Inputs for CD ROMs : Part VII.2--> ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr's dhivya prabhandhams

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The two prabhandhams of Thondaradippodi celebrate

the power of Bhagavan naamam and the greatness of

the devotees of Sriamn NaarAyana resting in the archa

form at the glorious temple of Srirangam in the middle of

the two branches of the sacred Cauvery river.

 

(A) ThiruppaLLiyezucchi :This is the SuprabhAtham or

awakening song for the Lord of Srirangam and consists

of 10 beautiful paasurams describing the Sun rise

at Srirangam and the Gods and men waiting at that time

in front of the sanctum sanctorium of the Lord for

His visvaroopa darsanam . This prabhnandham is sung

at all SrivaishNavite temples every morning to awaken

the Lord at the end of his nocturnal "sleep".

 

The word painting of the dawn at Srirangam by

Thondaradippodi is a delight to experience .The first

and the last paasuram are illustrative of the depth

of devotion of Thondaradippodi waiting with freshly-woven

garlands in his hand in front of the Lord's sannidhi for

the Visvaroopa Darsanam .

 

First Paasuram: " The Sun has come up on the eastern

mountain top. The night's darkness has completely gone.

As the beautiful morning has come , big flowers have

blossomed and honey is dripping from them .Gods and kings

have arrived and are standing , crowding on the opposite sides;

elephants , male and female have come with them.The trumpets

are making loud noises in all directions like the noise of

billows of the ocean .Therfore , Oh Sriranganatha! Wake up

from Thine sleep (and bless all your devotees)!

 

Final( Tenth) Paasuram : " Fragrant lotuses have bloomed!The Sun

has risen above the roaring waters of the eastern sea !

Slender-waisted ladies having bathed in the river(Cauveri)

have rinsed and shaken off the water from their tresses

(and tied them up) , and wearing their clothes , have gotten

up from the banks of the river. Oh Srirangantha in the temple

grit(garlanded) by the cauveri river, who has accepted me ,

the rejoicer of the dust of the sacred feet of Thine devotees

(Thondaadippodi),carrying in his hands the Tulasi garland

as fit object of Thine love , wake up to bless

Thy devotees "(K.C.Varadachari).

 

Thirumaalai Prabhandham

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ThirumAlai or the divine garland of flowers is

a prabhandham with 45 paasurams. Dr.K.C.Varadachari

describes ThirumAlai as " a garland of hymns which ,

whilst praising the glory and the grace of God , also

assures the souls that are in agony and sorrow that

service should be the goal of man and not any other".

 

It has been said that " ThirumAlai aRiyAthAr , Thiru Maalai

aRiyARE "( One who does not know about Thirumaalai Prabhandham

of Thondardipodi will not understand (the tatthvams of)

Thiru Maal ( the divine consort of Sri Devi /Sriman Naarayanan).

 

Azhwar's deep reverence to the Thondars of RanganAthA ,

independent of their caste or birth status or

worldly accomplishments , which led him to choose

the daasa naamam of Thondaradippodi is well

revealed in the 43rd paasuram of Thirumalai:

 

" Though they be born of the Brahmin caste , supreme among

Thine devotees , learned fully in the Vedas and their

excellent six subsidaries (angas) , if they speak

disrespectfully of Thine devotees of other castes ,

then that very instant , they would become outcastes,

Oh Lord of Srirangam " (K.C.Varadachari).

 

Azhwar's deep devotion to the Lord of Srirangam and Him

alone is revealed in the second paasuram , where he rejects

totally even the pleasures of ruling IndralOkam in favor of

worshipping his dear Lord art Srirangam.

 

Azhwar points out at the very beginning of Thirumaalai that

those , who have learnt The Lord's names and recite them

are immortal and have thus placed their feet on the heads of

Yaman and his servants. He states in the subsequent paasurams

that the utterance of the Lord's name with devotion will

spare us from the cruel cycles of birth and death.He classifies

those , who do not recite the name of the Lord residing at

the high-walled temple of Srirangam as devoid of grace ,

even while they are in their mother's womb.He says with

conviction that even the utternace of the name , Srirangam,

will free us from the fate of being trapped in Narakam.

 

In the twenty fifth paasuram , Azhwar wails about his

pitiable state and implores the Lord movingly : "Oh Lord

dweller in Srirangam! make me Thine object of mercy and

deliver me (from my wasted life)".He questions the Lord in

the next paasuram in a spirit of naichciyam(humility) :

" Oh Lord of Srirangam! I have not spent all my time

offering flowers at Thy golden feet. Nor am I speaking

faultless words describing Thine auspicious qualities.

Nor have I even connected my mind lovingly with Thee!

Therefore I have done nothing ( no kiamkaryams) for You.

Oh Lord of Srirangam ! For what purpose then have I been born?".

 

His moving prayers and appeals about his state of utter

helpness (aakinchanyama nd ananya gathithvam ) are etched

in his 29th paasuram , "UrilEn KaaNi illai--": " I have no

place nor plot of ground nor relative nor friends . On this

earth , I have not attained Thine lotus feet . Oh Supreme

Godhead , Oh Luminous cloud-hued form ! KaNNaa ! I implore

Thee , Lord resident at Srirangam ;WHO ELSE HAVE I EXCEPT

THEE TO PROTECT ME ?".

 

In the next(30th) paasuram , Azhwar states that he is utterly

disqualified to approach the Lord of Srirangam asks HIm:

" Tell me what way is open to me". Swamy Alavandhar and

AchArya RaamAnuja must have taken inspiration from

these paasurams to create their Sri Sookthis relating to

their Saranagathis ( SthOthra Rathnam and Saranagathi

Gadhyam ).

 

Scholarship in VedAs without service (kaimkaryam)to the Lord

is rejected by this AzhwAr ; and he proclaims loudly

in the dhivya desam of Srirangam crowded with Vedic scholars

the greatness of Bhaagavathas of the Lord this way in his

fourty second paasuram: " Thou, Oh Lord of Srirangam of

high walls, has instructed (Loka Saaranga Muni and others)

thus: Oh Ye (souls) who follow the traditional knowledge

of the four Vedas faultlessly ! Even though the devotees of

My feet (adiyars) are born of the lowest caste , tell them

the highest truths ( Tatthvams), and learn from them ,FOR THEY

ARE MY EQUALS".

 

K.C.Varadachari sums up the central theme of Thirumaalai

this way: "Thirumaalai is a garland of hymns , which ,whilst

praising the glory and the grace of God, also assures the souls

that are in agony and sorrow that service should be the goal of

humans and not any other. Problems of social concern such as

the relationship between the devotees of God belonging to

the several castes are also solved by the counsel of mutual

instruction and helpfulness and equality".This is the most

uplifting message about the equality of all children of

Sriman Naarayanan .

 

Thondardipodi Azhwar Thiruvadigale Saranam ,

Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadigale SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Satakopan