Arangani KANa Nam PANanidam KarpOm - Post 2

[Guest guest]

In the last post we saw about the five forms of emperumaan and its

significance. Let us see what our Aazhwaars say about this :-

 

Our aazhwaars says they dont even need a place in

Sri Vaikuntam if they get the bhaagyam to keeppraising

him and enjoy is Archaa roopan in any of the divya

desams. Swamy Vedaantha Desikan totaly neglects the

Sri Vaikunta Praapthi by using the line "Vaikunta

Vaasepi Namebhilaasha:", if he gets the Nithya Sevai

of Devaathi Raajan in the following verse from

Varadaraja Panchaasat :-

 

"Nirantharam Nirvishatstvadeeyam,

Asprushta chintaa padamaabhiroopyam

Sathyam shape vaarana shaila naatha,

Vaikunta Vaasepi Namebhilaasha:"

 

Meaning :- hE.,Devaathi Raajaa, I vow to you that if I

get your nithya sevai at Kancheepuram I dont even need

the Sri Vaikunta Praapthi.

 

If we look at the above verse, we can clearly say how

our poorvaachaaryaas enjoyed thearchaavathaaram by

even refusing to accept the Vaikunta Praapthi. Such a

precious state is the fifth sate of emperumaan which

is "Archaavathaaram".

 

Emperumaan in this state resides in 108 Divya Sri

Vaishnava Divya Desams which are gegraphically split

as "Chozha aadu", "Chera Naadu", "Paandiya Naadu",

"Nadu Naadu", "Thondai Naadu", "Malai Naadu" and

"Vada Naadu" thirupathis. Out of these 108 divya desams,

three divyadesams are mentioned as very importantwhere

emperumaan resides as Archaavathaaram, as Sri Rangaathan

at Boologa Vaikuntam, Sri Rangam, Thirumalaiyappan or

hiruvenkatamudaiyaan in Thirupathi and Thiruvathiyooraan

(or) Kaanthagu Tholannal at Kancheepuram. Adiyen liked

that name "Kaanthagu Tholannal" so much which many of

you might not have heard. This name has been given by

Thiruvarangathamudanaar in "Iraamaanusa Nootrandhaadhi"

in the verse :-

 

"Aandugal naal thingalaai, nigazhkaalamellaam maname eendu

Palyonigal thoruzhalvom, innorenrenniye KAANTHAGU THOLANNAL

Thenathiyoorar kazhalinaikkeezh, poondavan paalan

Iraamaanusanai porundhiname"

 

These three together popularly referred as Koil-Thirumalai-

Perumaal Koil.

 

Nammaazhwaar says in his prabandham :-

 

"Vin meeddhiruppai, malai mel nirpaai, kadal serpaai,

mann meedhu uzhalvaai, ivarrul engum maraindhu uraivaai.."

 

Vin meedhiruppaai - Paravaasu Devan (Sri Vaikuntam)

Kadal Serppaai - Ksheeraabdhi Naathan (Thiruppaarkadal)

Mann meedhu uzhalvaai - Vibhavam (Mathsya, koorma etc. avathaarams)

Ivarril engum maraindhu

uraivaai - Antharyaamithvam (As anthraathma bhootan)

 

Finally "Malai mel nirpaai" refers to the Archaavathaaram.

 

Out of these three even one is considered to be the

most important amongst the there and amongst the all

108 divya desam which is considered as the Sri

Vaikuntam in Bhoolokam, Sri Rangam at the midst of

the River Cauvery.

 

We cannot see the first 4 forms of emperumaan because,

Paravaasudevan can be seen only after our life in this

world and when we attain paramapadam and the same with

Ksheeraabdhi naathan too.

 

We cannot view the Vibhavaavathaaram emperumaan because

those avathaaram happened in Kruthayugam, Trethaayugam,

Dwaapara yugam respectively. But we are in the Kaliyugam.

Anthryaamithvam also can be seen only through doing

Ashtaanga Yogam. Hence all these states are out of our

reach in our present yugam. Hence we have the

"Archaavathaaram" which we can reach easily and enjoy.

Consider an example that the water in big river or lake

can go to many places, can get stored in tanks, can get

stored in small lakes which are at different places.

Similary our divya desams are spread around and it is

like the water in lakes and tanks. The emperumaan in the

divya desams are nothing but the water which can be used

to quench our thirst. If we have water in all these tanks

and lakes it can be used anytime to quench our thirsts

whereas if there was water in the river but during the

rainy season now when it is not there then there is no

use of having that river. When the water in the river is

stored in various places we an have it anytime time.

Similary we cannot keep worrying of not having the sevai

of emperumaans other four states like param, vyooham etc.

as they are all like the water in the river which was not

stored in tanks and lakes. But our Archaavathaara

Perumaals are like the water in the big river stored in

small tanks and lakes to quench our thirst anytime we

want. We can go to Thirupathi or Sri Rangam, or Thirukkachi

or Thiru Naaraayanapuram or Thiru Allikkeni anytime we

think because they are all reachable. Thats why all our

aazhwaars and aachaaryaas have given so much importance

to emperumaan in "Archaavathaarams". So why should we ever

worry about not viewing the the other four forms of

emperumaan ? Even Bhagavaaan in Gita says :-

 

"Ye yathaamaam prapadyante taamstathaiva bhajaamyaham"

 

Meaning :- Hey Arjuna.!! I show my form in whatever way my

Bhakthan wants.

 

If anyone wants to do bhakthi to me using my pictures, I

stay in the picture to shower my kataaksham on him, if he

wants me in "Archaavathaaram" I show myself as

"Archaavathaaram" , or in any other form that my bhakthan

thinks of me with his love and belief I show myself to him

in that form.

 

Swamy Nammaazhwaar says about archaavathaaram :-

 

"Avan Ivan enru koozhenmin, nejinaal ninaippaan evan,

avanaagum neel kadal vannane.."

 

One who thinks in his mind with love and belief, that

this is the form in which emperumaan stays in whichever form

it may be, emperumaan stays there in that form thought by the

bhakthan.

 

Thirumangai Aazhwaar has mentioned that he loves to do bhakthi

only to "Archaavathaaram" and enjoys the "Archaavathaaram" in

the following paasuram :-

 

"Naan avanai kaaraar thirumeni kaanum alavum poi

Seeraar thiruvenkadame, thirukkovaloore

Madhil kachi ooragame, peragame

Peraamarudhiruthaan vellaraiye, vekkaaave

Peraali thankaal naraiyoor thiruppuliyoor

Aaraamam soozhndha Arangan, Kanamangai

Kaaraar mani nirakkannanoor vinnagaram

Seeraar kanapuram serai thiruvazhundoor

Kaarar kudanthai kadigai kadal mallai

Eraarar pozhil soozh idaventhai neermalai

Seeraarum maliruncholai thirumogoor

Paaror pugazhum vadari vada madurai

Ooraaya ellaam ozhiyaame naan avanai

Oraanai komposithu, oraanai koLvidutha seeraanai

Senkann nediyaanai, then thuzhaai thaaraanai

Thaamaraipol kannaanai, en arun seer peraayiramum pidhatri

Peruntheruve, ooraar igazhilum, ooraadhozhiyen naan

Vaarar poom pennai madal"

 

(Thirumangai Aazhwwar, Iyarpaa, Siriya Thirumadal)

 

Here in the above paasuram, aazhwaar wishes to sing and have

divya sevai of emperumaan always as the "Archaamoorthi" in the

divya desams listed in the above paasuram.

 

Such an importance has been given by our aazhwaars and

aachaaryas to the "Archaavathaaram". Out of all the above

Divya Desams our azhwaars and aachaaryaas always wished that

one Divya Desam should always live long with al its splendour

and that was Thiruvarangam. Why not Thiru Venkatam or

Thirukachi or Thirukudantai or Thiru Allikkeni ? When there

is big tree we give water only to the roots and its base and

not to the individual leaves. If the tree has to grow it

should get enough water through only its stems. Similarly if

all the other Divya Desam should remain with all its

splendour Thiruvarangam should remain with all its splendour

an bless all of us since Thiruvaranam is the first among all

the Divya Desams and it is compared to the Roots of a tree.

Just as the roots are the prime cause for the tree with

branches and leaves to grow well, thiruvaranam should remain

with all its splendour for the other Divya Desams that

considered to be the branches of Thiruvarangam to remain with

all their splendour and bless all of us in this bhoolokam. Such an

importance has been given to thiruvarangam by all our aazhwaars

and aachaaryaas.

 

We will further learn to see Arangan in the next post..

 

Thodarndhu Karpippaar Nam Paanan, Will Continue..

 

Mama Sarvaaparaadham Kshamaswa..!!

Raamaanujasya Charanau Sharanam Prapadye..

Aazhwaar Thiruvadigale Sharanam..!!