Temple Priest Quarters Construction series: Thondardippodi AzhwAr's ThiruppaLLiyezhucchi Paasurams: Part XI / Sixth Paasuram

December 20, 2004

Dear BhakthAs :

Let us start today with the study of the Sixth ThiruppaLLiyezucchi

Paasuram , which takes this form :

Iraviyar maNi nedum tErOdum ivarO?

iRayavar pathinoru vidayarumivarO?

maruviya mayilana arumuhanivanO?

marutharum vasukkaLum vanthu vantheeNDi

puraviyODaadalum paadalum tERum

kumara dhaNdam puhuntheeNDiya veLLam

aruvaraiyanaiya ninn kOil munnivarO?

ArangatthammA ! paLLi yezhantharuLAyE

The translation of the Fifth Paasuram by

Dr. V.K.S.N. Raghavan Swamy is as follows :

Oh Lord of Srirangam ! the following gods have assembled

towards the gates of Your holy shrine resembling

a great mountain , to get the first and foremost ( merciful

and matchless) glances ; here are the twelve AdhithyAs

with their lofty chariots bedecked with jewels ; the eleven

RudrAs riding their bulls , who rule over th worlds ; the six-faced

Subrahmanya riding the peacock; the Maruths and the eight

Vasus ; they have all come along with their retinues , singinging

and dancing ; their horses and chariots also have come following

them . Oh Lord ! please wake up from Your slumber and bless

all of us .

Sri RanganAtha SuprabhAdham echos these thoughts of AzhwAr:

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IndhrAdhayas-suragaNA: Maruthasccha sarvE

VidhyAdharA munigaNA: bhuvi dEvamArgE

vyApthAs-samastha vibhudhA: Tava darsanArTam

Sri Ranga Pattana PathE ! Tava SuprabhAdham

(meaning ): Indhran and his deva gaNams , Maruths , VidhyAdharAs ,

the assembly of Munis (Muni gaNam) are found occupying every inch

of available space stretching from the eath to aakAsam . Oh KIng of

SrIrangam ! May this be an auspicious dawn to You !

The 14th and the 16th slOkams of SrI VenkatEsa SuprabhAtham also

describe beautifully the arrival of the Muni GaNams and Deva gaNams

for the Lord's darsanam in front of the garbha graham of Sriranganatha .

Who are these 12 AadhithyAs?

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Rg Vedam counts the number of AdityAs and say they are six

in number ( Rg. 2.27.1). TaittirIya BrahmaNam (1.1.91) states that

there are 8 AdityAs . Satapatha Brahmanam brings them upto

Twelve and links them to the solar months.These 12 are:

MithrA , VaruNa , Aryaman , Daksha , Bhaga , Amsa , Tvashtr ,

Savitr , Pushan , Sakra , Vivasvat and VishNu(Cosmic Law).

Among these 12 , Mithra and VaruNa compilmnet each other

and are often addressed together in Rg Vedam . Aryaman is chivalry and

He protects the freedom of the Roads. Bhaga is the inherited share.

The wise VaruNa known as the King Varuna is the justice giver .

The name VaruNa comes from the root "Vr" to cover or surround .

Daksha is the Master of ritual skills.

Amsa is the next Adityan , who stands for the share of gods.

The three other AdityAs are: Tvashtar (Craftsmanship ) , Pushan

( Nourisher/ Prosperity) and Vivasvat (Morality ) . Savitr is the Magic

power of utterance and is linked to the Gayatri Manthram (Rg.3.62.10) .

Sakra, the 11th Aditya is equated with courage and the final Aditya

is VishNu , "the all pervading light of knowledge , the cosmic law

pervading all the three worlds ". In Rg Veda, VishNu does not

get highlighted much ; in the BrahmaNAs , VishNu gains new attributes

and His stature grows. In PurANAs , VishNu attains His most

exalted state.

All these 12 AdityAs have arrived now at Srirangam with their

splendidly attired chariots.

Who are the 11 RudrAs at the court yard ?

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The eleven elemental forms of Rudran , the power of

destruction (SamhAram duties) are: (1) Pasupati (2) Isana (3) Bheema

(4) MahadEva (5) Ugra (6) Kaala (7) Rudra (8) Tath-Purusha

(9) AghOra (10) Vaama deva (11) SadhyOjAta .

There are other variations for the 11 names of RudrAs .

Maruths and 8 Vasus

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Maruths are the warrior class (KshatriyAs). Indhra is the head of

Maruths. Generally , Maruths are the senders of rain and ripeners

of fruit and Oushadhis (Rg Vedam 1.64 , I.85-88) .There are many

Rg Veda Manthrams dealing with Maruths.

Vasus ( spheres of existence) are representations as the powers of

different kinds of wealth. Asvins are twin divine centers of powers , whose

special function is " to perfect the nervous or vital being in man

(PrANamaya kOsam)".

These great subjects of Lord RanganAtha , the Aadhi Veda Purushan

are seen by the AzhwAr as waiting at His courtyard for His sEvai at the time

of dawn/day break .

In the next (7th ) Paasuram , we will meet additional

personages , who were waiting in that early morning hour

at the Lord's court yard .

SrI Godharanga ParabrahmaNE Nama:

ThoNDardippodi AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

SrivaNN Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

P.S : We have just 11 days to complete our Temple raffle to raise

the needed funds for the construction of the living quarters for

the priests of Sri RanganAtha at His Pomona , NY temple. Please support

this kaimkaryam during this sacred month of Maarghazhi and recieve the

blessings of ANDAL as well .Please contact me regarding your participation

and support .

We have four more ThiruppaLLiyezucchi Paasurams to cover . I will conclude

this series by DEcember 24 , 2004.

December 20, 2004

Dear BhakthAs :

Let us start today with the study of the Seventh ThiruppaLLiyezucchi

Paasuram , which takes this form :

AntharatthamararkaL kootangaL ivayO?

arumtava munivarum marutharumivaro?

Indhiranaanayum thAnum vanthivAnO ?

EmperumAn Unn kOilin vaasal

Sundarar nerukka vicchAdharar nookka

iyakkarum mayanginar thiruvadi thozuvAn

antharam paaridamillai maRRaRithuvO?

ArangatthammA ! paLLi yezhantharuLAyE

The translation of the Fifth Paasuram by

Dr. V.K.S.N. Raghavan Swamy is as follows :

Oh Lord of Srirangam ! Several important personages have

assembled here (at the entrance of Your holy shrine ) to pay

obeisance to Your pair of feet . They are many hosts of Gods from

the celestial region , many great sages of avowed austeriities ,

the Maruths , as well as God Indhra with the elephant ( AirAvata) .

Several Sundaraas (Gandharvaas) and VidhyAdharaas

have come and they stand pressing each other very closely .

The YakshAs have also turned up with earnest devotion .

There is no moving space left at the entrance of Your holy

shrine (Koil) both up in the sky and below on the earth.

Oh Lord ! Wake up please and bless them and adiyEn .

Special Notes:

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(1) In the previous paasuram , Thondardippodi referred to " Muppatthu

Moovar (amarar) " that took into account the 12 AdithyAs , 11 RudrAs ,

8 Vasus and SubramaNyan and Maruths ( 49 in individual count ) and

Aswin dEvAs (2) .

(2) This group always arrives at BhagavAn's sannidhi as per

Poygai AzhwAr's 52nd Paasuram of Mudhal ThiruvandhAthi :

YeNmar pathinoruvar yeeraRuvar ohrurivar

vaNNa malar yEnthi vaikalum- - - naNNi

orumalayAl paravi oovAthu , yeppOthum

ThirumAlaik-kaithozhuvar senRu

YeNmar here is ashta Vasus ; Pathinoruvar are EkAdasa RudrAs ;

YeerAruvar are the dhvAdasa AadhithyAs ; Ohruiruvar are the two

Awins. They have arrived with the celestial blossoms in their hands

at this early morning for Your worship.

(3) " Iyakkarum mayanginar" : In that huge assembly of gods and

demigods , there is an active jostling for the best position to have

the darsanam of Lord RanganAtha. In that hustle , some move forward

and others faint . The YakshAs faint as the GandharvAs and VidhyAdarAs

press forward .

(4) The arrival of IndhrA , deva gaNams , Maruths , VidhyAdharAs ,

Rishi GaNams assembled in front of Lord RanganAthA's sannidhi

are described in the 14th SlOkam of Sri RanganAtha SuprabhAtham:

IndhrAdhayas-suragaNA: maruthasccha sarvE

VidhyAdharA munigaNA bhuvi dEva maargE

vyApthas-samastha viBhudhaa: tava darsanArTam

Sri Ranga Pattana pathE ! Tava SuprabhAtham

(5) The presence of Dhik PaalakAs ( Indhran , Agni , Yaman ,

Nirrudhi , VaruNan , Vaayu , KubhEran and Haran ) standing

before the Lord on the SuprabhAtham occasion is described

in the 16th slOkam of Sri VenkatEsa SuprabhAtham:

SevAparA: Siva SurEsa krusAnudharma

rakshOmbhunATa pavamAna dhanAdhinATa:

BhaddhAnjali pravilasannija seersha dEsA:

Sri VenkatAchalapathE Tava SuprabhAtham

(6) "arumtava Munivarum " : the Saptha Rishis (Athri ,Vasishtar

et al) , The Yogi srEshtAs like Sananthanar have assembled

in front of Your garbha graham . Please awaken and bless them .

(7) " antharam paaridam illai " : as these noble souls have assembled

in front of Your courtyard , there is no moving space left for anyone to

enter , both up in the sky and below on the earth .

ThoNDaradippodi continues with the descriptions of the personages

assembled in the next two paasurams of His ThiruppaLLiyezucchi.

We will take up these two paasurams together in the next posting .

We should be blessed to be in such company during the SuprabhAtham

at Sri RanganAthan Sannidhi .