( Mudal Azhwarhal ThiruNakshathram)
(Aippasi – Thiruvonam, Avittam, Sadayam)
PoigaiyAzhwAr, BhoothathAzhwAr and PeyAzhwAr together are known as the mudalAmAzhwArgal. They were born due to Sriman nArAyaNA’s unfailing Will, on consecutive days in the month of Aippasi (TulAmAsam) in the year SiddhArthi of the dwAparayugA.
PoigaiyAzhwAr
TulAyAmSravaNe jAtam, kAnchyAm kAchanavArijAth
dwApare pAnchajanyAmsam saroyoginamASraye
PoigaiyAzhwAr (poigai is translated as ‘lake’) or saroyogi, regarded as a manifestation of the matchless pAnchajanyam, was born unlike mortal beings, on a lotus in a lake in kAnchipuram. He was born under the auspicious SravaNam asterism in the bright fortnight (Suklapaksham) on an ashtami tithi.
BhoothatthAzhwAr
TulA dhanishtAsambUtam, bhootham kallolamAlina:
Teere pullothpale mallApuryAmeedae gadAmsakam
A day after saroyogi’s advent, the divine Koumodaki , the mace of the Lord, took birth as bhootatthAr, in Thirukkadalamallai, which is famous for the SthalasayanapperumAL temple. He was born under the asterism of avittam and came to be known as bhoothathAr. He was born on a neelorpalamalar and pious tradition does not trace his birth to human parentage.
PeyAzhwAr
TulA sathabhishakjAtam mayurapurikairavAth
mahAntam mahatAkyAtam vande srinandakAmsakam
The next day, another miraculous birth was willed by the Lord of Infinite Love, and his faultless sword, nandakam manifested as a child on neidhalnilamalar, known as sevvalli, in Thirumayilai (modern day Mylapore), under the asterism of sadayam. Due to his always being in a state of being enraptured by recollections of the auspicious qualities of the Lord, he came to bear the name of ‘peyAzhwAr’, for he was like one possessed.
A Divine Rendezvous
Not much is known about the early years of these three devotees, and it is highly probable that being incarnations of the divine weapons of nArAyaNA, they spent their time propagating love and devotion (for nArAyaNA) wherever they went.
However in SriVaishNavA history, one particular incident is singled out from the lives of these AzhwArs. This is their celebrated meeting, which is said to have taken place in the hut of sage Mrigandu.
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’.
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