thaThirumazhishai Alvar is named after the place where he hails from. Thirumazhisai is a place near Chennai. In Sanskrit it is called MAHISAARAPURAM It is said that Alvar was born of an Apsara called Kanakangi and a sage.
The child was abandoned by the parents and was brought up by poor childless couple who eked out their living by bamboo basket weaving.
Alvar is famous as he followed other philosophical schools like Shaiva, Jainism and finally he found Vaishanava school as more truthful by philosophic reasoning and spiritual inquiry So he developed unshakeable faith in Supremacy of Lord Narayana. Alvar is well known for his faith in single God and fervour as also yogic powers.
Many are the incidents in his life that are known, though not chronologically. Alvar had Yogic powers it seems and he took pity on elderly woman in temple service who used to clean temple premises daily and put rangoli. So Alvar blessed her to take the form of a beautiful maiden in blooming youth. It is said that the King who happened to visit the temple saw her and fell in love and married her.
Once Alvar was passing through an agrahara or colony of Scholarly Brahmins . The scholars who were chanting from Vedas, stopped as they saw Alvar coming in the street. While trying to resume, they forgot where exactly they had broken. As they were trying to recollect, Alvar took pity on their predicament and with a gesture made them pick up the lost thread. As he knew the meaning in Sanskrit of lines to be chanted, Alvar gestured by taking a black coloured paddy grain and breaking it by his fingernail. The clue was sufficient to remind the grateful brahmins who prostrated before alvar.
Alvar’s power of composing beautiful hymns in praise of The Lord reached the ears of the State’s King. The king wanted a Poetry composed by Alvar praising him. So he sent words to Alvar to meet him in Royal Court. Alvar sent his favourite disciple to the King. When King expressed his desire, disciple informed the king that Alvar would not sing in praise of mortals. Alvar’s songs are only for praising the Lord. King tempted him with all the riches imaginable. When there was constant refusal, he got enraged and ordered banishment of disciple out of his kingdom. Alvar on learning this was very sad to be parted with his disciple and he prayed to the Lord Vishnu lying on the couch of Adisesha in local temple, Alvar’s favourite deity of daily worship. Alvar told Him that he himself was leaving the kingdom as he coud not tolerate the separation from his disciple. Of what interest was the life for the Lord there without His Bhaktas ? So he commanded that the Lord should roll his Adisesha couch and walk out with His devotees! The Lord followed the order of His devotee, Alvar. The three were seen at the city gates by guards going out of city, capital. Astonished that God should accompany the two devotees, they promptly reported the matter to the king. Equally surprised, King realised his folly and pardoned the Disciple saying he could stay on. Order of banishment earlier passed was withdrawn. Alvar and his disciple came back to their living place and Alvar said that as disciple was allowed to stay on, he too returned to his abode. Accordingly, Lord also should return to His place. Lord in a hurry, changed direction of His earlier Headstead in couch of Adisesha and put His feet in Earlier Head Position ! Lord is even now in the temple near Kanchipuram, in a temple called SHONNA VANNAM SHAIDA PERUMAL KOIL ( LORD WHO DID AS HE WAS TOLD ) OR YATHOKTHAKAARI in Sanskrit giving same meaning.
Alvar worshipped Lord Aravamuthan ( meaning Lord who is as sweet as Amrutham/ Ambrosia that does not satiate one’s thirst even taking in long draughts ) at Thirukkudanthai - Present day Kumbhakonam - on banks of Kaveri. He was enamoured by the Lord reclining on AdiSesha. He asks the Lord, Are you lying on Adisesha because you are tired of walking in forest (Ref Rama’s Avathar ) or are you tired after reclaiming the Mother Earth from under water after killing the demon ( Ref Lord Varaha avathar ) ? Please get up and answer. Lord started getting up, Alvar was overwhelmed and said it is enough. So Lord at Kumbhakonam can be seen in a pose with his head in a raised position ! He gives darshan as if inviting devotees coming for Darshan ! </p> Alvar was given darshan by Lord Shiva, who voluntarily asked Alvar to ask a boon of Him. Alvar refused anything from Him, saying he was not interested in anything less than Moksham ( Liberation From Cycle Of Births and Death ) This moksham can only be granted by Lord Vishnu and no one else. </p>
Alvar was present in Aravamudan’s sannidhi while the Lord was being offered food offerings in temple. Other devotees are not allowed in during this offering. So they usually close the Sanctum by means of a clothe curtain. Only the priest is officiating offering food to the Lord. While they began the ritual of offering food to Lord chanting appropriate mantras, Lord roared Stop ! He wanted Alvar to be fed first and He was satisfied to eat after His Devotee ! Priests offered food first to Alvar in line with Lord’s command and then to The Lord. So Lord Aravamudan was called ARAVAMUDHAALVAAN ( DEVOTEE ) and Alvar as THIRUMAZHISAIPIRAAN (LORD HIMSELF ! ) after this incident.</p>
Alvar has embellished Nalayiram by his compositions ( 1 ) Thirucchandavruttam – 120 Pasurams ( Hymns) and (2 ) Nanmuhan Thiruvandhadhi – 96 pasurams ( Hymns ).
ALVAR EMPERUMANAR DESHIKAR THIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM.
SRIMATHE LAKSHMINRISIMHA DIVYAPADUKASEVAKA SRI NARAYANA YATHINDRA MAHADESHIKAYA NAMAHA.
March 13, 2007 at 9:32 am
[...] THIRUMAZHISHAI ALVAR [...]
December 12, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Excellent.
One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita which is considered to be one of the first revelations from God. The management lessons in this holy book were brought in to light of the world by divine Maharshi Mahesh Yogi , Sri Sri RaviShankar and Swami Bodhanandji, and the spiritual philosophy by the great Adi Sankaracharya the greatest philosopher of India and proud son of Kerala, and Sri. Srila Prabhupada Swami and humanism by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi and Satya Sai Baba. Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides “all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level.” Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone. Swami Chinmayanandaji preached and educated the people and Swami Sandeep Chaitanyaji continuing the mission by keeping this lantern burning always knowing the wishes of the modern generations. Arjuna got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight.( Mental health has become a major international public health concern now). To motivate him the Bhagavad Gita is preached in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as a counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting. It has got all the management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation. The Bhagavad Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord. The Holy Gita has become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one’s life. In the days of doubt this divine book will support all spiritual searches. This divine book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one’s inner process. Then life in the world can become a real education—dynamic, full and joyful—no matter what the circumstance. May the wisdom of loving consciousness ever guide us on our journey? What makes the Holy Gita a practical psychology of transformation is that it offers us the tools to connect with our deepest intangible essence and we must learn to participate in the battle of life with right knowledge?. It shows us the path to handle the situation with equipoised mind irrespective of what comes our way and reminds us time and again, that what the right action is.
The Holy Gita is the essence of the Vedas, Upanishads. It is a universal scripture applicable to people of all temperaments and for all times. It is a book with sublime thoughts and practical instructions on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and Action. It is profound in thought and sublime in heights of vision. It brings peace and solace to souls that are afflicted by the three fires of mortal existence, namely, afflictions caused by one’s own body (disease etc), those caused by beings around one (e.g. wild animals, snakes etc.), and those caused by the gods (natural disasters, earth-quakes, floods etc).
Mind can be one’s friend or enemy. Mind is the cause for both bondage and liberation. The word mind is derived from man to think and the word man derived from manu (sanskrit word for man).
“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.”
There is no theory to be internalized and applied in this psychology. Ancient practices spontaneously induce what each person needs as the individual and the universal coincide. The work proceeds through intellectual knowledge of the playing field (jnana yoga), emotional devotion to the ideal (bhakti yoga) and right action that includes both feeling and knowledge(karma yoga). With ongoing purification we approach wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita is a message addressed to each and every human individual to help him or her to solve the vexing problem of overcoming the present and progressing towards a bright future. Within its eighteen chapters is revealed a human drama. This is the experience of everyone in this world, the drama of the ascent of man from a state of utter dejection, sorrow and total breakdown and hopelessness to a state of perfect understanding, clarity, renewed strength and triumph.
“Freed from attachment, fear and anger, absorbed in Me, and taking refuge in Me, purified by the penance of knowledge, many have attained union with My Being.” (Gita 4:10)
Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficu