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Indhiralokam in Thirumaalai

From the Bhakti List Archives

M Srinivasan • March 29, 1996 


Sri Parthasarathi Dillepan wrote:

> Badri's observation is absolutely correct, but
> the example is not right.  Thondaradipodi aazhvaar
> rejects just "indhiralOkam" here, but thirumangai
>"rejects" mOksham in favor of the earthly archaa
> moorthees.  Others, as Badri points out, including
>Swami Sri dhEsikar, have done this.  This is just
>a matter relative perception, and also a matter of
>dhayai towards us who are unable to see beyond
>the current realm.

Sri Periyavaachchaan Pillai, in his commentary on Thirumaalai,
says that by "indhiralokam" the Aazhvaar means "Paramapadam".

That the actual world of Indra would be of no interest to the
Aazhvaar (as opposed to the real purushaarthaa of kainkarya)
is obvious. Therefore when the Aazhvaar says that he
does not want even the indhiralokam, here he must mean that 
he prefers to serve the Lord of Arangam than even the enjoyment of
Paramapadam.If we accept the commentary, there is no difference 
between the two Aazhvaars in this regard.

Dasan Srinivasan