Ramalinga emphasised the bonds of responsibility & compassion between living beings and he called it Jeevakarunya.
He says “Service to mankind is the path to attain Salvation”.
He expressed the view that ‘those who lack compassion for suffering beings are hard-hearted, their wisdom clouded.’
Universal Brotherhood
Treating all souls as equal
Creating awareness to individual’s self-disciplines.
No killing of animals
No eating of flesh
Jeeva Karunya: Showing mercy to the hungry and feeding them
He established the “Samarasa Vedha Sanmarga Sangam” in 1856 and it was renamed “Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Satya Sanga” in 1865 which means “Society for Pure Truth in Universal selfhood”.
In 1870 he established ‘Sathiya Gnana Sabha’
Ramalinga also established a free feeding house the Satya Dharma Saalai for everyone irrespective of caste at ‘Vadalur‘ (1867), in the wake of a terrible famine in south India in 1866.
His radical views deeply disturbed Saiva orthodoxy, who condemned his writings as ‘Marutpa‘ (songs of ignorance).
Ramalinga bore witness to hunger and poverty in the country: “I saw poor people, emaciated with hunger and terribly weary, going to every house, yet their hunger was not removed, and my heart suffered intensely. Those who suffer with relentless disease, I saw them in front of me and my heart trembled. I saw those people, poor and of unmatched honor, their hearts weary, and I grew weak.”
Bharathiyar praised him as a “Pudhunerikanda Pulavar“.
Books Published by Vallalar
Sinmaya Theepigai
Olivilodukkam
Thondai Mandala Sathagam
Proses Composed by Vallalar
Manumurai Kanda Vaasagam
Jeevakaarunya Olukkam
Thiruvarutpa
The collection of 6000 songs of him is called Thiruvarutpa (Songs of Grace).
It was classified into Six Thirumurai. First four Thirumurai are published by Tholuvur Velayuthanar‘
Vaikunda Swamikal (1809-1851)
Born: Sasthan Koil Vilai, the present Samithoppu, a village near Kanyakumari.
Original Name: Mudichudum Perumal
It was changed to Muthukutty by his parents due to objection raised by the upper caste Hindus.
He preached the ideas of equality and advocated the rights of depressed class people in the face of stiff opposition from upper castes as well as the princely state of Travancore.
Vaikunda Swamikal criticised the rule of the British and the rule of Rajah of Travancore as the rule of “White devils and Black devils” respectively.
He visited Tiruchendurtemple and experienced a new vision.
Calling himself ‘Vaikundar‘, he requested the people to give up all the irrelevant rites and rituals in their worship.
In 1833, Vaikundar commenced his meditation at Samithoppu for the abolition of caste differences and social integration of the society.
When there was prohibition on certain sections on wearing headgear he advocated the wearing of a turban in protest.
It gave a sense of honour to the oppressed people and offered a spirit of self-respect.
Vaikunda Swamigal condemned the worship of idols.
The low caste people had no temples for their gods, they erected small pyramids of mud or bricks in their honor, plastered and white-washed.
He condemned these religious customs and campaigned against animal sacrifice.
Vaikunda Swamigal founded ‘Samathuva Samajam’ to unite all the people of various castes. He organized inter-dining (Thuvayal Panthi (or) Thuvayal Thavasu) to accomplish it.
Even though he was imprisoned by the Maharajah of Travancore, he never gave up his principles.
His followers called him respectfully as ‘Ayya’ (father).
His cult was also known as ‘Ayya Vazhi’ (The Path of Ayya).
‘Nizhal Thangal’ are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi.
Religious works
Arulnool
Akila Thirattu Ammanai describes about the life history of Vaikunda Swamigal was compiled by one of his follower ‘Ramagopal’
Iyothee Thassar (1845-1914)
Original Name: Kaathavarayan
Pandithar Iyothee Thassar (1845-1914) was a radical Tamil scholar, writer, siddha medicine practitioner, journalist and socio political activist.
Born in Chennai, he was fluent in Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Pali languages.
He married a woman from the Nilgiri Todar tribe and lived in Rangoon for ten years.
He campaigned for social justice and worked for the emancipation of the “untouchables” from the caste clutches.
He founded the ‘Advaidananda Sabha’ to raise the voice for the temple entry of the “untouchables”.
In 1882, John Rathinam and lyothee Thassar established a movement called, ‘Dravida Kazhagam’ and launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in 1885.
He founded the ‘Dravida Mahajana Sabha’ in 1891and organised the First Conference of the association at Nilgiris.
He started a weekly journal, ‘Oru Paisa Tamilan’, in 1907 and published it until his demise in 1914. Later it was renamed into ‘Tamilan’.
Influenced by the Theosophist organizer, ColonelH.S. Olcott, he went to Sri Lanka in 1898 and converted to Buddhism.
In the same year, he founded the ‘Sakya Buddhist Society’ at Madras to construct the rational religious philosophy through Buddhist religion.
He argued that the so-called untouchables were originally Buddhists who were stigmatized by Brahmanism.
He further constructed an alternative history through the interpretation of Tamil literature and folk traditions of Tamil from a Buddhist standpoint.
In addition, he stated that the revival of Buddhism could liberate the people from the evil of caste that affected the Hindu society.
He called the “untouchables” Sathi Petham Atra Dravidar (Casteless Dravidians) and urged them to register as casteless Dravidians in the Census.
He is considered as the Founder of Tamil Buddhist renaissance movement in Tamil Nadu.
Impact of Social and Religious Movements
The Social and religious reform movements brought about remarkable changes in the society & religion. These movements greatly helped to abolish some of the evils like sati, child marriage and untouchability.
It promoted education, encouraged widow remarriage, inter-caste marriages and inter-dining. It instilled social awakening and sprit of nationalism in the minds of Indians.
