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From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 6, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatti Group:

The deep meanings of the TVK of Thirumangai has been 
covered by Uttamur Swamigal in his Commentaries.
Sri K.C.Varadachari'sBook on Alwars has few pages of translation 
of the lines of TVK. Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan has a lengthy article on TVK
in the Volume 18 of the Indian Philosophical Annual of the years 1985-86.

Hence I will focus on the poetry aspects and very few references to the 
Tattvas of Visishtadvaita here .

The lines 22to 28 and the lines from 29to 36 are useful to illustrate these
points. 

Part of line 22:  Ezhulahai Eyirrinil Kondanai (reference to the SEVEN ;
 O Lord ! you have lifted the 7 worlds on your tusks during your Varaha Avatara!
)

 Part of line 23: Kooriya Arusuvai Payanumaaiyanai : (Reference here is to the 
SIX; As the scriptures declare, You are immanent in all objects and make them
all enjoyable like ARUSUVAI, the sixtet of tastes: Salty, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, 
Astringent and Hot ; alternatively, your SIXFOLD noble attributes ,Viz., Wisdom,
Power, Strength, Lordship, Valour and Splendour are indeed Parama Bhogyam or 
most enjoyable).Upanishads declare the Lord as Annam to be enjoyed. His 
Sakthi, Balam, Iswaryam, Veeryam, Tejas and Jnanam are the Six tasty 
aspects as Annam .

Part of line 23/24 : Sudarvidum aimpadai angaiyul Amarndanai (Reference in this 
line in the descending order from 7  to 6  are Number 5.. The FIVE blazing
weapons of the Lord on his Subasrayam (Auspicious Body), Viz., Sudarsanam,
Panchajanyam, Mace , Nandakam /sword, and Sarangam/bow are saluted here.
For your devotees, you become Annam with 6 types of Tastes.For the others, who 
do not appreciate your enjoyment and malign you, You wear and use
 the Panchaayudams to corrrect them .  

Lines 24/25 : Sundara NArroL Munneer Vanna! --- Here the salutation centers 
on aspects of the Lord using FOUR as the Number. Reference is to the four
beautiful arms of the Lord representing the aspect of giving as a boon the 4 
Purushaarthaas (ChaturNAm PurusharthAnaam Dhata Deva: Chaturbhuja: according to
Appaya Dikshita ) ; He is also of the hue of the deep Blue Ocean . Here,
the Number 3 is incorporated with the salutation Munneer Vanna . Munneer 
stands for Ocean made up of 3 Kinds of waters. 

Lines 25to 28: Ninneer adi Onriya ManatthAl (here the reference to the numbers 2
and 1;
Lord's TWO feet are being pressed with ONE/Single- pointed mind by the TWO Devis
at the 
THREE divisions of Time , Sandhyas. You are resting thus in Yoga Nidra. Lines 26
to 28
 refer to  ONE, TWO and THREE this way: Oru Madi Mukattu , Mangairuvarum
Malarana
 Angaiyil Muppozhuthum Varuda Arituyil amarnthanai.

Lines 29 to 36 ascend from FOUR to SVEN in the following manner:

Neri murai Naal Vahai Varunamumayinai, 
Metakum  Aim perum bhutamum niye!
Arupadam muralum koondal kaaranam
Ezhvidhai  Adanaga ccherranai, Aruvahai
Samayumum Arivaru Nilayinai, Aimpaal
Odhiyai akattu irruttinai. Aram Mudal
Naankavai-ay ,Moorthy Munrai 
iru vahai payan-ai , onru-ai virindu
Ninranai.

Here the the ascent is from 4 to 7 followed by the 
descent from 7 to 1 in six steps. 

The 4 in the first line refers to the 4 Varnas outlined in
Purusha Suktam(Naal Vahai Varnamumayinai).
Pancha Bhoothas are referred to next : Aimperum Bhothamum 
Niyeh .
Six and Seven are incorporated in the lines Arupadam Muralum---
Ezh Vidai Adanga Ccherranai. For the sake of Nappinnai, whose 
natural fragrance of her tresses are coveted by the SIX footed bees,
you destroyed the SEVEN powerful bulls in a contest and married her.

Hereafter, the lines of the TVK  descend from 7 to 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 to 2
and end with one. 
Thirumangai starts with SIX by referring to the Six alien schools of thought 
(Sankhya, Yoga,Nyaaya, Bauddha, Jaina et al ) not being able to comprehend
the glory of Sriman Narayana. Veda Bahya Schools or those that can 
not go beyond Kaivalya  are included here as imperfect here.

Azhwar refers next to Five , when he states that the Lord has the Consort 
on his chest and that  Maha Lakshmi has tresses with FIVE qualities:
Black, Length, Coolness ,Fragrance and softness. FOUR kinds of 
Purusharthas (Dharma, Kama, Artha, Moksha ) follow next. THREE is
included thereafter in  terms of the Lord being the Antharyami of Indra, Brahma 
and Rudra. TWO fold fruit (Aihika an dAamushmika ) Giving appears next.
In the beginning , You were the Only ONE (Sat)  says the Aazhwar.

After completing the Ratha Bhandham , the Azhwar moves on to a direct prayer
to Aaraavamudhan in the following lines of TVK and concludes
 it with a description of Thirukkudanthai
and states that  the Holy feet of the Lord are  resting in his mind always.

Thus ends the  great poem of the Azhwar, which is a testimony to
his sharp poetic skills and deep Bhakthi of Sriman Narayana.

Para Kaalan Thiruvadigale sharanam,

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan  .