Thondaradippodi AzhwAr's ThirupaLLIyezucchi: Part II(Taniyans)

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear SrI RanganAtha BhakthAs:

 

There are two Taniyans for the Dhivya prabahndham of

ThiruppaLLiyezucchi. One is in Sanskrit and the other is

in Tamil. Each of the Taniyans have been authored by

two of the Five AchAryAs of Bhagavath RaamAnujA.

 

The Sanskrit one was blessed by ThirumAlai AaNDAn ,

who instructed AchArya RaamAnujA about the inner meanings of

Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi.

 

The Tamil Taniyan was bequeathed to us by Thiruvaranga

PerumAL Arayar, who initiated Bhahgavath RaamAnuja in to

SubhAshithams(NalvArthaikaL) and ThiruvAimozhi (recitation

in the traditional Santhai route ).

 

The Sanskrit Taniyan

*********************

TamEva mathvA ParavAsudEvam

Rangesayam RaajavadarhaNeeyam

praBhOdhikeem yOakrutha sookthi mAlAm

BhakthAngrirENum BhagavanthameeDE

 

Ya: = That great devotee

 

Rangesayam TamEva = who equated the reclining Lord

at SrIrangam as being identical to

 

ParavAsudEvam = Para VaasudEvan at SrI Vaikuntam and

 

Raajavath-arhaNeeyam = fit to be worshipped as

the RaajAthi Raajan and

 

mathvA = being clear in his mind about this identity

 

PrabhOdhakeem SooktimAlAm akrutha = blessed us with the sacred

work dealing with the awakening of the Lord of SrIrangam.

 

BhathAngrirENum Bhagavantham EeDE = adiyEn salutes and

eulogizes that ThoNDardippodi AzhwAr ( the dust from

the feet of the servants of the Lord) , who is the amsam

of the VanamAlai of the Lord of SrI Vaikuntam (ParavAsudEvan).

 

Dr. V.K.S.N.Raghavan Swamy's translation of this Taniyan

takes this form:

 

" I praise and bow to the venerable Saint BhakthAnghrirENu

(literally , the dust from the feet of the holy Lord's devotees).

He composed the divine garland of songs , the ThirupaLLiyezucchi

(in ten verses) to awaken the Lord RanganAtha and in praise of Him ,

who has reclined (on the serpent couch) in the holy shrine of

SrIrangam and who is the one Supreme God (ParavAsudEvan)

deserving as the great king (of the Universe). "

 

Special Notes:

**************

 

There are many references in ThirumAlai that salute

Lord RanganAtha of BhUlOka Vaikuntam (at LeelA VibhUthi)

as being identical to ParavAsudEvan of SrI Vaikuntam

(at Nithya VibhUthi). " Tamm RangEsayam yEva ParavAsudEvam

ithi mathvA " is one suggested prose order . Here ,

the reference is to AzhwAr's visualization of the Lord of

SrIrangam alone as Para VaasudEvan of SrI Vaikuntam.

The slight repositioning of the words ( Tamm RangEsayam

ParavAsudEvam yEva mathvA) suggests that Lord RanganAtha

as being identical to Para VaasudEvan of SrI Vaikuntam.

 

AzhwAr concluded without any doubt that Such a Lord

should be honored as the King of Kings ( Raajavath

arhaNeeyam ithi mathvA ) and composed the Garland of

sacred verses dealing with the awakening of the Lord

of SrIrangam ( PraBhOdhikeem SookthimAlAm akrutha).

 

ThirumAlai AaNDAn recognizes this author of Sookthi Maalaa

as Sakala Aathma GuNa PoorNar and Sarvaj~nar and eulogizes

the AzhwAr , who chose the name of BhakthAngri rENu or

ThoNDar adi Podi " .

 

That Lord RanganAthan in the archA form at SrIrangam

is identical with the ParavAasudEvan in the Param form

at SrI Vaikuntam is recognized by the following slOkam:

 

KavEri VirajA sEyam Vaikuntam Rangamandiram

Sa VaasudEvO RangEsa: Prathyaksham Paramam Padham

 

(Meaning): Cauvery at SrIrangam is the same as

the VirajA river at SrI Vaikuntam; The KOil of

RanganAthan at SrIrangam is the same as the supreme abode

of Para VaasudEvan at SrI Vaikuntam. That Lord of Rangam

is identical to the Para VaasudEvan at Parama Pdham.

RanganAthan of SrIrangam is thus SaakshAth Para VaasudEvan of

Nithya VibhUthi. He is thus Ubhaya VibhUthi Naathan

(kingof both LeelA and nithya vibhUthis) and

is RaajAthi Raajan ( KIng of all KIngs).

 

The TamiL Taniyan of Thiruvaranga PerumAL Arayar

*************************************************

 

MaNDangudi yenbar mAmaRayOr manniya seer

ThoNDaradippodi thonnagaram --vaNDu

tiNarttha vayaR-RennarangatthammAnaip-paLLI

yuNartthum PirAnutthitthavoor

 

Arayar salutes here the sacred birth place of

ThoNDaradippodi AzhwAr ( ThirumaNDangudi near

the dhivya dEsam of PuLLambhUthangudi) .

 

( Arayar has also composed a Taniyan for ThirumAlai

as well , where he requests his mind to speak

always about ThoNDardippodi AzhwAr, who composed

the SrI Sookthi of ThirumAlai).

 

(meaning Given by Dr.V.K.S.N. Raghavan for

the ThirupaLLiyezucchi Taniyan):

 

" The great Vedic Scholars refer to and hail

the sacred and ancient city , MaNdangudi (next to

PuLLambhUthangudi) as the famous place of the Saint

ThoNDaradippodi , who composed the celebrated hymn ,

ThiruppaLLiyezucchi to awaken the Lord from His

YoganidhrA at the temple of SrIrangam girt with

several paddy fields resorted by the hosts of

honey bees " .

 

Meaning of the word groups of the Taniyan

******************************************

 

" MaamaRayOr manniya seer ThoNDardippodi " = The great AzhwAr

celebrated resolutely by the renowned scholars of Vedaas

for his auspicious aathma guNams

 

" thol naharam , pirAn udhitthaUr MaNDangudi yenbar " =

The great Vedic scholars declare that the ancient city of

MaNDangudi is the avathAra Sthalam the sacred ThoNDaradip-

Podi AzhwAr.

 

" (MaNdangudi) VaNdu tiNarttha vayal tennarangatthu

ammAnai paLLi uNartthum PirAnUr " = That MandaMgudi

is the birth place of the SarvaJ~nar, ThoNDardippodi,

who awakened the Lord of SrIrangam , a dhivya dEsam

known for its fertile paddy fields frequented by

the assembly of honey bees .

 

The link of " Thonnaharam " or the ancient city

has been inked by some commentators to MaNDamgudi.

Others like SrI UtthamUr Swamy conclude that it

is more appropriate to link Thonnaharam with

the ancient SrIrangam .

 

Thiru MaNDamgudi today is a small village , where there

is a temple for Lord RanganAtha since the AzhwAr

(RanganAtha Pathivrathai) can not be without her

Lord and Master . SrI UtthamUr Swamy has intrepreted

the name , MaNDamgudi " as the celebrated city , where

MaamaRayOr are always engaged in Bhagavath GuNAnubhavam .

Just as one enjoys well made Kanji or the well boiled

milk with its " PaalEdu " , these Vedic scholars filled

their mind with the delectable anubhavam of the anantha

kalyANa guNams of the Lord .MaNDam according to UtthamUr

Swamy means kanji (the delicious and nourishing

preparation made out of raagi) or " curdled milk "

(Paal yEdu), which is delectable to taste. The birth

place of ThoNDaradippodi was filled with great Vedic

Scholars known for their Bhagavath Guna anubhavams ,

which in turn conferred the title of MaNDamgudi " to

the birth place of ThoNDaradippodi AzhwAr.

 

In the next posting , adiyEn will take up

the first Paasuram of ThiruppaLLiyezucchi.

 

NamO SrI RanganAthAya,

BhakthAngri rENu Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan