Maragatham - A New Avatar of Valli?

Sankaranarayana Sastri, an erudite scholar by aptitude and an expert lawyer by profession, was deeply absorbed in his studies at his library room. His attention was diverted when he felt someone entering his room. Normally, no one used to enter his room when he was engaged in work. Now, when he looked up, he saw that his daughter, Maragatham was standing by his side.

Knowing Maragatham generally in a playful and jovial mood, Sastri was puzzled to see her in a serious posture now. He enquired what the matter was. The daughter then replied not by words but by a song. More than the strange behavior, Sastri was moved by the underlying meaning of the song. Being a scholar himself, he could grasp that the song conveyed an eternal truth which many saints were seeking through various means.

As she finished, Sastri said: “Very brilliantly composed and very beautifully rendered. Tell me, when and where did you learn this song? “Muruga came in my dream last night and graced me. The song came on its own”, she replied curtly.

The song began with the words: “In the beginning, there was only one. It became two and then three and then many.” Sastri, a learned Pundit could figure it out instantly. The figure „one; represented the eternal reality, Brahman, two represented Siva and Vishnu, three represented the addition of Brahma, the creator and the word „many; symbolized the different forms of God. This song reminds us of Arunagirinathar's Thiruppugazh in which he rendered a song that explained how 'one' became 'many' (Or Uruvakiaya Tharaka…).

Maragatham was born to Sankaranarayana Sastri and Sitalakshmi couple sometime in 1899 in Mylapore, Madras. She was appropriately named as Maragatha Valli. 'Maragatham' symbolizes the precious natural stone, emerald and Valli is synonymous with Muruga's consort, Valli. Hailing from an educated family of scholars and pundits, Sastri expected his daughter also to gain knowledge and engaged a private tutor for her. However, Maragatham did not evince interest in formal studies.

Since mother Sitalakshmi has passed away and father, spent most of his time in his own studies, Maragatham grew up in the company of Venkatasubba Iyer, her uncle. Sastri got his daughter, Maragatham married to Narasimhan in order to honour a commitment given by his father to a relative, a generation before. The Maragatham grew up hearing the great tales of Muruga from her grandmother who was an ardent devotee of Tiruttani Muruga.

Even after her marriage, Maragatham kept visiting her parents. She came to her father.s house during a Navaratri festival. While going to bed, she called her grandmother for reciting stories. The grand-mother, as usual, narrated stories about the glory of Tiruttani Muruga.

Hearing this story, Maragatham went to sleep. It was during this sleep, she saw the dream; the dream that turned a new leaf in her life. Since Muruga had appeared before the tribal girl, Valli and ultimately made her his consort, Muruga started making appearance to this Maragatha Valli also and gradually started capturing her heart. She was also known as Andavan Pichhai because she considered her life, her talent and devotion were all gifted to her by Muruga. Among the many songs she composed, the one which stands out and is still heard at many temples and houses is the one with the opening lines: “Ullam Uruguthayya”; the song wonderfully rendered by Sri T.M. Soundararajan.

Later, Maragatham explained her dream experience to her family members thus:

"Muruga came in my dream. He took my hands into his and said: "I love you." I felt he was taking possession of me. He blessed me like an acharya initiating his disciple to sainthood. I felt I am completely in the hands of Tiruttani Muruga. It is His grace that transformed me as a singer. He asked me to give him garlands, not made of jasmine or rose but made of sweet Tamil verses which reminded me of what Lord Ranganatha asked his devotee, Andal. Just as Tiruppavai started flowing from Andal, songs on the glory of Lord Muruga came freely from me. I did not pause for a second while composing. Scripts flowed naturally from me. I adored the broad twelve shoulders of Muruga with the garland of songs. In fact, Muruga had entered into the deep recess of my heart, took a permanent seat there and was composing songs for me."

Maragatham rendered many songs, instantly composed by her and hearing them, her parents and relations were delighted.

Ever since that day, Maragatham became an ardent devotee of Muruga, always rendering songs hailing the glory of the Lord. Though she lived in a world where her parents and relations were present, she mentally detached herself from it all. Only her body was here, attending to various services needed by her husband, children and relations but she, her supreme Self, was absorbed in Muruga. Though she mingled with her dear and near ones and appeared to be in the midst of Samsara, her heart always rested at the Lotus feet of Lord Muruga. Just as her name symbolized the radiance of the jewel, emerald, she wore the garland of emerald called Muruga and aspired to unite with Muruga.

The devotion which Maragatham cherished in her heart was pure like crystal and since she had only one aspiration of being united with Muruga, the Lord descended down, just as He came down to Vallimalai, the land of Nambirajan, to see Valli. When Muruga came then, Sundara Valli, as she was known in her previous birth, was guarding the millet fields. When Muruga came now, Maragatha Valli was in the hospital, a few days after she had delivered a baby.

While sitting in the hospital bed, with her baby nearby, Maragatham got the vision of Muruga. She then started singing songs in praise of Muruga, attributing his quality as a renounced saint. She was so involved in her song that she did not hear her baby crying. The nurse heard it and asked Margatham to attend to the baby. Hearing this incident from the nurse, her in-laws reprimanded Maragatham for neglecting her child. The songs she composed and kept in manuscript form were taken away from her and kept in a trunk and locked.

She referred Muruga as Aandi Pandaram, symbolizing the saint who has renounced everything and lived entirely on the food offered by the public. This attitude of total renunciation did not go well in a house whose members aspired for material prosperity. Though this created a little tension in the house, Maragatham went on her own way, singing songs, distancing herself from the material world and nearing herself to the Dhandayuthapani.

Many developments have taken place in her life thereafter. She gave birth to children, witnessed death of some and overcome problems on the family front, but Maragatham remained calm, composed and dispassionate; her attention always centered on Lord Muruga. In some of her songs, she ex- pressed her grievance against: “Oh! Lord Muruga! You appear now and disappear later. Why I do not experience you always?” Then, one day, Muruga came in her vision and said “Oh fool, why do you search me outside, when I reside deep inside your heart”?

Her life reached a turning point in the year 1948. She was climbing down the staircase. Then she slipped and fell down. She sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital. Her condition became critical and gradually she went into a coma state. She became conscious for sometime and then again went unconscious. She remained in this state, alternating between conscious- ness and unconsciousness, for about six months. Occasionally, when she re- gained consciousness, she asked: “Who are you”? “Who am I”? Apart from her inability to recognize others, she could not recognize herself.

All the health indicators; her pulse rate, blood pressure, heart beat pointed to the fact that her end was nearing. But Maragatham proved it all wrong. Just as Muruga is beyond beginning or end, Maragatham has proved that every end marks a beginning. (Anthadi Illa Iraivanukku...) It was not the end of Maragatham's life; it was the beginning of a new lease of life for her. Soon, she recovered and attended to her work. She resumed her devotional work of singing. As Arunagirinathar said in Kandar Anubhuti, she kept herself occupied with the only work of singing the glory of Muruga. (Paadum Paniye Paniyai Arulvai… Kandar Anubhuti).

While Maragatham was lying in a state of coma, someone from the family opened the trunk in which her mother-in-law had kept all the song scripts. These songs in manuscript form were sent to a great luminary, known as Thiruppugazh Mani. A gentleman who had gone to attend the Step Festival (Padi Vizha) at Tiruthani has returned with the message that Thiruppugazh Mani Iyer had greatly appreciated the songs composed by Maragatham and has taken steps to publish them. Thiruppugazh Mani Iyer had also kindly given a photo of Arunagirinathar, the author of Thiruppugazh to be passed on to her as prasadam.

Sometime in the year 1950, Maragatham had gone to Tiruvannamalai alongwith her friends. By the time they reached the temple of Arunachala, it was 10pm, too late for darshan. However, Maragatham and some of her friends managed to go inside and after worshipping Arunachala, they reached the shrine of Unnamalai Amman. There, they saw a young lad beckoning them. The boy helped them to conduct the pujas and gave them the prasad. When they asked his name, he said Dhandapani. The boy caught hold of the hands of Maragatham and led her to the shrine of Lord Muruga on the northern side and then disappeared.

It was exactly at this spot, Lord Muruga gave Darshan to his devotee Arunagirinathar which the saint-poet confirmed in his song thus: “I have received the darshan at the northern side of the tower of Arunai temple. (Adalarunai Thiru Gopurathe Antha Vayilukku Vada Arukil Senru Kandu Konden). When some members of the group went to the temple next morning enquired about the boy, the temple priests said that no such boy is on their roll and they also ruled out the possibility of anyone else performing puja at that late hour when temple was closed.

Source: Amrithavarshini-Pallavi-14

You may reach the author thru vsk_tiruppugazh@yahoo.com