||    Thirumazhisai AzhwAr Thirunakshathram: Thai Maham    ||

Today is Thai Maham . Thirumazhisai AzhwAr was born on this day. He sanctified Poora Nakshthram of Thai month just as ANDAL made Aadi Pooram a day of greatness thru her avathAram .

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr is also known as BhakthisArar or a person known for representing the quintessence of Bhakthi to Sriman NaarAyaNa .

He is one of the toughest AzhwArs in the sense that he can be combative and uncompromizing . He will challenge Lord Siva , the King of Kanchi and the Vedic Scholars , if they questioned about the Parathvam of Sriman NaarAyaNA . His prapatthi to our Lord and his mahA viswasam has few parallels .

He can also be called a Research Scholar. He studied & rejected different philosophical systems and religions based on them such as Buddhism , NyAyA , VaisEshikA , SaamkhyA , paatanjala and KaapAlikA. Finally , he became an accomplished Siddhar worshipping Lord SivA . Pey AzhwAr intervened and helped BhakthisArA accept Sri VaishNavism and the supermacy of Sriman NaarAyaNA . Once he was won over in the debate that established the supermacy of ( parathvam of ) Sriman NaarAyaNA , he rejected all the other mathams as Saara Heenam ( devoid of substance ) and became a Parama VaishNavA . He became the leading exponent of Sri VaishnNavite theosophy . He is the first AzhwAr to refer to PaancharAthra Aagamam and VyuhA principles embedded in there .

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr is considered as an "integral seer" in whom all the search for knowledge got transformed into the essence of devotion (bhakthi Saaram) that led to the divine vision at the end and a clear understanding of the Bhagavadh SvarUpa VisEsham . He combined in his vision of Sriman NaarAyaNA the parajn~Ana ( transcendental knowledge ) that Poygai stood for , para bhakthi ( transcendental devotion ) that BhothatthAzhwar represented and the parama bhakthi ( supreme devotion ) that his AchAryA , Pey was noted for . He proved with conviction and authority that Sriman NaarAyaNA is the unalterable truth behind " the primal and ultimate causality of all the Worlds " . In both his prabhandhams , Naanmukan ThiruvantdAthi (NT ) and Thirucchandaviruttham ( TCV ) , he emphasized that Sriman NaarAyaNA as the one and only ultimate cause and that ALONE is the path ( panthA ) , the goal (upEyam) and the means ( upAyam ) for Moksham .

Naanmukan ThiruvandhAthi
*************************

This Prabhandham is the first of the two compositions of Thirumazhisai. It establishes unambiguosly the supremacy ( parathvam ) of Sriman NaarAyaNA . There are 96 paasurams in NT . It follows the andhAthi style of the mudal AzhwArs . The first ten paasurams deal with the Parathvam of our Lord . Then come paasurams that establish what is parama hitham (viz)., the seeking of the saraNyan's lotus feet as the sole refuge to gain moksha siddhi . Using very assertive and unambiguous language , he instructs us about the way for our sure salvation . These paasurams are followed by salutations to VibhavAvathArams such as NarasimhA , RaamA , KrishNA and lead to moving paasurams on ArchA mUrhtys of divya desams like ThiruvEnkatam , Srirangam , Thirukkudanthai , ThiruvehhA , ThiruveLLUr , ThiruppEr , Anbil and ThiruvallikkENi . His dozen paasurams on SrinivAsan (Thiruviruntha Maarban) of Vada Venkatam are beautiful to reflect upon. In one of those paasurams , he plays the game of kUdal ( paasuram 39 of NT) and showed the way for ANDAL to play that game in NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi (NTM ) later . In this paasuram , he longs for his darsanam of ThiruvEnkatamudayAn and checks on the insight provided by the Kudal game . In this game , one takes a handful of sOzhi and sorts them by pairs . If one ends up with a pair , the wish will come true. If one is left with one sOzhi at the end of pairing the bunch , then one's desire
will not be fulfilled . AzhwAr says that he is looking for divine indications giving the hint of good news regarding the longed-for visit to THiruvEnkatam to have the darsanam of his Lord , SrinivAsan . At the end of the twelve Paasurams on ThiruvenkatatthAn , Azhwar celebrates the dvAdasa nAmAs of the Lord ( Upavyuha mUrhtys ) . There is a compelling logic to the flow of his bhakthi outpourings .

The twentieth verse of NT is a moving paasuram, where the AzhwAr celebrates the SarvAntharyAmithvam of Sriman NaarAyaNA in the spirit of VedAs and Upanishads. Such a celebration based on Vedic truths is not surprising , since AzhwAr is also a great Vedic scholar . In the twentieth verse he celebrates Sriman NaarAyaNA as the inner power of all chEthams , achEthanams , Brahma dEvan and his son SivA ,Agni , Suryan , Chandran and every entity in Your creation :

neeyE ulahellAm ninnaruLE niRpanavum
neeyE tavatthEva dEvanum --neeyE
yerisudarum maalvarayum yeNNdisayum aNdatthu
irusudarum aaya ivai

( ulahu = achEthanam ; niRpana = chEthanams ; tavatthEvan = the one who performs tapas , MahEsvaran ; dEvan= Brhama dEvan ; yeri sudar = burning Agni; maal varai = eighth towering kula parvathams ; yeNNdisai= eight directions ; andatthu irusudar= the Sun and the Moon shining in the AkAsam ; aaya ivai neeyE = You are the One in all these forms ). "sa Brhama: sEndra: sOkshara: parama svarAt" and the other Veda Manthrams cited below are the base for his paasuram :

1. God ( Sriman NaarAyaNA ) alone is one , though known as Agni , king VaruNA MitrA , Aryaman and amsA ( TvamagnE RaajA VaruNO ---Rig Vedam II.1.4)

2. God ( Sriman NaarAyaNA ) is also known as Agni , Rudra, Maha:, PushaN ( TvamgnE RudRo --Rig Vedam II.1. 6)

3. God is Agni , DravinOdA ( wealth giver ) , DevA , savithA , RathnadhA ( the treasurehous of gems ) . BhagA ( the effulgent ) , and BNrupathi ( the king of Men ) / Rig Vedam II.1.7

4. He alone is Agni ( yerisudar ) , the same He is Aditya , and Moon (andatthu Irusudar of Thirumazhisai) and He is the same one known as Vaayu . (Indram Mithram ( Yajur Vedam XXXII.1)

5. He is the one , though seers call Him with various names such as IndrA , MithRa , VaruNA , Agni , DivyA , SuparNA , GaruthmAn , Yama and Matarisvan ( -- Yekam sadh viprA: bahudhA vadanthi --Rig Vedam I.164.46)

6. He creates the Universe ( DhyAvA Prithvee ) and the Universe assumes His form ( Rig Vedam X. 110.9)

7. He weaves the entire Universe through His divine thread (tantu ) of Unified Law ( Atharva Vedam : XIII.1.6)

8. The entire Universe is sustained by the great principle ( mahi praNithi ) and protected by undecaying devices of protection ( uthi ) / Rig Vedam : VI.45.3-- maheerasya praNeethaya: pUrvOrutha prasasthaya: , naasya Ksheeyantha uthaya:

9. The entire Skhambha SookthA of Atharva Vedam ( X.7.35 onwards ) salutes the cosmic creation by the Lord and His divine laws that sustain it in a marvelous manner .

Thirumazhisai in His Naanmukhan ThiruvandhAthi celebrates Sriman NaarAyaNA as the " final reality " , the Ucchishta Brahmam and sarva sEshi . He is the only existing reality at the time of MahA PraLayam and sustains everything in his stomach and releases them again for another cycle of YugAs for His sport . He is the sustainer of the entire creation consisting of name and form ( UchcishtE naama rUpam chOcchishtE loka aahitha: ucchishtE dhyAvaa prithvee visvam bhUtham samAhitham , aapa: samudhra: ucchishtE chnadramA vAtha aahitha: -- Atharva Vedam XI.7.1&2 )

In the 26 th paasuram , he reminds Sriman NaarAyanan that Lord SivA is the witness for his vow that he will not worship anyone other than Sriman NaarAyaNan . This is a beautiful paasuram , where he begs the Lord to bless him to have avyapachAra bhakthi to Him alone . The second half of this paasuram is very reminiscent of the declaration of ANDAL yerraikkum yEzhEzh piravikkum --- and maRRai nam kaamangaL maaRRElOrempAvAi ) :

yeRRaikkum kandukoL kandAi kadal vaNNA
yaanunnai kandukoLkiRkumARu

yAnn = myself with no other desire or anticipation of any other fruits, yeRRaikkum = for all times to come , unnai kandu koLkiRkkum AaRu kandu koLL = please bless me the means to be with You alone
and worship You alone .

In the thirtieth verse , AzhwAr emphasizes his mahA viswAsam in the Lord"s Rakshakathvam( apadh Bhaandhavan and anAtha rakshakan ) :

avan Yennai AaLi arangattharangil
AVAN YENNAI YEYTHAMAR KAAPAAN --avan yennathu
uLLatthu ninRAn IrundhAn kidakkumE
veLLattharavaNain mEl

avan= the Lord I described below (in the earlier paasurams) Yennai AaLi = He is my ruling Sarva SvAmi arangam tarangil yennai yeythAmal AVAN KAAPAAN = He will not dispatch me to the sharp end of the spear feared as SamsAram . He will save me from this terror and suffering. He is sititng , standing and resting in my mind . I doubt now very much that he will revert to His old bed of Adhi Seshan at His home in the milky ocean after enjoying the comfort of residence in my mind.

In his fourth paasuram , Thirumazhisai had saluted Sriman NaarAyaNA as Sarva Vaachaka sabdhan . He points out that there is no match for him in this attribute :

--- vERoruvar illAmai ninRaanai yemmAnai
yepporutkkum sollAnai SonnEn tohutthu

vEroruvar illaamai ninRAnai = One who stood in all yugAs and KalpAs as the matchless one ( tannoppArilappan )

YemmAnai = of my Lord

yepporutkkum sollAnai = as the object of connotation of every word and being the subject of all predicates ( sarva vAchaka Sabdhanai , Sriman NaarAyaNanai )

SonnEn Thohutthu = I described in a cohesive manner .

He talks about the relationship that he has with the Lord in a most moving way in paasuram 7 , which reminds us of ANDAL's declaration "KuRaivonrumillA GovindhA , UnRannOdravEl namakkingkozhikkavozhiyAthu":

inRAha nALayEyAha inicchirithu
ninRAha ninnaruL yenpAlathE --nanRaaha
naanunaai anRiyilEn kaNdAi NaaraNanE
neeyennaiyanriyilai

(Meaning): Oh NaaRayaNA ! I may become the object of Your krupA today or it may happen tomorrow or it may happen even after that passage of time. It does not matter. I know that Your special Krupai belongs to me . I do not exist without You and neither do You exist without me. " Unnai anri naan ilEn; yennai inri nee ilai " . What a powerful and penetrating statement on the relationship that he had with Sriman NaarAyaNA !

He celebrates the precious Lord and explains to us His supreme status in the 13th paasuram of NT :

--- -------------------------------------veedAkkum
meypoRuL thaan vEda mudaRporuL thaan viNNavarkku
naRporul thaan NaarAyaNan

AzhwAr asks us to pay attention and describes to us who this Sriman NaarAyaNan is ! He qualifies his Lord in three ways: (1) veedAkkum meyporuL = the siddha purushan , who grants us Moksham (2) vEdam mudalp poruL = the one who is understood by the VEdAs ( vEda vEda vEdhyan ) and eulogized by them as Sarva vAchaka Sabdhan (3) viNNavarkku naRpporuL= the parama prApya svarUpan for the dEvAs , mukthAs and the nithya sUris .

The seventeenth paasuram is another beautiful one that describes the parathvam of Sriman NaarAyaNan . Here , he describes the relationship between DakshinAmUrthy ( Lord SivA sitting under the pupil tree and explaining sakala--sAsthrArthams with His silence to the four rishis , Dakshar , Agasthyar , Pulasthyar and MaarkanDeyar ) and Sriman NaarAyaNan .

The picture of " DaakshiNya RamyA Girisasya Murthy " ( DakshiNamUrthy Sivan ) sitting under the shadow of a pupil tree in a previous yugam and instructing the four Rishis is a beautiful one . AzhwAr describes as to what that silent instruction on dharma maargam (aRa neRi) was all about . AzhwAr states that Lord DakshiNAmUrthy made the rishis aware of the method of His worship of Sriman NaarAyaNan as Trivikraman ( gyAlam aLanthAnai ) , KsheerAbdhi Saayee ( Aazhi kidanthAnai ) and as Vatapathra Saayee ( Aal mEl vaLarndhAnai ) . AzhwAr points out that Lord DakshiNAmUrthy performed upadEsam on the way in which he worshipped His Lord , Sriman NaarAyaNan (thAnn vaNangum aaRu uraitthAn):

Aala nizhark keezh aRa neRiyai naalvarkku
mElai yuhatthu uraitthAn meytavatthOn--gyAlam
aLanthAnai Aazhik kidanthAnai Aal mEl
vaLarnthAnait thAn vaNangum AaRu

In his 19th paasuram , the AzhwAr asks in wonderment , " O Lord with the Sudarsana Chakram in Your Hand ! Aren't You the One who protects us with joy for performing SaraNAgathi unto You ! Are N't You the One , who blesses every JeevarAsi with the boon of residence in Sri Vaikuntam
when they seek the shelter of Your sacred feet ?

-- AazhiyAi --uvanthE Yemmaik kAppAi nee , kaapathanai AavAi nee
Vaikuntham YeepAyum yevvuyirkkum nee anRO ?

In the thirty second paasuram , the AzhwAr connects the RaamAyaNa , Bhaaratha IthihAsams and Saadhvika PurANams such as Bhaagavatham to the Lord wiht the statement "kathaip poruL thAnn KaNNan ThiruvayiRRnuLLE". AzhwAr reveals to us that all " the Kathais " and their meanings and the the universes that get created , protected and destroyed in every yugam are inside the Vatapathra Saayee's tiny stomach . We had some discussion recently about the fact or fiction aspects of IhtihAsams and PurANams . For our AzhwAr , these questions do not arise . He suggests that these are real as the Lord Himself , since He holds them in His stomach during the mahA praLayam and denying them will be tantamount to denying Him .

AzhwAr's comparison of himself as being more fortunate than Sriman NarAyaNA Himself is contained in Paasuram 51:

yenakkArAvar oruvarE EmperumAn
tanakkAvan thAnE marallAl --punakkAya
VaNNanE ! unnaip piRaRiyAr yenn mathikku
ViNNellAm UndO Vilai ?

( Meaning ) : For me, who has no interest in the fruit of my karmAs , there is only One , which is everything . VaasudEva: sarvam ) . That is Sriman NaarAyaNan , who has no equal . Those who are focused on fruits of their karmAs would not understand Your mahimai as Visvapathi and AathmEsvaran ( pathim VisvasyAthmEsvaram) . For my mind , which has gone after You and got affixed on Your Lotus feet , there is no price that matches its value ; yes , not even the value of the objects of Svargam will become equal to it .

He describes the pitiable state of the men and women , who do not understand the mahimai of our compassionate Lord in his 52nd paasuram :

" Evil ones become slaves for money ; collecting sins through receiving gifts and and experience those sins . They walk as human sacrificial animals in exchange for (another's) head . Such ignorant ones not engaging in the salutation to the Lord ( VenkaTan-0ne who destroys sins) will multiply their sins ( katams ). They eat the sins as fruits and sink in the soft sand of ajn~Anam " .

Being a Parama KaaruNika Azchaaryan , Thirumazhisai does not stop with his condemnation of the ones , who have strayed , but he points them out the way to attain salvation through his upadEsam contained in Verse eleven :

" Let thy mouth praise , let thy eyes adore , let thy ears hear nAma sankeerthanam about Him . Do thou offer fragrant and fresh flowers after prostrating to Him in reverence and let thy hands be united in anjali mudrA to Him and let thy ever-wavering mind stay fixed on the Lord wearing the fragrant Tulasi garland and high crown , who is attached to me from the beginningless time " .

In the 61st verse , he repeats this upadEsam and assures the doubters that no anguish will cross the mental threshold of one , who accepts Lord MadhusUdhanA as sole refuge , for Madhusudana-NaarAyaNan is man's wealth of every kind .

In the 56th verse , he points out the greatness (saulabhyam and souseelyam ) of Sriman NaarAyaNA : " avar ivar yenrillai anangavEL ThAthikku yevarum yethirillai kandeer ! " . Here the AzhwAr states that for the Lord , there is no vaishmyam that this one is little and the other one is big . He is sarva sulabhan for His BhakthAs . Those , who resist Him and engage in enimity perish like fire fly in the fire and they do not last out . Because of these unique attributes , there is none , who can match Him in KalyAna guNAs .

The AzhwAr tells us that he practises , what he " preaches " and explains to us as to how he spends his time in paasuram 63:

unnai teritthu yezhuthi vAsitthum kEttum vaNangi
vazhipattum poositthum pOkkinEn pOthu

(Meaning): I spend my time on Your earth to comprehend correctly Your svarUpa VisEsham , anantha KalyANa guNams, writing about them , listening to others speaking about them , performing aarAdhanam and kaimkaryams to You . I have made devotion to You my sole vocation .

AzhwAr confesses how blessed he has been to sing about Sriman NaarAyaNA and perform nAma japam in the 69th verse :

sevikku inbamAvathuvum SenkaNNmAl nAmam
bhuvikkim bhuviyathuvE kandeer -- kavikku
niRaiporuLAi ninRAnai nErpattEn , paarkkil
maRaip poruLm atthanyE

(Meaning): What is amrutham for the ear are the Lord's names . For the denizens of this earth , it is also their protection ( Taaraka pOshaka nAmam ) . I have been blessed to use as lakshyam for my paasurams such a Lord , who is the supreme Brahamam ., On deep reflection I comprehend Him as the hidden and profound meaning of the ancient vEdAs , which sing about His svarUpa rUpa guNa vibhavams .

After making Sriman NaarAyaNan the subject of his paasurams , AzhwAr states categorically that he will never ever sing about any human being ( Naakkondu maanidam paadEn ) and his poetry will be only on Sri VaikuntanAthan ( Vaikunthac chelvanAr sEvadi mEl paatu ) .

In the next ( 76th ) paasuram , AzhwAr reveals that the paasurams of mudal AzhwArs ( Paattum ) , the paancharAthra- vaikAnasa aagamAs (murayum ) the IthihAsa purANAs ( padu kathayum ) , the meanings of vEdAs ( sruthi maRai naankum ) , Manu smrithis (kEtta Manuvum ) , the samashti tEjas ( eettiya theeyum ) , the broad sky ( iru visumbum ) and every thing is a direct product of the Lord's mysterious and wonderous power .

In the 81st paasuram he thanks the Lord for his anugraham that resulted in the birth of his Tamil prabhandhams this way :

vidhai aaha naRRamizhai vitthi yenn uLLatthai nee viLaitthAi
kaRRa mozhiyAhak kalanthu

( meaning ) : You made my heart the field for the cultivation of the Bhakthi crop by planting the seed of glorious Tamizh mozhi and making what I had learned about Your kalyANa guNams as the kernel inside those seeds and entered my mind and produced this rich crop . ( He refers to the importance of the mind since it is the sole factor in people sinking in samsAram or getting out of it and gaining mOksham -- mana yEva manushyANAm kAraNam bhandha MokshayO : " ) .

AzhwAr talks further to his mind and tells it that the shADguNya ParipUrNa prabhu , the SaraNyan , ever exists in the mind of those , who meditate on Him wiht devotion . He becomes visible to these ardent devotees and asks his mind to reflect on it ( uLLuvAr uLLatthu uLan kanDAi -- tannappan thAnAi uLan ) .

In the 88th paasuram , AzhwAr celebrates such blessed souls , who are able to experience the Lord through their dhyAna samAdhi . He states that those lives are well-lived lives ( seyal theerac chintthitthu vAzhvArE vAzhvAr ) .

In the 89th paasuram , AzhwAr salutes such blessed bhagavathOtthamAs and states aasrayaNam of them will immerse one in brahmAnandham and let them even reject parama padham .

As for himself , he declares that he has never forgotten the Lord (dhruva smruthi) starting from his time of conception as a pindam and the Lord's protection of him . He adds : " Ninrum irundhum yenrum maRanthu aRiyEN " . Whether he was standing , sititing , he never forgot about the Lord as his protector

In the final ( 96th ) paasuram , AzhwAr sums up what he has learnt from his deliberations and research and what he has etched in his mind:

ini aRinthEn Isarkkum Naanmuharkkum Dhaivam
ini aRinthEn EmperumAn Unnai --ini aRinthEn
KaaraNan nee kaRRavai nee naRkkirisai
NAARANAN NEE nankaRinthEn naan

( Meaning ) : My sarva Swami ! YajamAnA ! PrabhO ! VibhO ! I have now understood You as the Lord of BrahmA and SivA . I have comprehended You as the kaaraNam for their activities . Whatever I have learned sofar is only YOU . Whatever I am going to learn from now on is going to be YOU. O Lord of auspicious actions ! O NaarAyaNA ! All of this , I have comprehended fully .

AzhwAr , who was born on Thai Maham proved the Parathvam of Sriman NaarAyaNA and declared in the words of Swami Desikan: " dhaivam maRRilllai yena uraitthA vEdac Chezum porUL Naanmuhan thoNNRaaRRUp paattu " . This conclusion was arrived at by " Mazhisaip pirAn " through a rigorous examination of many religions & Gods ( samayangaL pala terinthu MayOnallAL dhaivam maRRIllai yena uraitthAn ) and rejecting all of them in favor of the only Dhaivam , Sriman NaarAyaNan, the Aadhi dhaivam and sarva KaaraNa bhUthan .

Mazhisaip PirAn thiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan


 

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