Variyar has described the family of Lord Siva as the family of musicians. While describing the divinity of music, Saint Tiruvallur first spoke about the flute instrument and then about the instrumental music. Variyar used to say that it was Muruga who first played the flute instrument by cutting the branches from the tree while residing in the Kurinji region. He said Lord Siva was the source from which music originated and was later developed by Muruga. He evinced great interest in music and even done some research on it. Later, while rendering discourses, he started reciting Thiruppugazh, Thevaram and Thiruvachakam. When Variyar was 23 years old, he received training on Veena from Thenmadom Brahmasri Varadachariyar in Chennai for about four years. At that time, his father got the veena instrument from the luminary Veena Seshanna and gave it to his son, Kripananda Vari. When he was 21 years old, his father took Variyar to the Navaratri festival held at Mysore. Thereafter, wherever Variyar rendered, people came in large number because they knew Variyar could give them all they wanted: devotion, doctrines, and divine messages, combined with humour. Variyar was eighteen at that time and in keeping with his age, the discourse he delivered was so simple and clear that even the illiterates could understand it. ‘What a great knowledge at such a young age!” they wondered. But the moment the audience started listening, they were spellbound.
They doubted whether this boy could fulfill the high expectations of the audience. On seeing the young Kripanandar, the organizers wondered how Mallaya Dasar, having agreed to come and give the discourse, has deputed his young boy in his place. One day, due to some obligation, Mallaya Dasar could not visit a particular place as promised, so he sent his son Kripanandar to perform the task. Invitations came to him from different places and temples to perform devotional discourse. Mallaya Dasar was acclaimed as a luminary in the art of musical discourses. He composed certain hard and complex poems and songs like Ashta Naga Bhandam, hymns on Vel (lance) and Mayil (peacock) which even learned pundits could not easily comprehend. He became well versed in Tevaram, Tiruppugazh, Tiru Arutpa, Kanda Puranam, Kamba Ramayanam, Villi Bharatam and knew over 10,000 songs by heart. When he reached the age of eight he started composing and singing. With his own father serving as the guide, master and philosopher, Kripananda Vari rose to be a great man of letters and an eloquent speaker on devotion.Įven when Kripananda was three years old, his father started teaching him the basic lessons of language, literature and spirituality. In the true spirit of his name Kripananda Vari immersed all his audiences with his shower of devotional music and elevated them to a high state of bliss. The word ‘Kripa’ means compassion and kindness, ‘Ananda’ means bliss and ‘Vari’ means shower. Mallaya Dasar, who was well versed in the art of music and devotional discourse, named this child as Kripananda Vari. Kripanandar was the fourth child, born in the year 1906. Mallaya Dasar and Kanakavalli, a couple who hailed from Senguntha Veera Saiva community and settled in Kangeyanallur Village in Vellore District, were blessed with eleven children. He was Tiru Muruga Kripananda Variyar, the doyen who has occupied a special place in the heart of Tamils.
He captivated the hearts of Murugan devotees not only in India but in different parts of the world like Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, and USA. It was not in India alone that he gave the message of devotion. “He came, spoke and conquered,” described a devotee. Whatever subject he spoke on, Tiruppugazh or Ramayana, he instantly established a rapport with the audience and elevated them to a new world of music, devotion and knowledge. People came from far and near in large number just to listen to his discourse and experience his grace. He has identified himself with Lord Murugan so deeply that it is difficult to think of one without the other.
Tiru Muruga Kripānanda Vāriyār carved a niche for himself in the field of literature and devotion. Rarely has the Tamil speaking world witnessed a person who combines all the qualities of a saint, a scholar, an orator, a writer, and a devotee.
0 kommentar(er)
