Tirumangai Alwar on Sri Rama

[Guest guest]

Bhagavatottamargale,

It was a great experience reading through the explanations of Tirumangai

alwars padigam on Srirangam. Alwar explains the karunai of Rama, in

showering his grace on Hanuman, inspite of his birth as a monkey. Step by

step alwar reduces the class of birth - "vadamamagan - markatam - vilangu -

mattror sadi". Swamy Periavachan pillai reverses this order of words.

Normally we have to decide the order of words based on the order of the

meaning. For example :

 

1. Gita "cElAjina kusOttaram" - Lord explains how to perform yoga. The seat

has to be made for yoga as follows : first spread cEla which is silk cloth

at the bottom, next ajina - deers skin, lastly kusa - darbham. Think for a

moment about this order. If darbham is at the top, it would only be pricking

you causing agony. One cannot concentrate on yoga. So this order has to be

changed. Based on the meaning, the order has to be kusa - ajina- cElOttaram.

 

2. Sruti vakyam - "AtmAvArE drashtavya: srOtavya: mantavya:

nidhidhyAsitavya:" This is the order in which we will have to realise

Brahmam. First see Him, next hear about Him, thirdly think about Him, lastly

think only about Him without any hindrance. Is this order correct. We hear

and think about Him, finally to see Him. If you see Him in the first

instance then why should we hear about Him. So the order has to be "AtmAvarE

srOtavya: mantavya: nidhidhyAsitavya: drashtavya:" First hear about Him from

your guru, think about what you heard, then lastly have darsan. So we have

to change the order based on the meaning.

 

Likewise, PV pillai, changes the order as "mattror sadi, vilangu, markatam,

vadamamagan." Why is this so ? Rama showed daya on Hanuman. What was the

eligibility Hanuman had for this ? nothing. 1. He was not even born in the

same sadi as rama , he belonged to a different sadi. 2. Let it be so. Even

though he was a different sadi, he could be born as yaksha, gandharva, deva

etc which are differerent from manushya sadi (rama's). But Hanuman took

birth as vilangu sadi - animal, which is inferior to human beings . 3 Let it

be so. Atleast in animals, he could have born as lion or tiger which are

respected. He took birth as markatam - a monkey, which is not respected

amongst the animals. 4. Let it be so. Even as a money, he could have been

born as a normal monkey. But he took birth as Vadamamagan ( son of wind

god). This is inferior amongst monkeys.

 

Here we will have a doubt. We understand, animals are inferior to human

beings, and monkeys are inferior to other animals. But how can vayu kumaran

be inferior to other monkeys ? This is because, being vayu kumara, one is

bound to have an ego that "I am son of Vayu and so I have lot of rituous

qualities" This egoism would go against the grace of Lord. If one were a

normal monkey, it would have felt humble that I do not possess any good

qualities (Akinchanyam). This humility ensures Rama's daya. So is it not

better to be a normal monkey than to be a monkey which is son of Vayu deva.

 

Hence the order mattror sadi, vilangu, markatam, vadamamagan." Rama did

not consider all these shorcomings of Hanuman, but embraced him.

 

TM alwar has sung 50 pasurams on Srirangam. But 100 each for Tirunarayur and

Tirukkannapuram. Both these Perumans were his acharyas. Tirunarayur nambi

performed pancha samskaram for him and gave tirumantropadesa. Souriperumal

preached the meanings of tirumandiram. Always it is our practise that

acharya sambhavanai has to be twice that of others. So 50 x 2 = 100 for

these two divya desams. If you hail these two divya desams like this, will

Srirangam people keep quiet. Their argument is "yes. we accept that the

number of songs is less for Srirangam. But note a point. There are many

divyadesams for which alwar has sung 10 pasurams. Likewise many divyadeasams

with 20 songs, 30 songs and 40 songs. Even in the case of 100s, there are

two divyadesams competing. But ... take 50, alwar has not sung 50 pasurams

to any divyadesam other than Srirangam. This number 50 is unique. Obviously

it has to be, as Srirangam and Sri Ranganatha are unique.

 

Tirumangai alwar tiruvadigale saranam.