TIRUMALAI 1 TO 9

TIRUMALAI

AUGUST 2020

TirumAlai, as the name suggests is an offering of the garlands pAmAlai (45 nectarine pAsurams on RanganAtha) and poomAlai (pushpamAlA kainkaryam) by Shri tonDaraDipoDi AzhvAr.  AzhvAr articulates his thoughts only to Lord RanganAtha throughout this prabandham and that explains why they are very special to each other.

AzhvAr who called himself  'bhaktAngrirENu", the dust of bhAgavata’s feet” (tonDar-aDi-poDi), reveals how the repeating of bhagavAn’s tirunAmas transforms a devotee inducing self-introspection, confession, and total surrender. TirumAlai is considered to be a summary of the scripture Vishnu Dharmam expounded by Sage Shaunaka to King ShatAneeka of pAnDya dynasty. 

As the adage goes, "திருமாலை அறியாதவன் திருமாலை அறியான்" tirumAlai aRiyAdavan tirumAlai aRiyAn”. Let us seek AzhvAr’s blessings to breathe-in the fragrance of his TirumAlai.

TANIYAN

TONDARADIPODI AZHWAR

TIRUMALAI TANIYAN

By TIRUVARANGA PERUMAL ARAIYAR

மற்றொன்றும் வேண்டா மனமே! மதிளரங்கர்,

கற்றினம் மேய்த்த கழலிணைக்கீழ்,- உற்ற

திருமாலை பாடும் சீர்த் தொண்டரடிப்பொடி எம்

பெருமானை, எப்பொழுதும் பேசு.

maRRonRum vENDA manamE! madiLarangar,

kaRRinam mEytta kazhaliNaikkeezh,- uRRa

thirumAlai pADum cheert thoNDaraDippoDi em

perumAnai, eppozhudum pEsu.

Oh, dear mind! Do not desire anything else! Always sing the praises of SHRI TONDARADIPODI AZHVAR, bountiful in kalyAna guNas, who sang tirumAlai on the feet of Shri KrishNa who grazed the cows.

AZHVAR TIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM

TIRUMALAI 1 TO 9
PASURAMS 872 TO 880

TIRUMALAI -2
PERIYA PERUMAL SPORTING A TIRUMENI LIKE A BIG GREEN MOUNTAIN, CORAL LIPS, RED LOTUS LIKE EYES

“KALAU SANKEERTYA KESHAVAM ”

In kali yuga, chanting keshava nAma itself grants liberation. ((VishNu purANam 6.2.17).  AzhvAr explains the immeasurable greatness of bhagavan nAma and the paratvam of Lord RanganAtha. (bhagavAn being the only Lord, the Supreme and the matchless).

872. kAvalir pulanai vaittu kali tannai kaDakka pAindu
 nAvaliTTu uzhi taruginrOm naman tamar talaigaL meedE |
 moovulahu uNDu umizhnda mudalva nin nAmam kaRRa
 AvalippuDaimai kaNDAi arangamA nagaruLAnE (1)

Oh mudalvA, the jagatkAraNa who absorbs the three worlds during pralaya to release it again during sRuShTi !  We have now learnt your tirunAmas. Your nAmas have helped us control our senses and cross the difficult hurdles of kali yuga.  Oh, Lord rAnganAtha residing in the great city of Srirangam! Please bless us as we march triumphantly, over the heads of the messengers of Yama (naman tamar) who decline on just hearing your names. (arangamAnagaruLAnE). (1)

873. pachchai mA malai pOl mEni pavaLa vAi kamala chengaN
achchutA amarar ErE Ayartam kozhundE ennum |
ichchuvai tavira yAn pOi indira lOkam ALum
achchuvai perinum vENDEn arangamA naharuLAnE (2)

Oh achyutA, (the Lord who never lets his devotees down)! Your tirumeni has a colour akin to a big green pastural mountain (pachchai mAmalai pol mEni), your lips are coral colored (pavala vAy) and your eyes resemble the red lotus (kamala chengkan).  We enjoy your beauty singing your tirunAmas like “amarar ErE” (the lord of the nityasooris), “Ayartam kozhundE” (the darling child of all the cowherds).  I do not desire anything other than reciting your nAmas which in itself is the most divine experience.  Even if I am granted the rasAnubhavam of governing the Indra lOkas from paramapadam, I will not opt for it. (arangamAnagaruLAnE). (2)

874. vEda nool pirAyam nooru maniSar tAm puguvarElum
pAdiyum urangi pOhum ninra ippadinaiyANDu |
pEdai bAlakan adAhum piNi paSi mooppu tunbam
AdalAl piravi vENDEn aranga mA naharuLAnE (3)

The vEda sooktams bless human beings with 100 prosperous years of age –“shatamAnam bhavati shatAyuh purushah shatEndriyah AyushyEvEndriya pratitiShThati”. Even if one is blessed to live for 100 full years (pirAyam nooru), the jeeva spends 50 years of life just in sleep.  The balance 50 years is spent in innocent infanthood (pEdai) and childhood (bAlakan), desireful adulthood (adu Agum) and finally oldhood filled with disease (piNi), irregular hunger (pasi), and worries (tunbam). Hence, I do not want another birth at al (aranagamAnagaruLAnE). (3)

875. moittavalvinaiyuL ninru moonru ezhuttu uDaiya pErAldes
kattira bandum anrE parAngadi kaNDu koNDAn |
ittanai aDiyarAnArkku irangum nam aranganAya
pittanai peTTrum andO piraviyuL piNangumArE (4)

Even the most sinful person called Kshatrabandhu, a lowly person helping a kshatriya, was once absolved of all his sins and attained mOkshapadam (parAngati) by uttering the three syllabled tirunAma – GOVINDA.  That being the case, why do devotees, though blessed to have such a compassionate arangan for their Lord, still go after material pleasures, name and fame, self-creating the cycle of birth and death. What a plight! (andO!) (4)

876. peNDirAl sugangaL uippAn periyadOr iDumbai pooNDu
uNDirA kiDakkum appOdum uDalukkE karaindu naindu |
taNDuzhAi mAlai mArban tamargaLAi pADi ADi
toNDu pooNDu amudam uNNA tozhumbar chOr ugakkumArE (5)

The jeevas are under the illusion that women give them pleasures. But the fact is that jeevas undergo so many pains to attain women and maintain them. They undertake tedious jobs, toiling the whole day for them.  After a tired day, they get only little time to eat and then fall asleep at night. They struggle to cope up with this and worry about their body and health,  again and again. It is sad that they feed their body with food rather than feeding their AtmA with the amudam of “bhagavat anubhavam’  which consists in doing kainkaryam, singing and dancing in praise of Lord RanganAtha who  sports the cool tulasi garland on his chest.(5)

877. maranchuvar madiL eDuttu marumaikkE verumai pooNDu
puranchuvar oTTai mADam puraLum pOdu ariyamATTeer |
aranjuvar Agi ninra aranganArkku ATchcheyyAdE
puranchuvar kOlam seydu puL kavva kiDakkinreerE || Six ||

The jeevas build up a status for themselves, creating an exterior wall of anger and enmity in front of them (maram suvar). Habituated inside the wall for a long time, they struggle to come out of it.  The body (shareeram) is like the wall of an empty building (puram suvar). No one can predict when it will fall down.  It is anityam (impermanent). Hence, do not waste your time on decorating the shareera which is going to fall like the outer wall.   Rather, engage yourself in the service of the nitya aranganAr who stands as the wall of dharma protecting us for ever (aRam suvar). (6)

878. pulaiyaramAgi ninra buttoDu samaNam ellAm
kalaiyara kaTTra mAndar kANbarO kETparO tAm |
talai aruppuNDum sAhEn sattiyam kANmin aiyyA
SilaiyinAl ilangai cheRRa dEvanE dEvanAvAn (7)

 Our vEdic scholars well versed in our scriptures know that SHRIMAN NARAYANAN is the cause and origin of all entities and everything rests in him.  Do they have the necessity to read about other religions? Or will they voluntarily desire to listen to the postulates of those religions? Not at all.  Oh, great leaders (aiyyA)! I will also never do so, even if I were threatened to be killed. This is true. See for yourselves. (sattiyam kAnmin). Shree rAmapirAn who destroyed Lanka with his one arrow is the real Lord. (ilangai cheRRa devanE devan AvAn). (7)

879. veruppoDu samaNar muNDar vidiyil sAkkiyargaL ninpAl
poruppariyanahaL pESil pOvadE nOyadAhi |
kurippu enakku aDaiyumAgil kooDumEl AngE
aruppadE karumam kaNDAi arangamA nagaruLAnE (8)

Oh, RanganAtha residing in the great city of Srirangam!  The non-believers who talk ill about you in hatred, are unaware that their words of aversion will turn into disease, causing them to perish. Oh, RangA! Aren't you the annihilator of evils (arangamAnagaruLAnE) (8)

880. maRRum Or deivam uNDE madiyilA mAniDangAL
uTTrapOdu anri neengaL oruvan enru uNara mATTeer |
aRRamEl onRu ariyeer avanallAl deivam illai
kaRRinam mEitta endai kazhaliNai paNimin neerE (9)

AzhvAr appeals in a simple style to those who are incapable of understanding the real knowledge of the vEdas:

There is no Lord other than SRIMAN NARAYANA.  He is the only one unto whom we should surrender. Though the literal meaning (pada-artham) of the vEdas praise many devatas like agni, varuNa, rudra, brahma, indra, soma, etc, the hidden meaning (gupta-artham) point towards the one and only Lord SHREEMAN NARAYAYNAN, who is the sole enjoyer of all sacrifices. In the same way, when troubled by asuras, all these devatas are left with no other way out, but to approach Shriyahpati for protection and it is He who finally saves them and establishes dharma again.  This is evident from the glorious stories of the Lord expounded in purANas and itihAsas.  Knowing this, please surrender only at the divine feet of Shree KrishNa, the Supreme Lord who grazed the cows. (9)

AZHVAR EMPERUMAR DESIKAN TIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM.