Divine Songs From The Popular Tamil Holy Text , Sri Kandar Alankaram

Kandar Alangaram is a collection of divine songs which was written and sung in praise of Lord Murugan by the great Muruga devotee Sri Arunagirinathar. In these beautiful songs, he decorates the body of Lord Muruga with fragrant flowers, golden ornaments and flower garlands. There are more than hundred songs in the Kandar Alangaram text, and it is praised by the ancient Tamil scholars and by the general public. 

These songs were composed by Arunagirinathar, after he was saved by Lord Muruga, when he tried to commit suicide in the Tiruvannamalai temple. Lord Murugan saved the life of Arunagiri Nathar and also asked him to write divine songs on him.

Some of the honey dipped songs from the Holy Text, Sri Kandar Alankaram are as follows:-

In Thiruvannamalai, while I was depressed and decided to commit suicide, Oh My Dear Muruga, you have only safeguarded me and stopped me from death?, Now it’s my turn to express my sincere thanks and gratitude on you, and will do it by the way of singing beautiful songs in praise of you.

By sitting on your temple floor, and by watching your temple tower (Gopuram), I am forgetting myself. Oh Muruga, I don’t want to sleep, eat food and to take rest, but, by the way of watching your divine beauty on your temple shrine, I am getting great pleasure.

Oh my Dear Muruga, among the gods, you are the great Lord Vishnu, among the birds, you are the beautiful peacock, among the animals, you are the Holy Cow Kamdhenu, among the demons, you are the great Prahalada, among the Devas, you are Lord Indra, among the Oceans, you are the great ocean god Varuna, among the snakes, you are the powerful Vasuki, among the weapons, you are the Holy Divine spear, among the stars, you are the holy Dhruva Star, among the planets, you are the angry god Shani Bhagavan, among the flowers, you are the divine Parijatha, among the trees, you are the wish fulfilling tree Kalpavriksha, among the sages, you are the great Vyasa Bhagavan, among the Gandharvas, you are the nice Tumburu Bhagavan, among the Prajapatis, you are the great Manu, among the Yugas, you are the golden Satya Yuga, among the Kings, you are the great Lord Rama, among the Siddhars, you are the powerful Bogar.

During the time of your festival celebrations, your devotees used to joyfully celebrate it, by the way of raising wonderful noise from the instruments like Mritangam and Nadaswaram, Oh My Dear Lord please grant me wisdom, courage and bravery, and please give me the boon of thinking only about you, forever in my life.

Oh My Dear Kanda, Kadamba, Vetrivela, I am very much disinterested in enjoying worldly pleasures, and I want to come out from the worldly illusions,
Please grant me salvation, and make me to dwell permanently at your lotus feet.

Oh my Dear merciful Lord Muruga, who showers blessings on his devotees like the vast ocean, who is dear to his father Lord Shiva,
Who holds the entire universe on his two eyes,
and who is very close to his devotees.

Oh my dear people, why you are wasting your time by conversing with others about unwanted matters, instead of doing those useless things, please concentrate your attention on our Dear Lord Muruga, who is capable of burning our sins and grants salvation to us.
He is the one who would destroy our bad fate and would grant good fortunes in our life.

Oh my Dear people, when you are strongly attached with worldly bondages, then at the time of your death, when the death Lord Yama approaches you in order to take up your life, then, what you would do at that time? Please try to concentrate more and more attention on showing staunch faith and bhakti towards the six-faced god, Lord Muruga, now itself, in order to remove the death related fear from your mind.

When the powerful weapon Spear (Vel) which is kept by Lord Muruga on his hands, and when it is meant for safeguarding us, then why we need to get afraid about our life?

Lord Muruga is the one, who is decorated with various golden ornaments, who used to sit in a beautiful chariot, who is capable of creating and destroying the entire universe, within a few seconds, who used to mesmerise his devotees with his pleasing wonderful divine smile, who has safeguarded Lord Indra from the Demons.

Oh Lord Muruga, who along with his powerful army, headed by his great army general, Sri Veerabahu, killed the dreaded demon Soorapadma, with his sharp and powerful weapon spear, which is also popularly called as Velayudham.

By killing the demons, Lord Muruga has protected the demi-gods in the heaven, and made them to peaceful live in the abode of Lord Indra.

Oh My Dear Muruga, even your angry face looks more beautiful for me, even when you try to kill me, I would willingly die at your lotus feet, even if you throw me into the sea, I would worship you from the deep seas, even if you treat me like your worst enemy, I would consider you as my best friend, even if you pluck my two eyes, I would see your divine vision from my heart.

Let’s taste the sweetness of chanting the various names of Lord Muruga, let us worship the divine instrument Vel, by considering it to be an aspect of Lord Muruga, let us offer our daily prayers to Lord Muruga, by the way of adorning him with flowers and flower garlands, wearing him with rich garments and costly golden ornaments.

Oh the great Vel, which was participated in the war with Soorapadma,
killed millions and millions of demons, by chanting the names of Muruga, and the Vel attains great significance, since it always dwells on the hands of lotus hands of Lord Muruga.

Oh Lord of six faces, you only taught about the meaning of the Pranava Mantra, “OM”, to your father, and to the four headed creator god Lord Brahma. Though you appear in the form of a little boy, but you contain more knowledge, you only once fought playfully with the demi gods like Indra, in order to make them to realize about your significance.

OM MURUGA”

Sent By

R.HARISHANKAR