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Two Paasurams on Lord AarAvamudhan : Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Mon May 17 1999 - 19:48:28 PDT 


Dear BhakthAs of AparyApthAmurutha Parabrahmam :

Sri SaarangapANi of Thirukkudanthai , who plays a central
role in our sampradhAyam by bringing back the lost 4000
divya Prabhandhams through Acharya Nathamuni via Swami
Sri NamaazhwAr has been eulogized by seven AzhwArs with
53 exquisite paasurams . We will focus on two paasurams 
saluting the AparyApthAmrutha SaarngarAjan in this and
the subsequent notes . 

PeyAzhwAr's Paasuram on this Veda Purushan 
*******************************************

This AzhwAr describes the five mangaLa kshEthrams ,
where Sri Lakshmi NaarAyaNan elects/opts to live and 
points out that Thirukkudanthai is one such special
divya dEsam . The paasuram is the 30th one in
MoonRAm ThiruvandhAthi :

sErntha ThirumAl kadal Kudanthai Venkatam 
  nErnthavenn sinthai niRai visumpum- vAyntha 
maRai Paatakam ananthan vaNDuzhAikkaNNI 
  iRaipAdiyAyavivai 

Here pEy AzhwAr identifies for us the preferred 
residencies/rAjadhAnis of Sriman NaarAyaNan . With the choice
selection of the words , " VaNN ThuzhAi kaNNI Ananthan " ,
Our AzhwAr reminds us that he is talking about 
Sriman NaarAyaNan of anantha kalyANa guNams 
( Ananthan of limitless auspicious attributes )
adorning the fragrant and beautiful ThuLasi Garland 
(VaNN thuzhAik kaNNi Ananthan ).

He goes on to say that he will now identify His preferred 
RaajadhAnis (Capital Cities =iRai paadi aaya ivai)and lists 
some of them (ivai). Pey AzhwAr  identifies five of them as
(1)Srirangam /BhUlOka Vaikuntam ,where He gives us 
His Panguni Utthara sEvai with His dEvi (2)THIRUKKUDANTHAI ,
(3)ThiruvEnkatam (4)Milky Ocean and (5)ThiruppADakam .
AzhwAr says here that the Lord of such Pancha (five)RaajadhAnis 
has now chosen his heart lotus as the most preferred and
permanent residence among them all . 

Alternatively , these five preferred residencies of
Sriyappathi can be intrepretted as (1) ThiruppARkkadal 
or the milky ocean ( sErntha ThirumAl kadal ), where 
the Lord is present with MahA Lakshmi (2) NiRai Visumpu 
or Sri Vaikuntam/aprAkrutha divya desam  (3)Thirukkudanthai 
(4) Thiruppathi and (5) ThiruppADakam .By pointing out that 
the Lord of Lakshmi is now residing at his heart , he hints 
that his heart is as pure and auspicious as these divya dEsams 
( Kudanthai-Venkatam nErntha yenn chinthai ).

Interpreted at yet another level , Pey AzhwAr is saluting
the five forms in which Sriman NaarAyaNan manifests Himself :
(1)Param (2)VyUham (3)Vibhavam (4) Archai and (5)AntharyAmi .
These are His Veda PramANa svarUpams as revealed by the Famous 
Veda Manthram :

" ambhasya pArE , Bhuvanasya madhyE , 
Naakasya prushtE mahathO mahIyAn I
sukrENa jyOthIgumshi  samunuppravishta : 
PrajApoathisccharathi garbhE antha:"
    
-- First Manthram of Sri MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad

( one level meaning) : " The Lord of Creation , who
is present in the shoreless waters , on the earth and 
above the heaven  and who is greater than than the great ,
having entered the shining intelligences of creatures in
seed from , acts in the foetus (which grows into the living 
being that is born /SarIra-SaarIree doctrine).

This Upanishad vAkhyam is saluting the ParandhAman ,
the Supreme Para Brhamam , who is the supreme jyOthi
(Param JyOthi)in His exalted states of immanence
and transcendence .This Parama Purushan , Sriman 
NaarAyaNan is described to us as the same PrajApathi ,
who creates and sustains vast oceans , limitless worlds 
and the highest heavens and enters as a seed (antharyAmi Brahman) 
and spark inside the living creatures .This is the same ParamAthman
ensouling the universe in His virAt form .

Another level of meaning of this Upanishadic(sruthi)vAkhyam 
that the AzhwAr incorporated in His paasuram is as follows :

The Lord's residences are Vedaas , Thirukkudanthai 
and the AzhwAr's blemishless mind .They are co-equal
in auspiciousness.AzhwAr links the five states of 
Sriman NaarAyaNA in this paasuram . 

(1)The "ambhasya pArE " section of the MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad 
is related to "sErntha ThirumAl kadal " vAkhyams of AzhwAr .
ThirumAl sErntha kadal is KsheerAbdhi , where Sriman NaarAyaNan
is present in the VyUha nilai with Thiru ( MahA Lakshmi ).
At Srirangam and Thirukudanthai , " Ambhasya PaarE" can
be taken to indicate the Lords RanganathA and AarAvamudhan
rsting on the banks of Cauveri river equivant to 
the milky ocean in its sanctity .Both Sri Ranganaathan 
and Sri AarAvamudhan had common residence at one time 
at Srirangam under PraNavaakruthi and Vaidhika 
VimAnams respectively .Later Sri AarAvamudhan left
for Thirukkudanthai with His Vaishika VimAnam .Both
KasthUri Rangan ( Sri Ranganaathan ) and Sri Hema Rangan
( Sri AarAvamudhan ) are still rsting on the banks (paarE )
of CauvEri river .Lord SrinivAsan of ThiruvEnkatam
joined Thirukkudanthai as PaathALa SrinivAsan later.     

(2)"Bhuvanasya madhyE" portion relates to the Vibhavam
manifestation , where Sriman NaarAyaNan moved in this
world as Raaman and KrishNan . At Thirukkudanthai and
Srirangam , ubhaya Moorthy pradhAnathvam is recognized 
(i-e)., the Uthsavar is celebrated as Sri Ramachandran 
and the Moolavar is saluted as Sri KrishNan .This refers
to the Vibhavam manifestations of the Lord at Thirukkudanthai ,
ThiruvEnkatam , ThiruppADakam ,Srirangam et al .

(3) "Naakasya PrushtE "portion of the veda Manthram 
links to the ParA or Param state of the Lord , where 
He is present as Sri Vaikunta Naathan .With the choice of
" NiRai Visumpu " AzhwAr salutes the Param manifestation of
the Lord . 

(4) "JyOthigumshi samanupravishta" portion of the Veda 
manthram connects to the ArchA form of the Lord 
at Thirukkudanthai , ThiruppADakam et al.The Suddha -
satthva-maya Lord enters the Vigrahams there and 
sanctifies them by His JyOthi .

(5) "PrajApathi: Charathi garbhE antha:" portion of 
the Veda manthram connects to the antharyAmi state of
manifestation of the Lord . "Yenn chinthai niRai iRai "
vAkhyams of the AzhwAr refers to this AntharyAmi Brahmam.

Thus Pey AzhwAr's Paasuram salutes the PARA VaasudEvan 
of VyUhA form ( SankarshaNa , Pradhyumna , Aniruddha ,
VaasudEvA form ) resting on the PraNavAkruthi VimAnam 
and at the milky ocean (sErntha ThirumAL kadal).

This paasuram  salutes next Sri Raama -KrishNAvatharan 
of VIBHAVAA manifestation presiding at Thirukkudanthai
with His dear Consort Sri KomaLAmbhA and goes on to
celebrate the ARCHA mUrthys at ThiruvEnkatam et al and
finally THE ANTHARYAAMI FORM inside the AzhwAr's heart.

THUS PEY AAZHWAAR IN THIS PAASURAM WITH RICH MEANINGS
POURS OUT THE ESSENCE OF THE VEDHA MANTHRAM IN SACRED 
TAMIL AND REVEALS THE NATURE OF THIS PANCHAAVATHAARAN
OF THIRUKKUDANTHAI .

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan