Sriman nArAyaNA is a cosmic playwright. No, He directs, and sometimes even stars in His own plays. He had decided to orchestrate one such play on that auspicious day and brought each AzhwAr to Thirukkovaloor, where He is worshipped as the Lord who measured the cosmos in three strides. This form of the Lord is worth mentioning with a touch of awe, as it is indeed a visible testimony to His greatness.

That night, PoigaiyAr went in search of a shelter from the elements, and found the hermitage of sage Mrigandu. When he requested the sage to let him spend the night there, the latter welcomed him saying that there was enough room for one person to recline comfortably in the hut. Soon, nArAyaNA moved another piece on his Cosmic Chessboard, and BhootatthAr arrived on the scene. When he sought shelter, the first AzhwAr welcomed him saying ‘although one person can comfortably recline, there is room for two people to remain seated in here’.

NArAyaNA was in full form, and with much delight in His own play, introduced PeyAzhwAr to the other two. They welcomed him saying ‘two people can sit here, but three can surely remain standing.’

Having come together in this most curious manner, they came to recognise each other as fellow VaishNavAs, and indulged in the favourite pastime of VaishNavAs, which is nothing but taking delight in exchanging stories of the Lord’s greatness and sport. As they grew more and more enraptured of the sky-hued Lord, they could feel that a fourth person was standing amongst them. As there was no room for a fourth person, they felt like they were being squeezed by this fourth being. It did not take them long to discern that the fourth person was actually Sriman nArAyaNA, who had decided to take part in His play (as always, for the Lord likes putting on different ‘appearances’ for His sport). This led to a gushing forth of divine verses in nectarine Thamizh.

PoigaiyAzhwAr began his celebrated centum, the mudhalAm thiruvandhAdhi, (an andhAdhi is a poetic style in which the last word of a verse becomes the first word of the subsequent verse), thus,

                             Vaiyam thagaLiyA vArkadalae neyyAga
Veyyakadhiron ViLakkAga
Seyya sudarAzhiyAnadikkae soottinaen solmAlai
IdarAzhi neengugavaeyendru

BhoothathAr joined in, singing,

 Anbe thagaLiyA Arvame neyyAga
InburugusindhaiyiduthiriyA
Nanpurugi JnAnacchudarviLakkaetrinaen nAraNarkku
JnAnatthamizh purindha nAn.

PeyAzhwAr , whose divine intoxication spared him the sense to impart sound SriVaishNava doctrine to future generations, observed with great love,

      Thirukkandaen ponmaenikandaen
Thigazhum arukkanaNiniramum kandaen
SerukkiLarum ponnAzhikandaen purisangam kaikkandaen
EnnAzhivaNNanpAlindru

The three centums sung by the first three AzhwArs are known as MudhalAm thiruvandhAdhi, irandAm thiruvandhAdhi and moondrAm thiruvandhAdhi. PeyAzhwAr brought the siddhA, SivavAkkiyar into the fold of SriVaishNavam, and this saint became famous as ThirumazhisaiyAzhwAr. Tradition has it that these AzhwAra lived for thousands of years spreading the glories of Sriman nArAyaNA and finally attained their rightful place in SriVaikuntham.

To know more about Sri PoigaiyAzhwAr Sri BhoothatthAzhwAr & Sri PeyAzhwAr please browse this link

                          PoigayiAzhwAr Thiruvadigale Saranam
BhoothathAzhwAr Thiruvadigale Saranam
PeyAzhwAr Thiruvadigale Saranam