Sri AarAvamudhan ( AparyApthAmruthan ) of KumbhakONam and His DhAyana Sopaanam

From the Bhakti List Archives

• May 5, 1999


Pramaathi Samvathsaram , ChithrA Month 23rd day 
KrishNa Paksha Panchami

nithyam SriyA samEthAya MangaLam Saarnga dhanvinE

( Auspiciousness to our Lord with the Saarngam in His
hand and who is never ever without Sri KomaLavalli )

Such was the mangalAsAsanam of a great AchAryA 
on the insatiable nectar (aparyApthAmrutha Parabrahmam )!

The divya desam of Thirukkudanthai is known as 
a Ubhaya prathAna divya Desam because there is prAdhAnyam 
(prominence )to both the uthsavar and Moolavar (Hema Rangan )
just as in Srirangam and Thiruppathi .

Seven AzhwArs , Kambhan , PiLLai PerumAL Iyengar 
of 108 Thirupathi ThiruvandhAthi fame , Swami Desikan 
( 66th slOkam of Taatparya RathnAvaLi ) have saluted 
this ancient Lord of Thirukkudanthai . This Bhaktha-
Vathsalan would only have His meals only after 
Thirumazhisai ate and He took the sEsham from
His dear BhakthA's meals . What a soulabhyam 
and affection for His dear BhakthAs ! He performs
annualy for another Bhakthan thru His archakA . 

Thirumangai constructed a Ratha Bhandham for Him
and it is known as ThiruvEzhukURRirukkai .Our dear
Thirumangai also constructed a ThEr for Him and 
invited us to worship Him ( Soozh Punal KudanthayE
Thozhumin ). He celebrated his BhAgyam in another
Paasuram of his this way : " TaNN Kudanthai kidantha 
maalai NediyAnai adi nAyEn ninanithittEnE ".NammAzhwAr 
recorded that his body and mind melted before 
the incomparable beauty of the Lord and gave Him 
the Title AarAvamudhan or insatiable nectar .

Towards the end of ThiruvAimozhi , NammAzhwAr 
reminded the world about the specialty of 
the BhakthAs of AarAvamudhan : " Kudanthai
YemkOvalan kudi adiyArkkE " . Swami Sri NammAzhwAr
pointed out that the great reception provided for 
the mukthAthmA travelling thru archirAdhi maargam are 
reserved especially for the bhakthAs of AarAvamudhan .

I had the BhAgyam to write about the AparyAptha 
DhyAna sOpAnam Sri Sookthi of Thirukkudanthai 
ANDavan ,a great AchAryA and BhakthA of AarAvamudhan 
few months back .I did not complete that series of 
postings . There are 13 slOkams in this grantham modelled 
after Bhagavath DhyAna sOpaanam of Swami Sri Desikan .
I got upto six and they are available in Bhakthi 
archives of the follwing dates :Oct 19,97, Dec 31,97 ,
25 Nov , 97, Jan 23 ,98, Jan 29, 98, Feb 6, 98, 
Feb 15, 98 and march 14 , 98 . I will now restart 
and with BhagavAn's blessings try to complete 
this kaimkaryam .

The reason for restarting is the SamprOkshaNam
sheduled for June-July , 99 date for the 
Entire temple complex at Thirukkudanthai . 
Almost one crores of rupees have been set aside 
for this jeerNOtthAraNam and samprOkshaNam .
There is a gap of 20 lakhs to complete 
the final phase of this kaimkaryam .
Please join in and support this kaimkaryam with 
whatever you can . 

A great bhakthA of AarAvamudhan is our Sri Sampath
Rengaraajan , who is a native of Thirukkudanthai .
I have requested him to write about the unique 
aspects of this divya desam and share with us his
vast knowledge on the subject .This thiruppathi 
is after all the Thiruppathi that brought us back
the NaalAyira divya Prabhandham thru Naatha Muni.

The Lord is therefore known as DrAvida Sruthi
darsakar and AarAvamudhAzhwAn. 

May I invite you to join in this mahA kaimkaryam
and contact Sri Rengarajan about particpating 
in this kaimkaryam of a rare kind .

prapatthEritaraapEkshAm aavrutthim cha nivArayan
prapannabhayadhO Hastha: Paathu na: SAARNGA DHANVANA :

SRI APARYAAPTHA PRABRAHMANE NAMA;
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan