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- Sthala PuranPamban Swamigal was born sometime between 1848 and 1850 to a Saivite family in the town of Rameswaram, which then was part of the Ramnad District. He was named Appāvu but later became known as Pamban Swamigal as he had lived and left his family at Pamban Island. A psychic predicted that Appāvu would be great man of words and wisdom. In his school days, Appāvu was very good in his studies and other activities and ranked high in Tamil and English.
At the age of thirteen, on a Friday at sunrise Appāvu had a vision and was induced to write poems on Lord Kumāraguru, which he wrote immediately on a palm leaf in a facile pen in his coconut estate. He wrote one poem each day before his lunch for 100 days, ending each decad with his manasika guru`s name Arunagiri Nāthar. After seeing Appāvu`s poem, a temple priest named Seddu Madhava Iyer marveled at the young boy`s knowledge of Tamil and his faith in Lord Murugan. Later Appāvu was given upadesam on the holy six-letter mantra on Vijaya Dasami day at Agni Tīrtham by the Rameswaram seashore temple and was made to read Sanskrit by Sethu Madhava Iyer.
Since Pāmban Swāmi was interested in the holy life from the early days, his parents and guru Sethu Madhava Iyer were keen to get him married soon in the year 1878. His wife`s name was Kalimuthami; they had one son and two daughters. Even after marriage Pamban Swami lived like a saint, mostly doing pujas and prayers. After his father`s death Pāmban Swāmi took over the family business. He won many legal cases related to his business by the grace of Lord Murugan.
One night Pāmban Swāmi`s daughter was crying due to illness. Her mother requested Pamban Swami to give vibhuti to the crying child but Pāmban Swāmi refused to do so and informed his wife to pray to Lord Murugan for help and started his meditation to Lord Murugan. She did as she was told by Pāmban Swāmi. After sometime Pamban Swami saw the child was not crying and found her fast asleep. When Pāmban Swāmi asked the mother about the change she replied that after her prayer to Lord Murugan, a saintly figure came inside the house and applied vibhuti on the child and went away. From that moment on the child was cured. He felt that Lord Murugan himself came and helped him at their request.
In 1891 Pamban Swami wrote Shanmuga Kavacham, a powerful hymn of 30 verses composed for the benefit of Lord Murugan`s devotees to protect them from illness of body and mind as well as from foes, wild beasts, poisonous creatures, demons, devils and biting insects. Several instances prove that this Shanmuga Kavacham verses effective in this respect. If you recite it with heart and soul to Lord Murugan, the results will be swift and miraculous.
On his arrival at Egmore railway station in Madras a cartman came to Pamban Swami and requested Pamban Swami to sit in his cart. Without saying anything Pamban Swami sat in the jatka. The cartman took Pamban Swami to St. George Town to house number 41 Vaithiyanath Mudali Street. Pamban Swami got down from the jatka and in front of him an old lady Mrs. Bangaru Ammal came to Pamban Swami and told him that in a dream the previous night Lord Murugan had said that a saint would come to her house and that she should provide him with food and accommodation. And Pamban Swami accepted her invitation and stayed there for some time.
In December 1923 Pamban Swami had an accident at Thumbu Chetty Street in Madras. Pamban Swami was run over by a jatka and his left ankle was broken. He was admitted to the General Hospital. The doctors who attended upon Pamban Swami`s leg said it would have to be amputated.
Pamban Swami was only praying and said `Let them do what they want do.` On hearing the news only Chinaswami Jothidar had extraordinary faith in Pamban Swami`s poem Shanmuga Kavacham and started to recite it. Chinnaswamy Jothidar had a vision of the Vel entering Pamban Swami`s broken ankle. Miraculously the leg was cured in the hospital. Even British doctors were astonished and described it as divine grace.
On the 11th day Pamban Swami saw two peacocks dance before him and also saw Lord Murugan in an infant form lying next to his bed. In remembering the day Pamban Swami told his followers of the Maha Tejo Mandal Sabhai to believe in Lord Murugan and to do Mayūravahana Sevana Vizhā without fail, which is still done annually at his temple in Thiruvanmiyur. Pamban Swami`s life proves this- `Vēlum Mayilum Thunai` is a not just a saying; it really helps sincere devotees in need.
One day Pamban Swami called Chinaswami Jothidar to look for land in Tiruvanmiyur as his last days were near. Pamban Swami marked the floor corners with his leg all arrangements were made to for that portion of land to be purchased. On 30 May 1929 at 7:15 am Pamban Swami called his followers and advised them to believe in Lord Murugan. Then he took a deep breath, held it inside his stomach and entered samādhi state.
Pamban Swamigal was a believer one God that is Siva the Para Brahman and Subrahmanya is part of Siva and comes from Siva. He clarifies this in his book Subrahmanya Veyasam. Pamban Swami got the name `Kumara Guru Dāsa Swāmigal` because of his deep love for Palani Murugan. His Sanskrit teacher named him as Kumara Guru and also as Pāmban Swāmigal because Swami lived and left his family at Pāmban Island.
Pamban Swami`s full name is Adhyaasrama Suddha Vaidheega Saiva Siddhantha Gnanabānu, which means Pamban Swami is full of sayasi[check spelling]. He was a sanyasi who followed the suddha advaita in the Vaideha way of Saiva Siddhanta in the Dāsa Marga.
In his lifetime Pamban Swami wrote 6,666 poems, 32 viyasams and 1000 names of Lord Murugan. By reading his Gnānamūrtham hymn one will benefit in both worlds. He composed poems on Lord Kumara in more than 130 different forms as per Tamil grammar. Pamban Swami always liked to do silent Akā Pūja rather than audible pūja.
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