Thirumazhisai AzhwAr's majestic prabandham- Thirucchandha viruttham

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SrI:

 

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

Thirucchandha viruttham is the fifth dhivya prabandham

of first 1000 of 4000. This and before this,

Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi were sung by Thirumazhisai

AzhwAr [sri Bhakthi saarar]. Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi

is included in third 1000 of Naalaayiram.

 

Thiruchandha viruttham- is a kaaraNa peyar- named

after a reason. Viruttham- is a meter in Tamil.

Kaliviruttham, Asiriya viruttham, etc.. This viruttham

is in chandha style called Chandha kali viruttham. It

is extremely pleasant to hear and to recite. Very

majestic and highly tough verses. Rhyming and

marvelous in style, deep and wonderful in content as

well.

 

Bhakthi saarar is also called as Thirumazhisai Piraan

for having appeared in Thirumazhisai Dhivya Desam.

Thirumazhisai Piraan is also called maheesaarar (read

second thaniyan afterwards for explanation.) As

mentioned earlier, he was born as a lump of flesh to

Bhaargava rishi and an apsaras who felt sad looking at

the lump of flesh with no limbs, threw the still born

baby into a bamboo bush and proceeded.

 

Dhivya Dampathi mercifully looked at the flesh and

then appeared head, limbs and life as well for the

infant which was later discovered by one ThiruvALan –

a farmer. He and his wife lovingly brought up the

child. The child unusually did not drink any milk and

was growing nonetheless. The child became very popular

due to such unusualness and once when old farmer and

his wife came to see the baby (like everyone else),

the baby drank milk from that old lady and also the

remaining milk (after the infant drank) was consumed

by the old couple. Immediately after their consumption

of remaining AzhwAr prasaadham, they became younger in

appearance and later she gave birth to baby boy named

KaNikaNNan. This KaNikaNNan became AzhwAr sishya at a

later date- it is told.

 

This second prabandham of AzhwAr’s is the one blessed

by Sri Ranganathan -says the AzhwAr himself at the

end. He advises everyone to sing in praise of Lord of

dhivya Desams, perform kaikaryam for Sriya: Pathi; not

only does he preach, he pratices also as mentioned by

AzhwAr in Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi (“enRum

maRandhaRiyEn en nenjagatthE vaitthu ninRum irundhum

nedumaalai- enRum Thiruvirundha maarbhan SrIdharanukku

ALaay karuvirundha naaL kaappu. “, This great AzhwAr

was actually changed by PEyAzhwAr and he became

PEyAzhwAr’s sishya- traditions record.

 

Thirukkacchi Nambhi’s thaniyan (Dedicatory verse) on

Thirucchandha viruttham:

 

tharuchchanthap pozhilthazhuvu thaaraNiyin

thuyar_theera

thiruchchantha viruththamsey thirumazhisaip

paranvarumoor,

karuchchanthum kaarakilum kamazhkOnkum maNan^aaRum,

thiruchchanthath thudanmaruvu thirumazhisai

vaLampathiyE.

 

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr who blessed us with the

prabandham [Thirucchanda viruttham]- who appeared in

the sthalam of Thirumazhisai- [which dispels the grief

of the earth] which is surrounded by beautiful large

trees; and this place is full of dark "agil" trees;

fragrant kOngu trees spreading fragrance everywhere

and this Thirumazhisai Dhivya Desam is liked by Periya

PiraaTTi Sri Mahalakshmi who resides here permanently

– such most fertile place is this.

 

The earth had grief in this Dgivya Desam that it has

fragrant and beautiful large trees but there is not at

all any grantham or prabandham appeared here that can

remove the ajjnAnam from people; that was the burden

and Thirumazhisai AzhwAr removed that burden. When the

infant appeared as a lump of flesh, the Dhivya

Damapthi appeared and PiraTTi fed the baby with her

milk (say Poorvars). Since Bhaargava rishis stayed

here, PiraaTTi wanted to reside there desirously.

 

There is one more thaiyan sung by Thirukkacchi Nambhi

on this place:

 

ulakum mazhisaiyu muLLuNarnthu, thammil

pulavar pukazhkkOlaal thookka,- ulakuthannai

vaiththeduththa pakkaththum, maan^eer mazhisaiyE

vaiththeduththa pakkam valithu.

 

It is told that when Chathur mukha brahmA placed on

the scale of greatness- all places on one plate and

this divine MAZHISAI on the other, the scale tilted in

favor of mazhisai… So great in power is this mazhisai

sthalam . Once upon a time, the saptha Rishis

including BhArgava Rishi asked BrahmA about the most

sacred place on Earth that was fit for the permanent

residence to do penance. Brahma told them that

Thirumazhisai KshEthram was the best and named it

MahIsAra KshEthram. The Rishis stayed there.

 

Thammin uL uNarndhu- The One who created (Brahmaa)

understood the greatness of Mazhisai within himself

and wished to declare the same to the whole world.

Thus, this place is called maheesaaram.

 

After Parathva nirdhAraNam (establishing the Supremacy

of Sriman Narayanan) in Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi,

Paramapurushan showed His swaroopam and DhivyAthma

swaroopam [His manifestation as indweller in

everything and in everyone- and the Lord being ubhaya

vibhUthi nAthan] and AzhwAr having enjoyed such a

GREAT drahsn bursts out with this prabandham. For

those who enjoy such an experience, they continue to

enjoy the same again and again Lord’s glories and His

manifestations, His akilahEyaprathyaneekathvam and His

anantha kalyAna guNas; and thus sings verses after

verses with paripoorNa anubhavam. Such an anubhavam of

vyUhAvathAramas enjoyed on archa ThirumEnis (Dhivya

mangaLa vigrahams of PerumALs in temples) is prevalent

in All AzhwArs; but this AzhwAr has larger anubahavam

and deeper- it appears. His sareerAthma bhAVam;

sareeraka saasthram; His greatest guNas; His glories;

His swaroopam, His roopam, etc are enjoyed by AzhwAr.

Thus, AzhwAr refers to the Tatthva-

Hitha-PurushArthams in his first three paasurams of

Thirucchandha viruttham

 

With that [introduction] avathArikai, let us enjoy the

first PAsuram – in next post: [as usual, I have done

my rambling called free translation from the marvelous

wonderful deep commentary of Parampadhavaasi Sri

Abhinava Desika Sri UttamUr Swamy for this prabandham.

Please forgive me for any errors and omissions;

anything good, it is due to the great commentary by

Swamy and the charming prabandham of AzhwAr. It is

humble request to everyone who knows to read Tamil to

read/recite this prabandham- it is great to

listen/read and enjoy and is a wonderful prabandham is

a gross understatement.]

Thirumazhisai Piraan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan

 

 

 

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