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Re: tondar-adi-podi azhwAr

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Parthasarati Dileepan • August 3, 1998 


Dear Bhagavathaas:

The following is meant only in a light hearted way.  It is
not an attempt to minimize the preeminence of 
Thiruvarangam in any way.

-- adiyEn


At 08:10 AM 8/3/1998 -0500, TV.Venkat@frco.com wrote:
>     Thiruvengadamudaiyan. However the direct count which does matter a lot
>     is down by one when Srirangam and Thirupati is considered.
>


This may be so, but consider some more facts:

[1] Even though KulasEkarazhvaar longed to visit Thirvarangam
"angkadiyavarOdu enRukolO aNugum naaLE ", and expressed
such a desire right off the top in PerumaaL Thirumozhi, it is
ThiruvEngdam where he wanted to do Nithya Vaasam 
and gaze at the divine coral mouth of ThiruvEngadavan.

"padiyaayk kidanthu un pavaLavaay kaaNbEnE"

[2] ThiruppaaNaazhvaar salutes ThiruvEngadavan first, before
starting to enjoy the divine physical beauty of Thiruvarangan,
"viNavankOn, viraiyaar pozhil vEngadavan."

[3] In the chronology of verses, ANdAL praises ThiruvEndagavan first,
before praising Her would be.  Thiruvarangan appears in the eleventh
Thirumozhi, but ThirvEngadavan in the 4th Thirumozhi itself.

(You see, even the two azhvaars who immersed themselves 
within the "Old Man" first praised ThiruvEngadavan.)

[4] There is a popular saying in Tamil, "ninRadhellaam nedumaal"
(all that is standing is Lord Sriman Narayana), not "kidandhadhellaam 
thirumaal" (all that is lying down is Lord Sriman Narayana).
(The Lord of ThiruvEngadam is in standing posture and the Lord
of Srirangam is in lying posture.)

thoNdaradippodi aazhvaar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

-- adiyEn raamaanuja dhaasan