What type of maDal is Tirumangai's maDal?

tolkApiyam, an ancient and authoritative work on tamizh grammar distinguishes between two kinds of maDal. One type of maDal DECLARES the intention of riding a maDal (intiNai) and the other consists of actual mounting on the carrier made up of dry and prickly palm leaves and riding on it (PeruntiNai).

The maDal literature of Tirumangai Azhvar belongs to the intiNai variety of maDal. Just a threat to shame the Lord and gain His change of mind. It has been pointed out that "the Azhvar might have wished to make a literary revolution on a spiritual basis. He did break the convention (of tamizh rules of Poetry) and introduced a new tradition that a love-smitten lady can develop an inexhaustible and immortal love towards the supreme Lord. If the lady fails in her endeavour to unite herself with the Lord, she resolves that she has no other alternative than to ride on a maDal".

 

maDal and nindA stuti:

Another distinguishing feature of the maDals is the nindA stuti or praise in the form of censure are no aspersions on the glory of the Lord, but the outbursts of great bhaktAs taking liberties with the Lord because of their special relationships with Him as their nAyaka. Slighting His name and fame throughout the world is their threat to gain Him back. The deep love of the Azhvar takes the forms of both nindA or negative stuti and positive stuti in the two maDals of ParakAla nAyaki. Negatively, the Azhvar abandons all human values (PurusharthAs) as worthless except KAmam for Him; on the positive side, the Azhvar emphasizes the importance of Bhakti, Kainkaryam (service) and tyAgam (sacrifice) of other temptations that take one away from Him.

 

Distinguishing features of siRiya and periya tirumaDal:

The two maDals differ in the length of lines. The brief statement finding its home in siRiya tirumaDal is elaborated upon in Periya tirumaDal (PTM). The second difference is that siRiya tirumaDal (STM) is set as a narration of the God-intoxicated experience of the nAyaki through some one else; the periya tirumaDal houses the profound experiences of the nAyaki as statements by the nAyaki herself.

In STM, the nAyaki overcome with love for the nAyaka does not know the identity of the one, who is causing her agony. The identity of the culprit is revealed to the nAyaki through a sooth-sayer. Through the latter, Azhvar praises the kalyAN GuNAs of the Lord and His sacred divya desams. In PTM, the Azhvar describes his harrowing experiences as the rejected lady and speaks out about her devotion.

Deeper VaishNvite meanings of the maDals of Tirumangai:

The rakshakatva (Ability to protect the Bhakta in distress), the soulabhya (ready accessibility), the kArpaNya (prostration born out of utter hopelessness) are identified by Sri K.C. VaradachAri as the inner meanings of the maDals.

He says that the Azhvar transfers his affection from his dearly loved wife, —  who had been his teacher too — to Sriman nArAyaNa. He experiences in that state "a love most all-absorbing", and appeals to His qualities of Mercy and Grace and come down from His divine heights to accept the Love-offering (kAma pushpam) from one, who has thrown away all concerns arising from modesty and lokAbhavAdam. The maDal threatens to question the sincerity of the Lord's assurances in Bhagavad Gita in the carama slokam.

Sri K.C.VaradachAri’s assumptions of the maDals of the Azhvar this way: "God's assurance to the soul (jIvan) that loves Him alone and to whom the soul has totally dedicated itself, is of greatest spiritual value to the soul, and it is on this truth of God’s word that the maDals revolve".

 

Special features of Periya tirumaDal:

The taniyan was composed by KambanATaazhvar, the author of Kamba rAmAyaNam. One poet can appreciate another poet, it seems! While the STM begins with the description of the Earth, the PTM begins with an exquisite describtion of Paramapadam and its resident, Sri VaikuNThanAthan attended by His Devis. On experiencing the conjugal pleasures of the Lord in his supreme abode, the AzhVar suffers the pangs of separation and cries out: "If my body and soul are not subservient to You., then, for what else are they for? What is the use of fragrant flowers grown in an uninhabited forest? Similar is the state of my bosoms untouched by the Lord. "She looks for her nAyaka in the divya desams of tiruviNNagar, tirukkuDantai, tirukurunguDi, tiruvAli nagar, tirukaNNamangai, tiruveLLaRai, tiruvallavAzh, Srirangam, tiru iDavendai, tiru tillai CitrakUDam, tirumallai, tiruvEngaDam and many other tiruppatis.

In the final verse, she complains that the Lord knows of all her sufferings. She threatens Him that she will perform the act of maDal if he does not come to her rescue and unite with her. She implies that she will be a martyr for his love and become immortal through her sacrifice. After the practice of kArpaNyam, the sixth limb of SaraNAgati through the vow of love unto death, Sri VaradachAri points out that the Azhvar goes on to take the danDakam (staff) of Sriman nArAyaNa to ascend and to reach Sriman nArAyaAa’s abode to become a nitya sUri and to enjoy the eternal bliss of kKainkaryam to Him. The tirukkurumtANDkam and the tiruneDumtANDakam are descriptions of the lofty journey with the staff of the Lord.

 

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SIRIYA TIRUMADAL

(73rd line)

IDavendai nIrmalai

sIrAr tiruvEngaDamE tirukkovalUrE,
madiL kacci UrgamE pEragamE,

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kArAr kuDandai kaDikai kaDan mallai,
ErAr pozhil sUzh iDavendai nIrmalai

 

Comments by SrI MK:

The most auspicious divine places, tiruvEngaDam, tirukkOvilUr, the tall rampart surrounded KAncipuram, the majestic Lord (who had measured the universe) in Uragam, tiruppEr divya desam in the banks of the river;

pErA marudiRuttAn –

As little KaNNan who crawled in between the two maruda trees and made them fall down to the ground (for the yakshAs to attain salvation); This divine child KaNNan, our Lord resides permanently in:

veLLaRaiyE ve:kAvE; pEr Ali, thaNkAl, naRaiyUr, tiruppuliyUr, ArAmam sUzhnda arangam (the garden surrounded Srirangam),

kaNa mangai (tirukkaNNa mangai divya desam); kArAr maNiniRak kaNNanUr viNNagaram –

tiruviNNagaram divya desam where KaNNa pirAn, the dark hued gem stone like most beautiful resides eternally.

sIrAr kaNNapuram –

the most auspicious tirukkaNNapuram sERai tiruvazhundUr –

tiruccERai divya desam; tiruvazhundUr temple;

kaDikai –

tirukkaDigai divya desam kaDan mallai-

tirukkaDan mallai (today’s mahAbhalipuram)

ErAr pozhil sUzh –

most beautiful garden filled (and surrounded) iDavendai –

tiruviDa vendai divya desam (where Sri Lakshmi VarAha perumAn resides)

nIrmalai –

tiruneermalai divya desam

 

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PERIA TIRUMADAL

PAsuram 130

 

"ஸ்ரீ த்ரிவிக்ரமர்" – திருநீர்மைல

 

nennalai inRinai nALayai, nIrmalaimEl
mannum maRai nAngum AnAnai

 

Comments by SrI M.K:

nennalai inRinai nALaiyai –

The Lord who had created the kAla tattvam (Past, Present and Future) and who is the antaryAmi in Time (kAla tattva); or it can also be interpreted as in arcAvatAram

nennalai (nERRu) –

Those temples where He resided; (in divya desam) inRu –

Also residing even today (including those temples that are built and consecrated in accordance with vaidIka AgamAs like pancarAtra, vaikhAnasa) and

nALai –

the temples that are being built and WILL BE CONSECRATED TOMORROW (in the future) in accordance with vaidIka AgamAs (like that of tirunIrmalai Asramam); - the Lord who resides in all of these - I will go and see enjoying them all… - says AzhvAr perhaps

nIrmalai mEl mannu maRai nAngum AnAnai -

The mountain divya desam surrounded by waters – tirunIrmalai. In this divya desam – resides the Lord who is the nirvAhakan of four VedAs. Since He resides in different forms, all VedAs have also come here to stay.

 

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IRANDAM TIRUVANDATI

PAsuram 46

payinRatu arangam tirukkOTTi, pannAL
payinRatuvum vEngadamE pannAL, - payinRadu
aNitikazuhm cOlai aNinIrmalaiyE
maNitikazhum vaN taDakkai mAl.

Comments by SrI MK:

Let us continue to enjoy the next AzhvAr’s, bhUtattAzhwAr’s wonderful anubhavams on tiruvEngaDam wherein AzhvwAr also refers to tirunIrmalai.

In last verse- AzhvAr had mentioned about the state of mind of a Prapannan [one who has surrendered to the Lord]. The Lord Himself due to His dayA, vAtsalyam on His child, takes so many births; and be residing in so many divya desams – says AzhvAr here.

He learnt [to wait] here at Srirangam; He learnt [to wait] at tirukkOTTiyUr; He has been waiting at tiruvEngaDam for very many ages; and also been at tirunIrmalai for thousands of years. Why? Because the Lord, mAl- the one who is desirous [of me] wishes to give Himself His most wonderful soundarya tirumEni [divya mangaLa vigraham] to me. He is such an audAryan; vaLLal; benefactor; AzhvAr starts off saying the Lord has been learning to wait for at Srirangam and tirukkOTTiyUr for so many ages; How? By reclining and having Yoga nidrA? PirATTi appears to be asking the Lord: is that the way one will wait for the child? Get up and stand; eagerly wait for him; then only he will come towards you. The Lord thus stands at tiruvEngaDam; PirATTi again appears to have asked: What is the use in just standing? Walk, sit, recline and stand. ninRAn; irundAn; kiDantAn- at tirunIrmalai;

It does not mean that only these four temples are to be referred to. The Lord takes such arcA avatArams at 108 divya desams and other abhimAna sthalams as well. All for our sake.

AzhvAr says: He has been waiting at tiruvEngaDam many ages; pannAl. Why? Because AzhvAr has not turned towards Him for very many births. NammAzhvAr also echoes the same sentiment: annAL nI tanda Akkai vazhi uzhalvEn.

mARi mARi pala piRappum piRandu; I have taken very many births in the past due to my karma; and had taken the bodies granted by you; now I have become devoted to You due to Your grace on me.

Hence AzhvAr says: so long, you have been waiting for me – patiently - now I have been blessed by Yourself.

tirumazhisai AzhvAr also praises the Lord in the same manner:

ninRadu entai Uragatu irundatu entai pADagattu
anRu vekhaNaik kiDandatu ennilAta munnelAm
anRu nAn piRandilEn piRandapin maRandilEn
ninRadum irundadum kiDandatum en nencuLe.

Meaning:

Before I was born, He was standing in Uragam, was sitting in pADagam and was lying down in tiruvekka. At that time I was not born with wisdom; When once I was born with this wisdom, I never forgot. Therefore, the Lord left all those places and has taken permanent abode in my heart.

The idea is that the great j~nAnis never considered themselves as born at all until they realized this 'artha j~nAnam'.

One who has been initiated by SadAcArya, is only considered born; else, it is just vegetating. And, once the j~nAnis realize this, they have no other avocation than being immersed in the thought of the Lord.

So, anRu nAn piRandilEn; piRanda pin maRandilEn [after being initiated and having bleen blessed to realise You, I have never ever forgotten You].

Why does the Lord do such abhyAsam?

SrI Krishna Himself says “abhyAsena tu kaunteya! vairAgyeNa ca gruhyate”

Only by practice; consistent and constant practice, can one achieve. He does what He has preached.

 

AzhvAr tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

SrI PadmAvatI sameta SrI SrinivAsa parabrahmaNe nama:

 

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