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Azhwar Salutation
Azhwar Salutation
Meaning:
I bow every day to Bhoothatthazhvar, Poygai Azhvar, Peyazhvar, Periyazhvar,
Thirumazhisai Azhvar, Kulasekara Azhvar, Thiruppanazhvar, Thondaradippodi Azhvar,
Thirumangai Azhvar, Ramanuja, and Nammazhvar.
***bhUta (the One who was. "bhoo sattAyAm", to be. The name is from the Sruti,
"asan-nEvE sa
bhavati", One "is" only with the realisation that "brahman" is.)
***mahad-Ahvaya, the Profound, after the Sruti, "tasya nAma mahad-yaSa:" The
Tamil name, pEyi,
signifies his mystic ecstasies which made him look wild.
***yOgi-vAha, the minstrel tiru-p-pAN AzhvAr. This saint of so-called low birth
was brought, on
the Lord's directions, on the shoulders of the Temple priest, hence "yOgi-vAha".
This AzhvAr, and
gOdA-dEvi, are the ones with the extraordinary distinction of merging in the
sacred person of Lord
Sriranga-nAtha, periya-perumAL, of Srirangam. ***bhakt/Anghri-rENu, the one who
revered the
dusting off the feet of the devotees. His original name was vipra-nArAyaNa. His
distinction was
that he hymned solely the Lord of Srirangam. The Telugu language has a rich
collection of operas on
this AzhvAr, in the 'yaksha-gAnam' mode.
~o~o~o~
This Slokam was imparted by Sri Paraasara-bhatta to his prime disciple, Sri nan-
jeeyar, as
unceasing 'japam' (repetition) text, something like the Christian telling of the
rosary. The great
Bhattar composed an exclusive Slokam in adoration of Sri Goda-devi, who is not
grouped with the
AzhvAr-s, as she is adored as Divinity herself, an incarnation of bhU-dEvi.
~o~o~o~
This Slokam compacting the names of the AzhvAr saints is best recited together
with the following
Slokam(s) from Srimad-bhAgavata-purANam (11th skandham, 5th adhyAyam, Sl.38)
prophesying the
appearance of the AzhvAr-s on this earth. The places of their birth are
indicated by the river-map
of the region.
[It is in the kali age that the (precious) devotees of nArAyaNa will appear,
~ here and there, Oh king, but in great numbers in the draviDa region.
And those who imbibe the waters of these currents, Oh lord of men,