Oppiliappan Koil Panguni Brahmotsavam Vedu Pari

On the 8th day of the Panguni Brahmotsavam, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar's Vedu Pari was enacted on the banks of the river at Ayyavadi

It was the 8th evening of the Panguni Brahmotsavam at Oppiliappan Koil, one dedicated to Thiru Mangai Azhvaar who sang 30 verses of praise on Thiru Vinnagar Divya Desam. The Vaishnavite enlightenment received by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar on the Vedu Pari night was enacted on the banks of the river at Ayyavadi, 1 km South of Oppiliappan Koil on Saturday (April 11).

துறப்பேன் அல்லேன் இன்பம் துறவாது 

நின் உருவம் மறப்பேன் அல்லேன் என்றும் மறவாது 

யான் உலகில் பிறப்பேன் ஆக எண்ணேன் பிறவாமை பெற்றது 

நின் திறத்தேன் ஆதன்மையால் திருவிண்ணகரானே 

The Prabhandham members had gathered earlier in the evening and presented the sacred verses. Soon after the Satru Murai verses, Vedantha Desikar led the procession with the HRCE staff driving the tractor that pulled the deities with Srinivasa Perumal, on a silver horse vahana and Bhoo Devi thayar following the Vaishnavite Acharya. It is a sign of the changing times at remote temples in Tamil Nadu. From the time not so long ago when Sripatham personnel carried the Lord on their shoulders, it has come to a phase when motorised vehicle is pulling multiple deities even during the Brahmotsavam.

It was a slow start to the procession with the heat generating lights being installed on the chapparam. Every house on the Sannidhi street presented thattu welcoming the Lord into their home. And there were more of those on the East and South streets. Onto the Nachiyar Koil road towards Ayyavadi, rocket shots into the sky alerted the residents of the arrival of Perumal and Thayar. By 8pm, devotees had gathered on the banks of the river at Ayyavadi awaiting the arrival of Vedantha Desikar, Perumal and Thayar who arrived there shortly after and positioned themselves on the banks of the river.

முளிந்தீந்த வெம்கடத்து மூரிப் பெருங்களிற்றால் 

விளிந்தீந்த மா மரம்போல் வீழ்ந்தாரை  நினையாதே 

 அளிந்தோர்நத சிந்தை நின்பால் அடியேற்கு 

வானுலகம் தெளிந்தே என்றெய்வது திருவிண்ணகரானே 

And then a long wait. The sripatham let go off the rockets that lit up the sky for almost half half. The Kainkaryaparas brought in fruits and those were place in front of the deities. Tarpaulins were rolled on the side of the road for Nadaswaram artistes to sit and play. Near them the devotees too to their seat.  It was 8.30pm when the bursting of fire crackers indicated the arrival of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar for the Vedu Pari enactment. He went around Srinivasa Perumal thrice before taking up his position opposite the Lord.

Vedu Pari legend

Mangai Mannan of Thiru Kuraiyalur fell in love with the beautiful Kumudavalli of Annan Koil. Wanting to get him initiated into the devotional path, Kumudavalli laid tough ‘wedding’ conditions, one of which was to feed 1008 Vaishnavites every day. Mangai Mannan, in this attempt, lost a lot of his wealth but determined to fulfil her conditions and win her heart, he turned a thief and resorted to ‘stealing’.

One night, Mangai Mannan way laid a newly married couple at Veda Raja Puram near Thiruvali Thirunagari and threatened to lash out his spear even going to the extent of trying to bite and remove the expensive anklets. Having packed the jewellery into a sack, he was unable to lift the bag and wondered if the person in front of him wielded a magic mantra. It was then that the couple displayed their real character. The thief of a few minutes ago received enlightenment and transformed into a Saint Poet. It was after this episode that he went on to contribute over 1200 verses in the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham with Vadinen Vaadi Varunthinen as his first decad.

Following the parivattam to the hero of the evening, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, the theerthakarar of the temple read the specifics of the jewels of Perumal and Thayar to confirm that they were in fact intact. It was after the Vedu Pari event that Thiru Mangai Azhvaar presented the first verses of the Periya Thirumozhi on how he had gone the wrong path in the past and that he was looking to Lord Narayana as his only solace in life.

வாடினேன் வாடி வருந்தினேன் மனத்தால் 

பெருந்துயர் இடும்பயில் பிறந்து 

கூட்டினேன் கூடி இளையவர் தம்மோடு 

அவர் தரும் கலவியே கருதி 

ஓடினேன் ஓடி உய்வதோர் பொருளால் 

உணர்வெனும் பெரும் பதம் தெரிந்து 

நாடினேன் நாடி நான் கண்டுகொண்டேன் 

நாராயணா என்னும் நாமம் 

After the presentation of the first decad of Periya Thirumozhi and with the clock ticking past 9pm, Thaligai was presented. Thiru Mangai Azhvaar then made his way back much faster than he came with the motorised tractor pulling the three deities back to the temple bringing to end the Vedu Pari utsavam at Oppiliappan Koil.