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3-Alwars by Sri Bhuvarahacharya

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Krishna Kalale • November 10, 1997 


Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 09:23:10 +0500 (GMT+0500)

I am posting an article by Bhuvaracharya:


From: Bharat A 
To: kkalale
Subject: from Bharat


Dear Sri Krishna Kalale

This being the week of the Thiru nakshatrams of the
Three Mudal Azhwars,Sri Bhuvarahachariar Swamy has
kindly written an article about them .I'm enclsosing
it.Please put it on on the Net immly as it is topical.
Please let me know also whether this reached you.
With best wishes for your family
BHARAT
 

************************************************************
                               SRI
                   SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAH
 
      THE FIRST THREE AZHWARS - BORN IN SUCCESSION DURING
      THIS TAMIL CALENDAR MONTH - TULA MASAM (AIPPASI)
      (an article by Sri E.S.Bhuvarahachariar Swami)
 
         SRIMAN NARAYANA the Supreme Deity of the Universe is
      so called because of His Lordship over the two worlds:one
      is the Nitya Loka (which is neither created nor destroyed
      by Him) and the other is this world created by Him for His
      sport and hence named as Leela Vibhuti.In Nitya Vibhuti all
      souls are steeped in everlasting joy along with their master
      SRIMAN NARAYANA. In this world,on the contrary,there is
      very little happiness,people are suffering owing to their
      ignorance- namely that they mistake their body for their
      soul and do not understand that the soul is permanent while
      the body is perishable as clearly perceived by them.The LORD,
      seeing this,gave them the Sastras namely Vedas etc,which
      would serve as beacon light to dispel their internal darkness
      and show them the right path to SI VAIKUNTHA LOKA.But this
      also went in vain.People discarded and disregarded all
      these Sastras and forgot all about them and the very purpose
      for which they themselves had been given their bodies by
      THE LORD.They also thought that it was well nigh impossible
      to practise all vedic injunctions.Hence THE LORD Himself
      took birth as SRI RAMA and SRI KRISHNA and showed to the
      human beings that it was not impossible to walk the path
      of the Sastra,by Himself walking the way laid down in the
      Sastras.Though He demonstrated the right life in this manner
      through His divine births the people were not ready to
      follow suit.THE LORD pondered over this and realised His
      mistake.As He did not belong to their group,(as he was
      not a bird of the same feather) the people cared very
      little for His birth,preachings and practice.To catch
      a wild beast another animal (a deer or goat) is required.
      Understanding this principle or the natural law of this
      land,THE LORD decided to bestow His benevolent grace on
      some souls at the time of their birth.The result is the
      birth of the AZHWARS.
 
      Thus the AZHWARS in SriVaishnavism are not foreigners,i.e.,
      they are not some of the dwellers of the divine world,
      namely Vaikuntha Loka.They are some of the suffering souls 
      repeatedly getting born and dying in this world.All Azhwars
      clearly say this in their works.But their greatness lies
      in this that they are THE CHOSEN FEW OF THE LORD meant for
      uplifting the other distressed souls who are plunged in the
      ocean of misery and ignorance.THE LORD gave them perfect
      knowledge of the three entities namely CHIT (soul),ACHIT
      (insentient beings or inert matter) and ISWARA (the
      supreme LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA).He also bestowed on them
      deep devotion for Him.Thus with the great gift of very
      clear perception of men,matter and THE LORD,the Azhwars
      perceived everything in the past,present and future.The
      curtain of Time was thus pulled down for them by THE LORD.
      So these Azhwars are not divine beings but only ordinary
      men chosen by THE LORD for delivering us from the worldly
      bondage consisting of the ever-revolving cycle of births
      and deaths.As they behaved,owing to their deep devotion
      to THE LORD,in a manner totally different from others,
      they were looked upon as immortals from Vaikuntha Loka,
      come down for our deliverance.This is only a fanciful
      imagination.
 
      AZHWAR means,those men who are immersed in the ocean of
      the Virtues of THE LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA and consequently
      those virtues alone sustained them in this world,and not
      food and water.Of the TEN AZHWARS the first three are -
      POYGAI AZHWAR, BHUTAT-AZHWAR and PEY-AZHWAR.
      
      1. POYGAI AZHWAR was born in a Lotus Pond at the temple
      of Sri YATHOKTA-KAARI Swami (meaning the Almighty,who
      implicitly obeyed the commands of his great devotee
      THIRU-MAZHISAI-AZHWAR) in the famous city of Kanchi
      Puram.He and the next two Azhwars were not given birth
      to by women. (POYGAI= pond)
 
      2.BHUTAT-AZHWAR came out of a flower at Mahabali-puram,
      the sea shore town.
 
      3.PEY-AZHWAR sprang from a flower of  the well in a temple
      dedicated to Sri KESAVA PERUMAL at Mylapore (Madras).
 
      These  Azhwars were born during this month (Tula month)
      when the three stars THIRUVONAM,AVITTAM and SADAYAM were
      reigning supreme.(These most venerable days fall on
      11.7.97, 11.8.97 and 11.9.97)
 
      These three great men,once they were made to realise the
      flimsy and ever transitory nature of the fleeting worldly
      pleasures and the most unreliable nature of men,prefered
      the jungle life rather than the city life.Repulsed by the
      corrupt practises and the insincere and ever impure heart
      of the people they retired to the forest and were wandering
      about separately without knowing one another.THE LORD was
      observing them and thought of a plan to bring them together
      as otherwise the purpose of His endowment of devotional
      knowledge to them would go waste.It was actually meant to
      benefit the people of this world.
      
      So one night as per His will there was heavy rain and blinding
      darkness.The first Azhwar had to resort to a shelter.Luckily
      he saw the hermitage of Mrikandu Sage at THIRUK-KOVALUR.On
      the veranda,which was very small in area,he lay down meditating
      on the qualities of God.Driven by the same circumstances
      Bhutat-azhwar came there (as it was the will of destiny) and
      sought shelter with all humility from the previous occupant
      of the place.The former said," One can lie down,Two can sit
      and that is the accomodation.Please come in,Sir!" The very
      polite reply invited the latter,making him realise that the
      gentleman inside was a very great SriVaishnava.Who would
      give shelter at that juncture,when the space was just
      sufficient for one man to sleep!
 
      While these two were sitting and chatting about God,the
      Third Azhwar,Pey-Azhwar arrived there and he also solicited
      shelter.Both of them replied in one voice earnestly praying
      for the Third Azhwar's delectable company.The three now had
      space only to stand.They spoke of the virtues of God,shedding
      profuse joyful tears with horripilation all over their bodies.
      THE ALMIGHTY took this opportunity to mingle with them.He came
      there along with His Spouse SRI MAHALAKSHMI and also His
      retinue.Naturally the Azhwars suffered due to the restricted
      space and being pressed hard by the large crowd.
      
      The First Azhwar,desiring to know the cause,lit a lamp;not an 
      ordinary lamp but an extraordinary one.He took this world for
      the lamp,and the Water of the Oceans for the ghee,and the Sun
      for the wick and flame of the lamp.
 
      The Second Azhwar (BHUTAM) lighted in his own way another lamp;
      with his Devotion for THE LORD as the lamp,and his earnest
      longing for THE LORD as ghee,and his evermelting meditative
      thought of Him as the flame of the lamp.
 
      The Third Azhwar (PEY) declared having sighted the Supreme
      Being: "Oh! SRIMAN NARAYANA along with His followers are
      seen here."
 
      Thus Poygai Azhwar sang one hundred verses inlucid Tamil
      called MUDAL TIRUV-ANDADI;so also the Second Azhwar,
      IRANDAM TIRUV-ANDADI and the Third Azhwar,MOONRAM
      THIRUV-ANDADI.
 
      The First Azhwar declred in his centum that THE LORD has
      got Two Worlds (Sri Vaikuntha and this mortal world) for
      His property.The Second Azhwar said that His name was
      NARAYANA.The Third declared that He had as his consort
      SRI MAHALAKSHMI.
 
      All the three declared in one voice: "He alone is the
      Supreme Being and all others are subservient to Him.He
      alone can grant Salvation.Taking Refuge unto Him is the
      very best and the easiest means of reaching His Abode.
      The Final Goal of man is to reach His Eternal Abode and
      worship Him and serve Him."
 
      In unequivocal terms they all said that all other deities
      can give us only worldly pleasures which would only make us
      more and more involved in this world and cause more miseries
      and  get us born again and again in this mortal world.The 
      body is given to us by SRIMAN NARAYANA to make the effort
      needed to put a fullstop to te ever revolving cycle of
      birth and death.So we should hold fast to His Feet and
      snap the chain of Bondage.
 
      These sweet simple songs should be ever on the lips of
      all SriVaishnavas.That alone is the easiest means to earn
      His Grace.
 
      Do you wish to hear more about these sweet Divine Songs ?
      Kindly contact Prof E.S.BHUVARAHACHARYA, 114/3, Sri Ranga
      4th Main Road,Between 9th and 10th cross,Malleswaram,
      BANGALORE 560003,INDIA.
 
      Kindly celebrate the birthday of these Azhwars,by lighting
      ghee lamps in front of Sriman Narayana at your residence
      which will drive away your ignorance (if any) and drive
      away the darkness of your sufferings.
 
               " REMEMBER THE THREE AZHWARS "