Aychchiyar

Aychchiyar

thiruveLLiyankudi

Aichchiyarazhaippa veNNai uNDu orukAl
AlilaivaLarnda emberumAn
pEichchiyai mulaiyuNDu iNaimarudiruttu
perunilamaLandavankOyil |
kAittaneeL kamuhum kadaliyum tengum
engum AmbozhilhaLin naDuvE
vAitta neerpAyum maNNiyintenpAl
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

emberumAn resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi situated on the southern bank of maNNiyAru which is always full of water. He is the one—who stole butter, ghee etc from the Aichchi’s house in AyarpADi; who swallowed all the worlds and slept on a banyan leaf; who broke the maruda trees as He crawled between them; who drank the milk of pootana along with her life; who measured the three worlds as trivikrama after begging the land from mahAbali as vAmana. The city where He resides is rich in forests full of plantain trees, coconut trees, areca nut trees all of them bearing bunches of fruits.

2. AniraimEittu anrualaikaDal adaittiTTu
arakkar tam SirangaLaiyuruTTi
kArnira mEham kalandadOr uruva
kaNNanAr karudiyakOyil |
poonirai Serundi punnaimuttarumbi
podumbiDai varivaNDumiNDi
tEniraittuNDu anginniSaimuralum
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

kaNNapirAn who grazed the cattle and Sree rAma who built a bridge across the sea to go to lanka and kill the rAkShasas there resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi where there are surapunnai trees bearing flowers and pearl-like buds from which the bees drink honey and sing sweetly.

3. kaDu viDamuDaiya kALiyan taDattai
kalakki munnalakkazhittu avantan
paDamirappAindu panmaNiSinda
palnaDam payinravan kOyil |
paDavaravalhul pAvainallArhaL
payiTTriya nADahattoli pOi
aDaipuDaitazhuvi aNDamninradirum
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

kaNNapirAn agitated the pond where kALiya lived by jumping into it from the top of a kaDamba tree. He danced and defeated his pride. He resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi where there are beautiful women with hood-like hips learn dancing the sound of which is heard in the neighbourhood and vibrate in the sky.

aDaipuDai—is normally interpreted as neighbouring territory but periyavAchchAn piLLai interprets it as ‘day and night’. Perhaps it is the dialect of that region.

4. karavaimunkAttu kanjanaikkAinda
kALamEhattiruvuruvan
paravai munnuyartu pArkaDal turyinra
paramanAr paLLikoL kOyil |
turai turai dOrum ponmaNiSidarum
tohutirai maNNiyin tenpAl
SerimaNimADakkoDikadiraNavum
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

emberumAn who lies on tiruppArkaDal with garuDa as His flag is the one who grazed the cattle, protected them and killed kamsa. This kALamEGa resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi where there is maNNiyAru that brings gold and gems and deposit them along the shores and where tall buildings have flag on their tops which touch the soorya maNDala.

5. pArinaiyuNDu pArinaiyumizhndu
bAradam kaiyerindu orukAl
tErinaiyoorndu tErinaitturanda
SengaNmAl SenruraikOyil |
ErniraivayaluL vALaihaL maruhi
emakkiDamanru idenreNNi
Seermalipoihai SenraNaihinra
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

SengaNmAl—who drove chariot of arjuna and who caused the destruction of the chariots of the enemy camp; who ate all the worlds with all the river, mountains etc. during praLaya and released them out during creation—resides in this divya dESa called tiruveLLiyanguDi where there are acres of fertile lands which are always ploughed. The fish living in these fields are afraid of getting crushed. Hence they leave the fields to live safely in ponds. Similarly mumukShus (desirous of mOkSha) leave the ‘fields of samsAra’ to live peacefully among the saints and BAgavatas.

6. kATTriDaippooLai karandanavarandai
ura kaDalarakkar tamSEnai
kooTTriDai Sella koDungaNai turanda
kOlavillirAman tankOyil |
ooTTriDai ninra vAzhaiyinkanihaL
oozhttuveezhndana uNDumaNDi
SETTriDai kayalhaL uhaLtihazh vayal Soozh
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

Sree rAma who made the rAkShasa army run helter and shelter and die, the greatest archer as He is, resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi where there are plantain groves whose bunches of fruits ripe and fall in to the muddy water. The fish eat and enjoy the taste. They jump and play in this city.

kATTriDaippooLai karandana—The pooLai poo is a kind of tiny flower which get scattered by the wind. Similarly the rAkShasa army was scattered by the arrows of Sree rAma.

7. oLLiyakarumam SeivanenruNarnda
mAvalivELviyilpukku
teLLiya kuraLAi moovaDikoNDu
dikkura vaLarndavankOyil |
aLLiyam pozhil vAyirundu vAzhkuyilhaL
ariyariyenravaiyazhaippa
veLLiyAr vaNanga viraindaruL SeivAn
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

mahAbali decided to perform a yAga and give away whatever he is asked. vAmana entered this yAgaSAla and begged three feet of land which He measured by growing and spreading Himself in all directions. He resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi where the cuckoos hear the BAgavatas chanting the name ‘Hari! Hari! all the time and coo the same.

tiruveLLiyanguDi—Where it is said (veLLiyAr vaNanga) the asura guru ‘Sukra’ performed tapas and got the blessings of BagavAn. veLLiyAr is interpreted as Siva since he is white in colour and smear himself with ash.

8. muDiyuDaiyamararku iDarSeiyyum aSurar
tamberumAnai anrariyAi
maDiyiDaivaittu mArvaikeeNDa
mAyanAr manniya kOyil |
paDiyiDaimADattu aDiyiDaittooNil
padittapanmaNihaLinoLiyAl
viDipahaliravenrarivaridAya
tiruveLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

The mAyanAr who took narasimha avatAra to kill the chief of asuras, hiraNya, by placing him on His lap and killed him with His sharp nails by splitting open the chest. He resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi where there are big mansions whose pillars are studded with gems that cause the difficulty of knowing whether it is dawn, day or night due to their extreme brilliance. (a beautiful poetical fancy of AzhwAr).

9. kuDikuDiyAhakkooDi ninramarar
guNangaLE pidaTTri ninrEtta
aDiyavarkaruLi aravaNaittuyinra
AzhiyAn amarndurai kOyil |
kaDiyuDaikkamalam aDiyiDai malara
karumboDu perunSennelaSaiya
vaDivuDaiyannam peDaiyoDum SErum
vayal veLLiyanguDiyaduvE ||

The AzhiyAn lies in tiruppArkaDal where the brahmAdi dEvas come with their families and retinue to praise Him by singing hymns. Sometimes they come to tell their woes and request His help. He blesses them and help them. He resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi where there are paddy fields and sugarcane fields in which lotuses grow and weeds. The flowers sway as the crops sway in the wind. The swans with their mates who live in the flower enjoy this ‘swing’. In paramapada emberumAn (swan) sits on the throne (lotus) with periya pirATTi (peDai) being fanned by nityasooris (red paddy and sugarcane) on both sides.

10. paNDumunEnamAhi anrorukAl
pAriDandu eyiTTrinirkoNDu
teNDiraivaruDa pArkaDal tuyinra
tiruveLLiyanguDiyAnai |
vANDaraiSOlai mangaiyar talaivan
mAnavEl kaliyan vAyolihaL
koNDivaipADum tavamuDaiyArhaL
ALvar ikkuraikaDalulahE ||

About tiruveLLiyanguDiyAn (who resides in tiruveLLiyanguDi) who as varAha lifted the Boomi and carried her in His tusk, AzhwAr has sung ten pASuras. Those who read and meditate on them will rule over this earth surrounded by seas.

AzhwAr feels that by becoming kings they will serve BAgavatas and BagavAn with their aiSwarya. Moreover he feels the Baktas will get both aiSwaryas—here and in paramapada.