wishes of tirumangai alwar tirunakshatram

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JAI SRIMANNARAYANA

O:M ASMADGURUBHYO: NAMAH

 

 

With the Mangala:sa:sanams of H.H.Sri Sri Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji,

Wish you a very Happy Appearance Day of TirumangaiAlwar!

 

People who follow Srivashnava tradition holds the birth details of Tirumangai

Alwar as follows :

 

Sanskrit name : Parakala , Birth place : Tiruagari(Tanjore Dist.), Year : Kali

398,

 

Cyclic year : Nala , Star : kruthika , Day :Thursday, Class : Kallar Kulam.

 

The star Krithika in the month of Kaarttikai (late November-early December)

Tirumangai Alwar born to a Commander of the armies of King Chola. He is the

second most prolific author among the 12 Alwars, next only to Nammalwar. Of the

24 poems by the twelve Alwars consisting of almost 4,000 verses, Tirumangai's

share is 6 poems with 1,253 verses. Nammalwar's share is 4 poems with 1,296

verses.

 

In his early days, as a man of the sword, our Lord Narayana was far from

Tirumangai Mannan's thoughts. His spiritual journey started with a commitment he

made to his sweetheart Kumudavalli in exchange for her hand in marriage. While

most women may have asked for her suitor's everlasting love, or a diamond ring,

or a gold bangle, all our gentle lady Kumudavalli sought from Tirumangai was

that he must wear the marks of Sri Vaishnava and serve food (amudu) for 1,000

Vaishnavas everyday for a period of one year. This service, initiated as a price

for carnal pleasure, turned into a labor of divine love towards the devotees of

our Lord Narayana. Years rolled by. Tirumangai spent all his wealth in the

service of Vaishnavas. With his coffers empty, Tirumangai could not continue the

service. He could not bear the thought of having to turn away the Vaishnavas who

by then were accustomed to blessing the Tirumangai's abode with their presence.

 

The feeling of despair turned to anger at the sight of the greedy idle rich

strolling around with all their gaudy and ostentatious jewels and showing

contempt for the simple and devout Vaishnavas. This was enough to drive

Tirumangai to actions that a certain individual of English folklore in Sherwood

forest, a continent away, would resort to and become famous world over. But it

was not just fame that was in store for our good Tirumangai.

 

Our Lord Narayana decided to intervene and turn Tirumangai away from the ways of

the sword. He and His consort, our divine mother Sri, appeared before Tirumangai

as a newly wed couple bedecked with priceless ornaments. Tirumangai stopped the

couple and forcibly relieved them of all the jewelry. But, there was one piece

on our Lord's toe that wouldn't come off however much Tirumangai tried. In

frustration Tirumangai put his head on the lotus feet of our Lord with the

intention of biting the ring off. At that moment Tirumangai was drawn in by the

beauty of the lotus feet and realized the true nature of the couple standing in

front of him. The Lord then instructed the esoteric meaning of "Tirumanthram"

(Om namO nArAyaNAya) for Tirumangai. Thus Tirumangai learnt of the efficacy of

the divine name "Narayana" from our Lord Narayana Himself!

 

Tirumangai immediately went on to sing the poem ``Periya Tirumozhi'' (Great

divine poem) consisting of 1,084 verses. Tirumangai comes down hard on himself

with intense self criticism for the violence he had caused, albeit for a good

cause, for having sought fleeting worldly pleasures, for having squandered his

days on mundane pursuits. He ends each of these ten verses with a celebration of

the divine name Narayana, for after finding this sweet name, Tirumangai

declares, he was free from all the sins and assured of the everlasting bliss at

the lotus feet of Lord Narayana..

 

Such TirumangaiAlwar ‘s was invocated by following thaniyan

 

 

Vruschikey kruthika jaatam Chatush kavi sikha manim I

Shad prabandha krutham Saranga moorthim Kaliha masrayeh II

 

Jai Srimannarayana !