Inputs for CD ROM : PeriyAzhwAr-- Part VI.1

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Life and Sri Sookthis of PeriyAzhwAr

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Vishnuchitthar was a pious Brahmin belonging to a

devout Munkudumi Chozhiar family ( poorva SikhA Brahmins)

at Srivilliputthur. He was born in the Tamil month of

Aani ,when the SvAthi Constellation was in ascendance.

He is an amsam of Veda Moorthy , Garudan , the Lord's flag

and transport .

 

Vishnu Chitthar was engaged in performing MaalA kaimkaryam

to the PerumaL of Srivillipputthur dhivya dEsam

( Vatapathra Saayee) .He had a lovely garden full of TuLasi

and Flowering plants. He found one day a baby girl in

his TuLasi garden and named the baby , Godhai ,and

raised Her as his own daughter.Godhai is the incarnation of

Bhumi Devi and has blessed us with ThiruppAvai and NaacchiyAr

Thirumozhi;She married Lord RanganAthA at Srirangam and

made Her foster father acquire later the name of PeriyAzhwAr

as a result of his becoming the father-in-law to Lord

RanganAthan Himself.

 

Vishnu Chitthar was not versed in VedAs and other traditonal

forms of scholarship.He presented daily TuLasi Maalais adorned by

His daughter to Vadapathra Sayee as commanded by Him .He led

a life full of VairAgyam ( Dispassion ), anushtAnam , Bhakthi

and Bhagavath Kaimkaryam .Lord Vatapathra Sayee decided one day

to bring out the glory of Vishnu Chitthar . There was a royal

competition going on at the southern city of Mathurai convened

by King Sri Vallabha Devan to establish who is the Supreme God

based on vedic pramANams . Many vidhvAns of the day and great

Vedic scholars participated in that assembly (sathas)to win

the sumptous purse set aside for the winner in that competition .

 

Lord Vadapathra Sayee appeared in Vishnu Chitthar's dream and

commanded him to appear in the sathas and win the prize money.

Vishnu Chitthar protested and pointed out to the Lord that he

was illiterate in the VedAs and had no formal tutelage in them.

The Lord responded that He is responsible for the outcome of

the debate on establishing His Parathvam as Sriman NaarAyaNan

and insisted that Vishnu Chitthar attend the royal sathas.

The obedient servant of the Lord arrived at the sathas and

was able to deliver a brilliant and convincing discourse on

the unquestioned supermacy (parathvam ) of Sriman NaarAyaNan

with ample pramANams ( proofs ) from VedAs and VedAntham .

This he did through the anugraham of PerumAL since he

did not learn VedAs and VedAntham through the traditional route.

The judges of the competition declared VishNu Chitthar as

the winner and the King let him cut down the bag of gold

tied up on a lofty pole.When VishNu Chitthar approached

the flag stand , the pole bent down to his level and

the prize money was collected and Sriman NaarayaNa Parathvam

was established in an uncontestable manner.

 

The King fell at the feet of VishNu Chitthar and placed him

on the back of the royal elephant for a procession around

the main streets of Tenn Mathurai . Sriman NaarAyaNan with

His Devis wanted to witness the honors accorded to His dear

devotee and appeared in the sky on the back of Garudan .

When Vishunu Chitthar saw the Lord , he was overwhelmed

with the beauty , youth and laavaNyam of the Lord and

broke out spontaneously with his mangaLAsAsanam (eulogy) of

the Lord using the bells on the neck of the elephant as taaLam.

VishNu Chitthar was anxious that no harm came the way of

his Lord , while He appeared before the people of the world

in His from as Sri VaikuntanAthan worshipped by the nithya sooris.

Thus arose the famous ThiruppallANDu Dhivya Prabhandham ,

wherein he wished the Lord hundreds of thousands of years

of well being ( PallANDu). Out of his Vaathsalyam and

concern for the Lord's " well being " , VishNuchitthar

performed the MangaLAsAsanam and came to be known as

PeriyAzhwAr.ThiruppallANDu is recogognized as PraNavam

for the Tamil Vedams .In ThiruppallANDu , the noble codes

of behavior and the tatthvams of Sri VaishNavam are

enshrined beautifully.

 

PeriyAzhwAr returned to Srivilliputthur and used the royal

purse to build a new temple for Vatapathra Saayee that we

see today.

 

Since PeriyAzhwAr had acquired all encompassing Jn~Anam ,

he came to be called " Bhattar PirAn Or Bhatta Naathan " .

ANDAL , his daughter came to be known as " Bhatta Naatha Sri "

or the wealth of Bhatta Naathan.PeriyAzhwAr created

four hundred plus paasurams describing the Baala leelais of

KrishNan and assumed the role of YashOdhA pirAtti to

enjoy them . These paasurams are KarNAmruthams. Many deep

doctrines of Sri VaishNavam are also explained to us

in a moving manner by this AzhwAr in his PeriyAzhwAr

Thirumozhi.

 

The NINTEEN Dhivya Desams sung by PeriyAzhwAr

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These 19 Dhivya Desams stretch from AyOddhi in

the North to Srirangam in the South . These kshEthrams

are :

(1) AyOddhi (2) Srirangam (3)Thiru AaypAdi (4)THirukkaNDamkudi/

Deva PrayAg (5)ThirukkaNNapuram (6)Thirukkudanthai

(7)Thirukkurumkudi (8)ThirukkOttiUr (9)Thiru SaaLgrAmam

(10)Thiru DhvArakai (11)Thiru Parama Padham (12)Thiru

PaaRRkkadal (13)ThiruppErnagar (14)ThirumAlirumchOlai

(15)Thiru Vadamathurai (16)Thiru BadarikAsramam

(17)Srivilliputthur (18)ThiruveLLaRai and (19) Thiruvenkatam.

 

(To be Continued)