The Tamil Siddhars · Chapter 1 of 2

#The Siddhars and the Pulippani 300

#Who the Siddhars are

In the Tamil tradition, the Siddhars ("the accomplished") are saints and adepts to whom many Tamil books are attributed — on yoga, devotion, medicine and astrology. This book takes the Siddhars' astrology from the printed Tamil books themselves, and makes no claim about when the Siddhars lived: the books read here are printings of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and their authorship is a matter of tradition.

#The Pulippani 300

The best-known astrological text in a Siddhar's name is the Pulippani Jothidam — "Pulippani's astrology" — in 300 verses, attributed to the Siddhar Pulippani. It was read in the Tamil Virtual Academy's scan of a Chennai printing.

Its invocation praises the feet of "Siddhar Bogar", and many verses end with a refrain saying the poet speaks by the grace of Bogar. The text thus presents Pulippani as Bogar's pupil.

The scan's catalogue lists its subjects:

• the twelve signs and the twenty-seven nakshatras;
• the friendships and enmities of the planets, their own signs, exaltation and debilitation;
• yogas such as Sakata yoga and Maharaja yoga, and travel abroad;
• conjunctions of planets;
• the results of dashas and their sub-periods (bhuktis).

These are the subjects of Parashari astrology, in Tamil verse; the methods are those explained in The Study of Jyotisha, Parts 2–5.

#The five birds

The Tamil books of Pancha Pakshi, "the five birds", were printed at Chennai in 1863 and 1867, both attributed to Agastya. Their tables are the subject of chapter 2.

#A caution: the modern "Pulippani"

English books on Pancha Pakshi published in the 1990s under the name "U. S. Pulippani" were written by a modern author, Prof. Sundara Varadachary, using the Siddhar's name. They are not the Siddhar's work, and this book does not follow them where they differ from the old prints.

#Summary

• The Siddhars' astrology is read here from printed Tamil books; their dates and authorship are tradition.
• The Pulippani 300 is Parashari astrology in Tamil verse, presented as the teaching of Bogar's pupil.
• The Pancha Pakshi prints of 1863 and 1867 are attributed to Agastya.

#Exercises

1. Which Siddhar does the Pulippani 300 invoke, and how does it present Pulippani?
2. What does the Pulippani 300 cover?
3. Who was "U. S. Pulippani"?

Answers: 1. Bogar; as Bogar's pupil, speaking by his grace. 2. Signs, nakshatras, planetary friendship and dignity, yogas, conjunctions, and dasha and bhukti results. 3. A modern author, Prof. Sundara Varadachary, writing under a Siddhar's name.