From today's The Hindu- In search of truth... [about Thirumazhisai AzhwAr and PEyAzhwAr]

[Guest guest]

In search of truth

http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/31/stories/2007103162281300.htm

CHENNAI: The purpose of life is to explore the cause

of creation. But the pursuit of this knowledge though

incumbent on human endeavour varies in intensity of

purpose in individuals. This is because each one

strives according to one’s motivation, effort, effect

of one’s past karma, etc. But it is only through God’s

grace that any progress in this effort can happen.

 

Though scriptures proclaim the Supreme Truth, it is

only when the Lord reveals their import in numerous

ways that mankind has been able to understand it. The

advent of Azhwars in South India brought about a

renaissance in this quest for it is believed that the

Lord revealed Himself to each one of them and they in

turn sang soul stirring devotional hymns in His praise

that proclaimed the truth of the Vedas in simple and

easy Tamil. The ultimate truth became accessible to

many through the path of Bhakti shown by these

Azhwars.

 

The life of Tirumazhisai Azhwar is symbolic of this

search for the ultimate truth for this saint explored

the Buddhist, Jain, Saiva and other religious systems

with the determination to understand the ultimate

cause and source of all creation, pointed out

Kalyanapuram Sri Aaravamudhachariar in a discourse.

Believed to be a contemporary of the Mudal Azhawars

(Pey, Poigai and Bhuta) he had adopted the name

Sivavakya and chose to worship Siva.

 

The Lord willed that Pey Azhwar should awaken the

enlightenment in him. Pey Azhwar drew him into an

argument over a foolish act which he performed — by

trying to water a tree planted upside down with a pot

full of holes, using a tattered rope to draw water

from a dry well. He impressed on him that this act was

not as foolish as his since he had failed to

understand the Supreme Truth of Lord Narayana as the

source and cause of all creation that the Vedas

proclaim.

 

Once he experienced this awakening he extolled this

Vedic truth in the hymn Nanmukan Tiruvandadi so that

posterity would be aware of the truth that Brahma was

born to Narayana, and Brahma created Siva. He asserts

that if one accepts this truth then alone can one hope

to attain salvation and release from birth