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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00203 Dec 2004

 
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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." 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
> Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka
> Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: 
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>





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