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Sri Madhavakannan"s beautiful translations of the BhAvam-filled anubhavam of Kaliyan of ThirunaRayUr Nambi

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • January 4, 2000 


Dear BhakthAs :

It is such a delectable  pleasure to 
read the most recent posting of 
Sri MaadhavakkaNNan ( Periya Thirumozhi 7.3)
on Kaliyan's Moving Paasurams about Nambikkai
NaacchiyAr SamEtha SrinivAsa Nambi of ThirunaRayUr. 
The VimAnam is SrinivAsa VimAnam .

The hill on which the Lord stands is Sugandha Giri 
( NaRu Malai)and hence , He is hence called Sugandha-
Giri Naathan or the Lord of the Fragrant hill .

In this final decad on Sugandhagiri Naathan , Thirumangai
AzhwAr is reluctant to say good bye to his Sarva Swamy
and to continue with his  journey to ThirucchERai 
and other dhivya desams . Kaliyan is however immensely 
grateful to the Lord , who initiated him into Sri VaishNava 
kulam through the Chakra-Sankha Laanchanam.

Kaliyan's joy poured forth thru 110 exquisitely
fragrant paasurams ( Bhakthi Sourabham).In comparison,
the AshtAkshara KshEthram of ThirukkaNNapuram 
received a garland with only 104 flowers (Paasurams)
in contrast to the 110 for ThirunaRayUr. Even Srirangam
received 73 Paasurams and ThiruvEnkatam , the KshEthram
of the Other Srinivasan , was the recipient of only 61
Paasurams . 

ThirunaRayUr Nambi assured Kaliyan that 
He will not leave AzhwAr's chittham , 
wherever he was. This was in response to 
the statements of  Kaliyan about his dhruva 
smruthi ( unceasing rememberance)of ThirunaRayUr
Nambi. The fruit of the ceaseless rememberance
of the Lord led to "Darsana SamanAkAram" and Kaliyan
says that this was even better than darsana SaakshthkAram.
The presence of the Lord got etched in his mind.
In the first paasuram , he celebrates his blessings 
this way : 

" nanaviRsenRaarllum NaNNaRkkariyANai ,
  naanadiyEn NaRayUr ninRa nambiyai,
  KANAVIL  kaNDEn inRu kaNDamayAl yenn
  KaNNiNaikaL KaLippak KaLitthEnE "

That Lord , who is not acessible to even 
those , who have clear Jn~Anam has now been 
seen by adiyEn in a dream state (Visatha Prathyaksham ). 
Even when he was not physically in front of me , 
adiyEn saw Him clearly in a svapnam and my eyes 
were filled with joy over that aanandhAnubhavam .

The whole decad is a celebration of 
this kind . In one Paasuram , Kaliyan asks,
How can adiyEn forget this Lord ? ( EmpirAnai
YetthAl maRakkEn?).

Thanks Sri MadhavakkaNNan for drenching us 
with these nectarine experiences .

Namo NaarAyaNA !
V.Sadagopan