Kulasekara AzhwAr Thirunakshathram- Maasi punarvasu - today-

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Today Maasi punarvasu is Kulasekara azhwaar Thirunakshathram (birthday). Let us

meditate on the lotus feet of azhwaar on this divine day.

 

Kushyate Yasya NagarE Ranga YAtra Dine Dine

Tamaham ShirasAm VandE RajanAm Kulashekaram.

 

KumbhE PunarvasuBhavam KeraLE ChoLa PattaNE

Kaustubhamsham DharAdeesham KulashekaramAshrayE

 

KulasEkarAzhwar was born as a prince to ChEra king Dhidavradhan and

nAdhanAyagi during 8 th century(?) in the month of mAsi and the nakshatram

of punarpoosam(same as that of Lord Rama). The child looked divine and made

everyone who saw it happier and cheerful. The entire kingdom was in a

jubilant mood. The kid was named kulasEkaran and when he grew he was taught

all sAstrAs, epics, arts, Tamil and Sanskrit and was also given training

on fighting, Horse riding, Elephant riding, etc. In each endeavour, he

excelled and came out in flying colours. When Dhidavradhan became old,

kulasEkaram ascended the throne and since then he was ruling like Lord Sri

Rama and brought in RamaRajyam to his kingdom. People were very happy and

there was rich harvest throughout the year; there were regular rains and

there was only subheeksham. Hence the citizens had great amiount of love

and respect for their king kulasEkarA.

 

Once without knowing kulasEkarA's strengths, the neighbouring kings (Chola

and pAndyA) came to fight and during the battle kulasEkaran won with no

difficulty. Impressed PandyA king gave his daughter to kulasEkarA for

marrying her. kulasEkarA was blessed with a son (whom he named

dhidavradhan) and a daughter ILai.

 

One night, The Lord wished to divert kulasEkarA's attention to Him and he

appeared as Lord Tirupati Venkatachalapathi in the king's dream and blessed

him. The king was overwhelmed with the Lord's love and became silent and

was only thinking of the Lord at all times. He became totally like water in

Lotus leaf (Water never wets the Lotus leaf) and was ruling the kingdom

without any attachment; He was spending his time more and more on Thiru

vArAdhnam and Bhajans and listening to stories of Rama and KrishNa. He even

started disliking the battles since he did not like to see more loss of

lives in the battle. He started singing in Tamil and sanskrit with full of

love and Bhakti in praise of the Lord. He spent his most of the time only

on religious activities and attending discourses. Once when the UpanyAsakar

was narrating Rama RavaNa yuddham where the battle was giong on for a long

time and RavaNa was giving a tough fight, kulasEkara was so much attached

to the story and it the discourse he ordered his Army General to immediately

organise to send the soldiers, elephants and horses and the

king was also making himself ready for the battle to give a helping hand to

Sri Rama.

 

The upanyAsakar and all others were totally perplexed and could not say

anything. The upanyAsaker at last came to the king and said " O, mighty king, We

need not go. The Lord Rama has already killed ravaNa and is

on his way back to AyOdhyA for his pattAbhishEkam " . That made the king

silent and he came to normal; Such was kulasEkarA's bhakti for Rama. It is

told Lord Rama appeared in his dream that night and said " kulasEkarA, I am

deeply moved by your readiness to offer me help in the battle. I Sice you

are having blind affection and live for me , you did not realise my

Strength and parAkramam. We can win asurAs with no effort; You are acting

just like LakshmaNA, who is also attached to me deeply. From today you will

be called kulasEkara perumAL like ILayaperumAL LakshmaNA. Even today he is

reverred as kulasEkara perumAL. The pAsurams he sang were compiled under

" perumAL thirumozhi " . One can see his feeling of deep regret for not being

born during RamA's time in his pAsurams.

 

As he was getting more and more involved in Bhagavadh Bhakti and Bhagavadha

Bhakti and was spending all his time in such activities, the ministers were

not clear as to how to bring the king back to his administration. The king

had even consecrated a Golden statute of Sri Rama in the palace where he

was spending most of the time with other pundits and upanyAsakALs.

 

Once during a Ramanavami day (the birthday of Sri Rama), the king was

astonished to see a big nice Navaratna mAlai which had adorned Sri Rama

missing. He was confused as to how somoen can come inside the palace with

so much security and so many people around. The ministers were asked; One

of them (may be the chief minister) hesitantly stammered to say " May be ..O

..king........one of upanyAsakALs, or pundits

....could..........have.....take.... " He did not even finish his

statment.

 

The king was shivering and was literally shocked to hear that

statement as if he has stepped on a Red hot burnt iron; He could not

believe his ears as to how these minister can even think of these GREAT

BHAKTAAS as ones who could have flicked; " What are you saying? Are you

talking about these adiyArs of Sriman NARAYANA. Are you not ashamed to say

that? Is your tougue still alive? How dare you think them as thieves when

their love is only for th Lord and they consider the Gold and dust the

same; Those BhagavathOtthamas - Do you think they have stolen the necklace? .

He did not stop with that. He called somone to bring a pot wherein he had

arranged to place a poisonous snake; Bewildered ministers obeyed.

 

He showed them the pot with the snake inside. He said and prayed to the Lord " If

the necklance had been reallyt taken by one of these bhagavathOtthamas, let the

snake bite me; If not, I will come out unscathed. " . He put his hand inside the

pot.

 

The snake NEVER TOUCHED his hand. The minister came out openly saying " we are

very sorry and we beg your pardon. We are the ones who removed the MALA

(necklace) and put the blame on BhaktA so that you will start disliking them and

will concentrate on administrative matters. Please forgive us for this

irresponsible act. "

 

KulasEkarA thought silently after listening to all this and understood the

underlining concern of his ministers for the kingdom and the rule.

 

He immediately decided to bring his son into the pictute and trained him for

some time before he started off his kshEtrAdanam throughout India singing Lord's

Glories and GuNAs.

 

He visited almost all the temples and he lost his heart for Sri Rama. He

has sung lullabies for Sri Rama as " RaghavanE ThAlElO! " . He has even sung

pAsurams on Devaki's misfortune of not able to enjoy kaNNan's leelA's and "

thollai inbam " which yasOdhA was blessed with. One can greatly be moved by

his pAsurams where in he longs for being born as a step in Tirupathi Lord's

temple or a fish in the Holy pushkaraNi or a seNbhaga tree in

Tirupathi (standing in front of the temple) or a Big stone which can not be

removed so easily; He even wished to be born as a servant holding the

Golden Bowl in front of Sriman nArAyaNan to spit the water after washing,

girgling and cleaning His mouth in the morning. Such was his desire to

serve the Lord ceaslessly and that too from a king!.( One can imagine our

plight with so little(or no) material possessions and for that we walk with

so much pride with even a very little achievement(which too is possible

only with His grace)).

 

He lived till 67 years and then reached His abode and it is also told that

his daughter ILai followed her father kulasEkara perumAn and was also

blessed with the Lord's ThiruvaruL.

 

A sample pAsuram to taste the sweetness and longing deaire of AzhwAr before

we conclude this post.

 

AznAtha selvatthu arambaiyargaL thaRsoozha/

vAnALum selvamum; maNNarasum yAn vENdEn/

thEnAr poonchOlai thiruvEngadatthu chunaiyil/

meenAi piRakkum vidhiyudaiyOnAvEnE/

 

Such a wonderful verse. He says " I do not want to be a king even if

it is to rule this earth and the " vAn lOkam " where there is great wealth,

and where there are beautiful damsels dancing around; I do not wish that;

All that I want is to be born as a fish in the pond (PushkaraNi) in

Thirupathi (as mentioned earlier, or a tree standing in front of Thirupathi

or a big rock [or at least as a tall building]).

 

kulasEkarAzhwAr thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan