[sri ramanuja] Sri Ramanuja Journal Issue 1 Vol 5

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*Aippasi,Vyaya

AzhvAr 1; AchArya 5 *

 

* SrimathEA RamAnujAya

Nama:*

 

* Srimad Vara Vara munayEa

Nama: *

 

 

 

* *

 

*Mudhal AzhvargaL* (Contd…)

 

 

 

*Poigai Azhvar*

 

* *

 

*Poigai Azhvar (Iyppasi thiruvonam)*

 

**

 

*"tulAyAm sravanE jAtham kAnchyAm kAnjanavArijAthI*

 

* dvAparE pAnchajanyAmsam sarOyOgi na mAsrayE II"*

 

**

 

*As per the words of the great tamil poetess ovvaiyar (who proclaimed in

unequivocal terms - "thirumAlukku adimai sei-teNNeer vayal toNdai nannAdu

sAndrOrudaiththu" meaning: thoNdai maNdalam is the place of great scholars

with exceptional capabilities in education, principles and qualities.

Kanchipuram adorned as "mukthi tarum nagarEzhil mukkiyamAm kachi" (Out of

the seven cities which grant Moksha, kanchee is the most important) and "kAsi

mudhalAgiya nannagaramellAm kArmEni arulAlar kachchikku ovvA" (Places like

Kasi cannot be equated to the abode of kArmEni arulAlar, Kancheepuram) is

one of the important divyadesams in thondai mandalam. Also in this place

runs the river vEgavathi. In the southern banks of vEgavathi lies the divya

desam thiruvekka, the divine abode of yethOththakAri emperuman. To the

northern side of this sannadhi, in the pond with crystal clear water like

the heart of great saints, poigai azhwAr, the first among the mudal azhwArs

appeared in a beautiful lotus flower on an Iyppasi sravana day. Being born

in a pond (tamil equivalent is poigai) he is called as poigai-Azhvar.

Seeing his divine qualities the elders remembered him to be a reflection of

the panchajanya, the divine conch of the supreme Sriman Narayana. *

 

* *

 

*BhoothatAzhvar (Iyppasi avittam** )*

 

**

 

*"tulAtanishtA sambhootham bhootham kallOla mAlina:*

 

* deerE pullOthpalE mallApuryA meedE gadhAmsajam II"*

 

* *

 

*BhoodhatAzhvar was also born in thoNdai maNdalam near the sea shores of a

town called thirukkadalmallai (famously called mahabalipuram) in a

kurukaththi flower in Iyppasi avitta star. Astounded by azhvars vaibhavams,

elders got reminded of the nityasuri kowmOdhaki (gadha). His name was

derived from the Sanskrit root bhoo-saththAyAm. The word Bhootham means

"that which has gained strength". This Azhvar gained his strength by

enjoying the divine qualities of the Almighty and hence is celebrated as

bhoothatAzhvar. The same meaning has been given by our poorvacharyas in the

commentary to thiruvaimozhi (5-2-1) " **kadalvaNNan bhootham**"*

 

* *

 

***PeyAzhvar (Iyppasi sadhayam **)*

 

**

 

*"tulAsadabhishak jAtham mayoorapuri kairavAt I*

 

* mahAntham mahathAyAtham vandhE srinandakAmsajam II"*

 

**

 

*In the same thoNdai maNdalam, that has 22 divya desams under its umbrella,

peyazhvar took birth in a place called thirumayilai (also called as Mylapore

in Chennai) in the southern side of the divya desam thiruvallikeni. He was

actually born in a red lilly flower in a well on a Iyppasi sadhayam star.

Flabbergasted by his divine qualities elders thought him to be a amsa of

nandhakam (vAl). Due to his very deep devotion towards sriman Narayana, he

cried, laughed, screamed and became silent without any reasons which made

people to think of him as crazy. His behaviour defied any logic and

couldn't be understood by common people. Hence he was called peyAzhvar.

When compared to the other Azhvars peyAzhvar's paramabhakthi was more

explicit and overflowing. Not stopping with just singing about the

EmperumAn, he also involved himself in correcting (thiruthi-p paNi koLLal) *

 

* thirumazhisai piran and getting him into fold and hence he is also

celebrated as mahathA:vayar *

 

*Sri ThiruvarangathamudhanAr celebrates him as **'thamizhthalaivan'*

 

**

 

*Mudal AzhwAr's vaibhavam*

 

* *

 

*Just like rAmA, lakshmanA and bharathA the mudhal Azhvars were also born on

three consecutive days, as ayonijars( not born from a mother's womb). As

per the order of the srivaikundanatha senai mudaliyar did pancha samskara

and also gave the meaning of thirumanthram. *

 

* These azhvars as per the verse "mukgunaththirandavai agaRRi, ondrinil

ondRi nindRu " got rid of the rajo and tamo gunas and were filled only with

sathva guna. They considered doing kainkaryam (divine service) to the lord

as their sole motto and remained with jnana, bhakthi and vairakya. ("vuNNum

sOru parugu neer thiNNm veRRilaiyu mellAm Kannan" whatever they ate, drank

enjoyed were only Krishna ). They never mixed with this world where people

ran after food and shelter/dress (vundiyE vudaiyE vugandOdum mandalam) and

hence kept on moving from one place to another. They were roaming around

nor knowing each other. It was the Lord's divine sankalpa to make them meet

and wanted to uplift the world through them. One day they met in

thirukkovaloor. It was pouring heavily and first wanting to find shelter,

poigaiazhvar entered the mrugandu maharishi's thirumAligai and rested in the

corridor (edaikazhi). Then came bhoodhadh azhwAr. As per sastra, vaishnavO

vaishnavam drishtvA thandavath praNamEth puvi" both of them prostrated each

other. Actually the corridor was enough for one person to lie down but if

two are present, they can only sit. As per the situation, both of them sat

down and started discussing on the bhagavat kalyAna gunAs. Now it is the

turn of pEyAzhwAr and he entered the scene. They all prostrated each other,

and all decided to stand and continue the foregoing discussion, as the

corridor was barely enough for one person to lie down or two to sit or three

to stand. *

 

*The lord, who measured all the worlds with his divine feet, now got deeply

interested in joining this great bhagavata goshti. He increased the

downpour and the darkness and went and joined the divine three by squeezing

his way into the corridor as the place had barely place for four. The mudal

azhwars first, couldn't guess the sudden shortage of space. *

 

*To find out the unknown intruder in their divine anubhavam, *

 

* *

 

*Poigai AzhwAr lit a lamp with the earth as the lamp (Container), ocean as

the ghee and the sun as the lamp. (vaiyam thagaLiyA -vArkadalEa neiyyAga) *

 

*Bhoodath azhwAr followed suite by lighting a lamp of knowledge with love as

the lamp, desire as the ghee and the mind as the twig. (anbEa thagaLiyA

ArvamEa neiyyAga) *

 

*In the light of the above two lamps, pEzhwAr had the divine darshan of the

lord with his consort and sang the mangalAsasanam as " thirukkandEn ponmEni

kandEn.*

 

*The azhwArs getting ecstatic on this divine darshan, expressed the same as

divya prabhandams for the benefit of the whole world. Thereby emerged the

first three andhAdhis. Then the three azhvars prostrated the thirukovaloor

dehaleesa perumal otherwise called as Ayan and continued to do their

mangalasasanams to many other divya desams and due to their yoga balam

stayed in this world for thousands of years thereafter and uplifted

everyone. *

 

*sen-thamizh pAduvAr ThiruvadigaLEA charaNam*

 

 

 

*vara-vara muni dAsargaL*