Gurus
St Santhalinga Adigalar
Sri Santhalinga Swami lived in the second half of the 17th century A.D. He is believed to have been born in Thondai Nadu (Chengalput district) in Tamil Nadu.
From his childhood, he had a passion for serving and was very pious and loved to adore Siva and serve His devotees. He had learned all the Sastras and longed to visit the shrines of Siva and Holy Men and to be initiated in the path of getting over samsara. In one of his pregenerations, he happened to meet the mystic saint Adi Sivaprakasa Swami at Thiruvannamalai. Sivaprakasa Swami was the disciple of the illustrious Sri Namasivayamurthy, Head of Thiruvavaduturai Mutt. Sivaprakasar performed many miracles in his life. One of the monumental works of Adi Sivaprakasar is the treatise ADVAITA VENBA which is a masterly exegetic work on Virasaivam and Sivadvaita.
Santhalinga Swami had Guru Diksa from this Adi Sivaprakasar. Earlier he was a disciple of Kalathi Swami who was not popular at that time. He had also heard of another mystic saint Siva Gnana Paalaya Swami of Bommapuram (South Arcot District) who came in the line of the great Siddhar called Bala Siddhar. On his way to meet him, Sivaprakasar met Turaimangalam Sivaprakasa Swami, the celebrated author of Siddhanta Sikhamani, Prabhulinga Leelai, etc.
They both met Siva Gnana Paalaya Swami and were blessed by him. Santhalingar married Turaimangala Sivaprakasa Swami’s sister Gnanambikai. He chose Perur (called Melai Chidambaram) on the bank of Noyyal River in Kongu Nadu (Coimbatore District) for his divine mission and set up a Mutt there and taught a number of disciples and practiced Nisthai. On one occasion he was blessed by the vision of Lord Nataraja and his Consort seated on Nandi and remained in Samadhi for a long time. He had been teaching his disciples the highest order of renunciation. This filled them with a doubt why the teacher himself had not renounced. The story goes that Santhalingar asked his partner to sit by his side when giving instructions to the disciples. When he was discoursing the disciples lost all sense of this world and felt devoted as if they were in the presence of Siva and Parvathi. They realized their mistake in this count and accepted their guru being a householder and repented for their fault. Henceforth Santhalingar renounced and lived a life of utter renunciation living on only alms.
During his religious ministry, he had discovered a distinguished disciple, a prince of the Kannada country who renounced his worldly pleasure and came to him for initiation. His name was Kumara Deva. Like Siddhartha of ancient history, he renounced his wife and kingdom in his early life. His work, Maharaja - Thuravu (King’s Renunciation) which is autobiographical, contains a touching story of great vairagya. He has also written another book Sutha Sathagam. After a few days of instruction, Santhalingar ordered Kumara Deva to go to Vriddhachalam (in South Arcot district). The disciple obeyed the holy orders of his Guru. At Vriddhachalam, Kumara Deva was granted grace by the Goddess Vridhambigai, who revealed to him the secret of Tattvamasi, the Mahavakya of the Vedas. Kumara Deva accordingly wrote his greatest book Suddha Saadhakam, the Path of Pure Consciousness. Including this, he wrote in all 16 sastras which deal with the highest philosophy and the holy path for the realization of God.
Yet another illustrious disciple was Chidambara Swami. He was a learned man from Madurai and he was fortunate to meet Kumara Deva and study Gnana sastras at his feet. Kumara Deva, one day took Chidambaram to Perur to pay obeisance to his Guru Santhalingar and stay for a few days. Before leaving, Kumara Deva requested Santhalingar to take young Chidambaram as a disciple. Santhalingar told Kumara Deva to give initiation himself and teach him the truths of Veerasaivism. Kumara Deva accordingly carried out the master’s desire. When they next visited Santhalingar, he admired the learning of Chidambara Swami and asked him to write a commentary on his works. Chidambaram carried out the wish and it is said that Santhalingar had approved the commentaries. Chidambara Swami’s most important work is Tirupporur Sannidhi Murai, a garland of poems in praise of Lord Muruga at Tirupporur (nearly 30 kms south of Madras/Chennai City). He founded a Mutt at Tirupporur which exists today also.
Thus Santhalinga Swami was the inspirer of Kumara Deva and Chidambara Swami. He himself was inspired by Adi Sivaprakasa Swami. He had, as mentioned elsewhere contacts with Bommapuram Gnana Paalaya Swami and Turaimangalam Sivaprakasa Swami who were giants both in realization and unfathamable learning. Santhalingar was thus one of the three great Virasaiva preceptors who started mutts and gathered a large number of followers and wrote many treatises of which the work Avirodha Undiyar is the most celebrated one.
Santhalinga Swami imbibed the spirit of tolerance and understanding and did not decry other schools of thought, but emphasized the essential identity of all the core. He was not merely a metaphysician but also a mystic and placed greater emphasis on Self-realisation or anubhava( experience) than mere knowledge. All the sastras that he wrote bear this hallmark. He did not indulge in polemics or in vain disputations. Nor did he place emphasis on ritualism. In fact, Virasaiva practice itself is the highest Sivayoga which is the sadhana taught by all schools of Saivism. The great mystery of the identity of self with Brahman is not realised through books and logic but by the practice of the highest yoga and by the observance of non-killing and detachment. The four works that he wrote were Kolaimarutthal(abstinence from killing), Vairaagya Sathakam, Vairaagya Deepam, and Avirodha Unthiyar. Santhalingar spread his message through these works and by sending out his disciples to many parts of the country to propagate his ideals. The Mutt at Perur was the fountainhead of all these activities. It maintains that tradition even now. It is probable that Santhalingar went on a mission to Yaazhpaanam in Ceylon. Santhalingar attained “Istalinga Mukthi” after fulfilling his mission. His day of Mukthi is the Maha Nakshatra day in the month of Masi. His Sanidhi (Shrine) is in Perur on the bank of Noyyal River and east of Pattiswarar Temple and is visited by thousands of people.
St. Ramasamy Adigalar
In the lineage of Lord Santhalingar which has been doing an immense work for the welfare of human beings and their prosperity, St Ramaswamy Adigalar has been the head for over 34 years. He has been individually loyal to all the responsibilities he had undertaken, and put his heart and soul for the steady growth of the Mutt, Saivism, Religion and Tamil. His unselfish service for the poor and the needy is ineffable, which are highly admired by people from all walks of life. He has opened schools and colleges and has brought education nearer to the doorsteps of the rural and under privileged people. He is a strong spokesman of “Dharma” and respected and reverentially acclaimed as a great Saint of Hindu. He is an expert in the art of restoration of temples and has the rules of Kumbabhisegam at his fingertips.
Not only in India but also throughout the world, he has been traveling tirelessly to create an awareness of the values of our philosophy in the minds of the people. During his visits to foreign countries, he has been attracting people of other religions who voluntarily committed themselves to follow his principles. It is his remarkable effort through which he succeeded in making all chant mantras in Tamil at temples in Tamil Nadu.
His monumental work continues with a strong foundation of pillars of religion for the wide propagation of Hinduism.
St Maruthasala Adigalar
Adigalar was born as a holy son of Velusamy and Subbathal. His father is the son of Sivaramasamy Adigalar and his mother is the daughter of Maruthakutty of Maniakarampalayam. His nativity is Mudalipalayam near Annur of Coimbatore district which has a strong historical heritage. Mudalipalayam is a small rural village where the holy Ramanantha Mutt is situated and it is founded by Sivaramasamy Adigalar. This village was praised by St Kandasamy Swamigal- an acclaimed poet of the era. He was a disciple to St Ramanandha Adigalar and also Keeranatham Maruthasala Adigalar.
Adigalar had his primary education at Panchayat Union Primary School at Mudalipalayam and high school education at Government High School Mudalipalayam. He studied at PSG Arts College (PUC), Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya (BA, MA), Government Law College (BL), Thavathiru Santhalinga Adigalar Tamil College (MA; MPhil) and Ph.D from Bharathiar University on the thesis “Santhalinga Adigalar Tamil Work and Religious Thoughts”.
In his formative age, he maintained a good rapport with ’Siravai Aadheenam’. He stayed with the holy saint Vethathiri Maharishi for more than 10 years. In 1989, he started his spiritual work in Perur Aadheenam under the guidance of his holy Mentor.
He obtained his Ittalinga Theeksai in 1991 made Ilaya Pattam in 1994 and attained hermithood in 1996. After the demise of St. Ramasamy Adigalar on 31 August 2018, he was crowned as the Head of Perur Mutt on 10-9-2018 and continues his religious service relentlessly and takes a keen interest in the administration of the Mutt.