GITA 10.29
akilAthma guNAvAsam agyAna thimirApaham
AsrithAnAm susaraNam vandhE ananthArya dhEsikam
akilAthma guNAvAsam agyAna thimirApaham
AsrithAnAm susaraNam vandhE ananthArya dhEsikam
This sloka is about Tirumalai Ananthazhvan [திருமலை அனந்தாழ்வான்] who was a great Acharya. He was one of the important disciples of Swami Ramanuja. His birth place is near Mysore. Today's [5th September 2008] lecture is from that place, which is about 3 Kms from Srirangapatna, on the way to Pandavapura. It is known as Kirangur [கிரங்கூர்] at present, but it was known as Tiruputhur [திரு புத்தூர்] earlier.
Ananthan denotes the great serpent Adisesha. Ananth also means without an end. The greatness of Anantazhvan also is endless. From here he left for Srirangam and became a disciple of Swami Ramanuja. He was conferred with an important responsibility. Once Swami Ramanuja was explaining the glory of the Lord of Tirumala, as praised by Alwars. It is believed that during the day time we mortals worship the Lord there and in the night Celestial beings from the Upper worlds arrive to worship the Lord. Nammalwar says that the Lord was served by offering flowers. While explaining this Swami Ramanuja thought that someone should serve the Lord in Tirumala with flowers. He, therefore, asked whether any of his disciples would go and remain in Tirumala and serve the Lord with flowers, by constructing a pond and developing a garden. None was willing to go. At that time Swami Ananthazhvan prostrated before his teacher and offered to take up that responsibility. Swami Ramanuja was extremely happy and embracing Swami Ananthazhvan, he remarked he was the only male ["நீரே ஆண் பிள்ளை!"]. From then on, Ananthazhvar's descendents are given the title Ananthanpillai [அனந்த ஆண் பிள்ளை]. He was born in the month Chitra and in star Chitra. Among Alwars, Madurakavi Alwar was born in Chitra month and in Chitra star. Both of them had a determiantion that apart from faith in the Lord, they had resolute faith in their Acharyas. They considered their Acharya as their God. So, Swami Anathazhvan left for Tirumala immediately, along with his wife who was pregnant. There he built a pond and made a garden. For a long time, he was harvesting flowers in his garden and offering to the Lord. Thus he came to be known as Tirumala Ananthazhvan.
We would have noticed the chin of the Lord in Tirumala smeared with edible camphor [பச்சை கற்பூரம்]. In the beginning, when Ananthazhvan went to Tirumala, he was digging the earth for creating a pond and garden.
Since there was no assistant, he asked his wife to carry the dug out mud to a distant place and dump it there. She was pregnant and found it difficult for this type of work. The Lord pitying her and also wanting to participate in the duty assigned by Swami Ramanuja, approached Anathazhvan, in the guise of a young Boy and offered to help in the formation of the garden. Swami Ananthazhvan refused to allow others to share the assignment. The Lord then approached the wife of Swami Ananthazhvan without the knowledge of him and offered to carry the mud load from a distance, not in the view of Ananthazhvan, to the dumping yard, so that she was helped. This arrangement went on for some time. Ananthazhvan was surprised as the speed of the work increased. So, he found that the Boy was helping his wife. Anathazhvanr chased the Boy who went round the temple in the anti-clock direction [அப்ரதிக்ஷனம்]. The Boy tried to run into the temple and Ananthazhvan threw the crowbar he was having at the Boy and the bar hit the Boy at His chin. To stop bleeding edible camphor was applied, and that practice continues even now. We can see the crowbar hanging as we enter the imain gopuram in the temple. In Sriputhur temple the Lord is Sri Venkatesa with His Twin Consorts.
We can worship Madurakavi Alwar. Since his birth day coincides with Swami Ananthazhvan, all the descendents of Swamy Anantalwan are called Madurakavi Dasa. Swami Ramanuja also can be worshipped here; Swami Ramanuja is with folded hands and with tridandam. We can then worship Swami Ananthazhvan.
Since he was engaged in the flower service to the Lord, we can notice the flower basket in his hand. We have to learn from him, the greatness of service.
The sloka we are to see is also connected. Sloka 28:
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| TEMPLE IN KIRANGUR |
Ananthan denotes the great serpent Adisesha. Ananth also means without an end. The greatness of Anantazhvan also is endless. From here he left for Srirangam and became a disciple of Swami Ramanuja. He was conferred with an important responsibility. Once Swami Ramanuja was explaining the glory of the Lord of Tirumala, as praised by Alwars. It is believed that during the day time we mortals worship the Lord there and in the night Celestial beings from the Upper worlds arrive to worship the Lord. Nammalwar says that the Lord was served by offering flowers. While explaining this Swami Ramanuja thought that someone should serve the Lord in Tirumala with flowers. He, therefore, asked whether any of his disciples would go and remain in Tirumala and serve the Lord with flowers, by constructing a pond and developing a garden. None was willing to go. At that time Swami Ananthazhvan prostrated before his teacher and offered to take up that responsibility. Swami Ramanuja was extremely happy and embracing Swami Ananthazhvan, he remarked he was the only male ["நீரே ஆண் பிள்ளை!"]. From then on, Ananthazhvar's descendents are given the title Ananthanpillai [அனந்த ஆண் பிள்ளை]. He was born in the month Chitra and in star Chitra. Among Alwars, Madurakavi Alwar was born in Chitra month and in Chitra star. Both of them had a determiantion that apart from faith in the Lord, they had resolute faith in their Acharyas. They considered their Acharya as their God. So, Swami Anathazhvan left for Tirumala immediately, along with his wife who was pregnant. There he built a pond and made a garden. For a long time, he was harvesting flowers in his garden and offering to the Lord. Thus he came to be known as Tirumala Ananthazhvan.
We would have noticed the chin of the Lord in Tirumala smeared with edible camphor [பச்சை கற்பூரம்]. In the beginning, when Ananthazhvan went to Tirumala, he was digging the earth for creating a pond and garden.
 |
| THE POND |
Since there was no assistant, he asked his wife to carry the dug out mud to a distant place and dump it there. She was pregnant and found it difficult for this type of work. The Lord pitying her and also wanting to participate in the duty assigned by Swami Ramanuja, approached Anathazhvan, in the guise of a young Boy and offered to help in the formation of the garden. Swami Ananthazhvan refused to allow others to share the assignment. The Lord then approached the wife of Swami Ananthazhvan without the knowledge of him and offered to carry the mud load from a distance, not in the view of Ananthazhvan, to the dumping yard, so that she was helped. This arrangement went on for some time. Ananthazhvan was surprised as the speed of the work increased. So, he found that the Boy was helping his wife. Anathazhvanr chased the Boy who went round the temple in the anti-clock direction [அப்ரதிக்ஷனம்]. The Boy tried to run into the temple and Ananthazhvan threw the crowbar he was having at the Boy and the bar hit the Boy at His chin. To stop bleeding edible camphor was applied, and that practice continues even now. We can see the crowbar hanging as we enter the imain gopuram in the temple. In Sriputhur temple the Lord is Sri Venkatesa with His Twin Consorts.
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| SRI VENKATESA WITH ANANTALWAN (R), RAMANUJA(C) MADURAKAVI ALWAR (L) |
We can worship Madurakavi Alwar. Since his birth day coincides with Swami Ananthazhvan, all the descendents of Swamy Anantalwan are called Madurakavi Dasa. Swami Ramanuja also can be worshipped here; Swami Ramanuja is with folded hands and with tridandam. We can then worship Swami Ananthazhvan.
 |
| SWAMY ANANTALWAN |
Since he was engaged in the flower service to the Lord, we can notice the flower basket in his hand. We have to learn from him, the greatness of service.
The sloka we are to see is also connected. Sloka 28:
ayudhanam aham vajram
dhenunam asmi kamadhuk
prajanas casmi kandarpah
sarpanam asmi vasukih
dhenunam asmi kamadhuk
prajanas casmi kandarpah
sarpanam asmi vasukih
"Of weapons, I am the thunderbolt; among cows, I am the surabhi. Of causes for procreation, I am Kandarpa, the god of love, and of serpents I am Vasuki."
anantas casmi naganam
varuno yadasam aham
pitrnam aryama casmi
yamah samyamatam aham
varuno yadasam aham
pitrnam aryama casmi
yamah samyamatam aham
"Of the many-hooded Nagas, I am Ananta, and among the aquatics, I am the demigod Varuna. Of departed ancestors, I am Aryama, and among the dispensers of law, I am Yama, the lord of death."
(continued)
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