AdiyEn's Sep 10-17 visit to India : Part XII / ThirukkOshtiyUr Visit : Thirumangai Mannan's anubhavam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , we will study the third paasuram of Thirumangai

on ThirukkOttiyUrAn .

 

Third Paasuram :

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This Paasuram states that the Lord takes on different

hues during the different (four) Yugams :

 

VeLLiyAn KariyAn MaNi-niRa-vaNNan ViNNavar Namakku iRai

Yemakku oLLiyAn uyarnthAn ulahEzhum uNDu umizhnthAn

tuLLu neer moNDu koNDu Saamarak-KaRRai santhanam unthi

vanthu asai , teLLu neer-puRavil THirukkOttiyUrAnE

 

(Meaning) : The Lord of ThirukkOttiyUr has the white hue in

the Krutha Yugam . In Kali Yugam , He is balck in hue. In the other

two Yugams , He assumes two other hues . This multihued and

multi-splendored Lord of DevAs and Nithya Sooris shines splendidly

before us. Our Lord with a matchless vaibhavam even during

the time of creation of this universe protects all of the sentient

and the insentients during the time of universal deluge and releases

them during the next Srushti kaalam . At this dhivya dEsam of

GhOshtipuram , our Lord is surrounded by the fast moving floods of

the rivers that bring with them the branches of Sandalwood trees and

the bunches of tail hair of Savari deer as their offerings for

inclusion in His aarAdhanam . The sandal paste is used in

the Thirumnajanam of the Lord . The tail hair is utilized in

constructing the fans for the kaimkaryam to the Lord .

 

( Comments) : The reference to the four distinct hues of the Lord

during each of the four Yugams have been made by other AzhwArs

who preceded Thirumangai . For instance , Thirumazhisai makes

specific references to the different hues in different Yugams in

the 44th Paasuram of His Thirucchnadha Viruttham :

 

Paalin neermai Semponn neermai Paasiyin pasum puRam

pOlum nermai poRppudait-tadatthu vaNDu viNDu ulaa

neela neermai niRantha kaala naankumAi

maalin neermai vayyaham maRaitthathu yenna neermayE ?

 

In Krutha yugam , the Lord has the white hue ( kruthE Sukla: );

He has the red color in ThrEthA yugam ( ThrEthAyAm raktha varNOsou) ;

In the DhvApara Yugam , he adopts the hue of bluish-balck

( DhvAparE BhagavAn ShyAma: ) and in Kali Yugam , He takes on

the color of Black ( Kalou KrishNam thvishaa KrishNa: ) .

 

AzhwAr says in this context : In Krutha Yugam , He has the SvabhAvam of

Milk , which is white in color .He is most enjoyable (BhOgyam) like

Milk. In ThrEthA yugam , He is golden red in hue and is precious

Valuable) . He has the svabhAvam of green lichen ( Paasi) in DhvAparam

and is cool and comforting to look at . In the present Kali Yugam ,

he is black in hue like Naithal flower , which has the attributes of

fragrance and beauty . He has the neermai (SvabhAvam ) of all

these four objects in the context of the four yugams .

 

In many paasurams of Thirumangai , we enjoy immensely his

anubhavam of the wealth of the land , the fertility of dhivya

dEsams based on abundant water resources ( Dhana , DhAnya,

Jala , Iswarya Samruddhi) . In this paasuram , Thirumangai focuses

on the abundance of nourushing waters of the rivers .

 

One of the Uthsava Moorthys at ThirukkOttiyUr is known even

today as VeLLiyAn ( The Silvery One ) based on Thirumangai's

MangaLAsAsanam . Thirumangai slautes Him as " Yemakku iRai "

( Our Sarva Swamy). Thirumangai goes on to describe our relationship

with Him as : " Yeamakku oLLiyAn , uyarnthAn " . Yemakku oLLIyAn

refers to the tEjOmaya , JyOthis (Svayam prakAsa) tatthvam of

the Lord of ThirukkOttiyUr . UyarnthAn refers to His incomparable

loftiness starting from the time of Jagath Srushti ( Creation of

the world and its entities) , protection and samhAram .

 

Sri Soumya NaarAyaNa ParabrahmanE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VraradAchAri Sadagopan

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , we will study the Fourth paasuram of Thirumangai

on ThirukkOttiyUrAn .

 

Fourth Paasuram :

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yErum yERi ilangum oNN mazhup-paRRum Isarkku isainthu udambilOr

kooRu thAnn kodutthAn Kula-maamatkku- iniyAn

nARu saNpaka mallikai malar pulhi inniLa-vaNDu

nall naRum tERal vaay madukkum ThirukkottiyUrAnE

 

(Meaning) : The Lord of ThirukkOttiyUr , who presented His

broad chest as the fitting palace for the residence of Sri DEvi

wished to confer a boon on His grandson , Rudran , who has

the bull as his vAhanam and a beautiful mazhu ( short club

with an axe at its side) as his weapon . Thus , ThirukkOttiyUrAn

demonstrated His soulabhyam and souseelya guNams by

accomodating Rudran on the right side of His sacred body

( ThirumEni) . At His dhivya dEsam of ThirukkOttiyUr , the honey

bees enjoy honey from the fragrant Mallikai(Jasmine) flowers

and wander around performing Hari Naama sankeerthanam .

 

Fifth Paasuram

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Vanga-maa-kadal-vaNNan Maa-maNivaNNan viNNavar-kOmAn

madhu-malart-thongal NeeNN-mudiyAn NediyAn padi kadanthAn

mangul-thOy-maNi-maada veNN-koDi maaham-meethu uyarnthu yERi

vaan-uyar thingaL-thAnn-aNavum ThirukkOttiyUrAnE

 

(Meaning): The Lord of ThirukkOttiyUr has the svabhAvam

( intrinsic nature) as the deep ocean housing all mysteries.

He has a lustrous glow like a bluish-black gem . He is the Lord of

Nithya sooris like AdhisEshan and Garudan . He adorns a tall crown

on His siras . In His avathAram as Thrivikraman , He measured

the entire universe with One step. At His dhivya dEsam of

ThirukkOttiyUr , the gem-laden mansions carrying white

banners reach up to the sky , where the Moon roams .

the height of the sky .

 

The dhana (material wealth) samruddhi (abundance) of

the blessed citizens of this dhivya dEsam is referred to here .

 

Paasuram 6

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Kaavalan Ilangaikku iRai kalanga charam sela uytthu

maRRavan yEvalam tavirtthAn yennayALudai EmpirAn

naavalam bhuvi mannar vanthu vaNanga Maal uEaihinrathu

ingu yena Devar vanthu iRainjum ThirukkOttiyUrAnE

 

Here the glories of the AkAr vaachya Sarva rakshakan

( the protector of all celebrated by the letter "A" in PraNavam)

is celebrated as One , who incarnated as Lord Raamachandran

to rid the world of the dangers posed by RaavaNan , the king of

LankApuri. Azhwar describes the scene , where the kings of

Jambhu dhveepam -- celebrated in VishNu purANam--

and the dEvAs from the celestial regions throng to have

the blessed darsanam of ThirukkOttiyUrAn .

 

(Meaning) : Here at ThirukkOttiyUr , my Sarva Swamy resides ;

He is the protector of all and took the Vibhava avathAram as

Raamabhadran to destroy the power of the arrows of

the king of Lankaa (RaavaNan) with the power of His

own arrows and destroyed him in the battle . He is worshipped by

the assembly of kings from Jambhu Dhveepam ( Naavalam Bhuvi) .

Here resides with delight Soumya NaarAyaNan and is the object of

worship by the Muppatthu mukkODi dEvAs.

 

One Srimath BAgavatha SlOkam spells out the importance of

worshipping Lord Raamachandra by all including DevAs , Humans

asurAs (VibhishaNa) or animals ( Monkeys , Bears as in RaamAvathAram):

 

surOsurO vaapyaTa vaanarO nara:

sarvAthmanA ya: sukruthaj~nam utthamam

bhajEtha Raamam manujAkruthim Harim

ya: uttharAnanayathkOsalAndhivam

 

--- Srimath BhAgavatham : 5.19.8

 

(Meaning) : Whether one is Dean or asuran or human or a monkey ,

they should all make a special effort to worship Raamachandran.

He is the Supreme among the gods . He will never forget anyone ,

who makes even a small effort to perform aarAdhanam for Him .

One should therefore worship the most merciful Lord of Utthara-

Kosala dEsam , whose citizens were lifted to Sri Vaikuntam at

the end of His avathAram .

 

The manthram for the worship of Raamachandran offered by

Sukha Brahmam in Srimath Bhaagavatham is :

 

Om namO BhagavathE Utthama slOkAya nama aarya lakshaNa

seela-vrathAya nama upasikshithAthmana upAsitha-lOkAya nama:

Saadhu-vaadha-nikashaNAya namO BrahmaNya-dEvAya MahApurushAya

MahA-RaajAya Nama ithi

 

-- Srimath Bhaagavatham : 5.19.3

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the Utthama slOki , who is the embodiment of

PraNavam ! NamaskArams to the Lord , who has the suspicious conduct

and vows of the revered elders ! Salutations to the Lord , who has absolute

control over His indhriyams(senses) and who is fully familiar with the ways

of the world ! NamaskArams to the lofty One , who is the reference object

( urai kall) for the Saadhus ( Knowledgable about VedAs). He is very fond of

those Veda Viths. NamaskArams to that PurushOtthaman and Emperor of

the Universe , Sri Raamachandran !

 

Soumya NaarAyaNa ParabrahmanE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VraradAchAri Sadagopan