Karunai Prakasar

Karunai Prakasar
Personal life
Born	(1756-04-02)2 April 1756 Kanchipuram
Died	5 December 1774(1774-12-05) (aged 18) Thiruvengai
Religious life
Religion	Hinduism
Philosophy	Saiva

Karunai Prakasar (Tamil: கருணை பிரகாசர் ) was a seventeenth century Saiva spiritual writer.

Early life

He was born to a Tamil-speaking Desikar family in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, and he worshipped Saiva Siddantha. He married Kamatchi at age sixteen, and attained Mukthi Motcha when he was eighteen.

He was born in the town of Kanchipuram, Thondai Mandalam in Tamil Nadu into an orthodox Saiva Tamil family around the middle of the 17th century. His father Kumarasamy Desikar was a spiritual leader and the Archaka and Dikshithar for the people of Thondai Mandalam. His father left his family and went to Thiruvannamalai with his disciples. There he planned to become a Sage but failed to do so. He married and fathered three sons and a daughter. Karunai Prakasar was the second child, and his siblings included Siva Prakasar, Velaiyar, and Gnambikai Ammal.

Siva Prakasar, his elder brother, was a poet blessed as Sivanuputhichelvar. His sister Gnambikai Ammal married Perur Santhalinga Swamigal. His younger brother, Velaiyar married Meenatchi Ammal. He had a son named Sundaresanar.

Along with his elder brother Sivaprakasa Swamigal, he travelled widely across Tamil Nadu and visited temples including Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar temple and Thiruchendur Subramanya Swami temple. On one of his journeys around Tamil Nadu, Sivaprakasa Swamigal, Karunai Prakasar and Velaiyar went to Tirunelveli to meet and be taught by a Pandit Valliyur Thambiran, who was an expert on Tamil grammar. Prakasar learned Tamil grammar along with his brothers. He attained Mukthi Motcha in Thiruvengai at age eighteen. His elder brother Sivaprakasa Swamigal and younger brother Velaiyar came to see his graveyard.

Books

• Seegalathi sarukkam l
• Ishtalinga Agaval