of his include the Manumurai Kanda Vāsagam,
Songs set to music
- Thiruvarutpa songs of Rāmalinga Swāmigal are sung in concerts, and now at least 25 songs (in Thiruvarutpā Isai Mālai) are given with swara-tāla notation.
- Thāyāgi thandhaiyumai (Shankarābharanam)
- Varuvar azhaithu vadi (Begada) and Thaen ena inikkum.
Some of his songs were set to music by Sīrkāzhi Govindharājan.[23]
Disappearance
On 22 October 1873, Ramalinga raised the 'flag of Brotherhood'[clarification needed] on his one-room residence Siddhi Valāgam in Mettukuppam.[24] He gave his final lecture—about spiritual progress and the "nature of the powers that lie beyond us and move us"—and recommended meditation using the lighted lamp from his room, which he then kept outside.
On 30 January 1874, Ramalinga entered the room, locked himself inside and told his followers not to open it. After opening, he said, he would not be found there. (He will be "united with nature and ruling the actions of 'all of the alls'," as told in his poem Gnana Sariyai). His seclusion spurred many rumors, and the government finally forced the doors open in May. The room was empty, with no clues. In 1906, records about his disappearance
Postage stamp
The then-chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi released postage stamps depicting Ramalinga on 17 August 2007.[27] After that, writ petition was submitted against the portrayal of Ramalinga with 'Thiru Neeru' (sacred ash) on his forehead. The Madras High Court declined to entertain that writ petition.[28]
In popular culture
Two biographical films were made about Ramalinga Swamigal.
Year | Film | Actor | Note |
---|---|---|---|
1939 | Jothi | K. A. Muthu Bhagavathar | Lost film |
1971 | Arutperunjothi | Master Sridhar | Young Ramalingam |
A. P. Nagarajan | Adult Ramalingam |
To commemorate Vallalar's 200th birth anniversary in 2022, a mosaic art piece was created using more than 5,000 small pieces of paper.[29][30][31]
See also
- Jothi Agaval
- Arutperunjothi (1971 film)
- Jothi (1939 film)
- List of people who disappeared
Notes
- ^ 'Ramalingam' was his given, pre-monastic name.[1]
- ^ The locality where he lived has been renamed 'Vallalār Nagar'.[citation needed]
- ^ Ramalingam composed 'Deiva Mani Malai' at this temple. Today, this temple has a hall called the Mukha Mandapam, which contains an idol of Sri Rāmalinga Swāmigal,[6] as well as Sarva Siddhi Vinayakar, Meenakshi Sundareswarar, Idumban, and Pamban Swāmigal.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Ramalinga Swamigal". My Dattatreya. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ Book Review by "The Hindu" on Vallalār Rāmalinga adigal varalaru
- ^ a b Details on Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sathiya Sangam [permanent dead link]
- ISBN 978-81-7823-542-4; Page 52
- ^ Arutperunjothi Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine, Tamil Nadu Text books online
- ^ Dinamalar newspaper- Kandha kottam photos
- ^ Devnath, Lakshmi (2 February 2001). "Compassion is the essence of Saint Rāmalingam's philosophy". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Early life of Saint Vallalār[permanent dead link]
- ^ Kolappan, B. (3 October 2018). "First printed Tirukkural to be republished after 168 years". The Hindu. Chennai: Kasturi & Sons. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ISBN 978-93-83051-95-3.
- ^ M. P. Sivagnanam (1974). திருக்குறளிலே கலைபற்றிக் கூறாததேன்? [Why does the Tirukkural not speak about art?]. Chennai: Poonkodi Padhippagam.
- ^ ""The Hindu" article on Vallalār". Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Image of Sathya Dharma Salai
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ Details about the seven veils described by Vallalār Archived 2011-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Jnanarnava Tantra," Chapter Twenty One Archived 2006-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ Tamil Nadu Public service commission included Thiru arut pa in syllabus
- ^ "வீரராகவர் போற்றிப் பஞ்சகம் / Vīrarākavar pōṟṟip pañsakam - திரு அருட்பா, திருவருட்பா , Vallalar, வள்ளலார் , Ramalinga Adigalar , Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar , தயவு , திருஅருட்பிரகாச வள்ளலார், சிதம்பரம் இராமலிங்கம் , சமரச சுத்த சன்மார்க்க சத்திய சங்கம் , VallalarSpace , ThiruArutpa , Thiruvarutpa , அருட்பெருஞ்ஜோதி தனிப்பெருங்கருணை".
- ^ Manumurai Kanda Vāsagam Archived 2011-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Details on Jeeva Karunya Ozhukkam Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sirkazhi Govindarajan from "The Hindu" newspaper
- ^ "Compassion is the essence of his philosophy". The Hindu. 2 February 2001. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Engraved stone in Vadalur (image) about the Madras District Gazette's note describing Rāmalingam's disappearance on 30 January 1874.
- ISBN 978-1-58394-795-1.
- ^ commemorative postage stamp on Vallalār Archived 2010-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Writ petition against Vallalar stamp rejected". The Hindu. 6 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "5,000 பேப்பர் துண்டுகளில் வள்ளலார் உருவம் அமைப்பு". 6 October 2022.
- ^ "ஓசூரில், வள்ளலாரின் 200 வது பிறந்த நாளையொட்டி மொசைக் ஆர்ட்டில் அவரது உருவத்தை வடிவமைத்த தனியார் நிறுவன ஊழியர்". 5 October 2022.
- ^ "5,000 பேப்பர் துண்டுகளில் வள்ளலார் உருவம் அமைப்பு". 5 October 2022.
வடலூர் வள்ளலார் தைப்பூச ஜோதி தரிசனம்: எப்போது, எங்கு, எப்படி?
Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar Ramalinga Swamigal, or Ramalinga Adigal, Thiruvarutpa was written by - Ramalinga Swamigal. Vallalar Songs
Further reading
- Annamalai University's complete compilation of Thiruvarutpa in all six thirumurai in 10 Volumes Third edition of Thiruvarutpa released
- Srilata Rāman. "The Spaces In Between: Rāmalinga swāmigal (1823-1874), Hunger, and Religion in Colonial India," History of Religions (August 2013) 53#1 pp 1–27. DOI: 10.1086/671248
- Arut Prakasa Vallalār, the Saint of Universal Vision by V.S. Krishnan, published by Rāmanandha Adigalar Foundation, Coimbatore 641006
- Richard S. Weiss. 2019. The Emergence of Modern Hinduism: Religion on the Margins of Colonialism. California: University of California Press. [1]