upadhEsa raththina mAlai – Simple Explanation – pAsurams 25 and 26

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

upadhEsa raththina mAlai

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pAsuram 25

Twenty fifth pAsuram. mAmunigaL reveals the glories of madhurakavi in two pAsurams. In this pAsuram, he tells his heart to analyse the greatness of chiththirai star in chiththirai month, when madhurakavi AzhwAr incarnated, over days when other AzhwArs incarnated.

ErAr madhurakavi ivvulagil vandhu udhiththa
sIrArum chiththiariyil chiththirai nAL – pAr ulagil
maRRuLLa AzhwArgal vandhu udhiththa nALgaLilum
uRRadhu emakku enRu nenjE Or

Oh heart! chiththirai star in chiththirai month has the apt greatness of being the day when madhurakavi AzhwAr, who has fitting greatness, incarnated on this earth. Analyse that this is apt for our svarUpam (basic nature) when compared to the days when the other AzhwArs incarnated.

piLLai lOkAchArya, one of our preceptors, has beautifully explained the unique greatness of madhurakavi AzhwAr in his SAsthra, SrIvachana bhUshaNam. During the times when they were suffering as to when they would unite with emperumAn and enjoy, the other AzhwArs composed pAsurams in a sorrowful state and during the times when they enjoyed him, through their faculty of mind, they composed pAsurams in a blissful state. However, madhurakavi AzhwAr considered his AchArya nammAzhwAr as everything for him and was anchored in carrying out kainkaryams to his AchAryan. Hence, he was in a blissful state in this world all the time, speaking about it and instructing others too about it. None has this greatness. The word sIrmai (excellence or greatness) in the phrase sIrArum chiththiraiyil chiththirai nAL would be applicable to both the month chiththirai and the star chiththirai. Our svarUpam is to look up to the AchArya for his grace. This AzhwAr’s state is in line with this.

pAsuram 26

Twenty sixth pAsuram. mAmunigaL explains with an example as to how AchAryas, who determined and revealed the meanings of AzhwAr’s aruLichcheyals (divine hymns), analysed the greatness of madhurakavi AzhwAr’s prabandham (divine hymn) and added it to the aruLichcheyals.

vAyththa thirumandhiraththin madhdhimamAm padham pOl
sIrththa madhurakavi seykalaiyai – Arththa pugazh
AriyargaL thAngaL aruLichcheyal naduvE
sErviththAr thARpariyam thErndhu

thirumanthram (divine hymn) which is composed of eight syllables, is considered to have completeness in both words and meanings. Its middle term nama: has a greatness which is equalled by the wondrous compostion kaNNinuN chiRuththAmbu  composed by the eminent madhurakavi AzhwAr. Preceptors who knew the great value of the meanings of this prabandham arranged for it to be included along with the aruLichcheyal of other AzhwArs and to be recited always along with the rest of the prabandhams.

The term nama: indicates bhAgavatha SEshathvam – servitude to the devotees of emperumAn. madhurakavi AzhwAr considered nammAzhwAr himself as God by saying dhEvum maRRaRiyEn – I do not know of any other God, revealing his deep belief in his prabandham. Preceptors , knowing this, honoured it by including the prabandham with the rest of aruLichcheyal.

Sources: http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2019/10/upadhesa-raththina-malai-tamil-25/, http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2019/10/upadhesa-raththina-malai-tamil-26/

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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