iLangO adikaL and dhasaavadhaaram

[Guest guest]

iLangO adikaL, the author of silappathikaaram

and said to be a Jain, praises some of Lord

Vishnu's avathaarams through some of the characters

in his epic. The devotional tone of these verses is

equal to aazhvaar paasurams. In the section titled

aaychchiyar kuRavai iLangO praises in exquisite

sweetness the varaaha, vaamana, sri raama, and

krishNaavadhaarams. But, I wish to share a different

verse. This one about sri rangam and thiruvEngadam.

Here it is.

 

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neela mEgam nedumpoR kunRaththup

paalviriththu agalaathu padinthathu pOla,

aayiram viriththu_ezhu thalai_udai arunthiRal

paayaR paLLip palarthozhuthu Eththa,

virithiraik kaaviri viyanperun^ thuruththith

thiruvamar maarban kidandha vaNNamum -

veengun^eer aruvi vEngadam ennum

Onguyar malaiyaththu uchchi meemisai,

virikathir NYaayirum thingaLum viLangi,

irumarungu Ongiya idain^ilaith thaanaththu

minnuk kOdi yuduththu, viLanguviR pooNdu,

nanniRa mEgam ninRathu pOlap,

pagaiyaNangu aazhiyum, paalveN sangamum,

thagaipeRu thaamaraik kaiyin Endhi,

nalangiLar aaram maarbiR pooNdu,

polam poo aadaiyin polindhu thOnRiya

sengaN nediyOn ninRa vaNNamum,

en_kaN kaattu enRu en_uLaNG kavaRRa

vandhEn kudamalai maangaattu uLLEn; -

 

-- naadukaaN kaadhai 35-54

 

\et

 

Here, a sri vaishnavaa traveller from the town

maangaadu meets kOvalan, kaNNagi, and

kavundhi adigaL near sri rangam. The verse

describes how the traveller introduces himself to

kavudhi adikaL and her two travel companions.

 

"Lord Vishnu, like a great cluster of blue cloud

on a golden hill is slumbering upon the thousand

headed snake with Lakshmi in His chest; my heart

is set to see this sight in the island in the middle

of the great river kaavEri. Likewise, my heart is

yearning to behold the sight of the Lord; with the

sun and the moon on either side; cloud like dark

complexion; attired with lightening like new

clothing; donning colorful jewels like rainbow;

with chakkaram that enemies fear on one side and

white sangu on the other; holding a lotus on one

hand; bearing Laksmi in His chest; in standing

posture on top of the hill with beautiful falls,

called thiruvEngadam."

 

If the modern time estimates for aazhvaars is

correct iLangO adigaL is prior to aazhvaars,

perhaps 100 years before the first three aazhvaars.

Then, we may safely conclude that thiruvEngadam

has been a sri vaishnava temple even before the

aazhvaar times, let alone sri raamaanuja's time.

There is at least one other reference to

thiruvEngadam in silappathikaaram,

 

\bt

nediyOn kunRamum thodiyOL powvamum...

 

-- vEniR kaathai (5)

\et

 

nediyOn kunRam = thiruvEngadam

thodiyOL powvam = kanyaakumari

 

With this iLango is describing the northern and

southern boundaries for Tamilnaadu. I am sure

people of AP will not be persuaded by this :-), on

the northern side. In fact some in TN (ma.po.si

??) argued, during the break up of the greater

Madras presidency, that thirvEngadam should be

part of TN citing this verse as the proof of title.

 

 

-- pd