Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 16,064

Date uploaded in London – 7 August 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

Purananuru wonders-50, Tamil Encyclopedia-90 , One Thousand Interesting Facts – Part 90

Item 736 Himalayas = Tirupparankundram hills!

Paripatal verse 8 on Lord Muruga/Skanda have very interesting details.

Himalayas = Tirupparankundram hills .

Himalayas is 1500 miles long and the highest mountain in the world .

Tirupparamkundram (TPK) is scaled even by London swaminathan , author of this article, many time; when we were school students our hobby is to go to Tirupparamkundram and Alagarkoil , abode of Vishnu and Lord Muruga/Skanda.

Then how come the poet compared it with the great Himalayas?

He says 33 Vedic gods, ashta dik palas, demons and sages came here to worship Lord Muruga/Skanda. So it is equal to Himalayas (the implication is all these people worshipped Siva and Skanda there also)

33 Vedic gods = 8 Vasus+ 11Rudras+12 Adityas+2 Asvin Twins

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Item 737

Another interesting detail:

The bees, the beetles and other insects raised music like Five Hole Flute, Seven Hole Flute and Lyre.

One more musical note: TPK drums competed with Madurai Drums.

Those drum sounds were heard like roaring seas, Indra’s Thunder etc.

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Item 738 Different types of swearing

A heated argument is narrated between the hero, heroine and her companion. He was accused of visiting a courtesan. But he denied it and said he can swear and show he is honest

Types of swearing recounted in the poem:

Swearing by touching sands of Vaigai river;

Swearing by touching the feet of Brahmins;

Swearing in the name of Lord Skanda=Muruga, his Vel/spear, his wife Valli, his vehicle Peacock.

These swearing types show all these were considered equally holy!

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Item 739 wife compromised and prayed for him

All courtesan visiting husbands are accepted by their wives and they pray for him; never locked out or turned back! Here also she prayed for him by ringing the bell though he came back from the house of a courtesan. Tamil women considered husbands as Gods as we find in Tirukkural ; the Tamil saying is Kaallananum Kanavan- Pullaannalum Purushan= Even if he is a stone, even if he is a grass, HE is GOD!

This is a popular Hindu belief seen in North as well ; we see Sita, Savitri, Damayanti , Draupadi etc supporting their husbands and shared their sufferings.

Kanavane Kan kanda Deivam (Husband indeed is the visible God)  is a popular old Tamil film.

( I was working for a charity in London. A Sri Lankan Tamil woman and her educated daughter came and reported the troubles given by the drunkard husband; I gave them several options including a referral to social service or police. She declined all those options saying she can’t act against her own husband; after coming to meet us a few times, they stopped coming; and the daughter is a BA English literature student! )

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Item 740  What did Tamils pray for?

A very interesting list of prayer demands is given in this 2000 year old poem:

They prayed for fresh floods in Vaigai River;

Prayed for becoming pregnant;

Prayed for their husbands getting wealth;

Prayed for victory in the war (so patriotic!); like our English foot ballers!

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Item 741  

This is composed by Nallanthuvan, a poet praised by Maruthan Ilanagan of Purananuru.

That shows Paripatal also is equally old.

We have a few references to Double headed bird; if one makes false swearing or promise, wife will die; Siva as Arudra star God; also the  custom of Tamils swearing by touching a cow or a brahmin or a woman.

Another point to be noted are the poets’ names :

Nal + Anthuvan; Nal+ Achyuthan ; like Sanskrit Su prefix, Tamils used Nal prefix. Both meant same (good)

To be continued…………………..

Tags- Purananuru wonders-50, Tamil Encyclopedia-90, One Thousand Interesting Facts – Part 90, item 741