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Thiruvilakku Pichhan

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M.K. Krishnaswamy • February 4, 2003 


Dear Bhaktas,

I read with interest the following statement in Shri Sukumar's post d. Feb.03, 2003: "We should have to please Him with something new (just like various gurus/swamis of our time) or just talk to him like ThiruviLakku Picchan. What a bhaktha is he and How novel is the idea." 

Since I did not know about Thiruvilakku Picchan, I queried the internet and found the answer in Smt. Sumitra Varadarajan's article in http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/thirumalai/tmalai06.html .  As many more Bhaktas might be interested in knowing about this devotee, I am reproducing below the relevant extract from her article:

..................... Sri Thondaradipodi Alwar wrote his Thirumaalai prabhandam based on the Vishnu Dharma Sastram; let us now see some features of Vishnu Dharmam and Thirumaalai. Vishnu Dharmam appears to be a dialogue between Sathaneekar, a king and Sownakar, a rishi. The king questions the rishi "Which is the easiest method for people in kaliyuga(Acharaheena, VairAkhyaheena jeevatmas) to attain Bhagavan?" The answer given by Sownakar to this question is Vishnu Dharma Sastram. In contrast, in Thirumaalai, Alwar is the Vaktha(person who lectures) and Periya perumal Stota(one who hears). Here one doubt will arise. Sathaneekar was a raja and he wanted to clarify his doubt and learn more from the rishi. But Periya Perumal has no doubt and he has all the knowledge why should he listen to alwar? Our great PVP clears our doubt in the avatArikai to Thirumaalai. Emperuman listens to Alwar not because he doesn't know the nAma magimai but because he wants to hear it from Alwar. Like a mother after teaching her kid a 

So the speciality of Thirumaalai is that it was not listened to by an innocent king but it was listened to by Periya Perumal Himself. In our Sampradhayam even very learned elders sit and listen to younger peoples upanyasams since they consider that Bhagavat vishayam has its value whether it is told by a kid or a young man or an elderly person. Even Emperuman cherishes listening to his bhakthas words. 

There is one story in our guru paramparai. Once Sri Nampillai was delivering kalashepam in the mandapam near Sri Ranganatha sannadhi. A person by name Thiruvilakku Picchan was standing in front of the sannadhi with a lamp in his hand. Periya Perumal was so impressed by hearing Nampillai's bhagavat guna kalashepam that he left his archA samAdhi and came to see the kalashepa goshti of Nampillai. Suddenly Thiruvilakku Picchan saw somebody near him and realizing that it was Periya Perumal he ordered Perumal that he should not do this and he has to go back to his archA SamAdhi. Such was the attraction of Bhagavan to listen to his adiyars lectures.

Is there any other text relating to this great Bhakta who had the bhagyam to enjoy such intimate relationship with the Lord that he could even tell Him to return to his Sthanam in the Sannidhi?

Dasan
Krishnaswamy M.K



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