Vamana & Bhoothana

Vamana & Bhoothana

Strange connection, isn’t it? We all know Bhoothana as the demoness in Krishanavathara who tried to kill Baby Krishna by feeding him poisoned milk.

This morning’s episode of Vijay TV Bhakthi Thiruvizha gave me a glimpse of an earlier janma of Bhoothana which I would like to share here.

Vijay TV has started telecasting the Bhakthi Thiruvizha which took place in Srirangam earlier this month. This morning was the first discourse in this series rendered by Jaya Srinivasan .

Bhoothana as we all know was one in the long list of demons deployed by Kamsa to kill Lord Krishna growing up in Gokulam.

In her earlier janma Bhoothana was born as Mahabali’s daughter by name Rathnamala.

Mahabali was performing the yagna and Guru Sukracharya noticed a very bright light at a distance. As he was wondering what the bright light was, it kept coming closer. He realised that the light was emanating from a 3 feet tall Brahmin boy holding an umbrella. As the boy came closer, all present at the yagna looked at him in awe. He was such a handsome boy, with intelligence radiating from him. Rathnamala felt so much of love for the boy that she wanted to make him sit on her lap and shower her love on him. Things happened in a flash and Mahabali was pressed into the netherworld by Vamana who had taken viswaroopam. All her love for Vamana turned into hatred and Rathnamala wanted to kill the boy. 

Rathnamala’s wish to first cuddle the boy and then to kill the boy was granted together in Krishnavathara by the episode of Bhoothana feeding Krishna and trying to kill him!

Azhwars : Thirupaanazhwar

Thirupaanazhwar (திருப்பாணாழ்வார்)

Thirupaanazhwar was born in a paddy field on a Wednesday in the month of Karthigai, theipirai, dvidiyai thithi, rohini star as Srivatsam amsam of Mahavishnu.

A bard (பாணர்) found the baby in the paddy field and brought it to his house. He and his wife brought up the child as their own as they did not have any. As he was brought up in a bard’s house, he was named Thirupaanar. True to his family tradition, he learnt singing and playing the instrument Yaazh (யாழ்) as well.

Thirupaanar was keen to serve the Lord of Srirangam by singing and playing the Yaazh for him, but as Baanar was considered a low caste in those days, he did not dare to enter Srirangam and stood on the opposite bank of The Cauvery singing in praise of the Lord. His singing and playing were very pleasing to one’s ears and made Perumal very happy. Everyday at dawn, Thirupaanar sang for the Lord with so much of Bhakti that he was unaware of what was happening around him.

One day Lokasaranga Rishi, a bhakta of Aranganathan, bathed in The Cauvery. He had also brought a golden pot to carry water for the Lord’s abhishekam. He saw Thirupaanar standing in his way, singing with his eyes closed. The Rishi clapped his hands and ordered him to move aside, but Thirupaanar, lost in his devotion, did not hear him. Angered by this, the Rishi threw a stone at Thirupaanar and it hit him on the forehead and blood started oozing out. Thirupaanar opened his eyes, noticed the Rishi, apologised to him and moved aside.

Lokasaranga Rishi collected water in the pot and proceeded to the temple. Once he went near the Lord, he noticed that blood was oozing out of the Lord’s forehead. Puzzled by this, he informed the temple Bhattars and other officers who in turn informed the King. Unable to understand the reason, the King requested the Lord for clarification. That night the Lord came in Lokasaranga Rishi’s dream and instructed him to bring Thirupaanar to the temple carrying him on his shoulders. Waking up, the Rishi was surprised by the dream but decided to follow the Lord’s instruction.

He reached Thirupaanar, with his hands above his head perambulated (pradakshinam) Thirupaanar thrice, fell at his feet and conveyed the Lord’s message that the Rishi had to bring Thirupaanar to the temple. Shocked by this, Thirupaanar refused saying that he belonged to a lower caste and cannot step inside the temple. To this the Rishi replied that Thirupaanar need not step inside and he will carry him on his shoulders. Thirupaanar objected to this but the Rishi insisted that it was the Lord’s orders and carried Thirupaanar on his shoulders upto Aranganathan’s sannidhi.

Once he reached the sannidhi, Thirupaanar studied the Lord in detail and sang ten songs in ecstasy. This collection is called Amalanaathipiran. (அமலனாதிபிரான்)

கொண்டல் வண்ணனைக்
கோவல  னாய்வெண்ணை
உண்ட வாயன் என்னுள்ளம் கவர்ந்தானை
அண்டர்கோன் அணிஅரங்கன் என் அமுதினைக்
கண்ட கண்கள் மற்றோன்றினைக் காணாவே

"After seeing the Lord whose  colour is that of  stormy clouds, who has  butter smeared  around his  mouth, who  has stolen my  heart, also The  Lord of The  Devas, The Aranganathan, my love, my eyes refuse to see anything else."

In front of everybody’s eyes, Thirupaanaazhwar became one with the Lord. The Lord blessed Lokasaranga Rishi also for bringing Thirupaanazhwar on his shoulders.
Thirupaanazhwar has sung hymns on the following temples
Srirangam
Tirupathi

Paramapadham

Azhwars : Andal

Andal (ஆண்டாள்)

Andal is the most popular among the Azhwars. All of us know the story of Andal well. All the Tamizh women would have sung her Tiruppavai sometime or the other in their lives.

In Periyaazhwar’s garden, in a Tulsi plant, in the Tamil month of Aadi, valarpirai, chathurdasi thithi, Tuesday, Pooram star, Andal was born. Andal is the amsam of Bhoomidevi.

Periyaazhwar saw the baby in his garden, named her Kothai and brought her up as his own daughter. Kothai grew up hearing the stories of Mahavishnu everyday from Periyaazhwar and her love for Him grew day by day. She was always thinking of the Lord and dreamt of getting married to him.

Periyaazhwar was doing his service of making floral garlands for the Lord of Srivilliputhur. Kothai loved to imagine the Lord as the one who would marry her. Hence, she used to take the garland prepared by her father and wear it everyday and admire herself in the mirror before removing it and placing it in the basket to be taken to the temple.

Periyaazhwar was quite unaware of this daily exercise and used to take the same garland to the temple and decorate the Lord there. It was always accepted by God. One day, quite by chance, Periyaazhwar saw Kothai wearing the garland and was angry. He scolded her for the same and refused to take the used garland to God.

The Lord came in Periyaazhwar’s dream and made him understand that He liked the garland worn by Kothai. Periyaazhwar understood that Kothai was an avatar and named her “Andal” and “Soodikodutha Nachiaar”

Some more years passed and Andal yearned for the Lord and sang Thiruppavai and Nachiaar Thirumozhi in his praise. In Thiruppavai she explained the vrathams to be followed to attain the Lord. To this day reciting Thiruppavai in the month of Margazhi is said to get a girl a good husband.

As a father, Periyaazhwar tried talking to Andal about marriage and Andal made it clear that she will not get married to an ordinary man as she belonged to the Lord. She asked Periayaazhwar detail on the Lords in the 108 divya desams. She was thrilled to hear about the Lord of Mathura, smiled when she heard about Tirupathi Perumal, happy to hear about the beauty of the Lord in Thirumaliruncholai, but she was ecstatic when she heard about Thiruvarangan. She chose Thiruvarangan as her husband and was always thinking about him.

She sang as follows on Thiruvarangan:

கற்பூரம்  நாறுமோ கமலப்பூ நாறுமோ

திருப்பவளச்   செவ்வாய்தான் தித்தி திருக்குமோ 

மருப்பொசித்த மாதவன்றன் வாய்சுவையும் நாற்றமும்  

விருப்புற்றுக்  கேட்கின்றேன் சொல்லாழி வெண்சங்கே  

  

Periyaazhwar wondered how Andal can get married to Perumal and Thiruvarangan came in his dream and instructed him to bring Andal to his temple so that he can accept her. Thiruvarangan also came in the dream of the temple priest and instructed him to go to Srivilliputhur with all the things needed to welcome a bride and bring Kothai. He also came in the dream of the Pandya king Vallabadevan and instructed him to bring Kothai in a pearl palanquin to Srirangam.

Kothai also had many dreams on the Lord that night and she sang thus to her friends:

மத்தளம் கொட்ட வரிசங்கம் நின்றூத

முத்துடைத் தாமம் நிரைதாழ்ந்த பந்தற்கீழ்  

மைத்துனன் நம்பி மதுசூதனன் வந்தென்னைக்

கைத்தலம் பற்றக் கனாக்கண்டேன்   தோழீநான்

  

Pandya king arranged to decorate the path from Srivilliputhur to Srirangam and met Periyaazhwar to explain about his dream. Delighted by the Lord’s karunai, Periyaazhwar arranged for sacred water to be brought from different rivers and Kothai was bathed with this water, dressed up in new clothes and was made to sit in the pearl palanquin. The whole town followed the palanquin on foot. As the procession moved, people praised Andal. The palanquin reached the Srirangam temple entrance, then the front mandapam and then Kothai reached the Lord’s sannidhi. She was drawn to him like a magnet. She went near the Lord, climbed on the serpent bed and became one with Him.

As Periyaazhwar, Pandya King and others were amazed by this, the Lord said to Periyaazhwar that he had become his father-in-law like Samudrarajan and blessed him. He also instructed him to continue his service at Srivilliputhur.

Andal has sung on the following temples:

Ë    Srirangam

Ë    Thirukkanapuram

Ë    Thirumaliruncholai

Ë    Srivilliputhur

Ë    Tirupathi

Ë    Dwaraka

Ë    Mathura

Ë    Aayarpaadi

Ë    Thirupparkadal