manjchAdu

From the mudal tirumozhi of mudal pattu AzhwAr visited the north divya dESa (vaDanATTu tiruppati)—piridi, vadari, sAlagrAma, naimiSAraNya, SingavEl kunram, tiruvEngaDam.

He goes to toNDai nATTu tiruppatis—tiruevvuL, tiruvallikkENi, tiruneermalai, tirukkaDal mallai, tiruninravoor, tiruviDavendai, tirupuTkuzhi, tiru aTTabuyakaram and paramESwara viNNaharam.

manjADu varai Ezhum kaDalhaL Ezhum
vAnahamum maNNahamum maTTrum ellAm
enjAmal vayiTTraDakki Alin mElOr
iLandaLiril kaN vaLarnda eeSan tannai |
tunjA neer vaLam Surakkum peNNai tenpAl
tooya nAnmaraiyALar SOmuchcheyya
SenjAli viLai vayaluL tihazhndu tOnrum
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

emberumAn—our swAmi swallows the kula parvatas, seven seas, al the heavenly regions and earthly regions and everything else created by Him. After praLaya He lies on a small banyan leaf till the creation starts. He resides in tirukkOvaloor on the southern banks of peNNai river that bring precious gems and pearls along with her current. The city is rich in vaidikas who chant four vEdas, and perform sOma yAga. The city is rich in fertile lands where paddy crops are grown abundantly. AzhwAr says He saw Him in this diva dESa and worshipped Him.

kondalarnda narunduzhAi SAndam doopam
deepam koNDu amarar tozha paNangoL pAmbil
SandaNi men mulai malarAL daraNi mangai
tAmiruvar aDivaruDum tanmaiyAnai |
vandanai Seidu iSaiyEzh Arangam aindu
vaLar vELvi nAn maraihaL moonru teeyum
Sindanai Seidu irupozhudum onrum Selva
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

AzhwAr says he saw Him in tirukkOvaloor—where vaidikas worship Him with chanting four vEdas (rik, yajus, sAma and atharva), six vEdAngas (SikSha, vyAkaraNa, chandas, jyotiSha, kalpa and nirukta), five maha yajnas (brahma yajna, dEva yajna, pitr yajna, boota yajna and manuShya yajna), seven swaras of music (notes), three agnis (gArhayapatya, Ahavaneeya and dAkShiNAgni) and meditating on Him day and night. He is the one who lies on tiruanandAzhwAn in tiruppArkaDal where brahma and other dEvas come carrying tuzhasi mAla, dhoopa, deepa etc. to worship Him.

kozhundu alarum malarchOlai kuzhAngoL poihai
kOLmudalai vALeyiTTru koNDarku eLhi
azhundiya mA kaLiTTrinukku anru Azhi Endi
andaramE vara tOnri aruL SeidAnai |
ezhunda malar karu neelam irundil kATTa
irum punnai muttu arumbi Sembon kATTa
SezhundaDa neer kamalam teevihai pOl kATTum
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

There was a lake surrounded by flowering trees. The elephant gajEndra plucked a flower from the lake to offer it to BagavAn. He was caught by a crocodile and cried to Him for help. He came posthaste to the lake riding on garuDa and killed the crocodile with His charkAyudha. AzhwAr says he saw Him—who did anugraha to the elephant—in tirukkOvaloor which looks like a goldsmith shop with karuneidal flowers dark like charcoal, buds of punnai trees white like pearls and golden coloured punnai flowers and red lotuses like fire.

tAngarum pOr mAli paDa paravai oorndu
tarAtalattOr kurai muDitta tanmaiyAnai
Angarumbi kaNNeer SOrndu anbu koorum
aDiyavarhaTku Aramudam AnAn tannai |
kOngarumbu Sura punnai kuravAr SOlai
kuzhA vari vaNDu iSai pADum pADal kETTu
teengarumbu kaNvaLarum kazhani Soozhnda
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

emberumAn killed the great hero mAli who prided himself as unconquerable. Thus did He please the riShis Baktas and BAgavatas. He is as sweet as nectar to those who love Him with tears in their eyes as they think of Him. He resides in tirukkOvaloor which is a city of aiSwarya with its kOngu trees, sura punnai, kuravAr etc. The flowers of which are sought by the bees. They drink honey, get intoxicated and sing. The fields are always irrigated by plenty of water that the sugar canes grow by one node each day.

karai vaLar vEl karan mudalA kavandan vAli
kaNai onrinAl maDiya ilangai tannuL
pirai eyiTTru vALarakkar SEnai ellAm
perundahaiyODu uDan tuNitta pemmAn tannai |
maraivaLara puhazh vaLara mADandOrum
maNDapm oNDoLi anaittum vAram Oda
SiraiyaNainda pozhilaNainda tenral veeSum
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

emberumAn as Sree rAma killed karan, kabandan, vAli with His terrible arrows. He killed rAvaNa and other rAkShasas of lankApuri effortlessly with all their armies. He resides in tirukkOvaloor where the chanting of vEda is heard in each house; the chanting done in the style called ‘vAram Oduhai’ in each public hall. The greatness of the city is also due to its abundant water resources, forests wealth whose scent the breeze waft through the streets.

uriyArnda naru veNNai oLiyAl Senru angu
uNDAnai kaNDu Aichchi uralODu Arka
tariyArnda karungaLirE pOla ninru
taDangaNgaL pani malhum tanmaiyAnai |
veriyArnda malar mahaL nA mangaiyODu
viyan kalai eN tOLinAL viLangu Selva
cheriyArnda maNi mADam tihazhndu tOnrum
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

kaNNan would steal butter collected in a mud pot and kept high in a ‘uri’ in the darkness. When He ate up all of it He would feel happy and smile making the room bright with His moon-like teeth. yaSOda would catch Him red handed and bound Him in a mortar. He would remain bound like an elephant bound to its post by a chain. He would stay there with tears flowing from His eyes. This kaNNan resides in tirukkOvaloor where tirumahaL, kalaimahaL and durga are the kShEtra dEvatas. The city has plenty of gem studded mansions revealing its wealth and prosperity.

irungai mA kari munindu pariyai keeri
inaviDaihaL EzhaDartu marudam SAittu
varum SakaDam ira uDaittu mallai aTTu
vanjam Sei kanjanukku nanju AnAnai |
karumkamuhu paSumpALai veN muttu eenru
kAyellAm marakadamAi pavaLam kATTa
Serundi miha moTTalartum tEn kOL SOlai
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

kaNNan killed the huge kuvaLayApeeDa, split open mouth of horse-asura called kESi, subdued the might of seven powerful bulls for nappinnai pirATTi, felled the twin maruda trees while crawling, kicked to pieces the sakaTAsura, crushed the huge mallas (wrestlers) of kamsa’s court and finally killed kamsa himself who had sent their asuras to kill Him. He resides in tirukkOvaloor where the karunkamuhu flowers look like white pearls, the raw fruits like emerald, the ripe fruits like corals. The serundi flowers shed plenty of honey when the buds bloom. Thus the divya dESa is very beautiful.

pArEru perum bAram teera paNDu
bAradattu toodu iyangi pArttanSelva
tErEru SAratiyAi edirndAr SEnai
perukkaLattu tiral azhiya cheTTrAn tannai |
pOrEr onru uDaiyAnum aLahaikOnum
purandaranum nAn muhanum porundum oor pOl
SeerEru maraiyALar nirainda Selva
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

Sree kriShNa went as a messenger of pANDavas to duryOdana. But no peaceful terms could be arrived at. Finally war was the only solution. In fact it was kriShNa Himself who caused this decision in order to reduce the BoomiBAra. He acted as the pArtasArati for arjuna and caused the death of all the enemies. He resides in tirukkOvaloor which is similar to the heavens of Siva, kubEra, indra, and brahma. It is in fact a better city since vaidikas and BAgavatas live here.

too vaDivin pAr mahaL poo mangaiyODu
SuDarAzhi SangirupAl polindutOnra
kA vaDivin karpahamE pOla ninru
kalandavarhaTku aruLpuriyum karuttinAnai |
SevaDi kai tiruvAikaN Sivanda ADai
Sembon Sei tiru uruvam AnAn tannai
teevaDivin Sivan ayanE pOlvAr mannu
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn nAnE ||

emberumAn resides with both the pirATTis—periya pirATTi and Boomi pirATTi. He holds SanKa and chakra in both His hands. He Himself stands like a karpaga tree (a wish fulfilling tree) with branches, flowers and leaves. His tiruvaDi, mouth, eyes, hands and dress (peetAmbara) are all red in colour. He resides in tirukkOvaloor a city famous for its vaidikas who are greater than even Siva , brahma and others.

vAraNangoL iDar kaDinda mAlai neela
maragadattai mazhaimuhilE pOlvAn tannai
Seer aNangu maraiyALar nirainda Selva
tirukkOvaloor adanuL kaNDEn enru |
vAraNangu mulai maDavAr mangai vEndan
vATkaliyan oli aindum aindum vallAr
kAraNangaLAl ulaham kalandu angEtta
karandu engum parandAnai kANbartAmE ||

AzhwAr says he saw Him at tirukkOvaloor where reside Baktas BAgavatas. According to the vision of these BAgavatas BagavAn takes the hue—sometimes dark like karuneidal poo, green like maragada or dark blue like a rain cloud. He is the one who saved the gajEndra from the clutches of a crocodile. He is worshipped by tirumangai AzhwAr in these ten pASuras. Those who read them with BAva will see Him who is unseen but all pervasive—unseen by the non-Baktas, seen by Baktas.