TherazhundhUr MahAthmyam : Part 7

From the Bhakti List Archives

• March 8, 1999


Dear BhakthAs :

In this and subsequent postings , we will enjoy 
the anubhavam of Kaliyan visualizing Amuruviappan 
as some of the dasaavathAra mUrthys .

Amuruviappan took the avathArAms as Mathsyam ,
Koormam , VarAham , Narasimham and Krishnan . 
Kaliyan was blessed to witness the dasAvatharams 
at Therazhundhur , when he performed the mangalAsAsanam 
of Amunruviappan . In addition to the dasAvathArams , 
Kaliyan also saw Amuruviappan as Vata Pathra Saayee , 
HayagrIvan and Gajendra Varadhan .Since Aamuruviappan 
presents Himself in Archai as GopAlan (Gosakan ) , Kaliyan
celebrated this avathAram in great eclat and detail .
Thus 10 of the 45 Kaliyan Paasurams about Amuruviappan 
is about KrishNAvathAram , three are about RaamAvathAram ,
three are on NarasimhAvathAram and one each on ParasurAma ,
VarAha and Vaamana avathArams. 

One is reminded of Swami Desikan's DasAvathAra 
sthOthram and Jaya DevA's salutation to the Lord
who presented Himself as DasAvathAra Murthy .
In the prathama Sargam of Geetha Govindham ,
Jaya DevA salutes KrishNA as DasAvathAra 
mUrthy through 16 slOkAs . The fifteenth and 
the sixteenth slOkAs summarize the DasAvathAram :

Sri Jayadeva kavEridham udhitham udhAram
sruNu sughadham Subhadham BhavasAram
Kesava dhrutha dasavidha rUpa Jaya JagadhIsa HarE (15)

(Meaning ): 

" Listen to the perfect invocation of poet JayadevA
  Joyously evoking the essence of existence !
  You take the ten fold cosmic form , KrishNa.
  Triumph, Hari , Lors of the World ".

VedhAnuddharathE JagannivahathE BhUgOLamudhbhibrathE
Dhaithyam dhArayathE Balim chalayathE Kshathrakshayam KurvathE
Poulasthyam jayathE Halam kalayathE kaaruNyam aathanvthE
mlEcchAn mUrchayathE DasAkruthikruthE KRISHNAAYA THUBHYAM NAMA:(16)

(Meaning) :

" For Upholding the VedAs , For supporting the Earth ,
  For raising the world ,   For tearing the demon asunder ,
  For cheating Bali ,       For destroying the warrior class ,
  For conquering RavaNA ,   For wielding the plough , 
  For spreading compassion ,For routing the barbarians ,
  Homage to You , KrishNA , In Your ten incarnate forms! 

We will enjoy the Lord's DasAvathArams as seen by the eye of 
Thirumangai at TherazhundhUr in our next posting .

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan