TIRUCHCHANDAVIRUTAM. TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR

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*TIRUCHCHANDAVIRUTAM* by *TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR*.

Tirumazhisai AzhvAr, also known as bhaktisAran has rendered two prabandams,nAnmugan tiruvandAdi and thiruchchandaviruttam. This second prabandam is added to the first thousand and his first prabandam is added to third thousand called "iyarpA".

Tiruchchandaviruttam  as the name suggest is written in viruttam style and is a prosody with rhythmic metre. AzhvAr has played with numbers while explaining about the creation and the brahmam in the first decade.

What is viruttam? 

A verse consisting of four lines(நான்கு அடிகள் ) and a same set of syllables (சமமான சீர் பெற்ற) in each line is called viruttam. As this prabandam has rhythmic meters and set in viruttam style, this has come to be known as *TIRUCHCHANDAVIRUTTAM*.

Tirumazhisai AzhvAr has delved deep in all kinds of philosophies and was finally brought to the path of vaishnavism by PEyAzhvAr. He is so strong in his, words and never frightened to express his views. Since his words are as sharp as a knife,he is referred as - “(உறையில்இடாதவர் )uraiyil edAdhavar”*, meaning the “one who never put his sword back into its cover.” 

AZHVAR TIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM

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TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR

📖CHARITRAM


Thirumazhisai AzhvAr as the name suggests comes from the place TIRUMAZHISAI (near Chennai) an incarnation of SUDARSHANA , the Divine Disc of Lord Vishnu. He was born during the same period of Mudhal azhwar (7thcentury)and fourth in order, in the star Makham and in the Tamil month TAI.

He was born to BhArgava muni and KanakAngi in an unusual way with out arms and legs. The parents left it at the foot of a bush of cane shrubs. Later Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi appeared and blessed the child, which then became a fully developed lovely baby. A childless tribal couple called TiruvAlan and Pankaya Chelvi engaged in cane cutting found the child and took him home. However the child was still unusual from the others by not drinking and excreting.

One day an old farmer couple visited this child with some cow’s milk and offered him saying, “ Oh Tirumazhisai, please drink this milk and remove our worries”. At that very utterance he started to drink and this continued until suddenly one day this couple drank the left over milk and to their surprise regained their youth. Later they had a child named ‘Kani Kannan’, who became his ardent disciple.

He is believed to have tried out many other faiths like Jainism, Buddhism etc before becoming a staunch Siva devotee and was later initiated into Vaishnavism by PEyAzhvAr.

AzhvAr became a master in ashtAnga yOgam. His power of miracles increased day by day.  Once, he was so steeped in bhakti yOgam that he did not see Shiva and Parvati who came to his vicinity.  To test his bhakti, Lord Shiva proclaimed his supremacy.  AzhvAr asked Him if he could grant him mOksham. Lord Shiva relented that he was incapable of that and only Lord Narayana could grant him moksham. In admiration, Lord Shiva conferred upon him the title, "BhaktisAran".

His two masterpieces are 

NAnmugan TiruvandAdhi and Tiruchandha viruttam

Azhwar Thiruvadigale charanam.

*INTERESTING INCIDENTS IN TIRUMAZHISAI AZHVAR'S LIFE*

1) AZHVAR, after visiting various places settled down in KAnchipuram for some time along with his devotee, Kani Kannan. A very interesting incident is believed to have happened here. Along with Kani kannan there was an old lady who was serving the Azhvar. Pleased with her tireless service, he transformed her to a young lady with his graceful look as she wanted to serve him for a longer period. After some time, the king saw her and married her. Though he became old,  the queen was still young and the king came to know about the reason and summoned  Kani kannan and ordered that his youth also be restored. But kanikannan refused and the king banished him. 

Immediately AzhvAr too went to the temple and told the “Lord of TiruvekkA” to follow him after rolling up his serpent matress, the AdishEshan.

"கணிகண்ணன் போகின்றான் காமருபூங்கச்சி மணிவண்ணா நீ கிடக்கவேண்டா - துணிவுடைய செந்நாப்புலவனும் போகின்றேன் நீயுமுன்றன் பைந்நாகப்பாய்சுருட்டிக்கொள்". 

The Lord did so and all three along with tAyAr deserted KAnchi. Realising his fault the king ordered them to come back. Azhvar forgave and told the Lord to come back and rest on his serpent mattress.

"கணிகண்ணன் போக்கொழிந்தான் காமருபூங்கச்சி மணிவண்ணா நீ கிடக்கவேண்டும் - துணிவுடைய செந்நாப்புலவனும் போக்கொழிந்தேன் நீயுமுன்றன் பைந்நாகப் பாய்படுத்துக்கொள்" என்று பாடினார்.

PerumAL is believed to have listened to AzhvAr’s words and hence came to be known as ‘Sonna Vannam Seida PerumAl or ‘YathottakAri ’.

2. In another incident, while AzhvAr was travelling to 'TirukuDandai’, he stopped for a while in the front yard of a house. Few Brahmins who were reciting vedas stopped on seeing a stranger. Immediately AzhvAr moved away realising the situation, but the Brahmins forgot the verses and could not restart the vEdic verses from where they left. AzhvAr broke open a paddy seed with his nails to indicate the particular verse in reference. The brahmins realised their fault and wanted to honour the AzhvAr while some objected .

At that juncture AzhvAr,  prayed to Lord to show Himself  in AzvAr’s physical body and prove the antaryAmitvam . The Lord did so to the astonishment of the onlookers.

AzhvAr Thiruvadigale sharanam .