vithuvakottu ammaan and kulasekara azvar

[Guest guest]

>From another list -- can members answer these questions?

 

geetha_rangarajan2000 writes:

> Dear respected members

>

> adiyen has got a couple of doubts from kulasekara perumal's 'perumal

> tirumozhi'. the first is on vithuvakottu ammaan. Azhvar has

> composed 10 pasurams on this perumal. Would the members know where

> this temple is?

>

> 2) while reading the pasurams, I found that the azvar has

> consistently been asking for attachment to the perumal inspite of the

> hardships given by HIM. For instance 'nee vendaaye aayinum'. i

> would be grateful if anyone could give me the background of the

> pasurams and what hardships the azhvar is referring to and why the

> azhvar feels the rejection of the perumal

>

> adiyen

> geetha

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

Sriman Satakopan mama had written in 98 on this great set of ten PAsurams by

Kulasekara AzhwAr. It is very sweet and highly deep in meanings. AzhwAr

performs his Saranagathi at the lotus Feet of PerumAL of VitthuvakkOdu Divya

Desam.

Enjoy.

Regards

Namo Narayana

aDiyEn dAsan

=======================================================

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar98/0034.html

 

Dear BhakthAs : It gives me great pleasure to join

on this sacred day of Sri Kulasekara AzhwAr's birth

( Maasi Punarvasu ) to pay my tribute to the great

Saint-King from KeralA-Paandya desam . This is also

the day in which Sri RanganAtha Swamy Temple foundation

stone is being laid at Pomona , NY following the divine

blessings of Sri Maha Lakshmi and the 44th Jeeeyar , His

Holiness Sri Vedantha Desika MahA Desikan , the builder

of the Southern Gopuram of Sri Ranganathan . May this effort

thrive and May the object of Sri Kukasekara AzhwAr's

deep desire come to reside here on the Banks of Hudson

river in New York and bless us all for times to come .

 

A Tribute to Sri Kulasekhara

*****************************

Srimans MadhavakkaNNan and MuraLi Rangaswamy

have paid wonderful tributes already this morning .

I will follow from there and focus on the deep

and profound statements of MahA Viswasam of

KulasekharA enshrined in his salutations and

prayer to Sri VitthuvakkOttu AmmAn of MalayALa

divya desam ( PerumAL Thirumozhi : 5th decad )

 

The Divya Desam of VitthuvakkOdu

********************************

The name VitthuvakkOdu comes from the

joining of two words : VidhwAns + Kodu

or koodiya Idam ( the place of assembly ) .

 

Vedic Scholars , Experts in Kaavyam , Naatakam ,

Alankaara Saasthram , Tarkam , MeemAmsam and

Yogam used to assemble here as residents and

gave the name of VitthuvakkOdu to this thiruppathi .

They were very respectful of each other and

developed deep friendship ( Mithra BhAvam ) .

Hence , this Thiruppathi is also known as

MitthirakkOdu , the place of assembly of

friends .

 

Location of VitthuvakkOdu

*************************

 

This Kshethram is at a distance of 10 miles

from ShoranUr on the GuruvAyUr-ShoranUr road .

It is on the bank of BharathappuZhA river

and can be reached from PattAmbhi train station .

The garbha graham is semi-circular similar to

the traditional ones of KeraLa divya desams.

 

The method of worship is neither VaikAnasam

or Paancha Raathram , but Taantric . There is

no chatAri usage .Only Sandal Paste and

Tulasi leaves are given as PrasAdam . Potti

( pOtthi ) Brahmins perform Abhigamanam with

wet cloth and continue with the daily aarAdhanams

devoutly as in the case of GuruvAyUr . There is a

temple for the grandson of the Lord ( Lord SivA )

infront of this temple .

 

The ArchA Moorthys of VitthubvakkOdu

**************************************

 

The Lord's name at this Thiruppathi is Uyya Vantha PerumAl .

ThAyAr's name is Thiru VitthuvakkOttu Valli .

The name for the Lord is intriguing . Instead

of Uyya Vaikka Vantha PerumAL , He is

called Uyya Vantha PerumAL or the Lord ,

who came to be redeemed . Perhaps , he acknowledges

the moving SaraNAgathi paasurams of His dear

BhakthA , who deservedly earned the suffix of

PerumAL after his name of KulasekharA . Our

predecessors have rightfully stated : " PerumALai

aRiyAthAr PerumALai aRiyAthArE ". The meaning of

this statement is : "One who does not understand

the Paasurams of KulasekHara PerumAL would not

know about PerumAL ( Sri RamachandrA ) , who

performed AarAdhanam to Periya PerumAL ,

Sri RanganaathA , during His avathAram as the

son of DasarathA . Perhaps Sriman NaarAyaNa

who is Bhaktha Paaratantryan felt that

he should take this name as one who came to be redeemed

in the spirit of VaishNava Nampi of Thirukkurungudi ,

who came to attend KalakshEpams of Sri RaamAnuja

on the banks of TamraparaNee river .

 

The Greatness of KulasEkharA

****************************

Our AzhwAr is considered as the amsam of the Kausthubham

gem adorning the chest of Sriman NaarAyaNan .

KulasekhaRA was a king of Kolli Naadu in those

days , when there was the joint kingdom of

Keralaa and Paandya desam . He was born under

the star of Punarvasu , the same one under which

Sri RamachandrA was born as KausalyA suprajA .

Like Chakravarthi Thirumahan , he gave up his

kingdom too for dhArmic reasons .He wanted to

emulate Ilaya PerumAl and wanted to serve always

the Lord ( Bhagavad Seshathvam ). Like BharathA ,

he wanted to have Paarathanthryam and wanted

to perform PaadhukhA PattAbhishEkam . Like

SatrugnA , KulasekharA stood for Bhagaavtha

Seshathvam celebrated in the Thiruvaimozhi

Paasurams of decad 3.7 summarized

recently by Sri MadhavakkaNNan .SatrugnA is known

as Nithya Satrugnan : The Forever foe

of anything that stood in his way to serve BhagavathAls

like Bharathan , his brother . In a similar spirit ,

KulasEkarA defended BhagavathALs in his court , when they

were falsely accused of stealing the AabharaNams

of his AarAdhana Moorthy . KulasekharA put his

hand into a pot containing Cobras to attest

to the purity of BhagavathALs and won .Such is

the greatness of KulasekharA , who dreamed and

sung daily about his pilgrimage to Srirangam

so that he can be near to Sri RanganAthA .

 

Our PurushArtham is Bhagavadh Kaimkaryam.

That is Mudal kOdu ( the first step).

The kadaisi kOdu ( the last step ) is

CharamAvathi Bhagavatha Kaimkaryam of the kind

celebrated by NammAzhwAr in Thiruvaimozhi 3.7.10:

 

"--adiyAr adiyAr tammadiyAr tamakku

adiyAr adiyAr tammadiyAr adiyOngaLE "

 

( Meaning ) : " Myself and mine are servants to

the servants of the servants of the servants of

the servants of the servants of the servants of

this lovable Lord "

 

He declared : " Inbamarum selvamum ivvarasum

yaan vEndEn " and spent his days in Bhagavadh/

Bhagavadha KAIMKARYAM . He followed the traditional

SaraNAgathi maargam established by the Divya Dampathis

and spent his last days at Srirangam and ascended

to Parama padam from there .

 

In his VitthuvakkOttu paasurams , he expressed

his understanding and practise of the profound

meaning of PraNavam with particular emphasis on

the letter " U" in the combination of the triad ,

A,U and M . The Letter "U " stands for AnanyArha

Seshathvam asserting that the Jeevan is Seshan to the Lord

and the Lord alone . AzhwAr's MahA Visvaasam and

aathma SamarpaNam in the true spirit of SaraNAgathi

is etched in these verses .

 

I will comment on the individal paasurams

in the subsequent posting(s) .

 

KulasEkhara AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

 

Here are the ten Pasurams are their translations by sri Satakopan Mama.

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar98/0035.html

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar98/0036.html

 

==================================================

 

----Original Message Follows----

Mani Varadarajan <mani

Mani Varadarajan <mani

bhakti-list

vithuvakottu ammaan and kulasekara azvar

Tue, 19 Mar 2002 08:09:14 -0800

 

>From another list -- can members answer these questions?

 

geetha_rangarajan2000 writes:

> Dear respected members

>

> adiyen has got a couple of doubts from kulasekara perumal's 'perumal

> tirumozhi'. the first is on vithuvakottu ammaan. Azhvar has

> composed 10 pasurams on this perumal. Would the members know where

> this temple is?

>

> 2) while reading the pasurams, I found that the azvar has

> consistently been asking for attachment to the perumal inspite of the

> hardships given by HIM. For instance 'nee vendaaye aayinum'. i

> would be grateful if anyone could give me the background of the

> pasurams and what hardships the azhvar is referring to and why the

> azhvar feels the rejection of the perumal

>

> adiyen

> geetha

 

 

_______________

Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Dear Srimathi GeethA Rangarajan:

 

Location of the Dhivya Desam

*****************************

This dhivya dEsam is one of the thriteen MalayALa

Naattu dhivya dEsam .It is one mile from the village

of PattAmbi in today's Kerala .It is on the road from

GuruvAyoor to ShOranoor , some ten miles from

Shoranoor. Locally it is called ThirumitthirakkOdu.

The worship is not with VaishNava Aagamams , but

Taantrikam . PerumAL stands facing South (Uyaavantha

perumAL and ThAyAr is VitthuvakkOttu Valli).VimAnam is

Tatthva Kaanchana VimAnam. Only KulasEkara AzhwAr

has sung about this PerumAL.

 

I will cover the significance of these Paasurams

in another posting.

 

V.Sadagopan

 

Oppiliappan, "geetha_rangarajan2000"

<gowri.raviganesh@r...> wrote:

> Dear respected members

>

> adiyen has got a couple of doubts from kulasekara perumal's

'perumal tirumozhi'. the first is on vithuvakottu ammaan. Azhvar

has composed 10 pasurams on this perumal.

 

(1) Would the members know where this temple is?

> 2) while reading the pasurams, I found that the azvar has

> consistently been asking for attachment to the perumal inspite of

the

> hardships given by HIM. For instance 'nee vendaaye aayinum'. i

> would be grateful if anyone could give me the background of the

> pasurams and what hardships the azhvar is referring to and why the

> azhvar feels the rejection of the perumal?

>

> adiyen

> geetha

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

Sri Sadagopan Iyengar of Bangalore (the "other" Sadagopan,

to distinguish our well-known Sri V. Sadagopan of New York)

kindly pointed out that he wrote an article about these

paasurams last year. Here is that article:

 

[ By Sadagopan Iyengar <sadagopaniyengar ]

 

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

" For Example"

_______________

 

"An example is an argument in miniature"- adiyen

doesn't know who said this, but whoever did, never

said a truer word. Concepts, which call for pages of

elaboration, could be lucidly explained through an

example. Great poets and philosophers alike have

employed the example or "upamAnam", for illustrating

and embellishing their prose/poetry. Kalidasa was

renowned for his apt similes, so much so that the very

word "simile" brings the Mahakavi to our mind ("upamA

kAlidAsasya"). However, Kalidasa is not alone in the

usage of impressive examples- before him, Adikavi

Valmiki has employed similes throughout Srimad

Ramayana to telling effect. And, after Kalidasa, our

own Sri Vedanta Desikan has been a prolific user of

examples, especially in his Kavya works like Sri

Paduka Sahasram , Sri Yadavabhyudayam, Sri Hamsa

Sandesam, etc.

 

Though we do come across the widespread

use of similes in the Divya Prabandams too, it is rare

to find a concentration of these in a single group

of poems. An exception to this is the fifth "patthu"

of Perumal Tirumozhi, where as many as eight different

similes have been used in the space of ten pasurams,

all in praise of the Lord at TiruvittuvakkOdu. And the

examples employed are unique, in that each highlights

a different aspect of the relationship between the

Jeevatma and the Paramatma. However, the common thread

that runs through all the ten verses is "ananya

gatitvam". This is defined by Swami Desikan as

"sharaNyAntara vaimukhyam", or rejection of anyone but

Sriman Narayana as one's saviour. Sri Nammazhwar puts

this succinctly when he says, "KaLaivAi tunbam

kaLayAdu ozhivAi, kaLaikaN matrilEn". As Sri Satakopa

Muni is the "angi" and the other Azhwars "angAs", it

is but natural for Kulasekhara Perumal to elaborate

the aforesaid line in ten beautiful pasurams. Here

they are-

 

The first pasuram enunciates clearly the theme of

the "patthu" by saying "un sharaN allAl sharaN

illai". And to what might this lack of interest in

other saviours be compared? A very moving simile

follows-

 

"arisinattAl eendra tAi agatridinum, avaL

tan aruL ninaindE azhum kuzhavi aduvE pOndru

irundEnE".

 

The mother is really an epitome of patience. .

However even she tires of the child and its pranks at

times and pushes it away in mock anger. When this

happens, the child, though it realises that mother is

annoyed and unheeding, still keeps crying for her

attention, for it knows not anyone else who is as kind

and caring. Similarly, even if Emperuman doesn't heed

our prayers, we have no refuge other than Him. By

describing himself as a child and the Lord as the

mother, Azhwar indicates the relationship of Creator

and creation, and Protector and protected, subsisting

between the Jeevatma and the Paramatma. In this

pasuram, Emperuman has perhaps usurped the role of His

Consort, who is usually called "JaganmAtA" and

"samasta janani". This pasuram and its import so

moved Sri Alavandar, that he has reproduced it almost

verbatim in his Stotra Ratnam- "rushA nirastOpi

sishu:stanandaya:na jAtu mAtu:charaNou jihasati".

 

The second pasuram begins with another winner-

"KaNdAr igazhvanavE kAdalan tAn seididinum

KondAnai allAl ariyA kulamagaL pOl

ViNtOi madil pudai soozh vittuvakkOttammA

Nee kondAlAy Agilum un kurai kazhalE kooruvanE"

 

A chaste wife, even if her husband is guilty of the

gravest of crimes attracting social stigma, doesn't

forsake him for another man. Similarly, even if You,

the Lord and master, have scant regard for me, I know

not a refuge other than your lotus feet, says Azhwar.

By placing Him in the position of a husband and

himself in that of a wife, Azhwar indicates here that

the relationship between the individual soul and the

Lord is similar- He is the Lord and Master, and we,

his slaves (this may not conform to the present day

man and wife relationships, but has to be understood

in the proper context). We belong to him in every

sense. His company brings us pleasure, and being away

from Him results in grief.

In the next verse, the comparison is with an errant

king, who has abdicated his responsibiliy of caring

for his subjects' welfare, and the poor citizens, who

still look to him for good governance and providence-

"tAn nOkkAdu ettuyaram seididinum tAr vEndan

kOl nOkki vAzhum kudi pOndru irundEnE"

.. The Rakshya-Rakshaka bhAvam subsisting between

ourselves and the Lord is highlighted in this

pasuram. He is the Protector and we, the protected.

Emperuman has often been described as a physician. He

is the Great Healer ("Bhishak", "Vaidya:"as Sri Vishnu

Sahasranamam calls Him), who has the medicine for the

great malaise represented by this sAmsAric life. Every

doctor, for his patient's well being, has to perform

surgery whenever called for, which is invariably

painful for the patient. The patient, however, doesn't

abuse the doctor for subjecting him to the unkind

knife: instead, he is grateful to be cured of the

malady.

Seralar kOn tells the Lord at VittuvakkOdu ,"Even if

You were to subject me to ceaseless suffering I would

still untiringly look to You for deliverance". That

the Lord always has at heart the good of the

individual soul, and the need for the Jeevatma to have

absolute faith in Him even in the midst of the

severest of travails, are brought out by this pasuram.

 

 

The next pasuram displays another beautifulsimile-

that of a bird, which goes to sleep in the evening,

perched on the mast of a ship, which gets under way

during the night, and covers a few hundred knots

before daybreak. The bird, waking up, searches for

familiar landmarks, and flies out in various

directions, only to find that land has disappeared,

and everywhere there is only water. Not finding a

single treetop to perch on, it returns to the ship, to

bide its time till the ship reaches shore again.

"Engu pOi karai kANAdu eri kadal vAi meendEyum

vangatthin koombErum mApparavai pOndrEne"

Doesn't this bird's conduct ring a bell? We are

reminded here of Sri Valmiki's beautiful description

of the delinquent crow, who, after having committed an

apachArA to Janaka nandini, flies desperately all

round the world, trying to escape the pursuing

RamabANam. Whosever's doors it knocks at for refuge,

turns it away, as they are powerless to protect a

person who is the target of Sri Rama's anger. Thus,

the crow falls at Sri Rama's feet in an act of

SaraNagati, and is duly saved by the Saranagata

vatsala.

 

"treen lOkAn samparikramya tamEva saranam gata:

vadhArhamapi Kakutsta: kripayaA paryapAlayat."

 

We have seen the lotus blooming as soon as the Sun's

rays caress it lovingly. Is it only the heat from

sunlight that causes the flower to open its petals?

Not at all, for if, instead of the sun's heat, we were

to place near the lotus a stove disseminating similar

heat, we would observe that the flower remains shut,

and if the heat is intensified, it just wilts. There

is thus a special, irreplaceable relationship between

the sun and the lotus: similarly, we devotees would

not be moved by anything except the countless

auspicious attributes of the Lord. Here is the

Azhvar's sreesookti-

"SenthazhalE vandu azhalai seidinum senkamalam

antaram sEr venkadirOrku allAl alarAvAl

ventuyar veettAvidinum vittuvakkOttammA! Un

andamil seerkku allAl agam kuzhaya mAttEnE"

 

Even at times of severe drought, when there is nary a

hint of rain, the green shoots of paddy always look up

to the sky in the hope of sighting the dark

rain-bearing clouds. Similarly, even if Emperuman

pays scant attention to our problems, He is always in

our thoughts, and we look to Him for solace.

"Etthanayum vAn maranda kAlatthum painkoozhkaL

maitthu ezhunda mAmukilE pArrthu irukkum matru avai

pOl

meitthuyar veettAvidinum vittuvakkOttammA! en

chittam miga unpAlE vaippan adiyEnE".

Here, by placing himself in the place of crops and

denoting Emperuman as a cumulus, Azhwar indicates that

the Lord is the source of sustenance for all

creatures.

 

All rivers, however far they may flow and in whichever

direction, have the sea as their ultimate

destination.("AkAsAt patitam tOyam yathA gacchati

sAgaram"). Azhvar's mind, irrespective of the

innumerable distractions of this sAmSAric world, is

firmly fixed on the Lord's kalyANa guNAs.

 

"tokkilangi ArellAm parandOdi todu kadslE

puukandri puram nirka mAttAda matravai pOl

mikkilangu mugil nirattAi vittuvakkOttammA un

pukkilangu seer allAl pukkilan kAN puNNiyanE"

 

The nAyaka-nAyaki bhavam subsisting between Emperuman

and ourselves is brought out by this pasuram, as the

Ocean is generally called the husband of rivers

(Samudra: saritAm pati:).

 

The series of similes ends with the following pasuram-

"ninnayE vEndi neeL selvam vENdAdAn

tannayE ,tAn vENdum selvam pOl, mAyatthAl

minnayE sEr tigiri vittuvakkOttammA

ninnayE tAn vENdi nirpan adiyEnE"

 

When one is attracted to Emperuman, worldly

pleasures lose their attraction for him: riches are

but dust for him ("paramAtmani yO rakta: virakta:

aparamAtmani") however, these riches come to him on

their own, due to his unflinching devotion to the

Lord. Similarly, says Azhvar, even if You are

indifferent to me, I shall continue to look to you for

solace.

 

Sri Kulasekhara Perumal's penchant for the mot juste and the apt

simile are on full display in the patthu described

above. Unfortunately, adiyen is afraid of having lost the flavour

of the original, in adiyen's translation. Adiyen would like to

present a few more instances of such fine examples in the next

instalment. Srimate Sri LakshmiNrsimha divya paduka sevaka

SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

-dasan,sadagopan.