thiru viNNagarath thEn - part 2 - viNNAppaththEn

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Srimadh Azhagiya Singar thiruvadikaLE saraNam

(Intended " thEn " meanings from pAsurams will start form part 5)

 

thiru viNNagarath thEn - part 2 - viNNAppath " thEn "

 

Dear bAgawathAs,

 

It was viNNappith " thEn " earlier and not it is viNNappath " thEn " .

A small anubavam of the beauty of thiruviNNagarappan is dealt in this

part on starting this serious series. In other words, this is like a

prayer prior to starting anything. Please forgive adiyEn for this

necessary prayers.

 

paninthEN arumalarAm pAthan thannil

kaninthEN irumalaril vinthan mEyavanai

initthEN kaNdEn thEn thuzhAy thArAnai

aninthEN vaNdulAr sOlai nAyagan paRaithannai

 

adiyEn is getting ready to drench myself in this thEn mazhai. adiyEn

surrendered at the Holy feet of Lord Sri Oppiliappan that are very

similar to those rare flowers that contain sweet honey. His beauty

is so much enchanting that thiru mangai AzhwAr told HIM 9 times in

his whole pathigam that If he cannot see this viNNagar mEyavan he

will not seek to continue his Manai vAzhkkai.

 

" AndAy unaik kAnbathOr aruL enakku aruLithiyEl

vEndEn maNai vAzhkkaiyai viNNagar mEyavanE ! "

 

Tamil:

ivaraik kANak kangaLukkuL yAgath theeyai vaLarththu irun " thEn " .

neerAtta nechukkuLLE neer vaLarthuirun " thEn " . Finally adiyEn had a

darshan of this viNNagar mEyavan through both my eyes (irumalar).

kaNda nodiyil ithayam Asaiyil Aynthu thuditthu irun " thEn "

kaNAthathaik kaNdathil kaNNeerth " thEn " kasin " thEn " . avarin poovizhi

pArvaiyil " thEn " veLLam perugiyathu. avaraik kaNda kaNavu innum

kaNgaLil kalaiyAthu iruntha " thEn " theirya villai.

 

English:

I was doing a yAgath " thee " in my eyes seeking to have a darshan of

this Lord. I was also holding a lot of water (eeram or neermai) in

my heart to do thiru manchanam for HIM. On one day, as if I am being

responded for all these yAgam, adiyEn had the bAgyam of having the

darshan of this viNNagara mEyavan through both my eyes (the two

flowers). On that very moment of seeing HIM my heart was beating

heavily. Having seen something that one never get to see in their

life, My eyes were watering. However, eyes of the the Lord were as

similar to flower garden and a lot of honey was over flowing from

those flowers (karunAmirhtam). Though I thought I had seen HIM it

was all as if I had a dream. I felt that dream had struck deep in

me and had never gone away from me. I didnot know as to why I was

still in that dream.

 

I felt so sweet in my thoughts when adiyEn had the darshan of this

" thEn thuzhAy thAran " . (ie. the Lord in this " thuLasi vaNam " that

provides a lot of honey to all the bees around[*]). I adorned these

sweet pAsurams as a lakshaNam (or one of my aNikalan or angi) of a

prapannA (ie.. to do naicchi anuasnthAnam and plead to Lord). Such

pasurams are delivered on this hero (our Lord Sri Oppiliappan) of

this poon " chOlai " or flower garden that the bees always buzz around.

HE is none other than the " thEn " of viNNagaram and is also known

as " thEn enum viNNappan " . ie..HE is the viNNappath " thEn "

 

Prior to embarking on this small journey of drenching in various

" thEn " , one will attempt to dwell on a common question in adiyEn's

and many other similar bAgawathAs's mind. ie.. Why make a " big deal "

out of this reference to " thEn " and other such words used in a

simple poetic reference. These poetic references are anyway common

to many other such poems. So why now (*)? Having learnt who is the

viNNappath " thEn " , One will also want to learn about two other " thEn " s

and the answer to the above question, prior to knowing the 21 " thEn " s

intended for this series.

 

Sri kumuthavaLLi nAcchiyAr samEtha Sri thirumangai AzhwAr thiruvadikaLE

saraNam

Sri boomidEvith thAyAr samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE saraNam.

adiyEn irAmAnusa dAsan

thiruk kudanthai Sampath Rengarajan

 

(*) Please stay tuned for an inner meaning for these buzzing bees

and this thuzhAy vanath thEn. This will be dealt in part 4.

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Bhaktas,

 

At the encouragement of Sriman Rengarajan Swamin adiyen is sharing

the following private email exchanged with him.

 

The reference to honey beautifully described by Sriman Rengarajan

Swamin from the Azhwar Pasurams made for joyous reading. The Azhwar

echoes with consummate effect the message contained in the Upanishads

through his outpourings in chaste Tamil.

 

According to U.Ve. Dr. N.S. Anantharangachariar Swamin,

" Madhuvidya is discussed in the third chapter of the Chandogya

Upanishad. Aditya (Lord Narayana resident in the Sun's orbit) is the

honey of the Gods. All these that are in the form of movables and

immovables are verily Gayathri. The meditation upon Gayathri is

expounded upon in this chapter. " An important truth to be gleaned

from here is that the foremost manner of worship of Lord Narayana is

through the recitation of the three Vedas. However, it is impossible

for one to master the 3 Vedas. The MahOpakaram of Gayathri Devi

becomes apparent here. During the morning Sandhya period, clad in red

silk She eulogizes Lord Narayana through the Rg Vedam. During the

afternoon Sandhya period, draped in white silk Gayathri Devi extols

Lord Narayana through the recitation of the Yajur Vedam. Clad in dark

silk during the evening Sandhya period, Gayathri eulogizes Lord

Narayana through the rendition of the Sama Vedam. Thus performance of

Gayathri Japam at the appropriate Sandhya periods confers the benefit

of worshipping Lord Narayana through the recitation of the 3 Vedas.

 

Madhu is a Dhivya dravya (divine ingredient) used in performing

Tirumanjanam for Lord Narayana. The presiding deity over Madhu is

MadhusUdhana, who is glorified in the Narayana Upanishad

as " brahmaNyO DevakIputrO brahmaNyO maDhusUDhanOm " . Significantly,

the origin of this eulogy lies in the Sama Vedam, which glorifies

Lord Narayana to the exclusion of all other deities. Madhu destroys

venom and enables an individual to realize of the Supreme being, Lord

Narayana, who remains as their in-dweller (Antharyamin).

 

Madhu is glorified in the Mahanarayana Upanishad Rk " MaDhuvAtA

ruthAyathE maDhaksharanthi sinDhava: mAdhvIrNasanthoUshadhi:

maDhunakthamuthOshasi maDhuna: pArthivam vraja: maDhudhyOrasthuna:

pithA maDhumAnnO vanaspathi: maDhumAnasthu sUrya: mAjIrGhAvO

Bhavanthuna: "

 

These aspects are beautifully brought out by Sriman Rengarajan Swamin

in his post. Adiyen looks forward to reading this multi-part series

from Srimans Rengarajan Swamin and Sadagopan Swamin.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan