Thirukkanden!!!

Coming back to the original theme of this blog, alwars and Nayanmars have done a great deal for the Hindu religion to be what it is today. The rest we have contributed!! They in the process also accelerated the easy entry of vernaculars into the divine tongue. Tamil. Where sanskrit used to hold sway in the form of Vedas, Divya Prabhandham, Devaram, andhadhis and much more entered as popular hymns thus taking the religion and language to greater heights and lower stratas of the society.

One of my favorite "trinity" as I would attribute has been the mangalasasanams from Thirukoviloor, Ulagalandha Perumal Sannithi.

It was one rainy evening in the earlier eras of mankind. When religion was being celebrated and God literally deified.

Poigai alwar, Boothath alwar and Pei alwar were three of the twelve alwars of Vaishnava sampradayam. All three of them wanted to worship Ulagalandha Perumal in the Thirukoviloor district. Poigai alwar reached first and as it was late in the evening, the temple was closed. He was shown to a house where accomodations for the night was available. The landlord declared as the alwar entered "Oruvar Padukalam" meaning one person can lie down. The alwar promptly entered and fell asleep.

Boothathalwar who was a bit more late was shown to the only set of rooms. Now the land lord said "Iruvar Amaralam" which was "two could sit comfortably". Poigai alwar obliged and took the new guest into the room where they both sat down.

Now the last entrant was Pei alwar and now the diction was "Moovar Nirkalaam". Translate to "Three can stand comfortably". Both the alwars stood up and the third guest was accepted cheerfully. Now these were the days when Edison(I know there is a lot of opposition to this. But I use the accepted version) had not yet come along with his brilliant bulb. So they did not even have a lamp as it was anyways late night.

As the three of them were standing together, they suddenly got a nudging sensation of a fourth person trying to squeeze in among them.

You could have from the land lord's description gathered that the room was small enough for three. How could a fourth be possibly put up with!! And that too unknown.

But it was the late night. No door had been opened. How comes a stranger in their midst?

The alwars decide to find out by :

Poigai alwar :

"Vaiyam Thagaliya, Var kadale Neiyaga,
Vaiyakkathiron Vilakagachheya,
Sudaraazhiyaan Adikke soodinen sonn malai,
Edarazhi Neengugave endru!!"

"As the earth as the vessal, the sea to be the oil,
the Sun lord himself to be the guiding light,
I garland, the feet of The One who wields the shining discus, with words,
May the trouble be dispelled if there it be!!! "

But the light did not show clearly even though it revealed a fourth person amongst them.

Boothathalwar goes :

"Anbe thagaliya, Arvame neiyaga,
Inburu sinthai Idu thiriya,
Nanburugi, Gnanachudar villaketrinen, Naranarke,
Gnanath Thamizh purintha nan."

"As love the holding vessal, my sincerity as the very ghee that sustains the lamp,
As the happy mind the lead of the light,
Bowed down by affection do I light this lamp,
I who sing hyms of enlightenment. "

The Lord is revealed in all His shining glory. Resplendant with His conch and discus, The Thayar shining benovelantly from His chest,..

Pei Alwar :
"Thirukkanden, Thirumeni kanden,
Thigazhum Arukan ani niramum kanden,
Serikillarum Ponnazhi kanden,
Puri sangam kaikkanden
Enazhi vannan pal Indru" .

"I saw His persona, I saw His person too,
I saw the blue body of His,
I saw the brilliant shining Chakra(Aazhi),
and the sounding conch,
On my cloud coloured Lord".

The Lord stands in the happy company of His devotees. Be it night or day, where would be better company than of His devoted bhaktas? That too, those who sing His praises all day? Who would not like it if somebody with a pure heart sang their praises all day??

The Lord perceiving His devotees to be stranded due to the weather and the closed sanctum had without a moment's delay rushed to be with them.

What would more glory be than to praying to the Lotus feet of My Lord?

Amen. Good Lord. Amen.