Part 12: "There is Salvation in Numbers": The Theme of "satsangh" in TiruppAvai

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

(14) "engallai munnam ezhuppuvAn…"

 

This expression is one of the profoundest in the

TiruppAvai. It is redolent of the most glorious

'satsangh' ever to have occurred in history --the

'satsangh' of the holy AzhwArs.

 

The literal meaning of this expression is: "We that

are the first awoken ones…" The term "engallai" is

first-person-plural "us"; "munnam" means "first" and

"ezhuppu" means "awakened".

 

The word "ezhuppu" in Tamil is an extraordinary one

indeed. It means literally "to awaken" but actually

signifies three distinctive states of perception

combined in one -- i.e. "awakening", "arising" and

"super-cognition".

 

At first glance, the distinction may seem like

needless hairsplitting. But it is actually quite

important if only we realize that one may "awaken"

from sleep but not necessarily have "arisen" (from

bed); and that one may have both "awoken and arisen"

and still not be Conscious (remaining, so to say, in a

nether state of deep stupor or somnolence).

 

The word "ezhuppu", however, signifies the state of

super-consciousness where all 3 spiritual states of

"awakening", "arising" and "super-cognition" combine.

Such a state of supreme alertness in human

consciousness is what is called "spritual awakening"

--- "ezhuppu".

 

The idea of "spiritual awakening" is a dominant theme

in the TiruppAvai. It is expatiated in stanzas 5

through 16 of the song, where AndAl's milkmaids, going

from door to door in the "aayarpAdi" village, raise

the cry of "ElOr empAvaay!" in order to tell

slumbering humanity -- "Awaken! Arise! And behold!

Behold God in the clear light of your own spiritual

consciousness…!"

 

A 'satsangh' is a collection of persons who have

shaken off the slumber and sloth of their spirit. They

have "awoken" from the plane of the mundane, "arisen"

to the spiritual realm and become "conscious" of the

divine reality. They have begun to see everything in

the clear light of divine knowledge and understanding.

 

Many, many centuries ago, a lonely traveler, who'd

been journeying for days and miles, wearily reached

the temple town of Tirukovalur (South India). As he

entered the town looking for a place to rest his tired

body and mind, night fell. It also began to rain. He

could find no proper shelter. Finally perceiving a

dinghy, dilapidated shanty-shed outside a temple, he

scurried into it. Wet, tired and shivering, he lay

down there.

 

Shortly thereafter, another traveler arrived at the

same spot and asked if he could take shelter along

with the first one. To which the first replied,

"There's place here sufficient for only one to lie

down. But there's enough for two if they can sit

huddled together. Come right in, if you please".

 

After a short while, a third traveler arrived at the

same spot and asked to be accommodated. The two inside

replied, "There's space only for two to sit huddled

here but there's enough for three to stand around

together. So come in, if you please!".

 

And so there they stood, all three, in blinding

darkness, three weary travelers, squeezed and wedged

together in the cold space of a temple-shed, wet,

uncomfortable, half-awake and half-asleep…

 

After a little while, they began to feel a terrible

suffocation. Suddenly they felt the presence of a

fourth person lurking amongst them. This fourth person

could not be seen but his presence was undeniable. The

"Presence" began exerting so much pressure against

each of them, it became impossible for the three to

budge even an inch. They wriggled, struggled, heaved

this way and that but in the end it only made things

worse…

 

Unable to bear the discomfiture anymore the three at

last cried out, "Hello! Is anyone else here amongst

us? If so, please show yourself! Why do you make it

difficult for us? We can hardly breathe. Show

yourself, whoever you are, O stranger!" No sooner had

they said this than the "Stranger" revealed himself to

them! The "Presence" made itself known to all three of

them who became wide-awake! It was none other than the

Almighty!

 

As soon as the revelation occurred, the first traveler

broke out into a rapturous song:

 

vaiyam thakaLiyaa* vaar_kadalE neyyaaga,*

veyya kathirOn viLakkaaka,*

seyya- sudaraazhi yaanatikkE*

soottinEn_sol maalai,* idaraazhi neengukavE enRu.

 

"The Earth is my Lamp, the Ocean is Oil,

And the radiant Sun the Flame!

I offer this garland of songs at the Lord's feet -

May we cross life's Sea of misery!"

 

A torrent of 100 verses ensued thereafter -- in a

paroxysm of mystical delight! Later they came to be

called the "mudal tiruvandAdi"! The singer was

Poigai-AzhwAr, the first amongst the holy AzhwArs!

 

Then it was the turn of the second traveler to break

out into ecstatic song:

 

anbE thakaLiyaa* aarvamE neyyaaka,*

inpuruku sinthai iduthiriyaa,*

nanburugi NYaanac sudarviLakku ERRinEn*

naaraNaRku* NYaanath thamizhpurintha naan.

 

"Love is my Lamp, Eagerness the Oil,

My Heart is Wick; Melting myself,

Lighting the lamp of my soul

I offer in worship this garland of Tamil verses!"

 

Another outpouring of 100 verses of soul-stirring

fervor followed! It was the "irandAm tiruvandAdi"! The

singer was Bhutadh AzhwAr, the second amongst the

pantheon of 10 AzhwArs!

 

Next, came the turn of the third traveler and he began

to sing in all-consuming ecstasy:

 

thirukkaNdEn* ponmEni kaNdEn,*

thikazum arukkan aNin^iRamum kaNdEn,*

serukkiLarum ponnaazi kaNdEn*

puri sangam kaikkaNdEn,* ennaazi vaNNanpaal inRu.

 

"Behold! I have seen today my Lord of ocean-hue!

And his consort the Lotus-dame!

He wields the fiery discus and conch,

Behold! He shines like the radiant sun!"

 

Thus began another song of 100 celestial verses. It

was the "mUnrAm tiruvandAdi" of the third AzhwAr,

PeyyAzhwAr!

 

The mystic travelers were the first 3 among 10

AzhwArs; hence they came to be known as "mudal" (or

"munnam") AzhwArs! The songs they sang -- the first

300 verses of the 4000 songs of the

'Divya-Prabhandham' -- were songs to celebrate "Man's

spiritual awakening" ("ezhuppu"). Poigai Azhwar

symbolized the state of "awakening"; Bhutadh AzhwAr

symbolized "arising" and Peyy-AzhwAr (who sang

"kandEn, tirukandEn") symbolized the third state of

"super-cognition"!

 

Together the three "mudal AzhwArs" represented true

"spiritual awakening" in the complete and Vedantic

sense of the term. They were the "first awoken-ones"

indeed alluded to in the phrase of the TiruppAvai:

"engallai munnam ezhuppuvAn…"!

 

Without fear of contradiction, it may be claimed too

that the sacred hymns of the "nAlAyira

divya-prabhandham" owe their very origin and

inspiration to a "satsangh" --- the mystic 'satsangh'

of the "mudal AzhwArs" who found themselves brought

together by divine pre-ordain at Tirukovalur!

 

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

(to be continued)

 

Regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear SrIman Sudarshan

 

This synthesis of events that happened at

ThirukkOvalUr in a most original way and

connecting the three distinctive states of perception

to the anubhavam of the three Mudhal AzhwArs

is simply brilliant . The progressive blossoming of

the spirtiual awakening thru the stages of Para Bhakthi ,

Para Jn~Anam and Parama Bhakthi has been nicely

connected . Thank you for an enachanting account of

the happenings at ThirukkOvalUr thru the lens of

original Sathsangam .

 

Look forward to more postings on Sathsangam

with your special insights during this ThiruppAvai

season ,

 

V.Sadagopan