Thiru maal irum sOlai - part 5 - AruL tharum Azhagar Malai
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Sampath Rengarajan • Wed Nov 27 1996 - 12:08:27 PST
Thiru maal irum sOlai - Part 5 - AruL tharum Azhagar Malai
In varaaha puraanam this malai or hill is discussed in the
chapter under the title "rishaabaathiri". "Rishabam" means a bull
or kaaLai. The hills around this malai are seen as the cows and
this malai alone is majestic and is seen tall and strong as the
bull or rishabam and that is one reason some people believe that
this malai is called as rishaabaathri. malaya parvatham or
pothiya malai is 10 Yojani from this malai and kauveri is 6
yOjanai north of this malai and varaaha parvatham or popularly
known as pazhani malai is 6 yOjanai west of this malai as
described in (sanka kaala ?) ancient literatures. Such malai is
also known as koodaloor naadu or maal irum kunRam or thiru maal
irum sOlai or vana giri and many other such names. Once yama
dharma raajan took the form of rishabam and did penance seeking
Lord vishnu's aruL in this malai. He requested Lord vishnu to
name this malai as rishaabaadri in memory of his thapas that was
done here. Subsequently dharma raajan also requested the Lord to
offer his sundara uruvam of sundara raajan for darsshan to
commeners in this malai and the Lord obliged. Darma dEvan
subsequently requested vishva karma to create a vimaanam and
Koil in this place and it is believed that vishvakarma
immediately made the most beautiful vimaanam (that is similar in
beauty to chandiran) for this sundara roopa Lord. And such is the
soma chanda vimaanam.
The divine features of azhagar malai is also delivered in great
details by Sri nammaazhwaar in thiruvaay mozhi in 11 exclusive
paasurams. Not many of the hills that emperumaan is living are
sung exclusively by aazhwaars to this extent. Instead of
revisiting the inner meanings I would like to post some
highlights of these 11 paasurams on azhagar malai as written by
Swami gopala desikan of Oppiliappan kOil and with little
additional comments by me. Any translation errors are mine and I
request the forgiveness from the Lord the author and all the
baagavathaaLs in case I have erred in my attempt to present
nammaazhwar mozhi on azhagar malai.
3002:
kiLar oLi yiLamai kedu vathan munnam,
vaLar oLi maayOn maruviya kOyil,
vaLar iLam pozil sooz maal irun cOlai,
thaLar vilar aagil saarvathu sathirE. 2.10.1
It is the most desirable thing to do when one is young and able
and such is to go and worship Lord Azhagar in thirumaal irum
sOlai.
3003:
sathir iLam adavaar thaaz chsiyai mathiyaathu,
athir kural saNGkath thazakar_tham kOyil,
mathi thavaz kudumi maal irun cOlai,
pathi yathu vEththi yezu vathupayanE. 2.10.2
Swami vangipuram navaneetham VN gOpala dEsikaachaariar writes in
Nrsimhap priya on "thriuvaay mozhi amutham" that as per azzwaar's
quotes, "azhagar malai is so tall and majestic that it touches
the chandra mandalam. He also quotes that this azhagar malai
provides nirmala parisuththa nyAnam on emperumaan which is
without samsayam, viparyayam, maRappu (forgetfulness). ie azhagar
malai clears the doubts that parama purushan is a devatha known
as brahmam and also the doubts that such is a devatha other than
sriman narayana. Such azhukku illaatha nyaanathai kodukkum. ie
azhagar malai provides a nyaanam that is pure and void of these
impure doubts. nammazhwaar says mathi thavazh kudumi maal irun
chOlai in thriuvaay mozhi. Since "mathi" is the word used for
chandran or moon, It is said that when this hill, crosses the
peaks of chandran, it also grinds the cliffs and by doing so
chandran is removed of its impurity and become pure or one
without dhOsham or kaLangam. Swami Gopala desikan continues to
interpret this in another way with a comparison from Sri koorath
thaazhwaar's "sundara baahoosthavam". It is believed that Sri
koortha thaazwaar conveys these sentiments of purifying chandran
by azhagar malai as a rasa. ie When the azhagar malai siharam or
peaks are reaching beyond chandran, certain monkeys living in
those peaks don't want to touch the chandran who is on the head
of rudran and that such rudra sambandam or association to rudra
has contaminated chandran's purity and that these monkeys fear
that such impurities of chandran may come to them if they ever
touch him.
ie
yatheeya siharaa kathaam sasaikalaam thu saakaamrukaa:
nireeshya "hara"sEkaree bavanam....
sprusanthi na hi thEvathaanthara samaasrithEthi (sundara
baahoosthavam)
hence it is derived that chandran comes to azhagar malai to
remove his asuththi. ie malam aRu - to remove the kaLangam or
dhosham or kuRai or impurities.
mathi - chandiran
sEr - senru adaiyum or reaches the
maal irum chOlai - azhagar malai
Those who feel that they missed seeing varaahap perumaal need not
feel sad anymore as varaaahap perumaal himself had come to
azhagar malai just to provide darshan for those. Remember that HE
rescued booma dEvi who surrendered to HIM and such booma dEvi
incarnation Sri ANdAL revisited here and conveyed the same
sentiment in naachiyaar thirumozhi. One of the paasuram conveys
such saraNagathi as per the vyaakyaanam of our elders.
3004:
payan alla seythu payan illai_nenchE,
puyal mazai vaNNar purindh uRai kOyil,
mayal miku pozil sooz maal irun chOlai,
ayanmalaiyadaivathathukarumamE. 2.10.3
"maal irun chOlai,
ayan malai yadaivathathu karumamE"
ie If one can reach any one of the malai that is closer to this
"southern thiru malai" or known in tamil as "theRku thiru malai"
3005:
karu mavan paasam kazithth uzanRuyyavE,
peru malai yeduththaan pIduRai kOyil,
varu mazai thavazum maal irun chOlai,
thirumalai yathuvE yadaivathu thiRamE. 2.10.4
"maal irun chOlai,
thirumalai yathuvE yadaivathu thiRamE"
ie Azhwaar says that it is the best thing one can do and such
would be to reach thiru malai thiru maal irum sOlai. Now he
extends his accessibility to this malai itself.
3006:
thiRa mudai valaththaal thIvinai perukkaathu,
aRa muyal aazip padaiyavan_kOyil,
maRuvil vaN sunai sooz maal irun chOlai,
puRa malai saarap pOvathu kiRiyE. 2.10.5
With one's saamarththiyam (smartness) and thEha balam (physical
strength) one must not continue to do kodiya papams or (very bad
sins). HE who takes care of HIS adiyaars and the one who has the
aazhi or thiru chakkaram as HIS weapon and such Lord is living
here. Such divya dEsam is the one that is surrounded by many
sunais or water fillets around that doesn't have any mud or sEru
(ie the quality of water from these ooRRu are so pure and
unsoiled) and is such divya desam is also known azhagar malai. If
one can merely *start* to reach any one of the malais that is in
the vicinity of this malai, it is then considered enough as a
best possible sEvai. Such is the specialty of this "theRku thiru
malai".
3007:
kiRi yena_ninaimin kIzmai seyyaathE,
uRi yamar veNNey undavan kOyil,
maRi yodu piNai sEr maal irun chOlai,
neRi pada vathuvE ninai vathu_nalamE. 2.10.6
Learn the following that is being told by me (azhwaar) on azhagar
malai as the best purushaarththam. Without getting involved in
the materials pleasures of this world, and without committing the
actions that will indulge one again and again in these material
pursuits, the Lord Who stole and ate the butter from the uRi (pot
hanged from the roof and such Lord) is living in this kOyil. And
in this Koil that the deer lives with its new born infants
(meaning it is so safe even for a deer to live here just after
its delivery), if one can meditate on this Lord azhagar that
would be the best purushaarththam. In the previous paasuram he
says if one is able to think that they must reach this azhagar
malai is by itself a good deed. And in the subsequent paasuram he
says that if one can even think of this azhagar malai that itself
would be a good purushaarththam. ie One need not even think to go
there but simply think about this malai and that by itself is a
great deed. The emperumaan who provide shelter for these deer
will also provide protection for us who are HIS children and
infants in his vibavam and once we think about HIM HE will never
let us go from HIM as similar to a deer that would not let its
infant leave it and wander in danger. In poorvach chaaryaar
vyaakyaanam it is said that it is the best deed even if one can
think of the path that leads to this azhagar malai. This path or
maargam is compared to the achchiraathi maargam that is described
by Lord Krishnar.
3008:
nala mena_ninaimin nara kazun dhaathE,
nila munam idandhaan nIduRai kOyil,
mala maRu mathi sEr maal irun chOlai,
vala muRai yeythi maru vuthal valamE. 2.10.7
malam Ara aNuguveer
aazwaar also says that when one reach the azhagar malai they also
must go there by observing the protocols and sentiments that HE
is param and we are HIS adiyaars. Please don't go close to him
with a thought of ego that jarasandhan and his fellow raakshash
approached paramporuL Sri Krishnar. Azzhwaar also says that If
one can go around perumal and the malai (giri valam) and live
there forever in nityaa vaasam, such is the best purushaarththam
one can do.
valam seythu
The strength and the able body and mind are provided and
maintained by HIS aruL and such strength be spent only for going
around HIS azhagar malai and going around azhagar and living
there in nityaa vaasam. And such is the genuine thing to do with
the mortal strength we all have been provided by the Lord.
valam seyyum maayavan
Adi kavi vaalmeeki says that Sri ramachandran strolled around the
thiruch chithrak koodam holding hands with seetha and such was
the case here in azhagar malai also where swami azhagar is
strolling around with piraati all the time as per aazhwaar. ie HE
gave us the strength only to worship HIM and HE also gave HIMself
the sundara archa roopam in azhagar malai that we can easily
worship HIM. Swami VN gopala desikan quotes from veda " ya
aathmathaa balathaa" to prove this point.
vaanOr valam seyyum sOlai
nitya suris and boolOga vaasis always do darshan of the two
malais ie thirup pathi thiru malai and azhagar malai. The reason
is provided by thirumangai azhwaar that all the nitya suris and
boolOga vaasis who are children of piraati are very fond of her
breasts as an infant and the two such breasts of booma dEvi are
the thirumalai and azhagar malai
ie thennnan uyar poruppum theyva vada malaiyum ennum ivaiyE
mulaiyaa vadivamaintha
- periya thiru madal
All these sentiments are in a way similar to kulasEkara
aazhwaar's sequential desires conveyed in perumaal thiru mozhi on
thirup pathi thiru malai.
The meanings of the last 4 pasurams will be discussed later.
3009:
valamseythuvaikal valaNGkaziyaathE,
valamseyyum_aaya maayavan kOyil,
valamseyyumvaanOr maalirunchOlai,
valamseythu_naaLum maruvuthalvazakkE. 2.10.8
3010:
vazakkena_ninaimin valvinaimoozkaathu,
azakkodiyattaa Nnamar_peruNGkOyil,
mazakkaLiRRinancEr maalirunchOlai,
thozukkaruthuvathE thuNivathusoothE. 2.10.9
3011:
soothenRugaLavum soothumseyyaathE,
vEthamunviriththaan virumpiyakOyil,
maathuRumayilsEr maalirunchOlai,
pOthavizmalaiyE pukuvathuporuLE. 2.10.10
3012:
poruLEnRivvulagam padaiththavanpugazmEl,
maruLilvaNkurukoor vaNsadakOpan,
theruLkoLLachchonna vOraayiraththuLippaththu,
aruLudaiyavan_thaa LaNaivikkummudiththE. 2.10.11
AndAL thiruvadikaLE charaNam
Sri Sridevi piraati thaayar samEthara Sri azhagar thiruvadikaLE
charanam
Sampath Rengarajan
Note: It is in deed the noblest is to think of this azhagar malai
and perhaps it is a small deed and a step if this adiyEn can
provide to everyone in simple terms and enable them to think of
this azhagar malai in some popular way. Such would be considered
as a service to naraaynaa by me. Few scenes of the kaaviyam of
movies "thillaanaa mohanaambaaL" written by koththamangalam subbu
is reminded by me for bringing easy memory for those who cannot
go right away to India or see pictures of this malai. At the
beginning of this movie the title of this movie itself is shown
for about 5 minutes with this malai and the azhagar kOil and the
kudhirai vaahnam and the surrounding malais and thiruvizhaas or
festivities. The movie itself is kicked off with a festival
being held in this malai with participation of various vidwaans
and artists performing in the thiru vizhaa for Lord azhagar.
naadaswaram of MPN ponnusaami and MPN sethuraaman of madurai in
inDolam (?) (nagumO GaNalE) starts in th ethiru vizhaa.
Subsequently the naatiyap pErOLi padmini and Nadikar thilakam
sivaji ganesan (who plays the role of naadaswara vidhawan
(earlier) sikkal sanmuga sundaram and he is the one who starts
with nagumO .. in nagaswaram (sikkal is by the way a very
important srivaishnava thalam) crosses each other with an
introduction and oodal and a challenge, the theme for the movie.
Then mOhanaa the dancer takes the podium and starts to dance. In
kavignar kannadaasan's words this oodal is presented as
"maRain thirunthE paarkkum marmam enna, swaami ?"
ahzagar malai azhagaa ? intha silai azhagaa ?"
ie.. what is the reason you are hiding and watching me my hero ?
Is this ahzagar malai is the most beautiful or this silai or
statue is most beautiful ?
There is a double meaning here. The whole song can be summarized
as the oodal between the hero and his lover. But it can also be
seen as the praise for the Lord ahzgar that ANDAL praised in her
oodal. Except for the usage of the words velavan and shanmugan to
suit the movie character, In some way kannadaasan *attempts* to
capture the oodal sentiments (nava rasa mum - the next sentence
in this song is shown with nava rasam or expressions of a female
in love and the subsequent words are "oru mOhaththilE ennai
moozhga vaiththu ; ie you made me immerse in mOham) ANDAL
conveyed when she reached this malai and naatiyap pErOLi never
missed this opportunity either to convey the expressions in dance
language or muththirai and abainayam and oyil. The question here
is if this malai is beautiful or the Lord Azhagar is beautiful ?
When these words are sung, mohana dances and makes muththirai of
pari mEl ahzhzar ie ahzagar in his horse carrier or kuthirai
vaahanam and then for malai she uses a majestic muththirai of
tall and one that has peaks in it. This question (azhagar malai
azhagaa ? (azhagar) intha silai ahzhagaa ?) is sung thrice in the
song and mohana makes unique muththirais each time for this
malai. The second time she makes a posture to convey its (azhagar
malai) width and density and the third time she shows how it
(azhagar malai) is spread around in a circular way. My wife who
learnt and did baratha naatiyam from very young age, had danced
for this song when she was only 8 years old. I learnt to see the
different muththirais from her review of this song. I hope
bakthaaLS wanting to think of azhagar malai but donot have access
to any photos or any oral account from earlier visitors, can see
these first few minutes of this kaaviyam and think of this malai
and Lord Azhagar with a pure mind.
adiyEn
Sampath Rengarajan
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