*श्री:*
Shree GurubhyO Namaha
TONDARADIPODI AZHVAR CHARITRAM
कॊदण्डॆ ज्यॆष्ठ नक्षत्रॆ मण्डङ्गुडि पुरॊद्भवम् ।
चॊलॊर्व्यां वनमालांशं भक्त पदरॆणुं आश्रयॆ॥kOdaNDE jyEShTha nakShatrE maNDanguDi purOdbhavam |chOlOrvyAM vanamAlAMshaM bhakta padarENuM AshrayE||
I take refuge under BhaktAngrirENu (toNDaraDipoDi AzhvAr) who was born in the jyEShTha star (kETTai), in the chApa month (mArgazhi), in maNDanguDi city, as the incarnation of the vanamAlA garland of VishNu, in the kingdom of the Cholas.
TonDaraDipOdi AzhvAr was born in a village called “tirumanDangkuDi” near the divyadEsam “tirupuLLamboodangkuDi”, Tanjore district, in the asterism mArgazhi month kETTai nakshatram, krishNa paksha chaturdashi, tuesday, prabhava varuSham, kaliyugam, 289th year. He was the incarnation of the “VanamAlA” or “Vaijayanti”, the divine necklace of Lord VishNu.”.
Having been born with the anugraham of the Lord Shreeman NArAyaNa, his father Sri Veda VishArada, named him “VIPRANARAYANA”. He duly performed all the vaidika samskAras for him like nAmakaraNa, chaulam and upanayanam. Vipranarayana studied all the four vEdas and the six shAstras and emerged as a prolific scholar glowing with shuddha sattvam. It is believed that Lord VishvaksEna (senai mudaliyAr) appeared from SrivaikunTham and blessed him with samAshrayanam.
He grew up to be a staunch vishNu devotee. Not interested in family life, he remained a naishThika brahmachAri for a long time. He set up a nandavanam (garden) in Shreerangam and grew tulasi and beautiful flowers. He collected flowers in a basket and spent his days in mAlA kainkaryam and tiruttuzhAy kainkaryam to Periya PerumAL.
HOW THE DIVYA DAMPATIS PERIYA PIRATTI AND PERIA PERUMAL PROTECTED AZHVAR FROM HIS KARMIC CYCLE (PRARABDHA KARMA).
.. After some years, fate had it that he came under the influence of a beautiful woman called “dEvadEvi”. DEvadevi was captivated by the charm and brilliance of VipranArAyaNa. Her initial efforts to attract him went in vain as he ignored her. She challenged her sister that she will win over the disciplined VipranArAyaNan one day. Devadevi disguised herself as a devotee and entered VipranArAyaNa’s garden and worked all day, watering the plants and taking care of his garden. Slowly she convinced him to be her partner and they began a happy life. After some years, VipranArAyaNa became poorer. DevadEvi abandoned him for want of money. VipranArAyaNa could not bear this grief. He went to her house and waited outside the gate daily. But she did not accept him.
Meanwhile, mother RanganAyaki could not bear her dear, long-time devotee suffering. On her pleading, Lord RanganAtha chalked out a plan to bring back VipranArAyaNa from his misery. The Lord disguised himself as the servant of VipranArAyaNa. Introducing himself as “azhagiya manavALan dAsan”, he gave Devadevi a golden cup (vaTTil) that belonged to the swAmi sannidhi, telling her that Vipranarayanan had sent the golden cup for her. She accepted it happily and allowed Vipranarayanan inside. Next day, the temple priest complained to the king about the missing vessel. After investigation, VipranArAyNnan was sent to the prison. After a few days, our merciful mother RanganAyaki again pleaded the Lord to save her devotee. Lord RanganAtha showing his saulabhyam, now appeared in the king’s dream and stated that Vipranarayana was faultless and it was He who played this leelA to help him out of his struggle. The king immediately released Vipranarayana, announcing to everyone that the incident was the tiruvilayAdal of the Lord.
WHY HE NAMED HIMSELF TONDAR-ADI-PODI AZHVAR?
Vipranarayana wanted to atone for his transgression. He asked elder vEdic scholars about the apt prAyaschittam for his faults. They advised him to purify himself with the pAda teertham of the bhAgavatas worshipping Lord Ranganatha. From that day onwards, he named himself “tonDar-aDipoDi-AzhvAr”. (bhaktAngrireNu in sanskrit; bhakta- devotee, angri – feet, rENu - dust). He lived up to 105 years in Srirangam, applying the dust of the devotees’ feet on his head and offering garlands for Periya PerumAl.
AzhvAr has composed two prabandhams, both only on Lord Ranganatha – tirumAlai (45 pAsurams) and tirupalliyezhuchchi (10 pAsurams).
FRIENDS TIRUMANGAI AZHVAR AND TONDARADIPODI AZHWAR
Shri tirumangai AzhvAr was his contemporary. Once when tirumangai AzhvAr was building the boundary wall of Srirangam temple, his assistants told him that a part of the concerned land was used by Shri tonDaraDipoDi AzhvAr for nandavanam. Tirumangai AzhvAr out of his compassion, redesigned his boundary wall plan, leaving the land untouched for AzhvAr to continue his pushpakainkaryam. In gratitude, tonDaraDipoDi AzhvAr named the goad used for picking flowers from trees as “aruL mAri”, one of the names of tirumangai mannan.
It is also interesting to note that the following two lines glorifying Rangan in “tirumAlai -17 are found in tirumangai AzhvAr’s “tirukkurundANDakam -13” as well.
சுரும்பமர் சோலை சூழ்ந்த அரங்கமா கோயில் கொண்ட
கரும்பினைக் கண்டு கொண்டு கண்ணிணை களிக்கும் ஆறே!
My eyes are now enjoying the sweet sugarcane like Lord RanganAtha, residing in the great Srirangam temple surrounded by fresh gardens swarmed with honeybees.
What a demonstration of mutual admiration and respect between the two AzhvArs!
LORD RANGANATHA APPEARS AT TIRUMANDANGUDI.
TIRUMANDANGUDI RANGANATHASWAMY TEMPLE, TANJORE DISTRICT
TIRUMANDANGUDI TONDARADIPODI AZHVAR TEMPLE
VARUM TARUM PERUMAL PRARTHANA STHALAM FOR UNMARRIED PEOPLE
Having heard the two miracle stories of “tiruvekkA perumAl following tirumazhisai AzhvAr” and “tirukuDandai ArAvamuda perumAl getting up to answer tirumazhisai AzhvAr”, tonDaraDipoDi AzhvAr was sad that he was not blessed with such anubhavams. He wished that Lord Ranganatha should give him darshan soon. One night, azhagiya maNavAlan perumAL of srirangam came in his dream and asked him to come to tirumanDangudi, his birthplace. AzhvAr left immediately to his village. There he was astonished to see Lord RanganAtha in a a rare standing posture (ninDra tirukOlam) as azhagiya maNavALan with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi. AzhvAr named him “varam tarum perumAL”.
A temple for Lord RanganAtha was built here. It became the prArthanA sthalam for unmarried people. It is believed that those who perform tirumanjanam for this perumAl get married easily.
The specialty of RanganAyaki tAyar in this sannidhi is that she holds a closed water-lily bud in her left hand and a bloomed lotus in the right hand, representing the present and the future / agyAna and gyAna.
चॊलॊर्व्यां वनमालांशं भक्त पदरॆणुं आश्रयॆ॥
PRABANDHAMS: TIRUMALAI AND TIRUPALLIYEZHUCHCHI
1. TIRUMALAI OF SHRI TONDARADIPODI AZHVAR (
TirumAlai, as the name suggests is an offering of the garlands pAmAlai (45 nectarine pAsurams on Tiru arangan) 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.
2. TIRUPALLIYEZHUCHCHI OF TONDARADIPODI AZHVAR
In TirupaLLiyezhuchchi, an enlightened TONDARADIPODI AZHVAR, in turn awakens the Lord from his deep sleep called yOganidrA (tiru paLLi, vizhi tuyil, aRi tuyil, kaLLa nittirai), so that all the approaching dEvas, RuShis, muktas and jeevAtmas are blessed by His divine sight and grace. It is for this reason that tonDaraDipoDi AzhvAr is called 'paLLi uNarttum pirAn பள்ளி உணர்த்தும் பிரான்'
The beautiful and captivating dawn (uShat kAlam) is elucidated in these pAsurams. uShA, the goddess of light is the most exalted Goddess in the Rig vEda. She is extolled as the daughter of the sky drawn by hundred chariots, the auspicious and bounteous one who chases away darkness and sets all living beings in motion. (RIG VEDA - HYMN 1.48). TirupaLLiyezhuchchi pAsurams are recited in all VaishNava temples in this holy ushat kAlam.
AzhvAr eulogises Rangan, assuming the role of panegyrists called 'vandee வந்தீ' and 'vaitAlikan வைதாலிகன்' . In kingly traditions, a 'vandee' is one who praises the king's valor and a 'vaitAlikan' is one who awakens the Lord.
Let us follow the footsteps of AzhvAr in awakening our Lord Rangan reposing on AdishEsha in the picturesque backdrop of the rising sun, the blossoming groves, and the morning whispers.
 |
| TONDARADIPODI AZHWAR |
VAIJAYANTI MALA / VANAMALA AMSHAM
TONDARADIPODI AZHVAR was the incarnation of VAIJAYANTI MALA, the garland of victory, the divine necklace worn by Lord VishNu. The necklace is made of five precious gems or five flowers or seeds. It is the representation of the five fold panchabhootas along with their tanmAtras. Hence it is also called "bhootamAlA"
VishNu purANam 1.22.72 throws light on this. Sage ParAshara explains the greatness of bhagavAn’s bhooshaNas (ornaments) and astras (weapons) to Sage MaitrEya.
Select ornaments and weapons like kaustubha maNi, shreevatsam, gadA, shankh, shArnga, chakra, vaijayanti mAla, bhANam and khadgam are very close to Lord ViShNu. They do not just adorn him but also represent the tattva devatas - Purusha, moola prakRuti, buddhi/mahat, tAmasa ahankAra, rAjasa ahankAra, sAttvika ahankAra, panchabhootas, gyAna-karma indriyas and manas respectively.
Out of these, the vaijayanti mAlA is described thus.
पञ्चरूपा तु या माला वैजयन्ती गदाभृत: ।
सा भूतहेतुसङ्घाता भूतमाला च वै द्विज॥
pancharoopA tu yA mAlA vaijayantee gadAbhRuta: |
sA bhootahetusanghAtA bhootamAlA cha vai dvija||
The Vaijayanti mAlA made of five gems (pearl, ruby, emerald, sapphire and diamond) worn by Lord VishNu holding the mace, is an aggregate of the panchabhootas along with the panchatanmAtras.
In krishNAvatAra, this vaijayanti mAlA was worn by Him in the form of a garland of five types of forest flowers of five types of seeds called "vanamAlA".
A reference to this can also be found in Swami VedAnta Desikan's "adigArasangraham 41".
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