Inputs for CD ROMs : Part IX-- Part I , KulasEkara AzhwAr

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Life of KulasEkhara AzhwAr

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KumbhE PunarvasU jaatham KeraLE KOLa pattaNE

KousthubhAmsam DharAdhIsam KulasEkaharam AasrayE

 

This AzhwAr born as a Kshathriyan is an amsam of

the gem Kousthubham on the Lord's chest. He incarnated

on a Maasi Sukla DwAsasi day , when Punarvasu constellation

was in ascendance.He was born as the son of Dhruta Vratha RaajA ,

king of Kolli Naadu, whose capital was VanchikkuLam in today's

KeraLA. KulasEkhara raaja was a brave king and protected

saadhu janams of his kingdom .

 

KulasEkharar was a great Raama BhakthA and was deeply

involved in listening to the KaalakshEpams of Sri VaishNava

BhaagavathAs at his court. He was so deeply involved

with Sri Raama charitham as told by Sage VaalmIki

--in his illusrious Srimath RaamAyaNam --that he would have

difficulty in relating to the incidents of this IthihAsams

as events that happened a very long time ago. At one time ,

when he heard from the BhAgavatha pravachanam that Lord

Ramachandra went all alone to fight with the powerful group of

14,000 raakshasAs , KulasEkharar became anxiety ridden about

the safety of the Lord and ordered his ministers to assemble

quickly his army to join the Lord in His fight.The Bhagavathar ,

who was performing the KaalakshEpam quickly took control of

the situation and quoted another famous slOkam from

Srimath RaamAyaNam that described the Lord's single handed

destruction of the same 14,000 RaakshasAs at JanasthAnam

and SitA Devi's welcome embrace of Her victorious Lord :

 

tamm dhrushtvA ChathruhanthAram MaharshINAm SukhAvaham

bhabhUva HrushtA VaidEhI BharthAram parishasvajE

 

KulasEkharar was relieved to hear the good news and

happy over the Lord's safety and cancelled the plans

to march his army in support of the Lord.Such was

the intensity of KulasEkhara's involvement with

Sri Raaama Charitham .

 

Because of his special reverence for the BhaagavathAs ,

KulasEkharar permitted them to have total access to all

parts of the palace at all times. The ministers were very

unhappy about these priveleges of the VaishNava BhaagavathAs

that interfered with KulasEkharar's conductance of the royal

duties;they conspired to reduce the influence of the BhAgavathAs

at the royal court.The ministers took an aabharaNam from

the AarAdhana Moorthy of their king , hid it and blamed

the VaishNavaas as scoundrels , who stole that piece of

Jewelery. KulasEkharar refused to accept that the vaishNavAs

would do such a thing . He asked the ministers to bring

a pot containing a poisonous cobra and declared that he will

put his hand inside the pot and if he was right about

the innocence of Sri VaishNavAs , the cobra will not bite

his hand.Lo and Behold ! The hungry cobra did not even touch

the hand of KulasEkharar .The ministers admitted their

conspiracy .

 

KulasEkharar was saddened over this incident and decided

to abdicate; he performed coronation for his son and retired

to Srirangam to perform uninterrupted kaimakryam to Sri RanganAthan

and be in the company of Sri RanganAtha BhakthAs .He shared

that blissful anubhavam through two of his Sri Sookthis , one in

Tamizh and the other in Sanskrit :

 

1.PerumAL Thirumozhi (105 Tamizh Paasurams)

2.Mukundha Maalai (40 Sanskrit SlOkams)

 

Thiruvarangathu AmudanAr's Tribute to KulasEkharar

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In the 14th paasuram of RaamAnuja NooRRandhAthi ,

AmudhanAr salutes RaamAnujA as a great devotee of

KulasEkharar: " I shall never resort to severe pain-

causing penance , whether in hot deserts or dense forests

or deserted hills or in deep waters .Why should I ? My goal

becomes achievable by my clinging to RaamAnujA , who is

unexcelled in his firm devotion to the great seers ,

who sing and enjoy the excellent work of KulasEkhara

AzhwAr --the work studded with gem-like choice words

(Kolli Kaavalan kalai soRRkkaL) and designed to convey

the import of the holy sAsthrAs .... " (Dr.V.N. VedAntha

Desikan ).

 

(To Be Continued)

 

2.Tell me more Section: Concluding Part

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