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Inputs for the AzhwAr CD ROM : part I

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • January 21, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs:

I am attaching the input for the Text sections of 
the CD ROM in English under preparation on the Life of
AzhwArs , their aruLiccheyalkaLs ( NaalAyira Dhivya
Prabhandham ) ,the 108 Dhivya Desams that they sung about.

I have completed the write ups for the Three Mudhal AzhwArs
and their prabhandhams . I hope to complete the rest of
the inputs shortly .By separate post, I will send you
another write up on one of the Mudhal AzhwArs(pEy)as a
sampler.

In view of the vastness of the topic of the CD ROM ,
We have decided to spread the content over two volumes of
CD ROM . The pilot CD ROM on ThiruppANN AzhwAr looks good 
and we are trying to create a home page , which will 
include excerpts from that pilot CD ROM ( Graphics and
possibly audio clips). Work is progressing steadily 
both here and in India on " the story book" of 
the rest of the AzhwArs.

The purpose of sending this attachment and another 
write up in the series is to invite your comments on suggestions 
on emphasis ,omissions and commissions .Please remember that 
the CD ROM is mainly aimed at VaishNava abhimAnis , 
who may not be too familiar with the AzhwArs and 
their dhivya Prabhandhams .

The " Tell me more " sections would have some more detailed 
information on the Prabhandhams and will give references
for advanced texts. The emphasis would be on graphics 
and audio . There will be a Multiple Choice Quiz section 
on AzhwArs and their works and FAQ section on dhivya prabhandham 
similar to the one we had in the AchArya RaamAnujA CD ROM>
 
Some rare images of PerumALs and ThAyArs at few 
of the 108 dhivya desams are being included in the CD ROM .
There will be ample hyperlinks to postings available
on the Bhakthi and other lists regarding AzhwArs ,
the text of the dhivya Prabhadhams and their Meanings of 
the dhivya Prabhandhams .

Please let me know of items that you would like to
see covered in the FAQ and other sections .
Within the limits of real estate on the CD ROM , 
we will attempt to cover them .

Daasan, V.SatakOpan 

>NaalAyira Dhivya prabhandham : The Search
>*****************************************
>Just after the time of the ascent of the AzhwAr's to
>Parama Padham and until AchArya Naathamuni's time , the divine
>collect of Four thousand went slowly out of vogue . Only stray
>decads were in circulation later . AchArya Naathamuni heard
>for the first time the decad of Swamy NammAzhwAr 
>(AarAvamudhE adiyEn udalam )used at Thirukkudanthai
>AarAvamudhan Sannidhi . He wanted to know more about
>the rest of the thousand referred to by Swamy NammAzhwAr
>at the end of that decad . He went on a pilgrimage to 
>Swamy NammAzhwAr's birth place, AzhwAr Thirunagari
>to see if anyone there could help him with access 
>to the rest of ThiruvAimozhi .There , with the help of 
>a sishyar of Madhurakavi AzhwAr's lineage, AchArya Naathamuni
>recited the KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu Prabhandham of Madhura Kavi 
>AzhwAr 12,000 times and as a result had the blessing of 
>communion with Swamy NammAzhwAr in Yoga dasai ;AzhwAr 
>in turn performed Upadesam of the entire divine collect of 
>Four Thousand for the aspiring AchArya Naathamuni .
>
>AchArya Naathamuni's kaimkaryam to posterity
>******************************************** 
>The blessed AchArya Naathamuni  protected that 
>rare treasure and set Raagam and TaaLam for 
>the divine collect and taught it to his two nephews 
>and with passage of time , we have been blessed 
>through AchArya paramparai to benefit from
>these extraordinary dhivya prabhandhams .Additional
>kaimkaryams of AchArya Naathamuni are : the initiation of
>the adhyayana uthsavam at Srirangam , the organizarion
>of the details of the AarAdhanam for PerumAL at 
>Srirangam and introducion of the aRayar sEvai kaimkaryam
>for the Lord . 
>
>The Classification of the Divine collect of Four Thousand
>**********************************************************
>AchArya Naathamuni classified the divine collect 
>of " Four thousand paasurams " into four set of Thousands:
>
>(1)First Thousand (Mudal Aayiram):This houses ThiruppallANDu ,
>   PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi, ANDAL's ThiruppAvai
>   and NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi , KulasEkarar's PerumAL
>   Thirumozhi ,Thirumazhisai's Thirucchandha Viruttham ,
>   ThoNDardippodi's ThirumAlai and ThiruppaLLIyezhucchi,
>   ThiruppANar's AmalanAdhipirAn and Madhura Kvi AzhwAr's 
>   KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu ( A total of 947 Paasurams in Ten 
>   prabhandhams of seven AzhwArs ).
>
>(2)Second Thousand ( IraNdAvathu Aayiram): Thirumangai 
>   Mannan's Periya Thirumozhi , ThirukkuRunthANDakam 
>   and ThirunedumthANDakam adding up to a Total of 1134 
>   Paasurams from three Prabhandhams of Thirumangai AzhwAr 
>   are included here.
>
>(3)Third Thousand ( MoonRAm Aayiram):Swamy NammAzhwAr's
>   ThiruvAimozhi ( a Total of 1102 Paasurams )constitutes
>   the Third "Thousand".
>
>(4)Fourth Thousand (IyaRppA): The three Mudal AzhwArs" 
>   andhAthis , Thirumazhisai's Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi,
>   Swamy NammAzhwAr's Thiruviruttham , ThiruvAsiriam
>   and Periya ThiruvandhAthi,Thirumangai's SiRiya and
>   Periya Thirumadals ,and AmudhanAr's IrAmAnusa
>   NooRanthAthi find their home here and add up to 
>   a total of 817 Paasurams in 10 prabhandhams
>   of the above 6 AzhwArs and Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr ).
>
>Together , AachArya Naathamuni's classification of the above
>Twenty Four Prabhandhams add upto 4,000 ( 947+1134+1102+817)
>paasurams grouped in four individual "Thousands".There are
alternate ways of counting the 4,000 divine collect in
different traditons. 
>
>The significance of the Divine Collect of Four Thousand
>********************************************************
>Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan Swamy of Oppiliappan Sannidhi points out
>that these 4000 Paasurams are recognized as the elaboration of
>the Moola Manthram ( Thiru AshtAksharam) , One of the three
>celebrated rahasyams sacred to Sri VaishNavAs. Thirumanthiram  
>is recognized as the essence of the three Vedams (Sarva Veda
>Saaram ) and hence the NaalAyira Dhivya prahandham ,
>which is an elaboration of the Thirumanthiram is recognized
>as Tamizh MaRai. The correlation between the individual 
>" thousands" and the different sections of AshtAksharam 
>are as follows:
>
>(1) The Meaning of PraNavam is elaborated in
>    the First "Thousand ".
>
>(2) The Meaning of "Nama:" Sabdham is covered in
>    the Second "Thousand".
>
>(3) The meaning of "NaarAyaNa " sabdham is covered in
>    Swamy's NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi.
>
>(4) IyaRppA elaborates on the meaning of the Fourth case
>    (Chathurthi Vibhakthi) "aaya " sabdham accompanying
>    NaarAyaNa sabdham (NaarAyaNAya).
>
>The condensed meaning of the sacred collect of 4000 
>****************************************************
>In his classic commentary on Srimath Rahasya Thraya 
>Saaram , Sri V.N.Srirama DesikAcchAr Swamy crisply
>summarizes the SaarArtham of Dhivya Prabhandham
>and its links to Moola Manthram this way:
> 
>As the elaboration of the meaning of Thirumanthiram 
>(Moola Manthram/AshtAksharam) ,the dhivya Prabhandham
>has the following meanings : Sriman NaarAyaNan is 
>the protector of all .He does not leave the side of
>His PirAtti even for a split second. He is eternal.He
>blesses all chEthanams seeking His refuge with vivEkam 
>and guides them to the good path leading to Moksham 
>through a SadAchAryan . 
>
>He has adhi-adhbhutha ThirumEni and has limitless 
>auspicious attributes (anantha kalyANa GuNams).
>He creates all chEthanams and achEthanms (sentients
>and insentients ) of this universe.He stands as the means
>and goal for chEthanams. He is the succor for the ChEthanams
>and achEthanams and enters into them and stays as 
>their indweller (antharyAmi Brahmam).
>
>JeevAthmA is Jn~Ana Svaroopan ;he is the embodiment of
>Jn~Anam . He is of the form of an atom (aNu svarUpan).
>He is distinctly different from Isvaran and achEthanams.
>He is the servant of both the Lord and His PirAtti.
>He is fully under the influence of the Lord and has 
>nothing serving as his sEshan.JeevAthmA has no independence
>whatsoever. This JeevAthmA's supreme goal is to perform
>nithya kaimkaryam to Sriman NaarAyanan in Parama Padham.
>Bhagavath Kaimkaryam is our purushArtham .The frontier of
>that Bhagavath Kaimkaryam is BhAgavatha Kaimkaryam.
>
>The rectation order of Dhivya prabhandhams
>*******************************************
>During the ashyayana uthsavam , the MudalAyiram
>(from ThiruppallANDu to KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu)
>is recited on the first five days of pahaRpatthu .
>Thirumangai Mannan's Periya Thirumozhi is recited 
>in the remaining five days of PahaRpatthu and is
>followed by ThirunedumthANDakam on SaaRRumuRai day 
>( the evening before Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi day ). 
>On EkAdasi day and the next nine days (Ten days of
>IrA patthu )Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi is
>recited and on the tenth day , Swamy NammAzhwAr's
>Moksham ( Thiruvadi Thozhuthal) is enacted.Next day ,
>recitation of IyaRppA is completed and it is followed 
>next day with Desika Prabhandham recitation in one
>sampradhAyam. Upadesa rathna maalai , ThiruvAimozhi
NooRRanthAthi and other Sri Sookthis are recited in
another sampradhAyam . 
>
>RaamAnuja Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil V.SatakOpan 
>
>
>


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