Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Inputs for CD ROM : XII.4-- Thirumangai AzhwAr's Six prabhandhams: Periya Thirumozhi

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 13, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs: adiyEn could not think of a better day
than Vishu Samvathsara udhaya PuNya Kaalam to conclude
this series of inputs for the CD ROM on AzhwArs and
the 108 Dhivya Desams . Here is the final posting on
Thirumangai Mannan's Periya Thirumozhi.Thanks for all
of your encouragements and feedbacks on this series 
offering humble salutations to the Twelve AzhwArs.
>From here on unitl Swamy Desikan's Thirunakshathram 
(PurattAsi Sravanam) adiyEn will focus on two topics:
(1) completion of Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam for the lista
and (2)Postings on ChillaRai Rahasyams for the Swamy Desikan 
net maintained by Sri Hari SarangarAjan of Singapore.

Daasan , V.SatakOpan 

Thirumangai Mannan's Periya Thirumozhi
***************************************
Periya Thirumozhi (PTM) is the most voluminous and
significant work of Thirumangai with 1084 paasurams of 
high "literary excellence" and profound insights into
the theological teachings of Sri Vaishnavam . Swamy 
Desikan hailed PTM as "aRivu Tharum Periya Thirumozhi".
He saluted this magnum opus of Kaliyan as the dhivya-
Jn~Anam conferring Prabhandham. 

Dr.S.M.S.Chari sums up the importance of PTM in his 
monograph , "Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of
the AzhwArs" this way :

" PTM is the most important work of Thirumangai 
AzhwAr .It is a composition of a large number of
devotional verses generally on the greatness of
the several VaishNavite shrines , the ArchA deities
installed therin and in particular the numerous 
auspicious attributes of God as experienced by
the mystic saint. Besides the detailed references 
to God and His attributes , there are a large number of
verses which speak about human suffering caused by SamsAric
bondage and the ways and means of overcoming it leading 
ultimately to the attainment of God."

Thirumangai"s MangaLAsAsana KshEthrams & Paasurams
***************************************************
Among the 108 dhivya desams, the Thirumangai peformed 
MangaLAsAsanam for 86 KshEthrams . He left out a few(22) 
in reverence perhaps to Swamy NammAzhwAr , PeriyAzhwAr , 
ANDAL,Thirumazhisai and KulasEkharar.

(A)Among the 40 Chola Naadu dhivya desams , Kaliyan 
left out only Anbil and Thiru Kavitthalam .These two have
recived single Paasurams from  Thirumazhisai.

(B)Among the 18 Paandya Desams , Kaliyan in deference to
Swamy NammAzhwAr and PeriyAzhwAr as well as ANDAL,
left out their avathAra Sthalams . Further , Kaliyan
did not perform MangaLAsAsanam for many  PaandyA Desams 
eulogized by Sawmy NammAzhwAr.Those left out by Kaliyan are:

(1) ThirukkuruhUr (2) ThirukkuLanthai (3)ThirukkOLur 
(4) Thirucchiririvara Mangai (5)ThiruppuLingudi 
(6) ThiruppErai (7) Thiruttholaivilimangalam 
(8)Thiru VaraguNa Mangai(9)Sri VillipputthUr 
and (10) Sri Vaikuntam .

(C)Among the MalayALa dhivya desams sung by Swamy
NammAzhwAr , Kaliyan performed MangaLAsAsanam 
for just ThiruvallavAzh and Thiru NaavAi. 
The Dhivya desams deferred to Swamy NammAzhwAr are:
(1)Thiruvananthapuram (2) ThirukkaditthAnam 
(3)ThirukkAtkkarai (4)ThirucchenkunrUr 
(5)ThiruvaNN-ParisAram (6) ThiruvaNN-VaNDUr 
(7)ThiruvAttARu(8) ThiruvAranviLai and 
(9)ThiruvitthuvakkODu in deference to KulasEkharar . 

(D) Among Vada Naadus , He keft out ThirukkaNDangudi
eulogized by PeriyAzhwAr.

Together , they add upto 22 dhivya desams unsung 
by Thirumangai.

Simple Meanings and Commentaries on Periya Thirumozhi
******************************************************
Besides the commentaries of VyAkhyAna Chakravarhti ,
Periya VaacchAn PiLLai , Sri UtthamUr Swamy has 
blessed us with detailed commentaries on PTM.
Sri MadhavakkaNNan of Singapore has an ongoing series 
about the simple meanings of almost two thirds of
PTM paasurams .These are archived in Bhakthi List and 
in Bahrain Sri Vaishnava List .

Inview of these resources , adiyEn will cover only three
items relating to PTM :

A. The First Pasuram of Periya Thirumozhi

B. Thirumangai's Paasurams on Lord RanganathAn
   dear to him in so many ways .At Srirangam ,
   Kaliyan built the prAkArams for the Lord's temple, 
   built the DasAvathAra sannidhi and initiated 
   the First adhyayana Uthsavam here by bringing 
   Swami NammAzhwAr's archai from AzhwAr Thirunahari
   for the celebrations .

C. The last paasuram of PTM.

A. The First Paasuram :"VaadinEn Vaadi VarunthinEn--"
   **************************************************
According to Sri UtthamUr Swamy , the Other AzhwArs 
before Thirumangai --PeriyAzhwAr ,ANDAL, KulasEkharar, 
Thirumazhisai , ThonDaradipodi,ThiruppANar , 
Madhura kavi et al--have elaborated on the deeper 
meanings of PraNavam and nama: Sabdhamof Moola Manthram
in their paasurams .In such efforts , they touched upon 
Seshathvam as PranavArtham (PeriyAzhwAr) , Aathma samarpanam 
arising from the maturity attained by the Seshan 
(ANDAL ),Bhagavath Seshathvam and BhAgavatha Seshathvam 
(KulasEkharar ,ThiruppANar& nammAzhwAr))and AchArya 
Seshathvam (Madhura Kavi). Thirumangai Mannan , 
who received direct upadEsam on Moola Manthram from 
the Lord Himself elaborated on the profound meanings of 
NaarAyana sabdham in his Periya Thirumozhi.
 
It has been pointed out the Lord who was not fully 
satisfied with the fruits of His Upadesam for Arjunan
was eager to become the AchAryan for Thirumangai 
and thereby remove His concerns about the effectiveness
of His UpadEsam. Our Lord attained a sathpAthram as
His Sishyan in Thirumangai and in return was pleased
to receive more than 1000 Paasurams thru the six
prabhandhams of Thirumangai.

In his first Paasuram of PTM , Thirumangai recalls in
a spirit of nirvEdham the many years that he had wasted 
chasing after all kinds of BhOgams and follows it
up with  a sigh of relief that he has been redeeemed 
by Sriman NaarAyaNan Himself through His upadesam of
Moola Manthram as his ParamAchAryan.He rejoices over 
his redemption and declares aloud : "Naann KaNDu
KoNDEn NaarAyaNAvennum Naamam". AzhwAr's joy is
transparent & abundant over the thought that he had 
received upadEsam directly from the very Meaning of 
the Moola Manthram : Sriman NaarAyaNan Himself.
Swamy Desikan has brilliantly summarized the matchless
fruits of the Upadesam of  this Moolamanthram (AshtAksharam ) 
from an AchAryan this way:

ThAram Poorvam tadhanu Hrudhayam taccha NaaRAyaNAyEthi
aamnAyOktham padhamavayathAm SaarTamAchArya dattham
angikurvan alasa manasAm AthmarakshAbharam na:
Kshipram kshipathu nikhilAn kinkaraiswarya-vignAn 

(Meaning): First is Pranavam;next is the namas sabdham,
which in turn is followed by the famous NaarAyana
sabdham revealed by the VedAs . When one receives 
upadesam of this most sacred VyApaka manthram (AshtAkshari)
with its meanings from a SadAchAryan  and reflects on
these powerful meanings , then the Lord , who accepts to
take on the responsibility of protection of the jeevan 
will remove every obstacle that comes in the way of 
enjoying Kaimkarya sampath.

The Prime AchAryan of all sadAchAryAs was the Brahma Guru
for Thirumangai and no wonder that his Joy overflowed 
through the medium of Periya Thirumozhi starting from
this first paasuram .

(B) The 73 Paasurams of Thirumangai On Lord RanganAthan 
   *****************************************************
adiyEn refers you to the six page write up on
Kaliyan's eulogy of Sri RanganAthan in the posting 
archived in the Bhakthi List:

V.Sadagopan, http://www.ramanuja.org/s/bhakti/archives/
             may98/0017.html

(C) Final Paasuram of Periya Thirumozhi(PTM: 11.8.10)
    **************************************************
In this decad of moving prayer to the Lord to redeem
him from all klesams , Thirumangai describes his avala 
nilai to the state of "AaRRankarai Maram" that would be 
swept away in the next flood and as the Fox caught up in
the flash floods ( VeLLatthidaippatta Nari inam pOl).
He pleads with the Lord to save him and to bless him
with kaimkarya Sri to serve Him in His Parama Padham:

aNiyAr Pozhil Soozh AranganaharappA
thuNiyEnini NinnaruLallathenakku
MaNiyE Mani MaaNikkamE MadhusoothA
PANIYAAYENAKKU UYYUM VAHAI , PARAMCHOTHI

In the next paasuram, Thirumangai addresses 
the Lord of Srirangam as Veda Moorthy 
and pleads with Him to grant the boon of
Moksha Siddhi:

chandhOkA TalaivanE TaamarikkaNNA 
anthO adiyErkkaruLAi unnaruLE 

In the final paasuram of this decad , Thirumangai,
who received the paripoorna anugraham from the Lord 
points the way for us to receive such blessings of 
the Lord . AzhwAr states in his role as a SadAchAryan 
that those who understand the meanings of this decad 
and recite them will be freed of all types of Vinais 
and would attain Moksham:

KunRamedutthaanirai kaatthavanRannai 
manRil puhazh Mangai Mannan Kali KanRi soll
Onru ninRavonpathum vallavar tamm mEl
YenRum VinaiyAyina SaarahillAvE

Thirumangai AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE saraNam .

This kaimkaryam is now complete and is
placed with reverence at the feet of the Lord
with utter humility .

DaasOsmi , DhanyOsmi, anugruhIthOsmi
Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan  


--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/