Chendru Kandarkku Iniya Koil

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya nama:

 

“Chendru kAndarkku iniya Koil”

 

A hallmark of Azhwars’ pasurams is the high priority

afforded to depiction of Nature and its beauty. These wandering

minstrels, blessed with wonderful wisdom, go from place to place

where the Lord has made His abode, much in the fashion of bees

flitting from flower to flower in search of newer and newer varieties

of honey. Just as the bees’ appetite for honey is boundless,

Azhwars’ proclivity for Bhagavat anubhavam too is insatiable,

as they sing His praises endlessly, remembering His innumerable

exploits during His various avataras, ever grateful to Him for having

afforded them the wisdom of choice between mundane pleasures and the

everlasting one of divine bliss.

 

Coming back to the point, Nature occupies a pride of place in

Azhwars’ outpourings, so much so that in a verse, if two lines

are devoted to the praise of the Lord of that particular divyadesam,

the other two are reserved for a graphic description of the flora and

fauna of the locale. Azhwars’ compulsion to describe the scenic

beauty of the places they visit is so overwhelming that one wonders

whether they were camera-toting tourists or saints after bhagavat

anubhavam. However, such doubts are easily resolved when we

understand that beauty, wherever and whenever seen, reminds these

seers of the bountiful creation of the Lord in all its kaleidoscopic

colour and variety, and that while adulating Nature, they are in fact

eulogising the Lord as its Creator. The magnificent magic of a dewdrop

sitting on the tip of a blade of grass and throwing out a diamond-like

dissemination of colours, the indescribable beauty of a single white

crane standing with one leg with apparently infinite patience amidst

a dazzling green field full of paddy crop waving its head ever so

gently in the pleasant breeze, the rare music of a crystal-clear

mountain stream wending its way from God-knows-where to some equally

mysterious destination-------all these strike Azhwars as but facets

of the innovative Creation indulged in by the Lord and as aspects of

His own divine form, in all its myriad manifestations.

 

It is hence no wonder that these peripatetic poets wax voluble

while singing of whatever natural phenomena that confront them on

their endless journeys from one divine abode to another. We thus have

Sri Nammazhwar adducing eloquent tribute to the scenic beauty of

TirumAlirumsOlai-

“maruvil vaN sunai soozh MalirumsOlai”

“malamaru madi sEr MalirumsOlai”

mazha kaLittrinam sEr MalirumsOlai”

“varu mazhai tavazhum MalirumsOlai” etc.

 

Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar furnishes a graphic description of the

gorgeous groves surrounding Srirangam, the bewitching music of birds

and bees, the majestic flow of the magnificent Cauvery whose waters

are filled with gems and diamonds brought from far and wide, etc.

 

“Vandinam muralum sOlai, mayilinam Alum sOlai

kondal meedu aNavum sOlai, kuyilinam koovum sOlai”

 

“Gangayil punidamAya Kaviri naduvu pAttu

pongu neer parandu pAyum poompozhil arangam”

 

“veLla neer parandu pAyum viripozhil arangam”

“surumbamar sOlai soozhnda arangamA kOil” etc.

 

The ecstasical dance of Srirangam’s peacocks, to the

magic-filled music of bees, all inspired by the bewitching beauty of

Rangaraja, finds gleeful mention in Sri TiruppAnAzhwar’s

outpouring-“Vandu pAda mAmayil Ada”. Thus even during the

brief span of his limited contribution of ten pasurams, this Azhwar is

unable to resist the temptation of touching upon nature and its

beauty.

 

Even Sri Madhurakavi, who spurned singing the Lord and would eulogize

only Sri Nammazhwar, devotes a line to the natural beauty of

TirukkurugUr, in his short but sweet “KanninuN

sirutthAmbu”-“kuyil nindru Al pozhil soozh KurugUr

nimbi!”.

 

Sri Periazhwar, Sri Andal, Sri Kulasekhara Perumal, and the three

Mudal Azhwars- you name the Azhwar and one could quote verse after

verse depicting Nature in all its magnificence.

 

However, if one were to search for an Azhwar who specialized in

searching out scenic locales and singing their praises, one would

have to crown Sri Tirumangai Mannan, for his contribution, both in

terms of number of pasurams and in terms of places covered, is the

maximum. And in most places, Azhwar follows the invariable practice

of devoting two lines of each verse to the flora and fauna of the

divyadesam and the other two to the Lord and His glory, obviously

considering His vibhUti as beautiful and praiseworthy as His own

magnificent form and endearing exploits. One is able to imbibe a

panoramic view of each divyadesam, the type of trees inhabiting it,

the sort of crops being sown in the water-filled fields, the

incredible variety of wild life to be found in abundance, etc., the

whole depiction presenting a picture of peace, prosperity and

unspoilt environment. Abundant greenery aided by free-flowing rivers,

wild life flourishing amidst an atmosphere of safety and serenity, man

living in absolute harmony with nature and benefiting therefrom in

myriad varieties, Nature coming through unfailingly with bountiful

rainfall which was copious but not excessive—all these may be

alien things to us in the present day and age, but were very much the

order of the day during Sri Parakala’s times, as we come to know

from his accounts of the numerous divyadesams he visited.

 

However, amidst all these accounts of greenery and serenity, there is

one which is outstanding for its total contrast from the normal run

of fabulous foliage and fertility. At this particular divyadesam, Sri

Kalian encounters only barren rock radiating intolerable heat, scrubs

and bushes that provide hardly any cover, predators waiting to pounce

on the unsuspecting pilgrim and wild paths strewn with boulders and

sharp stones. The midday Sun is at its blistering best, so much so

that even hardy animals like wild dogs and weatherproof birds like

eagles find their steps faltering in the unbearable heat. Animals

tired of searching for prey or for blades of grass in the

inhospitable environs fall down with life ebbing slowly but surely

out of their emaciated frames. The only vegetation worth the name

consists of bamboo shoots tall enough to touch the sky, but even

these are aflame due to constant friction. What with the incredibly

hot air, the overhead Sun in a killer mood and with the towering

bamboo on fire all around, this divyadesam is practically

inaccessible but for the lion-hearted like Sri Kalian. The terrible

sound of the blazing bamboo, the howl of hungry wolves, the

terrifying roar of starved lions- these are the only sounds to be

heard, piercing the otherwise eerie silence that fills the place. For

those who are prepared to brave all such natural obstacles, there

exists the threat of bestial and murderous hunters who are prepared

to kill and maim the unwary pilgrim and rob him of the last of his

possessions.

 

Is it any wonder then that this divyadesam was described by Sri

Tirumangai Mannan as “chendru kAndarkku ariya kOil” and

“Deivam allAl chella oNNA SingavEl Kundram”, etc.? If Sri

Parakala, who must be the hardiest of all the Azhwars, having braved

the snow-filled and inhospitable climes of BadarikAshramam,

SAlagrAmam etc., considers this particular divyadesam as inaccessible

to ordinary mortals, we can well imagine its harsh and hostile terrain

and uninviting ambience. And which exactly is the divyadesam the Lord

has blessed with such dubious distinction of inaccessibility? It is

none other than

“SingavEl Kundram” or AhObilam, located near Cudappah in

Andhra Pradesh. Even several centuries after Azhwar’s

mangalasasanam, Sri Ahobilam remained inaccessible and inhospitable

to the ordinary pilgrim, making all the beauty of the magnificent

Lord a wasted full moon shining over the desert, with none to

appreciate and adore.

 

Had Sri Kalian been with us today, he would have revised his opinion

of this divya desam and called it “Chendru kAndarkku iniya

kOil”. What are the transformations this divyadesam has

undergone to merit this sobriquet? Right from the time of Sri

InjimEttu Azhagiasingar, improvements have been effected to this

hoary shrine, which forms the headquarters and principal devastthAnam

of Sri Ahobila Mutt. During the reign of Sri Mukkur Azhagiasingar, a

new Rajagopuram was built and consecrated, with some improvement in

creature comforts. Prakritam Srimad Azhagiasingar has continued,

consolidated and considerably improved upon the efforts of his

illustrious predecessors to make this divyadesam shed the forbidding

image it had acquired and make it as easy to access and worship as

its counterparts located at other places. The 600th anniversary

celebrations of the Mutt witnessed wholesale improvements to

infrastructure at this remote abode of the Lord, with a spanking new

Malola Guest House, the exclusive telephone exchange, the mini power

station, arrangements to harness the waters of the BhavanAsini for

drinking needs of the resident and itinerant population and a host of

similar developments, making Ahobilam eminently accessible and

worshippable, all forming a glowing testimonial to the lowkIka kArya

kushalatA of Srimad Azhagiasingar. The innumerable ornaments Sri

Prahlada Varada of lower Ahobilam has been adorned with, the

renovations and refurbishing carried out at several of the nine

shrines of Nrsimha, transforming them from dark and forbidding abodes

into bright, cheerful shrines the Lord is pleased to reside in and the

devotees find extremely inviting, the regular visits and tirumanjanam

by the Swati Group, who visit all the shrines and arrange for

comprehensive worship once a month—all these efforts have

indeed turned Ahobilam into an enormously attractive destination for

the intending pilgrim. Boarding and lodging are no longer a problem

due to the new hostelry and the nitya tadIyArAdhanam at Sri Ahobila

Mutt. Though the upper reaches of Ahobilam still retain their untamed

wildness, they are no longer forbidding, but inviting with the promise

of adventure and rewarding Bhagavat anubhavam at the end of an arduous

journey. From a place one would be fortunate enough to visit once in a

lifetime, that too for notching up one’s tally of divyadesams

visited, Ahobilam has been transformed into a repeat destination and

one of choice for Srivaishnavites and others, with the Government of

Andhra Pradesh actively aiding in the endeavour, pleased at the

changes for the better wrought by the elderly seer, who has focussed

His personal attention on the matter and ensured a sea change in the

ambience and infrastructure.

The most difficult shrine to visit, that of JwAlA Nrisimha, is now

under renovation, with the existing crude path being replaced by a

pucca structure with proper steps cut into the rocky mountain. Once

this is over, none of the nine shrines need any more be skipped by

the elderly and the unwell on grounds of difficulty of access. No

amount of words can however fully describe the magical transformation

Sri Ahobilam has undergone in recent years, and one would have to make

a personal visit to see for oneself how easy pilgrimage to this

once-forbidding shrine has become. None is satisfied with a single

visit, wanting to return again and again, captivated by the

magnificence of the Nava Nrsimhas and losing themselves in His

boundless beauty, described by Azhwars as “azhagiAn”,

“teLLiya singam”, “SingavEL” etc. Here would

you find the “adbhuta KEsari” eulogised by Swami Desikan

and on whom Sri Rudra had composed the glorious MantrarAja pada

stotram. Here resides the Primordial Purusha, adulated by the

Nrsimha TApaneeya Upanishad and whom Sri Mukkur Azhagiasingar had

glorified in his KarAvalamba Storam.

 

I would invite all devotees of the Lord to visit Sri Ahobilam and

see for themselves how a formidable, “tinaittanayum sella oNNA

SingavEl kundram” has been transformed into a “Chendru

kAndarkku iniya kOil”, and to participate in their own way in

the innumerable kainkaryams under way at this holy of holies.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan

 

An abridged version of this article was featured in Sri Nrisimhapriya

(English Edition) in their recent issue.