mAsi punapoosam kAnminindru mannulageer!!!

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

“mAsi punapoosam kAnminindru mannulageer

dEsith dhivasaththukkE thennil- pEsugindrEn

kollinagar kOn kulasEgaran pirappAl

nallavargal kondAdum nAl.”

(Upadesa rathinamAlai-13)

 

Today (March 13th 2003) is mAsi punarpoosam, the thiru-avadhAra dhinam of Sri

kulasekara Azhvar. Sri Manavala mAmunigal in his upadesa rathinamAlai talks

greatly about this day. Let us all show our regard to the great azhvar by

getting to memory the meaning of the above upadesa rathinamAlai paasuram.

 

Vyakhyanam: In the above paasuram mAmunigal explains the greatness of mAsi

punarpoosam in such a way that even a layman can understand.

 

(mAsi punapoosam kAnminindru mannulageer) AvathAram of azhvar has taken place

on this auspicious day. The month mAsi is adorned as “mAsi munnAl” by andal and

has its own specialty. The star is punavasu.

 

(endru) Though it is long since this azhvar took avatharam still each mAsi

punarvasu has its own specialty and hence mAmunigal says today the avatharam has

taken place.

 

(mAsi punarpoosam) In the same star in the month of chittrai Sri chakravarthi

thirumagan took avatharam. Kulasekara azhvar was deeply involved only in rAmA

avatharam as is seen from his paasuram verses, “ellaiyil seer thayaradan than

maganAi thOnrittradhu mudhalA thanvulagam pukkatheerA” (“perumal took avatharam

as the son of dasharadha, who had all riches and till the time he returned back

to his own land”). So azhvar also took birth in the same star as chakravarthi

thirumagan.

 

(mannaulageer) Hey! Folks, those who are always involved in the riches and

happiness of the worldly pleasures ignoring bhagavat/bhagavata kainkaryams, do

listen to my words and understand the importance of this day. People who are in

the other world (nithya vibhoothi) already possess the required knowledge and

hence there is no need to advice to them. But only the people in this world

remain lowkikas (“vundiyE vudaiyE vugandhu”, “mAranAr vari vensilaikku

Atseidhu”) and are ignorant about bhagavan and bhagavat/bhAgavata vishayam and

hence it is essential to advice them.

 

(dEsith dhivasaththukkE thennil) The people around questioned: so what is the

greatness of this day?

 

(pEsigindrEn) Let me tell you. As per the words of azhvar, “kolli kAvalan

koodal nAyakan kOzhikkOn kulasEkaran” this day has the greatness of giving birth

to the great azhvar who was the king of the cherar kulam and ruled over with

kolli nagar as his headquarters. Being a king doesn’t give any special

greatness with regard to the athma vishyam. But inspite of having all riches

and being a king, kulasekarar was not mesmerized by the wealth but instead he

wanted to be born as something in thirumalai. He says, “voonEru selvaththu

vudarpiravi yAn vEndEn” (I do not want to be born with enormous wealth).

Azhvar didn’t even mind to take birth as a tree or an animal as long as the

birth took place in thirumalai. Imagine the mental maturity of azhvar. The

birth with the knowledge that we are all dAsAs to the bhagavan is only regarded

as birth (“Azhiyankai pErAyarkkAlAm pirappu vinnAttu thEsu”). Since kulasekara

Azhvar with such a great seshatva jnanam took birth on this day, this day has

got its special greatness.

 

(nallavargal kondAdum nAl) So this day is celebrated by good people/elders who

are sadhus. “kolli kAvalan sol padhikkum kalaikkavi pAdum periyavar” (here

periyavar refers to sri ramanuja-eramanuja nootrandhAdhi). Here nallavargal

refers to those who not only are good by themselves but who earn goodness to

others too. Such great people celebrate this day. Why do they celebrate this

day? Because azhvar was involved deeply in thadheeya sEshatvam (the most

important level to be achieved in our sampradayam) “ellaiyil adimai

thiraththinil endru mEvu manaththanAm”. Once when kulasekara azhvar was in his

kingdom, his ministers complained about a set of bhagavatas stealing a jewel of

perumal in the palace. Kulasekarar strongly objected to the complaint and he

said that bhagavatas would never steal anything and that too that which belongs

to perumal. So to prove the same he left his hand without any hesitation inside

a pot in which a poisonous snake was kept (kudappAmbil kaiittavan). It was a

practice in the earlier days to prove one’s argument. If he was right and not

lying then the snake will never harm him else it will bite him. The king took

responsibility to prove the innocence of the bhagavatas. Due to this great

character all the srivaishnavas (nallavargal) got attracted towards kulasekarar

and are celebrating the day in which he took birth.

 

Kulasekara Azhvar refused everything else and wanted only a janma in thirumalai.

“embhamarum selvamum evvarasum yAn vEndEn”, “vurupasithan kalaiyalgul pettrAlum

AdhariyEn” says azhvar. In the same star was born Sri govinda perumal (embar)

who also had the same mind. He shed everything, “thruneekrutha virinjAdhi

nirangusa vibhoodhaya: Govindar felt that there is no room for romance in his

life since he never saw darkness or a lonely place without anyone’s presence

anywhere (since narayanan is present everywhere). Such a great mahan was also

born in this great star-punarpoosam. Kulasekarar was like a shadow of sri rAma

pirAn (“arasuamarthAn adi soodum”) and embar was rAmAnuja padha chAyA. Thus the

punarvasu star is greatly regarded as muppuri oothiya thirunakshatram since in

this star perumal, azhvar and acharya have taken avatharam.

 

Alwar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigale sharanam

Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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