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CD ROM Write Ups: part IV---> pEyAzhwAr & MoonRAm ThiruvanthAthi

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Sun Jan 21 2001 - 12:48:41 PST 


Dear BhakthAs :

Here is the write up for pEy AzhwAr and
His prabhandhams. Please send me your 
comments /Suggestions prior to finalization
of this draft as private notes.

Please also let me know privately , if you wish to
receive the other texts on the rest of the AzhwArs 
that are getting ready .

The front end of the CD ROM on AzhwArs will emphasize
stright "story telling " with Images and Graphics without 
the complication of esoteric terminology .The "back end " 
like the "Tell Me More" sections that you see in this write up  
will have the needed sampradhAyic language .  

Thanks in advance for your help ,
Daasan, V.SatakOpan   

>General remarks
>***************
>PeyAzhwAr is the third of the Mudhal AzhwArs.
>He was born in Mylapore ( Maada Maamayilai)
>inside a red lotus flower bloomin in the well 
>at AdhikEsava PerumAL Koil as the amsam of 
>the Lord's Sword (Nandhakam).
>
>This AzhwAr was PerumAL-obsessed (pitthan )and
>hence was called pEy AzhwAr. Just like PeriyAzhwAr , 
>he was able to have the direct sevai of PerumAL 
>effortlessly through his Parama Bhakthi . He performed 
>MangaLAsAsanam for PerumAL, ThAyAr and PerumAL's weapons at 
>ThirukkOvalUr just as PeriyAzhwAr did at Tenn Mathurai. 
>pEy AzhwAr is considered as an AchAryan for Thirumazhisai
>AzhwAr in our sampradhAyam.
>
>Dr.VedAntha Desikan points out that Poygai elaborated 
>upon manana Paryantha Jn~Anam (transcendent knowledge)
>as his way of experiencing the Lord. Bhootham focused on
>the derivative of Jn~Anam , dhyAnam/nithidhyAsanam 
>to similar effect. pEy AzhwAr joined both experiencs 
>to arrive at Para Jn~Anam for the total vision /sevai 
>( ParipoorNa-SaakshAthkaram ) of the Lord with His PirAtti. 
>Poygai saluted the Lord as Ubhaya Vibhoothi Yukthan ( possessor
>of the wealth of both leelA vibhoothi and nithya Vibhoothi/
>this world and Sri Vaikuntam).Bhootham pointed out that
>the NaarAyaNa Naamam stands for the Ubhaya Vibhoothis
>of our Lord. pEy AzhwAr asserted that this Ubhaya Vibhoothi
>yuktha NaarAyaNan should be addressed with the prefix 
>of "Srimath " ( Sriman NaarAyaNan ) in recognition of
>His Eka Seshithva Yogam .
>
>pEy AzhwAr performed MangaLAsAsanam for 15 dhivya dEsams:
>(1)Thiru atta bhuyakaram (2) Thiru AtthiyUr (3)Thiruvarangam
>(4)ThiruvallaikkENi (5) Thirukkatikai (6) Thirukkudanthai
>(7)ThirukkOttiyUr (8)Thirupparama Padham (9)ThiruppAdakam
>(10)ThiruppARkkadal (11) ThirumAlirum ChOlai (12)ThiruviNNagar
>(13)Thiruvehha (14)ThiruvEnkatam and (15) ThiruvELukkai . 
>
>Tell Me More section 
>*********************
>Dr.K.C.varadachari describes the unique greatness
>of pEy AzhwAr this way : " His greatness lies in his 
>knowledge-vision of the Divine from deeper perception 
>of God's eternal di-unity as Divine Two , comprising 
>NaarAyana and His consort  Sri ( Thiru). This perception ,
>which is subtle and deep profoundly revealing the divine's
>Integral Nature , goes beyond the intuition of Poygai
>and the dream (meditation)of Bhootham in so far as it shows 
>the redemptive Grace of God to one , who has verily 
>entered into Him.The impersonal or logical highest of
>Poygai melts imperceptibly into the Personal Highest of
>Bhootham and grows into the experience of Grace inseperably
>united with the Person , who is the primal cause of ALL ,
>the support and sustenance of all the worlds...The Divine
>Mother has been brought into the vision of God , and 
>this experience has become cardinal to the entire theology 
>of Sri VaishNavism , which emphasizes that Sri Devi is
>the redemptive grace , which operates on and through 
>every function of the Divine Lord-Cause.Nothing in 
>the World is Graceless (i-e) all evil; for , at the bottom
>of all is the operation of the purest Grace , a grace-power
>that is omnipotent, leading the soul to its transcendent 
>destiny , acting as the Teacher and Mother and all".
>
>Illustrative Examples of pEy AzhwAr's parama Bhakthi
>*****************************************************
>According to Dr.K.C.VaradAchAri , we have to remember
>three gems of spiritual experience of God in pEy AzhwAr's
>prabhandham : (1) The Supreme Lord is Sriman NaarAyaNan 
>possessing Sri Devi in His divine heart(2) He is the most 
>beautiful and satisfying Being and (3) He is the most tender 
>healer of of all sorrows and abolisher of sins and fear of
>samsAram as well as granter of Moksham .
>
>In the very first verse  pEy describes with exultation 
>the great joy of the seeing the Lord with Sri Devi and
>His dhivya aayudhams (weapons) :
>
>" Today is a great day .I secured the privilege of
>seeing the Lord's Form (ThirumEni) , by His grace.
>I saw MahA Lakshmi;I saw Her on a pure gold body of 
>the Lord;His effulgence was like that of the Sun;I saw 
>the enemy-destroying , fiery , but beautiful chakram
>(in one hand);I saw also the bent Conch (Paanchajanyam)
>in the other hand . All of these I saw in my dear 
>Ocean-hued Lord , Sriman NaarAyanan "(Dr.V.N. Vedantha Desikan).
>
>In the second paasuram , pEy addresses the Lord as 
>ThirumAl ( Lord of Lakshmi) and says: " Today , I saw 
>Your feet and clasped them as my refuge for ever.Thus ,
>I have successfully obviated all my future births.
>
>In the third paasuram , AzhwAr points out that 
>Sriman NaarAyanan is " the sure medicine with which 
>we can cure ourselves of the maladies like SamsAram".
>In the fourth paasuram, Sriman NaarAyaNan's ThiruvadigaL
>are pointed out as our Means , Goal and the bhOgyam(enjoyemnt).  
>
>The Holy feet of the Lord has the greatest fascination
>for pEy because of its redemptive power. In the 24th
>paasuram, He begs his mind to hold onto His lotus feet 
>and asks the mind to keep on worshipping them without 
>a break forever.
>
>pEy AzhwAr's " God-madness " finds its outlet in the 35th
>Paasuram this way: " My eyes long and yearn for seeing 
>the golden form of the Lord with His many aabharaNams  
>and flower garlands adorning His divine chest.Meanwhile, 
>my hands wish to supplicate and serve at the feet golden ,
>with well-set songs in tandem with the beetles that hum
>in His garlands , in praise of His valorous feats".
>
>The Upanishadic insights of the divine attributes 
>of the Lord and His svaroopa VisEshams are brought out
>beautifully by pEy Azhwar .We will cite a few :
>
>"If one were to define and describe the Lord fully ,
>it would be an impossible task..There is no one like
>Him ..He is singular and incomparable.He is the soul to
>all beings and things , which are , so to say ,His Body...
>Such a personage is indeed the Only One , namely,
>the Lord "( Paasuram 38)...(Dr.V.N.Vedantha Desikan)
>
>" The Lord is the sustaining force for our existence.
>We exist only because He so wills it...Remember He has
>sworn , as an oath, to protect us " (Paasuram 40). 
>
>" He was alone at first. He is the material cause
>of the world (Paasuram 46).This statement is a direct
>echo of MahOpanishad Vaakyam : "yEkO ha vai NaarAyana
>aaseeth". 
>
>The message (upadesam) given to us in the 88th Paasuram is
>some thing that we have to reflect with intensity always
>because of its greatness and optimism: " Oh Men of 
>the World! You obviously suffer from a misgiving : The path
>prescribed by the SaasthrAs is good and to be adhered to.But ,
>I have been on the wrong and sinful path forever. Where is 
>the hope for my redemption ? This doubt , this diffidence ,
>is not warranted. Once You surrender at His feet , which are 
>golden and which are most delectable , with an absolute faith
>in His nature to intervene on behalf of a surrendered one ,
>then all your piNyams and pApams will disappear from
>the very moment of the act of surrender(prapatthi)"..Dr.V.N.V 
>
>The 95th paasuram is a great anubhavam of AzhwAr's Parama Bhakthi.
>Here , the Azhwar says: " I lit a lamp--a lamp of realization
>that He is THE UpAyA well-set for us.I caught Him in the bright 
>light of my lamp , netted Him as though in my firm vow to be
>in implicit obedience to His commands.He gladly entered my heart ,
>stood, then sat and finally laid Himself down , making my
>heart His perennial abode "..Dr.V.N.V
>
>In the 100th and concluding paasuram , pEy AzhwAr pays 
>tribute to Sri Devi in recognition of this Prabhandham
>being One , which enjoys the Union of the Lord with
>Sri Devi , His PirAtti.He declares " thEn amarum poo 
>mEl Thiru , namakku yenRum Saarvu" . AzhwAr concludes his
>powerful prabhandham this way: " That MahA Lakshmi is
>the sure resort to us , of discerning ability in all
>the stages--PurushakAra (Commendation/sipArsu) , UpAya
>( Prapatthi performance) and UpEya (bliss enjoyment as
>fruit of our effort).
>
>pEy AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
>Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan      
> 
> 
>
>
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