Thiruvilakku Pichhan

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaktas,

 

I read with interest the following statement in Shri Sukumar's post d. Feb.03,

2003: "We should have to please Him with something new (just like various

gurus/swamis of our time) or just talk to him like ThiruviLakku Picchan. What a

bhaktha is he and How novel is the idea."

 

Since I did not know about Thiruvilakku Picchan, I queried the internet and

found the answer in Smt. Sumitra Varadarajan's article in

http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/thirumalai/tmalai06.html . As many more

Bhaktas might be interested in knowing about this devotee, I am reproducing

below the relevant extract from her article:

 

...................... Sri Thondaradipodi Alwar wrote his Thirumaalai prabhandam

based on the Vishnu Dharma Sastram; let us now see some features of Vishnu

Dharmam and Thirumaalai. Vishnu Dharmam appears to be a dialogue between

Sathaneekar, a king and Sownakar, a rishi. The king questions the rishi "Which

is the easiest method for people in kaliyuga(Acharaheena, VairAkhyaheena

jeevatmas) to attain Bhagavan?" The answer given by Sownakar to this question is

Vishnu Dharma Sastram. In contrast, in Thirumaalai, Alwar is the Vaktha(person

who lectures) and Periya perumal Stota(one who hears). Here one doubt will

arise. Sathaneekar was a raja and he wanted to clarify his doubt and learn more

from the rishi. But Periya Perumal has no doubt and he has all the knowledge why

should he listen to alwar? Our great PVP clears our doubt in the avatArikai to

Thirumaalai. Emperuman listens to Alwar not because he doesn't know the nAma

magimai but because he wants to hear it from Alwar. Like a mother after teaching

her kid a short story enjoys listening it back from the kid emperuman also

enjoys the paasurams of the Alwar. There is one saying in Sanskrit "Kim Vrishtam

-Sutha vachanam"(which is the thing which is very sweet to hear? It is the

child's innocent talk). When we ask more than that which is sweet to hear again

it is child's innocent talk 'Punarapi tateka sruthavachanam'. Even Thiruvalluvar

says "kuzhal enidhu Yazh enidhu enbar than makkal mazhalaisol kelAdhavar". So

the Mazhalai elam sol of a kid is an atmost sweetest thing to hear. Here alwar

is the kid of emperuman and emperuman enjoys hearing alwar's Mazhalaisol(child

talk-Thirumaalai paasurams).

 

So the speciality of Thirumaalai is that it was not listened to by an innocent

king but it was listened to by Periya Perumal Himself. In our Sampradhayam even

very learned elders sit and listen to younger peoples upanyasams since they

consider that Bhagavat vishayam has its value whether it is told by a kid or a

young man or an elderly person. Even Emperuman cherishes listening to his

bhakthas words.

 

There is one story in our guru paramparai. Once Sri Nampillai was delivering

kalashepam in the mandapam near Sri Ranganatha sannadhi. A person by name

Thiruvilakku Picchan was standing in front of the sannadhi with a lamp in his

hand. Periya Perumal was so impressed by hearing Nampillai's bhagavat guna

kalashepam that he left his archA samAdhi and came to see the kalashepa goshti

of Nampillai. Suddenly Thiruvilakku Picchan saw somebody near him and realizing

that it was Periya Perumal he ordered Perumal that he should not do this and he

has to go back to his archA SamAdhi. Such was the attraction of Bhagavan to

listen to his adiyars lectures.

 

Is there any other text relating to this great Bhakta who had the bhagyam to

enjoy such intimate relationship with the Lord that he could even tell Him to

return to his Sthanam in the Sannidhi?

 

Dasan

Krishnaswamy M.K