The traditional narrative of her life may contain Puranic elements, but what cannot be denied is her core historicity.

It is noteworthy to mention here that Punithavati a.k.a. Karaikal Ammaiyar was not part of the royalty. She was a commoner, a housewife. As many as 1,500 years ago, this society gave her a good education, understood her spiritual inclinations, allowed her to pursue a spiritual life, visit far off holy places, respected her knowledge, accepted her literary knowledge and innovations in composing hymns, elevated her to the status of a saint and celebrates her till date.

Her legend spread in the region and you find mention of her from Kerala (though the general assumption is that the Karakkalamma in the legend is that of a Nair woman, there is a view that the legend of 12 clans in Kerala overlaps with that of Tamil legendary figures and the memory was lost on the later generation of Malayalis and Tamils. Please see this and the contrasting view here.

Around the same time in other parts of the world, similar exceptional women in pagan societies were getting killed and their knowledge derided as that of arising from Satan.

There is no one to remember Hypatia, the exceptional Egyptian scholar woman, who hailed from a similar pagan culture and who was a Hellenistic Neoplatonist philosopher.

Hypatia was brutally tortured and killed at the age of 60.

In the town of Karaikal, the festival of Mango in commemoration of her producing mango out of thin air due to the grace of Lord Shiva, is celebrated till date (Mangani Thiruvizha).

Usually, this is celebrated around July every year, and during this festival, people throw mangoes on to the statue of Lord Shiva from rooftops and participants catch them and carry them as prasad.

Her legend remains in the society and her hymns are sung in temples and houses.

Every Indian should be proud of Karaikal Ammaiyar and also of the greatness of our society that recognised such exceptional women.

We should feel grateful for the unbroken tradition due to which we still recognise and celebrate such exceptional women.

An Indian Express story on the beautiful Chola Statue (11^th Century) of her can be seen here. Some other verses of Karaikal Ammai are:

இடர்களையா ரேனும் எமக்கிரங்கா ரேனும்
படரும் நெறிபணியா ரேனும் - சுடருருவில்
என்பறாக் கோலத் தெரியாடும் எம்மானார்க்
கன்பறா தென்நெஞ் சவர்க்கு.

“Even if He does not end my misery, even if He does not take pity on me, even if He does not instruct me on the path (to Him), I will still love with all my heart, Him who dances in the crematorium with fire on His hand.”

வானத்தான் என்பாரும் என்கமற் றும்பர்கோன்
தானத்தான் என்பாரும் தாமென்க- ஞானத்தான்
முன்நஞ்சத் தாலிருண்ட மொய்யொளிசேர் கண்டத்தான்
என்நெஞ்சத் தானென்பன் யான்.

“Some say that He resides in the sky/heaven. Others say that He, as the Lord of the Devas, is in their land. But I know for certain that He with the black throat (Neelkanth) dwells in my heart in form of ‘knowledge’ (and He is mine)”

யானே தவமுடையேன் என்னெஞ்சே நன்னெஞ்சம்
யானே பிறப்பறுப்பான் எண்ணினேன்- யானே அக்
கைம்மா வுரிபோர்த்த கண்ணுதலான் வெண்ணீற்ற
அம்மானுக் காளாயி னேன்.

“Seems I have done penance in my previous birth to have been blessed with a good heart which longs to be freed from the cycle of birth and death. Glad that I have become a slave to the Three-eyed who has wrapped Himself with the hide of the elephant and is wearing the sacred ash.”

அருளே உலகெலாம் ஆள்விப்ப தீசன்
அருளே பிறப்பறுப்ப தானால்- அருளாலே
மெய்ப்பொருளை நோக்கும் விதியுடையேன் எஞ்ஞான்றும்
எப்பொருளும் ஆவ தெனக்கு.

“It is His Arul that rules over the world and it comes from Him; can end my birth. It is due to it that I was destined to understand the Truth. His Arul is everything for me.”

இனியோநாம் உய்ந்தோம் இறைவன் அருள்சேர்ந்தோம்
இனியோர் இடரில்லோம், நெஞ்சே - இனியோர்
வினைக்கடலை யாக்குவிக்கும் மீளாப் பிறவிக்
கனைக்கடலை நீந்தினோம் காண்.

“From now on, we stand redeemed; we are blessed with the grace
Of the Lord; o heart, no more will we suffer; we have now
Crossed the roaring ocean of interminable transmigration
Which mothers the sea of Karma.”

காண்பார்க்குங் காணலாந் தன்மையனே கைதொழுது
காண்பார்க்குங் காணலாங் காதலாற் - காண்பார்க்குச்
சோதியாய்ச் சிந்தையுளே தோன்றுமே தொல்லுலகுக்
காதியாய் நின்ற அரன்.

“Hara(n) who is the Primal Cause of the hoary world, can be
Beheld by them who fold their hands in adoration (surrender to Him)
And by those who love Him; (to such persons) He manifests
As light in their inner chamber of Chitta (Chittākāsha) “

அரனென்கோ நான்முகன் என்கோ அரிய
பரனென்கோ பண்புணர மாட்டேன் - முரண் அழியத்
தானவனைப் பாதத் தனிவிரலாற் செற்றானை
யானவனை எம்மானை இன்று.

“With His unique toe He quelled the might (of Ravana);
Shall I call Him Hara or the Four-faced
Or Hari? Alas, I canst not, this day,
Comprehend His (multifoliate) Godliness.”

அவனே இருசுடர் தீ ஆகாசம் ஆவான்
அவனே புவிபுனல் காற் றாவான் - அவனே
இயமான னாய்அட்ட மூர்த்தியுமாய் ஞான
மயனாகி நின்றானும் வந்து.

“He indeed becomes the two flames, the fire and the Akash too;
He, becomes earth, water and air; He indeed is
The soul and the eight forms (Ashta Moorti) ; truly it is He
Who abides as the Lord of knowledge (Gnana/Gyan).”

இங்கிருந்து சொல்லுவதென் எம்பெருமான் எண்ணாதே
எங்கும் பலிதிரியும் எத்திறமும் - பொங்கிரவில்
ஈமவனத் தாடுவதும் என்னுக்கென் றாராய்வோம்
நாமவனைக் காணலுற்ற ஞான்று.

“Our Lord, oblivious of His glory, goes abegging in sundry ways;
At night when darkness swells, He dances in the crematory.
Why does He do so ? This we will probe into that day when
We behold Him. Of what avail are our words now uttered here?”

[Note: Lord Shiva is depicted as Bikshatana, the mendicant/beggar who removed the vain glory of brahmins. The iconography is found in almost all Shiva temples built by Cholas possibly to denote that devotion to God and real knowledge is superior to rituals]

இவரைப் பொருளுணர மாட்டாதார் எல்லாம்
இவரை யிகழ்வதே கண்டீர் - இவர்தமது
பூக்கோல மேனிப் பொடிபூசி என்பணிந்த
பேய்க்கோலங் கண்டார் பிறர்.

“Others who behold His flower-red body bedaubed
With ash, decked with bones and looking like a ghoul’s,
Canst comprehend the truth about Him.
Are these to dispraise Him ? Lo, discern the truth.

karaikal ammaiyar

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