Today's article in Hindu

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SrI:

NamO NarayanA

 

Dear Sri Vaishnavas

 

Adiyen read an article in today's Hindu and am sharing the same.

 

dAsan

Srimad Azhagia Singar Thiruvadi

 

THE TAMIL month `Kaarthigai' is dedicated to the celebration of `Light'.

The Thirukaarthigai festival on the full moon day of the month is

further significant because some nine centuries ago, Tirumangai Azhwar

was born on the day in the Tamil year Nala, at Tirukkuraiyalur, a

village in the Tirumangai State of the Cholas.

 

 

The most romantic of all the Azhwars was Tirumangai Azhwar, also known

as Kaliyan, Parakalan and Neelan, a chieftain and a rebel, dynamic and

daring. He was the last of the Azhwars. He is believed to be the

incarnation of Lord Vishnu's mighty bow, Sarangam. His parents named

him, Neelan, as he was dark in complexion. Neelan became the

commander-in-chief of the Chola king and was hailed as Parakala (`Death

of enemies') by the king, who in appreciation of his military prowess

made him chieftain of Tirumangai State. Parakala fell in love with the

beautiful Kumudavalli. But she had taken a vow to marry a Vaishnavite

who would feed at least 1,000 Vaishnavites everyday for one year. Gladly

accepting the demand, Parakala used up all his revenue till the coffers

were empty. When he had no money left to feed the poor, he became a

highway thief, plundering the rich for the purpose.

 

 

Legend of Tirumangai

 

 

 

Legend says that during one such looting exercise, Lord Vishnu and the

Goddess appeared before Parakala as a newly wedded couple, clad in rich

ornaments. Parakala, of course, wasted no time. He took away everything

and did not wish to spare even a tiny ornament like the toe-ring on the

bridegroom's foot. As the ring was quite tight, Parakala tried to remove

it by biting with his teeth. He thus got the rare chance of touching the

Lord's feet and unwittingly kissing them. Parakala was further baffled

by the magic spell when he could not lift the booty he had collected.

The Lord then initiated him with the `Tirumantiram,' the Supreme Word,

and revealed Himself. At that very instant the Azhwar was born. Kaliyan,

now Tirumangai Azhwar, began his quest by singing the praise of Lord

Vishnu, first by celebrating the `Tirumantiram' in the first 10 hymns of

his work, " Periya Tirumozhi. "

 

 

Tirumangai, like Nammazhwar, was a prolific writer. Orthodox

Vaishnavites consider Nammazhwar's four Prabhandams ( " Tiruviruttam, "

" Tiruvasiriyam, " " Periya Tiruvantathi " and " Tiruvaimozhi " ) as the four

Vedas, and Tirumangai Azhwar's six texts ( " Periya Tirumozhi, "

" Tirukkuruntauntakam, " " Tiruvelukkurrirukai, " " Siria Tirumadal, " " Periya

Tirumadal " and " Tirunetuntantakam " ) as the six angas of the Vedas. These

texts contain the finest lyrics in which descriptions of Nature,

soul-stirring emotions and deep devotion are inseparably blended

together. Tirumangai, perhaps, is the only Azhwar to have travelled far

and wide, covering the whole of India from North to South. Out of the

108 divyadesams important to Vaishnavites, Parakala has visited at least

86, and in superb poetry, has also consecrated the archa forms in the

Vishnu temples. His poetry, innovative in form and content, secured him

the title, Naalukavi Perumal. He found great joy in taking care of the

Srirangam temple. It was Parakala who introduced the Prabandhams of

Nammazhwar at the Tiruvadyayana festival at Srirangam temple, in the

Tamil month of Margazhi. It is now known as `Tirumozhi-Tiruvaimozhi'

festival, since the basic components of the celebrations are the texts

themselves. This month long celebration is held not only in Srirangam

but also in other Vishnu temples. Parakala has thus introduced a visual

representation of his own conviction that the Word and the Lord are one

and the same.

 

 

A born poet

 

 

 

Another epiphany of our times is the advent of Srinivasaraghavachariar,

hailed as Asukavi Sarvabhauma Srinidhi Swami, born on this glorious day

of the Pramathicha year (December 11, 1913).

 

He is the descendant of Nadathoor Ammal, known as Vatsya Varadaguru. He

was fondly addressed by the Lord Himself as `amma'. Varadaguru was the

maternal uncle of Sri Desikan, the great Vaishnavite Acharya after

Ramanuja.

 

 

Srinidhi Swami was a born-poet and could compose Sanskrit poems even at

the early age of seven. Being an Asukavi, he wrote poems in an instant,

on any occasion. The poems came out spontaneously and sometimes

jocularly - during the lunch sessions in the patasala, while buying

mangoes, at the sub-registrar's office when he had to wait for a long

time, or during the World War when life was under the threat of Japanese

bombing.

 

 

Thousands of such poems exist. The Swami led a quiet life, but the poet

in him was always vigilant, pouring out powerful feelings spontaneously.

 

 

 

His works include the six volumes of " Srinidhi Granthamala, " " Manju

Ramayanam, " " Ashtalakshmi Sathakam, " " Rajagopura Sathakam " and

" Mantasmitha Ramayanam. "

 

 

Sri Malola Vilasam is the 11th publication. Srinidhi Swami was the

recipient of the President's award for Sanskrit in the year 1986.

 

 

He passed away on May 3, 2001 after establishing " Sri Bhashya

Simhasanam. "