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Re: Thirumangai Alwar

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Mani Varadarajan • November 1, 2000 


Bala Sundaram writes:
> I have heard a version of the end of Sri Thirumangai Alwar which I want to 
> check.
> 
> The version I heard says that the Alwar was murdered in fields near 
> Thirukurunkudi. This unnatural end is said to be the punishment for the bad 
> deeds that he had done, like robbery. is this correct?

Dear Sri Bala Sundaram,

>From all that I have read and heard, there is no evidence for this version.
Neither the Guru Parampara Prabhavam nor any of the later biographies by
authors within the sampradAya mention such an event. So we can safely say
it is probably a belief that is held by a small minority of people.

> The alwars are considered to be the avataras of Nityasuris. Therefore how 
> Sri Thirumangai Alwar is said to have done bad things and therefore 
> punished?

Whether Alvars are avatAras of nitya-sUris or not is a different matter.
Even Sri Rama suffered in his sojourn on earth; the explanation is that
his suffering was part of his lIlA as a human being. If the Alvars are
thought of as nitya-sUris, any punishment they undergo can be considered
in the same light.

Both Sri Tirumangai Alvar's hagiography and the question of the 
inherent divinity of the Alvars have been discussed recently. I invite
those interested to peruse the October 2000 archives once they are
made available.

dAsan
Mani


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