Sri Srinivaasa Vaibhavam- Thirumazhisai Piraan anubhavam of ThiruvEnkatam- 1- 34th verse of Naanmukhan ThiruvanthAthi

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest all,

 

After mudhal aazhwArs, next let us enjoy Thirumazhisai

AzhwAr’s verses on thiruvEnkatam.

 

MakhAyam Makare MAse Chakramsham Bhargavodbhavam

MahisArapurADhEsham BhaktisAramaham Bhaje.

 

I worship Bhaktisara, who was born as the son of

Bhargava in Mahisapuram (Tirumazhisai) in the month of

Makaram (Jan-Feb) under the asterism of Makham as a

manifestation of the Chakram of Lord Narayana

(Sudarshana Chakram).

 

THIRUMAZHISAI AZHWAR, the most philosophical minded

saint, studied various schools of religion and

philosophy and through intense meditation came to the

conclusion that Lord Narayana is the Supreme God. He

has given ample expression to this in his two works,

`Naanmukan Thiruvandhadhi' and Thiruchandavirutham'.

Tradition avers that though he was the author of many

works he threw away the manuscripts into the Cauvery

and only these two works withstood the current and

were retrieved. The AzhwAr firmly declares that Lord

Narayana is the Supreme God and is ever ready to

bestow His Grace on human beings and the delay in

getting the same is due to lack of enthusiasm on the

part of the seekers. He stands as the very essence of

the Vedas and is everything in the world and nothing

exists besides Him.

 

Before immersing ourselves into the divine anubhavam

of this greatest AzhwAr’s enjoyment of

ThiruvEnkatamudaiyaan, let us quickly refresh his

wonderful life.. and his works. [from Sri Sadagopan

swamin’s write up on AzhwArs]

 

Once upon a time, the saptha Rishis including BhArgava

Rishi asked BrahmA about the most sacred place on

Earth that was fit for the permanaent residence to do

penance. Brahma told them that Thirumazhisai KshEthram

was the best and named it MahIsAra KshEthram . The

Rishis stayed there.

While being there, the wife of BhArgava Rishi gave

birth to their child on a Thai Maham ;on birth the new

born chil did did not have any features such as hand

, face or leg. It was of the form of a PiNdam (mass of

flesh). The parents were sad and left this child

without form by the side of a bush and moved on .This

Pindam was Thirumazhisai AzhwAr ,who is

the amsam of the Lord's Sudarsana chakram. Few days

after the parents left , the pindam developed a roopam

and began to cry out of hunger and thirst. PerumAL

appeared and blessed the child to be free of hunger

and thirst . The satisfied child began again to cry. A

local farmer by name ThiruvALan heard

the sound coming from the side of the bush and rushed

to see the cause of that sound. There, they saw a

child with a radiant face . ThiruvALan and his wife

took the child home and raised it.The child did not

take milk and was free of bodily functions and yet

grew day by day.

 

This wonder of a baby growing without partaking any

food attracted the attention of an older couple , who

had no children of their own.They brought warm milk

every day for the child and presented it. After few

days , the child asked the elderly couple to drink

the left-over milk . After drinking the milk , which

was consumed partially by the child , the elderly

couple regained their youth and in due time a child

was born to them .They named it KaNikaNNan.

 

Meanwhile , The BhArgava Rishi puthran( Thirumazhisai

AzhwAr ) controlled his Indhriyams and practised

AshtAnga Yogam.He studied all kinds of religions

(Saaktham , Saivam et al) and rejected them all in

favor of VaishNavam and recognized that Sriman

NaarAyaNn is the Aadhara Moorthy and Jagath KaaraNa

Vasthu (ParamAthmA). Azhwar stayed at Thiru AllikkENi

worshipping GeethAchAryan and met there with the

Mudhal AzhwArs.Few years later, Thirumazhisai AzhwAr

settled at ThiruvehhA , where Poygai AzhwAr was born.

KaNikaNNan served Thirumazhisai as his disciple.

 

At ThiruvehhA , an old lady also performed kaimkaryam

for the AzhwAr . She sought the blessings of AzhwAr

for regaining her youth . AzhwAr blessed her and she

transformed into a beautiful woman. When the local

king heard of that miracle , he approached KaNikaNNan

and asked him to intercede on his behalf for a similar

anugraham. KaNikaNNan refused the king's

request and the king got angry and ordered KaNikaNNan

to leave his kingdom.KaNikaNNan informed the AzhwAr of

his need to leave and the AzhwAr addressed the PerumAL

of ThiruvehhA and told Him to roll up His bed of

AdhisEshan and leave the offending king's kingdom with

him and his sishyan .PerumAL , who always

takes the side of His dear devotees did as told and

acquired the name of YathOkthakAri or Sonna VaNNam

seytha PerumAL.

 

AzhwAr, KaNikaNNan and PerumAL with His bed travelled

out of the city of ThiruvehhA and stayed overnight in

a nearby village. After the departure of PerumAL and

AzhwAr,ThiruvehhA became lusterless and

inauspicousness set in. The king recognized quickly

his mistake and fell at the feet of Thirumazhisai

AzhwAr and begged him to return .AzhwAr agreed and

suggested to the Lord to return with him and

KaNikaNNan , spread His bed back and resume His

YoganidhrA at His temple .PerumAL once again

followed the order of AzhwAr and auspiciousness

returned to the land.AzhwAr came to be revered as

BahkthisArar from then on.

 

Few years later, AzhwAr wanted to have the darsanam of

AarAvamudhan at Thirukkudanthai and left ThiruvehhA.

On the way, AzhwAr was received with hostility by

haughty Brahmins performing Yaj~nam and AzhwAr put

them in their place by revealing the reclining PerumAL

on his chest region.The Brahmins recognized the

greatness of the AzhwAr , fell at his feet and sought

AzhwAr's forgivance.

 

AzhwAr arrived at Thirukkudanthai and was ecstatic

about the sevai of AarAvamudhan in the reclining

position . AzhwAr composed two Prabhandhams at

Thirukkudanthai known as Thirucchandha Viruttham and

Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi. One day , he placed his

prabhandhams in the Cauvery water and they did not

sink ; instead , they floated agaist the stream

and arrived at his feet . AzhwAr took them in his

hands and brought them back to the temple and placed

them at the Thiruvadi of AarAvamudhan and asked the

Lord to get up and talk to him about that mystery.The

Lord obliged and began to lift Himself . AzhwAr was so

moved by the Soulabhyam of the Lord that he performed

mangaLAsAsanam with the benediction " Vaazhi KesanE "

and the Lord stayed in the half risen position to

please His Bhaktha SikhAmaNi.

Even today , AarAvaudhan is giving His Seavi to us as

UtthAna- Saayee enjoying His UdhyOga Sayanam. AzhwAr

stayed many years thereafter worshipping AarAvamudhan

and blessing the world prior to returning to Sri

Vaikuntam .

 

Swamy Desikan's Tribute: In his Prabhandha Saaram ,

Swamy Desikan pays tribute to Thirumazhisai this way:

Thirumazhisai was born in the MahIsAra KshEthram

during one Thai month, when the Maha nakshathram was

in ascendance. He examined many religions/faiths and

evaluated their deficencies and through his

" Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi Prabhnadham " revealed that

Sriman NaarAyaNan alone is the Para Dhaivam ( Supreme

Being) fit for upAsanai and SaraNAgathi as per the

teachings of timeless Vedams. He also established that

Sriman NaarAyaNan

is the quintessence of Vedaarthams.He blessed us with

Thirucchandha viruttham containing 120 passurams and

through that Prabhandham established that all the

chEthanams and achEthanams of the universe serve as

sarIram for the Lord. Swamy Desikan prayed to

MazhisaippirAn to bless him with the power to recite

his two Prabhandhams and comprehend fully their true

meanings.

 

Thiruvarangatthu amudanAr states that AchArya

RaamAnujA holds firmly

the sacred feet of Thirumazhisai in his heart because

of the AzhwAr's universal fame arising from his

upadesam about VishNu Paaramyam ( Supermacy of

Sriamn NaarAyanan among all gods ) through his

visEsha Svaroopa Jn~Anam.Thirumazhisai AzhwAr is

saluted as the One , who never put back his sword in

its sheath , when it came to the subject of Para

Tatthva NirNayam (Sriman NaarAyaNa's status as the

ParamAthmA).

 

Let us now enjoy the first verse [verse 34 of

Naanmukhan ThiruvanthAthi now]

 

kuRippenakkuk kOttiyoor mEyaanai yEththa,

kuRippenakku nanmai payakka, - veRuppanO

vEngadaththu mEyaanai meyvinainNO yeythaamal,

thaan_kadaththum thanmaiyaan thaaL

 

My objective is only to praise ThirukkOttiyoor

Emperumaan. My objective is do good to myself (by

getting saved). Hence, will I leave ThiruvEnkadatthu

Emperumaan? (No.). Will I ever ignore the Lotus Feet

of Emperumaan, who, on His own, stands in to protect

us and saves us by removing all our Karmic diseases

due to our entanglement with our sarIram (bodily

afflictions).

 

I did desire and aim for praising only ThirukkOttiyoor

Divya Desam; That does not mean that I would forget

ThiruvEnkatam? How can I ever forget the most

compassionate and merciful One ThiruvEnkatamudaiyaan?

I am gazing at His Lotus Feet alone- which would

dispel all our ignorance and crush all our paapams

like the fire blazing the blades of grass in a

fraction of a second.. The karmic diseases and mental

[illusions] vipareetha jnAnams would all vanish

looking at His Superamcy of This

ThiruvEnkatamudiayaan. Vem plus katam- that which

crushes the sins; Also vEnkaara: amruthabheejam syaath

katam aishwaryamuchyathE… It begets all wealth as

well. Thus it grants ParabrahmAnanddham as well the

material and worldly wealth.

 

AzhwAr ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

SrI PadmAvathI SamEtha Sri Srinivasa ParabrahmaNE

Namah:

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan