Sri Srinivaasa Vaibhavam- PeriyAzhwAr anubhavam on ThiruvEnkatam - Introduction

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest all,

 

After Poigai, bhootha, Pey, Thirumazhisai Kulasekara

and ThiruppANAzhwAr anubhavams, let us now continue on

PeriyAzhwAr anubhavams. [Please forgive me for a week

absence as I was on an overseas trip]. Also the time

is ripe with AndAL TN just celebrated. PeriyAzhwAr and

His darling daughter AndAL would be pleased with this

incidental synchronization of the series and bless us

with more and more kaimkarya ruchi..

 

Befroe we dwell upon AzhwAr’s verses: let us enjoy the

Thaniyans [invocatory verses on PeriyAzhwAr: as these

verses themselves- kind of tell us the life history

and greatness of AzhwAr very beautifully.

 

1st thaniyan- composed by Sri NAthamuni:

 

guru mukam anadhIthya prAha vEdhAn- asEshaan

nara pathi pari kluptham sulkam AdhAthu kAmaha:

svasuram amara vandhyam ranganAthasya sAkshAth

dhvija kula thilakam tham vishNu chittham namaami

 

The AzhwAr- who is the thilakam of Brahminhood; who is

respected and worshipped by even Devas; who is the

father-in-law of Sri Rangnathan; who wished to succeed

getting the prize bag of gold coins, arranged by king

Vallabha devan (narapathi: ) in order to establish the

Supremacy of Sriman Narayanan as the PARATHVAM in the

debate, without any learning formally from Acharyan

(teacher) to that AzhwAr, I bow down to and prostrate.

 

Here abhinava dESika Sri UttamUr Swamy beautifully

lists different interpretations on this anadhIthyam-

(without learning):

 

1. anadhIthyam means: without learning. Then, why the

word Guru is required. Isn’s it superfluous Swaram,

Grammaer, niruktham, the meaning of VaidIka padhams

are all explained by the Guru and that can be learnt

only from Acharyan. Hence, Gurumukham anadhIthya

conveys this crystal clear.

 

2. gurmukham also can be linked to prAha giving a

different meaning: prAha means: explained or taught..

He explained as if he had taught the Vedas as guru for

some time (few years perhaps..).

 

3. gurumukham can also be linked alternatively to the

assembly of Vedic

scholars, Selva Nambhi (the minister of the king, who

is also knowledgeable and who guided the king to get

this doubt clarified, thereby Parathvam of

Lordship can be established). Means: Having them (as

Gurus- thus- Gurumukham) in the front, he explained

the Vedic Truths.

 

Two dedicatory verses by PaaNdiya Bhattar:

 

Minnaar thadamathiL soozh villiputthoor enRu orukaal

Sonnaar kazhaRkamalam soodinOm ?munnaaL

kizhiyaRuththaan enRuraiththOm keezhmaiyiniR chErum

vazhiyaRuththOm nenjamE! Vandhu.

 

Oh mind! (nenjamE) - you helped me.. Thus, (with your

such helpful nature in co-operating), we are able to

adorn the head with the lotus feet of BhagavathAs who

have uttered the name Srivilliputtur (which is

surrounded by glittering tall ramparts like Gold)

even once. When raised doubts in King Vallabhadevan’s

sabhai as to who was the Parathavam [supreme Lord], it

is PeriyAzhwAr who cleared their doubts (that made the

bag of coins tear and) he won the prize. By uttering

that GREAT incident (event) alone, and with AzhwAr

sambandham thus, we are able to get rid of the past

wrong path and destination, that we were heading to

(adhOgati) (which is further births and deaths!)

 

When AzhwAr is there at that Divya Desam, how can

there be dharidhram (and hence, gem stone laden Golden

ramparts).. When there is kizhi ArutthAn (the bag

tearing..), there will surely by keezhmaiyin sERum

vazhi aRutthOm- the path that could have led us to

wrong destinations (of dEvathAndhara sambandham,

kShUdhra purushaartham- asking something like a kilo

of vegetable from a King etc....). With AzhwAr’s

Paradevatha nirNayam, we are able to get rid of that

path, be blessed with AzhwAr sambandham and know what

we want (eternal service) and who only can Grant and

also how.

 

paaNdiyan koNdaada Bhattar piraan vandhaan enRu

eeNdiya sangam eduthu oodha ?vENdiya

vEdhangaLOdhi viraindhu kizhiyaRuththaan

paadhangaL yaamudaiya paRRu.

 

King Vallabhadeva announced the victory of PeriyAzhwAr

(Bhattar Piraan) and conferred the title Bhatta

nAthan. He also declared for a Huge procession of

AzhwAr on the Royal elephant. He took the curved Conch

Shell and blew in honor of the victory and to

celebrate the success of PeriyAzhwAr who had

established in such unambiguous terms, the Parathvam

of Sriman Narayanan quoting the relevant sections from

Vedas at the Sabha. Such Great PeriyAzhwAr’s Lotus

Feet are our refuge.

 

1. Here, sangamadutthu means: The conch is placed

inside the mouth (for blowing) madutthu.

2. It could also be sangam adutthu- uninterruptedly

3. eeNdiya sangam- (gathered sanga poets- scholars)-

In the assembly, when the scholars mentioned the

Poorva palsham (the arguments against Sriman

Narayanan?s Parathvam)..

 

(SrI UttamUr Swamy gives such nuances in his great

commentary.) Also Sri UttamU Swamy writes: First, King

announced Bhattar Piran vandhAn (Here comes Bhattar

Piraan), when he just entered the Sabha before even

stating the Parathva nirNayam. Then, when he won, he

celebrated by blowing uninterruptedly the conch due to

the king?s happiness.

 

Let us dive into the nectarine Divine verses of

PeriyAzhwAr On ThiruvEnkatam in the next post

PeriyAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan