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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00139 Nov 2002

 
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Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

Dear bhAgavatas,

Salutations to all. Let us all share the greatness of 
Tirumangai AzhvAr. Tirumangai Azhwar was born in krthika star in the 
month karthika in the Divya Desam TiruvAli Tirunagari. He is the amsa 
of sArnga(bow). As he was blue in color, like SrikrSNA,when he was 
born,his father named him "nIlan". He was the sEnAtipati(army chief)
of the Chola Kingdom and won many battles,hence became popular 
as "parakAlan(yama to enemies)". The Chola king was so impressed by 
his valory that he crowned him as the prince/mannan of Tirumangai and 
hence he got the title "Tirumangai mannan". He showed keen interest 
in tamizh(music,drama) and was mainly indulging himself in kama among 
all the four puruShArThas. In the Tiruppathi "TiruveLLakkuLam(aNNan 
kOil)" in Tirumangai,kumudavalli was living and was of marriageable 
age. So the foster father(a brahmaNa vaidya) started worrying about 
Kumudavalli's marriage and who would be the right person for her. 

Our Tirumangai AzhvAr came to know about Kumudavalli's 
rUpa,lAvaNya and saundarya and straightaway went to TiruveLLakkuLam 
to see Kumudavalli's father and ask for her hand in marriage
(attacking the problem at root level). Although parents 
agreed,Kumudavalli was putting some constraints! Kumudavalli was 
single minded that she would only marry a srivaiShNava who had 
undergone PancasamskAram. That's it. Our AzhvAr immediately rushed to 
the nearby "TirunaRaiyUr" and prays to the Lord there to do 
pancasamskAram for AzhvAr and returns to TiruveLLakkuLam at light 
speed. Then Kumudavalli says that she will not accept AzhvAr as her 
husband unless he performs thadiyArAdanam daily to 1008 srivaiShNavas 
for an year and eat only what they have left and accept their sripAda 
thIrTha. AzhvAr promises Kumudavalli that he will fulfil her wish and 
telling her that "she shouldn't put any more constraints",the 
marriage takesplace finally.

As per the promise,AzhvAr performemd thadiyArAdanam for 
1008 bhAgavatas. Since this required lot of money to maintain the 
kaimkarya without break,AzhvAr had to spend the money that he owed it 
to the King. The king,on hearing this,sent his attendants to collect 
the money from AzhvAr. AzhvAr was delaying the payment by giving some 
excuse or the other. Finally the King ordered his army chief to 
capture AzhvAr and bring him to the court. But AzhvAr was smart and 
took his horse "AdalmA" and defeated the army. The king heard about 
this and duped AzhvAr by praising his bravery and somehow made him 
succumb to his minister and jailed him in a dEvAlaya and told AzhvAr 
that he can free himself after paying atleast the tax money. AzhvAr 
remained in the jail for three days without any food.

In AzhvAr's dreams,kAnci VaradharAja perumAL said "if you 
come to kAnci,we will give whatever is needed". AzhvAr told the 
minister that he would give the money if minister went along with him 
to kAnchi. Both went to kAnci and AzhvAr became worried as he 
couldn't find the money. Then again EmperumAn said that it is in the 
banks of vEgavathi river. AzhvAr gave the money to minister and kept 
the balance for his thadiyArAdana kaimkarya. The minister told the 
king about what had happened. The king was surprised and asked AzhvAr 
to forgive him and also returned all the money to AzhvAr. This 
thadiyArAdana kaimkarya was going smooth for a while untill AzhvAr 
became broke once again. 

AzhvAr was thinking that he should continue to do 
thadiyArAdana kaimkarya even if he were to go in a wrong path. He had 
learnt the art of "nIrmEl nadappAn" (walking on water),"nizhalil 
odhunguvAn"(can hide himself in another person's shadow without the 
latter's knowledge),"thALUdhuvAN"(can break any lock) 
and "thOlAvazhakkan"(never experienced a defeat in vAda). With these 
as weapon he started robbing people who went past that route. AzhvAr 
used all the robbed money for thadiyArAdanam and atlast he reached a 
stage where he lived not for himself but for the sake of devotees.

EmperumAn was waiting for this ripe moment and wanted to 
divert AzhvAr's attention towards Him alone. So thAyAr and 
EmperumAn,as a young married couple decked with costly jewels,was 
passing the route where AzhvAr normally hides himself. Seeing the two 
AzhvAr was very happy that "the day was his" as he can get the 
treasure. AzhvAr hid himself under a tree in TirumaNangkollai near 
TiruvAli Tirunagari. AzhvAr attacked the couple,took all the jewels 
with one remaining. That was the ring on Lord's toe(kanaiAzhi)and 
AzhvAr didn't want to leave that also. He tried to take it out but 
couldn't;finally he with his teeth tried to take it out and got it. 
Seeing AzhvAr's audacity,EmperumAn called him "kaliyanO?(one who is 
powerful"). THE SCENE MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL FEAST FOR THE LORD. 

One big hurdle is over. Kaliyan tied all the looty stuffs and 
when he tried to lift it,he couldn't and he himself couldn't believe 
it! He immediately pointing the sword at the Lord asked "what majic 
did you do? Tell me that mantra(secret)". EmperumAn said "come close 
and I will tell you the secret". Thus EmperumAn gave the Tirumantra 
upadesha,the essence of all the vedas and the king of all mantras. In 
BadarikAsrama,the Lord was both the AchArya and the sishya and hence 
there is no fun in it. EmperumAn quenched His own thirst by 
considering kaliyan as the sishya to receive the upadesa from Him. 
Since AzhvAr received the Tirumantraupadesa from EmperumAn 
Himself,had the darshan/prostration of His divya mangaLa vigraha and 
kept his teeth on Lord's lotus feet,all his aj~nAna got destroyed and 
AzhvAr enjoyed EmperumAn thoroughly. As a result of this anubhava,he 
sang the divya prabandham starting with "vAdinEn vAdi" expressing the 
greatness of Tiru aShTAkshara mantram "nAn kaNdu koNdEn 
nArAyaNAvennum nAmam" in the first tirumozhi. 

Who can receive Tirumantraupadesa just by pointing the sword 
that too at EmperumAn Himself? Tirumangai AzhvAr is the only AzhvAr 
who has done maximum mangaLAshAsanam for divyadesams(85 or 87). When 
he sings about one particular divyadesam,his heart will be already in 
some other divyadesam. I really loved one divyadesam "tiruIndhaLUr" 
because of the nice conversation between Kaliyan and EmperumAn. This 
one will be posted tomorrow. There are so many nice pasurams but 
don't have any divya prabandha vyAkhyAnam to share the meanings of 
the pasurams.

AzhvAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam
nappinnai





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