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Thirukkudanthai Desikan"s AparyApthAmrutha sOpAanam:sLokam 7-Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • May 21, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs of Lord AarAvamudhan :

In the last posting , we commenced the enjoyment of  
the ThirumArbhu (Vakshasthalam )of Amudhan , which is 
the place of residence of MahA Lakshmi ( Ramaa VaasasthAnam )
as visualized by Thirukkudanthai Desikan . 

In this posting , we will enjoy the additional salutations
to that auspicious ThirumArbhu or the chest region of the Lord
of Thirukkudanthai. The great bhakthA of AarAvamudhan , this 
aparAvathAran of Swami Desikan focuses now on the following 
additional auspicious vasthus in that blemishless (anagam )
chest :

1.MaNi vara ruchA bhaasvath
2.Mahaa HaarOllAsam
3.Nikhila JagadhAthi prakruthi bhU:
4.sunaddham sUthrENa dhrutha kanaka bhAsvath

Thirukkudanthai Desikan prays to the Lord that 
the memory of His auspicious ThirumArbhu adorned
with the gem Kousthubham , vana Maalai , Sacred
thread and Prakrtuthi should remain forever etched
in his mind and illuminate that mind always . 

Before commenting on the allusions associated 
with the four items referred to above , let us 
focus on the Anaga Vakshasthalam or the blemish-free
chest . The sacredness of the Lord's chest is revealed
to us by Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL NaayanAr in his 
AchArya Hrudhaya soorNikai : " Bharatha AkrUra 
MaaruthikaLaip parishvankittha maNi mihu maarvilE kurumaamaNi-
yaa yaNayum vasthuvukku " .Here , NaayanAr refers to
that ThirumArbhu that embraced tightly BhaAgavatha
SrEshTAs like Bharathan and HanumAn during RaamAvathAram ,
AkrUrar in KrishNAvathAram .

Once NammAzhwAr looked at the ThirumArbhu of the Lord 
with Nithya Sri and declared : " neesanEn niRai onRumilEn --
Ammaan Aazhip pirAn yevvidatthAn? yaanAr ? " ( I am 
the lowliest of the low ; I do not have any guNa sampoorthi .
How exalted is my Lord with Sudarsanam in His hand ? 
How Low am I ?". with this statement, Swami NammAzhwAr
stood aside saying how can I dare to approach Him ? 

The Lord who heard this naicchAnusanthAnam ran 
towards the AzhwAr and hugged him tight to His chest . 
That chest with many Bhaagavatha samslEsahm (union)
is very auspicious and blemishless (anagam ). 

During the samprOkshaNam that Thirukkudanthai 
Desikan performed , Amudhan longed for the aalinganam
(embrace) of this parama Bhaagavathar . Such is the glory of
the blemishless chest of the Lord that is the subject
of this slOkam .

Coming back to the other four word groups , let us
start with " Mani vara ruchA BhAsvath ". The Lord of 
Kudanthai , who has been saluted by one of the AzhwArs as
" Kudanthai mEya kuru maNit thiraL " gave place for the gem ,
Kousthubham and enhanced its beauty thru assoication 
with His auspicious chest . 

At Thirukkudanthai , Cauveri floods bring forth and
lay at th Lord's feet many gems ( Sezhu maamaNigal 
sErum sezhu neer Thirukkudanthai ). MaNi VarAs like 
Thirumazhisai also assemble at the feet of this 
Kousthubha MaNi ThirumArbhan and enhance the lustre
of the Lord's sannidhi . That fundamental jyOthi that
adds lusre to all assembled on His chest and at His feet
is the "Satyam JyOthi" identified by Thirukkudanthai
Desikan as AravAmudhan .

The second MangaLa Vasthu adorning that illustrious 
ThirumArbhu is " the MahA haarOllaasam ". There are
many beautiful ThuLasi and Flower garlands that adorn 
the Lord's beautiful chest . Amudhan's sevai with 
those fragrant garlands including the one made 
from wild flowers of the forest (vana Maalai ,Vyjayanthi) 
has been saluted by many AzhwArs and AchAryAs :

" KaanAr naRum ThuzhAi kai seytha kaNNi " beautifies 
that chest . MahA Lakshmi Herself constructed that 
fragrant ThuLasi garland for the Lord according to
PeriyAzhwAr . 

"sErntha ThirumAl kadal Kudanthai --vaNduzhaik KaNNI"
is the mangaLAsAsanam of pEy AzhwAr . He also admires
that beautiful chest donning the TaruNa ThuLasi maalai.

NammAzhwAr cries out loud over his dhurbhAgyam in
not getting the beautiful lilly and Thulasi garlands
adorning the Lord' chest : " valli VaLa vayal soozh
Kudanthia maamalark kaNNvalarhinRa maal , alli malart-
taNduzhaayum taarAn , aarkkiduhO vinipUsal solleer ?".
As ParAnkusa Naayaki , AzhwAr cried out that the Lord 
was parsimonious in blessing her with the garlands that
she coveted . 

ThiruppANar conceded that the beauty of the Lord's chest 
with the garlands enslaved him :" ThiruvAra maarbhathanRO 
adiyEnai aatkoNdathE ".

Thirukkudanthai Desikan was overcome by the " MahA -
haarOllAsa Vaksha sthalam " and presented a patthakkam
with Lakshmi pendant ( LakshmI Haaram ).

The next item that Thirukkudanthai Desikan finds on 
the chest of the Lord is Moola Prakruthi that is 
involved in all his creations ( naama rUpa prapncham ).

The final auspicious item that Thirukkudanthai finds on
the Lord's  sacred chest is " Sunaddham soothrENa dhrutha 
kanaka BhAsvath sva vapushA ". On the Chest of this 
Vaidhika VimAna adhishtAthA ( the Parama Vaidhikan resting 
under the Vaidhika VimAnam  at Thirukkudanthai ), Sri Gopaala
Desikan of Thirukkudanthai finds the golden sacred thread 
that shines like the freshly melted pure gold in hue .Inspite
of the fact that that He does not need to perform 
KarmAnushtAnams for gaining any srEyas ,He keeps 
performing sroutha SmArtha vihitha nithya karmAnushtAnams
and wears the Yaj~nOpaveetham to indicate His Vratham .
In the ThiruvEzhukURRirukkai , Kaliyan salutes this
scred thread of AarAvamudhan this way :
"muppuri noolodu maanuriyilanku maarbhinil ".
AzhwAr sees Amudhan as Vaamana BrahmachAri 
with both the Yaj~nOpaveetham and deer skin
on His chest .

Thirukkudnthai concludes this slOkam with the prayer to
be blessed with the nourishing memory of the beautiful
chest region of the Lord ( SadhA vaksha: chitthE 
lasathu SaarnghkyA Dhanusha : ) with its Kousthubham .
MahA Lakshmi , fragrant garlands and Sacred thread . 

In the next slOkam , Thirukkudanthai Desikan 
moves his glance upwards from the chest and focuses 
on the enjoyment of the Lord's arms .

Sri KomaLavalli SamEtha Sri SaarngarAjAya nama:
Daasan SadagOpan