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Karthigai PowrNami day& Thirumangai AvathAra dinam

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 24, 1996 


Dear member sof Bahkthi group : 

On this sacred day of KrittikA pourNami , when 
the astreism of KrittikA is in ascendance, Thirumangai
AzhwAr was born at Kurayalur near the Divya desam
of kAzhiccheerama ViNNagaram ( today's SeerkhAzhi 
in Tanjore district ) . 

Let us salute him with the invocatory verse composed by
Sri RaamAnujA :

vaazhi parakAlan vAzhi kalikanri ,
vAzhi Kurayalur vAzh vendhan --vAzhiyarO
MaayOnai vAL valiyAl mandiram koL,
mangairkOn thuyOn sudarmAna vEl .

The disciple of RamAnujA , EmbhAr blessed us with
his own invocatory verse that salutes both his own 
Acharya  and the AzhwAr :

yengaL gathiyEirAmAnusa muniyE,
sangai kedutthu aanda tava raasaa ,-- ponghu pugazh
mangairkOn eendha marai aayiram anaitthum
tangumana nee yenakkutthaa 

Thirumangai's adoration of Ramaavatharam and 
the celebration of the incidents of Srimadh RaamayaNam
are abundantly documented in his six Prabhandams.

I will briefly refer to his celebration of the heroism of Rama 
as he experienced through his moving pasurams associated 
with different divya desams.  This  compilation is more illustrative
than exhaustive.

1. Thirupparithi : Periya Thirumozhi (PTM ) -- 1.2.2
Here Sethu Bhandhanam , destruction of RavaNA's capital city
are described.

2.BadarikAsramam: PTM -1.4 .3

Yuddha Khaandham sambhavam of the destruction of 
RavaNaa an dhis kulam is reminisced here.

3. SaaLigramam; 1.5.1 Deep in the snow of the hills of 
Nepal , AzhwAr is reminded of the valour of Rama in
the southern kingdom of Lankhaa and he salutes Ramachandra"s
valor in cutting the ten heads of the evil RavaNA.

4.Thiru EvvuLLUR : PTM --2.2.2 
The sakthi of Rama's unfailing arrow and its shearing of
the ten heads of RavaNa is the subject here. AzhwAr was a chieftain
of a small kingdom and therefore he has special affection
for the battle field distinctions of Sri Rama. The name of the Archaa murthy 
at this Divy adesam is Veera Raghavan and hence it is appropriate 
that the AzhwAr focuses on the heroism of the Lord here .

5.ThiruvallikkENi : PTM--2.3.7

Here Bharata LakshmaNa satrugna Sitaa sametha 
Ramachandran is saluted as RavaNAnthakan.

6. Kaazhicchirama ViNNagaram : PTM --3.4.6
Here the killing of Vaali (Kishkindha Khandam 
episode ) and Kabhandha vadham (Aranya KhAndham
episode ) are saluted by the AzhwAr.

7. Vaikuntha ViNNagaram: PTM-- 3.9.4&5
SurpaNakA's humilation episode associated 
with Aaranya Khandham is saluted here. Her 
loss of ear and nose as wellas her flight to Lankhaa
that led to the Maaricha Vadham is covered here.
RavaNa's own lossof his ten heads and twenty 
shoulders in the battle with Rama is the topic of the 
5th paasuram .

8.Thiruarimeya ViNNagaram : PTM--3.10.6
Rama's superior skills as a bowman wielding
his Kodhandam for the sake of recovering Sita 
and the destruction of RavaNa in the battle field is 
the topic of this Paasuram.

9. ThirunAngur Semponseykoil : PTM-4.3.5
A salutation to Rama Bhakthas is housed in this
Paasuram.Rama is described as the infant of 
Dasaratha here. Azhwaar states that infant will 
have dayaa for those, who salute him as the one
who destroyed the evil Rakshasaas of DandakaaraNyam
and Lankhaa .

10 .ThirukkavaLampaadi : PTM--4.6.4
Rama's coronation of VibhishaNa in fulfilment
of his promise to him at THiruppullaNi (Sethukkarai ) 
is saluted here. The SaraNAgatha rakshakatvam 
is referred to here.

11. ThiruveLLakkuLam: PTM-- 4.7.5
Sethu Bhandanam is saluted here and the Lord of 
this Divya Desam is requested to remove all obstacles
in receiving his blessings.

12. Thirupparthan PaLLI : 4.8.5
Rama's effort to complete his AvathAra Kaaryam
by building Sethu to reach lankhaa is saluted here.

There are so may paasurams of Thirumangai , which focus on 
the Vaibhavam of Rama . Above are a small set of examples of 
the joy of Thirumangai in saluting Sri Ramachandra.

Azhwaar ThiruvadigalE saraNam.

Sri VaishNava Daasan

Oppilaippan Koil VaradaachAri Sadagopan