upadhEsa raththina mAlai – Simple Explanation – pAsurams 16 to 18

SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

upadhEsa raththina mAlai

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pAsuram 16

Sixteenth pAsuram. Starting with this pAsuram, over the next five pAsurams mAmunigaL reveals the eminence of periyAzhwAr who is greater than the other AzhwArs.

inRaip perumai aRindhilaiyO Ezhai nenjE
inRaikku en ERRam enil uraikkEn – nanRi punai
pallANdu pAdiya nam battar pirAn vandhu udhiththa
nal Aniyil sOdhi nAL

Oh my heart which is fond of the divine stars of other AzhwArs! Do you know the greatness of this swAthi nakshathram in the month of Ani? Listen to me. This is the day when bhattar pirAN (periyAzhwAr) who revealed thiruppallANdu which has within it, the eminent meaning of mangaLASAsanam (wishing emperumAn well) incarnated. Hence this is a great day.

pAsuram 17

Seventeenth pAsuram. He tells his heart that there is none who could match those wise people who will melt on hearing the words Ani swAthi, the day when periyAzhwAr incarnated.

mAnilaththil mun nam periyAzhwAr vandhu udhiththa
Ani thannil sOdhi enRAl Adharikkum – gyAniyarkku
oppOr illai ivvulagu thannil enRu nenjE
eppOdhum sindhiththiru

Oh heart! Always keep thinking that there is no one who is a match for the great people whose hearts would melt on hearing that today is swAthi day in the month of Ani, the day when periyAzhwAr incarnated in this expansive world, long years back.

pAsuram 18

Eighteenth pAsuram. mAmunigaL mercifully states that due to the huge difference between this AzhwAr and the other AzhwArs in carrying out mangaLASAsanam to emperumAn, he came to be known by the divine name of periyAzhwAr (great AzhwAr)

mangaLAsAnaththil maRRuLLa AzhwArgaL
thangaL Arvaththu aLavu thAn anRi – pongum
parivAlE villipuththUr battar pirAn peRRAn
periyAzhwAr ennum peyar

Since he had more eagerness than the other AzhwArs in carrying out mangaLASAsanam to emperumAn, and since he had overflowing affection towards emperumAn, SrI vishNuchiththar, who incarnated in SrIvillipuththUr, got the title periyAzhwAr and was widely called by that name. mangaLASAsanam is an act of wishing well for others. It is normal for elders to carry out mangaLASAsanam to youngsters. A question which arises here is: is it proper for youngsters to carry out mangaLASAsanam to elders? piLLai lOkAchAryar, one of our preceptors, has clearly explained this issue in his work SrIvachana bhUshaNam. emperumAn is greater than everyone else. AthmA is an infinitesimal entity. Thus, he raises a query as to whether it is correct for AthmAs to perform mangaLASAsanam to emperumAn and answers it by saying “Carrying out mangaLASAsanam is aligned to our basic nature”. When looked from the perspective of wisdom, emperumAn is greater. However, when looked from the perspective of affection, being fearful of what ill will befall emperumAn is a reflection of the identity of a devotee who has true love towards emperumAn. periyAzhwAr made us to understand this concept very well. Due to this alone, he was unique from other AzhwArs and attained the divine name of periyAzhwAr.

Sources: http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2019/10/upadhesa-raththina-malai-tamil-16/, http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2019/10/upadhesa-raththina-malai-tamil-17/http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2019/10/upadhesa-raththina-malai-tamil-18/

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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