Tirumangai mannan

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

 

Dear bhAgavatas,

 

Salutations to all. Let us all share the greatness of

Tirumangai AzhvAr. Tirumangai Azhwar was born in krthika star in the

month karthika in the Divya Desam TiruvAli Tirunagari. He is the amsa

of sArnga(bow). As he was blue in color, like SrikrSNA,when he was

born,his father named him "nIlan". He was the sEnAtipati(army chief)

of the Chola Kingdom and won many battles,hence became popular

as "parakAlan(yama to enemies)". The Chola king was so impressed by

his valory that he crowned him as the prince/mannan of Tirumangai and

hence he got the title "Tirumangai mannan". He showed keen interest

in tamizh(music,drama) and was mainly indulging himself in kama among

all the four puruShArThas. In the Tiruppathi "TiruveLLakkuLam(aNNan

kOil)" in Tirumangai,kumudavalli was living and was of marriageable

age. So the foster father(a brahmaNa vaidya) started worrying about

Kumudavalli's marriage and who would be the right person for her.

 

Our Tirumangai AzhvAr came to know about Kumudavalli's

rUpa,lAvaNya and saundarya and straightaway went to TiruveLLakkuLam

to see Kumudavalli's father and ask for her hand in marriage

(attacking the problem at root level). Although parents

agreed,Kumudavalli was putting some constraints! Kumudavalli was

single minded that she would only marry a srivaiShNava who had

undergone PancasamskAram. That's it. Our AzhvAr immediately rushed to

the nearby "TirunaRaiyUr" and prays to the Lord there to do

pancasamskAram for AzhvAr and returns to TiruveLLakkuLam at light

speed. Then Kumudavalli says that she will not accept AzhvAr as her

husband unless he performs thadiyArAdanam daily to 1008 srivaiShNavas

for an year and eat only what they have left and accept their sripAda

thIrTha. AzhvAr promises Kumudavalli that he will fulfil her wish and

telling her that "she shouldn't put any more constraints",the

marriage takesplace finally.

 

As per the promise,AzhvAr performemd thadiyArAdanam for

1008 bhAgavatas. Since this required lot of money to maintain the

kaimkarya without break,AzhvAr had to spend the money that he owed it

to the King. The king,on hearing this,sent his attendants to collect

the money from AzhvAr. AzhvAr was delaying the payment by giving some

excuse or the other. Finally the King ordered his army chief to

capture AzhvAr and bring him to the court. But AzhvAr was smart and

took his horse "AdalmA" and defeated the army. The king heard about

this and duped AzhvAr by praising his bravery and somehow made him

succumb to his minister and jailed him in a dEvAlaya and told AzhvAr

that he can free himself after paying atleast the tax money. AzhvAr

remained in the jail for three days without any food.

 

In AzhvAr's dreams,kAnci VaradharAja perumAL said "if you

come to kAnci,we will give whatever is needed". AzhvAr told the

minister that he would give the money if minister went along with him

to kAnchi. Both went to kAnci and AzhvAr became worried as he

couldn't find the money. Then again EmperumAn said that it is in the

banks of vEgavathi river. AzhvAr gave the money to minister and kept

the balance for his thadiyArAdana kaimkarya. The minister told the

king about what had happened. The king was surprised and asked AzhvAr

to forgive him and also returned all the money to AzhvAr. This

thadiyArAdana kaimkarya was going smooth for a while untill AzhvAr

became broke once again.

 

AzhvAr was thinking that he should continue to do

thadiyArAdana kaimkarya even if he were to go in a wrong path. He had

learnt the art of "nIrmEl nadappAn" (walking on water),"nizhalil

odhunguvAn"(can hide himself in another person's shadow without the

latter's knowledge),"thALUdhuvAN"(can break any lock)

and "thOlAvazhakkan"(never experienced a defeat in vAda). With these

as weapon he started robbing people who went past that route. AzhvAr

used all the robbed money for thadiyArAdanam and atlast he reached a

stage where he lived not for himself but for the sake of devotees.

 

EmperumAn was waiting for this ripe moment and wanted to

divert AzhvAr's attention towards Him alone. So thAyAr and

EmperumAn,as a young married couple decked with costly jewels,was

passing the route where AzhvAr normally hides himself. Seeing the two

AzhvAr was very happy that "the day was his" as he can get the

treasure. AzhvAr hid himself under a tree in TirumaNangkollai near

TiruvAli Tirunagari. AzhvAr attacked the couple,took all the jewels

with one remaining. That was the ring on Lord's toe(kanaiAzhi)and

AzhvAr didn't want to leave that also. He tried to take it out but

couldn't;finally he with his teeth tried to take it out and got it.

Seeing AzhvAr's audacity,EmperumAn called him "kaliyanO?(one who is

powerful"). THE SCENE MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL FEAST FOR THE LORD.

 

One big hurdle is over. Kaliyan tied all the looty stuffs and

when he tried to lift it,he couldn't and he himself couldn't believe

it! He immediately pointing the sword at the Lord asked "what majic

did you do? Tell me that mantra(secret)". EmperumAn said "come close

and I will tell you the secret". Thus EmperumAn gave the Tirumantra

upadesha,the essence of all the vedas and the king of all mantras. In

BadarikAsrama,the Lord was both the AchArya and the sishya and hence

there is no fun in it. EmperumAn quenched His own thirst by

considering kaliyan as the sishya to receive the upadesa from Him.

Since AzhvAr received the Tirumantraupadesa from EmperumAn

Himself,had the darshan/prostration of His divya mangaLa vigraha and

kept his teeth on Lord's lotus feet,all his aj~nAna got destroyed and

AzhvAr enjoyed EmperumAn thoroughly. As a result of this anubhava,he

sang the divya prabandham starting with "vAdinEn vAdi" expressing the

greatness of Tiru aShTAkshara mantram "nAn kaNdu koNdEn

nArAyaNAvennum nAmam" in the first tirumozhi.

 

Who can receive Tirumantraupadesa just by pointing the sword

that too at EmperumAn Himself? Tirumangai AzhvAr is the only AzhvAr

who has done maximum mangaLAshAsanam for divyadesams(85 or 87). When

he sings about one particular divyadesam,his heart will be already in

some other divyadesam. I really loved one divyadesam "tiruIndhaLUr"

because of the nice conversation between Kaliyan and EmperumAn. This

one will be posted tomorrow. There are so many nice pasurams but

don't have any divya prabandha vyAkhyAnam to share the meanings of

the pasurams.

 

AzhvAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam

nappinnai