Month: November 2019

 This  whole world is moving according to the plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  There is a specific plan being carried out in this material world. What is this plan? The cosmic manifestation is a chance for the elevated souls to go back to Godhead. . 

As they overcome the  material nature, they  slowly get  conditioned. One who  can understand the plan of the Supreme Lord and cultivate Krsna consciousness   gradually becomes intelligent.

He slowly realises the creation and destruction of the cosmic manifestation are under the superior guidance of Lord .

 The Battle of Kuruksetra was fought according to the plan of LORD . Arjuna was refusing to fight, but he was told that he should fight and at the same time  desire the Supreme Lord 

Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, the Song Celestial, tells his dearest friend and disciple, Arjuna, “Nimitta matram Bhava Savyasachi”.

 

You just become an instrument.

So the man of God feels in the inmost recesses of his heart that he is a mere instrument. He works for God, he lives for God.

He feels that God Realisation is not enough.

He feels that God Manifestation here on earth is of paramount importance.

One divine pastime  chronicled as  Azhwar’s musings is being shared for a vivid description of a jiva seeking Lord’s lotus feet ….

…

The youngest Azhwar among the illustrious revered twelve Srivaishnava  Azhwars was Thirumangai Azhwar He was also glorified with the names  Kalivarimuni ,

Parakalamuni and had a title “Kaviloka divaakarah” .. ( the sun of the world of poets ) as glorified below …

kalayaami kalidhvamsam

kaviloka divakaram

yasyagobhih prakaasaabhih

aavidyam nihatam tamah …

The magnum opus “Periya Thirumozhi” consisting of 1080 pasurams in the Naalayira Divya Prabhandam speaks about Azhwar’s deep love to Lord .

The below post describes about Azhwars past and his attraction to LORD in his later life ..Please click the link below and relish your souls thirst with Azhwar’s divine experiences ..

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2015/03/23/the-divine-loot-by-azhwar-at-seerkazhee-in-tamilnadu/

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2014/04/16/the-grand-day-when-azhwar-got-thirumantra-upadesam/

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2014/04/13/vedipuri-utsavam-thirumanthra-upadesam-to-azhwar/

The supremely devoted Azhwar after having darshan of the  Sri vaishnava divyadesams  by glorifying the Lordships in every divya desam  was pondering about his position ..

Though his mission was accomplished in uplifting the fallen souls in seeking Lord’s lotus feet unconditionally thus surrendering  to the only HIM the Supreme Lord Sriman Narayana ,

Azhwar had some musings for not able to obtain immediate results.

Azhwar became anxious and perplexed as how much longer he would have to bear his karma and when would he attain the bliss of emancipation.

He had a unexplained  fear whether LORD would continue to keep him in the material world all together .In this perplexed mood he entered into a casual discussion with Lord of the Lords Sriman Narayana ..

Looking at the Lord !! he laments ,

Oh My Master !!      you had pushed me away ..far far away ..by throwing me long long long ago in a  bottomless pit  full of material and mire in this world …

 Oh Lord !!! Am I not yours like the Nitya muktas .

Am I stranger to your highness ?

Devareer could have kept me amongst the Nitya surees for serving your highness …

Azhwar submits …

It is  described in Srimad Bhagavatham

Na me dveshyosti na priyah

You declared no one in particular is beloved to you and neither you hate any one .

It is  also declared Samoham Sarva bhuteshu and look upon everyone equally ….and announced the supremely pure Jiva is like a kausthubha jewel that is effulgent with knowledge bliss …

Oh ! Lord does this give you any happiness seeing your children suffering in this infected material world ?

You have thrown me in this muddy samsara …a bottomless pit …

Lord  with compassion replies !! with a bewitching smile …

Oh Parakala muni ……………….

Am I cause for your difficulties ? which……

you invited due to various sins committed by you in different lives you have taken since immemorial..

My child …   Yes!

I appeared several times and taken various incarnations to punish the evil doers  and reward the one who did virtuous deeds .

I took all the pain in seeing that people like you are uplifted ..

But am sad ..you never ever sought me and preferred to be Independent .

Never you showed inclination towards me ..

You evaded and avoided me and slowly moved  away from me  as if you had taken a vow that you would not see , hear , speak and seek me at all.

You were always seeking material pleasures and thus enjoyed the ephemeral worldly pleasures and indulged in sinful  deeds.  entertaining  hatred every moment towards my devotees ,

My Child ….

You are therefore ..

cause for the succession of sorrows which have chased  you for the gross misdeeds.

Kaliyan … Now don’t  impute me for your misdeeds .

 

Azhwar humbly responded …..

Oh Lord !!

The Mind is the cause for a person to entertain a desire or wish in favor of a particular object and this crazy mind is under YOUR control ..

as you declared in SBG……

Sarvasya chaaham hridi samnishtah.”

As HRISHIKESHA you are the cause of the good and bad thoughts …

 

Azhwars have proclaimed

Ennaitheemanam Keduthathaai

and YOU alone have ensured that my mind is diverted from the evil thoughts which forces me to commit these sins

..Maruvithozhum maname thandhaai…

Oh ! Lord !!

This mind you gave me which with love seeks your refugee ……………………….

and you gave this sinful mind ..

and then threw me in this ocean of samsara

..Lord !! Please show compassion and uplift me ..

Lord once again smiles and replies…………..

Oh Parakaala muni …My child …

From time immemorial ….

You never sought me .

To attain specific fruits and get rid of difficulties you had performed certain yagas and yagynas and seeked fruits .

You overlooked me.

With that faith you had overlooked me and thus you had several succession of lives doing good and bad deeds thus falling in the unending cycle of karmas in this samsara .

Now tell me ..

How can I be a part of your sins ?

 

Azhwar shakes up and with moist eyes .

He continues to plead ..

Oh Lord !!

Please don’t say that I  forgot you ..

I entertained the faith and trust that some actions would give specific results and that therefore I had distanced from you my LORD out of ignorance …

What authority do I have to do good or bad karma .

.My Lord …

Lord !!

Being LORD of LORD’s ,

please do not put me in the karmic code of life .

For my own upliftment  please bear me ..

Lord !!

As per knowledgeable people what pleases you is a virtuous deed and that angers you is a sinful deed ……………

annaadah vasudaanah…

Lord !!

This verse proclaims you decide the fruits of our  karma..

. In that case Lord !!

Can your grace not flow on us to do good karmas only ?

You are everything ..

Please exhibit that divine power by uplifting this fallen soul ..

Lord  with abundant mercy smiled….

and said ..

Oh ! Azhwar ……

Are you an insentient being like a  stone or that rock …

You have knowledge,  a body and the senses .. With all these , You acted independently ..

You are the enjoyer

.. You seek .. 

You attain …

and

then you enjoy your might…………………………

 

As a jiva you are supposed to use your Jnana to discriminate between good and bad .

In Spite of having  Jnana and the freedom to act independently you have yourself become the cause of your evil consequences

.Child ! I am of no fault at all ..

Azhwar  disappointed , once again pleads and begs LORD …

Lord ! You are Omnipotent and my Indweller ..

Yasya prithivee sariram

Yasyaatmaa sareeram

Sarvam vai karestanuh

Jagatsarvam sareerantey…

Lord !! Your entire body is this entire world …

Lord you enter matter in a very subtle manner and then you take control of this matter in the same way which Jiva controls or conduct the decaying body ..

For this entire matter……

Lord!!

you are the primary cause ….

Just as a charioteer directs the horses which draw the chariot ………

I act only as per the directions given by you and…..

If you oppose I cannot perform and become powerless

 

Oh Lord !!

Is it not your gesture to look after your own child and this body  is of that Atma (Jiva) which belongs to you alone ..

and the protection of all the jivas like me  is Lord !

Your responsibility  as you are the nature of Eternal Atma

 

Lord !! In the Ashtakshara mantra it is proclaimed that there are nine types of connection which are with us and cannot be overlooked ..

Oh Lord !! Am shivering with fear as how much longer You who are Independent will push me into this abyss of samsara .Lord

………………..

Please don’t make me a victim of your divine leela ,….

instead make me an instrument in your service

The discussion echoes an ordinary Jiva’s struggle and plight in emancipation .

Azhwar further  continues

Maattramula aagilum solluvan makkal

Thottrakkuzhi thottruvippaaikal Endru innam

Aaattrankarai vvzhmarampol anjugindren

Naattrachchuvai ooru oliyaagiya nambhi

Oh Lord …

The taste , touch , vision etc which are seen in the earthly and the five elements are being indicated as the qualities which are in you ..

You are the essence in water , sound in the sky , scent in the earth and in short sap and essence in everything..

..Lord !! Nothing can exist without you ..

Oh Lord …

With all these  qualities that are substances which induce desire and hence creating problems that commits sins  thus forgetting you ,………………

Lord due to ignorance and mad illusion thus falling in this bottomless pit repeatedly ..

 

We are just small puppets .

Though you have given us the knowledge , the senses in this body are uncontrollable horses which have caused my befall Knowing fully well that the physical pleasures are ephemeral , temporary and very minute which leads to great difficulties that resulted in deep sorrow ..

yet like a drunken mad monkey this mind runs swiftly and this body is like a fruit full of worms which have already begun to eat me inside ..

Lord ………………

You pushed me into this deep pit with a noose called karma and punish me by giving this body which has full of worms ..

As a tree which is on a bank of a rapidly flowing river fiercely cutting into the banks is all the time not knowing as and when the tree is washed out even my life is like that

…Lord !! Am trembling with fear now

 

Lord out of abundant compassion and like a father who painfully tweaks the cheeks of a child and enjoys the cries thought …chuckles and thinks …

Umn !!

That’s true..

I allowed you to fall and that was for your own good ..

I have got rid of your atheistic beliefs and cruel conduct once for all

I taught you the Ashtaakshara mantraa

which made you sing Naan kandu kondain Naarayana ennum Naamam and made you aware of the True Knowledge ..

Its just a matter of few more years ..

I will accept and uplift him permanently .

.as  you have  to just accept  your Prarabhdha karmaa .

 

Lord now replies pretending to be unhappy …

Oh Parakala Muni …

What is this unusual behaviour from you

..Its your Prarabhdha karma which is causing pain .

Have you forgotten your unbearable misdeeds and hatred towards my devotees ?

Why is this anxiety bothering you ..

If you can find any other person who can uplift you ………..Please carry on …

Azhwar immediately submits sobbing uncontrollably ..

Oh Lord !!  

Am a insignificant being .

.Please forgive me ..

You are an ocean of compassion and abundant mercy ..

How could I ever imagine to get your benevolent grace ….

.

Please forgive me………………………

 

Ashtaakshari is my only bread  butter and life force .

Lord !

I am suffering with unlimited anxiety for the fear that I may  be again pushed into this samsaara ..

Seetramula aagilum seppuvan makkall

Thottrakkuzhi thottruvippaikolendranchi

kaatrathidaippatta kalavar manam pol

Aattrathulangaanirppan Aazhivalvaa

Oh ! Lord adorning the  mighty Sudarshana chakram ,

Tell me…………

Do you need the divine chakra ?

 ..In this entire creation there is NO ONE who can oppose your supremacy and cause difficulties

.Having the chakra is to protect people like me ..

All your weapons are for protecting your children……………………

 

The totality of the evil deeds of any devotee will be obliterated by the Sudarshana chakra if only such devotee were to have the insignia of the chakra on his shoulders ,

Oh Lord !! I am travelling in a boat which is caught in the middle of the ocean surrounded by  agitated waves due to the winds of passion ..Oh Lord !! Please pardon me …

Azhwar submits with unconditional surrender ..

Knowing LORD is eternal , he submits

 Lord  when  a  child who is full of mischief falls into a well , the entire world blames the mother  .though Mother is no way responsible  for the event …

A story used to be shared by our great revered Acharyar Swami Peria Vachan Pillai …

The great war of Mahabharatha concluded ..

The revered saint Udanka was upset .

He approached Lord Krishna and enquired 

Lord …

You revealed Srimad Bhagavad Gita and said ..

..na me dveshyosthi na priyah …..

For you all were same .. 

You could have very well changed the minds of Kauravas thus preventing this catastrophe ….

Lord was silent ..

These were the words

nimitta mattram bhava savyassaachin

mayaivaite nihataah poorvameva

LORD was speechless when Azhwar addressed him with this revelation..

Azhwar was special to LORD ..

he  earned his love for the devotion and  unconditional surrender…..

….. …………………………..

Many elevated souls  have realized this highest  transcendental truth…

.They do not care much for earthly good or evil. They care only for Lord’s inner dictates.

Constantly they listen to the dictates of their Inner Pilot

( The Lord as Antharyamee)  and then on the strength of their oneness,  the inseparable oneness with their Inner Pilot, they offer their selfless, dedicated service to humanity

 They try to offer  divine knowledge to aspiring humanity.

Again, they tell humanity that Lord Realization is not their sole monopoly.

 Everyone needs to  fulfill his  dharma on earth, fulfill the  duties, the reason why we are  here and then  hand our existence over to existence and let life itself play its tune on  us , the hollow bamboo flute. just let destiny fulfill itself through us , emptying our self of all the  selfish ego desires and illusions and  then realize the divine which is acting in us  through  in order to bring blessings and final up liftment

 Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Inspired by a discourse shared by an advanced Spiritual guru…

Pics : Courtesy Google images

videos : Thanks to  Sri Balaji .M

The sage glorified Perumal and pleaded the Lord to continue to stay in this place and give darshan. Thus, we can see the Perumal lying on the floor and the sage seated near His Thiruvadi.The temple priests were kind to explain about the sthala puranam .Adiyen offers humble obeisances to them .

Swamy Nampillai happily agreed . He got the deed drafted and made his disciple recite before the old woman which stated that she would be reaching the presence of Lordships on a particular date and time and will be given the required space in the heaven honouring the deed which was attested by Swamy Nampillai himself .

May Koorathazhwan who pardoned his enemy and prayed for him , teach us how to love.

During the 21 days around Vaikunta Ekadasi, prabhandham is recited in temples only. During this time, srivaishnavas at home glorify acharyars works like Naalayira Thanians, Desikar prabhandam , upadesarathinamalai , thiruvamozhi nootrandadi, Aarthi prabhandham etc.

Lord continued “Language is no barrier to Bhakti”. Bhattadri went to Poonthanam’s house and apologized for the offense

November 4th …Appearance day of our Loka Acharyar

  “Azhwar” are  saintly souls who had  immersed  themselves in the exclusive devotion  to  Lord  Sriman Narayana  in  unconditional surrender.  The advanced  saints,  were the supreme devotees of Lord  propagating  Sri Vaishnavism among the masses through their poetical compositions glorified as  Divya Prabhandams   highlighting the beautiful effulgent form, auspicious attributes and divine deeds of the Supreme Lord in His various incarnations based on their personal mystic experiences.  They lived as  human beings and burst out bhakti laden great works for the  sake of humanity.  The direct result of the Lord’s divine grace  on Azhwars  made their outpourings  special and therefore  called ‘ Divyam’. It is  because of this that the works of Azhwars  are  called ‘ Divya Prabandham’  and are 4000  poems (pAsurams). 

The Divya Prabhandams of the Azhwars are, therefore, held in as great veneration and reverence as the Vedas in Sanskrit. All the Azhwars held the view that Lord  Sriman Narayana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead  and  one’s  only  goal of life  was to attain Him. And, the path that each one of these Azhwars advocated was  chanting the Divine Name of the Lord!  which  is  the easiest path to  attain the lotus feet of  Lord. 

     Of the twelve Azhwars , the first three — Poigai Azhwar, Bhoodhatazhwar and Pey Azhwar were believed to be of mystic birth dating back to  Dwaapara era. The fourth, Thirumazhisai Azhwar was said to have been brought up by a  couple who had the good luck to have his darshan in a  forest  . Kulashekara Azhwar was a Chera king. Periazhwar, Thondaradippodi Azhwar  and Madhurakavi Azhwar  were born into brahmin families. Nammazhwar was born in a farmer’s home and Thiruppannazhwar belonged to the Pana community. The only female  among them was Godha (Andal)   glorified  for  “Thiruppaavai  pasurams ”  even to a common man and  celebrated  as an incarnation of Mother Earth (Bhoodevi).  Thirumangai Azhwar, the youngest of the Azhwars was a chieftain of a Chola king.

The first three AzhvArs – Poigai AzvhAr,

Bhudhath AzvhAr and

Pey Azhvar  were  “ayOnijAs” –

“ones who were not born from a womb”.

They appeared on water-flowers  at  three different water sources.

Poigai AzhvAr manifested on a lotus flower at Kancheepuram  Lord  YatthOkthakAri perumaL temple tank  on  the  ” sravanam” star during the month of “aippasi”  (November ) .

The second Azhwar was Bhudhath AzhvAr who appeared on a nIlOthphala (kurukkaththi flower in tamil ) near  the seaside at thiru-k-kadal-mallai (present day Mahabalipuram)  on the day subsequent to Poigai  Azhvar (month of Aippasi, Avittam star ). 

The third Azhwar “Pey Azhvar”  appeared on a sengazhuneer flower in a well in thiru-mayilai (present day Mylapore,  the temple of Lord  Adikesava perumal  on the day after Bhudath Azhvar appeared (aippasi month, sathayam star).

All the three Azhwars were blessed by the Lord with supreme knowledge, and as a result, they lived a life focused on divinity, worshiping the Supreme Lord at different temples, and living a  life of ascetics.  

To them the entire cosmos , all sentient  and the insentient entities in it were alive and vibrating  with the underlying divinity of Lord represented  by HIS body and HE being the inner controller of  the soul .

Azhwars point out very clearly in their outpourings the most important attribute of Lord is  HIS immense compassion represented by HIS divine consort Sri: the divine mother forever residing in HIS heart and most easily accessible and who helps in the ultimate redemption of the embodied souls .

  Since the appearance of such great souls is invariably tied to a reason of divine intent,

the three Azhvars had to meet to fulfill the purpose of their appearance, to wit, give the world the esoteric truths  in a manner accessible to  common man  .

The stage was set at Thirukovilur and the divine plan was already about to reveal.  Lord Sriman Narayana achieved  this by making the Azhvars meet and become the harbingers in the effort towards the composition of the holy  Dravida Vedas.

Thus   Lord  arranged a divine plan and  made each of them go to the town  Thirukovilur  which   is  located 75 kms from Cuddalore and about 200 kms from Chennai.

                        The rain clouds had overcast the sky and cover of darkness spread all around in the holy town of Thirukovalur . The torrential rain began  pouring  generously .  It was as if the sky will tear open to give its opulence .

Proceeding  the temple streets ,  Poigai Azhwar  found out a small  front  passage ( dehali or rayzhi , thinnai  in tamil )   in front of Mrikanda  Ashrams hut  ( the present Thirukovalur  temple sanctum sanctorum )  which was fit for one person to lie down. 

Thanking Lord for his mercy ,

Poigai Azhwar   moved in and  occupied the space to lie down . 

Meanwhile , Bhoodath Azhwar  coincidentally arrived there looking for a shelter.

Poigai Azhvar welcomed him and said , Holy Sire ! Please come !!  

“we have enough space for one to be supine, two to sit ,…  please  come in”.

Both the Azhwars were now seated , and were indulging in bhagavad guna anubhavam (recounting the innumerable auspicious qualities of the Lord) .  

Meanwhile  pEy Azhvar  also came at the same time to the same Ashrama.

The two Azhvars already present in that little room said…..

Swamin !!

“in this place, one can lie down, two can sit, and three can stand …. please come in”.

PEy AzvhAr joined them, and the three Azhvars continued their joy filled discussion of the Lord’s auspicious qualities and  divyaanubhutee which was one of the most auspicious moment to be remembered in the history of Thirukovalur. 

Lord pleased with the divine outcome now decided to be amongst HIS favourite devotees .

The darkness became denser and inside the small room they were not able to see each other.

In the  thunders and  lightning that flashed across, the trio could see a  fourth person  exquisitely charming  entering the room  and they felt as if  they were overpowered with a sublime, divine feeling.

The trio could immediately realize that the fourth person was none other than Lord  Sriman Narayana Himself huddling among them.  Poigai Azhwar , wishing to witness the charming divine effulgence of the Supreme Lord  again and again, instantly   lit a spiritual lamp to the Lord of the lords and the outpourings  ….

vaiyam thagaliyA, vArkadlE neyyAga
veyyakkadirOn viLakkAga
sudarAzhiyAn adikkE soottinEn son mAlai
Idar neenghugavE enRu…

which means “using the earth as the physical lamp structure, the sea of ether as the ghee for the flame, and the lit flame being verily the Sun himself!.”

 thus   the first Azhwar composed hundred  verses glorifying the Lordships …. now glorified as “Mudhal thiruvandhAdhi (first poem of the type andhAdi, meaning the last word becomes the progenitor of the thought for the following verse) which is among the Naalayiram Divya Prabhandam …………….

 Bhudaththu Azhvar, in turn offered a lamp using his yogic powers too, yet  in a little different  fashion

 – “anbE thagaliyA, ArvamE neyyAga 
inburugu sindhai idu thiriyA
naNpurugi GnAna chudar viLakku EtrinEn
Gnana thamizh purindha nAn 

using his immense love for the Lord as the lamp structure, and his longing for union with the Lord as the energy engendering the flame. He composed a  beautiful set of 100 divine  verses known as “iraNdaam thiruvandhAdhi” (second poem of the type andhAdhi)….

The two sacred  lamps of spiritual love, lit by Poigai Azhvar and Bhudhath Azhvar, allowed  all the three Azvhars to  experience the Lord in  opulence  proximity. That ambrosia  filled experience inspired the third , Pey  AzhvAr to  glorify the Supreme Lord instantaneously …

“thiru-k-kaNdEn, pon mEni kaNdEn .

thigazhum aruKKan aNi niramum kaNdEn..

seRukkiLarum ponnAzhi kaNdEn

purisangam kai-k-kaNdEn……..

en Azhi vaNNan pAl inRu”

meaning,

“I had the darshan  the divine consort of the Lord – Maha Lakshmi I  had the darshan of  the divine body of the Lord ,  

the beautiful complexion of the Lord and the auspicious discus (chakra) verily the remover of obstacles that prevent us reaching the Lord, and the beautiful  white, divine conch in the hands of the Lord”.

This becomes  the first verse of ” Munraam  Thiruvandhadhi (third poem of the type andhadi), which is a set of 100 verses too  counted among the Naalayiram Divya Prabhandam .

This uplifting divine experience bound them into a state of togetherness.

They traveled across various parts of  India spreading the  divine message of the Lord for attaining HIS abode and  remaining in that bliss  through there divine pasurams   (The  three thiruvandhadhis).

The one hundredth verse in turn hooks up to the first verse forming a lovely garland of verses maintaining the eternal thread of continuity .

To all the Azhwars LORD was a living presence experienced in the totality of HIS being and manifestation in HIS myriad creation . 

HE lived in them and they lived in HIM  ..

November “4”  2019 is the appearance day of “Poigai Azhwar”  followed by “Bhudhath AzhvhAr” on 05-11-19 and   “Pey Azhvar”  on 06-11-19…

All glories to Azhwars

Video Credits : Sri Sunder rajan Parthasarathy

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan