श्री:
MUDAL AZHWARS
ஓடி திரியும் யோகிகள்
SwAmi manavALa mAmunigal has graced us with a verse that explains the precise reason behind the name “Mudal AzhvArs” in his UpadEsha RatnamAlai - 7.
நற்றமிழால் நூல்செய்து நாட்டை உய்த்த பெற்றிமயோர்
என்று முதலாழ்வார்கள் என்னும் பெரியவர்க்கு
நின்றது உலகத்தே நிகழ்ந்து
maRRuLLa AzhwArgaLukku munnE vandudittu
naRRamizhAl noolseidu nATTai uytta – peRRimayOr
endRu mudhalAzhwArgal ennum periyavarkku
nindRadhu ulagaththE nigazhndhu
Three great AzhvArs incarnated way before all the other AzhvArs and blessed us with the three beautiful tamizh divya prabandhams namely mudal tiruvandAdi, iranDAm tiruvandAdi and moonRAm tiruvandAdi to uplift the world. Since then, the three great AzhvArs are hailed by the people of the world as “Mudal AzhvArs” - "First AzhvArs".
The first AzhvArs were poigaiyAzhvAr, bhoodattAzhvAr and pEyAzhvAr. They are believed to have appeared between dwApara yuga and kaliyuga. Just like rAma, bharata and Lakshmana, they incarnated on consecutive nakshatras, but in different months namely aippasi month tiruvONam, aviTTam, and sadayam nakshatras respectively.
The first three AzhvArs were found inside flowers. As they were not born out of the womb, they are referred as ‘ayonija - not from yOni'.
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| TIRUVEKKA POYGAI AZHVAR |
POYGAI AZHVAR
On aippasi tiruvOnam star, PoygaiyAzhvAr incarnated inside a bloomed lotus flower in the pond (poigai) of TiruvekkA sthalam in Kancheepuram, the kshEtram hailed by SwAmi Desikan in his prabandham ‘aDaikalapattu’ as ‘mutti tarum nagar Ezhil mukkiyamAm kachchi' - one of the seven important places that grant liberation. Looking at his splendor, everyone considered him to be the incarnation of the magnificent pAnchajanyam conch of Lord VishNu. As he was born in a pond (kAsAra or poygai), he was called 'poygai AzhvAr'. Other names include SarOyOgi, kAsArayOgi, Poigai PirAn, Padma Muni, Kavingyar pOrERu (the victorious bull among eminent poets - mudal tiruvandAdi taniyan).
द्वापरॆ पाञ्चजन्यांशं सरॊयॊगिनं आश्रयॆ ॥
कलयॆ य: श्रिय:पति रविं दीपं अकल्पयत् ॥
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| TIRUKADALMALLAI BHOODATTAZHVAR |
BHOODATTAZHVAR
On aippasi aviTTam star, bhoodattAzhvAr incarnated inside a bloomed kurukkatti flower or mAdhavi flower (hiptage benghalensis) in TirukaDalmallai sthalam (mAmallpuram) known for its rich water sources. Seeing his prowess, everyone considered him to be the incarnation of the kaumOdaki mace of Lord VishNu. As his very existence was a rare blessing of Lord VishNu, he was given the name ‘bhootam AzhvAr’. Other names include bhootahvaya, mallapura-varadheesha.
तीरे फुल्लॊत्पलॆ मल्लापुर्यां ईडे गदांशजम् ॥
भूतं नमामि यॊ विष्णॊ: ज्ञानदीपं अकल्पयत् ||
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| TIRUMAYILAI PEYAZHVAR |
PEYAZHVAR
On aippasi sadayam star, pEyAzhvAr incarnated inside a red lily flower that bloomed inside a well in AdikEsava PerumAL temple, Tirumayilai sthalam (Mylapore). Seeing his sharpness, everyone considered him to be the incarnation of the Nandaki sword of Lord VishNu. As he wandered around relentlessly, madly (pEy) devoted to Lord VishNu, sometimes smiling, and sometimes swooning, he was given the name ‘pEy AzhvAr’. Other names include mayilApurAdheepa, mahadAhvaya.
महान्तं महदाख्यातं वन्दॆ श्रीनन्दकांशजम् ॥
कूपॆ रक्तॊत्पलॆ जातम् महदाह्वयं आश्रयॆ ॥
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| TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR WITH PEYAZHWAR, ADIKESHAVA TEPPOTSAVAM |
Tirumazhisai AzhvAr was also born later during their times. When he was on his pilgrimage, he visited Mylai after which he was transformed by pEyAzhvAr. PEyAzhvAr’s parama bhakti towards Lord VishNu and his kind compassion towards his shishya Tirumazhisai AzhvAr earned him the name ‘mahadAhvaya meaning - a mahAn’.
Lord vishvaksEna (sEnai mudaliyAr) consecrated the mudal AzhvArs with pancha samskAram and ‘aShTAkshara mantrOpadEsham’, endowing them with pure sattva guNam, gyAnam, bhakti and vairAgyam. They lived an ascetic life considering bhagavat anubhavam alone as the tAraka (protection), pOshaka (nourishment) and bhOgya (enjoyment). Separately, they wandered around relentlessly like a yOgi, without staying in one place for more than a night, always in thoughts of Shreeman NArAyaNa just as it is said in tiruvAymozhi 6.7.1 - ‘ உண்ணும் சோறு பருகும் நீர் தின்னும் வெற்றிலையும் எல்லாம் கண்ணன் uNNum sOru, parugum neer, tinnum vERRilai ellAm kaNNan”.
THE DIVINE CONFLUENCE OF MUDAL AZHVARS
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| MUDAL AZHVARS |
By emperumAn’s sankalpam, it so happened that on a rainy night, all the three AzhvArs reached TirukOyiloor/TirukOvaloor, the divya dEsam of UlagaLanda PerumAL. It was sunset and Poygai AzhvAr arrived at the Ashrama of Sage MruganDu first. He entered the dEhalee/ iDaikkazhi (front porch or passage of the house) and rested there saying "ஒருவர் படுக்கலாம் – one person can sleep here".
Next, bhoodattAzhvAr reached the Ashrama and requested for a place to rest. Just as it said - वैष्णवो वैष्णवं दृष्ट्वा दण्डवत् प्रणमेद् भुवि । vaishNavO vaiShNavaM dRuShtvA daNDavat praNamEd bhuvi’ – (Hari bhakta vilAsa), the two AzhvArs exchanged prostrations and salutations (danDavat praNAmas). Welcoming bhoodattAzhvAr warmly, Poigai AzhvAr said that the dEhalee was enough for one person to sleep and two persons to sit. (ஒருவர் படுக்கலாம். இருவர் இருக்கலாம்)
As they both sat in the porch, third came pEyAzhvAr seeking shelter. Poygai AzhvAr and BhoodattAzhvAr said together that the place was enough for one person to sleep, two persons to sit and three persons to stand. ( ஒருவர் படுக்கலாம்; இருவர் இருக்கலாம்; மூவர் நிற்கலாம்). The three AzhvArs exchanged salutations and stood there conversing with each other, articulating about the kalyANa guNas of the Lord.
In a literal divine intervention of Lord trivikrama, the three AzhvArs felt the entry of a fourth person amidst them. Within seconds, the Lord gave them a luminous pratyaksha darshanam which led to the spontaneous outpourings of 100 divine pAsurams by each AzhvAr. These 300 pAsurams were grouped together an given to us as mudal tiruvandAdi, iraNdAm tiruvandAdi and mooNRAm tiruvandAdi. All the 300 pAsurams are set in the 'andAdi' style of poetry construction in which the last word or phrase of one verse becomes the first word or phrase of the next verse.
The reciting of the three mudal tiruvandAdis gives us endless anubhavams of Lord trivikrama's supremacy on one side and benevolence on the other.
A PEEK INTO THE FIRST THREE TIRUVANDADIS
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| MUDAL AZHVARS |
MUDAL TIRUVANDADI
Poygai AzhvAr lighted a lamp considering the world as a lamp, vast ocean as the ghee and blazing sun as the light and removed the darkness in the dEhalee. Worshipping Lord nArAyaNa holding the resplendent chakra as the impeller of all tattvas, he poured out the mudal tiruvandAdi verses beginning with
veyya kadirOn viLakkAga - cheyya
chuDar AzhiyAn aDikkE chooTTinen sol mAlai
iDarAzhi neengugavE enRu (1)
வெய்ய கதிரோன் விளக்காக – செய்ய
சுடர் ஆழியான் அடிக்கே சுட்டினேன் சொல் மாலை
இடராழி நிங்குகவே என்று (1)
The crux of the 100 pAsurams is PARABHAKTI which is summarised in the last pAsuram in which Poygai AzhvAr says that one should constantly meditate on divine feet of the supreme Lord VishNu wearing the tulasee garland.....tAyavanai kEshavanai taNDuzhAi mAlai SEr mAyavanaiyE manattu vai தாயவனை கேசவனை தண்டுழாய் மாலை சேர் மாயவனையே மனத்து வை (100)
**Unlike bhoodattAzhvAr's pAsuram that follows, the wick (tiri) of the lamp is not mentioned by poygai AzhvAr. As if to clarify this point, Sri tiruvarangattu amudanAr gives a particular mention in his rAmAnuja nooRRandAdi 8 as follows:
குருத்தின் பொருளையும்* செந்தமிழ் தன்னையும் கூட்டி* ஒன்றத்- திரித்தன்று எரித்த திருவிளக்கைத் தன் திருவுள்ளத்தே*
இருத்தும் பரமன்* இராமானுசன் எம் இறையவனே. (8)
Illumined by the effulgent rays of devotional lamp lit by poygai AzhvAr, BhoodattAzhvAr lit the sparkling light of wisdom (paragyAna) considering love as the lamp, passion as the ghee and a spiritual mind as the wick. Soulfully worshipping nArAyaNa, he began his iranDAm tiruvandAdi with wisdomful tamizh verses as follows:
inpurugu sindai iDutiriyA, nanburugi
gyAna chuDarviLakkERRinEn nAraNarku
gyAna tamizh purinda nAn (1)
இன்புருகு சிந்தை இடுதிரியா - நன்புருகி
ஞானச் சுடர் விளக்கேற்றினேன் நாரணற்கு
ஞான தமிழ் புரிந்த நான் (1)
The essence of the 100 pAsurams is PARAGYANA which is summarised in the last pAsuram in which bhoodattAzhvAr says that the knowledge about Lord nArAyaNa's paratva and saulabhya guNas has resulted in BhoodattAzhvAr's uncontrollable love for Lord VishNu, which is the next higher stage of bhakti called paragyAnam ....enRan aLavanRAl yAnuDaiya anbu என்றன் அளவன்றால் யானுடைய அன்பு (100)
MOONRAM TIRUVANDADI
Spiritually awakened by the enlightening verses of the two AzhvArs, pEyAzhvAr along with the other two AzhvArs, experienced a supreme vision of Goddess MahAlakshmi ,with the ocean hued Lord VishNu. He was shining like gold, holding the resplendent chakra and the coiled shankh. In ecstacy, pEyAzhvAr poured out moonrAm tiruvandAdi starting with the verse :
அருக்கன் அணிநிறமும் கண்டேன், – செருக்கிளரும்
பொன்னாழி கண்டேன் புரி சங்கம் கைக்கண்டேன்
என்னாழி வண்ணன்பால் இன்று. (1)
The gist of the 100 pAsurams is PARAMABHAKTI , the ultimate stage of bhakti , which is summarised in the last pAsuram in which pEyAzhvAr surrenders to lotus-eyed Lakshmi (tiru) residing on Vishnu's chest, as the ultimate and permanent refuge of shree vaishNavas. He starts his tiruvandAdi with 'tiru' and ends it with "tiru', explicitly revealing the crux of shreevaishNava philosophy that 'Shri' is the mother for all jeevAtmas.
tArvAzh varaimArban tAn muyangum kArArnda |
vAnamarum min imaikkum vaNDAmarai neDungaN
tEnamarum poo mEl tiru || (100)
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| THIRUKOVALUR DEHALEESHA PERUMAL |
Tirumangai AzhvAr extols the mudal AzhvArs in his Periya Tirumozhi 2.8.2 as 'sentamizh pADuvAr செந்தமிழ் பாடுவார்'.
SwAmi Desikan, in His prabandha sAram, addresses Poigai AzhvAr as "புனிதா punitA”- the pure one”, BhoodattAzhvAr as “வேந்தே vEndE” - the king and specially refers to pEyAzhvAr who saw the Lord as “தேவே dEvE” meaning “divine being”.
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| DEHALEESHA STUTI |
SWAMI DESIKAN'S DEHALEESHA!
While it is said that the mudal AzhvArs were squeezed by the entry of Lord VishNu, kavitArkika simham swAmi dEsikan contrastingly explains the event with an allegorical sweet verse in His Dehaleesha Stuti (7) dedicated to TirukOvaloor PerumAL. Let's enjoy the verse where He says that Lord Dehaleesha, the one like sugarcane, was indeed crushed to produce the nectarous juice of love - sausheelyam towards His bhaktas.
पण्णा तटॆक्षु सुभगस्य रसॊ बहुस्ते ।
त्वत्पाद पद्म मधुनि त्वदनन्य भोग्यॆ
नूनं समाश्रयति नूतन शर्करात्वम्॥
Oh dEhaleesha! You are as sweet as the sugarcane growing on the banks of the river paNNA in TirukOvaloor. When You were squeezed by the mudal AzhvArs like poygai, a juice of graciousness (sausheelyam) was produced and the bhaktas got to enjoy a new kind of sugar mixed with the honey of thy feet.
Let us teleport ourselves to TirukOvaloor to behold the divine, incandescent light lit by the mudal AzhvArs, and transcend our minds by drenching in the Mudal AzhvArs' tiruvandAdis.
READ MUDAL TIRUVANDADI
READ IRANDAM TIRUVANDADI
READ MOONRAM TIRUVANDADI
AZHVAR EMPERUMANAR DESIKAN TIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM
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