SRS Vol.5.07 d/12/07/03 SPL Issue on TNs of Tiryumangai & Tiruppaan Azhwaars

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SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//

KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /

SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.05 / ISSUE # 07 dated 7th December 2003

SPECIAL ISSUE ON TIRUNAKSHATRAMS OF

TIRUMANGAI AZWAAR AND TIRUP PAAN AZWAAR

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF TIRU MANGAI AZWAAR

2. TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF TIRUPPAAN AZHWAAR

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1. TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF TIRU MANGAI AZHWAAR

(KATIGAI ? KRITTIGAI)

 

The Azhwaar who is an incarnation of Saarangam (the divine bow) of Lord

Vishnu was born as 'Neelan' in the fourth caste to Ali Nadu Udaiyar and

Vallitiru at Tiruk kuraiyalur in the year Nala, Kartigai month, full moon

day (a Thursday) in the constellation of Krittigai. The Chola king presented

him Ali Nadu, a tributary with capital at Tirumangai and so, he was called

'Tiru Mangai Mannan'. He was also conferred the title of 'Parakaalan'

meaning ' death to his enemies'. He rode a horse called Aadal Maa'. He had

several ministers of repute.

 

Parakala desired to marry Kumudavalli, the beautiful daughter of a native

doctor in Travancore. But, Kumudavalli laid a condition that she would marry

only a person initiated into Vaishnavism. This Parakaala did but then she

laid another condition that he should agree to feed at least a 1000

Vaishnavites daily for one year before they could consummate the marriage.

Parakaala agreed. This proved an expensive exercise sapping the entire

treasury of Parakaala. By then, he had not been through even half way to the

target he had agreed to.

 

He could not remit the fief to the king and after a fight with the royal

forces he was captured and taken before the king who put him in jail. The

Lord appeared to Parakaala and told him about a secret place where he could

find a treasure at Kanchipuram. Parakaala went there with the permission of

the king and under heavy guard. He found the treasure and offered his

tribute to the king. The king was amazed at the way he got the treasure and

permitted Parakala to retain it.

 

In due course, even this had been spent and Parakaala returned to square

one. With a view to keeping up his promise to his beloved wife, he resorted

to highway robbery and with the booty he continued to feed the guests.

 

One day, the Lord accompanied by his consort Sri Maha Lakshmi took the form

of a ' just married' couple, bedecked with all the costly ornaments and were

passing through the hiding place of Parakaala. Parakaala was mighty happy on

sensing the windfall and immediately pounced on the couple and demanded them

to surrender all they had. This they did. Parakaala could not lift the

bundle containing the booty and with his sword unsheathed threatened the

couple what Mantra they had uttered for disabling him in lifting the loot.

 

The Lord dragged him near and whispered the Tirumantra in his ear.

Electrified as he was on receiving the initiation from the Lord himself,

Parakaala realized the purpose of his birth in this world and started

pouring out devotional hymns of unsurpassed beauty in praise of the Lord.

His outpourings include ?

(1) Periya Tirumozhi

(2) Tirukkurun Taandakam

(3) Tiru NedumTaandakam

(4) Tiru vezhuk kurrirukkai

(5) Siriya Tiru Madal and

(6) Periya Tiru Madal

 

He employed four styles called Aasu, Maduram, Chitram and Vittaram in his

compositions and hence he was called “Nalu Kavi Perumal”

 

When he was triumphantly returning, some of the disciples of the Saivaite

saint, 'Tiru Gnaana Sambandar' intervened and objected to his honorific. He

argued with Sambandar and finally poured out a hymn commencing with the

words 'Oru Kural Yiru Nilam'. On listening to the esoteric meaning of this,

Sambandar acknowledged that Parakaala deserved the honorific and let him go

on his triumphant march. Later, Tirumangai Azhwaar built the ramparts of

Srirangam temple without affecting the portion occupied by the flower garden

of Tondar Adip Podi Azhwaar.

 

TANIANS ON TIRUMANGAI AZHWAAR’S WORKS

(1) PERIYA TIRUMOZHI

1. Composed by Tirukkoshtiyur Nambi

Kalayaami kalidvamsam kavim lOka diwaakaram/

Yasya kopi prakaasaabih aavidhyam nihatam tamah //

“I meditate on the great poet (Tirumangai Azhwaar) who dispels the evils of

kaliyuga like the Sun whose rays dispel darkness”

 

2. Composed y Emperumaanaar

Vaazhi Parakaalan Vaazhi kalikanri

Vaazhi kuraiyalur vaazh Vendan – VaazhiyarO

MaayOnai vaaL valiyaal mantiram koLL MangaiyarkOne

ThooyOn sudarmaana vEL

“Long live Parakaalan1 Long live the one who dispels the evils of Kali1 Long

live the resident of Kuraiyalur! Long live the one who secured the great

Mantra from the Lord Himself at the point of his sword! Long live the

brilliant spear in his hand”

 

3. Composed by Koorathaazhwaan

Nenjukku iruL kaDi deepam aDangaa neDum piravi

Nanjukku nall amudam tamizh nannool turaigaL

Anjukku ilakkiyam aaraNa saaram para samaya

Panchuk kanalin pori parakaalan panuvalgaLE

“This work of the Azhwaar destroys my ignorance like beacon light. It acts

as the very nemesis of the opponents. They are verily the anti-dote for the

irrepressible and chronic venom of Samsaara. It is decorated with all the

five basics of the Tamil language called “Ezhuthu, Soll, PoruL, yaappu and

aNI. It is the essence of the Vedas. It acts as the spark of fire to the

cotton bales of other faiths”

 

4. Composed by Embaar

YengaL gatiyE! Iraamaanusa muniyE!

Sankai keDuthu aaNDa tava Raasaa! Pongu pugazh

mangaiyarkOne eenda marai aayiram anaithum

tangu manam nee Enakkut thaa

“You are our refuge. Oh! Sage Ramaanuja! You shine as the very Emperor among

those who are known for their power of penance. Please grant me the

knowledge of the essence of the 1000 psalms of your work”

 

5. Ibid

maalai taniyE vazhi parikka vENum enru

kOLip padivirunda kotravanE! – vElai

aNaitharuLum kaiyil aDiyEn vinaiyait

thunithu aruLa vENum thunindu

“You deliberately hid yourself and successfully robbed Sriman Narayana

Himself who cam in the garb of ‘just married’ couple and secured the

invaluable mantra from Him. With the hands that wield the spear, please rid

me of the miseries caused by my own evil deeds”

(2) TIRUKKURUN TAANDAKAM and

(3) TIRU NEDUM TANDAKAM

En nilamai ellaam arivithaal emperumaan

TannaruLum aagamum taaraanEl – pinnaip pOi

ONDurai neer vElai ulagariya oorvan naan

VaNDarai poom peNNai madal

“ If even after hearing my pathetic pleadings, if the Lord does not bless me

with His grace, I will expose Him resorting to the practice of publishing

through Palmyra palm leaf, His default to the entire world”

 

(4) TIRUVEZHUKKOOTRIKKAI

Seearaar tiruvezhuk kootrirukkai ennum santamizhaal

Aaraavamudan kuDantaipiraan tan aDiyiNaik keezh

Eraar maraip poruL ellaam eDuthu iv vulagu uyyavE

SOraamar sonna aruLmaari paadam tuNai namakkE

“Like giving the documents and also all the wealth, the Lord gave to

Tirumangai Aahwaar not only the great mantra but also showed Himself in

archaa roopa. The Azhwaar went to holy shrines all over the country and

composed this work at the feet of Lord Araavamudan of TirukkuDantai, for the

benefit of the entire world”

 

(5) SIRIYA TIRU MADAL

Composed by Pillai Tirunaraiyur Araiyar

MuLLi sezhu malarO taaraan muLai madiyam

KoLLkkenn uLLam kodiyaamE – vaLLal

TiruvaaLan seerk Kaliyan Kaark kaliyai veTTi

MaruvaaLan tandaan maDal

“Tirumangai Azhwwaar did not give me the garland made of thorny flowers but

out of generosity, he gave the one representing the auspicious qualities of

the Lord. With sword in hand, he cut asunder the mischief of Kali. Lest I

should boil over with disappointment in not getting the grace of the Lord,

he gave this weapon of his poetic composition”

 

(7) PERIYA TIRU MADAL

Composed by Pillai Tirunaraiyur Araiyar

Ponnulagil vaanavarum poo magaLum pOtri seyyum

Nannudaleer! Nambi naraiyooraar – mannulagil

Enn nilamai kaNDum irangaarE yaamaagil

Mannu maDal oorvan vandu

“Oh! Damsels with broad foreheads! If the Lord of SrivaikunTam who is

accompanied by Nityasooris and Periya PiraaTTi and who has taken His

permanent abode in Tirunaraiyur does not show mercy on me, I will resort to

the practice of publicizing His apathy to the world through my composition”

 

(8) MANAVALA MAAMUNIUGAL ON TIRUMANGAI AZHWAAR

Paedai Nenjae Indrai perumai arindhilayoo

Yedhu Perumai indraikku en ennill – Oodhugindraen

Vaaitha pugazh mangayar koon maanilatthil

Vandhudhittha Kaarthigayil Kaarthigai naal KaaN.

“Oh! My ignorant mind! Do you know the importance of this day? I will tell

you the greatness of this day. This is the sacred day when the famous

Azhwaar called “MangaiyarkOne” was born into this world”

 

(9) Maaran panitha thmizh maraikku mangayar koan

Aarngam koora avatharitha – veerudaya

Kaarthigayil Kaarthigai Naal yendrendru kaadalippaar

Vaaitha malar thaalgal nenjae vaazhthu.

“Oh! My mind! Place your head as a flower at the feet of those who praise

this day as the one in which the great Tirumangai Azhwaar was born into this

world to compose his 6 works representing the 6 Angas of the 4 Vedas, the

essence of which the great Namm Aazhwaar presented to us in his 4 works in

Tamizh”

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DIVYA DESAMS CONSECRATED BY TIRUMANGAI AZHWAAR

Parakala visited and consecrated (MangaLaasaasanam) of as many as 86 out of

the 108 Divya Desams. It is easier to list those that he had not visited

than listing what Divya Desams he had visited.

 

We, in the 21st century, find it difficult to visit even a few of them in

spite of modern facilities and convenience for boarding and lodging and

comforts and luxuries of travel by car, train, plane and even chopper.

 

It is amazing how the Azhwaars managed to traverse (mostly on foot)

sometimes by narrow footpaths through dense forests and steep mountains

infested with wild animals and insects, fording swelling waters of rivers

and braving blistering gales in an era when even creature comforts were a

luxury. This is better imagined than described to understand the depth of

their Bhakti.

Tirumangai Alwar Tiruvadigale Saranam

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2. TIRUNAKSHATRAM OFTIRUP PAAN AZHWAAR

(KARTIGAI ? ROHINI)

 

Tirup PaaN Azhwaar was an incarnation of Srivatsa, (the divine mole on the

chest of Lord Vishnu). He was born in Uraiyur (near Srirangam), the Capital

of Chola kingdom in the year Dunmati, Kartikai month, Krishna Paksha,

Dwiteeyai (a Wednesday) in the constellation of RohiNi. He was brought up

by an outcaste belonging to PaaNar community who specialized in making

string lute from bamboo reeds. He had mastered the art not only of making

lutes but also playing on them with a touching melody so that he was called

'TirupPaaNar'

 

He used to stand on the southern banks of the river Kaveri and sing the

praise of Lord Ranganatha for hours on end losing himself in the ecstasy.

One day, a devout Brahmin in the service of the temple, by name Loka

Saaranga came to the river for taking water for use in the temple. He

motioned to Paanar to move away. But, PaaNar was so engrossed in the

rhapsody of his music that he did not hear this. Lokasaranga threw a small

stone in his direction to shake him up. But, the stone accidentally fell on

the forehead of PaaNar and it started to bleed. PaaNar quietly retired.

 

Unaware of the hurt, Loka Saaranga returned to the temple. He was taken

aback on seeing blood oozing out from the forehead of the image of Lord

Ranganatha. But, none could connect the two incidents. That very night, the

Lord appeared in the dream of Loka Saaranga and commanded him to fetch

Paanar to the temple the next morning. Accordingly, Lokasaranga requested

PaaNar to come to the temple. But, PaaNar referring to his low birth

declined even to set foot on the holy earth of Srirangam lest he should

pollute the holy place. When he was told of the commandment of the Lord,

PaaNar could not even imagine such a situation and was lost in thought. Loka

Saaranga said that if that were his objection PaaNar could get on his

shoulders and he offered to carry PaaNar to the temple. Loka Saaranga

carried Paanar who was in a state of trance.

 

When they reached the Sanctum Sanctorum, PaaNar enjoyed the charming image

of Ranganatha and immediately sang 'Amalan Adhipiraan' a poem describing the

beauty of each limb from head to foot of the Lord in 10 verses and laid his

life at the feet of the Lord. The poem is considered to be sweeter than even

the 'sound of music' of Veena.

 

The first 3 verses start with the letters A, U and M and thus are deemed to

represent the 'Omkaram' and is considered to represent a treatise on 'Veda

Saara' elucidating the 'PraNavam'. The verses 5 to 7 are deemed to represent

the 'Prameya'. The intervening 4th verse is said to link,' Pramana ' and '

Prameya.' VanDu here is said to refer to Nityasuirs.

 

Unlike other Azhwaars who mentioned the names of their native places and /

or the number of verses contained in their songs, he did not mention them in

his signature hymn. When the Alwar got to the end of this verse, the Lord

sucked the Azhwaar into His own body ' like a red-hot iron sucking a drop

of water sprinkled on it.

 

Another esoteric significance is that though all the Azhwaars have

inculcated Bhakti each in a different way, the credit for doing it in

simple, short and straight manner goes to Tirup PaaN Azhwaar. The aim and

objective of all Jeevatmas is to seek integration with the Paramatma, in

other words, to hitch the wagon of Jeevatma to its rightful place in the

Paramaatma. The Azhwaar is considered to be the Amsam of Srivatsa (the mole

on the chest of Lord Himself). This mole is said to represent Jeeva Tattva

(Vide Swami Desika’s Paasuram “Purdan MaNivaram aaga etc). He has

demonstrated dramatically and picturesquely how the Jeevatma could and

should get integrated with the Paramaatma, by himself getting merged in the

image of Lord Ranganatha. No other Azhwaar had done this feat (except of

course, Andal, who is the divine consort of the Lord). The Azhwaar has

indicated this in the last verse by saying ”kOvalanaai, VeNnai uNda vaayan”

(the cowherd boy who devoured butter) immediately followed by the words

“”Enn uLLam Kavarntaanai” (the one who devoured me) suggesting that the Lord

the “Para Tattvam” devoured him as easily as he would gulp butter. “Ullam”

here means not only ‘mind” but also “Soul”- the “Jeeva Tattvam”.

 

Also, of all the Archa Moorthis, the moorthi of Lord Ranganatha provides

insatiable nectar "Aaraa Amudhu" to the Azhwaar who is immersed in it to the

exclusion of the Para, Vyuha, Vibhava, Antaryaami and even other Archaa

moorthis of the Lord. Swami Desikan calls this "Aakarshanam" (attraction)

vide Uttara Kritya Adhikara and calls the Azhwaar

"nam paaNa naatha" Vide Guru Parampara Saaram of SRTS.

 

TANIANS ON AMALANAADHIPIRAAN

1.Composed by Periya Nambigal

aapaatha soodaman^upooya HarimSayaan^am

maththyEkavEra thuHithurmuthithaantharaathmaa

athrasht_ruthaam nayan^ayOr vishayaantharaaNaam

yOn^ischikaayaman^avaimun^ivaaHan^antham.

" Let me always think of TiruppaaN Azhwaar who enjoyed the beauty of the

Lord of Srirangam from head to foot and who swore he would not see anything

else and who rode on the vehicle in the form of Loka Saaranga muni "

2. Composed by Tirumalai Nambigal

kaattavE kaNda paatha kamalamn^al laadai yunthi,

thEttaru muthara pantham thirumaar_pu kaNdam sevvaay,

vaattamil kaNkaL mEni muniyERith thanipu kunthu,

paattinaal kaNdu vaazhum paaNar_thaaL paravi NnOmE.

" We bow at the feet of PaaNar who showed us the foot, the garment, the

Waistband, the chest, the throat, the rosy lips, the tireless eyes of the

Lord and the one who rode on the Muni right into the figure of the Lord '

 

DIVYADESAMS CONSECRATED BY TIRUP PAAN AZHWAAR

1. Tiruvarangam 2. TiruvenkaTam and 3. Paramapadam.

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