“Hinduism says that we are sparks of God himself. The Saivaitees (followers of Lord Shiva) consider that this God is Lord Shiva,” explains Kirugambikai Ponnambalam in the introduction of her latest book, “Paramsothi Munivar’s Thiruvilayadal Puranam” which has curated a fabulous and rare collection of the earliest scriptures and fables of Lord Shiva, also known as “Puranams.”
Being one of the few published books ever to present these Puranams in English, Ponnambalam mentioned that she herself has a deep connection with these parables since she was a child. Raised in a traditional Hindu family where her father was the managing director at several Hindu temples, she stated that she reverently regarded and accepted Lord Shiva as her own divine father all throughout her life. “I have a deep affection for him and so did my family. I therefore learned everything in my life from God. We believed that God was not in some faraway land or in a different world, but lived among us.” she said. The author recounts how she had dreams of Lord Shiva and how her faith in him constantly guided her throughout her own life journeys. Growing up in Jaffna in the hometown where the renowned sage Yoga Swamigal lived also influenced her faith and devotion massively as she remembers him for his guidance and blessings that greatly impacted her life. Ponnambalam has a degree in Special Arts – Tamil at the University of Peradeniya and also studied Sanskrit as a subsidiary subject during her time as an undergraduate. She also holds a Masters in Tamil Language and Hindu Studies from the Colombo University, and mentions how the academics at the Colombo university guided and supported her as well in writing this book.
Ponnambalam in her book, lovingly retells 64 stories taken from The Thiruvilayadal Puranam that exhibit different aspects of Lord Shiva such as his kindness, grace, humour and anger through interesting and memorable fables from ancient Vedic literature. “Any God is attached to their devotees and they’re closer to us than we think. It is said that if one takes one step towards Lord Shiva, He takes three steps towards you. He comes in the form that you imagine.” says Ponnambalam. According to her, whoever one’s God is, being close to their faith and divinity teaches them how to think like God and therefore ultimately live like God. Ponnambalam started working on retelling these Puranams in English around fifteen years ago with the sole intention of familiarising these stories with the second and third generation of young readers who are interested in Hindu mythology but are struggling to access the literature. “Most of our young readers don’t know Tamil or Sanskrit, but they have the hunger for the knowledge.” stated Ponnambalam. Her own younger relatives were interested to learn more about Lord Shiva but they were struggling to find books in English that they could read. According to her, this is what propelled her to spearhead this creative project. To fan out these magnificent scriptures entailing this faith, across time and boundaries to those who are seeking it.
Ponnambalam recounts the challenges she underwent during transliterating the Tamil terms and words in the Puranas that were initially in the Tamil books and scriptures. In the Puranams, which were initially written in Sanskrit, the truth was taught by using real life stories of Vedic time. Sage Paramsothi Munivar, the original author of these puranams, wrote these stories in Tamil at the request of the people in Madurai. Munivar lived during the sixteenth century and in his young days was introduced to Vedas and Vedantas as well as Thevarams and other Tamil Saiva Siddhanta works. As a result of his dedication and love for Lord Shiva, he became a Munivar at a very young age and composed the Thiruvilayadal Puranam in Tamil later on. These tales creatively capture the grace, strength, power, gentleness and utter beauty of Lord Shiva’s divinity in traditional Hindu mythology, giving morals and advice which the readers can greatly benefit from and incorporate into their own lives. The translator, Ponnambalam’s profound love towards Lord Shiva, created her passionate ambition to publish these captivating stories for a wider, international audience. As mentioned in her book, Puranas are a form of ancient literature created to explain the nature of the universe and Lord Shiva who creates and remains as the universe. These stories are told so that human beings can grasp the “truth” and the readers to emulate and follow the good qualities and values of the holy divinity in order to lead a life closer to God. Ponnambalam reminisces how she was often selected in her family home to read the prose versions of Thiruvilayadal Puranam and how their young minds absorbed the contents and registered the relationship that they felt. “God is all about being generous, understanding and kind to the people in need and in trouble. What this essentially means is that God is wonderful.” says Ponnambalam.
The translator, Kirugambikai Ponnambalam’s daughter, described how her mother was always seen surrounded with religious texts. Her dedication and personal joy in working on this project can be seen throughout the book, as she retells these stories in understandable English with neat, creative and simple structure for the readers. According to Ponnnambalam, this is a book that has been in the works for a significant portion of her life, pouring in her faith, love, dedication, knowledge and time into preserving these texts that she holds near and dear. Her ultimate goal is to give the opportunity for the people who are interested in Hindu mythology access this knowledge and hsitory of Lord Shiva, aiming to enhance the lives of those who come to read it, just as it influenced, benefited and guided her own spiritual life.
– Gayanga Dissanayaka