Thirumaalai-6

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

 

“ Mattrondrum Venda Maname Madhilarangar

Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra

Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai

Eppozhudum peesu”

 

“Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave

yetkadakshai kalakshyanam sulabha: Sridara: sadaa”

 

Pranams,

 

As we already saw that Sri Thondaradipodi alwar wrote

his Thirumaalai prabhandam based on the Vishnu Dharma

Sastram let us now see some features of Vishnu Dharmam

and Thirumaalai. Vishnu Dharmam appears to be a

dialogue between Sathaneekar, a king and Sownakar, a

rishi. The king questions the rishi “Which is the

easiest method for people in kaliyuga(Acharaheena,

Vairakhyaheena jeevatmas) to attain Bhagavan?” The

answer given by Sownakar to this question is Vishnu

Dharma Sastram. In contrast, in Thirumaalai, Alwar

is the Vaktha(person who lectures) and Periya perumal

Stota(one who hears). Here one doubt will arise.

Sathaneekar was a raja and he wanted to clarify his

doubt and learn more from the rishi. But Periya

Perumal has no doubt and he has all the knowledge why

should he listen to alwar? Our great PVP clears our

doubt in the avatarikai to Thirumaalai. Emperuman

listens to alwar not because he doesn’t know the Naama

Magimai but because he wants to hear it from alwar.

Like a mother after teaching her kid a short story

enjoys listening it back from the kid emperuman also

enjoys the paasurams of the alwar. There is one saying

in Sanskrit “Kim Vrishtam -Srutha vachanam”(which is

the thing which is very sweet to hear? It is the

child’s innocent talk). When we ask more than that

which is sweet to hear again it is child’s innocent

talk ‘Punarapi tateka sruthavachanam’. Even

Thiruvalluvar says “kuzhal enidhu Yazh enidhu enbar

than makkal mazhalaisol keladhavar”. So the Mazhalai

elam sol of a kid is a atmost sweetest thing to hear.

Here alwar is the kid of emperuman and emperuman

enjoys hearing alwar’s Mazhalaisol(child

talk-Thirumaalai paasurams).

 

So the speciality of Thirumaalai is that it was not

listened by a innocent king but it was listened by

Periya Perumal himself. In our Sampradhayam even very

learned elders sit and listen to younger peoples

upanyasams since they consider that Bhagavat vishayam

has its value whether it is told by a kid or a young

man or an elderly person. Even emperuman cherishes

listening to his bhakthas words. There is one story

in our guru paramparai. Once Sri Nampillai was

delivering kalashepam in the mandapam near Sri

Ranganatha sannadhi. A person by name Thiruvilakku

picchan was standing in front of the sannadhi with a

lamp in his hand. Periya Perumal was so impressed by

hearing Nampillai’s bhagavat guna kalashepam that he

left his archa samadhi and came to see the kalashepa

ghosti of Nampillai. Suddenly Thiruvilakku picchan

saw somebody near him and realizing that it was Periya

Perumal he ordered perumal that he should not do this

and he has to go back to his Archa Samadhi. Such was

the attraction of bhagavan to listen to his adiyars

lectures.

 

The next speciality of this prabhandham is it explains

the paratvam of Sriman Narayanan without any doubt

arising in any of our minds. For instance even in

Thiruvaimozhi we find places like “sivanai ayanai…”,

“muniye mukkanappa” were one tends to think that alwar

is talking about Thrimoorthi samyam(equality of the

trios). In these places only the vyakhyanams clearly

explain that it refers to the paratvam of Bhagavan

alone. But in Thirumaalai alwar doesn’t give room to

any such doubts. He clearly says “Mattrumor deivam

vundo”(Is there any other deivam other than lord

Krishna?)and “Elangayai settra devane devanavan”(only

the deva who won langa is the only deva, here he

refers to Ramaavatara). So without any doubt alwar

confirms that the only god is Narayana who took

avatarams as Rama and Krishna.

 

After seeing the specialty of the prabhandam let us

now see the specialty of Thondaradi podi alwar.

Maharishis had divya jnanam but we consider alwars

higher than the maharishis since they were “Mayarvaru

Madinalam Arulapettravargal” that is they were

bestowed on with good Jnana and bhakthi by the lord

himself unlike the rishis who got it due to their

tapas. The mudalalwars and Thirumazhisai alwar were

involved in the antaryami, Nammazhwar was immersed in

the paratvam of bhagavan, Kulesekara alwar and

periyazhwar enjoyed singing the praise of Rama Krishna

avataaras and Thirumangai alwar was impressed by the

charm of the archavataaras. So the hierarchy goes as

follows. The alwars are considered more special than

the Maharishis. Among the alwars, Nammazhvar is more

special than the mudal alwars and Alwars involved in

vibhava moorthi more special than Nammazhvar and

Thirumangai alwar more special than all the above.

Now Sri PVP says Thondaradipodi alwar is regarded more

special than even Thirumangai alwar. How is that?

 

“Periya Perumalai alladu veru ariyadu erruppaar Oruvar

Aiththu evar” (He was one person who knew no other

emperuman other than Periya Perumal). Thirumangai

alwar went from sedhu to Himalayas and did

mangalaasasanam to the maximum number of divyadesams

more than any other alwar but Thondaradipodialwar has

a credit that he never sang anyother emperuman other

than Sriranganathan. All other alwars sang Thirupathi

venkatesa perumal but even today Srirangam holds the

first place only because of this alwar singing only

about Ranganathan. He refused to sing even about the

great thirupathi Srinivasan. Even Thirupanalwar who

sang only 10 paasurams that too as paadadi kesantha

varnanai of Periya Perumal in the very first paasuram

says “virayar pozhil venkadavan” but Thondaradi podi

alwar in his 55 paasurams of thirumaalai and

Thirupalliyezhuchi has never given room for any other

divya desa perumals other than Sri Ranganathan. Even

when he talks about the vibhavaavatarams he attributes

them only to Aranthamman. This alwar alone lived like

this with parama Ikantyam towards ranganathan. He has

not gone to anyother temple, he hasn’t taken a dip in

any other pushkarini and he has never taken the

prasaadam of any other perumal other than arangan.

 

>From his vyakhyanam we find that PVP is very attached

to this alwar. We find that Thondaradi podi alwar’s

avathara stalam(Thirumandangudi) and PVP’s avadhara

Stalam(Senganoor) are very close by. Probably PVP

considered thondaradipodigal as a alwar of his place

and hence was attached to him and to add to this both

were poorvashika brahmanas. Even though their birth

places were different both of them came and settled in

Srirangam and spent their whole time under the feet of

Periya Perumal.

 

With this let us complete the introduction to

Thirumaalai and from the next postings we will dive

deep into the divine arthas of the alwar’s paasurams.

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

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