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Inputs for CD ROMs : Part VIII--> Thirumazhisai AzhwAr : Part III, Thirucchantha Viruttham

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Sadagopan • February 4, 2001 


Thirucchantha Viruttham of Thirumazhisai Azhwar 
***********************************************
The second prabhandham of Thirumazhisai is Thirucchantha-
Viruttham with 120 passurams.They are the most plesant to 
listen and are set in the brisk chantham style. It is most
auspicious and hence it has the prefix of "Thiru".It is
Viruttham or vrutthAntham , a description of AzhwAr's
deep Bhakthi for Sriman NaarAyaNan as the Supreme One.
We will follow the commentary of Sri UtthamUr Swamy ,
who first wrote his scholarly  commentary in 1955 and
a reprint of that was released in 1999 as a part of
the ongoing re-release of his out of print granthams.

Summary of Thriucchantha Viruttham
************************************
In this dhivya Prabhandham , AzhwAr refers to the Tatthva-
Hitha-PurushArthams in his first three paasurams.Next , 
AzhwAr salutes the Para, VyUha forms of the Lord and
acknowledges the Lord as the One responsible for 
tha samashti, Vyashti and Sarva Srishti ( Creation of
every kind as Jagath-KaaraNan) and says that it is not
easy for anyone to comprehend fully the SvabhAvam (true
nature) of the Lord , who is the antharyAmi of all ChEthanams 
and achEthanams. AzhwAr states that the anugraham of the Lord 
has made it possible for him to understand His svabhAvam.

After the salutation to the mysterious Tatthvams of 
the MaayAvi , which defy comprehension (Yaavar KaaNa VallarE?),
AzhwAr shifts to the enjoyment of the many avathArams of
the Lord as HayagrIvan , Hamsam, Koormam , Narasimhan , Vaamanan , 
Raaman and KrishNan.AzhwAr expresses his disappointment that
he could not enjoy them with his eyes now and comforts himself
with the thought that the Lord exhibiting His Soulabhyam
is offering now His sevai to him as ArchA Moorthys at the many
dhivya dEsams like ThiruvEnkatam , Srirangam , Thirukkudanthai 
and other  Thiruppathis. He wonders why the people do not 
resort to the worship the Lord , who is Sarva Sulabhan 
waiting to bless them in His most beautiful ArchA form.
AzhwAr performs next upadesam for the deluded souls(SamsAris)
and uses the references from vedam and PurANams to remind them
that Sriman NaarAyaNan is the Supreme One and in His ArchA form ,
He can bless the SamsAris with the Moksha siddhi , when they adopt 
Bhakthi or prapatthi as the means (upAyam)to get His attention. 

After performing Upadesam as a compassionate AchAryan , 
AzhwAr returns to his anubhavam of the Lord. AzhwAr assures
the Lord of his deep and firm attachment to His Thiruvadi
as the means for his ujjeevanam.He expresses his desire 
to perform Kaimkaryam to the Lord here and seeks uninterrupted
Kaimkaryam in Srivaikuntam , when his kaimkaryam here is 
interrupted. He examines the upAyam for such a blessing 
and recognizes that the destruction of the cycles of births
and deaths through MokshAnugrahm from the Lord  is the only 
sure upAyam to achieve his deep desire.

At this stage , he begins to conclude his Prabhandham and
seeks pardon from the Lord for deficencies in the celebration
of the Lord's anantha kalyANa guNams through his Prabhandham
( Paasurams 110, 111). From the 112 to 115th paasuram, AzhwAr
comforts his  mind that the Moksha Siddhi is very near to attain
and asks his mind not to be concerned about that boon anymore. 
He assures his mind that there will be no more suffering in samsAram
through repeated cycles of birth (na punar aavarthathE aspect
of Brahma Soothram).The 115th paasuram (Maanasa SambhOdhanam)
is a moving one:

atthanAhi annayAhi aaLum EmperumAnumAi
otthu ovvAtha pal-piRappu ozhitthu nammai AatkkoLvAn
MutthanAr MukundhanAr puhunthu namm uLL mEvinAr
yetthinAl idar kidatthi yEzhai nenjamE ?

(Meaning): Oh my poor mind worried about lack of upAyam
to attain Moksha Siddhi! The blemishless Lord (MutthanAr),
who is the granter of the boon of Moksham has made sure that 
the incongrous births full of suffering will not happen any
more and has decided to accept us as His servants. For that
purpose , He has entered into us as the Father ( gariyAn Brahmadha:
PithA )instructing us on the upAyam , as the compassionate 
Mother , who grows that Jn~Anam and  as AchAryan who delivers 
us at the feet of the Dhivya Dampathis. Froom here on , Oh My mind !
where is the reason for your worries about enjoying Saayujyam ? 

In the 117th paasuram, AzhwAr boldly announces that
the Omnipotent Lord is going to banish all his physical
illness , mental illness ,deaths and rebirths in this world , 
the body and its infirmiites and lift him upto His
Parama Padham for nithya Kaimkaryam.The naamam that 
AzhwAr chooses for the Lord in this Paasuram is Achyuthan
or the One , who will not falter(slip) in His effort to protect.

The last two paasurams ( 119 and 120) are joyous thanks 
to Sri RanganAthan for His anugrahm of Moksham . Azhwar 
states that in the 119th paasuram his aathma svaroopam 
admixed with dEham and Indhriyams and stuck in the mud of 
Paapams and PuNyams before has arisen now as a sparkling 
flame (Jyothi) over those limiting bonds and has attained 
the sacred feet of the Lord of Srirangam ( Ponni Soozh 
ArangamEya Poovai VaNNan) ,rooted itself there forever 
without any Jn~Ana SankOsam. 

The 120th paasuram is a great celebration over AzhwAr's
parama BhAgyam of attaining Moksha Siddhi due to the grace 
of Sri RanganAthan :

iyakku aRAtha palpiRappil yennai mARRi inRu Vanthu 
uyakkoLL Megam VaNNan naNNi yenn nilAyathannuLE
mayakkinAn tann mannu sOthi aathalAl yenn aavi thAnn
iyakku yellAm aRutthu aRAtha inbha Veedu peRRathE 

(Meaning): The Lord of Srirangam known for His play
to redeem jeevans had given me earlier repeated births
in varying bodies and now has charmed me with aj~nAtha
Sukrutham and has entered into my HrudhayAkAsam (Daharam
PuNdarIkam vEsama ). Through this blenovolent act , He
has torn to their roots and cast away all the karma vyAdhis 
that plagued my AathmA and has granted me the ParamAnugraham
of the delectable (aanandha maya) Moksham (Veedu).From here on
the ishta prApthi of nithya kaimkaryam and anishta nivrutthi
( freedom from punar aavrutthi) are guranteed to me. Blessed
indeed am I !

UtthamUr Swamy sums up the greatness of Thirumazhisai 
with a special slOkam :

anargha Bhakthi-bhAvitha Sruthi Smruthi prakrushta Dhee-
mahishta BHAKTHISAARA SOORI sookthaya: sudurgrahA: 

Indeed , the Dhivya Sookthis of Thirumazhisai Known for
his blemishless Bhakthi are incomparable in (1) rejection
of the false doctrines (2) establishing Sriman NaarAyaNan
as the Para Devathai  and (3) interpreting Tatthva-Hitha-
PurushArthams leading to Moksham in the most lucid manner.

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan   
          



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           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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