AdiyEn's KshEthrAdanam /Seventh Day : Oct 24 , 2005 : ThirumAlirumchOlai : Part II

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri KaLLazhagar BhakthAs :

 

AdiyEn will continue with the anubhavam of the remaining

five AzhwAr MangaLAsAsanams on ThirumAlirumchOlai Azhagar .

 

ANDAL's Bridegroom ( MaNALan )

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In her first Koodal Izhaitthal paasuram on the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai ,

Andal salutes the DevadEvan Lord worshipped by the bhAgyasAlis with

clear Jn~Anam as:

 

" TeLLiyAr Palar thozhum DEvanAr

VaLLal MaalirumchOlai MaNALanAr "

 

She recoignizes Her Lord as the most generous One and

identifies with Him as the One who is going to wed Her .

 

After this mangaLAsAsanam , She describes the morning scenes

at ThirumAlirumchOlai and offers Her worship to the Lord . The Paasurams

offering 100 TaDA akkAravadisil and the promise to multiply that offering

are embedded in this 9th Thirumozhi of NaacchiyAr .

 

It was the rainy season , when ANDAL arrived at ThirumAlirumchOlai .

the IndhirakOpam insects ( Pattu PoocchikaL) were swarming the hills

displaying their pleasing red hue. The whole hill side was like a sheet of

soft red bed spread . Andal thinks about the mighty shoulders of the Lord

Sundarabaahu , who churned the milky ocean and got MahA Lakshmi

as a reward . Andal states that She is caught up in the net of the

Lord's soundharyam and wonders whether She can escape from

that net . She sees the the white Mullai flowers on the creepers growing on

the mountain sides and imagines that those white flowers are laughing

at Her helpless state . She sees the bluish hued flowes (KaruviLai

MalarkaL)

and that reminds Her of the Lord's bluish-black hue and asks them to give

Her some signs of hope in Her battle to win over Her Lord .

 

Andal now comes across Kuyils , peacocks , KaakaNAm Flowers ,

KaLA Fruits and KaayAm Poo . Their bluish black hues reminds Her

of Her Lord's color ( dark rainy season cloud) and complains to them

for torturing Her through their colors .

 

Next , ANDAL comes across the beautiful red lotus blossoming in

the ponds at this dhivya dEsam . She sees the honey bees flying around

performing Hari Nama Sankeerthanam . Her mind is stirred up about

the union with Her Lord on seeing these beautiful vasthus .She asks them

to give their comforting words to Her as She experiences the sorrow of

seperation form Her lord (YenakkOr SaraN SaaRRuminE ) .

 

ANDAL now thinks of tempting the VeNNai Rasikan and adds Akkaaravadisil

as a bonus to the One who has a penchant for sweet anubhavams and asks

Him to come and get these samarpaNams (yERu ThiruvudayAn ivai koLLumkolO) .

In the next Paasuram , She raises the level of rewards and says that She

will multiply these offerings manyfold , if He appears before Her and

accepts these offerings ( OnRu AayiramAhak-kodutthu pinnumALum

seyvan) .

 

As ANDAL approaches Her Lord's sannidhi , She hears the singing of

the Morning birds and takes those songs as announcements of Her Lord's

impending arrival to Her side . She identifies their songs with those of

eulogies on VaDapathra Saayee of Her native SrivilliputthUr ( Solaimalai

PerumAn - - - Aalinilaip-PerumAn Avan Vaarthai uraikkinRanavE ) .

She now longs to hear the DankAram sound from His Saarngam bow and

the auspicious dhvani from the Conch that He blows ( Thirumuhatthu

Madutthu Oothiya Sankholiyum , Saarnga vill nANoliyum talaippeyvathu

yenRu kolO ?) . When will adiyEn hear those sounds indicating that He is

on His way to unite with me ?

 

She concludes this beautiful decad by assuring us that recitation of these

ten paasurams of Hers about the Lord of ThriumAlirumchOlai will help us

reach

the sacred feet of Sriman NaarAyaNan at Sri Vaikuntam and enjoy the bliss

there with MukthAs and Nithya Sooris.

 

BhUtham , Pey and Thirumangai's MangaLAsAsanams

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BhUtham and Pey AzhwArs have 3 Paasurams in which they

offer their salutations to the Malai itself , where the Lord resides .

Thirumangai has 33 Paasurams devoted to the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai.

Thirumangai enjoys Lord SundarabAhu as the Vaamana-Thrivikraman( PTM

1.8.6).

 

Kaliyan includes chinthanai of SundarabAhu in his Thiruvidaventhai ,

ThiruppArthan PaLLiThirunaRayUr , ThirucchiRuppuliyUr , ThirunAgai (Twice)

,

Orunall SuRRam Paasurams( PTM 10.1) , Viraha Paasurams ( PTM 11.3.8)

where ParakAla Naayaki says : " ManjuRu MaalirumchOlai ninRa MaNALanAr ,

nenjam niRai koNDu pOyinAr ninaihinRilar " . He thinks of ThirumAlirumchOlai

,

where honey bees fly from one point to another and states that the eyes

that do not have the soubhAgyam of seeing the Lord there are worthless.

 

In the third Paasuram of ThirukkurumthANDakam , Kaliyan records his

worship of " SolaimEya Maindhan " . In his SiRiya Thirumadal , Kaliyan

salutes the Malai of the Lord as " SeerArum MaalirumchOlai " . AzhwAr's

admiration for the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai swells up in Periya

Thirumadal: " Mannanai MaalirumchOlai MaNALanai " ulahariya Urvan nAnn

-- -- manniya poompeNNai madal " . ParakAla Naayaki threatens the Lord

here of shaming Him before the world , if He does not respond to

Her prayerful request .

 

Swamy NammAzhwar's aanandhAnubhavam at ThirumAlirumchOlai

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Swamy NammAzhvAr enjoyed the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai thru

FOURTY SIX exquisite , anubhavam laden paasurams ( ThiruvAimozhi/TVM :

2.10: KiLaroLi iLamai keduvathan munnam , TVM: 3.1: MudicchOthiyAi Unathu

MuhacchOthi malarnthathuvO? , TVM 3.2: Munneer Jn~Alam padaittha vemmuhil

VaNNanE -- -- , TVM 10.7: Sencholl KavikAL - - - and the final paasuram ,

where AzhwAr acknowledges the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai entering and

pervading his nenjam and the consequent amruth a Aanandha anubhavam :

TVM 10.8.6).

 

KiLaroLi Pasurams(TVM : 2.10)

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

ThirumAlirum ChOlai is recognized by the AzhwAr as the Southern Thirumalai.

He resorts as aasrayaNam the Thirumalai itself according to Swamy

AaLavanthAr.

 

Here AzhwAr instructs us that the Lord is anubhava bhOgyan, UpEyan (goal and

Parama PurushArTam ). In the earlier decad of " yemmA Veettu thiRamum , yenn

tanakku Unn thALiNayE , AmmA - - - " , AzhwAr instructed us on the

superiority of Kaimkaryam performed to please the Lord's ThiruvuLLam

even over seeking the phalan of Mukthi . AzhwAr is blessed with Kaimkarya

soubhAgyam and performs His SaraNAgathy at ThirumAlirumchOlai .

AzhwAr points out the imprtance of reaching ThirumAlirumchOlai

while we have strength in our bodies and serve Him there ,

where He resides eternally . AzhwAr lets us in on a secret

relating to the Lord : " Our Lord has no desire for offerings of

any kind ( including akkAravadisil) unless it has the sparsam of

His devotees ( anukoola sparsa sambhandham) .

 

AzhwAr implores us to get to Azhagar Koil and perform Kaimkaryams to Him

there to get rid of our sins. AzhwAr reveals that Kaimkaryam to this Lord is

as sweet and delectable as the Moksha Sukham. AzhwAr tells us that

the mere arrival at the hills of Azhagar is an efficacious and expedient

method to destroy our accumulated sins . AzhwAr counsels us to perform

PrathakshiNams and Kaimkaryamms to the Lord while we are in good

health to extirpate our paapams . Azhwar asks us to know that what

he blesses as UpadEsam is good for our salvation . He sums up his

upadEsam in this decad as : " The dhivya dEsam of Azhagar Koil should be

our goal ; reaching that dhivya dEsam is in itself the much -lauded goal--

the PurushArTam (bliss of union with Him ) .

 

TVM 3.1: MudicchOthiyAyi Unathu MuhacchOthi MalaarnthathuvO ?

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Until now , Swamy NammAzhwAr praised the Malai itself ( Tenn Thirumalai) .

Now , AzhwAr enjoys the dhivya soundharyam and KalyANa guNams of

Azhagar . He states that verbal descriptions of the Lord's soundharyam

is a futile exercise . He compares such efforts as being equal to a rustic

(unsophisticated) declaring that a precious gem is like an ordinary ,

worthless pebble .

 

Now AzhwAr as the most compassionate AchAryan gets worried about

our lot as suffering Jeevans and asks Azhagar : " Should the world and

its beings go to dogs ?Should You see all these men sink and suffer ?

Pray tell me " . AzhwAr answers his own question and says with full

trust in the Lord : " That You will do anything to save and protct Your

devotee with a Motherly love is the one quality I cherish dearest - - -

My life is sustained by this proof of your aasritha-vaathsalyam

has secured " .

 

TVM 3.2 : Munneer Jn~Alam padaittha Yemmuhil VaNnanE !

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

AzhwAr experiences his insufficencies to enjoy the Lord's beauty

to the fullest at Azhagar Malai and suffers from Viraha taapam .

He begs the Lord to extend His sacred feet for him to hold on to

without seperating from them . My samsAric bonds are torturing me .

Please suggest a way of reaching You (sollAi yAnn Unnai sArvathOr

soozhcchiyE ) . Oh Lord ! Please come before me in flesh and blood

and rescue me cries out Swamy NammAzhwAr here .Please come here in

a casual manner , briefly sustain my fast-sinking hope of seeing You .

I do not have the requisite qualifications but do not ignore adiyEn asks

the AzhwAr in a state of despondency . He continues his appeal :

" Please reform me ; give me real meaning to my life . Tell me when

You plan to grant Your sacred feet as the redeeming resort for me "

AzhwAr equates the sufferings associated with NarakAnubhavam

with the Bhagavath viraha vEdhanai ( the pain of seperation from

the Lord by a Jeevan ) .

 

TVM 10.7 : SenchoRkkavikAL ! Uyir KaatthAtccheymin ThirumAlirumchOlai

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Here , AzhwAr acknowledges that the great wizard of ThirumAlirumchOlai

entered into him , mingled with his heart and soul and devoured him body

and soul to His great joy. He has wiped out ME and Mine totally . He sang

thru me in His praise .He loves all that is mine.What is now His sweet will

for me ? He has taken His abode at near-by ThirumAlirumchOlai only

to inveigle me . He has elected me to sing of Him because of this prEmai

for me . Oh Lord ! You have such an emotive feeling for all that is mine .

Please do me a favor . Please stop your attachment to this despicable body

of mine. " May my body and life wane and pass off . Permit it please ! .

Please remove the sufferings caused by attachment of the jeevan

with Moola Prakruthi and linked Mahath , ahankAram and manas . Please

put an end to the impact of all of the above and efface them out of me

now " .

 

The Lord responded affirmatively to AzhwAr's soulful request in

the fraction of a moment and with great pride and joy . Mahath ,

ahankAram , Manas -- all got destroyed in a trice .

 

TVM 10.8.1 & 6 : ThirumAlirum Solaimalai yenREn - -

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

AzhwAr is approaching the end of ThiruvAimozhi now.

He describes the mystery that happened to him :

" I only said ThirumAlirumchOlai . At once , as if I called

Him with particular devotion or real fervour , the Lord came and

entered my heart and sat tightly occupying all the space- - -

The Lord came with His consort , MahA Lakshmi , to be of help in

commending us to Her Lord (TVM 10.8.1).

 

In the TVM 10.8.6 Paasuram , Swamy NammAzhwAr says that

the Lord of ThirumAlirum chOlai relishes his heart as His preferred place of

residence . AzhwAr states that he enjoys the Lord's anantha kalyAna

guNams and those guNams are tangible to him now. AzhwAr explains

that he is drinking the nectar of Bahgavath GuNAnubhavam and is

rejoicing . He concedes that his fortune is great indeed !

 

Thus ends Swamy NammAzhwAr's exquisite anubhavam of

ThirumAlirumchOlai EmperumAn .

 

Next , we will enjoy the anubhavam of Swamy KurEsar

of SundarabAhu PerumAl at ThirumAlirumchOlai .

 

KurEsar and Sri Sundara Baahu Sthavam

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Swamy KurEsar's poorvALs were natives of ThirumAlirumchOlai

before they migrated to the village of Kooram near Kaanchipuram.

KurEsar refers to this link to MaalalankArar in the 76th SlOkam of

Sri Sundara Baahu Sthavam :

 

" MaamakAsccha gurava : , pruAdhanA: Sundaram VanamahIdhragam SrithA: "

 

(Meaning ): Our ancestors ( AzhwArs and AchAryAs) from a very ancient time

recieved the anugraham of Sundara Raajan thru their Prapatthi to Him .

 

Swamy KurEsar stayed at ThirumAlirumchOlai , when the ChOLA king's

(Krimi KaNDa ChOzhan's) harassment led to AchArya RaamAnujA

leaving for Melkote . KurEsar stayed back at ThirumAlirumchOlai

after he lost his eye sight due to the cruelty of that ChOLa king .

KurEsar got united with his AchAryan at Kaanchi later .

 

We will study the highlights of KurEsar's Sri SundarabAhu Sthavam next .

 

ThirumAlirum ChOlai ThirumAl ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V. Sadagopan