ThiruvattAr

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

ThiruvattAr

 

 

 

All abodes of the Lord are inherently beautiful. They are not mere

buildings made of brick, mortar and stone, but built by devotees with floors of

devotion, walls of love and roofs of overwhelming care and concern. They are

standing symbols of dedication to the divine cause, of His votaries' unlimited

adoration and of man's heart-felt need for proximity to and strong wish to

visualise the Divine Being. When ordinary houses men build for themselves

crumble and fall apart after two or three score years, if the lofty temples

built thousands of years back still stand majestically, towering head and

shoulders above ordinary constructions, it is not only due to their Inhabitant

Extraordinaire, but also due to the labour of love and devotion that have gone

into their creation. When the materials used for people's homes and the Lord's

are practically the same, the durability and interminable life that

characterises the temples housing Emperuaman are solely due to the aforesaid

factors. Even granting the periodical restorations that these edifices undergo,

many of these temples and their towers have been standing tall and proud, when

their secular counterparts are nowhere to be seen. While the palaces of the

Chozha Emperors are long gone, having crumbled to dust centuries ago, the

several abodes of God that they built still stand, braving the threats and

ravages of time and nature, seemingly invincible and indestructible.

 

 

 

Of the countless temples devoted to deities of all hues and kinds, the

ones earmarked for Emperuman SrimanNarayana occupy the pride of place. And of

these too, those sanctified by the songs of Azhwars (those wandering minstrels

who went from one glorious temple to another, enjoying the Lord and His beauty

as also the scenic locales surrounding these temples) are placed ahead of those

places of worship not fortunate enough to have found a mention in the pasurams

of these peripatetic poets. An analytical study of these outpourings reveals

that the Azhwars devoted as many worthy words to the description of the Lord's

vibhUti, consisting of the kaleidascope of fabulous flora and fauna of these

locales, as to the magnificence of the Lord of the divya desam. If two lines of

a pasuram are about Emperuman, the other two would, more often than not, depict

the picturesque locale.

 

 

 

Most of the divyadesams have lost the character of natural beauty, as

described by Azhwars. For instance, TiruvallikkENi was such a densely wooded

jungle during Sri Tirumangai Mannan's times ( with tall manors coexisting with

fertile foliage and towering trees), as to prevent sunlight from filtering to

the ground-"Kadiravan kiraNangal nuzhaidal seidu ariyA Tiruvallikkeni". The

present day "Triplicane" too is a jungle, but a concrete jungle, with nary a

tree, leave alone a dense wood. Even now, sunlight finds it difficult to

penetrate parts of the locality, mostly because of the sky-scraping residences.

The erstwhile bewitching scenic beauty of the place has been flattened by

ubiquitous flats, springing up like mushrooms from the tiniest nook and cranny.

With rare exceptions, this is the lot of almost all the divyadesams today, with

nature having been defiled beyond description by man, in his unending quest for

infrastructure and creature comforts.

 

 

 

The rare exceptions to this cold-blooded murder of natural beauty, are to be

found in Kerala. It is in this state that Nature still reigns supreme, man

having been gracious and understanding enough to have arrived at a fair

compromise between the need for development and preservation of ecologyin all

its pristine purity. We often forget the truth in the "Simha gupti nyAya"-the

jungle being protected from destruction by the menacing presence of the lion,

and the lion, in turn, staying alive and beyond the reach of hunters, because of

the protective cover the jungle affords. Man and Nature are similarly

complementary, each contributing to the welfare of the other, the fortunes of

each inextricably interlinked with that of the other. This beautiful truth has

been realised in full measure in Kerala, with most of the divyadesams (but for

those located in big towns) retaining their bewitching beauty as portrayed by

Azhwars, thousands of years ago. One such is TiruvattAr, nestling amidst shady

groves and plantations.

 

 

 

Situated on a raised platform, the temple looks very much like an impregnable

fortress that it is-there is no way impure thoughts or actions can enter the

Lord's abode, for He is the "akhila hEya pratyanIka:", the antithesis of

anything bad or demeaning. This temple is noteworthy for its size too,

encompassing, as it does, a thousand-pillared mandapam that runs around the

sanctum sanctorum. On all the principal pillars of the inner prAkAram are the

beautiful stone images of damsels, whose joined palms have been ingeniously

fashioned into lamps, into which oil is poured and flames lit. It would be

indeed a treat to watch all these lamps aglow simultaneously, casting a magical

glow through the length and breadth of the temple premises.

 

 

 

Opposite the sanctum sanctorum is a mini-madapam, with exquisitely-carved

wodden pillars incorporating minute figurines. One wonders at the divine

inspiration that must have endowed the sculptor's hands with the requisite

degree of intiricacy and precision. On the rootop, staring down at us with eyes

dripping with devotion for the Lord are the navagrahAs, apparently assuring

everyone that they are indeed the servants of Emepruman, with their writ

confined to non-adherents to the Lord's dicta. In a side enclosure are figures

depicting the ten glorious avataras.

 

 

 

The sanctum-sanctorum itself conforms to the other proportions of the temple.

Instead of the single door that is usual in all places of worship, this sannidhi

has three doors, and with good reason. The tirumEni of the Lord, in a reclining

posture, is so huge that it cannot be viewed through the principal entrance

alone, which affords a view of just the Lord's torso, from the midriff

downwards, upto the knees. The entrance to the right (from the onlooker's

viewpoint) reveals the breath-taking tirumukham of the Lord, with its long,

shapely nose ("kOla neeL kodi mookku"), the broad and beautiful forehead with

the arched eyebrows ("puruvam irundavA kANeerE"). The magnificent headgear

("Kireeta, makuta, choodAvathamsa..Adi aparimita divya bhooshaNa:"), symbolising

Supremacy, is visible only partly, most of it disappearing into the deep,

protective hood of Sri Adisesha, only one of whose heads is visible to the

devotee. One huge, long arm is thrown to the side, adorned with all sorts of

intricately-carved ornaments, adding distinction to themselves due the fabulous

fortune of assocaiation with the glorious tirumEni of the Paramapurusha. The

other arm is raised in a YOga MudrA, signifying that the Lord is not in any

ordinary slumber, but in eternal penance, thinking at all times of ways and

means to emacipate errant humanity and to afford them unimaginable bliss in His

exalted company, bringing to mind Azhwar's beautiful lines, "uranguvAn pOl yOgu

puNarnda oLi maNi vaNNan KaNNan".

 

 

 

From neck-down upto the ankles, the Lord's torso is hidden by

yellow-silk, the peetAmbaram, which contrasts well with His pitch-black

tirumeni. Probably the all-enveloping cloth is draped around the Lord to prevent

people from ogling at and envying the perfectly-proportioned , broad chest, the

perennial abode of the Divine Consort, the beautiful navel from which the entire

creation consisting of myriad beings originates, the handsome thighs resembling

the trunks of tall elephants and the slender waist adorned by the "udara

bandham",of which Sri PAN Perumal has so much to say. All these hidden beauties

can be viewed from the central, principal entrance.

 

 

 

The third entrance to the left gives us a glorious view of the Lord's

tiruvadi, the mere sight of which destroys all sins hidden in the nooks and

corners of our heart, after viewing which the mind looks askance at any other

sight of professed allure. It is these tiruvadis which measured the entire

worlds and from which the all-purifying Ganga had its origins. A single gesture

of obeisance to these tiruvadis, even if made with incorrect posture, mindset,

etc. can bestow on us all that is spiritually good and eliminate all that is

not, says Sri Alavandar-

 

"tvat anghrim uddisya kadApi kEnachit

 

yathA tatA vApi sakrit kritOnjali:

 

tataiva mushNAti ashubhAni asEshata:

 

subhAni pushNAti na jAtu heeyatE".

 

 

 

Near the Lord's tiruvadi is a Sivalingam, in contrast to the one at

Tiruvananthapuram, over which Sri Ananthapadmanabha extends His palm in

benediction. The Divine Consorts, Sri Devi and Bhoodevi, are seated on either

side of the Lord, but lower down, drenching the Lord with their constant glances

of adoration. On a lower pedestal is the beautiful Utsava Murthy, with four

hands holding the Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma respectively, resplendent with

ubhaya nAcchimAr.

 

 

 

All these enchanting features are to be gleaned carefully, as our eyes,

unaccustomed to the homely light provided by the oil lamps with which the sancum

sanctorum is lit, may easily miss important characteristics. The lamps provide

an illumination full of magic, at once revealing and concealing the divine

features, leaving a lot to imagination. The play of light and shadows on the

Lord's tirumukham bestows it with a plethora of expressions, making it smile or

frown, according to the onlooker's state of mind. What a contrast from the

glaring and garish spot-lights focussed with absolute lack of concern on the

Lord's unprotesting tirumEni, as is found at various divyadesams! In most of the

Keralite shrines, lighting is subdued, whether by accident or design we do not

know, resulting in our having to peer carefully in the semi-gloom, for a

rewarding glimpse of the Lord and His bewitching beauty. In the process,

however, we are forced to concentrate more on His form, than otherwise.

 

 

 

Is it then any wonder that Sri Nammazhwar reserves the choicest words of

adulation and adoration for this enchanting AdikEsava Perumal? Azhwar reveals

that it is indeed this Emperuman who is in a hurry to reclaim Azhwar to the

Nitya Vibhuti of Sri Vaikuntam, unable to put up any more with the separation

from the Divine Bard-"viNNulagam taruvAnAi viraigindrAn". It is also this Lord

who shows Azhwar the well-trodden path to Liberation, viz., Prapatti-"vAnEra

vazhi tanda VAttAttrAn". Concurring with our own impressions of the Lord

resembling a huge, black mountain in a recumbent state, Azhwar says, "mai nindra

varai pOlum tiruvuruva VAttAttrArkku". The savant also teaches us the way to be

rid of mundane shackles, exhorting us to seek refuge in the glorious tiruvadi

described above-"VAttAttrAn adi vaNangE". And it is the Lord Himself who shows

us the pathless path and relieves us of the necessity of an endless sojourn in

hell, for that is where we are destined, if we are left to our own

devices-"kAtti tan kanai kazhalgaL kadu narakam pugal ozhitta VattAttru

Emperuman". The blissful experience of nAma sankeertanam, extolling the

innumerable names of the Lord, is also highlighted in another pasuram-"naNNinam

Narayananai, nAmangaL pala solli". Sri Satakopa Muni also reveals a

closely-guarded secret---that it is none other than the Lord of this divyadesam

who was responsible for the composition of the thousand and odd verses of

Tiruvaimozhi, using Azhwar as a mere output device-"en nenjattuL irundu ingu

irum Tamizh nool ivai mozhindu". Azhwar confirms that whatever the Lord might do

to others (those who stay away from Emperuman), He would do only good to us, who

are His ardent devotees, His infinite mercy finding ready recipients-"nannenjE

nam perumAn namaku aruL tAn seivAnE". Once we invite Him into our souls, the

Lord takes up permanent residence in us and wouldn't leave even if we push Him

out, says Azhwar-"nilai peyarAn en nenjattu eppOdum Emperuman".

 

 

 

The Adikesava Perumal of TiruvattAr lies patiently in wait for us, to ensnare

us with His captivating glances, seeking the slightest excuse to enter our souls

and take up permanent residence, curing us forever of the apparently chronic

affliction of births and deaths ("mAgyAla pirappu aruppAn") and affording us

eternal bliss not a bit less than that He Himself enjoys. His half-closed eyes,

resembling the petals of a closed flower, open wide like a lotus in full bloom,

at the mere sight of another devotee come to visit Him. He may appear asleep,

but is the most wakeful person in the whole Universe, beset with consuming worry

at the ways of errant and incorrigible humanity. He lies awake forever, devising

newer and newer strategies for uplifting His progeny wallowing in the mundane

morass.

 

 

 

For the information of intending visitors, ThiruvattAr is a five to six

kilometre diversion from MArthAndam, which is a small town on the National

Highway between Kanyakumari and Trivandrum.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Guru Purnima

 

 

In the month of Ashadh (July-August) on the full moon day falls the Guru

Purnima. This day is very auspicious and holy because it commemorates the

day of the great sage Vyasa. This day is also called the Vyasa Purnima and

the festival observed annually is no less significant.

Guru or the preceptor is held in high esteem in our Hindu tradition. The

Guru is looked upon as an embodiment of God himself. Because, it is due to

his spiritual teachings and guidance one acquires knowledge. It is the Guru

who leads one away from darkness or ignorance to light or wisdom. The

well-known hymn says "My salutations to the Guru who is Brahma, Vishnu and

Maheswara. The Guru is Parabrahma incarnate".

The great sage Vyasa, son of a fisherwoman, is revered as the preceptor of

preceptors. He classified the spiritual knowledge of the Vedas into four

parts viz. The Rig, the Yajur, the Sama and the Atharva. He wrote the

eighteen Puranas containing the stories of our great saints and heroes for

the benefit of laymen, to instill in them the spiritual and moral precepts.

Besides these, he was the author of the greatest Epic Mahabharata comprising

the gem of the immortal song The Bhagavad Gita and in addition Bhagvata, the

story of Lord Krishna. Thus Vyasa is regarded as the Supreme preceptor or

Guru and, offering of worship to him means worshipping all the Gurus.

On this Guru Purnima day spiritual aspirants and devotees perform Vyasa Puja

and disciples worship their respective Gurus. In the field of Arts too, e.g.

Music, Dance, etc. teachers are honoured and revered with offerings of

fruits, flowers and gifts. It seems at the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the

Guru Purnima is celebrated with great pomp where devotees from all parts of

the country congregate. The whole day is spent in meditation, prayers and

holding of discourses. Initiation of matured disciples into the Holy Orders

of Sanyas is performed, as this occasion is highly auspicious. Devotees also

fast and some observe vow of silence and engross in spiritual studies.

Guru plays a significant role in our Hindu tradition and religion.

Extravagant respect is shown to the spiritual teacher or Guru. It seems the

first lines of Bhakti Mala gives us the essentials of religion, Bhakti,

Bhakta, Bhagvata, Guru (faith, a faithful devotee, the Adorable and Guru)

and this aptly illustrates the importance attributed to the last named. The

rule that respect be shown to a spiritual teacher is very old in India. The

scriptures say that perfect obedience was required from his pupil. The Guru

was more venerable than a father. Generally, once a Guru is selected, the

pupil obeyed and served him till the end of his tutelage. Full devotion in

word, act and deed was rendered to the Guru and His commands were declared

to be the voice of God.

In ancient times Vedic studies were imparted orally by Gurus to their

disciples. The accents, the intonations and punctuations of the Vedic hymns

etc. could be clearly defined and stressed which could not be done through

books or scripts. Thus it strengthened the bond and proximity between the

Guru and the chela i.e. the disciple. Besides, in early times the books were

written on Tadpatra (leaves) which were scarce, costly and easily torn.

Hence the importance of Guru in preference to books.

No Hindu can become a member of a sect without the permission or sanction of

a Guru belonging to the sect. Unless the Guru finds his disciple fit to be

taken into the Order of Sanyas, the initiation does not take place. When the

Guru considers him fit for admission, after a ceremony, the Guru whispers

into the disciple's ears an initiatory formula (mantra). According to Swami

Vivekananda, the Guru is the conveyance of spiritual influence to the

disciple. He says, anyone can teach, but the spirit must be passed on by the

Guru to the Shishya (disciple) and that will fructify. The Guru passes the

thought power, the mantram and nothing can be done without the blessings of

a Guru. Constant repetition of the mantram whispered in secrecy helps to fix

the mind firm. The relation between shishyas is that of brotherhood and this

method of worship prevails among religious devotees all over India.

Jnaneswara, the saint of Maharashtra, owed crossing of ocean of existence to

his Guru Nivrittinatha. To Jnaneswara the grace of a Guru is like a true

mother who rears up the spiritual aspirant on the lap of the Adhara Shakti

and swings him to and fro in the cradle of the heart or waves lights of

spiritual illumination before the aspirant. To Jnaneswara the only adequate

way of expressing one's appreciation of Guru's greatness is to submit in

silence at the feet of the Master.

However much the pupil be talented or brilliant without the Guru's grace or

initiation he has no grounds. Without a Guru one can never attain mastery or

perfection is the notion according to Hindu ideals. There are many examples

in this connection. Kabir the saint was in search of a Guru but had doubts

whether the famous Guru Ramananda (a disciple of Ramanuja) would accept him

as Kabir was a Muslim. So Kabir hits upon a plan. One day before dawn he

hides himself on the steps of the Ganges ghats down which Ramananda used to

go for his morning bath in the river. Since it was dark, Ramananda

unknowingly steps on Kabir and exclaims "Ram Ram". Kabir instantly falls at

his feet and says "Thou hast given me the word of initiation (Guru Mantra)

and now I have become thy disciple." Ramananda without hesitation accepts

him.

Similarly, Eklavya, the son of Nishadraj Hiranyadhanu's son goes to Guru

Dronacharya to accept him as his disciple to learn archery. But,

Dronacharya, realizing his prowess and to prevent him from becoming more

powerful than Arjuna rejects him on false pretexts. But Eklavya does not

give up hope. He prepares a clay statue of Dronacharya and daily practises

his archery in front of it acknowledging it to be his Guru. Once it so

happens that Dronacharya and Arjuna come for hunting. Eklavya, perfectly

skilled by now, shoots arrows into the mouth of the dogs and stops their

barking. When Dronacharya sees Eklavya's excellence in archery and on

learning how he had achieved his ambition, he asks for Eklavya's right thumb

as Guru Dakshina to diminish his skill than Arjuna's. Eklavya readily gives

the Dakshina.

Thus the 'glory' of a guru is unfathomable. Just like the full moon dispels

darkness and lights up the path of a wayfarer, so does the Guru with his

boundless knowledge remove the darkness of ignorance and enlightens the path

of the spiritual seekers.

[Guest guest]

Dear Sir,

 

This is regarding Thiruvattar. The writer has stated that,

 

"This beautiful truth has been realised in full measure in Kerala, with most of

the divyadesams (but for those located in big towns) retaining their bewitching

beauty as portrayed by Azhwars, thousands of years ago. One such is TiruvattAr,

nestling amidst shady groves and plantations."

 

Whatever is stated about the temple is true but then the temple is situate in

Tamil Nadu in Kanyakumari District. This temple is one of 108 Vinava Pilgrimage

and its age more than 1300 years. Please view the attachment - have a glimpse of

the abode of Sri Adikesava Perumal.

 

Other interesting facts about this temple,the Lord Mahavishnu, lying on Sesa

Naga is 18 feet long and is viewed through 3 doors. Though less visited, the

temple is unique for many reasons. The deity of Lord Kesava faces west instead

of east as normally He does. The priest says that the Lord is facing west

because He wants to view the Padmanabha Swami in Trivandrum. Also the left hand

of the deity is down, while in most other Maha-Visnu temples it is the right

hand that is down. This deity does not have Brahma on the lotus flower coming

out of His naval. Though not very big, its architecturally interesting. The

sanctum has been designed so that the rays of the setting sun illuminate the

face of the deity. What is most unique about the temple is that Chaitanya

Mahaprabhu, while visiting the temple during His tour, found the great treasure

called ’The Brahma Samhita’. This ancient temple located in Kanyakumari

district, on the railroad between Kanyakumari and Tiruvanandapuram, has been

glorified by a decad of 11 verses composed by Nammalwar in the first millennium

CE. . The architecture here, as with several other temples in Kanyakumari

district resembles that of the Temples of Kerala. Worship protocols followed

here are also the same as those of Kerala. This temple is an important center of

worship and is referred to as Aadi Anantam and Dakshina Vaikuntham. It is said

that Vishnu vanquished the demons Kesa and Kesi ,(hence the name Aadi Kesan) and

took abode on the coils of Aadi Seshan here at Tiruvattaar. Kesi took on the

form of the Tamraparani river. Shiva is believed to have taken on 12 forms to

witness the battle between Vishnu and Kesi, and worship Vishnu. A pilgrimage to

all of the 12 Shiva temples is considered complete after visiting this temple at

Tiruvattaar.

 

The legend has it that an army of invaders from North India, were miraculously

turned away by a swarm of wasps, in answer to prayers by the Maharaja of

Kottayam (17th century). Legend also has it that the festival image was stolen

by the armies of the Nawab of Arcot and that a mysterious ailment which gripped

the Nawab's wife was cured, only after he returned the image to the temple. A

special service by name 'tiru Alla Poojai' is offered . It is also believed that

the festival image being returned by him, got stuck to the ground near the Shiva

temple, and that it came unstuck only after a decision was made to carry out the

Aaraattu near the very spot.

 

Regards,

 

Srimathi Raghavan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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