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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:



"Chendru kAndarkku iniya Koil"



A hallmark of Azhwars' pasurams is the high priority afforded to depiction of 
Nature and its beauty. These wandering minstrels, blessed with wonderful 
wisdom, go from place to place where the Lord has made His abode, much in the 
fashion of bees flitting from flower to flower in search of newer and newer 
varieties of honey. Just as the bees' appetite for honey is boundless, Azhwars' 
proclivity for Bhagavat anubhavam too is insatiable, as they sing His praises 
endlessly, remembering His innumerable exploits during His various avataras, 
ever grateful to Him for having afforded them the wisdom of choice between 
mundane pleasures and the everlasting one of divine bliss. 



Coming back to the point, Nature occupies a pride of place in Azhwars' 
outpourings, so much so that in a verse, if two lines are devoted to the praise 
of the Lord of that particular divyadesam, the other two are reserved for a 
graphic description of the flora and fauna of the locale. Azhwars' compulsion 
to describe the scenic beauty of the places they visit is so overwhelming that 
one wonders whether they were camera-toting tourists or saints after bhagavat 
anubhavam. However, such doubts are easily resolved when we understand that 
beauty, wherever and whenever seen, reminds these seers of the bountiful 
creation of the Lord in all its kaleidoscopic colour and variety, and that 
while adulating Nature, they are in fact eulogising the Lord as its Creator. 
The magnificent magic of a dewdrop sitting on the tip of a blade of grass and 
throwing out a diamond-like dissemination of colours, the indescribable beauty 
of a single white crane standing with one leg with apparently infinite patience 
amidst a dazzling green field full of paddy crop waving its head ever so gently 
in the pleasant breeze, the rare music of a crystal-clear mountain stream 
wending its way from God-knows-where to some equally mysterious 
destination-------all these strike Azhwars as but facets of the innovative 
Creation indulged in by the Lord and as aspects of His own divine form, in all 
its myriad manifestations.



It is hence no wonder that these peripatetic poets wax voluble while singing of 
whatever natural phenomena that confront them on their endless journeys from 
one divine abode to another. We thus have Sri Nammazhwar adducing eloquent 
tribute to the scenic beauty of TirumAlirumsOlai-

"maruvil vaN sunai soozh MalirumsOlai"

"malamaru madi sEr MalirumsOlai"

mazha kaLittrinam sEr MalirumsOlai"

"varu mazhai tavazhum MalirumsOlai" etc.



Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar furnishes a graphic description of the gorgeous 
groves surrounding Srirangam, the bewitching music of birds and bees, the 
majestic flow of the magnificent Cauvery whose waters are filled with gems and 
diamonds brought from far and wide, etc.



"Vandinam muralum sOlai, mayilinam Alum sOlai

kondal meedu aNavum sOlai, kuyilinam koovum sOlai"



"Gangayil punidamAya Kaviri naduvu pAttu

pongu neer parandu pAyum poompozhil arangam"



"veLla neer parandu pAyum viripozhil arangam"

"surumbamar sOlai soozhnda arangamA kOil" etc.



The ecstasical dance of Srirangam's peacocks, to the magic-filled music of 
bees, all inspired by the bewitching beauty of Rangaraja, finds gleeful mention 
in Sri TiruppAnAzhwar's outpouring-"Vandu pAda mAmayil Ada". Thus even during 
the brief span of his limited contribution of ten pasurams, this Azhwar is 
unable to resist the temptation of touching upon nature and its beauty.



Even Sri Madhurakavi, who spurned singing the Lord and would eulogize only Sri 
Nammazhwar, devotes a line to the natural beauty of TirukkurugUr, in his short 
but sweet "KanninuN sirutthAmbu"-"kuyil nindru Al pozhil soozh KurugUr nimbi!".



Sri Periazhwar, Sri Andal, Sri Kulasekhara Perumal, and the three Mudal 
Azhwars- you name the Azhwar and one could quote verse after verse depicting 
Nature in all its magnificence.



However, if one were to search for an Azhwar who specialized in searching out 
scenic locales and singing their praises, one would have to crown Sri 
Tirumangai Mannan, for his contribution, both in terms of number of pasurams 
and in terms of places covered, is the maximum. And in most places, Azhwar 
follows the invariable practice of devoting two lines of each verse to the 
flora and fauna of the divyadesam and the other two to the Lord and His glory, 
obviously considering His vibhUti as beautiful and praiseworthy as His own 
magnificent form and endearing exploits. One is able to imbibe a panoramic view 
of each divyadesam, the type of trees inhabiting it, the sort of crops being 
sown in the water-filled fields, the incredible variety of wild life to be 
found in abundance, etc., the whole depiction presenting a picture of peace, 
prosperity and unspoilt environment. Abundant greenery aided by free-flowing 
rivers, wild life flourishing amidst an atmosphere of safety and serenity, man 
living in absolute harmony with nature and benefiting therefrom in myriad 
varieties, Nature coming through unfailingly with bountiful rainfall which was 
copious but not excessive-all these may be alien things to us in the present 
day and age, but were very much the order of the day during Sri Parakala's 
times, as we come to know from his accounts of the numerous divyadesams he 
visited.



However, amidst all these accounts of greenery and serenity, there is one which 
is outstanding for its total contrast from the normal run of fabulous foliage 
and fertility. At this particular divyadesam, Sri Kalian encounters only barren 
rock radiating intolerable heat, scrubs and bushes that provide hardly any 
cover, predators waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting pilgrim and wild paths 
strewn with boulders and sharp stones. The midday Sun is at its blistering 
best, so much so that even hardy animals like wild dogs and weatherproof birds 
like eagles find their steps faltering in the unbearable heat. Animals tired of 
searching for prey or for blades of grass in the inhospitable environs fall 
down with life ebbing slowly but surely out of their emaciated frames. The only 
vegetation worth the name consists of bamboo shoots tall enough to touch the 
sky, but even these are aflame due to constant friction. What with the 
incredibly hot air, the overhead Sun in a killer mood and with the towering 
bamboo on fire all around, this divyadesam is practically inaccessible but for 
the lion-hearted like Sri Kalian. The terrible sound of the blazing bamboo, the 
howl of hungry wolves, the terrifying roar of starved lions- these are the only 
sounds to be heard, piercing the otherwise eerie silence that fills the place. 
For those who are prepared to brave all such natural obstacles, there exists 
the threat of bestial and murderous hunters who are prepared to kill and maim 
the unwary pilgrim and rob him of the last of his possessions.



Is it any wonder then that this divyadesam was described by Sri Tirumangai 
Mannan as "chendru kAndarkku ariya kOil" and "Deivam allAl chella oNNA SingavEl 
Kundram", etc.? If Sri Parakala, who must be the hardiest of all the Azhwars, 
having braved the snow-filled and inhospitable climes of BadarikAshramam, 
SAlagrAmam etc., considers this particular divyadesam as inaccessible to 
ordinary mortals, we can well imagine its harsh and hostile terrain and 
uninviting ambience. And which exactly is the divyadesam the Lord has blessed 
with such dubious distinction of inaccessibility? It is none other than

"SingavEl Kundram" or AhObilam, located near Cudappah in Andhra Pradesh. Even 
several centuries after Azhwar's mangalasasanam, Sri Ahobilam remained 
inaccessible and inhospitable to the ordinary pilgrim, making all the beauty of 
the magnificent Lord a wasted full moon shining over the desert, with none to 
appreciate and adore.



Had Sri Kalian been with us today, he would have revised his opinion of this 
divya desam and called it "Chendru kAndarkku iniya kOil". What are the 
transformations this divyadesam has undergone to merit this sobriquet? Right 
from the time of Sri InjimEttu Azhagiasingar, improvements have been effected 
to this hoary shrine, which forms the headquarters and principal devastthAnam 
of Sri Ahobila Mutt. During the reign of Sri Mukkur Azhagiasingar, a new 
Rajagopuram was built and consecrated, with some improvement in creature 
comforts. Prakritam Srimad Azhagiasingar has continued, consolidated and 
considerably improved upon the efforts of his illustrious predecessors to make 
this divyadesam shed the forbidding image it had acquired and make it as easy 
to access and worship as its counterparts located at other places. The 600th 
anniversary celebrations of the Mutt witnessed wholesale improvements to 
infrastructure at this remote abode of the Lord, with a spanking new Malola 
Guest House, the exclusive telephone exchange, the mini power station, 
arrangements to harness the waters of the BhavanAsini for drinking needs of the 
resident and itinerant population and a host of similar developments, making 
Ahobilam eminently accessible and worshippable, all forming a glowing 
testimonial to the lowkIka kArya kushalatA of Srimad Azhagiasingar. The 
innumerable ornaments Sri Prahlada Varada of lower Ahobilam has been adorned 
with, the renovations and refurbishing carried out at several of the nine 
shrines of Nrsimha, transforming them from dark and forbidding abodes into 
bright, cheerful shrines the Lord is pleased to reside in and the devotees find 
extremely inviting, the regular visits and tirumanjanam by the Swati Group, who 
visit all the shrines and arrange for comprehensive worship once a month-all 
these efforts have indeed turned Ahobilam into an enormously attractive 
destination for the intending pilgrim. Boarding and lodging are no longer a 
problem due to the new hostelry and the nitya tadIyArAdhanam at Sri Ahobila 
Mutt. Though the upper reaches of Ahobilam still retain their untamed wildness, 
they are no longer forbidding, but inviting with the promise of adventure and 
rewarding Bhagavat anubhavam at the end of an arduous journey. From a place one 
would be fortunate enough to visit once in a lifetime, that too for notching up 
one's tally of divyadesams visited, Ahobilam has been transformed into a repeat 
destination and one of choice for Srivaishnavites and others, with the 
Government of Andhra Pradesh actively aiding in the endeavour, pleased at the 
changes for the better wrought by the elderly seer, who has focussed His 
personal attention on the matter and ensured a sea change in the ambience and 
infrastructure. 

The most difficult shrine to visit, that of JwAlA Nrisimha, is now under 
renovation, with the existing crude path being replaced by a pucca structure 
with proper steps cut into the rocky mountain. Once this is over, none of the 
nine shrines need any more be skipped by the elderly and the unwell on grounds 
of difficulty of access. No amount of words can however fully describe the 
magical transformation Sri Ahobilam has undergone in recent years, and one 
would have to make a personal visit to see for oneself how easy pilgrimage to 
this once-forbidding shrine has become. None is satisfied with a single visit, 
wanting to return again and again, captivated by the magnificence of the Nava 
Nrsimhas and losing themselves in His boundless beauty, described by Azhwars as 
"azhagiAn", "teLLiya singam", "SingavEL" etc. Here would you find the "adbhuta 
KEsari" eulogised by Swami Desikan and on whom Sri Rudra had composed the 
glorious MantrarAja pada stotram. Here resides the Primordial Purusha, adulated 
by the Nrsimha TApaneeya Upanishad and whom Sri Mukkur Azhagiasingar had 
glorified in his KarAvalamba Storam.



I would invite all devotees of the Lord to visit Sri Ahobilam and see for 
themselves how a formidable, "tinaittanayum sella oNNA SingavEl kundram" has 
been transformed into a "Chendru kAndarkku iniya kOil", and to participate in 
their own way in the innumerable kainkaryams under way at this holy of holies.



Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan



An abridged version of this article was featured in Sri Nrisimhapriya (English 
Edition) in their recent issue.













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