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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00076 Dec 2003

 
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The divine mystic who gave esoteric truth

            The great Tamil poet Kambar the author of Ramayana Christened by 
him as ?Ramavatharam? was very much devoted to ?Maran? alias Satakopan, the 
divine mystic of ? Azhwar Thirunagari? on the banks of the river, Tamaraparani 
in Tirunelveli. He was immersed in the Ocean of ?Bhakthi? towards Satakopar and 
drank the ambrosia called ?Thiruvaimozhi? given to the world by that esoteric 
personality. The poet in praise of his devotion towards his Achraya, ours too, 
has made a special mention of it both subtly and plainly in the beginning of 
his great work, Ramayana thus invoking the blessings of Satakopar. Not being 
satisfied with it Kavi Chakravarthi has written one hundred verses in praise of 
?Kurugaipirran? called ?Azhwar Anthathi? or ?Satakopar Anthathi?.

            In his first verse Kambar declares, let Sriman Narayana the nucleus 
for everything that excisted in the universe and is also the Supreme Gosd 
beyond the precincts of Vedas and Sastras, let Lord Brahma and the like succeed 
thoroughly and comprehensively in their search for ?Truth?, he will not deviate 
from the path laid by Satakopar in the form of ?Thiruvaimozhi?. The 
interpretation to the invocation gives room to indicate that even Lord Narayana 
would not infringe the footpath of Kurugoor Satakopar. In this sequence an 
event that tool place at Azhwar Thirunagari is narrated where Sri Satakopar and 
his Thiruvamozhi are held supreme in all aspects.

            It was the practice in Azhwar Thirunagari, one of the 108 Divya 
Desams, to treat Satakopar alias Nammalwar equal to Adhinatha Perumal, the 
presiding deity. The Sri Vaishnavites and other belonging to the place were 
celebrating the annual festival to the icon of Nammalwar by bestowing temple 
honours and the concomitant paraphernalia just as they did in the case of the 
Lord of the temple. This generated a controversy among the scholars of Tamil 
sangam, Madurai due to a manifestation of egoism and envy. They took exception 
to the equal treatment being meted out to Nammalwar commenting that Satakopar 
is after all a Bhaktha and not the Lord himself and hence it is not in keeping 
with established tradition to deify Azhwar equal to Lord Adhinatha and also 
decried by calling his divine outpourings, ?Thiruvaimozhi? as ?Tamil Vedha?. 
According to them it does not deserve such an exhalted position to be called so 
in as much as it beeds to be recogonised through the medium of the
 floating plank (Sangappalagai) in the Golden lotus Tank in the Madurai Temple 
and they derided the temple authorities.

            This action on the part of Tamil Sangam wounded the feelings of Sri 
Vaishnavites of Azhwar Thirunagari and had created an agitation in their minds 
over the embargo placed on their divine hereditary practice in vogue. Straight 
they went to the Sanctum Sanctorum of ?Nammazhwar and prostrated before the 
archamurthi? and made a fervent appeal to the effect that those assembly of 
poets from Madurai are to be chastised for their irreverence towards him and 
profanity towards ?Thriuvaimozhi? and that they should be made to repent for 
their action. They took an oath with a grim determination not to budge from the 
premises until and unless their above solicitation is conceded. They remained 
in the same posture for three days foregoing ablutions, recital of Vedas, 
oblations and the other daily rituals to which they are accustomed as ordained 
by scriptures.

            At this juncture, there appeared in the scene an old Bhramin who 
requested the Sri Vaishnavites nobilities to let him know the cause for their 
resoluteness and retraction from their routine. With tears in  their eyes and 
with quivering mouths they narrated what all had happened and expressed their 
anguish over the incident which they considered as an affront to what they held 
as sacrosanct. They expected a solution and justice at the hands of Nammalvar 
and to make the personalities from Madurai realize their folly and make amends 
therefore.

            The reverential old man jocularly commented that, what they seek 
after cannot be accomplished in ?Kaliyuga? and that their purpose will only end 
in a futile exercise. The Sri Vaishnavites took the remark seriously to their 
hearts and decided to immolate themselves by avoiding food, water, etc. 
appreciating their steadfastness, the holy Brahmin although had come with 
predetermined plan to resolve this tangle, took pleasure in not showing keen 
interest to the entreaties at the first instance became a trouble shooter taken 
by suggesting with a smile a way out and disappeared.

            Accordingly, particular lines from a verse in ?Thuvaimozhi? should 
be written in a small piece of palm leaf and has to be placed on the plank 
(Sangappalagai). As directed ?Sri Vaishnavites of Azhwar Thriunagari? went to 
Madurai carrying with them the manuscript and placed it on the floating Sangam 
Plank on which were already seated the poets of Tamil Sangam. No sooner the 
palm leaf was placed on the Plank than happened a miracle in that as against 
its usual divine convention and to the bewilderment of the scholars of Tamil 
Sangam, the plank got drowned carrying them and also the Palm script. The 
Pandits however managed to swim across and reach the steps that mark the margin 
of the tank. The Plank, returned to the surface of the water with the Palm leaf 
on it intact, to utter dismay of those who once scoffed at.

             The curiosity assembled there knew no bounds and they read the 
four lines that were inscribed on the Palm leaf reading.

?Those who piously hold fast in their minds

  the Holy feet of Lord Kanna be assured that

  they in reality think only the name of Lord

  Narayana which is a synonym?

            The Tanil Savants of the Sangam realized and commented that the 
Plank which gave space to a small Palm script, a compendium of Lord Kanna who 
keeps the entire universe in His Bosom and protects it would treat them as its 
equal and give space! Nay, They also exuberantly revealed and acknowledge that 
the divine hymns of Nammalwar are the quintessence of Vedas and Sastras which 
came to him spontaneously without being taught and have the divine sanction and 
that his erudition and divinity their knowledge is but nothingness and pale 
into insignificance.

            Kambar has subtly touched this incident in his Satakopar Anthathi 
where he says that Satakopar as an elephant assailed the mountain peak of Tamil 
Sangam. The metaphor elephant used in this sequence denotes that Nammalwar is 
the incarnation of ?Lord Vishvaksena?.

            The learned but arrogant representatives of Tamil Sangam regretted 
their stupidity and felt penitent about it. They gracefully accepted their 
defeat and sang some verses in describing the greatness of Nammalwar and 
Thiruvaimozhi, one of which appended

? What is a fly before Garuda

  What is a glowworm before Sun,

  What is a dog before a ferocious tiger,

  What is a jackal before a rearing Lion

  Whether a ghost can dance before beautiful Oovasi 

  Can the poems of the world be equal to

One word of the Great Tamil Vedha of Vahulabaranan (Nammalwar)?     

            Later after several years it happened that ?Thiruvalluvar?, the 
author of ?Thirukurral? which is also considered to be a Tamil Vedha, Avvayar, 
the divine poetess and another great Tamil Poet had to meet in a place. During 
a discussion a question was posed to ?Thiruvalluvar? as to what has he to say 
about his work ?Thirukurral?. His reply given below reflected his humility and 
his reverence to ?Thiruvaimozhi? of Nammazhwar.

            ?The three subdivisions that constitute the Tamil literature viz. 
?Iyal Isai Natakam? created by Sage Agasthya and my ?Thirukkural? are the 
children of Thiruvaimozhi given by the son of ?Udaya Nangai? the mother of 
Nammazhwar?

            The Sri Vaishnavites resumed the celebration of the annual festival 
to Nammazhwar and reintroduced the recitation of ?Thirvaimozhi? and the 
paraphernalia connected with it as before and as being done to the presiding 
deity of Thirukkurugur.  

 This article was written by Sri (Late) L.P.Sampath Iyengar

Commets and feedback can be sent to suprajaiyengar@xxxxxxxxx

 



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