murugankandar-alankaramarunagirinatharkartikeya

𑌕𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌰𑍍 𑌅𑌲𑌙𑍍𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌮𑍍

Kandar Alankaram in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ 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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தமிழ் (Tamil)తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

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

𑌕𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌪𑍁 𑌪𑍇𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌤𑍍 𑌤𑌵𑌞𑍍𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍁 𑌮𑌿𑌲𑍍𑌲𑌾𑌤 𑌵𑍇̀𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍈𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌞𑍍𑌸𑌮𑍇̀𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍁𑌮𑍍 𑌸𑍇𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌕𑍍 𑌕𑌌𑌇𑌯 𑌵𑌌𑌇𑌵𑌿𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌵𑌾! 𑌸𑍇̀𑌞𑍍 𑌸𑌟𑌾𑌟𑌵𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌲𑍍 𑌆𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑌣𑌿𑌯𑍈 𑌯𑌿𑌤𑌌𑌇𑌯𑍈𑌤𑍍 𑌤𑍁𑌮𑍍𑌪𑍈𑌯𑍈 𑌯𑌮𑍍𑌪𑍁𑌲𑌿𑌯𑌿𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑍁𑌨𑍈𑌨𑍍𑌤 𑌪𑍇̀𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌕𑌰𑌨𑍇।

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

Meaning:Kaappu: O ocean of grace, son (Kumara) of the great Lord who wears upon his reddish forest of matted locks the river Ganga, the serpent, the kondrai and thumbai flowers and the crescent moon — how graciously you showed the way for me, who have not the least merit or austerity, to cross over this mire called the world!

Verse 2

𑌨𑍂𑌲𑍍 𑌇𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑍈𑌸𑍍 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌙𑍍 𑌕𑌰𑍁𑌤𑍇𑌨𑍈𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑍋𑌤𑌮𑌿𑌲𑍇𑌨𑍈𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌰𑍍 𑌕𑍇̀𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑌿 𑌲𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍋̀𑌣𑍍 𑌟𑌰𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌕𑍂𑌟𑍍 𑌟𑌿𑌯𑌵𑌾! 𑌕𑌿𑌰𑍇̀𑌳𑌞𑍍𑌸 𑌵𑍇̀𑌰𑍍𑌪𑍈 𑌅𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑍈𑌸𑍍 𑌸𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌤 𑌵𑍇𑌲𑍋𑌨𑍍 𑌪𑌿𑌰𑌵𑌿 𑌯𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌸𑌿𑌰𑍈 𑌵𑌿𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑍈𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌤𑍁 𑌵𑌿𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌤𑍁 𑌪𑌾𑌸 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍈𑌵𑌿𑌲𑌙𑍍𑌕𑍇।

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) Me, who never gave a thought even to charity, me devoid of all wisdom — O how lovingly you joined me to the company of your unfailing devotees! O wielder of the Vel who split the Krauncha mountain — now the prison of birth is utterly opened, and the fetters of bondage and karma have fallen away.

Verse 3

𑌕𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌮𑌰𑍁𑌕𑌨𑍈𑌸𑍍 𑌸𑍇̀𑌮𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌮𑌕𑌳𑍈𑌕𑍍 𑌕𑌳𑌵𑍁𑌕𑍋̀𑌣𑍍𑌟𑍁 𑌵𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾 𑌕𑍁𑌲𑌵𑌨𑍈𑌸𑍍 𑌸𑍇𑌵𑌰𑍍 𑌕𑍈𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍋𑌳𑌨𑍈 𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌮𑍁𑌯𑍍𑌯𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑍋̀𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍈𑌸𑍍𑌸𑍇̀𑌰𑍍𑌰 𑌪𑍋𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌲 𑌨𑍈𑌕𑍍𑌕𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑍂𑌕𑌮𑍁𑌟𑌨𑍍 𑌤𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾 𑌮𑌰𑍁𑌵𑍁𑌸𑍇̀𑌙𑍍 𑌕𑍋𑌟𑌨𑍈 𑌵𑌾𑌌𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌕𑍈 𑌸𑌾𑌲𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌰𑍇।

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

Meaning:(2) He is the nephew of the dark Lord (Vishnu); the one who, in courtship, won and bore away the daughter of the red deer (Valli); he who bears the rooster as his banner; the wielder of the war-Vel who destroyed the demons' deeds so that heaven might be saved. To praise him, the Lord of Tiruchengodu, is good — exceedingly good indeed!

Word-by-Word Meaning

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

𑌪𑍇𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌤𑍍 𑌤𑌵𑌞𑍍𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌮𑍍 𑌇𑌲𑍍𑌲𑌾𑌤 𑌏̀𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍈🔊pEtRaith thavanj satRum illAdha ennaiMe, who have not the least merit or austerity (to claim any blessing)

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌞𑍍𑌸𑌮𑍍 𑌏̀𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍁𑌮𑍍 𑌸𑍇𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌕𑍍 𑌕𑌌𑌇𑌯 𑌵𑌌𑌇𑌵𑌿𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌵𑌾🔊prabanjcham ennum sEtRaik kazhiya vazhiviTTavAO you who showed (me) the way to cross the mire that is this world (prapancha)!

𑌸𑍇̀𑌞𑍍 𑌸𑌟𑌾𑌟𑌵𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌲𑍍🔊senj saDADavimElUpon (Shiva's) reddish forest of matted locks

𑌆𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈, 𑌪𑌣𑌿𑌯𑍈, 𑌇𑌤𑌌𑌇𑌯𑍈, 𑌤𑍁𑌮𑍍𑌪𑍈𑌯𑍈, 𑌅𑌮𑍍𑌪𑍁𑌲𑌿𑌯𑌿𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍈🔊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)

𑌪𑍁𑌨𑍈𑌨𑍍𑌤 𑌪𑍇̀𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌨𑍍🔊punaindha perumAn kumAranThe son (Kumara / Murugan) of the great Lord (Shiva) who wears all these

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

𑌇𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑍈𑌸𑍍 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌙𑍍 𑌕𑌰𑍁𑌤𑍇𑌨𑍈🔊iDudhalaich satRunj karudhEnaiMe, who never gave a thought even to giving (charity)

𑌪𑍋𑌤𑌮𑌿𑌲𑍇𑌨𑍈 𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌲𑍍 𑌕𑍇̀𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑌿𑌲𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌤𑍋̀𑌣𑍍𑌟𑌰𑌿𑌲𑍍 𑌕𑍂𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌿𑌯𑌵𑌾🔊pOdhamilEnai anbAl keDudhali lAth thoNDariR kUTTiyavAMe, devoid of wisdom — O how lovingly you joined me to the company of your unfailing devotees!

𑌕𑌿𑌰𑍇̀𑌳𑌞𑍍𑌸 𑌵𑍇̀𑌰𑍍𑌪𑍈 𑌅𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑍈𑌸𑍍 𑌸𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌤 𑌵𑍇𑌲𑍋𑌨𑍍🔊kireLanjcha veRpai aDudhalaich sAdhiththa vElOnThe wielder of the Vel who accomplished the splitting of the Krauncha mountain

𑌪𑌿𑌰𑌵𑌿 𑌅𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌸𑌿𑌰𑍈 𑌵𑌿𑌟𑍁𑌤𑌲𑍈𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌤𑍁🔊piRavi aRavich siRai viDudhalaip paTTadhuThe prison of birth (samsara) has been completely set free

𑌵𑌿𑌟𑍍𑌟𑌤𑍁 𑌪𑌾𑌸 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍈𑌵𑌿𑌲𑌙𑍍𑌕𑍇🔊viTTadhu pAcha vinaivilangEThe fetters (vilangu) of bondage (pasha) and karma have fallen away!

𑌕𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌮𑌰𑍁𑌕𑌨𑍈🔊karumAn maruganaiThe nephew of the dark one (Vishnu / Tirumal), Murugan

𑌸𑍇̀𑌮𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌮𑌕𑌳𑍈𑌕𑍍 𑌕𑌳𑌵𑍁𑌕𑍋̀𑌣𑍍𑌟𑍁 𑌵𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾 𑌕𑍁𑌲𑌵𑌨𑍈🔊semmAn magaLaik kaLavugoNDu varumA kulavanaiThe one who (won and) bore away the daughter of the red deer (Valli) by stealth (in courtship)

𑌸𑍇𑌵𑌰𑍍 𑌕𑍈𑌕𑍍𑌕𑍋𑌳𑌨𑍈🔊sEvaR kaikkOLanaiHe who holds the rooster (the cock-banner) as his emblem

𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌮𑍁𑌯𑍍𑌯𑌪𑍍 𑌪𑍋̀𑌰𑍁𑌮𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍈𑌸𑍍𑌸𑍇̀𑌰𑍍𑌰 𑌪𑍋𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌲𑌨𑍈🔊vAnamuyyap porumA vinaichchetRa pOrvElanaiThe wielder of the war-Vel who destroyed the (demons') great hostile deeds so that heaven might be saved

𑌸𑍇̀𑌙𑍍𑌕𑍋𑌟𑌨𑍈 𑌵𑌾𑌌𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌕𑍈 𑌸𑌾𑌲𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌰𑍇🔊sengkODanai vAzhththugai sAlananRETo praise the Lord of Tiruchengodu (Sengodan) is exceedingly good indeed!

Benefits of Chanting Kandar Alankaram

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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 Kandar Alankaram

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 Kandar Alankaram written in the Grantha 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.