Arunagirinathar, a Tamil Saiva saint-poet, dedicated his life to piety, writing devotional poetry, and singing in praise of God. He was a devoted worshipper of Lord Murugan and frequented the sacred Vedapureeswarar temple in Cheyyar.
The chief minister of the Kingdom became jealous of Arunagirinathar's fame and accused him of promoting false beliefs. To prove the existence of Lord Murugan, Arunagirinathar was summoned to a public gathering. He began performing his devotional songs, and miraculously, the form of Lord Murugan appeared before the crowd, saving Arunagirinathar's life.
Arunagirinathar composed his first song, "Mutthai Tharu," after this miraculous incident in Thiruvannamalai. He embarked on a journey visiting temples across South India and wrote around 16,000 songs, of which approximately 1,334 have been found to date. His songs advocate a virtuous and righteous life, establishing a new form of worship known as musical worship.
Arunagirinathar's notable works include Thiruppugazh, Thiruvaguppu, Kandar Alangaram, Kandar Anubhuti, Kandar Andhaadhi, Vel Viruttham, Mayil Viruttham, Seval Viruttham, and Thiru Elukūtrirukkai. Thiruppugazh holds a significant place in medieval Tamil literature, comparable to Thevaaram, while Kandar Alangaram is akin to Thiru Vaasagam and Kandar Anubhuti to Thiru Mandhiram for Lord Murugan's devotees.
In his Kandar Anubhuti, Arunagirinathar reveals his inclination towards Shaktism. He believed that Devi had incarnated on the Poosam Nakshatram day in various places to benefit mankind. He described the divine miracles of Devi in Thiruppugazh and exhibited familiarity with Vamachara rituals, although he emphasized internal (spiritual) worship over external (physical) worship of Devi.
The Thiruppugazh songs remained in manuscript form and were gradually forgotten until V.T. Subramania Pillai and his son V.S. Chengalvaraya Pillai recognized their value and published them. Subramania Pillai, a District Munsif, heard a rendition of a Thiruppugazh song during a visit to Chidambaram in 1871. Captivated by its beauty, he embarked on a mission to collect and publish the entire body of Thiruppugazh songs, which he accomplished through two volumes released in 1894 and 1901. Chengalvaraya Pillai later published a new edition of the book after his father's passing.
Arunagirinathar also visited numerous temples, including Shiva and Muruga temples. He composed a song about the Muruga temple in Melakadambur, describing how Lord Murugan blesses from the place where the tributary of the River Cauvery is the Vadavaaru.
Arunagirinathar exhibited a deep knowledge of music and rhythms in his compositions. Although the original music has not survived, musicians such as Kancheepuram Naina Pillai, Chittoor Subramaniam Pillai, G.N. Balasubramaniam, Alathur Brothers, M.M. Dandapani Deshikar, and A.S. Raghavan have set Tiruppug
azh to music. They employed various ragas (known as panns in Tamil) such as Varali, Lalita, Bhairavi, Malahari, Bowli, Gowla, Kuranji, and more. Arunagirinathar mentioned fundamental talas like Shashatputam, ShashapuTam, Shatpitaputrikam, Sampatveshtakam, and Udghattam, as well as Utsava, Darpana, and Charchari talas. His compositions are set in complex meters and follow the Chanda (meter-based) talas, forming an alternate system of talas.
Unfortunately, the original music of Arunagirinathar has been lost, leading to recent efforts to re-tune his compositions. Notable musicians like Kancheepuram Naina Pillai, Chittoor Subramaniam Pillai, G.N. Balasubramaniam, Alathur Brothers, M.M. Dandapani Deshikar, and A.S. Raghavan have set his songs to music. A.S. Raghavan's contributions were particularly significant, with more than 500 of Arunagirinathar's songs set to over 100 ragas, gaining mass popularity through his dedicated followers.
The popularity of Thiruppugazh led to the establishment of Thiruppugazh classes in both urban and rural areas. Thiruppugazh Anbargal, the devotees of Thiruppugazh, started performing in temples, music sabhas, and devotees' homes, attracting large audiences. Some of Arunagirinathar's students who settled in countries outside India also initiated Thiruppugazh classes, spreading the movement internationally.
Other musicians, such as Chitravina N. Ravikiran, have also set music to Tiruppugazh, further extending its reach. The efforts of these musicians and devotees have helped preserve and popularize Arunagirinathar's masterful creations.