[sri ramanuja] Sri Ramanuja Journal Issue 1 Vol 4

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*Aippasi, Vyaya SrimathEA RamAnujAya

Nama: AzhvAr 1; AchArya 4*

 

* Srimad Vara Vara munayEa

Nama:*

 

* ***

 

**

 

*AIPPASIYIL ONAM -AVITTAM-SADYHYAM IVAI*

 

*OPPILAVA NALGAL VULAGATHER*

 

*EPPUVIYUM PEASU PUGAZH POIGAIZHAR BUDATHAR*

 

*PEAIAZVAR THEASUDANEA THONRU SIRAPPAL*

 

**

 

*MUDHAL AZVARGAL*

 

**

 

 

 

*There is a widely prevalent misconception that AzhvArs are the incarnation

of various nitya sooris** . **The sUthram-s 92,93 and 94 of AchArya Hrdhaym

of Sri Azhagai ManvALap perumAL nAyanAr changed the perception*

 

 

 

 

 

*People were contemplating in the following lines, after the avataram of

swamy Nammazhwar. On seeing the prabhavam of Azhwar everyone wonders

whether he is the amsa of One of the most utthama Brahmana maharishi

Athiri' s son daddAthrEya in krithayuga or Jamadagni's son swamy parasuramA

or the Kshatriya born King Dasaratha's son Sri RAmA in Treta yuga or King

Vasudeva's son Sri Krishna in Dwapara yuga or Sage Vyasa or some Nitya

soori's avatara. *

 

 

 

*Sri Azhagia MaNavALap perumAL nAyanAr categorically rejects all these and

concludes swamy NammAzhwAr (and thereby all the azhwArs ,as all azhvars are

considered to be the angas (body) of the angi (soul) nammazhvar) as

jEEvAthmAs due to the following reasons: *

 

 

 

*--EmperumAn took various steps for the upliftment of the jeevAtmas from

this miserable world such as, *

 

**

 

*He gave the senses to the jeevAthmAs so that they can turn towards, him,

but it so happened that they got lost in all the other

attractions/distractions and got immersed in the infinite loop of the

samsara – the cycle of birth and death. *

 

**

 

*Secondly, with very deep compassion and pity, to bring them back to the

right path, He gave all the shAshtras and Vedas and to simplify them he also

gave the Veda angAs. All these however, seemed futile.*

 

**

 

*Third, seeing His indirect attempts failing, He himself took the field by

taking the Rama and Krishna Avatars. But people dismissed Rama as a human

being undergoing all the sufferings in tandem to all the other jeevAthmAs in

the world and dismissed Krishna to be a magician. *

 

*Going by the experience that an animal can be tamed only by another animal,

he showered his unconditional grace on a set of jeevathmas and gave them the

voidless Knowledge to be renownedly known as AzhwArs. *

 

 

 

*This idea is well reflected in the Thiruvirutham commentary avatharikai by

Sri Periya vAchAn piLLai and 1 st sriyappathi padi of nampillai Edu.*

 

 

 

*Since these selected few are very deeply immersed in the kalyaNa guNAs of

emperumAn, they are called as AzhwArs (tamil meaning for Azhthal is to get

immersed). *

 

 

 

*In srivaishnava sampradAya, AzhwArs are ten in number they are*

 

 

 

*Poigai Azhwar*

 

*Bhoodath Azhwar*

 

*pEyazhwar*

 

*Thirumazhisai AzhwAr*

 

*Swamy NammazhwAr*

 

*KulasEkara AzhwAr*

 

*PeriyAzhwAr*

 

*Thondaradipodi AzhwAr*

 

*ThirupAnAzhwar*

 

*Thirumangai Azhwar*

 

 

 

*In addition to the above, the thiruvadi nilai of swamy NammAzhwar - Swamy

Madurakavi aZhwar and PeriyAzwAr's daughter - Sri AndAl are also included to

make their count as twelve. *

 

 

 

*Of the above twelve, the first three - Poigai Azhwar, Bhoodath azhwAr and

pEyazhwAr draw a special mention for this post, since their thirunakshatrams

fall in the current month Iyappasi. *

 

 

 

*These three called as mudal (first) AzhwArs, were not only contemporaries

but were also born on three consecutive days in SiddhArti year, Aiyppasi

month on TiruvONam, Avittam and sadhayam nakshathrams respectively and they

were born as ayOnijars (birth not from a womb of a mother). Their birth

was actually on various flowers. poigaiAzhwAr, was born (made to appear by

the Lord) in kancheepuram, while bhoodaththAr in mahabalipuram and pEyAzhwAr

in thirumayilai (present Mylapore). All the three avatara stalams are in

and around Chennai. *

 

 

 

*SvAmi maNavALa mAmunikaL in his upadEsa rethinamAlai summarises the reason

for these three apostles to be known as mudhal AzvAr-s. *

 

*They descended on this earth before other AzvAr-s and blessed us with

divine teachings in wonderful tamil. Hence, they are known as *

 

*'mudhal AzvArgaL'*

 

* *

 

*mathuLLa AzvArgaLukku munnEA vandhuthithu*

 

*nATRamizhAl nUl seydhu nATTai vuitha* pETRimayOrEnRu*

 

*mudhal AzvArgaL ennum pEAr ivaRkku*

 

*ninRadhulagathEa nigazndhu.-upadesa rethinamalai 7 *

 

 

 

*These three composed the first three divya prabandhams of 4000. *

 

 

 

*1. PoigaiAzhwAr composed the first 100 pAsurams named "mudhal

thiruvandhAdhi " (andhAdhi means the first word of one verse will be last

word of the previous verse) starting with: *

 

 

 

*vaiyam thagaliyA, vArkadlE neyyAga*

 

*veyyakkadirOn viLakkAga *

 

*sudarAzhiyAn adikkE soottinEn sol mAlai*

 

*IdarAzhi neengugavE enRu*

 

 

 

*Meaning: I light the lamp of earth with the ocean as the ghee and the sun

as the flame to have the divine darshan of the divine feet of that lord with

the glittering chakra in his hand and make this garland of praise in order

to get rid of my hurdles. *

 

 

 

* 2. BhoodaththAzhwAr composed the second 100 pAsurams "irandAm

thiruvandhAdhi " starting with: *

 

 

 

*anbE thagaliyA, ArvamE neyyAga *

 

*inburugu sindhai idu thiriyA *

 

*naNpurugi GnAna chudar viLakku EtrinEn nAranarkku*

 

*Gnana thamizh purindha nAn.*

 

* *

 

*Meaning: Me, who has done these verses in Tamil lit the lamp of knowledge,

with love as the lamp, my desire (interest) as the ghee and devoted mind as

the twig immersed in devotion to narayana. *

 

* *

 

*3. PEyAzhwAr composed the third 100 called "moonRAm thiruvandhAdhi", with *

 

 

 

*ThirukkaNdEn, ponmEni kaNdEn- thigazhum*

 

*arukkan ani niRamum kaNdEn-seruk kiLaRum *

 

*ponAzhi kaNdEn puri sangham kai kaNdEn *

 

*en Azhi vaNNan pAl inRu*

 

 

 

*Meaning: I saw the beautiful divine mother, Sri Mahalakshmi followed by his

divine body and then the beautiful color and the sanghu chakra in the divine

hands of that lord who is glittering with the color of the dark clouds. *

 

 

 

 

 

*Para-bhakthi, Para-gnAnam and Parama-bhakthi are three different stages in

**

devotion towards the lord almighty. The first three azhvars exhibited these

three stages respectively. Poigaiazhvar showed para bhakthi, bhoodathAzhvar

para-gnAnam and pEyAzhvar the parama-bhakthi. Para bhakthi is getting

introduced to the lord and developing devotion towards him. Para gnAnam is

getting into deeper relationship with the lord and realizing that he is our

soul. Parama bhakthi is the stage where one cannot exist without the union

with the lord. Though all the azhvars had utmost devotion they exhibited

these stages as per the wish of the lord himself. *

 

 

 

*On these divine days (Iyppasiyil Onam, avittam, sadhayam) let us all

remember the greatness of the first three azhvars and join together to sing

mangalasasanams to them. *

 

 

 

*Poigaiazhvar thiruvadigalE sharaNam*

 

*BhoodhatAzhvar thiruvadigalE sharaNam*

 

*pEyAzhvar thiruvadigalE sharaNam*

 

 

 

*Vara Vara Muni dAsargal*