Insight into Azhwars' hymns - Book review of Vainava amudham- From the Hindu

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Insight into Azhwars' hymns

 

 

VAINAVA AMUDAM: A. Ramabhadran; Gangai Puthaka

Nilayam, 23, Deenadayalu Street, T. Nagar,

Chennai-600017. Rs. 100.

 

THE GREAT Vaishnavite mystic saints Azhwars sang

ecstatic verses in praise of Mahavishnu, which are

collectively called the Nalayira Divya Prabandha. The

later Acharyas, belonging to the 11-15th Century A.D.

delved deep into this ocean of nectar of Azhwars'

poetry and brought forth their esoteric meaning in

their commentaries.

 

The book under review is a collection of miscellaneous

articles published earlier in religious journals. The

author, in most of the articles, takes up select

verses of the Azhwars and closely following

Periavacharn Pillai's commentary, further elucidates

and elaborates them in simple Tamil. Tirumangai

Azhwar's Peria Tirumozhi forms the theme of the

majority of articles (17 out of 32).

 

The article detailing an imaginary dialogue between

Lord Ranganatha and Thondaradippodi Azhwar, based on a

verse from Tirumaalai, another one explaining Andal's

dream sequences of her marriage with the Lord,

contained in the Nachiar Tirumozhi; and the one

showing systematic enticement of the Azhwar by the

Lord, dealt in the Periya Tirumozhi make absorbing

reading.

 

In the article referring to Ahobilam in Periya

Tirumozhi, the author, following Periavachan Pillai,

explains how even negative aspects of the place like

extreme heat, wild jungles and torrid mountains are

pleasing to the Azhwar.

 

In another piece, the author shows, quoting profusely

from the famous work Tiruppugazh, how the great poet

and the staunch devotee of Muruga Arunagirinathar

sings the glory of Lord Vishnu and His incarnations as

Rama and Krishna in superlative terms.

 

While giving apt quotations from the Divya Prabandha

and the Kamba Ramayanam, the author at many places

does not indicate the source of the references for

easy identification.

 

The book enables the reader to taste samples of the

Azhwars' mellifluous verses and the richness of the

commentaries on the Divya Prabandha.

 

V. N. GOPALA DESIKACHARIAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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