Celebration of Periyazhvar's Prabhandham Contribution
Periya Perumal's trip to Vanamamalai Mutt, a Vibrant Prabhandham Ghoshti and Garuda Sevai mark the 5th day of Periyazhvar's Avathara Utsavam
Periyazhvar created a niche for himself with his Thirumozhi that stands in a class by itself. It occupies the first place in the 4000verses. Periyazhvar is the only one who sung an entire set of benedictory verses - a prayer for the welfare of the Lord himself. Periyazhvaar is unique because he was fully committed to divine living – to live for God and to share his pure love for God. In his verses, he refers to anecdotes describing the scenario sharply, beautifully and gracefully handling deftly different emotions.
Born on the Swathi day in Aani in Srivilliputhur, Periyazhvaar was a trend setter in Tamil literature. His Krishna Anubhava is seen from him seeing himself as a mother of a cute unique child, enjoying every action of this child. Through his verses that bring great poetic expression of the growth of a new born, Periyazhvar lures every mother to sing for her child. His poems are studded with pearls of events from Puranas, Itihasa and Vedic lore.
Periyazhvar laments about the mistakes he has made in life. The words that he utters are impure and hence he does not chant the hymns on a daily basis. He claims to blabber (uttering imperfect things), but he cannot restrain himself from singing his praise as he knows nothing else in life. And he fears that. He hopes that the Lord will forgive his foolishly uttered words and will not become angry. He takes some consolation from crow’s cow saying that even a crow’s harsh cowing is seen in a positive way by the noble souls. If that be the case, he says he has hopes that his prayer too will be seen in a positive light by the Lord who rides on Garuda Vehicle.
வாக்குத் தூய்மை இலாமையினாலே
மாதவா உன்னை வாய் கொள்ள மாட்டேன்
நாக்கு நின்னை யல்லாமல் அறியாது
நான் அது அஞ்சுவன் என் வசமன்று
மூர்க்குப் பேசுகின்றான் இவன் என்று
முனிவாயேலும் என் நாவினுக் ஆற்றேன்
காக்கை வாயிலும் கட்டுரை கொள்வர்
காரணா கருளக் கொடியானே
Periyazhvaar composed 473 verses comprising of 5 Cantos with the final one being the shortest. His composition in the first two cantos is seen as a great literary work in Tamil extolling the everlasting enjoyment of experiencing Child Prodigy and reveal his mystic experiences as he takes on the role of Mother Yashodha. It is an unusual parental / motherly attitude of Periyazhvar converting himself into playing the role of Yashoda and enjoying the infant to boyhood stages of Krishna.
Thrilled with the sighting in the air, Periyazhvar ends his Thirumozhi with the Senniyongu verses describing his mystic experience – He says that ever since the Lord on the Garuda mount in the sky ‘adopted me’, the ocean of birth and deaths has dried up and become a sanctified place. It is a great lesson for true devotion in each of our lives when we hear him say that his hunger is not when he is starved of food but of the days when he has not worshipped the Lord with fresh flowers, singing praise of him and reciting vedic scriptures.
சென்னி ஓங்கு தண் திருவேங்கடமுடையாய்
உலகு தன்னை வாழ நின்ற நம்பீ
தாமோதரா சதிரா
என்னையும் என் உடமையையும்
உன் சக்கரப் பொறி ஒற்றிக்கொண்டு
நின் அருளே புரிந்திருந்தேன்
இனி என் திருகுறிப்பே
Saturday (June 20) marked the 5th day of his Avathara Utsavam at the Andal Rangamannar temple in Srivilliputhur. It is a special day for Perumal provides Garuda Sevai darshan reminding one of the historic legendary event in Madurai when answering Periyazhvaar’s prayers, he shot down from Vaikuntam on the Garuda Vahana.
Following the procession in the morning, Periya Perumal made his way to the Vanamamalai temple at the eastern entrance of the Andal temple for Thirumanjanam.
Continuing the Araiyar Service
Natha Muni (Srinivasa Rangan) Araiyar is 36 years old and has found a big financial turnaround in his fortunes after experiencing a challenging phase in his childhood when his now 70+ year old Bala Mukundan Araiyar struggled to make both ends meet despite performing selfless Araiyar Kainkaryam at this Divya Desam carrying on the tradition from his appa Srinivasa Rangan.
Bala Mukundan Araiyar’s brother had a salaried appointment service with the HRCE but when he retired , Natha Muni Araiyar decided not to take to the HRCE rolls and was keen to perform this service as a hereditary tradition without salary. A couple of years back, he joined Multinational firm E&Y in the automation segment. The firm understanding and being sensitive to his Araiyar Kainkaryam has provided him with a flexible work from home model where he is able to both earn a livelihood to take care of his family as well as perform the daily Araiyar Service at this temple.
On this Saturday, Natha Muni Araiyar arrived at the Vanamamalai Mutt just past 3pm for the start of the Prabhandham Ghoshti. Veda Piran Bhattar Sudarshan, the descendant of Periyazhvaar presented the Veda Vinnappam. At this Divya Desam, it is the Araiyar who have the right of Prabhandham Thodakkam. Following the Deeparathanai for Periya Perumal and Periyazhvar, Natha Muni Araiyar began the presentation of the 30 verses of Thiruppavai. This was followed by the fifth canto of Namazhvar’s Tiruvoimozhi.
Legend has it that the Araiyar Sevai was first performed at the Nambi temple in Thirukurungudi and in recognition of that, Natha Muni Araiyar stood in front of Periya Perumal and presented the first verse of the fourth decad on Thiru Kurungudi before the Prabhandham members continued the recital.
Once again, on this fifth day of the utsavam when Periya Perumal and Periyazhvar made it to Vanamamalai Mutt, when it was time for the recital of the 7th decad in praise of the Lord of Nanguneri, Natha Muni Araiyar came out of the Ghoshti to stand in front of Periya Perumal to start the decad on Vanamamalai Perumal. As the members presented the sacred verses on Vanamamalai, Kesari was presented to the prabhandham members.
It was Vaishnavite Savant Natha Muni who helped recover the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham that had been lost to the world when he visited the Aravamudhan temple in Thiru Kudanthai. In recognition of that, the Araiyar started the ‘Aaravamuthey’ verse.
After a 90 minute Ghoshti, the clock had ticked to 5pm when the members presented the Satru Murai verses of the fifth canto of Tiruvoimozhi. It was then time for Periya Perumal and Periyazhvar to head back to the alankaram mandapam at the Andal temple where for well over an hour the team of Bhattars decorated Periya Perumal atop Garuda Vahana and Periyazhvar atop Anna Pakshi Vahana. By 7pm, a good sized crowd, most of them locals gathered in front of the alankaram mandapam for a first glimpse of Perumal and Periyazhvaar on this Garuda Sevai evening.
Periyazhvar descendant dons Maniyakarar role
A few years ago, Veda Piran Bhattar Sudarshan Bhattar also took on the HRCE post of Maniyakarar of the Rangamannar temple in addition to donning the role of the descendant of Periyazhvaar. It is his duty to ensure that the procession takes place on time and he was seen pushing the alankaram experts to complete the decoration so the procession could start.
துப்புடையாரை அடைவது எல்லாம்
சோர்விடத்து துணை ஆவர் என்றே
ஒப்பிளேன் ஆகிலும் நின் அடைந்தேன்
ஆணைக்கு நீ அருள் செய்தமையால்
எய்ப்பு என்னை வந்து நலியும் போது
அங்கு ஏதும் நான் உன்னை நினைக்க மாட்டேன்
அப்போதைக்கு இப்போதே சொல்லிவைத்தேன்
அரங்கத் தரவணைப் பள்ளியானே
Finally, a Smile in his life
Bala Mukundan Araiyar has been performing Araiyar service at this Divya Desam for well over 50 years. On this evening, he joined his son Natha Muni Araiyar for the Thodakkam of Thiruviruttam verses ahead of the procession. For a long time in his life, Bala Mukundan Araiyar had lived in a dilapidated house and was burdened with the financial challenges of educating his three children and also getting his two daughters married but with things turning around for his son with a stable job in a Multinational firm (he was previously the Manager in a Top 5 Bank in India), Bala Mukundan Araiyar sports a happy smile one that was missing in the first phase of his life when there was very little financial support for him.
It was almost 8pm when Periyazhvar atop the Anna Vahana made his way out of the Andal temple before the big door closed. Devotees lined up in good numbers outside the door for the Deeparathanai of Periya Perumal atop the Golden Garuda Vahana. Following the breaking of several coconuts, Periya Perumal made his out of the temple much to the delight of the devotees providing darshan, first around the four small streets and then around the big streets of Srivilliputhur.
Unmindful of the health challenges that he has been experiencing in recent times, Bala Mukundan Araiyar led the Prabhandham Ghoshti through the procession on this Saturday evening around the streets of Srivilliputhur.
Periyazhvar had made a significant contribution to the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham presenting over 10% of the verses. This evening was a celebration of his contribution to the devotional world with Periya Perumal providing Garuda Sevai to the residents of Srivilliputhur alongside Periyazhvar in the Anna Pakshi Vahana.
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