History of Muneeshwara

Image: Taiping's 'Om Sakthi Sivanantha Arulantha Muneeswarar' temple. Design is similar to the Sapta Muni-s in Tiruvaṇṇāmalai’s Pacaiyamman temple, Tamiḻ Nāḍu

The worship of Munīśvara is widespread across India and its diaspora across the globe. As a folk deity, His references are rooted in oral tradition which is passed on verbally. As such, the history and whereabouts of this deity has myriad of versions and distortions to it. 

Let us get back to the basics. Definition first. The original term for Munīśvara was not with the suffix 'īśvara'. They were called Muniappaṉ, Muniāṇḍi and other variants. Muni simply means saint or sage. Īśvara, Āṇḍi, Appaṉ are synonymous to an authority or Lordship. Īśvara literally means ruler. Āṇḍi means ruler. Appaṉ is father. So, Munīśvara simply means 'the Lord of the sages'.

In our culture, an ascetic, saint or siddha is referred to as 'muni'. For example, Siddhārta Gautama who became buddha was referred to as Śākya-muni. In Tamiḻ, it is a norm to suffix a word with a respectful phrase. We refer to Piḷḷaiyār as Piḷḷaiyār-appā. We refer to Mahāmāri as Māri-ammaṉ. Similarly, the respectable muni-s were referred to as Muni-appaṉ or Muni-ammā. There were many saints who had different traits, and therefore, the many forms of Munīśvara. For example, it is possible that the Veda Munīśvara we find in villages today is Veda Vyāsa. 

Image: Veda Muni, a form of Munīśvara commonly worshiped in villages.

Why Lord of Sages?

When a being attains the state of enlightenment, we revere them even after they leave their physical frame. This can take place in the form of samādhi-s ( eg. samādhi of Bhogar in Paḻani ) and revered tombstones (naṭukkal worship). If you look at the way Munīśvara-s were worshiped long ago, it was in the form of naṭukkal (tombstone). Vigraha (form) and temple came later in the picture.

Image: Naṭukkal, which has reference in the Saṅgam literature dating more than 2000 years ago.

Seekers, saints, yogis and enlightened masters varied across different cultures back in the days. For instance, there were many Buddhist and Jain monks in Tamiḻakam. A lot of Munīśvara-s are actually saints belonging to the Buddhist and Jain traditions. When a being attains enlightenment, He attains the status of a guru, a guide to other spiritual aspirants. So, He becomes a 'guide' or 'lord' to other muni-s. 

So, Munīśvara is simply a folk form of Dakṣiṇāmūrti, who plays the role of a realised Guru, guiding others into the spiritual path.

Link to article above: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2014/Sep/30/main-deity-at-pandi-temple-is-buddha-claims-archaeologist-666571.html

So these enlightened masters served as a guide and their site served to pull spiritually inclined seekers to higher states of meditativeness. It is just like how we seek siddha samādhi-s today.

Over time, the sites became a place of worship. Eventually, people erected statues and forms to represent the saint. The features of these saints were made to resemble local culture and the preference of devotees. For example, in Tamiḻakam, the forms were made with mustache and their local spiritual insignia, like triśūla. Also, a common prayer for the laymen back in the times was for protection. Not everyone visits siddha samādhi-s for spiritual growth alone. When many people prayed for protection, the iconography of the Muni-s adapted features of a fierce, protective deity with weapons. This is not wrong either.

It is just like we have Skanda Who is also worshiped specifically for protection in the form of Kanta ṣaṣṭi kavacam.  The meditative Śiva appears terrific as a protector Bhairava.

So, if you notice, a lot of the current Munīśvara deities are actually enlightened masters from the Jain culture (termed Tīrthaṅkara in their tradition). Take a look at the Pāṇḍi Munīśvara in Madurai. The deity is in a meditative posture, that too strikingly similar to that of a Jain-styled deity. In fact, archeological reports (link above) confirm that the moustache was artificially added to the deity.

Image: Pāṇḍi Munīśvara

Image: Jain Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra

Image: The famous Talaveṭṭi Muniappaṉ temple is actually presided by a buddha

Association with a Warrior Figure

Originally, the warrior deities were called Vīra-s (esteemed beings who demonstrated eminent bravery and sacrifice). Even today, non-veg offerings and alcohol are commonly offered to the Vīra-s, not Muni. The Vīra-s were the ones who were usually worshiped for protection and justice. They usually presided at the village border. You will find them in the form of statues of police and military officers as well.

Image: A Vīra at my paternal village, taken in 2017. Contrary to this form, the Munīśvara in my village is represented with just a triśūla, nothing else.

Image: A contemporary Vīra; just joking. That's me roleplaying the state of warriorhood with His weapon.

Over time, the fluidity of the folk culture made the Muni-s adapt the features of other deity groups. In fact, today, many find difficulty in differentiating Muni-s from Karuppar-s and Veera-s. They commonly put them all under the same banner of 'Muni' deities. So with time, the Muni-s adapted the features of the Vīra-s and Karuppar-s.

Image: Muneś Prem Bābā, Munīśvara as worshiped in the Carribeans. He has no triśūla. Instead, he holds the moon. The idea of a saintly figure got amalgamised with their local tradition to form a variant in the deity form.

What about devotees Who Have Physically Seen the Deity?

So it is possible that the Muni deities assume the forms and functions visualized by the devotees. With time, as the deities were shaped as a warrior on a horse, in white, with a triśūla; they too, started manifesting in that manner.

You can try this as an experiment, even. Try worshiping a Munīśvara as a child-form. He will very likely manifest in the form of a child, even.

Nevertheless, the original saintly attribute of the Muni deities are eternal.

Image: Jīva samādhi of the siddha Jagannātha Svāmī in Tapah, Malaysia. Notice how He is represented with the iconography of Dakṣiṇāmūrti. Siddha-s like this are Muniśvara-s: The Lord of the Muni-s. Regardless of the form and cultural variations we have, this is the true meaning to the deity.