Thirumangai Alvar - Married Life

Married Life

According to the traditional account, he married Kumudavalli, a Vaishnava doctor's adopted daughter at a place Thiruvellakkulam (also known as Annan Kovil)and became a Vaishnava, devotee of the Hindu god Vishnu, under her influence. The temple-god of Thirunaraiyur (Naraiyur Nindra Nambi) - a form of Vishnu - is believed to have initiated Thirumangai into Vaishnavism, by teaching him the pancha samskara. Kumudavalli also got him to promise that he would feed a 1008 Vaishnavas every day for a year. Unable to bear the heavy expense of feeding a thousand people, Thirumangai resorted to highway robbery. One day, Thirumangai tried to remove rings from the toes of a bridegroom but could not do so. Then he realized the bride was none other than the Supreme god Vishnu. Narayana revealed himself to Kaliyan and transformed him by teaching the Narayana mantra or Ashtaksara (the eight syllabled) - "namo narayanaya", turning the robber into a saint and starts singing the first verse of Peria Thirumozhi/ Peria Thirumoli (Vaadinen Vaadi).

The first ten verses of Thirumangai's poem Periya Tirumoli sing of his transformation, after receiving the spiritual knowledge from Vishnu. He sings about his transformation thus:

I became a thief
deceitful and dishonest
I wandered hither and thither
yet light dawned upon me -
I reached Your feet
and instantly your grace fell upon me
with melting heart and choked voice
your praises I sing
bathed in streaming tears
I repeat day and night
the sacred name of Narayana (Vishnu)