The song Potri Nin Perarul (Praised be Thy Mercy Great) was set to music and also sung by renowned Indian musician Ilaiyaraaja for the film 'Viduthalai Part 1' (Liberation Part 1,Tamil, 2023). The lyrics of the song [titled in the album as 'Arutperum Jothi' (Vast Grace-Light)] were written by Thangam and include significant verses from the poems of Swamy Ramalingam (1823-1874, Cuddalore). This is a video of a live rendition of the song by various artists in January 2025.
'Arutperum Jothi' (Vast Grace-Light) is a formless divine propounded by Swamy Ramalingam, who is revered by his followers as Vallalar (the generous sage). He advocated a casteless society and established a centre to provide free food to the needy in Vadalur (Cuddalore). In furtherance of his spiritual path free from ritualistic practices, superstitions, and reliance on physical idols, he built a 'Sathya Gnana Sabhai' (Hall of True Knowledge) without any idol or image but instead a perpetually burning oil lamp behind 7 screens representing veils covering the human soul. He emphasised compassion for all beings and preached strict vegetarianism.
His poems, numbering 5,818, were compiled into six volumes called 'Thiru Muraigal' (Sacred Ways), and the collection was named 'Thiruvarutpa' (Sacred Verses of Grace).
More information about his extraordinarly life are provided in this article titled 'Swamy Ramalingam’s ideals of universal compassion and Vast Grace-Light' posted here: https://tinyurl.com/ys3j92v4
(Ref: Wikipedia)
The lyrics have been translated from Tamil into English and displayed on the video so that the wider audience can understand and appreciate the song better.
For non-monetary, non-profit, cultural and educational purposes.
Click the link to watch the music video: https://youtu.be/qFfyOORqngo
