The divine mystic who gave esoteric truth

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The divine mystic who gave esoteric truth

 

The great Tamil poet Kambar the author of Ramayana Christened by him

as “Ramavatharam” was very much devoted to “Maran” alias Satakopan, the divine

mystic of “ Azhwar Thirunagari” on the banks of the river, Tamaraparani in

Tirunelveli. He was immersed in the Ocean of “Bhakthi” towards Satakopar and

drank the ambrosia called “Thiruvaimozhi” given to the world by that esoteric

personality. The poet in praise of his devotion towards his Achraya, ours too,

has made a special mention of it both subtly and plainly in the beginning of his

great work, Ramayana thus invoking the blessings of Satakopar. Not being

satisfied with it Kavi Chakravarthi has written one hundred verses in praise of

“Kurugaipirran” called “Azhwar Anthathi” or “Satakopar Anthathi”.

 

In his first verse Kambar declares, let Sriman Narayana the nucleus

for everything that excisted in the universe and is also the Supreme Gosd beyond

the precincts of Vedas and Sastras, let Lord Brahma and the like succeed

thoroughly and comprehensively in their search for “Truth”, he will not deviate

from the path laid by Satakopar in the form of “Thiruvaimozhi”. The

interpretation to the invocation gives room to indicate that even Lord Narayana

would not infringe the footpath of Kurugoor Satakopar. In this sequence an event

that tool place at Azhwar Thirunagari is narrated where Sri Satakopar and his

Thiruvamozhi are held supreme in all aspects.

 

It was the practice in Azhwar Thirunagari, one of the 108 Divya

Desams, to treat Satakopar alias Nammalwar equal to Adhinatha Perumal, the

presiding deity. The Sri Vaishnavites and other belonging to the place were

celebrating the annual festival to the icon of Nammalwar by bestowing temple

honours and the concomitant paraphernalia just as they did in the case of the

Lord of the temple. This generated a controversy among the scholars of Tamil

sangam, Madurai due to a manifestation of egoism and envy. They took exception

to the equal treatment being meted out to Nammalwar commenting that Satakopar is

after all a Bhaktha and not the Lord himself and hence it is not in keeping with

established tradition to deify Azhwar equal to Lord Adhinatha and also decried

by calling his divine outpourings, “Thiruvaimozhi” as “Tamil Vedha”. According

to them it does not deserve such an exhalted position to be called so in as much

as it beeds to be recogonised through the medium of the

floating plank (Sangappalagai) in the Golden lotus Tank in the Madurai Temple

and they derided the temple authorities.

 

This action on the part of Tamil Sangam wounded the feelings of Sri

Vaishnavites of Azhwar Thirunagari and had created an agitation in their minds

over the embargo placed on their divine hereditary practice in vogue. Straight

they went to the Sanctum Sanctorum of “Nammazhwar and prostrated before the

archamurthi” and made a fervent appeal to the effect that those assembly of

poets from Madurai are to be chastised for their irreverence towards him and

profanity towards “Thriuvaimozhi” and that they should be made to repent for

their action. They took an oath with a grim determination not to budge from the

premises until and unless their above solicitation is conceded. They remained in

the same posture for three days foregoing ablutions, recital of Vedas, oblations

and the other daily rituals to which they are accustomed as ordained by

scriptures.

 

At this juncture, there appeared in the scene an old Bhramin who

requested the Sri Vaishnavites nobilities to let him know the cause for their

resoluteness and retraction from their routine. With tears in their eyes and

with quivering mouths they narrated what all had happened and expressed their

anguish over the incident which they considered as an affront to what they held

as sacrosanct. They expected a solution and justice at the hands of Nammalvar

and to make the personalities from Madurai realize their folly and make amends

therefore.

 

The reverential old man jocularly commented that, what they seek

after cannot be accomplished in “Kaliyuga” and that their purpose will only end

in a futile exercise. The Sri Vaishnavites took the remark seriously to their

hearts and decided to immolate themselves by avoiding food, water, etc.

appreciating their steadfastness, the holy Brahmin although had come with

predetermined plan to resolve this tangle, took pleasure in not showing keen

interest to the entreaties at the first instance became a trouble shooter taken

by suggesting with a smile a way out and disappeared.

 

Accordingly, particular lines from a verse in “Thuvaimozhi” should

be written in a small piece of palm leaf and has to be placed on the plank

(Sangappalagai). As directed “Sri Vaishnavites of Azhwar Thriunagari” went to

Madurai carrying with them the manuscript and placed it on the floating Sangam

Plank on which were already seated the poets of Tamil Sangam. No sooner the palm

leaf was placed on the Plank than happened a miracle in that as against its

usual divine convention and to the bewilderment of the scholars of Tamil Sangam,

the plank got drowned carrying them and also the Palm script. The Pandits

however managed to swim across and reach the steps that mark the margin of the

tank. The Plank, returned to the surface of the water with the Palm leaf on it

intact, to utter dismay of those who once scoffed at.

 

The curiosity assembled there knew no bounds and they read the four

lines that were inscribed on the Palm leaf reading.

 

“Those who piously hold fast in their minds

 

the Holy feet of Lord Kanna be assured that

 

they in reality think only the name of Lord

 

Narayana which is a synonym”

 

The Tanil Savants of the Sangam realized and commented that the

Plank which gave space to a small Palm script, a compendium of Lord Kanna who

keeps the entire universe in His Bosom and protects it would treat them as its

equal and give space! Nay, They also exuberantly revealed and acknowledge that

the divine hymns of Nammalwar are the quintessence of Vedas and Sastras which

came to him spontaneously without being taught and have the divine sanction and

that his erudition and divinity their knowledge is but nothingness and pale into

insignificance.

 

Kambar has subtly touched this incident in his Satakopar Anthathi

where he says that Satakopar as an elephant assailed the mountain peak of Tamil

Sangam. The metaphor elephant used in this sequence denotes that Nammalwar is

the incarnation of “Lord Vishvaksena”.

 

The learned but arrogant representatives of Tamil Sangam regretted

their stupidity and felt penitent about it. They gracefully accepted their

defeat and sang some verses in describing the greatness of Nammalwar and

Thiruvaimozhi, one of which appended

 

“ What is a fly before Garuda

 

What is a glowworm before Sun,

 

What is a dog before a ferocious tiger,

 

What is a jackal before a rearing Lion

 

Whether a ghost can dance before beautiful Oovasi

 

Can the poems of the world be equal to

 

One word of the Great Tamil Vedha of Vahulabaranan (Nammalwar)”

 

Later after several years it happened that “Thiruvalluvar”, the

author of “Thirukurral” which is also considered to be a Tamil Vedha, Avvayar,

the divine poetess and another great Tamil Poet had to meet in a place. During a

discussion a question was posed to “Thiruvalluvar” as to what has he to say

about his work “Thirukurral”. His reply given below reflected his humility and

his reverence to “Thiruvaimozhi” of Nammazhwar.

 

“The three subdivisions that constitute the Tamil literature viz.

‘Iyal Isai Natakam’ created by Sage Agasthya and my ‘Thirukkural’ are the

children of Thiruvaimozhi given by the son of ‘Udaya Nangai’ the mother of

Nammazhwar”

 

The Sri Vaishnavites resumed the celebration of the annual festival

to Nammazhwar and reintroduced the recitation of “Thirvaimozhi” and the

paraphernalia connected with it as before and as being done to the presiding

deity of Thirukkurugur.

 

This article was written by Sri (Late) L.P.Sampath Iyengar

 

Commets and feedback can be sent to suprajaiyengar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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