You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Mar 2005

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00219 Mar 2005

 
Mar 2005 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


Dear Devotees,
 
Reading Shriman Madhavan's message in the last Post took me back in memory's lane decades back when my father used to chant frequently with great bhakti-filled emotion, Thondar Adip Podi Alwar 's  'UrilEn kaaNi yillai uRavumaR Roruva rillai' :
 
" I have no cent of land; I have no earthly relationships;
In this world, my only refuge is your sacred feet.
O! Lord of dark hue! Only you are my refuge!
Kanna!
Don't you hear my pathetic pleas?
Who else other than you is there to save me?"

May I
reproduce below for members' enjoyment an excellent article written by Shriman Anbil Ramaswamy and posted in the Bhakti List eight years ago, narrating the Azhwar's biography and giving a selection of some of the well-known verses from Tirumaalai, with meanings
.
Dasan
Krishnaswamy m.k.
======================================================================================
( http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/jan97/0019.html )
Dear Bhagavatas,
In connection with the Tirunakshatram of Thondar Adip Podi Alwar which
falls on December 7, 1997, I submit  below my respectful obeisance to
the Alwar.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
======================================================================================
THONDAR ADIP PODI ALWAR (Margazhi - Kettai)

Vipra Narayana, as he was known, Thondar Adip Podi Alwar, an incarnation of Vanamala (the divine garland of Lord Vishnu) was born in
Tirumandamkudi in the Year Parabhava, Margazhi month, Krishna Paksha Chaturdasi ( aTuesday) in the constellation of Kettai, in the family of
a Sozhiya Srivasishnava. He desired to live as a confirmed bachelor(Naishtika Brahmachari) and was ' NEVER MARRIED'. Like
Periyalwar, he was also engaged in making flower garlands for Lord Ranganatha in Srirangam.

Once, a pair of dancing girls returning after a dance performance in the Chola court happened to stray into his flower garden. He was so immersed
in the thought of the Lord that he practically ignored the girls. The younger of the two, by name Deva Devi felt offended and challenged that
she would entice him to be a slave to her charms though the elder one warned her not to embark on such an adventure.

Draped as a Sannyasini, she sought to do any service that Vipranarayana assigned to her. Not knowing the plot, he consented. One day, when it
was raining heavily, Devadevi got drenched and was shivering. Seeing her plight and out of compassion, he admitted her into his "SINGLE ROOM'
hermitage. Devadevi slowly played her charms on him and brought him round. By rousing his sensual desires, she virtually enslaved him. In
due cours, he became so enamoured of her that he could not bear to be away from her even for a moment.

After having intoxicated him, Devadevi suddenly left for her home in Uttamarkoil, a suburb of Srirangam. Vipranarayana had no more money to
offer her. True to her profession, she spurned him. Vipranarayana returned not knowing what to do to win her affection back again.

At this time, Lord Ranganatha appeared before Devadevi, calling himself as "AZHAGIYA MANAVALA DASAN"- a servant of Vipranarayana and handed over
to her the big silver vessel used for Puja in the temple saying that Vipranarayana had sent him for the purpose. Thereupon, Vipranarayana was let in.

Next morning, when the temple priests opened the doors of the Sanctum Sanctorum, they found the vessel missing. Immediately, an investigation
was ordered.Through the servant maid of Devadevi, news reached that the vessel was in the house of Devadevi. Devadevi, when questioned, pleaded
that it was Vipranarayana who had sent it to her through his servant.He, however, swore that he had no servant and had not sent it to her, as alleged. But, the king ignored his pleadings and put him in jail. That night, Lord Ranganatha appeared in the King's dream and informed him that Vipranarayana was innocent and that He himself contrived the trick to redeem Vipranarayana from the evil ways he had fallen into. Thereupon, the King released Vipranarayana.

Since then, Vipranarayana turned a new leaf, called himself " THONDAR ADIP PODI"- meaning that he was like the dust at the feet of the
devotees of the Lord and thereafter never looked back. He composed two poems 'TIRUMAALAI"- a garland for the Lord and "TIRUPPALLI EZHUCHI"-
waking up the lord. There is a saying that " One who does not know 'Tirumaalai' cannot know ' Tirumaal'-a Tamil name for Lord Sri Lakshmi
Narayana. Having gone through the traumatic experience with Devadevi, Tondar Adip Podi Alwar had been so chastened that he became a staunch
devotee who was frank and forthright in his frontal attacks on those who considered divinities other than Lord Narayana as the Supreme deity.

TIRU MAALAI

His involvement on devotion to the Archa Moorthi (Idol) of Lord Ranganatha was so intense that in the 45 verses of his Tirumalai, he
pours out his heart pathetically pleading to the Lord even declaring that he would not like to trade in his opportunity of serving in the
temple even if he were offered the heavens ruled by the King of Gods, Indra.


pachchaimaa malaipOl mEni
pavaLavaay kamalach chenkaN
achchuthaa! amara rERE!
aayar_tham kozhunthE! ennum,
ichchuvai thavira yaanpOy
inthira lOka maaLum,
achchuvai peRinum vENdEn
arankamaa nakaru LaanE! (2)  

" O! Lord! You have the physical appearance as that of a majestic green  mountain; your lips are red as coral; Your eyes are like the lotus
flowers; You never fail your devotees; O! God of the Gods! Yet, you appeared as a youthful lad in the cowherd family! Even if you grant me
the Paramapada, I would not prefer it to the beatitude I enjoy here and now at yor feet in Srirangam"

Some people imagine that the Alwar rejected Paramapadam and wanted to live on earth. This is not correct. It is only to emphasize the
enjoyment of the Lord in the Archa form that the Alwar used a hyperbole.

In the very next verse, he says why he does not wish to live and proceeds to spell out a numerical account of how life is wasted on earth.

vEthan^ool piraayam nooRu
manisar_thaam pukuva rElum,
paathiyu muRankip pOkum
ninRathil pathinai yaaNdu,
pEdhaipaa lakana thaakum
piNipasi moopputh thunpam,
aathalaal piRavi vENdEn
arankamaa nakaru LaanE!    (3)

' Even if one were to live for 100 years as laid down in the Vedas, half of it (i,e) 50 years goes in sleep;the remaining 50 are also spent in
childhood, adolescence, jeuvanile pursuits followed by vigorous youth indulging in worldly pleasures yielding to the temptations of the five
senses resulting in untold diseases and suffering, proceeding to old age and finally death. Since the whole life gets wasted in this manner, O!
Lord of Arangam!- Please spare me from further births."

The Alwar mounts a frontal attack on those who are either unaware of the grace of the Lord or resort to other faiths and deities that are
incapable of granting liberation. He goes to the extent of saying that those who resort to Jainism, Buddhism (the Nastika Darsanas) or Saivism
( Those who accept the Vedas but misinterpret it) are indeed mentally diseased and given the chance and power, he would not hesitate to
decimatethem by beheading them, if need be.

VeRuppodu samaNar muNdar
vithiyilsaak kiyar_kaL, ninpaal
poRuppari yanakaL pEsil
pOvathE nOya thaaki
kuRippenak kadaiyu maakil
koodumEl thalaiyai aankE,
aRuppathE karumaNG kaNdaay
arankamaa nakaru LaanE!    (8)

Addressing such misled persons as fools who do not know that there is no other Supreme deity than Sriman Narayana says that only in times of
danger they would realize the presence of this Supreme Lord (who out of grace tended even the cows by personally taking them to the grazing
grounds). These people forgot all about Him when the going was good

maRRumOr theyva muNdE
mathiyilaa maani dankaaL,
uRRapO thanRi neenkaL
oruvanen RuNara maatteer,
aRRamE lonRa Reeyeer
avanallaal theyva millai,
kaRRinam mEyththa venthai
kazhaliNai paNimi NneerE.   (9)

The Lord of the Devas, Lord Ranganatha has His abode in Srirangam where the bees hum, the peacocks dance in the groves the trees of which grow
so tall as to embrace the dark clouds in the skies and where the cuckoos sing. He says that at least dogs are grateful but those who do not utter
His name are utterly ungrateful. fools. Any food that is offered to such ungrateful ones  better be denied to them and given to the grateful dogs.

vaNdina muralum sOlai
mayilinam aalum sOlai,
koNdalmee thaNavum sOlai
kuyilinam koovum sOlai,
aNdar_kO Nnamarum sOlai
aNithiru varanka mennaa,
miNdar_paayn^ thuNNum sORRai
vilakkin^aayk kidumi NneerE.   (14)

The Alwar's mind melts on seeing the irresistable beauty of the Lord- the Lord who is of the color of the sea; the Lord who reclines on His
sepent couch with His head on the West, His feet to the East, showing His back to the North and facing the South where Vibishana rules over Lanka.

kudathisai mudiyai vaiththuk
kuNathisai paatham neetti,
vadathisai pinpu kaattith
then_thisai yilankai nOkki,
kadaln^iRak kadavu Lenthai
aravaNaith thuyilu maakaNdu,
udalenak kuruku maalO
enseykE Nnulakath theerE!    (19)

Some Divya Prabandham enthusists interpret Lord's turning His back to the North as indicating His prediliction to the Tamil language of the
South in which the Tamil Veda is written in preference to the hard and difficult Sanskrit in which the Vedas have been composed!. It only shows
how imagination runs riot when one is deeply attached to one's language- a kind of linguistic fanaticism, this?.

The Alwar then expresses the Artha Panchakam in verses 29 to 31 and pleads to the Lord to accept his prayer.
" I have no properties; no relations; I know none other than your feet; O! Lord of the sky color! Only you are my refuge! Kanna! Don't you hear
my pathetic pleas? Who else is there than you to save me?"

UrilEn kaaNi yillai
uRavumaR Roruva rillai,
paariln^in paatha moolam
paRRilEn parama moorththi,
kaaroLi vaNNa NnE!(en)
kaNNanE! kathaRu kinREn,
aaruLark kaLaik Nammaa!
arankamaa nakaru LaanE!    (29)

" What is my fate? Tell me O! My Lord wearing the divine basil! I am not pure at heart nor have I uttered any good word all through my life. I
have been hostile and unjustly angry at everyone, spouted fiery words on one and all; I have not done any penance; I have no riches; I have
wasted my whole life like saline water which is useless for irrigation.  I have always committed crimes against humanity; have been a womaniser
to the extent of being hated by them; You have given me a life of utter waste"

manaththilOr thooymai yillai
vaayilO rinso lillai,
sinaththinaal seRRam nOkkith
theeviLi viLivan vaaLaa,
punaththuzhaay maalai yaanE!
ponnisoozh thiruva rankaa,
enakkinik kathiyen sollaay
ennaiyaa Ludaiya kOvE!    (30)

thavaththuLaar thammi lallEn
thanampadath thaari lallEn,
uvarththan^eer pOla venRan
uRRavark konRu mallEn,
thuvarththasev vaayi NnaarkkE
thuvakkaRath thurisa NnaanEn,
avaththamE piRavi thanthaay
arankamaa nakaru LaanE!    (31)

In Verse 38, he characterizes Prapannas as lazy folk since after doing Prapatti, they have nothing else to do for salvation except to patiently
wait at the doorstep of the Lord till the fall of the body. The Alwar says that the Lord favours only such lazy folk. This is a kind of 'Nindha Stuti'.

mEmporuL pOka vittu
meymmaiyai mikavu Narnthu,
aampari saRinthu koNdu
aimpula Nnakaththa dakki,
kaampuRath thalaisi raiththun
kadaiththalai yirunthu,vaazhum
sOmparai ukaththi pOlum
soozhpunal arankath thaanE!    (38)

This Verse is considered to the very essence of this Prabandham like the Charama Sloka of Baghavad Gita. The term Meip Porul has been variously
interpreted by commentators. Here, it is said to refer inter alia to "Bhagavata- Lakshanam".

VAAZHUM SOMBAR: Those who are unmindful and lazy about their own living and live only for the Lord.
KODUM SOMBAR: Those who live for themselves unmindful of their duties towards the Lord.
============================================================

TANIANS ON TIRUMALAI
By Tiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar

maRRonRum vENdaa manamE! mathiLarankar,
kaRRinam mEyththa kazhaliNaikkeezh,- uRRa
thirumaalai paadumseer_th thoNdaradippodiyem
perumaanai, eppozhudhum pEsu.

"O! My mind! Don't think of anything else. Always speak of Tondar Adip Podi Alwar who has firm faith in the divine feet of the Lord who
reclines in Srirangam and who tends the groups of cows, the Alwar of excellent character who composed this Prabandham called ' Tirumaalai'

TIRUP PALLI EZHUCHI

Like Andal, who sang Tiruppavai to wake up her peers and the Lord, the Alwar wakes up the Lord by referring to several phenomena indicating the
daybreak and reasons why the Lord should wake up.

kathiravan kuNathisaich sikaramvan^ thaNain^thaan
kanaviru LakanRathu kaalaiyam pozhuthaay,
mathuvirin^ thozhukina maamala rellaam
vaanava rarasar_kaL van^thuvan^ theeNdi,
ethir_thisai niRain^thana rivarodum pukun^tha
irunkaLiR Reettamum pidiyodu murasum,
athir_thali lalaikadal pOnRuLa thenkum
arankaththam maa!paLLi yezhun^tharu LaayE. (2)  (1)

"O! Lord of Srirangam! The Sun has arisen in the East; The darkness of the night has been expelled; The beautiful flowers have blossomed and
drip with honey; Devas and Kings vie with each other andf are gathered at the Southern gater to have your Darshan. Along with them have come
herds of male and female elephants;the sounds of the bands played reverberate like the roar of the waves of the ocean.O! Lord! Please wake
up and shower your grace"

TANIANS ON TIRUP PALLI EZHUCHI
1, By Tirumali Aandaan

thirumalaiyaaNdaan aruLiyathu

thamEvamadhvaa paravaaSuthEvam
rangEsayam raajavadharhaNeeyam-
praabOthakeem yOgrutha Sookthimaalaam
bakthaankri rENum bakavan^tha meedE.

" I praise Tondar Adip Podi Alwar who deems the Lord of Srirangam reclining on the serpent couch as the very Lord of Srivaikuntam and who
composed the Divya Prabandham called ' Tirup Palli Ezhuchi"

2. By Tiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar

maNdaNG kudiyenpar maamaraiyOr, manniyaseerth
thoNda, radippodi thonnakaram, - vaNdu
thiNarththavayal thennarankath thammaanaip, paLLi
uNarththum piraanuthiththa voor.

" The wise and the great used to call Tirumandamkudi as the ancient city wher the Vaidheekas abound. That is the place where was born Tondar Adip
Podi Alwar who gave the wake up call to the Lord who reclines at Srirangam which is surrounded by beautiful waterfronts"

DIVYADESAMS CONSECRATED BY TONDAR ADIP PODI ALWAR
1. Tiruvarangam
2. Ayodhya
3.Tiruppaarkadal
======================================================================================


Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
Children International
Would you give Hope to a Child in need?
 
· Click Here to meet a Girl
And Give Her Hope
· Click Here to meet a Boy
And Change His Life
Learn More


Yahoo! Groups Links


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list