Bhaktaraavi Perumal mercy to Thirukkanna mangai AndAn.

Thirukkannamangai  temple is  one amongst the   srivaishnava divya desam in Kumbakonam. This divine place is located in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu. Around 8 kms  from Tiruvarur amidst  a huge tank  Darsha Pushkarini this   temple  is located  near  Western banks  . 

Azhwar  keeps comparing the Lordships  here to  the sugarcane and also refers to the village as the place where blue lotuses bloom. While those flowers may not be so visible now, the sweetness of the shrine cannot be denied.

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About 25 miles from Kumbakonam, the temple is among the Pancha Krishnaraya kshetrams– the others being Therazhandur, Thirukannapuram, Thirukanankudi, Thirukannamangai and Thiru kapisthalam.

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This holy  place is also called as “Sapthamirtha Kshetram”.An unique darshanam for the devotees  at this temple is of Mahalakshmi thayar. This sannidhi where Abhishekavalli thayar is in a resident posture . ( Erundha thirukolam ).

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The sanctum  has an artha mandapam and maha mandapam too. In this artha mandapam, there are beehives in the rectangular windows on the south and north walls.

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The gopuram has four levels and the sub-shrines to the Goddess Abhisheka Valli and Andal have wagon-vaulted roofs to the pavilions fronting them.

Peria Thiruvadi ( Garudalvar )  gives darshanam  in standing posture and is considered to be a very powerful giver of boons.

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He is not clad in the standard red bordered white dhoti but in a multi-coloured silk sari! And on his neck is placed a sweetmeat offering that is unique to Tirukkannamangai.

It goes by the name of Amrita Kalasam and resembles a laddu.  Maha Abishekams are performed for Garudalwar  every Sunday.

 It is believed that the four Vedas took the form of four pillars and the pavilion goes by the name of Veda Sagara.

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The Goddess is in a shrine to the left of the outer corridor.

Abhisheka Valli derives her name from the legend that she was ceremonially bathed with the  holy waters of the tank before her marriage to  Maha Vishnu.

A beehive is seen inside the temple  that waxes and wanes with the seasons .

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The bees shift home every six months, residing to the left of the Goddess during the Dakshinayanam (July to December) and to her right during Uttarayanam.( January to June).

The 33 crore devas took on the form of these divine insects to witness the heavenly wedding of the Lord and  goddess  as per the legend.

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The same was sung in one of the hymns of Thirumangai Azhwar”Kalivandaraiyum pozhilsoozh Kannamangaiyal kandhu kondene”

 It is believed that the bees are the demi gods who came to attend the wedding and decided to stay on, being enchanted with  the holy place Tirukkannamangai .

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 On other side of a bigger mandapam , there are eight pillars .Each pillar features a painting of one each of the asthalakshmis.

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The presiding deity of this temple is Bhaktavatsala perumal who gives us darshanam in standing posture and thayar is glorified as Abhisekhavalli thayar .

A very important  divine pastime must be cherished .

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In  this Srivaishnava Divya desam there lived a great devotee by the name Thirukkanna mangai AndAn who was a disciple and nephew  of a great srivaishnava Acharyar  Swamy Nathamunigal and  the foremost disciple to learn Naalayira Divya Prabhandam from his Acharyar .

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He was performing daily services in the temple unconditionally  without any desires .He used to pluck the grown grass and make the pathway clean for the devotees  .He used to be always ready to do any menial service that was fit for the temple .

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One day, he saw two dogs fighting with each other.

The sight of this fight drew the attention of the owners of these dogs to quarrel and beat each other to the extent they both got badly injured and one almost lost his life .

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Thirukkanna mangai AndAn witnessed this. He thought to himself, “if the owners of the dogs have so much affection and sense of ownership for their loyal dogs that they are ready to give up their lives, then why would not our LORD who owns this dog-“Thirukkannamangai AndAn,” if dedicated to Him, not come to his protection?”

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Thinking this way, he served the LORD and entered the kOvil and rested on the floor in a small room near the entrance. Deeply engrossed in his realization to serve the LORD , the very next second, he attained the lotus feet of LORD .

Renouncing the intent of protecting himself, he subjected himself to the mercy and protection of LORD .The Priests in the temple could see some unusual object gushing inside the temple sanatorium confirming the great devotees love to the LORD .

As per legend it is told one who spends a night in the vicinity of the temple attains Moksha .( Also glorified as Dakshina Pushkarani .)

Aani Sravanam is the appearance day of the great devotee Thirukkanna mangai AndAn..

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Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

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SRIVAISHNAVADASAR’S MUKTHI AT TIRUMALA.

Swamy Ananthazhvan  with the instructions of Jagatha Acharyar Swamy Ramanujar had taken the task of serving Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala .

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His Acharyar bhakthi was well noticed .His fame spread far and wide to the southern parts of India for his Acharya bhakthi in moving to Tirumala and serving the LORDSHIPS with pure devotion during those olden days .

Many Srivaishnava disciples were keen to meet him and to get his blessings. Hence they undertook a pilgrimage to the seven Hills from Srirangam .

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On their way, they were taken care by of a chieftain by name Valarttan Mangalamudaiyan in a village of the same name.

vvvHe was pious and charitable and endowed with material prosperity. After serving prasada looking at their devotion to LORD the chieftain started following them to Tirumala . He begged them to allow to join them and take blessings of the mahaan Swami Anathazhwan.

They did not respond to him immediately. However out of affection they allowed him to join them . The vaishnava disciples called him as Srivaishnava dasar due to his pure devotion to the bhagavathas. All of them went up the Hills and prostrated before Swami Ananthalvan .

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The chieftain also followed praying for the Acharyars katakshaam. And when he was looking at the Tejas of swamin sincerely prayed to LORD , May I become his disciple and serve him to be blessed by the LORD .

He requested his vaishnava disciples to request swami to accept him as disciple .

They pleaded swami to accept the chieftain for doing some service as pleaded by him .

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Pleased with his devotion ,and the keen desire to be his disciple, Ananthalvan told him that he could not be given upadesa (the teaching from the Acharya to the disciple) because that was given only to those who had conquered the five senses and one who had controlled the mind.

The Srivaishnavas who brought him to Swami Ananthalvan pleaded with him to take him as a disciple pointing out how he did service to the Vaishnavite community.

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There was none else who was fit enough to be the acharya for such dedicated person . They explained that they did not respond to his entreaties all the time because they felt Swamy Ananthalvan alone could decide on the matter. Ananthalvan relented and took the chieftain aside.

He told him that if he wanted to be his disciple and take upadesa, he should forego all his materials wealth in favour of the servants of God and ensure that the income and wealth were utilised only for such pious purposes.

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If he were to do that, he would accept . The disciple left home and sold all the property by himself and gave one part to his mother and one part to his father.

He considered the rest as his own and returned to Thirumala Hills with the same . He surrendered the wealth at the lotus feet of Ananthalvan.

Swami Ananthalvan blessed and appreciated him for keeping up his word remembering the promise made at the time of becoming a disciple.

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But then Srivaishnavadasa reminded Ananthalvan that his part of the bargain alone had been completed and that that Ananthalvan should bless him to get the grace of the Lord as he himself had received in abundance from the Lord. This was the second part of the deal.

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Ananthalvan agreed and took him to sanctum sanctorum of Lord Srinivasa.

He surrendered all the wealth , gold and silver brought by Srivaishnavadasa at the Lotus Feet of the Lord and told the Lord how, on his advice, Srivaishnavadasa had agreed to spend his wealth in the service of God and the devotees.

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He also explained that Srivaishnavadasa was to get in return the Grace of God. Ananthalvan reminded the Lord about the Charama Sloka in the Gita.

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Sarva dharman parityajya Mam ekam saranam vraja Aham tva sarva papebhyo Moksayisyami ma sucah” (Surrender all your Dharmas unto me. Come to me with utter faith. I am here to take care of you) Ananthalvan prayed that the Lord should bless Srivaishnavadasa as per the promise “ma sucah” ..

The Lord obliged to Ananthalvan. After honouring him with Thirtha and Srisathakopa the Lord promised that , Srivaishnavadasa would reach Paramapada. Both were thrilled at the benediction of the Lord Srivaishnava dasa returned with Ananthalvan to his abode immediately pleased at the turn of events. Ananthalvan taught him all the had come for him to ascend paramapada.

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Supremely happy, he prostrated before the Lord saying that he desired to be the sole of His sacred Feet and heard the Lord declaring

‘Nayami Paramam Gatim’(I take you to the Highest State)

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Thus Srivaishnavadasa came to receive the Grace of the Lord because of his being a disciple of Swami Ananthalvan. A few days later, the Lord’s grace was to be bestowed on Srivaishnavadasar. The time was propitious Srivaishnavadasa had attained all the qualities necessary for Mukthi.

At a festival time, the Lord was in procession along the Four Mada Streets. From his abode, Swami Ananthalvan along with Srivaishnavadasa emerged to worship the Lord .

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Deeply immersed in LORDS holy feet he left his mortal coils .

Swamy Ananthalvan was wondering at the extreme Daya (Audaryam) of the Lord and

……………………..TRUE !!

Dayasatakam by Swami Desikar on LORD VENKATESHWARA expounds this truth . He performed the Caramakainkarya for Srivaishnavadasa.

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Swami Anathazhwar Thiruvadigale sharanam
Srivaishnavadasar Thiruvadigale sharanam

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Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

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