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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00092 Oct 2004

 
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Dear Bhagavatas:

Let us see some of the highlights of Tiru Anbil:

1. Tirumazhisai Azhwar in his Pasuram "NaagattaNaimEl" has combined both 
"Tiruppernagar" (i.e) "KovilaDi" and "Tiru Anbil" in one word as "pEranbil".  
This is akin to our calling  Hyderabad-Secunderabad or Delhi-New Delhi 
as the twin cities. People used to call the twin KshEtrams in one 
breath as "Anbil-AppakuDathaan", Anbil lying on the Trichy side of River 
koLLiDam and "AppakuDathaan" on the Thanjavur side of the river.

Nammaazhwar did his Saranagathi at TiruvEnkatam. 
But, he actually attained "mOksham" at "pEranbil".

How do we say this?

As you all know, of the four Prabandams composed by Nammazhwar, the last one 
is Tiruvoimozhi.

If you look at the last ten of his last Prabandam, you will find that after 
the description of "pEranbil", there is no mention of any other divyadesam 

Do you know how this ksEtram got its name as 'TiruppErnagar"?

Nammazhawar answers:
TiuppER nagaraan TirumaalirumsOlai
poruppE uraiginra piraan inru vandhu
'IruppEn" anru an nenju niraiyap pugunthaan
viruppE petru amuduNDu kaLithEnE 
(Tiruvoimozhi 10.8.6)

The Lord who resides in his own "Tirumaal irum sOlai" has today made my "nenju" 
His permanent abode and has filled my heart completely, meaning that He will 
never ever go away from my "nenju" (Peraan = will not vacate or move out).

In fact, in the "pEranbil" paasuram, the Azhwar confronts the Lord with an 
inconvenient question: 
"How come, you who ignored me all through my life thought it fit NOW to take me 
to your eternal abode?".

inru ennaip poruLaakki thannai ennuL vaithaan
anru ennaip puram pOgap puNarthatu en seivaan?
kunrenna thigazh maaDangaL soozh TirupEraan
onru enakku aruL seyya uNarthalutrEnE 
(Tiruvoimozhi 10.8.9)

When someone asked BhaTTar what answer the Lord gave him, BhaTTar replied:
"What answer could he gave? None. He had to hang His head. All He could do 
was to draw a circle on the ground (a la,  a pupil in a class who blinks 
unable to answer the question of his teacher!)

Whatever comes after this in the last Ten, is a description of the Archiradi 
Marga, the path of light that leads one to VaikunTam.

The twin kshetrams can be reached by small boats called "Parisal" when the 
river is filled with running waters. In summer, however, when the river goes 
dry or is with very little water, people can walk across.

2. The word "Anbil" is made up of two words "Anbu" which means "Love" and "il" 
that means "Home". Together, the word means "the Home of love". You should see 
to believe how the folks in "Anbil" are known for their friendliness and  
hospitality especially "athithi Satkaaram"- "honoring the guests", true to the 
saying "athithi dEvO bhava". This is in their blood!

For example, In AppakuDattaan, which is also known as "Raayar Samasthaanam", 
the Raayar family posts usherers on all the three entrances to the kshEtram - 
the Bus stand, the banks of the river (PaDithurai) and the nearest Railway 
station to greet and invite the pilgrims. 

The pilgrims who are in a hurry to leave after Darsan are provided "Ready to 
eat" Prasaadam (Kalanda Saadam), those who have leisure enough are provided 
with a royal meal (Ilai pOTTA saappaaDu) and those who are such Parama Vaidikas 
that they would not partake  outside food (paraannam) are provided with the raw 
materials like rice, vegetables, cooking utencils, firewood etc. so that they 
can cook their own food.

(Of course, this is what I have noticed quite a few years ago. I have not 
visited the kshEtram for long but I believe the practice still continues) 

3. The other of the twin temples is called "KovilaDI" because, it is the 
stepping stone to reach "Koil" (i.e) VaikuNTam. Perhaps, it might also be taken 
as the entrance to "BhoolOKa VaikuNTam" of Sri Rangam.

4. This temple is considered to be very ancient(some say it is almost 6000 
years old). There are numerous inscriptions at this temple, which indicate the 
political and religious history of those days.

5.There are inscriptions to show that Sage Vaalmiki was born in Tiru Anbil 
brfore he moved north. There are indications that both Kambar and Avvaiyar 
visited this sthalam. 

6. Not only these. The place has also brought forth numerous Ubhaya Vedanta 
Vidwans renowned for their "Aachaaram" and AnushTaanams" besides their deep 
knowledge of the Saastras in general and Bhagavad Ramanuja-Swami Desika 
granthas in particular. 

In the recent past, a Mahaa vidwan by name U.Ve.Anbil A.V. Gopalachariar Swami, 
a devout sishya of the famous Poundarikapuram H.H.Srimad Srinivasa Desika 
Mahaadesikar, founder of Srimad Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam hailing from 
Anbil, contributed to a score of scriptural texts, some his own compositions 
and some others Vyaakhyaanams on Poorvaachaarya Srisooktis. 

In those days whenever, we mentioned the name of Anbil, people would stand up 
in reverence with anjali in honor of this mahaan. We were proud to belong to 
the village that had connections with such noble souls.

Some others who sought to bask in this glory started calling themselves as 
"belonging to Anbil" even though actually they had nothing to do with the holy 
village. Result. The good name of Anbil became sullied due to their unethical 
mode of life. Consequently, we stopped mentioning the name of the village! 

It is only on "Coming to America", due to the practice of mentioning "first 
name and last name", we started attaching "Anbil" as our last name. I was 
surprised to find that when you take any phone book of any county, most 
probably, you will stumble on at least one person going by the name of "Anbil"! 
I used to wonder how such a small hamlet with a single street called "Anbil- 
Mangammalpuram" could fan out so expansively. 

Sometimes, people in the USA used to call me and introduce themselves as "also 
from Anbil". Perhaps, there has been a virtual exodus of the cream due to 
"brain drain" so that the original Anbil today appears a "Deserted village" in 
the manner of "Sweet Auburn" of Oliver Goldsmith's poem. May be, we could start 
an "Anbil Club" to bring together all of them!

7. It is acknowledged fact that of all the Divyadesams, the Divya dhampatis 
here are the quintessence of unsurpassed beauty (soundaryam) true to their 
Tirnaamams viz., Moolavar: Tiru Vadivazhagiya Nambi, Utsavar: Sundararaja 
Perumal and Thaayaar: Azhagiya Valli Nachiyar. (This has also been recorded in 
the Kumudam Bhakti Issue sometime ago by someone who was writing about the 
various Divya desams)  

8. You would have seen the vigraham of ANDaal in standing posture. In Tiru 
Anbil, she is in a sitting posture, a rare phenomenon. (I understand that 
there is one more Kshetram with ANDaal in a sitting posture)

9. As mentioned in the website on the kshEtram, Tiru Anbil" is also known as 
"DakshiNa Gaya". Those who cannot go to Gaya, can perform the sraddha for their 
forefathers here with an equal holy effect. 

10. The "Vimanam" is called "Taaraka Vimaanam". "Taaraka" means "that which 
carries us over" From where to where? "From here to eternity" as in the case of 
Nammazhwar mentioned above.

I would invite all Bhagavtas to make it a point to visit this temple during 
their next visit to India (if they have not done so till now)


Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
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