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Sri RanganAthan & AzhwAr's mangaLAsAsanams: Part 15

I will start this posting with the divya sUkthis of Thirumazhisai AzhwAr . He is the author of the two Prabhandhams: Thirucchandha Viruttham and Naanmukan ThiruvandhAthi. Latter is written in the AndhAthi style of the Mudal AzhwArs and asserts the supermacy of Sriman NaarAyaNA . The former prabhandham is more metaphysical one , which enunciates that Sriman NaarAyaNA alone can be the path, the Goal and the means for Moksham . We will start with Naanmukan ThiruvandhAthi , the first prabhandham of the AzhwAr .

Naanmukan ThiruvandhAthi Paasurams
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There are four Paasurams on Sri RanganAthA among the 96 paasurams of this Prabhandham . The 60th paasuram is a beautiful one for us to reflect on :

aaLL paarthu uzhi taruvAi kandu koLL yenrum ninn
tALL paartthu uzhi taruvEn tanmayai --kEtpArkku
aru poruLAi Ninra AranganE unnai
virumpuvathE viLLEn manam

( Meaning and Comments ) : This paasuram is about the mutual love (paraspara AkAnkshai) for union between the Lord and His bhakthan . The AzhwAr addresses the Lord as AranganE ( Ranga pura VihAranE ) and explains His nature as the One , who roams around always searching to see who is going to become the Object of His DayA . The AzhwAr continues to let us know that the Lord of Rangam resting under the VimAnam with the four Veda Kalasams as " kEtpArkku aru poruLAi yenrum ninra Arangan " . He is the Lord , who is the inner and precious meaning of the VedAs for those who recite and study the Sruthis and other PramANams with reverence and longing instead of varattu patippu .

While the Lord's status is that of the matchless DayA SvarUpan as well as the supreme principle saluted by the VedAs , AzhwAr describes his own status and his special relationship to this Parama KaaruNeekan . He states :" ninn tALL paartthu yenrum uzhi taruvEn tanmayai kaNdu koLL" . He reminds the Lord to remember him as the one , who seeks the sacred feet of the Lord of Srirangam as his chosen lot . He invites the Lord to acknowledge his servitude and his search for Him . He concludes this paasuram with a declaration of his MahA visvAsam : "(yenn) manam unnai virumpuvathE viLLEn ". He declares that I will not let my mind slip from the goal of having You as the prApyam ( the target and the sought after goal ).

AzhwAr describes the eternal quest of the Lord to search for the one , who does not stray by subjugating himself to either the worship of fellow human beings or demi Gods for his or her material well being, but instead seeks Him . AzhwAr describes his own quest for the shade of
the sacred feet of the Lord after deliberately abandoning al the worldly pleasures , nara sthuthis and dEvathAnthara upAsanAs. Therefore, the AzhwAr reminds the Lord that they together are Paraspara AakAnkshIs (the pair that is mutually seeking/attracting each other).

AzjwAr goes on to state that it is futile to hear about and comprehend the nature of the Lord thru the means of Sruthi , Smruthi, IthihAsam and PurANams . Vedam itself declares:" naayam AthmA pravachanEna labhya: " . One can not hope to acquire Him thru SravaNa -Manana dhyAnams performed without deep love for Him . These have to take the Preethi rUpam for success. Those kEtpArgaL will understand Him as the Aru PoruL of Sruthis and Saasthrams . They alone unite with Him .Oh Lord ! At Srirangam ,Your dance stage , You assume many roles and perform there Your leelAs . All those leelAs of Yours are elaborations of Your arum PoruL . I seek Your sacred feet because of my intense desire for You and not for anything else . I will not leave that search
until You find me ! Such is the power of the relationship of this AzhwAr with His Lord .

Thirucchandha Viruttha Paasuram of Thirumazhisai
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In this prabhandham , AzhwAr salutes the paratthvam of Sriman NaarAyaNA in the upanishadic tradition . The highest peaks of Upanishadic insights are scaled by the AzhwAr in this Prabhandham , while recognizing the Lord for His well known soulabhyam as ArchA MUrthy at Srirangam ( SubhAsrayam- auspicious object of attainment ) . Ten out of the 120 paasurams of this Prabhandham are direct MangaLAsAsanams of the Lord of Srirangam, the DasAvathAran . Most of the paasurams of this Prabhandham are elaborations of the mystical relationship between the Sarva Seshi and the Seshan . In the 119th paasuram , he addresses the Lord of Srirangam with great affection and asks Him to listen to his description of a fact : " Ponni soozh ArangamEya poovai VaNNa mAya kELL ( O Lord of Srirangam surrounded by the cool waters of KaavEri river ! Oh Lord of MahA Lakshmi , the Lotus Lady ! Oh MaayAvi ! Please listen to this wonder ) . My soul has risen above the powerful vinais and has reached Your lotus feet and rests there joyously . What a sight he exclaims .

About this MaayAvi and His chEshtithams , Thirumazhisai states elsewhere : " Oh Transcendent of Transcendents ! Having the ocean as bed and enjoying the Supreme Lady residing in Thy chest , Thou loving wert born of many human wombs . Lord of the nature of knowledge ! none can know Thy greatness as this (as MaayAvi )" . The paasuram words etched in the state of wonderment are: " Oruttharum ninAthu tanmai inna thenna vallarE " . In the 91st and 92nd paasurams , the AzhwAr explains that this immense magician alone can and must help man . Granting that the integral anubhavam of the Lord as Brahman as well as soulabhyan in ArchA form as a paripUrNa sacchidhAnandha SvarUpi IS the highest experience of mystical religion , the Azhwar concludes in the 108th paasuam of Thirucchanda Viruttham : " Should not the minds of human beings seek out that incomparable bliss of being united to Thee and Thee alone ? " . He sums up by declaring that to be united with Sriman NarAyaNA in all conditions and in all births is the most profound and worth while experience open to the humans .

Thirumazhisai thozhutha Sri RanganAthAya NamO nama:
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

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