Thirukkudanthai Desikan"s AparyApthAmrutha sOpAanam:sLokam 7-Part 2

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Dear BhakthAs of Lord AarAvamudhan :

 

In the last posting , we commenced the enjoyment of

the ThirumArbhu (Vakshasthalam )of Amudhan , which is

the place of residence of MahA Lakshmi ( Ramaa VaasasthAnam )

as visualized by Thirukkudanthai Desikan .

 

In this posting , we will enjoy the additional salutations

to that auspicious ThirumArbhu or the chest region of the Lord

of Thirukkudanthai. The great bhakthA of AarAvamudhan , this

aparAvathAran of Swami Desikan focuses now on the following

additional auspicious vasthus in that blemishless (anagam )

chest :

 

1.MaNi vara ruchA bhaasvath

2.Mahaa HaarOllAsam

3.Nikhila JagadhAthi prakruthi bhU:

4.sunaddham sUthrENa dhrutha kanaka bhAsvath

 

Thirukkudanthai Desikan prays to the Lord that

the memory of His auspicious ThirumArbhu adorned

with the gem Kousthubham , vana Maalai , Sacred

thread and Prakrtuthi should remain forever etched

in his mind and illuminate that mind always .

 

Before commenting on the allusions associated

with the four items referred to above , let us

focus on the Anaga Vakshasthalam or the blemish-free

chest . The sacredness of the Lord's chest is revealed

to us by Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL NaayanAr in his

AchArya Hrudhaya soorNikai : " Bharatha AkrUra

MaaruthikaLaip parishvankittha maNi mihu maarvilE kurumaamaNi-

yaa yaNayum vasthuvukku " .Here , NaayanAr refers to

that ThirumArbhu that embraced tightly BhaAgavatha

SrEshTAs like Bharathan and HanumAn during RaamAvathAram ,

AkrUrar in KrishNAvathAram .

 

Once NammAzhwAr looked at the ThirumArbhu of the Lord

with Nithya Sri and declared : " neesanEn niRai onRumilEn --

Ammaan Aazhip pirAn yevvidatthAn? yaanAr ? " ( I am

the lowliest of the low ; I do not have any guNa sampoorthi .

How exalted is my Lord with Sudarsanam in His hand ?

How Low am I ?". with this statement, Swami NammAzhwAr

stood aside saying how can I dare to approach Him ?

 

The Lord who heard this naicchAnusanthAnam ran

towards the AzhwAr and hugged him tight to His chest .

That chest with many Bhaagavatha samslEsahm (union)

is very auspicious and blemishless (anagam ).

 

During the samprOkshaNam that Thirukkudanthai

Desikan performed , Amudhan longed for the aalinganam

(embrace) of this parama Bhaagavathar . Such is the glory of

the blemishless chest of the Lord that is the subject

of this slOkam .

 

Coming back to the other four word groups , let us

start with " Mani vara ruchA BhAsvath ". The Lord of

Kudanthai , who has been saluted by one of the AzhwArs as

" Kudanthai mEya kuru maNit thiraL " gave place for the gem ,

Kousthubham and enhanced its beauty thru assoication

with His auspicious chest .

 

At Thirukkudanthai , Cauveri floods bring forth and

lay at th Lord's feet many gems ( Sezhu maamaNigal

sErum sezhu neer Thirukkudanthai ). MaNi VarAs like

Thirumazhisai also assemble at the feet of this

Kousthubha MaNi ThirumArbhan and enhance the lustre

of the Lord's sannidhi . That fundamental jyOthi that

adds lusre to all assembled on His chest and at His feet

is the "Satyam JyOthi" identified by Thirukkudanthai

Desikan as AravAmudhan .

 

The second MangaLa Vasthu adorning that illustrious

ThirumArbhu is " the MahA haarOllaasam ". There are

many beautiful ThuLasi and Flower garlands that adorn

the Lord's beautiful chest . Amudhan's sevai with

those fragrant garlands including the one made

from wild flowers of the forest (vana Maalai ,Vyjayanthi)

has been saluted by many AzhwArs and AchAryAs :

 

" KaanAr naRum ThuzhAi kai seytha kaNNi " beautifies

that chest . MahA Lakshmi Herself constructed that

fragrant ThuLasi garland for the Lord according to

PeriyAzhwAr .

 

"sErntha ThirumAl kadal Kudanthai --vaNduzhaik KaNNI"

is the mangaLAsAsanam of pEy AzhwAr . He also admires

that beautiful chest donning the TaruNa ThuLasi maalai.

 

NammAzhwAr cries out loud over his dhurbhAgyam in

not getting the beautiful lilly and Thulasi garlands

adorning the Lord' chest : " valli VaLa vayal soozh

Kudanthia maamalark kaNNvalarhinRa maal , alli malart-

taNduzhaayum taarAn , aarkkiduhO vinipUsal solleer ?".

As ParAnkusa Naayaki , AzhwAr cried out that the Lord

was parsimonious in blessing her with the garlands that

she coveted .

 

ThiruppANar conceded that the beauty of the Lord's chest

with the garlands enslaved him :" ThiruvAra maarbhathanRO

adiyEnai aatkoNdathE ".

 

Thirukkudanthai Desikan was overcome by the " MahA -

haarOllAsa Vaksha sthalam " and presented a patthakkam

with Lakshmi pendant ( LakshmI Haaram ).

 

The next item that Thirukkudanthai Desikan finds on

the chest of the Lord is Moola Prakruthi that is

involved in all his creations ( naama rUpa prapncham ).

 

The final auspicious item that Thirukkudanthai finds on

the Lord's sacred chest is " Sunaddham soothrENa dhrutha

kanaka BhAsvath sva vapushA ". On the Chest of this

Vaidhika VimAna adhishtAthA ( the Parama Vaidhikan resting

under the Vaidhika VimAnam at Thirukkudanthai ), Sri Gopaala

Desikan of Thirukkudanthai finds the golden sacred thread

that shines like the freshly melted pure gold in hue .Inspite

of the fact that that He does not need to perform

KarmAnushtAnams for gaining any srEyas ,He keeps

performing sroutha SmArtha vihitha nithya karmAnushtAnams

and wears the Yaj~nOpaveetham to indicate His Vratham .

In the ThiruvEzhukURRirukkai , Kaliyan salutes this

scred thread of AarAvamudhan this way :

"muppuri noolodu maanuriyilanku maarbhinil ".

AzhwAr sees Amudhan as Vaamana BrahmachAri

with both the Yaj~nOpaveetham and deer skin

on His chest .

 

Thirukkudnthai concludes this slOkam with the prayer to

be blessed with the nourishing memory of the beautiful

chest region of the Lord ( SadhA vaksha: chitthE

lasathu SaarnghkyA Dhanusha : ) with its Kousthubham .

MahA Lakshmi , fragrant garlands and Sacred thread .

 

In the next slOkam , Thirukkudanthai Desikan

moves his glance upwards from the chest and focuses

on the enjoyment of the Lord's arms .

 

Sri KomaLavalli SamEtha Sri SaarngarAjAya nama:

Daasan SadagOpan