TIRUMAZHISAI AZHWAR CHARITRAM
Tirumazhisai AzhvAr, as the name suggests, comes from the place Tirumazhisai near Chennai. He was the incarnation of Sudarshana, the divine disc of Lord ViShNu. He was the fourth in order of the AzhvArs and a contemporary of the Mudal AzhvArs. He incarnated in dwApara yuga, vibhava year, makham star, the tamil month tai, krishNa paksha dashami, on a thursday. He is said to have lived for an incredible 4700 years on this earth.
He was born to BhArgava muni and KanakAngi in an unusual form without arms and legs. His parents left the piNDa beneath a bush of cane shrubs. Lord JagannAtha appeared along with His consort Lakshmi (Tirumangaivalli) and blessed the child after which he became a fully developed baby. A childless tribal couple called TiruvAlan and Pankaya Chelvi (HaridAsa and Padmavalli) engaged in cane cutting, found the child and took him home. However the child was still different from the others, neither drinking nor excreting.
One day an old farmer couple visited this child with some cow’s milk and offered him saying, “Oh Tirumazhisai, please drink this milk and remove our worries”. At that very utterance, he began to drink the milk. One day, this couple drank the left over milk and to their surprise, they regained their youth. Later, they had a child named ‘Kani KaNNan’ who became Tirumazhisai AzhvAr's ardent disciple.
ASHTANGA YOGI AND A RESEARCH SCHOLAR
When he grew up, AzhvAr left home in quest of absolute knowledge. He learnt many yOga and meditation techniques and became a master in ashTAnga yOgam.
SPIRITUAL ADVENTURES OF TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR
1. PEYAZHVAR BECOMES TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR'S ULTIMATE GURU.
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| PEYAZHVAR INITIATES TIRUMAZHISI AZHWAR |
Roaming around as a wanderer, Tirumazhisai AzhwAr explored many faiths like Jainism, Buddhism, and researched on many other philosophies. Not convinced with any of them, he later became a Shiva devotee. After many years of nishTha, he went into mauna vrata (vow of silence).
Hearing the story of this true spiritual seeker, pEyAzhvAr went to Tirumazhisai AzhvAr's place and decided to make him talk. He made a beautiful garden nearby, planted some seedlings upside down and watered them from a pot having a hole. Tirumazhisai AzhvAr stared at this act for a long time and broke his mauna-vrata finally commenting, 'What an insane act your are doing! How will the plant grow if planted upside down?" PEyAzhvAr replied saying, "Your act is also crazy. You are worshipping everyone other than the one who is the supreme cause of the entire universe, 'LORD NARAYANA". How will you attain bliss?. This landed them into hours of debate when finally Tirumazhisai AzhvAr accepted that Lord VishNu is the supreme God immanent in every creation of His. PEyAzhvAr then formally initiated Tirumazhisai Azhvar as a shreevaishNava by blessing him with pancha-samskAram and ashTAkshara mantrOpadESam.
Thereafter, Tirumazhisai AzhvAr visited many divya desams, propagating vaishNava siddhAntam. He composed two prabandhams that elaborate on the supreme causality and omnipresence of Lord nArAyaNa. His prabandhams are Tiruchchandaviruttam and Nanmugan TiruvandAdi.
Tirumazhisai AzhwAr is referred as - "உறையில் இடாதவர் uraiyil iDAdavar", meaning “the one who never puts his sword back into its cover.” The sword here refers to the “steadfast sharp tongue” of AzhvAr in continuously establishing the primordiality and approachability of AdidEva, LORD SHRIMAN NARAYANA.
2. TIRUMAZHISAI AZHWAR'S CLARITY OF MIND
In one of his pAsurams in the nAnmugan tiruvandAdi, tirumazhisai AzhvAr reveals that He gained the clarity of mind after Lord nArAyaNa's divine intervention.
kadavu manam enRum kANalAm enRum
kudaiyum vinaiyAvi teerndEn vidaiyAha |
naRRamizhai vitti ennuLLattai neeviLaittAi
kaRRamozhiyAkki kalandu || (81)
AzhvAr says: Sometimes, I used to feel that the ‘mind' is a hindrance to attain absolute bliss. Sometimes, I used to feel that the 'mind' is an instrument to attain absolute bliss. After Your unconditional compassion towards me, I am totally clear of all these habitual confusions of my mind. Oh, Lord nArAyaNa, the one having immortal power and knowledge! You have partnered with me, guiding me to write this prabandham in excellent tamizh language. You have also manifested as the ‘meaning’ of all tamizh ‘words’ that surface in this prabandham. By engaging my mind in composing this prabandham, You have indeed sown the seed of bhakti in my heart, thereby converting it into an ever-fertile, invulnerable farm. (81)
In upadEsha ratnamAlai, SwAmi manavALa mAmUnigaL hails Tirumazhisai AzhvAr as ‘tuyya madi peRRa mazhisai pirAn துய்யமதி பெற்ற மழிசை பிரான்’ – the Lord who attained a clear mind.
AchArya VEda VyAsa BhaTTar and swAmi dEsikan address him as 'மழிசை பரன் mazhisai paran - the God from Mazhisai'
3. TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR BECOMES BHAKTISARAN
Once, on the banks of the river kairavinNee, Tirumazhisai Azhvar was stitching a rag while contemplating on Lord VishNu. He was so steeped in bhakti that he did not notice that Lord Shiva and PArvati arrived on Nandi. When PArvati asked Shiva about AzhvAr's unconcerned behaviour, Shiva replied that He was a staunch vaishNava whose mind does not waver at all. To show pArvati the intensity of his bhakti, Shiva proclaimed His supremacy to AzhvAr and told him to ask for boons. AzhvAr asked Him if He could grant him mOksham. Lord Shiva admitted that he was incapable of that, and only Lord Narayana could grant him mOksham.
When Shiva persuaded him to ask for some other boon, Tirumazhisai AzhvAr asked Him if He could cause a thread to be inserted into a needle. Ired by his taunting question, Shiva caused kAlAgni fire all around the place. Being an expert ashThAnga yOgi, Tirumazhisai AzhvAr brought out more powerful fire from an eye that opened from His right toe. The scene looked like the horrific praLaya that engulfs the universe at the end of a kalpa. Lord Shiva then ordered the clouds inside jaTA to shower copious rain all over to douse the fire. Tirumazhisai AzhvAr was unshaken and lay calm meditating on Shreeman nArAyaNa amidst the sprawling floods that flowed endlessly.
Shiva and PArvati were amazed at his prowess. In admiration of Tirumazhisai AzhvAr's yOganiShTha (penance) and dRuDavrata (firm determination and discipline), Lord Shiva who is himself an eminent yOgi, conferred upon Tirumazhisai AzhvAr the title, "BhaktisAran - the essence of bhakti". The other names of Tirumazhisai AzhvAr include maheeshArapurAdeesha, bhArgavAtmaja and mazhisai pirAn.
In the last pAsuram of nAnmugan tiruvandAdi - 96, AzhvAr says that He has realised well that Lord NArAyaNa, is the supreme God, the God for BrahmA and Shiva, the original and permanent cause, and the one having causeless mercy.
இனியறிந்தே னீசற்கும் நான்முகற்கும் தெய்வம்
இனியறிந்தேன் எம்பெருமான். உன்னை, - இனியறிந்தேன்
காரணன்நீ கற்றவைநீ கற்பவைநீ, நற்கிரிசை
நாரணன்நீ நன்கறிந்தேன் நான். (96)
iniyarindEn eecharkkum nAnmugaRkkum deivam
iniyarindEn emberumAn unnai ini arindEn |
kAraNan nee kaRRavai nee karpavai nee narkirisai
nAraNan nee nangarindEn nAn || (96)
4. TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR MOVES THE LORD OF TIRUVEKKA
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| TIRUVEKKA YATOTTHAKARI PERUMAL FOLLOWS TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR SONNAVANNAM SEYDA PERUMAL |
AzhvAr, after visiting various places settled down in KAncheepuram for around 700 years, doing yOgAbhyAsam along the poygai pushkarini. A very interesting incident is believed to have happened here. There was an old lady who used to clean AzhvAr's place daily. Pleased with her tireless service, he transformed her into a young lady so that she serves the Lord for a longer period. After some time, king PallavarAya chanced to see her and married her.
After some years, the king became old naturally, but the queen was still looking young. When the king asked her the secret of her youth, she said that it was due to the grace of Tirumazhisai AzhvAr. Expecting a similar miracle for Himself, the king then summoned Kani kannan and ordered him to bring Tirumazhisai AzhvAr. But Kani KaNNan replied that AzhvAr wouldn't oblige anyone for petty reasons. The king then asked Kani kaNNan to write a poem praising him and show it to AzhvAr as a recommendation for the king. But kani KaNNan declined saying that He would not praise any human being. King PallavarAya became furious and banished KanikaNNan from the state.
When kanikaNNan narrated this, Tirumazhisai AzhvAr too joined kanikaNNan. He went to the temple and told the “Lord of TiruvekkA” also to follow him after rolling up his serpent mattress, the AdishEshan.
“கணிகண்ணன் போகின்றான் காமருபூங்கச்சி மணிவண்ணா நீ கிடக்கவேண்டா - துணிவுடைய செந்நாப்புலவனும் போகின்றேன் நீயுமுன்றன் பைந்நாகப்பாய்சுருட்டிக்கொள்".
kanikaNNan pOginrAn kAmarupoonkachchi maNivaNNA nee kiDakkavENDA - tunivuDaya chennAppulavanum pOginREn neeyum unthan painAga pAy churuTTikkoL.
To every one's amazement, the moolavar perumAL obeyed tirumazhisai AzhvAr and followed him. All three along with tAyAr deserted KAnchi. The whole city went into darkness due to the missing Lord. Realising his fault the king requested all three of them to come back. AzhvAr forgave him and told the Lord also to come back and rest on his serpent mattress inside the temple.
"கணிகண்ணன் போக்கொழிந்தான் காமருபூங்கச்சி மணிவண்ணா நீ கிடக்கவேண்டும் - துணிவுடைய செந்நாப்புலவனும் போக்கொழிந்தேன் நீயுமுன்றன் பைந்நாகப் பாய்படுத்துக்கொள்" என்று பாடினார்.”
kanikaNNan pOkkozhindAn kAmarupookachchi maNivaNNA nee kiDakkavENDum - tunivuDaiya chennAppulavanum pOkkozhindEn neeyumunthan painAga pAy puDuttukoL.
PerumAL is believed to have obeyed AzhvAr’s words and returned back to the temple. But in a hurry He reclined in the opposite direction. Hence TiruvekkA perumAL came to be known as ‘Sonna VaNNam Seida PerumAl or ‘Yathottakari’ or "yathOktakari". The divine place where perumAl, Guru Tirumazhisai AzhvAr and shishya kanikaNNan stayed overnight is called 'Or iravu irukkai' or 'Orirukkai' or 'Orikkai'.
5. TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR'S HUMILITY
In another incident, while AzhvAr was travelling to 'TirukuDandai’, he stopped for a while in the front yard of a house in mahAvyAgrapuram. Few Brahmins who were reciting vedas stopped their vedAdhyayanam seeing Him. Immediately AzhvAr moved away realising that He was not welcome. After that, the brahmins wanted to resume their chanting but forgot where they left. AzhvAr silently broke open a paddy seed with his nails to indicate the particular verse in reference. The brahmins were then able to remember the verse immediately. They also realised their fault and wanted to honour the AzhvAr, while some objected .
At that juncture, AzhvAr prayed to the Lord to show Himself in AzhvAr’s physical body and prove His antaryAmitvam. The Lord did so to the astonishment of the onlookers.
6. AZHVAR MOVES THE LORD OF TIRUKUDANDAI .
How Tirumazhisai AzhvAr became Tirumazhisai pirAn?
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| TIRUKKUDANDAI ARAVAMUDAZHVAR IN UTTANA SAYANAM GETTING UP TO ANSWER TIRUMAZHISAI PIRAN |
An interesting incident happened during tirukkuDandai perumAl mangaLAshAsanam. Tirumazhisai AzhvAr visits the enchanting ArAvamuda PerumAL and gets emotional, He asks ArAvamudan if His legs ached due to treading the forests in rAmAvatAra, due to lifting the earth in the varAha avatAra . He tells Him to get up from his repose and tell him the reason for his slumber.
TIRUCHCHANDAVIRUTTAM 61
நடந்த கால்கள் நொந்தவோ நடுங்க ஞாலம் ஏனமாய்
இடந்த மெய் குலுங்கவோ விலங்கு மால்வரைச்சுரம்
கடந்த கால் பரந்த காவிரிக்கரைக் குடந்தையுள்
கிடந்தவாறு எழுந்திருந்து பேசு வாழி கேசனே!
— திருச்சந்தவிருத்தம் (திருமழிசையாழ்வார்)
naDanda kAlgaL nondavO naDungu jnAlam EnamAi
iDanda mei kulungavO? ilangu mAl varai churam
kaDanda kAl paranda kAviri karai kuDandaiyuL
kiDandavARu ezhundirundu pESu vAzhi kEsanE || (61)
Overwhelmed at tirumazhisai AzhvAr’s devotion, Lord ArAvamuda literally got up to answer. Tirumazhisai AzhvAr was awestruck. He realised that BhagavAn's archAvatAram would get disturbed. AzhvAr immediately offered mangalAshAsanam saying "vAzhi KEshanE" - "May all auspicious be to thee, Oh kEshava". The Lord then stopped in that slightly raised tirukOlam called udyOga sayanam or uttAna sayanam.
It is believed that in mutual admiration of each other’s love, both of them exchanged names. Since then, our perumAL in tirukkuDandai is called "AravamudAzhvAn" and AzhvAr is called "tirumazhisaipirAn".
7. RETRIEVING TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR'S LOST PRABANDHAMS
Once, all his literary works were washed away by the kAvEri river. Later, two prabandhams, tiruchchandaviruttam' and 'nAnmugan tiruvandAdi' were found by AzhvAr. He considered it to be the grace of bhagavAn and spent the rest of his life here spreading vaishnava darshaNam. In all, Tirumazhasai AzhvAr is said to have lived for 300 years in tirukkuDandai before he breathed his last. Tiruchchandaviruttam - 120 is said to be His last pAsuram.
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| TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR, SRIRANGAM |
SwAmi Desikan extols tirumazhisai AzhvAr in his prabandha sAram:
தைம்மகத்தில் வரு மழிசைப் பரனே மற்றைச்
சமயங்கள் பல தெரிந்து மாயோன் அல்லால்
தெய்வம் மாற்றி இல்லை என வுரைத்த வேதச்
செழும் பொருள் நான்முகன் தொண்ணூற்றாறு பாட்டு
மெய்ம்மிகுத்த திருச் சந்த விருத்தப் பாடல்
விளங்கிய நூற்று இருபதும் தப்பாமல் மெய்யே
வையகத்து மறவாமல் உரைத்து வாழும்
வகை யடியேனுக்கு அருள் செய் மகிழ்ந்து நீயே (5)
tai magattil varu mazhisai paranE maRRai
samayangaL pala terindu mAyOn allAl
deivam mARRi illai ena uraitta vEda
chezhum poruL nAnmugan toNNooRRARu pATTu
meymmiguttu tiruchchanda virutta pADal
viLangiya nooRRu irupadum tappAmal meyyE
vaiyagattu maRavAmal uraittu vAzhum
vagai aDiyEnaukku aruL chey magizhndu neeyE (5)
Oh Lord of tirumazhisai who was born in tai magam!
You learnt all other religions too,
You proclaimed that SHRIMAN NARAYANAN is the supreme Lord,
You blessed us with the meanings of the vEdas through 96 nAnmugan tiruvandAdis
You blessed us with the amazing 120 tiruchchanda viruttams,
Please bless aDiyEn so that I always sing your poems as long as I live on this earth.
TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR'S PRABANDHAMS :
Tirumazhisai AzhvAr's two masterpiece prabandhams are:- TIRUCHCHANDAVIRUTTAM AND NANMUGAN TIRUVANDADI
1. TIRUCHCHANDAVIRUTTAM
Tiruchchandaviruttam is an arithmetically amazing, esoteric poem set in an easy rhythmic sing-along meter (chandas) and viruttam style of tamizh prosody. It is placed in the mudal Ayiram section of divya prabandham text.
Ingrained with the *puruSha-prakRuti-Ishwara tattvas* revealed in the vEdas, upanishads, purANas and the smRutis on one side, and the *karma-gyAna-bhakti yOgas* taught by the Bhagavat geetA on the other side, AzhvAr’s poems cover the tattva, hita and purushArtha of life.
Let us seek AzhvAr's blessings and tune in to the divine melody of 120 pAsurams.
2. NANMUGAN TIRUVANDADI
NAnmugan TiruvandAdi is the fourth prabandham in the moonrAm Ayiram section identified as iyarpA, as compiled by Shree nAthamuni. As the prabandham starts with the word ‘NAnmugan”, it is named “nAnmugan tiruvandAdi”. By reason of being placed immediately after the first three tiruvandAdis of the mudal AzhvArs, this prabandham also gets the name ‘nAngAm tiruvandAdi’.
Tirumazhisai AzhvAr substantiates the supreme causality and omnipresence of Lord nArAyaNa, with the essence of vEdic texts (shRutis), upanishads like mahOpanishads and nArAyaNa sooktam, smRitis and itihAsa purANas. Let us learn this prabandham to taste the amaranthine nectar once again.
READ MEANINGS OF NANMUGAN TIRUVANDADI
TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR TIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM
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