murugankandar-alankaramarunagirinatharkartikeya

කන්තර් අලඞ්කාරම්

கந்தர் அலங்காரம் in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Early morning or evening; especially Tuesdays, Krittika nakshatra, Skanda Shashthi and Murugan festival days·📜 Tamil devotional literature (Murugan / Kaumara tradition)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Tamil devotional literature (Murugan / Kaumara tradition) · Arunagirinathar · c. 15th century CE

Kandar Alankaram was composed by Arunagirinathar, the Tamil saint-poet and supreme devotee of Lord Murugan. Tradition holds that after a wayward youth he was saved and graced by Murugan, who touched his tongue with the Vel, after which inspired Tamil poetry flowed from him. Where the Tiruppugazh is a vast garland of rhythmic songs and the Kandar Anubhuti a concentrated mystical cry, the Kandar Alankaram is his 'garland of ornament' — verses of dazzling poetic craft that adorn Lord Skanda with praise, recount his deeds and shrines, and voice the saint's wonder at the grace that freed him from the bondage of birth.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally held that Arunagirinathar sang the Kandar Alankaram by the direct grace of Murugan, who had restored and blessed his life; devotees believe its verses carry mantric power, and that to recite them with faith is to feel the Vel of Murugan cut away the fetters of karma and birth, just as the saint himself declares in its very first verse.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

කාප්පු පේර්රෛත් තවඤ්සර්රු මිල්ලාත වේ̀න්නෛප්රපඤ්සමේ̀න්නුම් සේර්රෛක් කඏඉය වඏඉවිට්ටවා! සේ̀ඤ් සටාටවිමේල් ආර්රෛප් පණියෛ යිතඏඉයෛත් තුම්පෛයෛ යම්පුලියින් කීර්රෛප් පුනෛන්ත පේ̀රුමාන් කුමාරන් ක්රුපාකරනේ.

kAppu pEtRaith thavanjsatRum illAdha ennaip prabanjcham ennum sEtRaik kazhiya vazhiviTTavA! senj saDADavimEl AtRaip paNiyai idhazhiyai thumbaiyai ambuliyin keetRaip punaindha perumAn kumAran kirubAgaranE.

Meaning:காப்பு (मंगलाचरण): हे कृपा के सागर, उस महान् प्रभु (शिव) के पुत्र (कुमार) — जो अपनी लालिमायुक्त जटा-वन पर गंगा, सर्प, कोंद्रै एवं तुम्बै पुष्प तथा चन्द्र-कला धारण करते हैं — आपने मुझ जैसे, जिसमें तनिक भी पुण्य या तप नहीं, को इस संसार रूपी कीचड़ से पार होने का मार्ग कितनी कृपा से दिखाया!

Verse 2

නූල් ඉටුතලෛස් සර්රුඞ් කරුතේනෛප් පෝතමිලේනෛයන්පාර් කේ̀ටුතලි ලාත්තෝ̀ණ් ටරිර්කූට් ටියවා! කිරේ̀ළඤ්ස වේ̀ර්පෛ අටුතලෛස් සාතිත්ත වේලෝන් පිරවි යරවිස්සිරෛ විටුතලෛප් පට්ටතු විට්ටතු පාස විනෛවිලඞ්කේ.

nUl iDudhalaich satRunj karudhEnaip pOdhamilEnai anbAl keDudhali lAth thoNDariR kUTTiyavA! kireLanjcha veRpai aDudhalaich sAdhiththa vElOn piRavi aRavich siRai viDudhalaip paTTadhu viTTadhu pAcha vinaivilangE.

Meaning:(1) मुझ जैसे, जिसने दान का विचार तक न किया, जो ज्ञानहीन है — आपने कितने प्रेम से मुझे अपने अनन्य भक्तों की संगति में मिला लिया! हे क्रौञ्च पर्वत को विदीर्ण करने वाले वेलधारी — अब जन्म (संसार) का कारागार पूर्णतः खुल गया, और बन्धन एवं कर्म की बेड़ियाँ टूट गईं।

Verse 3

කරුමාන් මරුකනෛස් සේ̀ම්මාන් මකළෛක් කළවුකෝ̀ණ්ටු වරුමා කුලවනෛස් සේවර් කෛක්කෝළනෛ වානමුය්යප් පෝ̀රුමා විනෛස්සේ̀ර්ර පෝර්වේල නෛක්කන්නිප් පූකමුටන් තරුමා මරුවුසේ̀ඞ් කෝටනෛ වාඏත්තුකෛ සාලනන්රේ.

karumAn maruganaich semmAn magaLaik kaLavugoNDu varumA kulavanaich sEvaR kaikkOLanai vAnamuyyap porumA vinaichchetRa pOrvEla naikkannip pUgamuDan tharumA maruvuseng kODanai vAzhththugai sAlananRE.

Meaning:(2) वे श्याम प्रभु (विष्णु) के भानजे हैं; जिन्होंने (प्रणय में) लाल हरिणी की पुत्री (वल्ली) को हर लिया; जो कुक्कुट (मुर्गा) को अपने ध्वज रूप में धारण करते हैं; वे रण-वेल के धारी जिन्होंने स्वर्ग की रक्षा हेतु असुरों के कर्मों का नाश किया। उन तिरुच्चेंगोडु के स्वामी (सेंगोडन) की स्तुति करना श्रेष्ठ है — अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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කාප්පු🔊kAppuThe protective invocatory verse that opens the work (here addressed to Lord Murugan / Kumara)

පේර්රෛත් තවඤ්සර්රුම් ඉල්ලාත ඒ̀න්නෛ🔊pEtRaith thavanj satRum illAdha ennaiMe, who have not the least merit or austerity (to claim any blessing)

ප්රපඤ්සම් ඒ̀න්නුම් සේර්රෛක් කඏඉය වඏඉවිට්ටවා🔊prabanjcham ennum sEtRaik kazhiya vazhiviTTavAO you who showed (me) the way to cross the mire that is this world (prapancha)!

සේ̀ඤ් සටාටවිමේල්🔊senj saDADavimElUpon (Shiva's) reddish forest of matted locks

ආර්රෛ, පණියෛ, ඉතඏඉයෛ, තුම්පෛයෛ, අම්පුලියින් කීර්රෛ🔊AtRai, paNiyai, idhazhiyai, thumbaiyai, ambuliyin keetRaiThe river (Ganga), the serpent, the kondrai flower, the thumbai flower, and the crescent of the moon (worn by Shiva)

පුනෛන්ත පේ̀රුමාන් කුමාරන්🔊punaindha perumAn kumAranThe son (Kumara / Murugan) of the great Lord (Shiva) who wears all these

ක්රුපාකරනේ🔊kirubAgaranEO ocean of grace (Krupakara)! — the close of the Kaappu

ඉටුතලෛස් සර්රුඞ් කරුතේනෛ🔊iDudhalaich satRunj karudhEnaiMe, who never gave a thought even to giving (charity)

පෝතමිලේනෛ අන්පාල් කේ̀ටුතලිලාත් තෝ̀ණ්ටරිල් කූට්ටියවා🔊pOdhamilEnai anbAl keDudhali lAth thoNDariR kUTTiyavAMe, devoid of wisdom — O how lovingly you joined me to the company of your unfailing devotees!

කිරේ̀ළඤ්ස වේ̀ර්පෛ අටුතලෛස් සාතිත්ත වේලෝන්🔊kireLanjcha veRpai aDudhalaich sAdhiththa vElOnThe wielder of the Vel who accomplished the splitting of the Krauncha mountain

පිරවි අරවිස්සිරෛ විටුතලෛප් පට්ටතු🔊piRavi aRavich siRai viDudhalaip paTTadhuThe prison of birth (samsara) has been completely set free

විට්ටතු පාස විනෛවිලඞ්කේ🔊viTTadhu pAcha vinaivilangEThe fetters (vilangu) of bondage (pasha) and karma have fallen away!

කරුමාන් මරුකනෛ🔊karumAn maruganaiThe nephew of the dark one (Vishnu / Tirumal), Murugan

සේ̀ම්මාන් මකළෛක් කළවුකෝ̀ණ්ටු වරුමා කුලවනෛ🔊semmAn magaLaik kaLavugoNDu varumA kulavanaiThe one who (won and) bore away the daughter of the red deer (Valli) by stealth (in courtship)

සේවර් කෛක්කෝළනෛ🔊sEvaR kaikkOLanaiHe who holds the rooster (the cock-banner) as his emblem

වානමුය්යප් පෝ̀රුමා විනෛස්සේ̀ර්ර පෝර්වේලනෛ🔊vAnamuyyap porumA vinaichchetRa pOrvElanaiThe wielder of the war-Vel who destroyed the (demons') great hostile deeds so that heaven might be saved

සේ̀ඞ්කෝටනෛ වාඏත්තුකෛ සාලනන්රේ🔊sengkODanai vAzhththugai sAlananRETo praise the Lord of Tiruchengodu (Sengodan) is exceedingly good indeed!

Benefits of Chanting கந்தர் அலங்காரம்

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A garland (alankaram) of richly poetic Tamil verses adoring Lord Murugan — devotion blended with Tamil literary beauty

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Each verse is treasured as a mantra; reciting them is held to bring Murugan's grace and the dissolving of karmic bondage

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The Kaappu and opening verses express the saint's surrender and the Lord's lifting of him from worldly bondage

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Invokes Murugan as splitter of Krauncha, beloved of Valli and Lord of Tiruchengodu — protection and grace

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Believed to grant wisdom, devotion and the cutting of the fetters of birth (pasha and karma)

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Cherished across Tamil Nadu, recited at Murugan temples and during Skanda Shashthi and festival days

How to Chant கந்தர் அலங்காரம்

Repetitions1times

Best TimeEarly morning or evening; especially Tuesdays, Krittika nakshatra, Skanda Shashthi and Murugan festival days

Bathe and sit facing east before an image of Lord Murugan with his Vel. Begin with the Kaappu, then recite the verses slowly, savouring both their devotion and their poetry. Many devotees chant a chosen verse repeatedly as a mantra. It is recited especially at the abodes of Murugan and during Skanda Shashthi, with the heart fixed on the Lord's grace.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete கந்தர் அலங்காரம் written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

Kandar Alankaram ('the adornment / garland of Skanda') is a famous Tamil devotional poem to Lord Murugan (Skanda / Kartikeya) by the saint-poet Arunagirinathar. Opening with a Kaappu (invocatory verse) and composed in highly ornamented verses, it praises Murugan's grace, his deeds and his shrines, and is one of Arunagirinathar's most beloved works alongside the Kandar Anubhuti and Tiruppugazh.

It was composed by Arunagirinathar, the great 15th-century Tamil saint and devotee of Lord Murugan associated with Tiruvannamalai. After a turning point in his life he poured out thousands of inspired verses, of which the Tiruppugazh, Kandar Anubhuti and Kandar Alankaram are the most famous.

'Alankaram' means ornament, decoration or garland. The work is a 'garland of adornment' for Lord Skanda — both because it adorns the Lord with praise and because it is composed in an ornate, alankara-rich poetic style celebrated in Tamil literature.

It is recited for Lord Murugan's grace, for devotion and wisdom, and for the cutting of the bonds of karma and birth — themes the poet himself voices in the opening verses, marvelling that the Lord lifted him out of the 'mire of the world' into the company of his devotees. Individual verses are also chanted as potent mantras for protection and blessings.