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ThirumangaiAzhwAr Thirunakshathram

From the Bhakti List Archives

Madhavakkannan V • December 2, 1998 


Sri:

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,

EngaL gadhiyE! Iraamaanusa muniyE!
sangkaikedutthaaNda thavaraasaa –pongkupugazh 
mangkaiyarkOn eendha maRaiyaayiramanaitthum 
thangkumanamnNeeyenakkuth thaa

(by Embaar)
 
(Oh Our Only refuge Sri Ramaujamuni! Please bless us with the capable 
mind to retain all thousand pAsurams of ThirumangaiAzhwAr, that are 
equivelent to VedAs. )

In order to pay our obeisance to our dearest Thirumangai AzhwAr on His 
Birthday today (Kaarthigai maasam, Kritthigai Nakshathram), let us enjoy 
the upadEsam scene AzhwAr got from Sriman Narayanan. 

The Lord asked Thirumangai mannan to come near Him AND WHISPERED IN HIS 
RIGHT EAR the Ashtaakshara Manthram. Having heard those EIGHT SYALLABLES 
(AshtAksharam) right from none other than SRIYA: PATHI HIMSELF, his 
body, mind, heart became PURE!. All his dirt had disappeared! He was 
simply electrified by the AshtAkshara upadEasam and burst out VaadinEn 
VaadiÂ… pAsurams. He got goose pimples all over his body; He got 
indescribable blissful happiness! He prostrated fully at Their Lotus 
feet with eyes full of tears at Their mercy to bless him despite his
shortcomings and negative qualities. They blessed him with Their KARUNA 
KATAAKSHAM. Then They disappeared. 

AzhwAr realised His ThiruviLaiyAdal and His thadutthAkoLLum EmeprumaanÂ’s 
Greatness. He realised the purpose of his birth and poured out tamizh 
pAsurams on the Lord incessantly (like "madai thirandha veLLam pOl"). He 
looked at the sky and kept on crying ceaselessly for Their dayA on his 
lowly self. His hands and legs were shivering with tremendous amount of 
Bhakti and love/ excitement
for the Lord. 

Let us enjoy His KaarpaNyam/ utter humility with which he sang some of 
his pAsurams. I was deeply moved by these simple lovely emotional words 
of Thirumangai AzhwAr.  

He narrates in his 1.9 of Periya Thirumozhi, where he starts off with 
“thaayE thandhai enRum thaaramE kiLai makaaL enRum/ nOyE 
paattozhindhEnÂ…. NaayEn vandhaindhEn Â… (He describes himself as the 
lowly dog !), and continues beautifully!

naanE naanaavidha narakam pughum paavam cheydhEnÂ… (I have committed 
enormous sins that will push me into the Hell automaticallyÂ…)

konRen palluyirai kurikkOL onRum illaamaiyinaal
enREnum irandhaarkku inidhaaga vuraitth aRiyEnÂ… ( I have killed many 
without any purpose (as a king and as a army general..); I have never 
ever helped those who come to me for alms; nor have I uttered anything 
sweet to them (by pointing to those who can help them ) (remember Sri 
AnbilÂ’s meanings for aiyamum, picchiayum aandhaniayum kaikaatti..) 

kulandhaan etthanaiyum piRandhE iRandheyytthu ozhindhEn
nalndhaan onRum ilEn nalladhOr aRam cheudhum ilEnÂ… (I have been taking 
so many births and deaths and I have never performed any good deed in 
any of them.)

yeppaavam palavum ivaiyE cheydhu iLaitthu ozhindhEn
thuppaa ninnadiyE thodarndhEtthEtthavun giRkinRilEnÂ…. (I have never 
surrendered to Your Feet and had exerted myself committing only sins, 
sins and sinsÂ…) 

theriyEn baalakanaay pala theemaigaL seydhumittEn
periyEn aayinapin piRarkkE uzhaitthu yEzhai aanEnÂ…. (I have committed 
lot of mistakes and apachaarams during my boyhood, as playful actsÂ… When 
I grew up, I have worked only for others and have become poor and wasted 
my treasure/wealth (of this sarIram of Yours without thinking and 
serving You)Â…

paRREl onRum ilEn paavamE seydhu paaviyaanEn
maRREl onRaRiyEn maayanE ! engaL MadhavanE!
kaRREn Â…paayndhozhugum kamalacchunai vEnkatavaa 
aRREn vandhadaindhEn adiyEnai AtkONdu aruLE! Â… (Please read the pAsuram 
again! The First line-you will see the STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO Our 
LIVES! )

(I have NOTHING to hold on to and I have committed ONLY SINS AND BECOME 
AN INCORRIGIBLE SINNER. I have NONE ELSE AND NOTHING. I am NOT learned 
too! (Only You are there to save me! and Only You can! ) My Dear 
Madhavaa! VenkatEsA! I have come here at ThirumalA. Please consider me 
and take me as Your eternal servant!)

nalam tharum sollai naan kaNdu koNdEN “Narayana” ennum naamam…. 

thujumbOdhu azhaimin – when you go to sleep, call Him “Narayana”; thuyar 
varil ninaimin- when you get problems, think of Him “Narayana”; 
thuyarileer sollinum nanRaamÂ… even if you have no problems and are 
happy, even then, it is so sweet and nice to utter “Narayana”. 

A Great AzhwAr! Really a Great AzhwAr! What an outpourings! IT IS OUR 
FORTUNE TO BE BORN AS VAISHNAVITES, and it is the grace of Divya 
Damapatis and the anugraham of AchAryAs and AzhwArs for being able to 
get an opportunity to share such enjoyment and anubhavams.

Narayana Narayana Narayana Narayana

ThirumangaiAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 

Narayana dAsan Madhavakkannan


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