Thiru Maliruncholai Periyazhvar

Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai is the Physician to our Life's Problems 

- SEEK HIM, OFFER SELFLESS SERVICE TO HIM AND GET PEACE OF MIND

In the penultimate decad of the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi, Periyazhvar sings praise of one of his favourite temples. In the fourth canto, he had dedicated 20 verses to the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai and he completes his praise of temples with Lord Sundararaja Perumal of Maliruncholai.

While he praised the location and the humming bees and the beautiful peacocks in the earlier two decads, here Periyazhvar praises the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai as his own and experiences the feeling of Azhagar Koil Lord having entered his body and pulled him out of all miseries.

Birth of Krishna

Periyazhvar refers to the episode of Kamsa killing 6 children of Devaki by smashing them on to the boulders. And then suddenly Krishna was born as her child. Periyazhvar visualises the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai as his own father and master. He says he has finally found the Lord and cannot let him go.

புக்கினில் புக்கு உன்னைக் கண்டு கொண்டேன் இனிப் போக விடுவதுண்டே

Maliruncholai and its Greatness

As described in 4.2 and 4.3, Periyazhvar once again reminds us of the greatness of Thiru Maliruncholai referring to devotees thronging in the Nupura Ganga to take a dip in the sacred river in an effort to try to wash away their sins. Thiru Maliruncholai is described as a place with big lakes where fishes dance and play and as one with tall mansions, shining in gold.

A special kind of  Promise

Having finally caught the Lord in his grasp, he is now clear not to let him go from his body and heart and promises on the Lord’s consort to hold on to the Lord forever. Periyazhvar says that the Lord has not yet understood this true devotee’s concern and describes the Lord as someone who has not disclosed his true real form to anyone.

வளைத்து வைத்தேன் இனி போக லொட்டேன் உந்தன் இந்திர ஞாலங்களால் 

ஒலித்திடல் நின் திருவானை கண்டாய் நீ ஒருவர்க்கும் மெய்யனல்லை

I cannot leave Maliruncholai

Periyazhvar praises the love and affection the devotees have for the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai. He gives example of gypsies harvesting wild corn in the lands of Thiru Maliruncholai and cooking fresh food and offering to the Lord.Having served him and understood him fully, Periyazhvar says that he cannot go anywhere else now for if he does so, will it not then belittle the Lord’s glory.

உனக்குப் பனி செய்திருக்கும் தவமுடையேன்

இனி போய் ஒருவன் தனக்குப் பணிந்து கடைத்தவை நிற்க

நின் சாயை அழிவு கண்டாய்

Without water and food and without any shade, Periyazhvar says he has travelled far and wide. But nowhere else other than here at Thiru Maliruncholai has he found the shadow of his feet which provides unending shade.

காதம் பலவும் திரிந்து உழல்றேற்கு அங்கோர் நிழலில்லை நீருமில்லை

உன் பாத நிழலல்லாமல் பற்றோர்

உயிர்ப்பிடம் நான் எங்கும் கான் கின்றிலேன்

Living in Lord’s Thoughts

He describes his current emotions beautifully. His legs are weak, tears roll down continuously, body trembles, voice is not heard, hairs stand in some corner of the head, shoulders are drooping and there seems to be no peace of mind. But there is a new expectation in the heart. Suddenly he is buoyed by the thoughts of the Lord and is delighted to be living with these new thoughts forever.

காலு மெழா கண்ண நீரும் நில்லா

உடல் சோர்ந்து நடுங்கி

குரல் மேலு மெழா மயிர் கூச்ச மறா என

தோள்களும் வீழ்வு ஒழியா

Maliruncholai is the Physician

Periyazhvar praises Lord of Maliruncholai as one who provides liberation to his true devotees.

He says even Lord Shiva with a flag inscribed with a bull symbol, the four faced Brahmma, the King of Gods Indra and other celestials don’t have a prescription for liberation from re - birth.

With this as the background, Periyazhvar praises the Lord of Thiru Maliruncholai as the Physician who has the medicine for this and asks the Lord to give him purity and bless him so he can enter the portal of his magnificent temple.

மருத்தவனாய் நின்ற மாமனிவண்ணா

மறு பிறவி தவிரத் திருத்தி உன் கோயிற் கடைபுகப் பெய்

திரு மாலிருஞ்சோலை எந்தாய்

From one side to the other side of the tide!!!

Periyazhvar provides a beautiful poetic description of life in one of the verses. He refers to the two shores of an ocean. For a long time he says he had been on the other side leading a floundering life full of desires and miseries. Finally he has arrived at this other shore completely tired of his previous experience. He now seeks the Lord to lift his hand in compassion and give him that ‘Fear Not’ comfort.

அக்கறை என்னுமனத்துக் கடலுள் அழுந்தி உன் பேர் அருளால்

இக்கரை ஏறி இளைத்திருன்தேனை அஞ்சேல் என்று கை கவியாய்

Periyazhvar is now engaging in real life messages for the devotees, described in simple language for every interested devotee to implement. He says for a lifetime and more he has lived life with a today and tomorrow and finally he has managed to arrive at this stage where he says he will not let go the Lord and will hold on to him tightly in his heart.

எத்தனை காலமும் எத்தனை ஊழியும் இன்றோடு நாளை என்றே

இத்தனை காலமும் போய்க் கிறிப்படேன்

இனி உன்னைப் போகலொட்டேன்

Finally settling with you

Periyazhvar looks back at a long life and says that right from the time he was in the womb, he has yearned to serve the Lord.  And now that he has got hold of the Lord, he cannot let go of him. It has taken a while but he has got what he wanted right from childhood - selfless, blemish-less service and he is ready to perform that from now on.

இன்று வந்து இங்கு உன்னைக் கண்டு கொண்டேன்

இனிப் போகவிடுவதுன்டே