THIRUJNANASAMBANDHAR

Thirujnanasambandhar was a Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century. He is one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars, Tamil Saiva bhakti saints who lived between the sixth and the tenth centuries. Information about Sambandar comes mainly from the Periya Puranam.

Each of the three major devotees of Shiva in the Peria Puranam represents a different age group.Thirunavaukkarasar, the aged Lord of language whose hymns are full of spiritual heroism;Sundarar the youthful lover of Paravai and Sangili,the 'friend of Shiva; and the child Thirujnanasambandhar.Even as neither caste, nor race, nor class, nor gender has any meaning in the devotional democracy of Sekkizhar's epic, age too has no significance here.Indeed,the child Thirujnanasambandhar is the Hero of Knowledge.

Born in Sirkazhi to Sivapada Hridayar and Bhagavathi, Thirujnanasambandhar was chosen by the divine very early in his life. When as a child of three he sat alone on the steps of a tank while Sivapada Hridayar bathed, he cried of thirst. It is said that Goddess Parvathi gave him a cupful of her milk. Such a miraculous happening was no doubt the reason why the child began to compose hymns in praise of Shiva.

The short but significant life of Thirujnanasambandhar is retold with loving care by Sekkizhar.When the traditionalist father was aghast that his son had been fed milk by a stranger who may even have polluted the child, the little one pointed out the image of Shiva and sang the decade beginning: 'The one with bejeweled ears’. From now onwards father and son perigrinated all over Tamil Nadu spreading the fame of Shiva. At the temple of Tirukkolakka, the child - devotee received for his use a pair of cymbals by Shiva's grace.

Among great devotees of Shiva who had personal acquaintance with Thirujnanasambandhar, Thiruneelakanda Yazhpanar and Thirunavakkarasu deserve special mention. Though considered of low caste, Yazhpanar was yet highly honored by Thirujnanasambandhar and the former often used to accompany the young hymnologist on the lute. In fact, once when Yazhpanar could not follow Thirujnanasambandhar's hymn properly, he proceeded to break the lute but was calmed down by his gentle, young friend.


When Thirujnanasambandhar met Thirunavakkarasu, the latter was already advanced in age. Yet a deep camaraderie sprang between them and often they travelled together to holy places and hymned Shiva's glory. Together they restored the main entrance of the Thirumaraikkadu temple for daily use by praying to Shiva.Thirujnanasambandhar was also instrumental in gaining the grace of Shiva to resuscitate a bridegroom in Tirumarugal and a maiden in Mylapore.The most important facet in Thirujnanasambandhar's ministry took place in Madurai. The Pandya King was suffering from severe colic.Thirujnanasambandhar went there on the invitation of Queen Mangayarkkarasi who was a devotee of Shiva. The King was a Jain and the Jain monks in Madurai tried to harm the hymnologist. Fortunately Thirujnanasambandhar cured the King of his colic. The King was converted to Saivism. The Jains were defeated in theological debates by Thirujnanasambandhar and from then onwards the worship of Shiva spread all over the land.Thirujnanasambandhar was still very young when on the day of his wedding he reached the abode of Shiva along with his retinue.