thiru mAlai , some thoughts.. part 1

[Guest guest]

Sri Chandrasekaran wrote as follows apologising.

 

endhan siRu manam seidha pizhaiyinai

maRandhuvandhu poRuppAi nAraNan than aNiyE!

 

adiyEn, chandrasekaran.

 

***************************************************

There were quite some interesting postings from Sri P. Dileepan

and Sri Mani and Sri Anbil Ramaswamy and Sri V.Sadagopan. In addition

to all these, one thing I request Sri Chandrasekar to understand

and consider. Some more facts on "thiru mAlai" may help understand

it some more.

 

thoNdar adi podi AzhwAr was not living a sannyAsi life that he

be compared to other sanyAsins. He is a surrendered soul and

hence one who is very dear to Sriman nArAyana. He is a "sAthu" or

a soft person basically in his nature. His sarangathi to Lord

Arangan was delviered in the form of a garland "thiru mAlai" that

has 5 strands and a pendant at the middle. This 5 strands not only

stands for the 5 elements that are form this whole universe

and the derivatives of these 5 elements (ie., than mathriyams).

This is explained in

 

"puradan manivaramAy ponnA murthy.. iru bootha vanamAlaiyAy...",

 

pAsuram in "AdikAra Sangraham" (Sri RTS in tamil) by Swami Desikan.

AzhwAr himself is considered to be an avathAram of the "vana mAlai"

of the lord. He was doing "nandavana kaimkaryam" to Lord Arangan

residing in the temple itself.

 

The way it is looked by adiyEn is in a way different and

if god willing and time permitting I will continue this study and

present it with AchAryAs blessings ina later day. This garland of

"thiru mAlai" is strung in such a way that each pAsuram is

considered as a flower and is connected to the preceding pasuram

in its flow, content and as well as inner meanings. This way

of preparing a garland is known as "maalai thodutthal" in tamil.

In presenting the vyAkyAnams of this "thiru mAlai" Sri Putthur

SwamigaL who hails from the descendants of "thondar kulam" has

made a similar work in presenting the "arum patha urai" such that

he connects the current pasuram with the previous pasuram.

adiyEn have been reading and re reading this wonderful "thiru

mAlai" for a while in the last two years and had discussions with

2 scholars (Sri VN Gopala DesikAchar and Sri Putthur SwamigaL)

on thondar adip podi AzhwAr during my trip to India as well.

 

This "thiru mAlai" is also made of 5 strands as its inner layers

(inner meanings) and a pendant at the middle. Such are the 5 angAs

of prapatthi and the pendant at the end is the Athma samarpanam.

His "thiru mAlai" relfects the essence of saranAgtahi and its five

angAS. This pasuram (and one other pasuram) reflects the "prathi

koolya varjanam" angam.

 

There is an other pasuram in thiru mAlai that is currently being

presented in "Sarangathi Journal" is on his anusanthAnam of his

"naicchi" or in tamil "thAzmai" and "Akinchanyam" or in tamil "kai

muthal illAmai". AzhwAr is no doubt that he is an akinchanyan and

express his kArpanayam or inability in unmistakable terms to Lord

Arangan and pleaded to HIM to prevail with HIS blessings.

 

thoNdar adip podi AzhwAr thiru vadikaLE saraNam

Sampath Rengarajan