sanskrit names and Alwars( Thiru Adhyayana Uthsavam related question ).

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At 09:54 AM 12/8/01 -0700, you wrote:

 

>Dear Sri Sadagopan:

 

>As a beginner in this quest for knowledge, I have a question that came up

in a >discussion with a friend. . Do the Alwars have sanskrit names, if so

what are >they ??

>Thanks,

>sona

 

Dear Srimathi Sona Vasudevan:

 

Thanks very mcuh for your query.

 

Yes, the AzhwArs do have Sanskrit Names and Taniyans

in Sanskrit for them .

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhatar has composed a Taniyan (invocatory

Verse ) that covers 10 of the twelve AzhwArs and

AchArya RaamAnujA in that Taniyan , which all

Sri Vaishnavaas recite during their daily prayers :

 

BhUtham Sarasccha MahathAhavaya BhattanATa

Sri BhakthisAra KulasEkahara YOgivAhAn

BhathAngri rENu ParakAla YathIndhra misrAn

Srimath ParAnkusa Munim PraNathOsmi Nithyam

 

(Meaning): I offer my praNAmams always to

BhUtham ( BhUthatthAzhwAr ), Saras ( Poygai AzhwAr),

MahathAhvaya ( pEy AzhwAr ) , BhattanATa ( PeriyAzhwAr),

Bhakthi-sAra ( Thriumazhisai AzhwAr) , ParakAla

( Thirumangai AzhwAr), Yathindra ( The king of

yathis / sanyAsis , AchArya RaamAnujA ) and

ParAnkusa ( Sawmy NammAzhwAr).

 

You will notice that two of the traditionally

counted AzhwArs are missing in this salutation.

They are ANDAL , who is the consort of the Lord

(BhUmi Devi) and Madhura Kavi , who sang only

about His AchAryan , Swamy NammazhwAr . Therefore ,

only Ten ( Pathinmar ) Sanskrit names are included

in the count of Swamy ParAsara Bhattar in

the above Taniyan.

 

ANDAL has a whole sthuthi in Sanskrit ( GodhA

Sthuthi) composed by Sawmy Desikan . The commentary

on this sthuthi is avialable in Bhakthi archives.

Additional Vedic /Sanskritic meanings based on

the roots for the sanskrit name of ANDAL (GodhA)

has been posted earlier and is also available in

the Bhakthi List archives. Swamy ParAsara Bhattar

went on to compose a Sanskrit Taniyan for ANDAL ,

which is famous ( NeeLA Tunga Sthana Giri ---).

 

Similarly , there are Sanskrit Taniyans for many

of the other AzhwArs that elaborate on the meanings

behind their names , their life histories and

purports of their Sri Sookthis (AruLichceyalkaL).

Examples of selected Sanskrit Taniyans are :

 

PeriyAzhwAr : " Gurumukham anadhIdhya prAha VedAn asEshAn-- "

by Swamy Naatha Muni, the compiler of Dhivya Prabhandham ,

who set them to Music and ThALam.

 

ThoNDardippoDi: " TamEva MathvA ParavAsudEvam-- "

by ThirumAlai ANDAn , one of the five AchAryAs of YathirAjar

 

ThiruppANar: " aapAdha ChooDam anubhUya Harim SayAnam-- "

by Periya Nampi, one of the prime disciple of YathirAjar

 

Madhura kavi: aviTitha vishayAnthara: SatArE:-- "

by Swamy Naatha Muni

 

Thirumangai AzhwAr: " kalayAmi kali dhvamsam

Kavim lOka DivAkaram " by ThirukkOttiyUr nampi,

one of the AchAryans of YathirAjar.

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr : " BhakthAmrutham visva-janAnumOdhanam-- "

by Swamy Naatha Muni

 

Many of the above Sanskrit Taniyans and more have been

sung beautifully by VidvAns in the recently released

twin audio Tapes by the International RaamanujA Society.

Besides the Sanskrit Taniyans , the bulk of these two ninety

minutes tapes celebrate in English the Life and Works of

the Twelve AzhwArs. These tapes are precursors to

the Multimedia CD ROM on the Lives of AzhwArs and

the 108 dhivya desams that performed mangaLAsAsanam

that will be released soon .

 

Please contact Sri Mohan Sagar at the above e-mail

address for more information on these twin set of

audio tapes .

 

AzhwArs and their dhivya prabhandhams are so profound

in scope and relevance to us all SamsAris that great

AchAryAs have written elaborate Sanskrit and Tamil

commentaries for our enjoyment and benefit.

 

AzhwAr AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

V.Sadagopan