The person with a “good mouth”

The person with a "good mouth"

 

Mukam is not just the name for the entire face, but also the mouth. In Sanskrit there is no separate word for mouth. The mouth which is the instrument for telling all names, does not a separate name for itself, but is called face. Strangely in Tamil, mouth is "vaai" but face does not have another name. mukam is a Sanskrit word and "moonji" in Tamil only a colloquial expression. There is no grammatical- poetic word for face. Therefore, in those days, the students studying in the Sanskrit and Tamil schools used to tease each other – one will call another "the one without mouth" and in return another will call this one "the one without face". Though teasing it does not mean that they incited each other using language differences like nowadays. It was good humored banter, with good thoughts, fun, and natural teasing that they did.

 

I told that mukam means mouth. Therefore if sumukam, means good mouth, which is the good mouth? That which speaks good, and elevating activities. Therefore a good exponent is called "sumukar". Sumukar also means a learned one. Using this meaning also, pillaiyar is sumukar. He is a good exponent with a good voice. There is no distinction between him and the great scholars referred to in the Vedas as brahmanaspathi and brahaspathi.

 

In his many forms there is one called "vidya ganapathi". Telling the names of the 21 ganapathi forms, and offering 21 types of flowers, one each for each form, is a pooja prescribed in the chaturthi pooja guildelines. In that, vidya ganapathi is mentioned and the "rasala" flower is prescribed. Rasalam (commonly called rasalu) is the sweetest among the mangoes. In the competition conducted by lord Siva as proposed by narada, "to give the mango to the one who comes first after going one round around the world". Vigneswarar won that wisdom fruit, which is a mango.

 

Education, skill and the wisdom that comes there – he has them and is called sumukar.