Karthigai PowrNami day& Thirumangai AvathAra dinam

[Guest guest]

Dear member sof Bahkthi group :

 

On this sacred day of KrittikA pourNami , when

the astreism of KrittikA is in ascendance, Thirumangai

AzhwAr was born at Kurayalur near the Divya desam

of kAzhiccheerama ViNNagaram ( today's SeerkhAzhi

in Tanjore district ) .

 

Let us salute him with the invocatory verse composed by

Sri RaamAnujA :

 

vaazhi parakAlan vAzhi kalikanri ,

vAzhi Kurayalur vAzh vendhan --vAzhiyarO

MaayOnai vAL valiyAl mandiram koL,

mangairkOn thuyOn sudarmAna vEl .

 

The disciple of RamAnujA , EmbhAr blessed us with

his own invocatory verse that salutes both his own

Acharya and the AzhwAr :

 

yengaL gathiyEirAmAnusa muniyE,

sangai kedutthu aanda tava raasaa ,-- ponghu pugazh

mangairkOn eendha marai aayiram anaitthum

tangumana nee yenakkutthaa

 

Thirumangai's adoration of Ramaavatharam and

the celebration of the incidents of Srimadh RaamayaNam

are abundantly documented in his six Prabhandams.

 

I will briefly refer to his celebration of the heroism of Rama

as he experienced through his moving pasurams associated

with different divya desams. This compilation is more illustrative

than exhaustive.

 

1. Thirupparithi : Periya Thirumozhi (PTM ) -- 1.2.2

Here Sethu Bhandhanam , destruction of RavaNA's capital city

are described.

 

2.BadarikAsramam: PTM -1.4 .3

 

Yuddha Khaandham sambhavam of the destruction of

RavaNaa an dhis kulam is reminisced here.

 

3. SaaLigramam; 1.5.1 Deep in the snow of the hills of

Nepal , AzhwAr is reminded of the valour of Rama in

the southern kingdom of Lankhaa and he salutes Ramachandra"s

valor in cutting the ten heads of the evil RavaNA.

 

4.Thiru EvvuLLUR : PTM --2.2.2

The sakthi of Rama's unfailing arrow and its shearing of

the ten heads of RavaNa is the subject here. AzhwAr was a chieftain

of a small kingdom and therefore he has special affection

for the battle field distinctions of Sri Rama. The name of the Archaa murthy

at this Divy adesam is Veera Raghavan and hence it is appropriate

that the AzhwAr focuses on the heroism of the Lord here .

 

5.ThiruvallikkENi : PTM--2.3.7

 

Here Bharata LakshmaNa satrugna Sitaa sametha

Ramachandran is saluted as RavaNAnthakan.

 

6. Kaazhicchirama ViNNagaram : PTM --3.4.6

Here the killing of Vaali (Kishkindha Khandam

episode ) and Kabhandha vadham (Aranya KhAndham

episode ) are saluted by the AzhwAr.

 

7. Vaikuntha ViNNagaram: PTM-- 3.9.4&5

SurpaNakA's humilation episode associated

with Aaranya Khandham is saluted here. Her

loss of ear and nose as wellas her flight to Lankhaa

that led to the Maaricha Vadham is covered here.

RavaNa's own lossof his ten heads and twenty

shoulders in the battle with Rama is the topic of the

5th paasuram .

 

8.Thiruarimeya ViNNagaram : PTM--3.10.6

Rama's superior skills as a bowman wielding

his Kodhandam for the sake of recovering Sita

and the destruction of RavaNa in the battle field is

the topic of this Paasuram.

 

9. ThirunAngur Semponseykoil : PTM-4.3.5

A salutation to Rama Bhakthas is housed in this

Paasuram.Rama is described as the infant of

Dasaratha here. Azhwaar states that infant will

have dayaa for those, who salute him as the one

who destroyed the evil Rakshasaas of DandakaaraNyam

and Lankhaa .

 

10 .ThirukkavaLampaadi : PTM--4.6.4

Rama's coronation of VibhishaNa in fulfilment

of his promise to him at THiruppullaNi (Sethukkarai )

is saluted here. The SaraNAgatha rakshakatvam

is referred to here.

 

11. ThiruveLLakkuLam: PTM-- 4.7.5

Sethu Bhandanam is saluted here and the Lord of

this Divya Desam is requested to remove all obstacles

in receiving his blessings.

 

12. Thirupparthan PaLLI : 4.8.5

Rama's effort to complete his AvathAra Kaaryam

by building Sethu to reach lankhaa is saluted here.

 

There are so may paasurams of Thirumangai , which focus on

the Vaibhavam of Rama . Above are a small set of examples of

the joy of Thirumangai in saluting Sri Ramachandra.

 

Azhwaar ThiruvadigalE saraNam.

 

Sri VaishNava Daasan

 

Oppilaippan Koil VaradaachAri Sadagopan