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Tirumazhisai Alvar

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Sri Murali Rangaswamy wrote:

> A common misconception of this incident is that since the Azhwar belonged

> to the fourth caste, he was not privy to the Vedas. Therefore, the Brahmins

> stopped their recitation upon his arrival. However, Sri Anbil Ramaswamy

> provided a brilliant explanation for this incident in light of the

> Azhwar being an Amsham of the Sudarshana Chakram.

 

There was some disagreement about this famous episode

in Tirumazhisai Alvar's life earlier as well. In all the

accounts that I had read, the brahmins had stopped

chanting because they saw a sudra in their midst.

 

To settle the confusion, I did some research in an attempt

to find the original story, as best as can be reconstructed.

Luckily, I have in my personal library Garuda Vahana Pandita's

``Divya Suri Charita,'' one of the oldest and best respected

hagiographies of the Alvars and early Acharyas.

 

The DSC mentions this episode in the following verse:

 

tam Apatantam prativIdhi yoginam

vicintya SUdram kRtaSUrpavikrayam

vihAya vedAdhyayanakriyAdaram

dvijAtibAlA dadhati sma maunitAm (3.50)

 

Roughly translated, the sloka says that the brahmins

at Kumbakonam, thinking there was a sudra in their

midst (the yogi Tirumazhisai Alvar), stopped their

Veda adhyayanam and fell silent. And if I am reading

the verse correctly, it also says that the brahmins

were ``atibAlA:'', very childish in behavior.

 

On the authority of this work, it is demonstrably clear

that the brahmins discriminated against Tirumazhisai Alvar

purely because they saw him as a sudra. There is no mention

in the Divya Suri Charita about being startled by a dazzling

brilliance, the Alvar's sudarsana amsatva notwithstanding.

It is unlikely that this particular set of brahmins would

ever see past the mere body and external appearance of the

Alvar anyhow.

 

There appears to be reluctance on the part of some of us

to accept the fact that some brahmins in the past have

committed grave bhAgavata apacArams and have generally

been unadmirable people. There is no need to deny the

obvious facts of history by explaining or rationalizing

them away.

 

At any rate, this story serves to illustrate that spiritual

greatness is in no way determined by jAti. We, the

Sri Vaishnavas community, no matter how many stories and how much

proof our own tradition has offered, fail to practice

and perceive this truth to this day.

 

adiyEn,

Mani

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With the posts on Mazhisai vandha sOthi I am reminded of a stroy I heard

long ago.

 

It seems the aazhvaar arrived at Kumbakonam periya kOvil after a long

journey. Thirmancanam was just starting. Azhvaar was quite tired and

hungry due to the long journey. So, it seems, the aazhvaar thought to

himself, "O! Lord, I have come to see you from far; I am hungry, how long

do I have to wait?". Immediately, the Lord instructed the Bhattar to stop

the aradhanai and serve prasadam to the Azhvaar. To commemorate this, I

believe thaLigai is offered to the Azhvaar first, and then only to amudhan.

I am not sure whether this is so or not.

 

Today being Thondaradippodi Azhvaar's thirunakshathram, I would like to

quote the last paasuram from Thirup paLLiyezhuchchi:

 

kadimalark kamalankaL malarnthana ivaiyO?

kathiravan kanaikadal muLaiththanan ivanO?

thudiyidai yaarsuri kuzhalpizhin^ thuthaRith

thukiluduth thERinar soozhpuna larangaa,

thodaiyoththa thuLavamum koodaiyum polinthu

thOnRiya thOLthoNda radippodiyennum

adiyanai, aLiyanen RaruLiyun Nnadiyaark-

kaatpaduth thaay!paLLi ezhuntharu LaayE!

 

After trying to wake the Lord up from His yoganidhra by singing 10

exquisite paasurams, in the last paasuram - at the very end, the aazhvaar

reveals the reason why he wants the Lord to wake up, i.e. "adiyanai, aLiyan

enRu aruLi un adiyaarku aatpaduththaay paLLi ezhuntharuLaayE" (please wake

up and make me a servant of Your devotees).

 

Now, Sri Uththamoor swami was one of the "un-adiyaar" the aazhvaar was

singing about. Contributing to this scholar's centenary celebrations is

indeed a rare opportunity to fulfill for ourselves what the Azhvaar was

pleading to the Lord. An acknowledgement of the contributing individuals

will be sent to India in the next few days. Therefore, if you are

interested in making a contribution, please let Sri Sadagopan know

immediately.

 

 

-- Thanks, Dileepan

 

 

-- Dileepan

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