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TheraznundhUr MahAthmyam : Part 5

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 5, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs :
I will focus now on the Periya Thirumozhi 
(7.7.2) Paasuram of Thirumangai :

panthAr melviral nalvaLait thOLi
  Paavaip PoomahaL tannOdumudanE 
VanthAi , yenn manatthE manni ninRAi
  MaalvaNNA Mazhai pOl oLi vaNNA
ChandhOgA PouzhiyA TaitthiriyA
  Saama vEdiyanE nedumAlE
anthO ninnadiyanRi maRRaRiyEn
  AzhundhUr mEl disai ninRavammAnE

In the previous paasuram , AzhwAr prayed to
Aamuruviappan to free him from the tortures 
of the five senses . The Lord heard the appeal
and came with His dear Consort , Sri Devi and
took residence in the heart of the dear AzhwAr
and chased away the bullies that bothered His
dear Bhakthan . In the previous paasuram ,
AzhwAr had addrssed the Lord as Sri Nidhi 
( Thiruvukkum ThiruvAhiya Selvaa ) in an 
endearing manner .

The lady seated on the Lotus flower resting eternally
on the Lord's chest heard the appeal and joined Her 
consort to take residence in the heart lotus of 
the AzhwAr . MahA lakshmi saluted as , " neela 
kunthaLa madhyasthAm sukla maalyAmbhara dharAm 
taptha hAtaka varNineem " appeared with Her 
Lord and took residence in the AzhwAr's heart .

AzhwAr was deeply moved and gratefully acknowledged:
" pandhAr mel viral vaLai thOLi paavaip Poo mahaL 
tannOdumadanE vanthAi , yenn manatthE manni ninRai" . 

AzhwAr's vision of MahA Lakshmi , who accompanied 
Her husband is that of a golden statue , who is 
playing with a ball(pandhu) using Her tender fingers 
and during that playful process experiencing 
exertions that cause her bangles and shoulder 
ornaments to jingle sweetly . Like pEy AzhwAr 
before him , Thirumangai experienced the presence
of the divya dampathis inside him . Pey AzhwAr's 
paasuram saluted that Thiru ( mahA Lakshmi ) and 
Her golden hue ( taptha Haataka varNineem ) this way :

thiruk kaNDEn ponn mEni kaNDEn , thihazhum
arukkan aNI niRamum kaNDEn --

Thirumangai acknowledged the residence of this
SharaNya Dampathis inside his heart lotus 
as " paavaip poo mahaL tannOdu vanthAi , yenn
manatthE manni ninRAi ". Azhwar reminded them 
that not only did they appeared before him , but 
also decided to stay permanently in his heart space . 
AzhwAr was thrilled and ecstatic about his good
fortune that he eulogized the "Thiruvukkum 
ThiruvAhiya Selvan " with choice naamams :

maal vaNNA ! mazhai pOl oLi vaNNA ! 
ChandhOgA ! PouzhiyA ! TaithtiriyA !
Saama VediyanE ! " .

At the end of this naama sankIrthanam , 
Azhwar acknowledged his total servitude 
to Aamuriviappan and declared that he does 
not know of anything other than the Lord's
sacred feet as his protection . AzhwAr's
declaration of his ananya gathithvam poured 
out of his trembling lips : nedumAlE !
AzhundhUr mEl disai ninRa ammAnE ! anthO !
ninn aDi anRi maRRu aRiyEn . 

In the next posting , we will reflect upon how 
AzhwAr visualized Aamuruviappan as the Veda NaarAyaNan 
with his salutations , ChAndhOgA , PouzhiyA , 
TaithtiriyA , Saama VediyanE ! 

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri SadagOpan 

P.S : The experience of Thirumangai is very similar to 
the joy with which PeriyAzhwAr described the divya dampathis
taking residence in his heart lotus :

aravatthamaLiyinODum azhagiya paaRkadalOdum
ARAVINDHAP PAAVAIYUM THAANUM aham padi vanthu puhunthu
paravait thirai pala mOdha p paLLikoLLhinRa pirAnai 
-- PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi : 5.2.10

Panik kadalil paLLikOLaip pazaha vittu, Odivanthen
  manakkadalil vaazha valla Maaya MaNALa nampI 
tanik kadalE tanic chudarE tani ulajhEyenRenRu
  unakkidamaayirukka vennai yunnakkuuritthAkkinayE 
---- PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi : 5.4.9