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Ananthazhvar and Bhoothatthazhvar

From the Bhakti List Archives

TCA Venkatesan • June 6, 2001 


Dear Bhaagavtaas,

I wanted to share an anubhavam by Tirumalai
Ananthaazhvaar of one of Bhoothatthaazhvaar's 
paasurams, as described by Sri P.B. Annangaracharyar 
Swami in one of his discourses.

In his IraNdaam Tiruvandaadi, Sri Bhoothatthazhvaar 
describes an event occuring in the hills of Tirumalai 
as follows.

perugu mathavEzham maappidikku munninRu 
irukaNiLamoongil vaangi arugiruntha
thEn kalanthu neettum thiruvEngadam kaNdeer
vaan kalantha vaNNan varai

The description of nature in this paasuram is, in the 
Tirumalai hills, a male elephant in musth, pulls off 
a bamboo shoot, dips it in a honeycomb nearby and 
extends it to its female elephant.

Tirumalai Ananthaazhvaar enjoyed this paasuram as 
follows.

On one occasion when Sri Ramanuja visisted 
Tiruvengadam, the devotees there requested that he 
give a discourse on the meaning of Dvayam. Sri 
Ramanuja agreed and did so; however, he also included 
the meanings of Tirumantram and Carama SlOkam in the 
discourse and as such the discourse became lengthy.

Upon seeing this, Ananthazhvar stated that on that day

he understood the true meaning of Bhoothatthazhvar's
paasuram, as follows.

The male elephant in mast is a description of Sri
Ramanujar - the mast is the tears in his eyes as he 
enjoys the divine words of Swami Nammazhvar ("paNdaru 
maaRan pasunthamizh aanantham paaymathamaay viNdida 
engaL raamaanusamuni vEzham").

The female elephant represents the devotees in the
gathering.

Moongil represents a delicious substance. Here it
stands for dvayam. Amongst Tirumantram, Dvayam, and
Carama SlOkam, Dvayam is the most delicious to 
Sriman Narayana's devotees. Also, since Azhvar
said a moongil with two eyes (knots), it represents
Dvayam with its two parts.

The honey in the comb nearby refers to Tirumantram
and Carama SlOkam that are near Dvayam.

The word neettum (extend) refers to the fact that
the discourse was extended because Sri Ramanuja
added the meanings of Tirumantram and Carama SlOkam
to the meaning of Dvayam.

Thus the description of TiruvEngadam was that of
Sri Ramanujar extending a lengthy discourse to His 
devotees on the meanings of Dvayam, Tirumantram and 
Carama SlOkam.

Bhoothatthaazhvaar, Ananthaazhvaar, Emperumaanaar 
tiruvadigaLE SaraNam

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan
TCA VenkatEsan

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