AzhwArs – glories and history

AzhwArs – glories and history

 

 

The glories and history of AzhwArs

 

poigaiyAr, bhUthathAr, pEyar, pugazh mazhisai aiyan, aruL mAri, chEralar kOn, thuyya bhattanAthan, anbar thAL thULi, naRpANan, narkaliyAn

 

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AzhwArs – glories and history

 

madhurakavigaL, ANdAL, yathirAjar

 

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AzhwArs – glories and history

 

Preface

 

sri:

 

srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:

 

srimadh varavaramunayE nama:

 

sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:

 

bhUtham sarascha mahathAvya bhattanAtha srI bhakthisAra kulasEkara yOgivAhAn bhAkthAngri rENu parakAla yathIndra misrAn srImath parAngusa munim praNathOsmi nithyam

 

I constantly worship the lotus feet of bhUthathAzhwAr, poigai AzhwAr, pEyAzhwAr, periyAzhwAr, ANdAL, thirumazisai AzhwAr, kulasEkara AzhwAr, thiruppANAzhwAr, thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, thirumangai AzhwAr, srI rAmAnujar, madhurakavi AzhwAr and nammAzhwAr.

 

This divine slOkam was rendered by srI parAsara bhattar when he was in thirukkOttiyUr with nanjIyar. He left srIrangam due to the disturbances given by vIra sundhara brahma rAyan. At that time, out of the unbearable separation from srIranganAthan, bhattar wrote this slOkam and the thanians of thiruppAvai to immerse himself in bhagavath/bhAgavatha anubhavam.

 

In this slOkam, in addition to identifying the 10 AzhwArs (poigaiyAr, bhUthAr, pEyar, thirumazhisai AzhwAr, nammAzhwAr, kulasEkara AzhwAr, periyAzhwAr, thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, thiruppANAzhwAr and thirumangai AzhwAr), he also identifies ANdAL using the word “srI”, madhurakavi AzhwAr using the word “misra” (very learned/respected) and rAmAnujar using yathIndhrar.

 

mAmunigaL follows similar pattern in his upadhEsa rathina mAlai, where he first identifies the thirunakshathrams (birth star) and the glories of the 10 AzhwArs and subsequently identifies the same of ANdAL, madhurakavi AzhwAr and emperumAnAr.

 

In fact, mAmunigaL identifies the greatness of AzhwArs, AchAryas and their works in the 3^rd pAsuram itself.

 

AzhwArgaL vAzhi aruLicheyal vAzhi

 

thAzhvAthumil kuravar thAm vAzhi

 

EzhpArum uyya avargaL uraiththavaigaL thAm vAzhi cheyya maRai thannudanE chErNthu

 

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AzhwArs – glories and history

 

AsmadhAchAryan

 

Srimath paramhamsa ithyAdhi pattarbhirAn rAmAnuja jeeyar (29^th pattam, vAnamAmalai mutt)

 

VarthmAna swAmy

 

 

Srimath paramhamsa ithyAdhi kaliyan rAmAnuja jeeyar (30^th pattam, vAnamAmalai mutt)

 

 

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AzhwArs – glories and history

 

Contents

 

mudhalAzhwArgaL...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

 

thirumazhisai AzhwAr............................................................................................................................................................................. 14

 

nammAzhwAr............................................................................................................................................................................................ 24

 

madhurakavi AzhwAr.............................................................................................................................................................................. 28

 

kulasEkara AzhwAr................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

 

periyAzhwAr............................................................................................................................................................................................... 42

 

ANdAL........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51

 

thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr...................................................................................................................................................................... 58

 

thiruppANAzhwAr.................................................................................................................................................................................... 64

 

thirumangai AzhwAr................................................................................................................................................................................ 70

 

emperumAnAr........................................................................................................................................................................................... 82

 

dhivya prabhandha prAmANya samarthanam.............................................................................................................................. 89

 

 

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MudhalAzhwArgaL

 

In this article we will discuss the vaibhavam of mudhalAzhwArgaL (poigaiyAr, bhUthathAr, peyAr).

 

Poigai AzhwAr

 

thirunakshathram: ippasi, thiruvONam

 

avathAra sthalam: kAnchipuram

 

AchAryan: sEnai mudhaliAr

 

Works: mudhal thiruvanthAdhi

 

poigai AzhwAr was born in a pond near thiruvekhA yathOkthAkAri temple. He is also known as kAsAra yOgi and sarO munIndhrar.

 

His thanian

 

kAnchyAm sarasi hEmAbjEjAtham kAsAra yOginam kalayE ya: shriya:pathyU ravim dhIpam akalpayath

 

 

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BhuthathAzhwAr

 

thirunakshathram: ippasi, avittam

 

avathAra sthalam: thirukkadalmallai

 

AchAryan: sEnai mudhaliAr

 

Works: irandAm thiruvanthAdhi

 

bhUthathAzhwAr was born in a pond near thirukkadalmallai sthalasayanap perumAL temple.

 

He is also known as bhUthahvayar, mallApuravarAdhIshar.

 

His thanian

 

mallApura varAdhIsham mAdhavI kusumOdhbhavam bhUtham namAmi yO vishNOr jyAnadhIpam akalpayath

 

PEyAzhwAr

 

thirunakshathram: ippasi, sadhayam

 

avathAra sthalam: thirumayilai

 

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Yuga sandhi

 

yathIndra matha dhIpikai explains various technical concepts in our sampradhAyam and is considered as one of the most authentic sources for our sidhAntham.

 

In this, kAla thathvam is explained in detail and we see the definition of the various yugams and their sandhi periods.

 

· 1 day of dhEvas (svargam) is 1 year for manushyas (bhUmi)

 

· 1 chathur yugam is made of 12000 dhEva years – (krutha – 4000, thrEthA – 3000, dhvApara – 2000, kali – 1000)

 

· brahmA’s day is made of 1000 chathur yugams. His night is of the same length but no creation during that time. brahmA lives for 100 years of 360 such days.

 

· sandhi period is fairly lengthy between each yugams. Here are the sandhi periods between each yugam:

 

o between krutha yugam and thrEthA yugam, there is a sandhi period of 800 dhEva years.

 

o between thrEtha yugam and dhvApara yugam, there is a sandhi period of 600 dhEva years.

 

o between dhvApara yugam and kaliyugam, there is a sandhi period of 400 dhEva years.

 

o between kaliyugam and the next krutha yugam, there is a sandhi period of 200 dhEva years.

 

· Also, in 1 day of brahmA, there is 14 manus, 14 indhrans and 14 saptha rishis (all of these are posts that are given to certain jIvAthmAs based on their karmA).

 

 

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Thirumazhisai AzhwAr

 

thirunakshathram: thai, magam

 

avathAra sthalam: thirumazhisai

 

AchAryan: vishwaksEnar, pEyAzhwAr

 

sishyas: kaNikaNNan, dhrudavrathan

 

Works: nAnmugan thiruvanthAdhi, thiruchandha viruththam

 

Place where he attained paramapadham: thirukkudanthai

 

mAmunigaL glorifies AzhwAr as the one who has absolutely clear knowledge about the essence of sAsthtram – i.e, only srIman nArAyaNan is worshippable and we should not even have a tinge of association with anya dhEvathas (other demi-gods). mAmunigaL uses the phrase “thuyya mathi” meaning pure mind for AzhwAr. piLLai lOkam jIyar explains the purity of

 

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NammAzhwAr

 

NammAzhwAr’s thanian

 

mAthA pithA yuvadhayas thanayA vibhUthi

sarvam ya dhEva niyamEna madh anvayAnAm

 

Adhyasyana: kulapathEr vakuLAbhirAmam

srimath thadhangri yugaLam praNamAmi mUrdhnA

 

His archAvathAra anubhavam is discussed in http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2012/10/archavathara-anubhavam-nammazhwar.html.

 

 

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Madhurakavi AzhwAr

 

 

thirunakshathram: chithirai, chithirai

 

avathAra sthalam: thirukkOLUr

 

AchAryan: nammAzhwAr

 

Works: kaNNinuN chiruthAmbu

 

Place where he attained paramapadham: AzhwAr thirunagari

 

nampiLLai, in the vyAkyAna avathArikai brings out the glories of madhurakavi AzhwAr beautifully. Let us see some glimpses of it.

 

rishis are focussed on sAmAnya sAsthram which establishes ishvaryam, kaivalyam and bhagavath kainkaryam as purushArtham (goal to be attained by a soul). Azhwars are focussed on the uththama purushArtham (ultimate goal) that is loving service to srImannArAyaNan. madhurakavi AzhwAr is focussed on the epitome (top most stage) of bhagavath kainkaryam that is bhAgavatha kainkaryam – ofcourse bhagavAn appreciates service to his devotees more than service to him.

 

We can see this in srI rAmAyaNam as well. Since srI rAmAyaNam is vEdha upabruhmmaNam (that which explains the intricate meanings of vEdham) it promptly establishes the main

 

 

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KulasEkara AzhwAr

 

thirunakshathram: mAsi, punarpUsam

 

avathAra sthalam: thiruvanjikkaLam

 

AchAryan: vishwaksEnar

 

Works: mukundha mAlai, perumAL thirumozhi

 

Place where he attained paramapadham: mannAr kOyil (near thirunelvEli)

 

kulasEkara AzhwAr’s greatness lies in the fact that he was born in kshathriya kulam (which is condusive for having great ego) but was still so humble in his attitude towards emperumAn and bhakthas. It is because of his great devotion and attachment towards perumAL (srI rAman) he came to be known as kulasEkara perumAL himself. In his perumAL thirumozhi, after performing mangaLAsAsanam to periya perumAL in the first padhigam (iruLiyach chudar manigaL), he immediately glorifies srIvaishNavas in the second padhigam (thEttarum thiral thEn). He is also popular to have been so attached to srIvaishnavas which we will see in his charithram in the subsequent sections.

 

 

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PeriyAzhwAr

 

 

thirunakshathram: Ani, swAthi

 

avathAra sthalam: srIvilliputhUr

 

AchAryan: vishwaksEnar

 

Works: thiruppallANdu, periyAzhwAr thirumozhi

 

Place where he attained paramapadham: thirumAlirunchOlai

 

periyavAchAn piLLai wonderfully glorifies periyAzhwAr in the vyAkyAna avathArikai (introduction) of thiruppallANdu. He identifies the purpose of periyAzhwAr’s avathAram is to uplift the suffering jIvAthmAs from this samsAram. periyAzhwAr is decorated with sahaja dhAsyam (natural servitorship) towards emperumAn by the grace of emperumAn himself. He wanted to conduct his life by performing kainkaryam and studied the sAsthram to find out the best kainkaryam. srI krishNan himself enters into the house of mAlAkArar (the garland maker) in mathurA before going to the assembly of kamsan, requesting him for some garlands and when the mAlAkArar happily gives the best garland with great love and affection, kaNNanemperumAn becomes extremely pleased and wears it with great joy. Observing this, periyAzhwAr determines that making flower garlands is the most pleasing service for emperumAn, he starts making a garden where he plants fresh flower-giving seeds, nurtures the same and makes fresh garland every day to srIvilliputhur emperumAn with great love and

 

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ANdAL

 

 

thirunakshathram: thiruvAdi, pUram

 

avathAra sthalam: srIvilliputhUr

 

AchAryan: periyAzhwAr

 

Works: thiruppAvai, nAchiAr thirumozhi

 

In thiruppAvai 6000 padi vyAkyAnam, periyavAchAn piLLai first establishes the greatness of ANdAL over all other AzhwArs. He builds a beautiful layer of different categories of jIvAthmAs and shows the difference between each category.

 

· The difference between samsAris (dhEhAthma abhimAnis – materialistic people) and

 

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ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr

 

thirunakshathram: mArgazhi, kEttai

 

avathAra sthalam: thirumaNdangudi

 

AchAryan: vishwaksEnar

 

Works: thirumAlai, thiruppaLLiyeLuchi

 

Place where he attained paramapadham: srIrangam

 

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ThiruppANAzhwAr

 

 

thirunakshathram: kArthigai, rOhiNi

 

avathAra sthalam: uraiyUr

 

AchAryan: vishwaksEnar

 

Works: amalanAdhipirAn

 

Place where he attained paramapadham: srIrangam

 

It is explained in pUrvAchArya charithram that ALavandhAr had special attachment towards thiruppANAzhwAr who is also known muni vAhanar.

 

periyavAchAn piLLai, azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr and vEdhAnthAchAryar have

 

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Thirumangai AzhwAr

 

 

thirunakshathram: kArthigai, kArthigai

 

avathAra sthalam: thirukkuraiyalUr

 

AchAryan: vishwaksEnar, thirunaRaiyUr nambi, thriukkaNNapuram sauri perumAL

 

Sishyas: His brother-in-law iLayAzhwAr, parakAla sishyar, nIrmEl nadappAn, thALUthuvAn,thOrA vazhakkan, nizhalil maRaivAn, uyarath thonguvAn,

 

Works: periya thirumozhi, thirukkuRunthANdagam, thiruvezhukkURRirukkai, siriya thirumadal,periya thirumadal, thiruneduNthANdagam

 

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AzhwArs – glories and history Place where he attained paramapadham: thirukkuRungudi

 

periyavAchAn piLLai ’s introduction to thirumangai AzhwAr brings out the essence sAsthram, i.e., emperumAn out of his causeless mercy reforms AzhwAr and thereby uplifts many jIvAthmAs through him. Let us see that now.

 

thirumangai AzhwAr had kept his AthmA (himself) in the hot sun and the body in the pleasing shadow. Keeping AthmA in hot sun means not engaging in bhagavath vishayam (spiritual matters) and keeping body in pleasing shadow means being attached to materialistic aspirations since time immemorial and having that as the goal in life. The real shadow is

 

bhagavath vishayam only as it is said in “vAsudhEva tharuch chAyA” (

 

) meaning vAsudhEvan (krishNan) is the real shadow giving tree. He is the

 

original/only pleasing tree which gives shadow that pleases us everywhere and all the time, This shadow can destroy any thApam (anguish) and is neither too hot nor too cold. Because thirumangai AzhwAr was very attached to vishyAntharam (material aspirations) which were pleasing to the eyes, emperumAn diverts his attachment from vishayAntharam to the many dhivyadhEsams and archAvathAra emperumAns who are most pleasing to the eyes and makes his mind fully fixed on archAvathAra emperumAns and gives him full anubhavam that AzhwAr cannot sustain himself without seeing emperumAn even for a moment. Further more, emperumAn converts him to be at the stage of nithyas/mukthas while he is here in this samsAram, develops his urge to reach paramapadham and ultimately benedicts him with paramapadha prApthi also.

 

AzhwAr understands that “ emperumAn only looked for AzwAr’s adhvEsham (that is bhagavAn is trying to help jIvAthmA every moment and jIvAthmA is rejecting his help since time immemorial, the moment jIvAthmA stops rejecting, that is enough for emperumAn to uplift the jIvAthmA – this adhvEsham is explained as adhikAri visEshaNam meaning a natural attribute of the jIvAthmA) and the limitations of material aspirations to reform AzhwAr, AzhwAr’s taste for material aspirations as the key (and diverted that taste towards emperumAn) and AzhwAr’s sins from time immemorial as the target of emperumAn’s mercy and blessed AzhwAr by first revealing the thirumanthram and emperumAn’s svarUpa (true nature), rUpa (forms), guNa (divine qualities) and vibhUthi (wealth)”. AzhwAr being overwhelmed by these favours of emperumAn, at once starts glorifying thirumanthram in his periya thirumozhi out of gratitude. It is the svarUpam of chith (sentient beings) to manifest the knowledge and insentient being devoid of knowledge cannot appreciate anything. Thus to demonstrate his gratitude and glorify emperumAn’s archAvathArams, AzhwAr sings these many divine prabhanahdams.

 

Thus periyavAchAn piLLai establishes the nirhEthuka krupai (causeless mercy) of emperumAn and upAya sUnyathvam (devoid of performing any positive act to get the mercy of emperumAn) of AzhwAr in this vyAkyAna avathArikai. But once AzhwAr was divinely blessed by emperumAn, his attachment towards emperumAn becomes unparallel as he himself declares in periya thirumozhi 4.9.6 – “NummadiyArOdum okka enNnNiyiruththIr adiyEnai”

 

() – “dont consider me likeother adiyArs”.

 

 

We have already seen more of periyavAchAn piLLai ’s glorification of AzhwAr and

 

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EmperumAnAr

 

thAnAna thirumEni

 

 

thAnugantha thirumEni

 

 

thamarugantha thirumEni

 

 

(srirangam)

 

(sriperumpUdhUr)

 

(thirunArayaNapuram)

 

 

Brief life history

 

· Born in srIperumputhUr by the grace of thiruvallikkENi pArthasArathy emperumAn as his amsAvathAram.

 

pArthasArathy with ubaya nAchiArs and udayavar – thiruvallikkENi

 

· Marries thanjammAl (rakshkAmbAL).

 

· Goes to kAnchipuram and learns sAmAnya sAstram and pUrva paksham from yAdhava prakAsar.

 

· When yAdhava prakAsar gives crooked interpretations to sAstra vAkyams, iLayAzhwAr corrects them.

 

· On a pilgrimage towards vAraNAsi, some disciples of yAdhava prakAsar plans to kill iLayAzhwAr. Govindhar (embAr in the future), a cousin of iLayAzhwAr thwarts the plan

 

 

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EmpermAnAr’s thanian

 

yOnithyam achyutha padhAmbuja yugma rukma vyAmOthas thathitharANi thrunAya mEnE asmadhgurOr bhagavathOsya dhayaikasindhO: rAmAnujasya charaNou sharaNam prapadhyE

 

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AzhwArs – glories and history doubting the chastity of ones own mother (which is very cruel)".

 

The same principle is explained by azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr beautifully in his

AchArya hrudhayam 75th chUrNikai as:

 

vIttinbha inbhappAkkaLil dhravya bhAshA NirUpanNa samam inbha mAriyil ArAychchi

 

 

(mAmunigaL beautifully explains this in his vyAkyAnam as follows.

 

emperumAn out of his causeless mercy descend into the temples and homes of his most dear devotees who melt by simply hearing about him. He takes the form that is desired by his devotees. AzhwArs are most dear to bhagavAn because they were hand picked by bhagavAn from this samsAram and blessed by him and thus became so attached to him. Their dhivya prabhandhams are glorified by great intellects like srIman nAthamunigaL, srI yAmunAchAryar, srI rAmAnujar, etc. Thus having any misconception in archAvathAra emperumAns based on the raw material that is used to make the divine vigraham, AzhwArs because of their varNam and their dhivya prabhandhams based on their language is considered very cruel.)

 

Thus it is fully established that dhivya prabhandhams are most glories and are the most valid pramANams for us to accept and follow.

 

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AzhwArs – glories and history