AzhwArs – glories and history

 

stays in the south side of the river and facing srI ranganAthan, as some one fully surrendered to srIman nArAyaNan who has sudharshana chakram on his right hand, constantly sings and glorifies periya perumAL with great natural emotions. periya perumAL also enjoys AzhwAr’s singing and glorification with great pleasure.

 

Once, srI lOka sAranga mahAmuni arrives to the place where AzhwAr is present to bring thIrtham (water) for kainkaryam. He sees AzhwAr being fully immersed in anubhavam, but considering his birth, he asks him to move away so that he can fetch water. AzhwAr being immersed in bhagavath anubhavam, does not hear/realize mahAmuni’s words. mahAmuni throws a stone towards AzhwAr which hits him on his forehead and blood starts oozing out. Realizing his action, AzhwAr at once feels very bad for interrupting mahAmuni’s kainkaryam, asks for forgiveness and moves away quickly. lOka sAranga mahAmuni then bathes, performance his nithya karmAnuushtAnams and brings water for periya perumAL kainkaryam also along with chathram (umbrella), chAmaram (fan), mELam (drum), thALam, etc (as it is customary do so while bring thIrtham for emperumAn). periya perumAL being distressed with lOka sAranga muni’s action, nAchiyAr asks perumAL “How can we allow pAN perumAL (as AzhwAr is affectionately called) to be outside our sannidhi?”, periya perumAL at once shuts his sannidhi doors and with anger asks lOka sAranga muni “How can you do this to my dear devotee?”. lOka sArangar realizes his mistake immediately and is upset with himself very much. He then asks periya perumAL “I have done this great bhAgavatha apachAram (offense). How can I be saved from this great mistake?”. periya perumAL replies out of great mercy towards pAN perumAL and his total independence (of not anyone being able to question him) that “You now go and bring him her by carrying him on your shoulders with great devotion” in his dream that night. lOka sArangar wakes up early in the morning and thinks that this day is a great day for him as akrUra thought “adhyamE sapalam jaNma suprabhAthA cha

 

mE NichA” (                                                                                                                              ) meaning Today my life

 

became meaningful and it is a great dawn for me today when kamsan asked him to go and bring balarAman/krishNan to mathurA. He went to the cauvery river along with pure hearted devotees, took bathe and performed his nithyAnushtAnams.

 

As said in “sudhUramapi gaNdhavyam yathra bhAgavathas sthitha:” (

 

:) meaning even if a bhAgavatha is staying in a far

 

away place, one should go to him (and serve him), lOka sAranga muni goes to thiruppANAzhwAr who is standing farther than srIrangam. AzhwAr is facing the direction of srIrangam which is covered with beautiful gardens, etc and glorifying srI ranganAthan. lOka sAranga muni falls at the lotus feet of AzhwAr and requests him to enter srIrangam as per the orders of namperumAL. AzhwAr refuses and says he is taken a very lowly birth, not being born in the chatur varNam and is unfit to place his lotus feet in srIrangam. srI lOkasAranga muni, at once says, “Oh yes! You cannot keep your lotus feet on srI rangam, but you can certainly climb my shoulders and I can carry you directly to srI ranganAthan. I insist you do so according to periya perumAL ‘s orders”. AzhwAr being totally surrendered to bhagavAn and bhAgavathAs, unable to refuse periya perumAL and lOka sArangar’s words, accepts those words and begins contemplating emperumAn’s most merciful favours for him and gives up all responsibilities and submits to lOka sAranga muni. srI lOka sAranga mahAmunI, being overjoyed, lifts AzhwAr up and places him on his shoulders and carries him towards srI rangam just like AdhivAhikars (the ones who lead jIvAthmA during their final journey towards paramapadham) bring the

 

 

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