RE: Alavandar

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,

 

Sri SR Rangarajan and Sri Sadagopan have written so crisply and beautifully

on Yamunacharya.

Simply excellent posts on the Great AchArya. Smt Sheela blessed us with the

AchArya

Rathna haaram.

 

Here's my ramble on Alavandhar.

 

It is he who spotted Emperumaanaar- Udayavar- Ramanujar

saying "Aaam mudhalvan ivan"..

 

His (Alavandhar's) sthOthrams are the two beautiful ones namely,

ChathuslOki on PiraaTTi and SthOthra Rathnam. ChathuslOki (4 slOkams)

is on the most ausipicious attributes of PiraaTTi, and decsribed the

theme of Purushaakaaram Prapatthi and Eka sEshithvam principles.

He mentions that the Divine Consort of Emperumaan Sriya: Pathi Sriman

Narayanan possesses the KalYANa guNAs., jnAnam, Bhalam, Aishwaryam,

Veeryam and tEjas, like Emperumaan. Paraasara Bhattar says "Oh Lord!

Even though You dress like PiraaTTi, in Mohini avtaar, Your (butter

Thief- thiruttu) eyes have failed You!

 

SthOthra Rathnam is the most excellent one and is the forerunner for all

Other AchAryAs' works..

 

Sri BN Suresh has been writing the meanings of each of these 65 excellent

anubhavm , emotion filled slOkam of Sri Yamunacharya. It suits each one of

us so

well, that when we read them, we will feel that the sthOthram is written for

us

(and not for Alavandhar!). I was reading Sri Abhinava Desika Utthamoor

Swami's

excellent commentary on this sueprb sthOthram. It really captivates one's

heart.

 

Some great ones which come to my mind readily:

 

1. When Alavandhar says, "I had committed lot of sins in the past and

they have started acting and yielding dividends. I am scared of those

sufferings.

Please save me, and bless me for no more births.. I shall attain Your Lotus

Feet!

Lord says ... "Wait.. Wait.. Not to worry. I will grant you more pleasures..

You will not feel

pains. Alavandhar replies.. "Oh No! then, I shall dissolve them and again

have to

undergo for the paapams committed.. None will opt for a boat (when he is

sinking) to

the river bank (if it is visible and easily accessible..) Don't put me in a

boat.. Take me

to the shore (i.e You..)

 

2. When Alavandhar says.. "I don't want anything except serving Your Lotus

Feet",

the Lord responds... "AlavandharE! Are you sure your mind says that? Or is

it lip

service? " Alavandhar says.."I think it is form my heart.. But You are

Sarvagnan;

Sarva Shakthan; You know better. Let it be so. Still, You alone can enable

my heart

to get transformed.. - What a narration! Simliar to Ramanujar's SaraNAgathy

Gadyam!

 

3. There is one slOka, where Alavandhar says "There is no paapam (sin) in

the

world that is not committed by me.. (What a naichyanusanthanam-)- ahamasmi

aparaadha Chakravarrtthi - says Swami Desikan in Dayasathakam.

 

4. Alavandhar also says (*in his 62nd slOkam- as mentioned by Sri Sadagopan)

"amaryaatha kshoodra:. - Amaryatha: The one who has crossed (or

transgressed)

the VarnAshrama dharmam- may be he feels bad that he performed

saayam sandhyavandhanam one day at 7.00 p.m- that's why he laments??

where do we go?? - we are personification of amarytaatha:) Khsudra:

aRpan. neechan. He also calls himself with various lowly adjectives, similar

to ThirumangaiAzhwAr's naayEn vandhadaindhEn; NammAzhwAr's

seelamilla siRiyOn; siRiya jnAnatthan..- If one does not feel moved by this

sloka

(after knowing its meanings), he will not get any heart problem at all! -

implies

no heart..)

 

5. His namO namO.. and nadharma nishTosmi is so great that one can easily

by heart and recite everyday during morning prayers..

 

Let me reproduce extract from Sri Suresh's post for these two slOkams for

your

ready reference and reading..

 

slokha 21 :-

 

Namo namo vaan-manas'aati bhumaye

namo namo vaan-manas'aika-bhumaye;

namo namo'ananta-mahaavibhutaye

namo namo'ananta day'aika sindhave.

 

Obeisance again and again to you who are beyond

the reach of speech and mind; obeisance again and

again to you who are the sole object of speech and mind;

obeisance again and again to you of infinite great powers;

obeisance again and again to you, the one ocean of infinite

mercy.

 

slokha 22 :-

 

Na dharma-nishtho'asmi na c'aatma vedi

na bhaktimaan tvaccaran'aaravinde;

akincano'ananya-gatih saranya!

tvat-paada-mulam saranam prapadye.

 

O you worthy of being sought as refuge! I am not one

established in Dharma, nor am I, a knower of the self.

I have no fervent devotion to your lotus-feet. Utterly

destitute as I am, and having none else for resort, I

take refuge under your feet.

 

Alavandhar ThuiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

Narayana Narayana

 

Narayana dAsan