Reg: Tiru Anbil

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas:

 

Let us see some of the highlights of Tiru Anbil:

 

1. Tirumazhisai Azhwar in his Pasuram "NaagattaNaimEl" has combined both

"Tiruppernagar" (i.e) "KovilaDi" and "Tiru Anbil" in one word as "pEranbil".

This is akin to our calling Hyderabad-Secunderabad or Delhi-New Delhi

as the twin cities. People used to call the twin KshEtrams in one

breath as "Anbil-AppakuDathaan", Anbil lying on the Trichy side of River

koLLiDam and "AppakuDathaan" on the Thanjavur side of the river.

 

Nammaazhwar did his Saranagathi at TiruvEnkatam.

But, he actually attained "mOksham" at "pEranbil".

 

How do we say this?

 

As you all know, of the four Prabandams composed by Nammazhwar, the last one

is Tiruvoimozhi.

 

If you look at the last ten of his last Prabandam, you will find that after

the description of "pEranbil", there is no mention of any other divyadesam

 

Do you know how this ksEtram got its name as 'TiruppErnagar"?

 

Nammazhawar answers:

TiuppER nagaraan TirumaalirumsOlai

poruppE uraiginra piraan inru vandhu

'IruppEn" anru an nenju niraiyap pugunthaan

viruppE petru amuduNDu kaLithEnE

(Tiruvoimozhi 10.8.6)

 

The Lord who resides in his own "Tirumaal irum sOlai" has today made my "nenju"

His permanent abode and has filled my heart completely, meaning that He will

never ever go away from my "nenju" (Peraan = will not vacate or move out).

 

In fact, in the "pEranbil" paasuram, the Azhwar confronts the Lord with an

inconvenient question:

"How come, you who ignored me all through my life thought it fit NOW to take me

to your eternal abode?".

 

inru ennaip poruLaakki thannai ennuL vaithaan

anru ennaip puram pOgap puNarthatu en seivaan?

kunrenna thigazh maaDangaL soozh TirupEraan

onru enakku aruL seyya uNarthalutrEnE

(Tiruvoimozhi 10.8.9)

 

When someone asked BhaTTar what answer the Lord gave him, BhaTTar replied:

"What answer could he gave? None. He had to hang His head. All He could do

was to draw a circle on the ground (a la, a pupil in a class who blinks

unable to answer the question of his teacher!)

 

Whatever comes after this in the last Ten, is a description of the Archiradi

Marga, the path of light that leads one to VaikunTam.

 

The twin kshetrams can be reached by small boats called "Parisal" when the

river is filled with running waters. In summer, however, when the river goes

dry or is with very little water, people can walk across.

 

2. The word "Anbil" is made up of two words "Anbu" which means "Love" and "il"

that means "Home". Together, the word means "the Home of love". You should see

to believe how the folks in "Anbil" are known for their friendliness and

hospitality especially "athithi Satkaaram"- "honoring the guests", true to the

saying "athithi dEvO bhava". This is in their blood!

 

For example, In AppakuDattaan, which is also known as "Raayar Samasthaanam", the

Raayar family posts usherers on all the three entrances to the kshEtram - the

Bus stand, the banks of the river (PaDithurai) and the nearest Railway station

to greet and invite the pilgrims.

 

The pilgrims who are in a hurry to leave after Darsan are provided "Ready to

eat" Prasaadam (Kalanda Saadam), those who have leisure enough are provided with

a royal meal (Ilai pOTTA saappaaDu) and those who are such Parama Vaidikas that

they would not partake outside food (paraannam) are provided with the raw

materials like rice, vegetables, cooking utencils, firewood etc. so that they

can cook their own food.

 

(Of course, this is what I have noticed quite a few years ago. I have not

visited the kshEtram for long but I believe the practice still continues)

 

3. The other of the twin temples is called "KovilaDI" because, it is the

stepping stone to reach "Koil" (i.e) VaikuNTam. Perhaps, it might also be taken

as the entrance to "BhoolOKa VaikuNTam" of Sri Rangam.

 

4. This temple is considered to be very ancient(some say it is almost 6000 years

old). There are numerous inscriptions at this temple, which indicate the

political and religious history of those days.

 

5.There are inscriptions to show that Sage Vaalmiki was born in Tiru Anbil

brfore he moved north. There are indications that both Kambar and Avvaiyar

visited this sthalam.

 

6. Not only these. The place has also brought forth numerous Ubhaya Vedanta

Vidwans renowned for their "Aachaaram" and AnushTaanams" besides their deep

knowledge of the Saastras in general and Bhagavad Ramanuja-Swami Desika granthas

in particular.

 

In the recent past, a Mahaa vidwan by name U.Ve.Anbil A.V. Gopalachariar Swami,

a devout sishya of the famous Poundarikapuram H.H.Srimad Srinivasa Desika

Mahaadesikar, founder of Srimad Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam hailing from

Anbil, contributed to a score of scriptural texts, some his own compositions and

some others Vyaakhyaanams on Poorvaachaarya Srisooktis.

 

In those days whenever, we mentioned the name of Anbil, people would stand up in

reverence with anjali in honor of this mahaan. We were proud to belong to the

village that had connections with such noble souls.

 

Some others who sought to bask in this glory started calling themselves as

"belonging to Anbil" even though actually they had nothing to do with the holy

village. Result. The good name of Anbil became sullied due to their unethical

mode of life. Consequently, we stopped mentioning the name of the village!

 

It is only on "Coming to America", due to the practice of mentioning "first name

and last name", we started attaching "Anbil" as our last name. I was surprised

to find that when you take any phone book of any county, most probably, you will

stumble on at least one person going by the name of "Anbil"! I used to wonder

how such a small hamlet with a single street called "Anbil- Mangammalpuram"

could fan out so expansively.

 

Sometimes, people in the USA used to call me and introduce themselves as "also

from Anbil". Perhaps, there has been a virtual exodus of the cream due to "brain

drain" so that the original Anbil today appears a "Deserted village" in the

manner of "Sweet Auburn" of Oliver Goldsmith's poem. May be, we could start an

"Anbil Club" to bring together all of them!

 

7. It is acknowledged fact that of all the Divyadesams, the Divya dhampatis here

are the quintessence of unsurpassed beauty (soundaryam) true to their Tirnaamams

viz., Moolavar: Tiru Vadivazhagiya Nambi, Utsavar: Sundararaja Perumal and

Thaayaar: Azhagiya Valli Nachiyar. (This has also been recorded in the Kumudam

Bhakti Issue sometime ago by someone who was writing about the various Divya

desams)

 

8. You would have seen the vigraham of ANDaal in standing posture. In Tiru

Anbil, she is in a sitting posture, a rare phenomenon. (I understand that

there is one more Kshetram with ANDaal in a sitting posture)

 

9. As mentioned in the website on the kshEtram, Tiru Anbil" is also known as

"DakshiNa Gaya". Those who cannot go to Gaya, can perform the sraddha for their

forefathers here with an equal holy effect.

 

10. The "Vimanam" is called "Taaraka Vimaanam". "Taaraka" means "that which

carries us over" From where to where? "From here to eternity" as in the case of

Nammazhwar mentioned above.

 

I would invite all Bhagavtas to make it a point to visit this temple during

their next visit to India (if they have not done so till now)

 

 

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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