Not much is known about Devaraya Swamigal. He was born in 1857 in an affluent family in
Vallur in the then region of
Tondaimandalam. His father Shree Veeraswami Pillai served as Dubash of Mysore under the British rule, owning properties in
Bangalore. Devarayan began his career as an accountant. Devaraya Swamigal's ardent inclination towards the
Tamil language resulted in his learning the language under Shree Thirisipuram
Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, a pundit from
Tiruchy. Soon he started writing poems, with his teacher editing and correcting them. Apart from these, he also wrote
Kuselopakyaanam,
Thanigasala Maalai,
Shatru Samhara Vel Pathigam,
Panchaakara Desigar Pathigam, and
Seda Maalai. ==See also==