Srirangam Periyazhvar Thirumozhi

Lord of Srirangam is the Life Medicine for all

Periyazhvar refers to all the Avataras in a SINGLE VERSE including the 'Three Ramas'!!!

On to the 9^th Decad of the 4^th Canto, Periyazhvar continues with his description of Srirangam praising it as a BRIGHT temple and says that Lord Ranganatha is the life medicine for all true devotees and that we are all blessed that he has decided to reside in Srirangam.

Uniqueness of Flowers

He describes the beautiful blue flowers seen in the huge groves as swaying in the breeze reflecting both the dark complexion of Lord Rangantha and the flowery eyes of Ranganayaki Thaayar. Just like the Lotus that arises from his navel, all the flowers at Srirangam are constantly seen competing with each to present themselves as more special and unique to the Lord. The fresh lotus here seem to be gesticulating to the other flowers that they pale in significance and seem to be taking a lot of pride in showcasing themselves as unique.

புது நாண் மலர்க்  கமலம் எம் பெருமான்

பொன் வயிற்றில் பூவே போல்வான்

பொது நாயகம் பாலித்து இறுமாந்து பொன் சாய்க்கும்

 புனல் அரங்கமே

Ripe Paddy and Lotus Petals - Praising Cauvery

Periyazhvar praises Cauvery and refers yet again refers to the large quantity of blooming lotus flowers that one finds in the Cauvery every day. The fertile lands thanks to the water from the Cauvery helps ripe paddy grow tall.  There are ever growing lotus petals that rise like the lord’s feet.

Swans on Lotuses - see it as their bed!!!

In the groves of Srirangam, Swans are seen sitting in pairs on lotuses. Periyazhvar describes the emotions of these swans. They are seen swinging and swaying, crushing and rolling on the flowers. They see these large lotus flowers as their bed and they are seen smearing pollen like sindoor poweder on each other. He says that even the birds mingle with the flowers and sing praise of the Lord.

சேவலொடு பெடை யன்னம் செங்கமல மலர் ஏறி ஊசல் ஆடிப்

பூவணை மேல் துதைத்து எழு செம் பொடியாடி விளையாடும்

புனல் அரங்கமே   

All the Avataras in one verse

In this decad, Periyazhvar refers to several episodes from his Avataras. 

Also, for the only time in the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi, he mentions in a single verse all of the Lord’s manifestations - Fish, Tortoise, Boar, Lion, Vamana, Rama, Balarama, Parasurama 

( interestingly referred as Three Ramas!!!!!!!!!), Krishna and Kalki.

தேவுடைய மீனமாய் ஆமையாய் ஏனமாய்

அறியக் குரலாய் மூவுருவில் இராமனாய்க்

கண்ணனாய்க் கற்கியாய்

முடிப்பான் கோயில்

Ramayana Episode

Periyazhvar takes us back to the Ramayana and to the meeting between Rama and his Baratha. He refers to the Lord of Srirangam as one who provided his Sandal to his brother Baratha and continued with his stay in the forest. Later he demolished the rakshasas and came back to the rule the world.

மரவடியைத் தம்பிக்கு வான் பணையம் வைத்துப் போய்வானோர் வாழ

செருவுடைய திசைகருமம் திருதிவந்து உலகாண்ட திருமால் கோயில்

Mahabaratha

Periyazhvar takes us back to episodes in Mahabaratha achieving victory, saving Draupadi and Parikshit. He describes the Lord’s consorts as being 60000 and there are others who are performing faultless service at Dwaraka seeing him as their Chief.

பதினாறா மாயிரவர் தேவிமார் பணிசெய்யத் துவரை யென்னும்

அதில் நாயகராகி வீற்றிருந்த மணவாளர் மன்னு கோயில்

Hiranya’s emotions - Detailed Description of the Act

Praising the earlier avatara of the Lord, he describes for the first time in the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi in such depth of the killing of Asura Hiranya and the emotions emanating out of Hiranya after the Lord tore him apart.

He says that the asura’s chest was pierced with the Lord’s strong nails. He then held his head and threw down the crown that crumbled to pieces and also squeezed his eyes so hard that it bulged out which then made his mouth wide.

As the Lord performed this act, the asura writhed in pain and screamed aloud.

உரம் பற்றி இரணியனை உகிர்னுதியால் உள்ளிய மார்புறைக்க ஊன்றி

சிரம்பற்றி முடி இடியக் கண் பிதுங்க வாயலறத் தெழித்தான் கோயில்

He refers to his incarnation as Vamana to subdue the egoistic Mahabali and took away his kingdom and granted him the nether world.

Directional Posture of Ranganatha

Periyazhvar then provides an interesting explanation about the posture of the Lord of Srirangam. He says the Lord is residing facing Lanka to oversee the well being of the benevolent Vibheeshana.

மன்னுடைய விபீடனர்கா மதிநிலங்கை திசை நோக்கி மலர்க்கண் வைத்த

(Thondaradipodi Azhvaar in his Thirumalai too refers to the directional posture of Lord Ranganatha)

குடதிசை முடியை வைத்து 

குண  திசை பாதம் நீட்டி 

வடதிசை பின்பு காட்டி 
தென்திசை இலங்கை நோக்கி - Thirumalai

Devotess can do no wrong

He says that Lord Ranganatha is so caring for his devotees that even if his consort tells him something negative about his devotees he does not believe justifying that whatever his sincere devotees do, they do it for the good. So broad hearted is the Lord at Srirangam.

தன் அடியார் திருத்தகத்துத் தாமரையாளாகிலும் சிதகுரைக்கு மேல்

என்னடியார் அது செய்யார் செஇதாரெல் நன்று செய்தார் என்பர் போலும்

Periyazhvar praises the Lord as one who lifts the devotees to a point of ‘No Return’ to the Zone of the Sun in the process removing their darkness and blesses them, especially those who have performed selfless service in their lives. He compares the hoods of the Serpent on whom Lord Ranganatha reclines to the morning sun that rises above the huge mountains and praises the Serpents as having similar shine and glory to the Sun.

He refers to a long list of those who worship him at Srirangam and says that this includes Vedic Seers, Sages, Ascetics Devotees, Siddhas and all others who live in this world with a submissive and reverent outlook to life.

பத்தர்களும் பகவர்களும் பழ்மொழிவாய் முனிவர்களும்  பரந்த நாடும்

சித்தர்களும் தொசதிரைஞ்சத் திசை விளக்காய் நிற்கின்ற திருவரங்கமே

Life Medicine for Devotees

In these verses, he refers to the Lord as the one who is the Life Medicine for all. Vedanta Desika in his Athikara Sangramam too praises the Lord in a similar vein stating that Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam solves even the seeming unsolvable problems of true devotees

ஆராத அருள் அமுதம் பொதிந்த கோயில் 
அம்புயத் தோன்  அயோத்தி மன்னர்க்கு அளித்த கோயில் 
தோலாத தனி வீரன் தொழுத கோயில் 
துணையான வீடண ற்குத் துனையாம் கோயில் 

சேராத பயன் எல்லாம் சேர்க்கும்  கோயில் 
செழு மறையின் முதல் எழுத்துச் சேர்ந்த கோயில் 
தீராத வினை அனைத்தும்  தீர்க்கும் கோயில் 

திருவரங்கம் எனத் திகழும் கோயில் தானே - Desikar Prabhandham

Srirangam is blessed

In this decad, Periyazhvar also refers to the mount of the Lord saying the ruler of all the worlds rides on Garuda possessing the unique sword Nandaka. Periyazhvar says that it is our blessing that the Lord who controls everything including day and night has willingly chosen to reside at Srirangam.

திருவாளன் இனிதாகத் திருக் கண்கள் வளர்க்கின்ற திருவரங்கமே