Faith Column | February 17, 2026

We are affectionate towards our family. We have great loyalty to our friends. But what happens when we die? How long are we in their thoughts? Thirumoolar, in a verse, describes the reaction of a person’s loved ones when he dies, said So. So Meenakshisundaram in a discourse. Relatives and friends cry out loudly for the departed soul. They lament his death. Soon they stop referring to him by name, but talk of him as “the body,” while they make arrangements for the funeral rites. Then they take the body to the burning ghat, where they set fire to it. Relatives then take a dip in a river, and then forget all about the dead man. When attachments are temporary and even memories are not permanent, why do we give so much importance to worldly attachments?

In verse 11 of his Kandar Anubhuti, great Muruga bhakta Arunagirinatha prays to Lord Murugan, asking Him to save him from such a fate. Arunagirinatha does not want his lifeless body to fall to the ground. He does not want to be surrounded by his family, who will weep over his body. He wants Murugan to save him from such a situation. Murugan changed Arunagirinatha into a parrot, and kept this parrot on his shoulder. Murugan of Thiruchengode draws many pilgrims and is called Sengottuvelan. Arunagirinatha refers to Sengottuvelan as ‘Nagasala Velava,’ Nagasala being another name for Thiruchengode. There are four kinds of poets — Asu kavi (spontaneous poet), madurakavi (poet who comes up with sweet words), chithira kavi (one capable of composing pattern poetry) and vistaara kavi (one who can write elaborate poetry). Murugan confers on people the ability to compose all four kinds of poetry. He also rewards them with His nearness to them. In Kandar Anubhuti, Thiruchengode is celebrated and praised by Arunagirinatha.