Ananthazhvar and Bhoothatthazhvar

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaagavtaas,

 

I wanted to share an anubhavam by Tirumalai

Ananthaazhvaar of one of Bhoothatthaazhvaar's

paasurams, as described by Sri P.B. Annangaracharyar

Swami in one of his discourses.

 

In his IraNdaam Tiruvandaadi, Sri Bhoothatthazhvaar

describes an event occuring in the hills of Tirumalai

as follows.

 

perugu mathavEzham maappidikku munninRu

irukaNiLamoongil vaangi arugiruntha

thEn kalanthu neettum thiruvEngadam kaNdeer

vaan kalantha vaNNan varai

 

The description of nature in this paasuram is, in the

Tirumalai hills, a male elephant in musth, pulls off

a bamboo shoot, dips it in a honeycomb nearby and

extends it to its female elephant.

 

Tirumalai Ananthaazhvaar enjoyed this paasuram as

follows.

 

On one occasion when Sri Ramanuja visisted

Tiruvengadam, the devotees there requested that he

give a discourse on the meaning of Dvayam. Sri

Ramanuja agreed and did so; however, he also included

the meanings of Tirumantram and Carama SlOkam in the

discourse and as such the discourse became lengthy.

 

Upon seeing this, Ananthazhvar stated that on that day

 

he understood the true meaning of Bhoothatthazhvar's

paasuram, as follows.

 

The male elephant in mast is a description of Sri

Ramanujar - the mast is the tears in his eyes as he

enjoys the divine words of Swami Nammazhvar ("paNdaru

maaRan pasunthamizh aanantham paaymathamaay viNdida

engaL raamaanusamuni vEzham").

 

The female elephant represents the devotees in the

gathering.

 

Moongil represents a delicious substance. Here it

stands for dvayam. Amongst Tirumantram, Dvayam, and

Carama SlOkam, Dvayam is the most delicious to

Sriman Narayana's devotees. Also, since Azhvar

said a moongil with two eyes (knots), it represents

Dvayam with its two parts.

 

The honey in the comb nearby refers to Tirumantram

and Carama SlOkam that are near Dvayam.

 

The word neettum (extend) refers to the fact that

the discourse was extended because Sri Ramanuja

added the meanings of Tirumantram and Carama SlOkam

to the meaning of Dvayam.

 

Thus the description of TiruvEngadam was that of

Sri Ramanujar extending a lengthy discourse to His

devotees on the meanings of Dvayam, Tirumantram and

Carama SlOkam.

 

Bhoothatthaazhvaar, Ananthaazhvaar, Emperumaanaar

tiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan

TCA VenkatEsan

 

 

 

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