PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.1
PASURAMS 1248 TO 1257
TIRU DEVANAR TOGAI
TIRUNANGUR DIVYA DESAM - 4/11
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| TIRUNANGUR TIRU DEVANAR TOGAI MADHAVA PERUMAL |
Topography:
1248. On the southern banks of the wide river ManniyAr lies the divine place called TIRUNANGUR where the pollen from the well bloomed flowers of the orchards are scattered all over. Lord MAdhava PerumAL is seated eternally in this place, TIRU DEVANAR TOGAI surrounded by fields where the striped bees sing the tune 'tena tena'.
His Swaroopam:
1249. The 'Primal Deity', who bears the sentient beings and the insentient objects as His physical body [ Chetana Achetana swaroopam that is embedded in Him forming the shareera shareeri bhAvam (that forms the vishiShTAdvaitam philosophy)]. He who is the essence of the vEdas and who is the embodiment of all three forms (BramA, VishNu and Shiva) in himself is well seated in this place situated in TIRUNANGUR.
The mighty ruling kings with swords riding on their horses are being defeated and won over by the Brahmins who live here, which is surrounded by groves and where the Nityasooris too descend to worship him at TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
An incidence mentioned in itihAsam: It is believed that, once when the pAnDiyan King came with his army and tried to siege this place, the brahmins of TIRUNANGUR gathered, opposed them and chased them away.
UbhayavibhUthi adhipati:
1250. The Lord who pervades and governs inside each and every being present in both the eternal abode (paramapadam/ nithyavibhUthi) and the universe (bhoolOkam/ leelAvibhUthi) resides in this holy place located in TIRUNANGUR renowned for its abundant wealth and where the Vedic scholars dwell.
It is this place surrounded by orchards comprising of honey dripping flowers, known as TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
Reason for getting the name:
1251. All the devAs including DevEndra, BrahmA the authority of vedAs who appeared on the lotus, SooryA and ChandrA, the whole lot of rishis like Sanaka, SanAtana, Sanandana and SanatkumAra gathered together and pleaded praying, Oh! Lord our master! Bless us and shower your grace on us. Giving credence to their request and captivated by the flourishing orchards around, He settled down in this beautiful place coming under the TIRUNANGUR province called TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
The Protector:
1252.The Lord our protector, at the time of the cosmic deluge swallowed and kept the whole of the space, the mighty ocean, the islands and the land mass including the mountains (like the Himavan) inside the abdomen. He lives in this place situated in TIRUNANGUR, south of the MaNNiyAr river that brings along with its waves sparkling gems, sandalwood trees, logs of agil and gold. The valorous strong shouldered people live in this place called TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
Reaffirming the previous statement:
1253. In order to protect His devotees, He swallowed them including the whole universe and kept safely in His stomach at the time of the mahAPralaya. He who has the pride of not being able to be searched and found even by the vEdas, lies as a small child on the banyan leaf. The abode of this Lord is present in TIRUNANGUR on the southern banks of the river MaNNiyAr, where the paddy fields are richly irrigated such that even the fishes leap and play in these fields known as TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
The sanskrit vedAs being chanted for the temple processions can be seen even today as a mark of representing the vedAs that follow Him, unable to reach Him.
Destroys the enemy of His devotee:
1254. The Lord who took the unique form as Nrisimha Moorthy and tore open the chest of hiraNyAkshan shoving the blood with His strong sharp stiff nails, has taken this place as His abode where the learned Vedic scholars whose wealth can be inscribed in books, are present within the province of TIRUNANGUR. This place springs with beautiful orchards and is known as TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
RAMA'S wedding challenge
1255. In view of marrying beauteous SeetA pirATTi, Lord rAmA lifted and broke the gem studded strong bow (Rudra dhanush) as a valiant youth. The place that he chose to stay which was closer to His heart was here within the territory of TIRUNANGUR. This abode is the abode of exquisite wealthy vEdic brAhmins, surrounded by adorable orchards with well bloomed flowers and is called TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
Rudra dhanush: VishwakarmA the architect of the devAs created two divine bows. He gave ShArnga to Vishnu and Pinaka to ShivA. The story goes that the devAs wanted to test the superiority of Lord Vishnu and ShivA and asked Lord Brahma to create a difference of opinion between them. In that dual, ShivA's bow fell down on earth and found by King Devaratha, the ancestor of King Janaka. This bow was kept by King Janaka as a tool to marry Seeta.
Lord as KaNNan:
1256. KaNNan rooted out the tusk of the kuvalayApeeDam elephant with a huge pot like forehead (mathagam) and pushed the mahout down, both of whom were designated to kill Him, with ease. This koottan's place in TIRUNANGUR is filled with sweet smelling flowers of shenbagam and encircled with huge golden ramparts and enormous groves called TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI.
PHALASRUTHI:
1257. Tirumangai AzhvAr also referred as Kaliyan always holding a spear in his hand has sung in chaste tamizh these ten verses about the dark cloud hued KaNNapirAn who abodes in TIRUDEVANAR TOGAI surrounded by beautiful orchards situated in TIRUNANGUR. Those who wish to read this will be blessed to live with the nityasooris in the eternal abode.
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.2
PASURAMS 1258 TO 1267
TIRU VANPURUSHOTTAMAN
TIRUNANGUR DIVYA DESHAM – 5/11
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| TIRUNANGUR VAN PURUSHOTTAMAN |
Bhagavat geetA 4.8
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ||
paritrANAya sAdhoonAm vinAshAya cha duShkRutAm|
dharma samsthApanArthAya sambhavAmi yugE yugE||
To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to re-establish the principles of dharma, I appear on this earth, age after age.
In reminiscence of KrishNa’s own words, AzhvAr takes us through Lord PurushOttaman’s glorious past times.
1258. rAvana vadam - VibheeshaNa sharanAgati
Ahead of the war, rAvaNa’s younger brother, VibheeshaNa surrendered to Lord rAma. Kind rAma accepted him in his troupe, although He belonged to his enemy’s land. Lord rAma then constructed the sEtu bridge over the turbulent, huge ocean (Kamba mA kaDal). He approached Lanka King rAvaNa and destroyed all his 10 heads and the shining crowns, with a volley of arrows. He then handed over the kingdom safely to the righteous vibheeshaNa as a gift for his goodness.
It is in this 'tirunAngUr VaNpuruTottaman kOyil', that our brave, mahAveera rAmapirAn resides. This kshEtram is surrounded by rich trees of jackfruits (palA), shenbhaga flowers, mAdhavi flowers (kurukkatti), mangoes (chootakam) and plantains (vAzhai). Experience the air filled with the fragrance from rows of areca nut trees (kumugu)! uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE ‘. (1)
1259. KAlinga mardanam – nAgakanyA sharanAgati
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| KALINGA MARTHANAM |
On the banks of the river kAlindi (yamunA), the kadamba trees (poo kaDambu) which used to look fresh with tender leaves, flowers, and fruits became barren and black having absorbed the poison emitted by the venomous, 1000 headed serpent kAliya. Living in a secluded deep pool inside the yamunA river, the giant serpent kAliya used to spit venom and kill all living beings around him. On hearing the distress of the cowherds, Lord krishNa climbed on to the extended branches of the kadamba tree and jumped right into kAliya’s pool and landed on the multi-hooded kAliya with a big bang. The kadamba tree immediately regained its freshness due to krishNa’s pAda sparsham(pallavam tigazh). KrishNa made kAliya’s head, the ‘panavarangam/aranga sthAnam – dance stage’ and performed a beautiful dance – (nOkku koottu). Alternating between each of its poisonous heads, krishNa hopped, trampled, and danced majestically, crushing kAliya’s ego and his poisonous mind. kAliya was lurching towards death. kAliya’s wives realized the supremeness of KrishNa. Praising Him, they surrendered to KrishNa and pleaded Him to forgive kAliya. Out of his forbearance, krishNa freed kALiya and gave Him a new life. (Srimad bhAgavatam, chapter 10.16)
It is in this ‘tirunAngUr VaNpuruTOttaman kOyil’ that the all-conquering KrishNa, the dEvAdi dEvan resides. This is the kshEtram inhabited by orthodox brAhmaNas learned in the 4 vEdas namely Rig, Yajur, sAmam and atharva. Also skilled in the six vEdAngas namely shikshA, chandas, vyakaranam, niruktam, kalpa and jyOtiSham, they sincerely maintain the three fires- trEtAgni (vem kazhal moonDru) namely gArhapatya, Ahavaneeya and dakshinAgni. They are also regular in performing the five sacrifices – pancha-mahAyagas namely brahma yagyam, deva yagyam, pitru yagyam, bhoota yagyam and manushya yagyam. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE ‘. (2)
1260. gOvardhana uddhAraNam – Indra sharanAgati
The cowherds of Vraja (aNDar) used to celebrate a grand annual festival called ‘indra yagya’ in which Indra was offered milk, curd, butter, cooked rice and lentils, ghee, vegetables, fruits, sweets, snacks, etc. Indra roamed around in false pride that He is the sole cause of rains for the universe. Lord KrishNa wanted to teach him a lesson and show Indra the reality. He stopped the offerings to Indra and ordered the cowherds to divert their offerings to the Govardhana Hill which He deemed fit to be worshipped as the rain God. KrishNa also had a sumptuous meal in the festival. An insulted and angry Indra showered incessant rains on Vraja, causing floods. To protect the cowherds, KrishNa effortlessly lifted the Govardhana Hill with his one hand, just like a child holding the mushroom and gave shelter to all the inhabitants of Vraja for one week. Indra then accepted his defeat, stopped the rains and surrendered to KrishNa in a secluded place, praising Him to be the sarvEshwara. (Srimad bhAgavatam, Canto 10.25).
It is this ‘tirunAngUr vaNpuruTottaman kOyil’ that our gOpAla krishNa, the protector of cows, is proud of residing in. This kshEtram is filled with a wide spread of greenery. When the rain clouds (konDal) thunder aloud (Ar muzhavil), peacocks muster out in large number to dance to the tune of humming bees. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE ‘. (3)
1261. KuvalayApeeDa, muShTika-chAnoora, Kamsa vadam
When KrishNa and BalarAma entered the tall gates of MathurA, Kamsa sent the huge trunked elephant (paru kai yAnai), kuvalayApeeDam to attack them. This elephant had the strength of 1000 elephants. Seizing such a powerful elephant by his trunk, krishNa threw him on to the ground with ease and climbed on him. He pulled out one tusk and killed kuvalayApeeDam and the mahout with the broken tusk.
Carrying one tusk each, the two brothers then entered the wrestling arena where a match between wrestlers (mallars) were arranged by Kamsa. In the match, Krishna competed with wrestler ChAnoora and BalarAma competed with wrestler MuShTika. After a tough fight, both the wrestlers fell dead. Ashamed of this, Kamsa tried to forcibly send them out. But, KrishNa pounced upon his royal throne, held Kamsa by his hair, hurled him into the wrestling arena, jumped on him and killed him. Kamsa was later liberated because of having always thought of krishNa’s face right from his birth to his death. He was also given a rare boon of attaining a form like that of KrishNa’s. (Srimad BhAgavatam – Canto 10.43,44)
It is in this ‘tirunAngUr VaNpuruTOttaman kOyil’ that this powerful kaNNapirAn, the destroyer of all evils, resides. In this kshEtram, paddy crops (chAligaL) grow as tall as sugarcane shoots. The groves that grow around the waters in the paddy fields add to its beauty. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE ‘. (4)
1262. shakaTAsura bhanjanam, bANAsura vijayam – Shiva sharanAgati
Back in Nandagaon, when baby KrishNa was around 3 months old, He attempted to turn around with His backside facing up. Seeing this milestone, YashOdha arranged for the ‘utthAna’ ceremony to bless the child before He began to crawl. While YashOdha and her relatives were busy with the ceremony, KrishNa was left below a handcart. After some time, KrishNa was hungry. He cried to be fed but no one noticed Him. Out of anger, He kicked the cart (chADu) with His tender feet. The handcart flew up and its wheels and axles were displaced, and the cart came crashing down. Little did the vrajvAsis know that the cart was indeed the form taken by ‘shakaTAsura, the demon with cruel intentions. YashOdha hugged Him with tears and conducted one more ceremony for His well-being. (Srimad bhAgavatam 10.7)
Years later, KrishNa’s grandson aniruddha was abducted by ushA, the daughter of a demon called ‘bANAsura” (vANan), who had 1000 arms and was blessed with the boon of invincibility. UshA fell in love with Him and aniruddha also accepted her. But bANAsura was unhappy with this and so he pushed him into the prison. Hearing of this, KrishNa set off with His son, pradyumna and army to shONitapura, bANAsura’s capital city. A tumultuous battle ensued between them. As bANAsura was Shiva’s devotee, Shiva (eeshan) came with kArtikEya and army to help him. But everyone was defeated and fled the battle ground. KrishNa finally sent His chakrAyudham and cut off bANAsura’s 1000 arms. Shiva felt compassion for bANAsura and surrendered to Lord KrishNa and praised Him, asking for forgiveness. KrishNa then released bANAsura. (Srimad bhAgavatam, 10.63)
It is in this ‘tirunAngUr VaNpuruTottaman kOyil’ that the wondrous Lord KrishNa resides. This kshEtram is filled with magnificent palaces, tall ramparts and towers with flags that fly so high that they seem to cover the rays of the sun. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE ‘. (5)
1263. vAmana prAdurbhAvam, trivikrama avatAra:, Bali bandhanam – Bali sharanAgati
The asura King Bali, the grandson of prahlAda was performing the ashwamEdha yagya. To subdue his pride, Lord VishNu arrived there as a dwarf brahmin boy, vAmana asking for bhiksha, wearing the girdle belt made of Munja grass (maunji/ mekhalam), sacred thread (yagyOpaveetam), deerskin (ajinam) and carrying an umbrella (chatram), stick (danDam) and a water pitcher (kamanDalu) filled with water. Seeing his lustre, Bali was happy to serve him. He washed vAmana's feet with water and sprinkled that pAda teertham on his own head. He offered to gift vAmana anything He wished, so that his sacrifice will end with a happy note. But vAmana cleverly asked for 3 footsteps of land. Amused at the small size of vAmana’s feet, an overconfident Bali prepared for the bhoo dAnam and poured water in vAmana’s beautiful hands (neer ERRu), to signify the donation. Immediately, vAmana grew in huge size, taking the form of trivikrama. He measured the whole earth and the lower worlds with one foot, the sky and the upper worlds with another foot and for the third footstep, Bali offered his head in surrender, realizing that trivikrama was the Parama PuruSha. Lord trivikrama also called urukrama (one with wide feet), forgave Him and offered Bali a kingdom in the Sutala region.
When Lord trivikrama measured the upper worlds, Lord Brahma offered flowers and arghya of water to His foot (tiruvaDi). This pAda teertham from Trivikrama, overflowed down as Ganges and Lord Shiva caught the floods and tied Ganga in His matted locks, thereby purifying Himself. (Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8.18-23).
It is in this ‘tirunAngUr VaNpuruTottaman kOyil’ that our sarvEshvaran, Lord Urukrama resides. The buds of the kOngu trees (silk cotton tree), the kumuda flowers (red water lilies) and mA padumam flowers (the pink lotuses) seem to express the beauty of women living here. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE’. (6)
1264. Narasimha avatAra – HiraNyakashyapu samhAram – PrahlAda sharanAgati
The asura HiraNyakashyapu who hated Lord VishNu, became the most powerful and unconquerable king. He terrorized the whole universe. However, his son PrahlAda was a devotee of VishNu right from His mother’s womb. In one of the arguments between them, PrahlAda claimed that Lord VishNu is the supreme, omnipresent Lord. Raged HiraNyakashyapu went to the extent of killing PrahlAda. Before that, he smashed a stone pillar and asked PrahAda to prove the existence of VishNu in the pillar. To protect PrahlAda, Lord Ugra Narasimha (vem chinattu ari) incarnated in a ferocious man-lion form and tore HiraNyakashyapu’s chest with his long, strong nails, leaving him in blood. The enraged Lord cooled down only after PrahlAda pacified Him with prayers. (Srimad bhAgavatam, Canto 7.8)
The demon kEshi sent by kamsa, took the form of a long-maned horse and approached Vraja. He rushed towards KrishNa in the speed of the mind. When he tried to attack krishNa with his front legs, KrishNa caught hold of the legs and whirled him. He then tore open kEshi’s mouth and killed him. (Srimad bhAgavatam, Canto 10.37)
It is in this ‘tirunAngUr VaNpuruTOttaman kOyil’ that the just Lord, Narasimha Deva, my Master (appan) resides. This kshetram resounds with the ringing sound of the young girls’ anklets (silambu) and the tinkling sound of the bangles of girls who play throw ball. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE’. (7)
1265. Shiva bhikshATanam, brahma kapAla mOchanam
According to BrahmAnDa purANa, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma at one point of time, had five heads. Once, when BrahmA visited kailAsha, pArvati dEvi (umai), the one with beautiful eyes as sharp as a sword (vALai Ar taDa kaN), saw Him from far and mistook Brahma for Shiva. She offered pAda pooja to Him. Lord Shiva arrived and got enraged at this sight. Sighting the five heads to be the reason for the confusion, he angrily cut off the fifth head of BrahmA. ShivA acquired the brahmahatya dOsham. BrahmA cursed Shiva that His cut skull would stick to Shiva's hand and will be separated only when it gets filled. As Lord Shiva (bangan) is ardhanAreeshwara, his one half of the body was occupied by Parvati Devi. She could not bear her husband’s insult and suffering. She advised Him to beg alms (bhikshATanam) in divya kshEtras so that Lord VishNu can relieve Him. After visiting many kshEtrams, Shiva, the mendicant, finally reached BadrinAth, where on the approval of MahAlakshmi, Lord Badri nArAyaNa cut His chest and filled the brahma kapAlam fully with blood from His chest, saying ‘akshayam’. Then the skull fell down and broke. Thus, Lord Shiva’s curse was expiated by Lord VishNu. (The same story is also quoted as having happened in the divya desam, TirukanDiyoor, Hara shApa vimOchana sthalam).
It is in this ‘tirunAngUr VaNpuruTOttaman kOyil’ that the mugil vaNNan, cloud hued Lord resides. This kshEtram is filled with a spathe of areca nut trees. The coconut trees grow in between the areca nut trees to great heights. The coconuts from the top, fall down into the ponds with a big bang, scaring the ribbon fishes (vALai meen). But the fishes run into the nearby ponds having abundant water, for shelter. Such is the bounteousness of tirunAngUr. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE’. (8)
1266. VishNu, BrahmA, Shiva sambandham
AzhvAr explains clearly the relationship between VishNu, BrahmA and Shiva. VishNu is the father of nAnmugan, BrahmA because brahmA emanated from the beautiful lotus of VishNu’s navel. (nAbhi kamalam - undi mAmalar meemisai). BrahmA is the father of eeshan, ShivA who wears the moon (indu) on His long, matted locks of hair (vAr chaDai). Hence, Lord VishNu is the grandfather of Lord Shiva.
It is in this ‘tiruNAngUr VaNpuruTottaman kOyil’ that this universal creator and father, resides with fondness, to bless His devotees. In this kshEtram, you can enjoy the sight of monkeys sitting (mandi kundi) and munching the bananas nicely. Not to miss them carrying their young ones (kuruLai) to the top of mango trees for rest. ‘uRai kOyil … nAngUr vaNpuruTottamamE!’ (9)
1267. PHALA SHRUTI
Tirumangai AzhvAr has set these tamizh pAsurams in tune, at the feet of ‘tiru VaNpuruTottaman perumAl’ of tirunAngUr which is well known for austere brAhmins. Those who recite these 10 pAsurams will experience abundant happiness not only on earth but beyond. They will continue to live happily forever in the company of nityasooris, engaged in ananta kainkaryam at paramapadam. (10)
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.3
PASURAMS 1268 - 1277
TIRU SEMPONSEI KOVIL
TIRUNANGUR DIVYA DESAM - 6/11
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| TIRUNANGUR TIRUSEMPONSEY PERARULALAN |
Sthala puranam mentions that rAma stayed here after His victory over rAvaNa. On the advice of TridanDanetra Muni, rAma made a golden cow and stayed inside it for four days and then donated the cow to a brahmin. The brahmin built this temple using the gold and thus the temple was named Semponsei kovil. Shiva had also performed aswamEdha yAga here. Lord Vishnu who had graced the yAga and relieved Shiva of his brahmahatti curse made this kshEtram His abode, on Shiva's request.
This kshEtram acquires the special status of being at the centre of the eleven divyadEsams. AzhvAr also places this tirumozhi at the mid point, with five decads ahead and five after this tirumozhi.
Tirumangai AzhvAr declares that he realised the ultimate purpose of life, mOkshAnandam, after having darshan of pEraruLALan, the presiding deity of this kshEtram.
1268. People of this world chant and sing the thousand nAmA ( *pEr aNindhu* ) of my swAmi, pEraruLALan,who stands gracefully like the beautiful rain laden dark cloud inside this semponseikovil kshEtram. Perumal resides here along with sridEvi with ornated bosom and bhUdEvi in this central nAngur kshEtram which has bungalows with beautiful balconies.
On having darshan here, I realized the purpose of my birth (uyndozhindEn). (1)
1269. I realized mOkshAnandam when I had darshan of my swAmi
.....who is not bound by the vagaries of birth or old age.
.....who is the unblemished flood of joy ( *bEdiya inba veLLam)*
....who exists in all the three time frames.. future, past and present.(' present' is what becomes a thing of the past instantly and hence referred to as ' *kazhidal* '
....who represents the melody in the seven musical notes ( *yEzh isai* )
....who is the crux of what the vEdas propagate ( *maRai perum poruL)*
....who is the swAmi of the nityasoories ( *vAnavarkOn* )
....who resides in central nAngur kshEtram, semponsei kovil,where vaidhikAs live. (2)
1270. I, His subservient (aDiyEn) enjoyed mOkshAnandam in this kshEtram when I had dharshan of my swAmi who is the antaryAmi of the five elements like the firm space ( *dida visumbu* ), the fire ( *eri*), water; the sun and the moon and all the living and non living ( *padar pOruLgaL)* entities of this fertile earth.
He who is of the colour of the dark sea resides in this central nAngur kshEtram of semponsei kovil where brAhmaNAs chant the vedas with the efficacy of Brahma who is born in the lotus. (3)
1271. My swAmi who resides here is the One who entered the sanctified sacrificial area of mahAbali in the guise of the faultless vAmanA, ending up measuring the entire universe( taking the TrivikramA roopa).
He is the One who rests in yOganidrA in the milky ocean swept by the waves, sporting the remarkable gem studded crown, whose tiruvaDi is worshipped by the nityasooris.
brAhmaNAs who are as exalted as BrahmA owing to their constant chanting of the veda mantras live in this central kshEtram of nAngur, semponsei kovil, where I realised mOkshAnandam on having His darshan. (4)
1272. I experienced mOkshAnandam on having the dharshan of my swAmi in this central nAngur kshEtram, the semponsei kovil, which is surrounded by beautiful honey dripping gardens and resounding with triumphant notes ( *seyamE* ) raised in praise of Perumal.
In this kshEtram resides my swAmi Sri Rama ( dayarathan madalai ). He showered immense motherly compassion to His devotees who came seeking refuge from the evil minded rAkshasas.
He is the One who created manmathan.( Pradyumnan, the son of Lord Krishna and Rukmini is the embodiment of manmathan). (5)
1273. I was relieved of all my travails ( *allal theerthEnE*) on getting the dharshan of my swAmi in this central nAngur kshEtram of semponsei kOvil.
The pEraruLALa perumAl who resides here along with His consort( *alli mA malarAL*) is the one who, after constructing the bridge ( *aNai*) with boulders and mountains across the bountiful ocean ( *mallai munneer)* reached lankA built on the trikoota hill ( *kallin meethu* )enclosed within strong fortresses and destroyed it with His single arrow!( *vALi*)
The vaidikas chanting the four Vedas live in this kshEtram. (6)
1274. After vanquishing the raging elephant, kuvalayApeeDam; after breaking kamsA's celebrated bow ; after winning over the wrestlers ( mushtikan, chAnuran) and finally killing kamsA, my swAmi who is charming like the dark rain cloud and is like a hillock made of collyrium, rests in this central nAngur kshEtram, semponsei kovil, where vaidhikAs reciting the vEdas live.
I am rid of all my travails on having darshan of my Swami here, in this kshEtram. (7)
1275. When the enraged bANAsurA waged war, my swAmi used His blazing tiruvAzhi chakram and cut off his thousand arms.
My swAmi who rests on the lofty peaks of tiruvEnkaTam in the north, is like the glowing lamp( *vEdanal viLakku* ) whose glory is made known to us by the vEdas.
Vedic luminaries of the south add lusture and constitute the Sri Vaishnava clan of this nAngUr semponsei kovil. pErarLALa perumAl presides over this temple delightfully. I worshipped Him here and experienced bliss( vAzhndu ozhindEn). (8)
1276. "Oh swAmi! Coloured as the black berry fruit ( *kaLA kani*) ! KannA! My own cloud hued one!" Thus meditating on You, Your devotees are in a trance.
You are like a spring of nectar spreading in your devotees ' heart. You happily reside in this central nAngur kshEtram of semponsei kovil where vaidhikAs chanting the four Vedas thrive.
I realized mOkshAnandam on having Your darshan here. (9)
1277. The chieftain of tirumangai, armed with the sword ( vAL ) has composed these pAsurams on the swAmi of the dEvAs, residing in this central nAngur kshEtram, of semponsei kovil, surrounded by the honey sucking bees and gardens. Those who recite all these ten pAsurams will happily rule over this universe under the broad white canopy ( veN koRRa kuDai )and later elevate to become nityasooris as well! (10)
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.4
PASURAMS 1278 TO 1287
TIRUNANGUR DIVYADESAM- 7
TIRUTERRIYAMBALAM
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| TIRUTERRIYAMBALAM |
This divya dEsam is at a slightly raised gradient, hence the name tiruteRRiyambalam (ambalam means temple and teRRi means mound). Among the 11 tirunANgoor divya dEsams, this is the only one where perumAl is reclining (bhujaNga shayana tirukkOlam) peacefully on AdisEsha.
The moolavar here is fondly called cheNkaNmAl (paLLi konDa perumAl). In every pAsuram, while doing maNgalAshAsanam, AzhvAr derives pleasure calling this perumAL as ‘ennuDaya cheNkaNmAl’.
1278. In this kshEtram of tiruteRRiyambalam in tirunaNgoor, sometimes the wide mouthed crabs in search of food, enter the multipetalled lotuses which grow in the shallow puddles. Their slushy burrows (sERRaLai) get clogged with the pearly nuts that fall off from the spathe( pALai) of the arecanut tree, thus closing the burrows.
My kaNNan who is my lotus eyed sarvEshwaran, cheNkaNmAl, is lying here majestically. He incarnated (vandu tOnDri) in Mathura to reduce the burden of mother earth from enemy kings like duryOdhana, sishupAla, kamsa. He subdued their fame, pride, valour (tiRaLum) and finally killed them during the same timeline proving His strength (shakitvam) and smartness. Hence their beloved wives had to refrain from wearing certain specific jewellery. kaNNan released his father vasudEva effortlessly breaking the chains (kAl taLayAn) tied to his legs. Caught in the mouth of the crocodile, unable to bear the pain, the elephant king was angry (kadam nAgam) with the Lord for not coming to his rescue. It was this kaNNan, the Apatrakshakan (kAtharuLi), who rescued gajEndra AzhvAn.(1)
1279. One can observe dark blue flowers (karu neidal) spread like a carpet amidst the paddy fields, a special feature of tiruteRRiyambalam tirupati. This attracts bees with beautiful wings humming melodiously like the tingling sounds produced by the anklets (silambu) worn by the pretty women residing here with very beautiful eyes.
He is my cheNkaNmAl , my dear kaNNan who put an end to the evil pootanaA (pollada van pEychi) who had disguised and decked up like the well-natured yashOdA (AtmaguNamuDaya), wearing golden bangles and jewels. He sucked the poisonous milk from pUtanA as if she bore him and killed her. This kaNNan reclines happily in this kshEtram.(2)
1280. Groves of tall coconut and mango trees are spread here. The ripe coconuts fall on the ripe mangoes which roll down and fall into the fast-flowing river cauvery (ponni). The river carrying variety of flowers, carries these fruits along the highlands into the channels in the land.
This kaNNan, reposing in tiruteRRiyambalam, who is praiseworthy was very mischievous. He would enter the small palm-leaf huts of the sharp spear-eyed cowherd women. He would steal and eat the freshly churned butter (pasum veNNai ) stored in earthen pots. The naughty kaNNan would embarrass the gOpis by pulling the edge of their sarees. (3)
1281. tiruteRRiyambalam tirupati has a beautiful landscape with tall flowering trees and shining gem studded high rise mansions which are a hurdle to the moon’s path in the sky. My cheNkaNmal , my neelameghashyAmalan can be seen here. He is the one who effortlessly controlled the seven dark, angry, ferocious bulls with bent horns (vaLai maruppin) and strong legs. He thus proved His valour to marry the most amiable nappinai whose chest was covered with a beautiful tunic (maDavaral).(4)
1282. This beautiful kshEtram of tiruteRRiyambalam has several high-rise buildings along the streets very close and adjacent to each other. Along these streets, the men are attracted to the pretty ladies with beautiful proportionately bent eyebrows (iranDu silai) speaking sweetly about the attributes of this emperumAn with each other.
This famous tirunANgoor divya dEsam is where both periya pirATTi and nappinnai pirATTi are seen with the Lord. periya pirATTi with teeth like white pearls can be witnessed with a gem studded waist band as ornament around her beautiful wide hips and the dark eyed nappinnai pirATTi adorning gems studded necklace (pooN kaNDigai) and long chain (vaDamum hAram). As the Lord reclines lovingly on their chest, the radiance of the jewels complements His mighty shoulders, keeping this emperumAn, cheNkaNmAl ever youthful (moovAda).(5)
1283. The lavish, beautiful women of tiruteRRiyambalam in tirunANgoor have red lips with sharp eyesight (men nOkkin) like a deer. They are seen holding emerald-coloured parrots and efficiently teaching them the names of the Lord which are as sweet as honey. AzhvAr says that the Lord in this kshEtram is none but Lord rAma. AzhvAr speaks aloud the mind of rAvana. rAvana thinks, "After all a man named rAma considers himself to be powerful and efficient to rule this world! How is it that he is still not punished by me? How can I boast to be the leader of the asura clan?” It is this rAma, the veeran, the parAkramashAli (Oruvan kaNdeer) who dared to simultaneously cut the twenty shoulders of rAvana in the war.(6)
1284. AzhvAr describes that the charming women of this KshEtram in tirunANgoor have adorned fragrant flowers on their braids. As the elite women bathe in the fast-flowing cauvery river, the fragrant saffron paste applied on their chest cause the water and the sand mounds to turn red.
It is here in tiruteRRiyambalam where the smart handsome Lord, as vAmana is reclining composedly. emperumAn incarnating as a short-statured vAmana moorty looked amazingly handsome adorning the auspicious yagnyOpaveetam (sacred thread-punool -poNgu ilaNgu purinoolum) and the deer skin (krishnAjinam ) hanging along his left shoulder. AzhvAr stunned by the lord’s beauty and fearing that evil eyes may affect Him, refers to the Lord as ‘pOlladu kuRal uruvAy ‘. The sacrificial hall of king mahAbali where learned men were reciting vEdAs (maRai) became auspicious when the lord entered it. emperumAn as trivikrama finaally subdued the king’s pride by begging and claiming the land he owned (kuRai maN agalam). (7)
1285. The kshEtram tiruteRRiyambalam had become prosperous and wealthy due to the presence of highly learned men (vEdic brahmin scholars) adept in reciting all the four vEdAs, their six branches( aNgam Arum), itihAsa purAnas and music (saptaswaras). Their melodious chanting can be heard in all the eight directions (eN dikku eNgum).
Here, reposes my lotus eyed cheNkaNmAl, who took the massive form of a wild boar or varAham, filled with compassion to rescue bhoomi pirATTi. AzhvAr’s description of the gigantic varaha Moorthy is astounding. He says , “silambiniDai chiRuparal pOl”. The huge mEru mountain could be perceived as a small bell or jingle in the anklet around the hoofs (tiruvaDi) of varAha perumAl. The sound produced by the so-called small bell ( the huge mEru mountain) shook the seat of periya piraTTi seated in the Lord’s heart (tiruvAkAram kuluNga) and startled her making her nervous. The ever-compassionate Lord pacified Her, rescued and lovingly embraced the fear-stricken bhoomi pirATTi (nilam maDandai) and placed her comfortably in between His huge canine teeth. (8)
1286. TiruteRRiyambalam divya dEsam became more prosperous and religious with dazzling high rise gem studded mansions and learned scholars preserving the wealth of vEdAs which were recited dedicatedly since ages (UzhitOrum).
Here in this tirunANgoor Tirupati, resides my cheNkaNmAl , my swami(en Moorty) who is none but vaTapatrashAyee. Once long ago, He is the one who swallowed the mountain ranges (kAL varaiyum) enveloped by the four directions (moodi en disayum), the deluge caused by the surging oceans flooding all the landforms in the seven worlds (sapta dweepangaL) in His stomach (agattil).(9)
1287. This attractive garland of ten verses are written by kaliyan describing the magnificent gem-studded ramparts and glorifying the emperumAn cheNkaNmAl (aRuNalOchanan) reposing in the prosperous divya dEsam of tiruteRRTiyambalam tirupati in tirunANgoor. tirumaNgai AzhvAr is a precious jewel to this earth who is the head of tiruvAli where flags fly with triumph on the tall mansions. He is one who rules tirukkurayaloor and is very skillful in using the sharp spear (vEr paDaiyai ALbavan). Those who recite these pAsurams devotedly will rule this world and later reach paramapadam (paramAkAsam - sEn visumbil) to get a respectable position among the nityasooris (vAnavarAy). (10)
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.5
PASURAMS 1288 - 1297
TIRUMANIKKOODAM
TIRUNAGUR DIVYA DESAM - 8/11
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| TIRUNANGUR TIRUMANIKOODAM VARADARAJA PERUMAL |
1288. AzhvAr narrates that EmperumAn resides at TirunAngoor TirumaNikkooDam Tirupati and protects us all in a similar manner to how he saved the cattle herd by holding the Govardhana Hill as an umbrella during a heavy storm. He also saved the stout-trunk elephant Gajendra from the ferocious grip of a crocodile at the lotus pond.
AzhvAr further adds that the land of TirunAngoor, where the Cauvery flows, is immensely fertile and is surrounded by pollinated and bee-swarming groves. (1)
1289. In the Avatar of Lord Krishna, EmperumAn destroyed the demoness PootanA who attempted to breast-feed poisoned milk to baby Krishna, disguised as Yashoda.
In Rama Avatar, He shot powerful arrows and killed many demons at Srilanka.
AzhvAr describes TirunAngoor as a fragrant place where womenfolk with beautiful red lips and sacred kumkum, divinize the ponds by bathing in them.(2)
1290. Emperuman slayed the horse demon Kesi, destroyed the twin Maruda trees, killed the seven bulls and saved Nappinnai .
AzhvAr strongly emphasises that Emperuman resides in the holy land of TirunAngoor TirumaNikooDam, where the sacred vedic scholars place their offerings at the sacred pyres and add to the sacredness of the place. (3)
1291. The luscious groves of TirunAngoor are so dense that monkeys there jump between mangroves and plantain groves, after tasting the over-sweet (rasal mangoes and reaching satiation . However, the moment they jump on these trees, the bees settled on them disperse instantly with fear. EmperumAn has decided to adorn TirumaNikooDam and abundantly bless His devotees.
The fierce elephant KuvalayApeeDam sent by Kamsa was defeated by Lord Krishna. Yet again, AzhvAr recalls the destruction of the seven bulls by Sri Krishna.
AzhvAr also says that the Lord who tore open the mouth of demon BakAsura, who came disguised as a stork, resides in the divine place of TirunAngoor. (4)
1292. When RAvana's sister, the princess of Lanka, Soorpanaka wanted to marry Rama, Lakshmana chopped off her ears and nose with his sword.
AzhvAr connects the story of Rama Avatar and reveals that the same Lord who punished Soorpanaka, has given him a divine darshan with His two inseparable consorts at the TirumaNikooDam Divyadesam. (5)
aNDamum suDarum * allA ARRalum Aya endai **
oNtiRal tennan ODa * vaDavarasu OTTam kaNDa *
tiNtiRalALar nAngUrt* tirumaNikkUDattAnE
1293. Here again, AlinAdan brings into the picture, scenarios from various incarnations of Lord Vishnu such as MatsyAvatAra (kenDai), vAmanAvatAra (kuaral), HamsAvatAra (puL), VarAhavatAra (kEzhal), NrusimhAvatAra (ari) and Hayagreeva AvatAra (mAvu). EmperumAn, who is the universe, the Moon and the Sun and is omnipresent and resides in TirumanikooDam.
AzhvAr interestingly narrates an historic incident which follows: Many decades ago, when King Pandya Rajan from the Southern region waged a war and claimed to conquer TirunAngoor, the priests there forced them to retreat.
Similarly, they defeated the Chola king. These anecdotes are testimony to the bravery and courage of the inhabitants of TirunAngoor.(6)
1294. No one can describe the beauty of nature like Tirumangai mannan. He says, EmperumAn resides in TirumaNikooDam which is nature's bliss, having wide roads, fields, gardens palaces and fragrant air. The Almighty Lord is in all forms, all substances and all creations like the Sun, Moon, Stars, Sky, Earth, Cold water, Mountains, etc. AzhvAr thus emphasis on the omnipresence of the Lord. (7)
1295. The Almighty Lord, is the energy behind the twin feelings - weakness and courage, untruth and truth. He is the one who nurtures the earth taking the form of numerous rain clouds. He who resides in TirumaNikooDam, is the sky, thunder, lightning, itself and protects the Earth with his divine powers.
AzhvAr constantly admires the beauty of TirunAngoor. He says that at TirunAngoor, the water bodies are lotus-covered. The vALai (ribbon fishes) drink from the honey-filled lotuses and swim merrily in the pond. Fearing the leaping ribbon fishes, the Senkayal fishes swim away to another water body. Such is the glory of TirunAngoor's nature. (8)
1296. Both puNya and pApa are bhagavAn's mandate. If one does deeds prescribed by the Sastras, he accrues puNya. If one does deeds forbidden by the Sastras, then he accrues pApa. These two are the rules of the Divine Lord. So is the case in Moksha and Sukham. Sorrow and Joy, anger and blessings, pleasure, etc. and the triguNas namely Sattva, Rajas, Tamas are all creations of Emperuman. He is the ultimate, although BrahmA, Vishnu, and Shiva are the trimoorty. This has been realised by all learned sages and Devas and they all seek the blessings of the Divine Lord who resides at TirumaNikooDam. (9)
1297. According to AzhvAr, Tirunangoor is home to beautifully constructed palaces similar to those in the abode of Chandra.
Those who recite these ten pAsurams by AzhvAr on Tirunangoor and TirumaNikooDam, will be blessed abundantly first with worldly pleasures and then with heavenly pleasures. They will shoot across the Soorya ManDalam and reach Paramapadam to enjoy eternal happiness.(10)
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.6
PASURAMS 1298 - 1307
TIRUKKAVALAMPADI
TIRUNANGUR DIVYA DESAM - 9/11
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| TIRUKAVALAMPADI GOPALA KRISHNAN |
1298.After wandering the whole world in search of a Lotus flower to offer it to Lord Vishnu, GajEndra the elephant finally found and entered a pond with huge flowers but unfortunately got caught by a crocodile. At once he started uttering your TirunAmams and You came rushing to help him. Oh! KaNNA who has taken KAVALAMPADI in TIRUNANGUR as your abode where the wealthy Vedic Brahmins live, You are my sole protector. I will not seek refuge unto anyone else other than you. Kalaikan neeye.
Underlying meaning:
Similar to the way you protected GajEndra from the clutches of the crocodile, please protect us from the clutches of our senses too (panchendriyam).
1299.Oh! Lord, you levered the mother earth from The infinite sea (Ekarnava pralaya water) during the end of pAdmakalpam with your tusks taking the form of MahAvarAha (the wild boar). Under the requisition of the devAs to end mahAbali's Pride you went as an impoverished brahmachAri taking the form of vAmanA asking for three measures of land.
Oh! KaNNA who stays in KAVALAMPADI under TIRUNANGUR province where the valorous heroes triumphed over their enemies, you have to protect me. Kalaikan neeye.
Underlying meaning:
Oh! Lord, you stooped down and took various forms in order to protect your devotees. In the same way please protect me too.
1300. Oh! Lord, you killed the angry VAli who opposed his own brother sugreeva, by aiming an arrow on his chest and granted the kingdom and the crown to the like minded Sugreeva. Oh! Lord who governs everything, You reside in the beautiful place KAVALAMPADI in TIRUNANGUR, where the fruits of the huge jack (pala) and mango (maa) fall and scatter everywhere flooding the whole place with its honey. You are my sole protector. Kalaikan neeye.
Underlying meaning:
Oh! Lord, who has taken a vow to protect those who have surrendered to you, like the way you protected sugreeva and Vibhishana, protect me from the enemies (Kainkarya virodhi) and grace me to perform the kainkaryam to you.
1301. In the battle field, you killed RavaNa severing all his ten heads and handed over the kingdom to his brother Vibhishana. Oh! Lord you wear the resonating anklets and abode in KAVALAMPADI of TIRUNANGUR, where the fishes in the waterbodies jump out of fear hearing the loud noise made by the bees while drinking honey, thinking that they are falling on them. You are my sole protector. Kalaikan neeye.
Underlying meaning:
DushTanigraham and ShishTaparipAlanam is the pledge that you have taken and prove in every instance. In the same way we have none other than you to protect us.
1302. Oh! KaNNA, You jumped and danced on the wide spread hood of the poisonous snake KAliyan. You have given a special place in your heart for PeriyapirAtti to stay eternally. Oh! Lord the ruler who stays in the famed KAVALAMPADI of TIRUNANGUR with its mansions as huge as mountains, you have to protect and safeguard me. Kalaikan neeye.
1303. Oh! KaNNA, when the devious Kamsa invited you to his court, and sent the wrestlers army of Mushtika, ChAnura to attack and kill on your way, You opposed, putting an end to them as well as the cunning Kamsa. You executed the MahAbhArata war killing in numerous Kings who were burden to Mother Earth. Oh! Lord, who abodes in KAVALAMPADI Of TIRUNANGUR where the shady groves spread fragrance all over the fortress, you are the only one to shield and protect me. Kalaikan neeye.
1304. In the days of yore, for the sake of Darmaputra, the eldest among pandavas who lost everything in the deceitful game played by Duryodhana under the guidance of his uncle Shakuni, you walked as a messenger, to get them their rightful share of the kingdom. In another instance, when Kamsa had tricked to kill you by instigating the kuvalayapeeDam elephant, you pulled its tusk, thus killing it and throwing the mahout as well. Oh! Lord, with such great qualities, you stand in KAVALAMPADI of TIRUNANGUR, where the water irrigates the richly bloomed orchards, just to protect me. Kalaikan neeye.
1305. When your consort, the young SathyabAma asked for the pArijata flowers from the garden of Indra and was refused, for her sake you fought against Indra, ruining his garden, brought the kalpakavriksham and planted it in Dwaraka. Oh! KaNNA, you have taken KAVALAMPADI of TIRUNANGUR as your abode, which has been avidly created with flower gardens everywhere by Indra himself making it equivalent to his swargaloKam. Oh! Lord, You have to protect me. Kalaikan neeye.
1306. You are the manifestation of the poetic meters like gAyatri, triShTub, anuShTub, Jagati, pankti etc, and the systems that are followed under it. You form the basic elements of the Panchabhoothas. You become the reason for creation and destruction. You form the meaning of the vedAs. Oh! Lord of KAVALAMPADI in TIRUNANGUR with its gardens of pArijAta trees where the beautiful peacock dances, you have to protect me. Kalaikan neeye.
PHALASRUTHI
1307.Tirumangai azhwAr, also known as kaliyan, has sung about the Lord who is seated in KAVALAMPADI of TIRUNANGUR, where the flourishing wealthy Vedic Brahmins live and plead Him to protect. Those who can chant all these ten songs will be considered the King of kings and be respected by everyone.
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.7
PASURAMS 1308 TO 1316
TIRUVELLAKULAM – ANNAN KOYIL
TIRUNANGUR DIVYA DESAM – 10/11
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| TIRUVELLAKULAM ANNAN PERUMAL AND ALARMELMANGAI |
Tirumangai AzhvAr now reaches TiruveLLakuLam. The moolavar here is Lord ShreenivAsan or aNNaN perumAL or Lord nArAyaNan and tAyAr is Goddess alarmElmangai.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEMPLE
1.TIRUVELLAKULAM - HOME OF KUMUDAVALLI NACHCHIYAR
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| TIRUMANGAI AZHVAR MEETS KUMUDAVALLI AT TIRUVELLAKULAM |
TiruveLLakuLam is the place where AzhvAr first met his wife Kumudavalli nAchchiyAr. Kumudavalli, a devalOka kanyA was found by a vaishnava physician, in the white pond, tiruveLLakulam, (Shweta pushakarini) admiring a lily in her hand. AzhvAr who was then the king called Tirumangai Mannan/ParakAlan, fell for her and proposed to marry her. She agreed on the condition that he became a Vaishnava and fed devotees daily. This was the turning point which led to ParakAlan being transformed into Tirumangai AzhvAr later.
As a remembrance, Tirumanagai AzhvAr and kumudavalli nAchchiyAr fondly visit tiruveLLakuLam on their return journey after completing the 11 tirunAngUr GaruDa Sevai and on the way back to Tirunagari.
2. ANNAN KOYIL
TiruveLLakuLam kshEtram is also called ten-tirupati. Humbled by the grace of the deity that reminded AzhvAr about the vaDa nADu Tirupati perumAl, AzhvAr surrenders immediately. He calls this Lord ‘aNNA’ to show sympathy and destroy his sins. (As seen in the first pAsuram). Hence the temple is called ‘ANNAN KOYIL’, and the Lord Srinivasan is said to be the elder brother of Tirupati Lord VenkatEsha. All offerings for Lord VenkatEsha of tirumalA tirupati can be made to the deity of this temple.
3. SHWETA PUSHKARINI
The story goes like this. ShwEta, the son of king dundumAran was destined to have a short life of 9 years. He was told by Sage VashiShTa to pray to Lord ShreenivAsa and bathe in the pond of this kshEtram at tirunAngUr. At the end of one month, young shwEta was blessed with a long life. Hence the place came to be known as ShwEta Pushakarini, also meaning a white pond which enhances life term. The name slowly became tiruveLLakuLam in tamizh.
AzhvAr surrenders to the standing Lord ShreenivAsa and pleads Him to shower kindness on him.
1308. Dear Lord nArAyaNa who has a beautiful body (tirumEni) of the color of the dark ocean! I can’t take my eyes off you (kaN Ar).
Oh, elder brother! aNNA, residing in nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam city protected by tall ramparts. You bestow your strength on the people here to help them chase away their enemies forever! Please show mercy on me also and remove my troubles. tiruveLLakuLattuL aNNA! (1)
1309. Dear Lord ShreenivAsa who wears a fragrant garland stringed with flowers and tulasi!
You are the most distinguished one. Oh, my master, endAy, residing in nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam surrounded by lotus ponds! You grace the vEdic brAhmaNas with unfading fame that spreads worldwide! Please cast your glance on me also and remove by distress (with your fragrance). tiruveLLakuLattuL endAy! (2)
1310. Dear Lord KaNNA who protected the cowherds and the cows from the torrential rains by holding up the Govardhana Hill for seven days! (kuLir mAri kunRAy)!
You are the Universal Lord, neDiyAy, standing in ‘nAngUr tiruveLLkuLam’ inhabited by eminent vedic scholars and gracing all the people visiting the temple. Please shower your blessings on this servant, aDiyEn and remove my miseries, just like you saved the cowherds. tiruveLLakuLattuL neDiyay! (3)
1311. Dear Lord krishNa who easily broke the tusks of the mighty elephant kuvalayApeeDa (kari) which was nurtured and tamed to attack like a wild elephant, (kAN Ar) by Kamsa!
You are the majestic elephant, AnAy, residing amidst the honey filled groves of ‘nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam’ most sought by shree vaishNavas who are blessed to be born in eminent families, who are knowledgeable, who perform the nitya anuShThAnas and possess the eight Atma guNas (nAnAvagai nallavar)! Will you not bless this servant of yours? aDiyEn! tiruveLLakuLattuL AnAy! (4)
1312. Dear Lord ShreenivAsa who is the light of the Tirumala hills which is the sweet home of numerous hunters who live happily! (vEdu Ar mEya).
You are the refuge of all. Oh, the denizen of nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam filled with dense groves and inhabited by austere brAhmaNas who recite the vEdas regularly! Please destroy my sins as I warble, singing your praises like the hunter. (pADu A) tiruveLLakuLatttAy! (5)
1313. Dear Lord rAma who built the sEtu bridge with stones, across the ocean!
You are the most opulent. Oh, the affluent and permanent Lord selvA, residing in ‘nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam’ where many good hearted brAhmins live! Please bless me with your dayA guNa so that all my problems get solved. ‘tiruveLLakuLattu uRaivAne! (6)
1314. Dear GopAla krishNa who grazed the cows with a stick giving them the assurance that You will protect them. Oh, the Supreme Lord, mAlE, residing in ‘nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam’ where chaturvEdi brAhmaNas (learned in all four vedas) reside. Please guide me too and destroy my gravest of sins. ‘tiruveLLakuLattuL mAlE! (7)
1315. Dear Lord varAha who assumed the form of a giant boar to lift the submerged earth! NARAYANA! You are the most capable one. You are now residing in the lush green ‘nAngoor tiruveLLakuLam’ famous for kind brAhmaNas. Oh! the eternal nectar, ArAvamudE!, residing in the lush green landscapes of ‘nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam’ famous for kind brAhmanas. Please shower your kindness on me, just like how you helped bhoomA dEvi. ‘tiruveLLakuLattuL ArAvamudE! (8)
1316. Dear Lord Shriya:pati whose chest is called tirumArbu because Goddess Periya PirATTi, tirumAmagaL rests there on the lotus, showering her compassion!
You are the most compassionate one. Oh, the kind Lord dEva, residing in ‘nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam’! The brAhmins of this place are praised by the people of the world for their austerity. Please listen to my worries patiently just like Periya PirAtti, saying ‘Aaa… Aaa’ and come down to my level and lift me up from the never-ending cycle of life. tiruveLLakuLattu dEvA! (9)
1317. Kaliyan, the one having mountain like strong shoulders, has composed this garland of 10 verses, praising the Lord at nAngUr tiruveLLakuLam where kind and austere brAhmaNas live. Those who perfect these pAsurams will attain the abode of nityasooris. (10)
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.8
PASURAMS 1318-1327
TIRUPPARTHANPALLI - MANGALASHASANAM
TIRUNANGUR DIVYADESAM 11/11
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| TIRUPARTHAN PALLI TAMARAI KELVAN AND KOLAVILLI RAMAN |
This kshEtram is the last of the eleven nAngur divyadEsams. In this temple, the moolavar is tAmarai kELvan. ThayAr is thAmarai nAyaki. Utsavar is pArthasArathy, with chaturbhujam, wielding the shanku and chakram. KOlavilli rAman also blesses us from inside the sanctum. There is a separate sannidhi for arjuna.
*TAY PASURAMS*
AzhvAr performs mangaLashAsanam at this temple donning the role of the mother ( tAy) of the lovelorn parakAla nAyaki.
AzhvAr realizes that only the pirATTis get to perform perumAL's antaranga kainkaryam. While he assumes the nAyika bhAvam to experience the joy of periya pirATTi, he expresses as a mother, how her daughter constantly sings about the valour and kalyAna guNas of the perumAL of tiruppArthanpaLLi.
1318. He is indeed KaNNan, who broke the tusk of the elephant kuvaLayApeeDam, which was fed huge balls of food *(kavaLam)* to make it more ferocious.
He is the lovable one, dark as the blue water lily( *kuvaLai* ) and the dark rain laden cloud.
He is my swAmi and my charming elephant *(Anai)* .
He is the one who resides in the beautiful( *needu* ) nAngur where there are tall white fortresses. He is the swAmi of lakshmi whose abode is the lotus.
Saying so, my daughter who has lips like the coral, sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl. (1)
1319. He is KaNNan my young bull ( *kALai* ) who killed the fierce elephant kuvalayApeeDam, which was sent by Kamsa to kill him.
He is the mAyan, the one of immeasurable talent, who stifled the life out of the deceitful pootanA.
He is dEvAdidEvan who resides in the beautiful nAnUur kshEtram, where the elite and learned brAmaNas live, chanting the Vedas.
Exclaiming thus, my daughter who has feet as soft as cotton, sings in praise of thiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl. (2)
1320. He is the swAmi of the dEvAs ( *aNdar kOn* ). He is my delightful elephant *(Anai)*. He constantly delights in embracing the AyarpADi girls.
He is of such stature that the four Vedas follow Him hailing Him as srimAn( *selvan* ).
He is the one who resides in this nAngur kshEtram, where there are orchards and groves buzzing with bugs and beetles.
So saying, my daughter, not the naive girl that she used to be, sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl. (3)
1321. My swAmi, SrirAmA, stopped the bountiful ocean ( *mullai munneer* ) to destroy the city of Lanka.
He is dEvAdidEvan who resides in this nAngur kshEtram where the rich vaidikAs chanting the Vedas live.
So saying, my daughter who adorned herself with bangles, lost her self restraint (kollaiyAnAL) , became thin and emaciated as she immersed herself in bhagavat kainkaryam, resulting in her bangles slipping off her hands. Abandoning her modesty (parisizhandhAL) in front of other women wearing bangles, she sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl. (4)
(In this pasuram, the daughter who is generally shy, unabashedly asks Perumal why He is not taking any effort to rescue and possess her, while He performed heroic deeds to rescue Sita devi from Lanka.)
1322. Back then (paNDu), to annihilate the rAkshasa clan, He destroyed LankA which is surrounded by the deep oceans.
He is the swAmi of the vAnarA warriors (sugreeva's army). He is the one who holds the beautiful bow( kOlavilli). He is the unblemished (ninmalan) one who resides in the nAngur kshEtram where palaces and fortresses reach the beautiful moon ( *mAmadhi* ) restraining its movement.
So saying, my daughter sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl, while being subjected to much ridicule ( *parakkazhindAL* ). (5)
1323. He is the swAmi, who during pralayakAlam swallowed the entire universe, protected in His stomach and then released it after pralayakAlam..
His beautiful tirumEni( *kOlamEni* ) is coloured like the deep ocean ( *vElai* ) that surrounds the earth ( *nAnilam* ).
He is dEvAdidEvan who resides in the nAngur kshEtram where fish( sEl) swim and jump( ugaLum) in the fertile fields.
My daughter who speaks sweetly like milk, sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl. (6)
1324. He is the Lord who chose to reside in my heart.
He is the immaculate Lord srimAn, whose glory, even the four Vedas cannot fully visualize.
He is dEvAdidEvan who resides in the nAngur kshEtram endowed with orchards where swarms of winged bugs fly around.
So saying, my daughter, who wears anklets in her soft tender feet, sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl. (7)
1325. He is the one celebrated by the entire universe. Even the lustrous sun and moon and the dEvAs cannot come anywhere near the Lord who wields the blazing Sudharshana chakram.
He has immense compassion( *nEsan* ) for His devotees .
He is dEvAdidEvan who resides in the nAngur kshEtram where vaidhikAs reciting the Vedas live.
Hailing thus, my daughter sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl, while many mock at her. (8)
1326. He is Sri Krishna!
He is the one the dEvAs worship with devotion offering flowers, so much so He lives in their thoughts and mind( *eNNan* ).
He gives endless happiness ( *inban*). He is the cause of the seven lOkhas ( **Adhi* ).
He is dEvAdidEvan who resides in the nAngur kshEtram which has tall castles and fortresses.
Hailing His glory, my daughter, with soft and melodious voice, sings in praise of tiruppArthanpaLLi perumAl. (9)
1327. These ten pasurams are sung by parakAla nAyaki in praise of the lotus eyed perumAl ( *senkaNmAl* ), who resides in tiruppArthanpaLLi where learned vaidhikAs live, as relayed by her mother. These verses are composed by tirumangai AzhvAr who sports the sharp spear. Those who recite these ten tamizh pAsurams shall enter and enjoy srivaikuNTam. (10)
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.9
PASURAMS 1328 TO 1337
TIRUVINDALOOR
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| TIRU INDALOOR PARIMAL RANGANATHAN |
The moolavar is ParimaLa RaNganAthar reclining magnificently on AdisEsha in veera shayana tirukkOlam. He is made of green stone with four hands holding the shankham and chakram. He is fondly called maruviniya maindan and sugandhavana nAthan. tAyaar is parimaLa ranganAyaki.
This emperumAn absolved Chandran (moon-indu) of the curse given by Dakshan. As the vEdas stolen by Madhu and KaiTabha became unholy, Lord Parimala RanganAthan cleansed it, gave it fragrance and returned it to BrahmA. This lord manifested himself to King Ambareesha. Cauvery Devi is seen near the tirumuDi and Ganga Devi is seen near the tirupAdam (Ganga once washed off the sins shed away by devotees by taking a dip in the cauvery).
AzhvAr full of exuberance reaches the temple to find the main doors closed as he was late. Having come with a great expectation and immense bhakti to pay his respects with folded hands(Anjali) and rejoice the divya mangala vigraham, AzhvAr was unable to concede with this disappointment. Neither did the Lord welcome Him with open arms to hug him nor did the Lord open the doors. Deprived of getting a glimpse of the Lord, the disheartened AzhvAr strung these ten sweet nostalgic verses filled with empathy, praises, anger, complaints pleading the Lord to open the temple doors.
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| TIRU INDALUR MARUVINIA MAINDAN |
1328. Oh! IndaLUreerE (One who resides in tiruvindaloor)! I desire to do selfless kainkaryam to you forever. At least once, take pity on me and consider me as your dAsan (subservient) as I am holding on to You alone as the only means (upAyam). I do not aspire for any other goal (Akinchanyam). AzhvAr thinks aloud,” If I get a glimpse of Him, slowly I will bring this Lord into my fold and win His heart”. Just as a little water quenches the thirst of a person, a mere glimpse of your tirumEni is what I desire (vadivazhagu). I have totally surrendered to Your divyamaNgala vigraham. Oh Lord, you are aware of that! Then, why this delay? Is it fair? AzhvAr expresses with extreme disappointment and anger. I have many choices in worldly life, yet I have no desire to pursue them having disregarded them (ananyagatitvam). I have realized the Swaroopa gnyAnam that You are the master (sEshi), and I am your humble servant (sEshabhootan) and its merits. Hence I am suffering. Please allot some kainkaryam to me which will give me immense contentment (immaikkum inbam peRROm). IndaLUreerE! You have deprived me of this pleasure! Why this insane attitude!?
The disappointed AzhvAr now calms down and requests the Lord (viNNappam).
pirAnE! Please contemplate on my quality of mahavishvAsam. It is only You who resides in my heart. I have selflessly pledged my honest desires to do some kainkaryam to you. Won’t this melt your heart (avAvenRu iraNgi)? I will be able to survive if I get an assurance from you. At least grant me your blissful glimpse as you are carried along the streets (purappADu- kAtti nadaNdAl) during festivals. (1)
1329. Overcome with abundant love for the lord, AzhvAr tries to pacify Him.
Oh selvA (selvanE) !I am extremely obliged and thankful that you reside in my heart. What is the reason for not showing a glimpse of your tirumEni? Won’t your heart melt for this distressed soul? Iniya maindA! The ever youthful enjoyable one! Oh ! tiruvAli nagar perumAnE (am tan Ali mAlE)! You don’t seem to consider the desires of this chEtanan who is standing before you. chOlai mazha kaLiRE!(A baby elephant in the groves)! nandA viLakkE (the unquenchable lamp overpouring with radiance of abundant knowledge)! naRaiyoor ninRa nambiyE!(the one who resides at tirunaRayoor)! My perumAnE! En tAy! The Lord who resides in tiruvindaLoor! Why are you not being compassionate towards me? (2)
1330. tiruvindaLoor nAthanE! You are the one who effortlessly measured all the worlds in two steps and became the virtuous one! You had to become a vAmana and then trivikrama to attain this virtue (your attributes of balam and chAturyam). Oh! azhagA! One who is adorning a garland around the head with bees humming around it! Won’t you lose your integrity for betraying me? I do not desire your attributes to be tarnished at any cost. I have drowned myself into your sea of affection becoming insane just to have your glimpse. How could you avoid me? Is your intention correct? Blessing every devotee with a cool glance is one of your attributes (kAruNyam). Won’t the world mock at you for not welcoming tirumaNgai mannan? Isn’t it an insult to your attributes? Will a sarvarakshakan ever behave like this? Dear Lord! I am expressing this out of mere concern for you. (3)
1331. indaLUreerE! I came to this kshEtram with an expectation, but all went in vain. My inclination is not to enjoy the radiance of gold coins but your beautiful divya mangala vigraham (vaNNam-tirumEni). Is my desire unfair? The whole world is aware of my immense bhakti towards you. emperumAnE! Don’t the nityasooris enjoy your proximity every day in paramapadam? I was under the strong impression that you have come down to the earth with this beautiful tirumEni for the protection and benefit of the humans (sarvarakshakan). You have decided to deprive me of these benefits. Are You not being partial (vAsi valleer)?
The disheartened AzhvAr helplessly retorts angrily. I understand that you have decided to deny me of this opportunity. Now, I have nothing more to express! You enjoy your tirumEni, its fragrance and hug it all by yourself! ( neerE vazhndu pOm)!(4)
1332. AzhvAr tries to convince the Lord once again.
tiruvindaLoor perumAnE! sarvavyApakanE! I am well aware that you are the antaryAmi in fire (tE), directions (tisai), water (neer), the vast land (iru nilam) and in all beings yet I have been deprived of getting your glimpse. It is said You stand here in archA roopam with a mesmerising tirumEni. Alas (aal)! I am one of those unlucky ones who stands here incapable of getting the glimpse. Oh perumAnE! Are you not the exceptional One who has come down from paramapadam for the bhaktAs (sulabhan)? In SrivaikuNtam, the nityasooris enjoy your divyamaNgala vigraham incessantly. BrahmA and other dEvAs enjoy your vyuha tirumeni in pArkaDal. BhaktAs like prahlAd enjoyed you as antaryAmi. Being humans, our only option is enjoying your divya maNgala vigraham in archai form! (neer aDiyOmukku emperumAn aller)! Am I not one among them? It is a fact that You are the father, mother and master of all beings. Won’t you open the doors and show yourself understanding this devotee’s weak mental state? (5)
1333. tiruvindaLoor emperumanE! Please listen to what I wish to convey to You. I cannot remain silent without expressing my feelings and I expect you to be aware of it. You are considering me as an equal to all other devotees which is unfair. You are well aware of my immense craving (tApam) to see you. Oh Lord! You are one who can distinguish between the good and bad people ( nallAr aRiveer, teeyAr aRiveer). You are Sarvagyan! One who is aware of everything, yet you failed to reward my true feelings towards you. perumAnE!You have not realized that I cannot bear your separation even for a second! I am extremely disappointed with you for not revealing your divyamaNgala vigraham! (6)
1334. IndaLUreerE! You seem to have vowed not to accept my kainkaryam in any form (maNi koLLa). You ought to agree that it is You who instilled the willingness and determination of being sub-servient to you (seshatvam- paNi aRiya) but alas! You have let me down! Among all chEtanAs, You chose me and made me understand my swaroopam (true self to do kaiNkaryam). Having ingested these qualities, practicing them as you would desire, seems to be worthless. You seem to consider me as a lowly person not fit for your services. My master! The great One! Assuming you are right, don’t You possess the mighty attribute to instill that quality required of me?
AzhvAr now calms down. Dear Lord! Overlook what all I expressed till now. Listen to me very carefully. I am making an earnest request to You. You can at least reveal your beautiful holy feet ( tiruvaDi-aDigaL). If I am lucky to get a glimpse of those bewitching tiruvaDis, will I not gladly settle down in this kshEtram? I will remain your slave doing kaiNkaryam and live-in harmony? Do not fail in satisfying this sincere wish of mine? Why this postponement? (7)
1335. Dear indaLUr perumAnE! I am extremely fond of having a glimpse of the colour of your tirumEni. Your divyamaNgaLa vigraham had different colours in the different yugas. In kruta yuga your tirumEni was white as milk (pAlin vaNNam). In trEta yuga reddish gold, in dwApara blue and in kali yuga dark colour (konDal vaNNan). Oh! The One who reposes here! Can you please consider my plea and show me your tirumEni? parimaLa raNganAtha! My eyes are aspiring to get a glimpse of the tinge of your tirumEni. I plead to you to open the doors! (8)
1336. AzhvAr further reasons out to the Lord. indaLUreerE! I belong to a very rich lineage (emar). You are very well aware of that. My father, grandfather, great grandfather, our ancestors for seven generations have been dedicatedly and continually doing kainkaryam to You. Considering my lineage, you could have revealed yourself without a second thought. Knowingly You wished to hurt me by reasoning out, taking undue advantage of my obsession to see you. It is obviously true that you are residing firmly and permanently in my heart. I can feel the blissfulness of your radiance in my heart which makes me happy mentally. Similarly, I wish to experience the beauty of your tirumEni through my eyes too. Why are you being partial towards one organ? Have you not come down from Shri VaikuNTam out of mercy for the chEtanAs who can derive the pleasure of your divya maNgaLa vigraham? Why are You depriving me of this happiness? (9)
1337. Kaliyan, the head of tirumaNgai penned down these ten sweet outpourings filled with immense bhakti about parimaLaRanganathar who resides in tiruvindaLoor surrounded by beautiful, scented groves. Whoever recites these pAsurams with dedication will be respected by the nityasooris forever. (10)
PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 4.10
PASURAMS 1338 to 1347
TIRUVELLIANKUDI
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| TIRUVELLIANKUDI KOLAVILLI RAMAN |
AzhvAr further believes that all the sufferings faced in the earlier Divya Desam will vanish if one steps into TiruveLLiankuDi. Hence, he invites us all to worship Him in this beautiful Divya Desam. This Divya Desam is on the southern bank of the river Manni.
It is believed that this Divya Desam is where Sukran worshipped the Lord and hence, it attained the name, VeLLiankuDi. (Velli means Sukran)
It is evident from all phrases that AzhvAr can never resist himself from referring to and praising the glory of the avataras of EmperumAn.
1338.The EmperumAn is none other than the one who stealthily gulped butter and made the idaiyar girls complain to Yasoda during His KrishNa avatAra; the one who resided on the banyan leaf during the Pralaya; the one who destroyed the twin Maruda trees; the one who measured the Earth in his incarnation as vAmana resides, to shower His blessings, in a grove where arecanut, coconut and plantain trees grow in abundance, around which the TiruveLLiankuDi Divyadesam is situated.
Sukran (Venus) is believed to have worshipped the Lord here at TiruveLLiankuDi to get back his eyesight which he lost when he was blocking the nozzle (in the form of a bee)of a vessel which king Mahabali was using to give the donation asked for by the Lord in his vAmana avatAra.(1)
1339. TiruveLLiankuDi is where the surapunai trees grow in rows and where the punnai trees grow in abundance and where the beautiful honey bees sing melodiously. It is this divyadesam where EmperumAn, who incarnated as cowherd KrishNa and Lord rAma, whole heartedly wishes to reside for his devotees to worship.(2)
1340.The women folk in TiruveLLiankuDi practice dance and drama, the sound of which vibrates and echoes through day and night in all directions (pada varagul) and in heaven too.(adai pudai thazhuvi) Such is the glory of TiruveLLiankuDi where EmperumAn (who in his avatar as Lord Krishna slayed snake KAliya by dancing effortlessly on him making his crown gems scatter), chose to reside permanently.(3)
1341.The one who saved the cattle herd and courageously killed Kamsa; the one who has VainatEyan (GaruDa dwajan) in His flag; the one who resides at TirupaarkaDal to support Lord Brahma; He is the one whose heavenly abode is TiruveLLiankuDi. It is an immensely fertile land, where the waves of river Manni leave behind rich navaratnas and the flags of its forts touch the sky.(4)
1342.The Lord who held Mother Earth in his navel and placed her in the right position, and the Lord who served as a charioteer to Arjuna now willingly resides at TiruveLLiankudi. The fields at TiruveLLiankuDi are rich and continuously being ploughed, fearing which vaalai fishes shift to the nearby ponds.(5)
1343. Just like pooLai flowers which disappear when heavy storms blow, Lord Rama destroyed the Sreelankan troops with his powerful arrows. Such is the valor of Lord KodanDarAma and he resides at TiruveLLiankuDi as EmperumAn.
The fishes eat the bananas that ripen and fall in the fertile fields of TiruveLLiankuDi and play joyfully in the ponds that are surrounding the beautiful divya desam. Such is the richness of this place and this is where EmperumAn desires to reside. AzhvAr speaks about this glorious Divya Desam in this decad. (6)
1344. AzhvAr connects the avatar of VAmana wherein Lord Trivikrama wisely obtained the three worlds from Bali Chakravarty. The Almighty Lord rests peacefully at TiruveLLiankuDi which also happens to be the Sukra sthalam. AzhvAr also imagines that the cuckoos too sing Hari:Hari: in this sthalam. Such is the divinity of this Divya Desam. (7)
1345. AzhvAr recollects the fierce Nrisimha avatAram in this pAsuram. He says that TiruveLLiankuDi is awe-striking and its palaces are all built with navaratnas, the glitter of which make it hard for one to identify whether it is day or night. (palmanigalin oliyinaal...) He recalls the happenings of EmperumaAn's fourth avatAra and how Hiranyakashipu was killed by Lord Nrisimha....(in his half-man and half- lion form at twilight, at the threshold of the door, using his claws) to protect his devotee PrahlAda.(8)
1346. Lord BrahmA and the Devas always used to talk about EmperumAn's KalyAna gunas like (superiority) Paratvam, simplicity (Saulabhyam) and generosity (Sausheelyam). Such is the greatness of the Lord who holds the conch and the chakra and who rests calmly at TirupaarkaDal waiting to nurture/protect His devotees at all circumstances.
AzhVar describes the swaying of sugarcane and paddy crops on either side of lotus pads and says that the swans and peDais live happily together. (KaDiyudDai Kamalam). The commentator further beautifies AzhvAr's imagination by stating that lotus is a throne and sugarcane and paddy are the fans (chaamaram) on either side and the swan couple are PerumAl and His PirATTi. (9)
1347. The last pAsuram discusses the glory of VarAha avatAra. As we all are aware, each avatAra was taken with a divine purpose and for the restoration of dharma and to save mother Earth from the hands of evil, demons or asuras. VarAha avatAra is the third incarnation taken in the satya yuga and the lord incarnated as a boar to protect the Earth. AzhvAr states that it is the same EmperumAn who resides at TiruveLLiankuDi.
It is certain that all those who sing or recite these ten deep and divine Shreesooktis would receive abundant blessings and wealth and this would serve as a tool for every AishwaryArthi to indulge in bhagavat bhAgavata kainkaryam. (Service to the Lord and service to mankind). (10)
TIRUMANGAI AZHVAR TIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM
