Thondaradipodi Thirunakshthram -- Part 2

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs : I will post some reflections on

Thondaradipodi AzhwAr's Thirumaalai in this posting

On his birthday . This divya prabhandham is considered

the essence of VishNu Dharmam , a work in Sanskrit .

 

ThondaradipodiAzhwAr is recognized as the amsam

of the VanamAlai ( Vaijayanthi ) that the Lord wears .

This Maalai of the Lord is considered as a potent

VaishNavi - asthram that destroys the mahA paapams

and sets one on the course to Sri Vaikuntam . Therefore ,

it is the most sacred maalai ( ThirumAlai ) and assures us

freedom from fear of death and helps us attain immortality

and enjoy the bliss of paramAnandham at Sri Vaikuntam

through Nithya Kainkaryam to Sriman NaarAyaNA . With

all these symbolism in mind , Thondaradipodi , who

was engaged in Maalai Kainkaryam for the Lord of

Srirangam named his prabhandham as ThirumAlai .

 

For Sri VaishNavAs , an understanding and practise

of the following great doctrines are considered essntial

to gain the boon of Moksham : The prabhAvam of

the Lord's NaamAs , the glory of those who are engaged in

Naama-Sankeerthanam , the supermacy of Bhagavathas and

the redeeming sanctity of the dust ( rENus ) of

the feet of those BahgavathAs . ThirumAlai focusses on

these most important doctrines for our benefit .

 

Regarding the Naama MahimA and particularly

its importance in Kali Yigam is indicated by the following

slOkam :

 

" HarEr nAmaiva nAmaiva nAmaiva mama bhEshajam I

kalou nAsthyEva nAsthyEva gathiranyathA II "

 

This statement with its triple emphasis on the greatness

of the nAmAs of Hari , as the sure medicine for the disease

of SamsAram , is very emphatic .

 

The sacredness of the dust of the BhagavathA's feet

led Thondaradipodi to choose that name . The uniqueness

of the angri rENU of the BhagavathAs has been emphasized

in mahA BharathA , PurANAs , and SamhithAs repeatedly .

 

The act of driving away one's paapAs by wearing the Sripaadha

Theetham containing the dust of the BhagavathA''s feet

is known as Bhagavadh-Bhaktha paadOdaka nisEvanam .

This act is described by the SaasthrAs to be the equivalent

of MahA PrAyascchittham and is prescribed as being far more

powerful than bath in the waters of holy Ganga originating

from the Lord's sacred feet .

 

The relationship of Thondardipodi with the Lord of

Srirangam was a special one . He was a devout BrahmachAri

deeply involved in the Garland Kainkaryam for

the Lord of Srirangam like PeriyAzhwAr before him .

He " fell from virtue and was redeemed " by the most merciful

Lord of Srirangam . He was forever grateful for that intervention

by the Lord. He refers these autobiographical incidents

and his near spirtual death as a result of his disastrous

encounter with DevadEvi in paasuram 16 of ThirumAlai :

 

SoothanAi kaLvanAhi dhUrtharOdu isaintha kaalam

matharAr kayark kaNN yennum valayuL pattu azhundhuvEnai

pOtharEyenru sollip punthiyil puhumdhu

tann paal Atharam peruha vaittha AzhahanUr arangamanrE ?

 

( Meaning ) : At the time , When I spent my hours as a gambler

and as a thief and was trapped in the net of a woman's fish-like eyes ,

I was hopelessly lost . At that time of spiritual disaster , was it not

the beautiful Lord of Srirangam , who called me to His side and

entered into my mind and made my love for Him grow many fold

and thus rescued me ?

 

In the 25th verse of ThirumAlai ( KuLitthu mUnRanalaiyOmpum ---) ,

he makes another indirect reference to what happened to him and

appeals movingly for the SaraNyan's dayA . The meaning of

this verse is as follows :

 

O Lord of Srirangam ! I have lost my qualifications to be a

Brahmin ( VarNAsrama Dharmam ) that required me to

take thrikAla SnAnams and offer worship to the three Agnis

in a faultless manner( without manthra lObham ) . I do not

possess the aathma J~nAnam . With respect to Thee , I have

become devoid of love for You . Which way can I ( without

compassion and virtue ) regain my lost status ? O Lord of

anantha KalyANa GuNAs ! O Lord of Srirangam with the hue of

the ocean ! I am imploring You with my loud appeals to make me

the object of Your DayA and thus save me from this pitiable state .

 

In the thirty third verse , once again the AzhwAr recalls with a shudder

the disaster that happened to him and his prayer that was

answered by the Lord of Srirangam ( MeyyallAm pohavittu

virikuzhalAril pattu---) . Here , the AzhwAr movingly describes

himself as a false one three times in the last line of the paasuram :

 

" PoyyanEn vanthu ninrEn poyannEn poyannEnE "

 

The triple mention of his falsity ( duplicity ) refers to

the mental , vocal and physical falsity . He describes

himself as a " pOzhkkan " ( one who has transgressed

and lost his way ) . Kaayika , Vaachika and Manaseeka

aparadhams are covered here . The meaning of the entire

slOkam is as follows :

 

O Supreme Lord of Srirangam ! I am a pathetic one.

I have let go of all that is true and worthy of preservation

and got myself caught in the snares of women ( DevadEvi ) .

Fie me! Out of desire to receive Thy grace , I am standing now

before You shamelessly . Alas ! False am I ! False am I !

False am I !

 

AzhwAr's prArabdha KarmAs got him ensnarled in the trap

set by DevadEvi , who made a wager with her companion

to attract the devout VipranArayaNA performing ThirumAlai

kainkaryam to the Lord of Srirangam . She won in her wager

and the AzhwAr lost his spiritual footing and wandered away

from the Lord . He was saved from this disaster by the most

compassionate Lord Himself at the prompting of His concerned

Consort , Sri RanganAyaki .

 

Elsewhere in ThirumAlai , Thondaradipodi cries out to us in

the role of a compassionate AchAryA and appeals to us to

become the object of love of the most compassionate Lord

and perform kainkaryam to Him and His BhagavathAs . He

condemns false devotion , avaidhika mathams and declares

his ananya bhakthi in many of the ThirumAlai paasurams .

I will cover some of them and relate them to the experience of

another parama VaishNavA , Saint ThyagarAja in the concluding post

on Thondardipodi AzhwAr .

 

Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAyaka SwaminE Nama:

AzhwAr AchAryAL THiruvadigalE SarNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadgOpan