The Kalagumalai Murugan Temple (Kalugasalamoorthy Temple) is a wonderful cave temple dedicated to Lord Murugan which is located in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. The temple is located a few kms far away from Kovilpatti. The great Saint and Murugan Devotee Sri Arunagirinathar has sung songs in praise of Sri Kalagumalai Murugan in his famous divine work, Thiruppugazh.
In the Opposite of the Kalakumalai Murugan Temple we can kind a small palace of the Ettayapuram princely state. Among the three temples where Murugan faces west, this temple is revered as the Rajayoga Temple by Kachchiyappa. The main deity of this temple is Murugan who appears along with his consorts Ma Valli and Deivanai. Near to this Murugan temple we can also find the temples: Kalakumalai Vettuvan Temple and Kalakumalai Jamanar Temple.
SONGS IN PRAISE OF SRI KAZHUGUMALAI MURUGAN
Oh Lord Kazhugumalai Muruga, using your Divine Spear,
You should uproot all hindrances.
All the mountains of sorrow which come towards me,
Should go away hearing the sound of your chariot.
When your peacock opens its feathers and dances My mind should sing the suitable melodious tune
And in my brain wisdom for the good,
Should grow along with the truth.
Oh Lord Kazhugumalai Muruga, who showed me the way out of the mire of worldly illusion,
Which tried to stick to me, who does not have holiness for getting salvation?
Oh merciful Lord Oh Lord Kazhugumalai Muruga who is the darling son of Lord Shiva,
Who holds the holy river Ganges and snake in his red forest like matted hair,
And who also wears the Thumbai flower and the single crescent of the moon.,
Oh people, who waste their time by not learning without mistakes,
The prayers addressed to Lord Kazhugumalai Muruga, which are capable of,
Destroying bad fate and avoids you being born to another mother, know that,
At the time of your death when the angry Yama with smoke filled eyes,
Rolls them and puts the noose in the rope of his in your neck to take out your life,
Without any benefit, possibly you would start learning them.
When the sharp Vel from the hands of Muruga,
Son of him who went in a decorated great chariot,
And destroyed the three cities, just by his laugh,
Split in to powder the mountain called Krouncha,
And destroyed the great formation of the army of asuras,
It managed to save the land of Indra, king of devas
Oh Lord Kazhugumalai Muruga, who along with his army killed within a second,
The very bad Soorapadma, with your sharp Velayudha,
Which made blood ooze out of his very black body?
So that the devas of heaven are saved,
Please tell me what shall be done by me because,
My mind prevents my five senses not think of your lotus like feet,
Nor think about your holy names, nor worship your feet with flowers
After drinking the milk of Uma who looks like a golden doll,
And who gave birth to the entire world and its beings,
After climbing and swinging in the floral cradle of Saravana stream,
After drinking the breast milk of the six Karthiga ladies,
Who cries and made cry the sea, Krouncha Mountain and Soorapadma,
When we slowly and slowly start loving that Kumara,
Who likes the breasts of the girl who guards the maize fields,
We would get in our mind the divine and great pleasure,
And as soon I tasted the sweetness that is spread by the great pleasure,
Suddenly to me the sweet sugarcane was salty and sweet honey bitter.
Oh Lord Kazhugumalai Muruga, who has the Vel, in the war with Soorapadma,
In the tank of blood oozing out of the chests of ghosts and asuras,
You jumped, drowned and drank and encouraged the devas,
To play in the battle field by sending your Vel,
And so please help me to remove the trance of ignorance,
In me, who is living in this world full of dishonesty and lies,
Which have tied me by foolish deeds and which make me sad.
Oh, Lord Kazhugumalai Muruga with six faces, what shall I tell about your kindness,
Which taught me the honey of happiness which was made by you,
In your top peak of your wisdom, mixed with your graceful pity,
And made me, who was living in empty solitude, clear my thoughts.
There is one truth taught to me by the royal lord of Valli,
Whose sweet words cannot be compared either to honey or syrup.
That great truth cannot be described by any words,
And which is not the five spirits of earth, water, fire, air and sky,
And which is neither he nor me, which has shape and also does not have shap.
Words from the mouth cannot describe the greatness of the Lord,
Who has with him the very powerful victorious Vel,
And who with his mountain like shoulders hugs the goddess Valli,
Who sweetly murmurs in his ears the song set to music of the mountain,
And who has reddish mouth resembling the Kovvai fruit.
That Lord in his position of stability bereft of all desires,
Taught me with his grace all that which can be told
The God Velayudha who has a bright dazzle and a Victorious Vel.
Rides on a peacock which runs faster than the horse, who churns the guts of Asuras
Due to speed generated because of its stirrup which is tightly held,
And which is constantly beaten by the whip,
And the wind generated by the movement of the wings of that peacock
Moves the Meru Mountain and the marching steps of that peacock,
Powders the mountains in all eight directions which sprayed dust,
And which turned even the oceans in to hills of dust.
“OM SRI KAZHUGUMALAI ANDAVARE NAMO NAMAHA”
COMPILED BY
- HARISHANKAR