At Tirukundanthai Andavan Tirumanimandapam Srirangam Ubha. Ve. Adoor Asuri Madhavachariar’s upanyasam on Tiruppavai and Tiruneduntandakam took up the 29th pasuram of Tiruppavai and Pasuram 7 and 8 of Tirunedunthandakam.We should follow Andal’s footsteps and observe Tiruppavai Nonbu for 30days. Otherwise listen to 29th pasuram and get the benefits.This pasuram takes people on the path of saranagathi. For those who have taken saranagathi it lists the way a saranagathan should live. Saranagathi is not always done for mokshaprapthi. Some do sarangathi to get aishwaryam, others for kaivalyam and others for moksham. Gajendrazhwar wanted to be freed form pain, Draupadhi did saranagathi for saving her honour. Sugreeva saranagathi was for getting kingdom. Kakasuran did saranagathi to save his life. Lakshmana did saranagathi to accompany Rama to the forest. Devas did saranagathi to be freed from Ravana’s atrocities. It did not yield results immediately. It happened only after Ravana vadham. Similarly Bharatha did saranagathi asking Rama to return to Ayodhya. This happened only after 14 years. Meanwhile Padhuka Devi saved the situation by going with Bharatha. Rama could fulfil the saranagathi of the gods, the rishis and Vibhishana.
In “ Sirrum Sirukale ,”Andal and the gopis ask for saranagathi in order to do continuous kainkaryam to Perumal .Bhakthi yogam will yield results slowly but Prappathi will give immediate results. He is Prapyan (the One to be attained) and the sadhanam(means) is prappathi. “Pottrum porul kelay” singing His praises is the upayam(way) to attain Him. ”kutreval “ is kainkaryam and Andal prays that all desires should be directed to Him. The desire for material things go and also amushmika purushartham like swargam are not desired, What is the goal of the prayer? Is it Brahmanubhavam or nitya kainkaryam? A Bhakthi yoga nishtan is always contemplating on Him so he gets Brahmanubhavam. A saranagathan asks for eternal service so he gets to do continuous kainkaryam. Kainkaryam could be vaachika( talking about Him, singing His glories), kaayika ( cleaning the temple, making garlands ) and maanasika(japam).  Swami’s niranyam(conclusion) is that since all  mukthatmas get equal anandam in Srivaikuntam so both bhakthi yoga nishtan and saranagathan get equal anubhavam and kainkaryam. ”Unakey” indicates  You alone. Devathantharams , chetana and achethanas are His shariram and He pervades the whole cosmos.
Swami then moved on to the Pasuram -8. Tirumangaiazhwar moves to Kanchi divyakshetram to do mangalasasnams of the kshetrams in and around Kanchi. Deva Perumal is the antaryami of all the Perumals of Thondaimandalam. “Nagareshu  Kanchi” (among mukthi giving cities Kanchi stands first)goes the adage which lists jaathi pushpam , ( a kind of jasmine)and  Vishnu (Vishnu is the foremost among men). Kanchi is known as Satyavratha kshetram and any good deed done here yields multifold results. Varadarajan is the king of granting prayers. He is the samrakshakan of our sampradhaya. Alavandar prayed to Varadarajan that Ramanuja should be made propounder of Vishistadvaitha. Alavandhar had seen Ramanuja in Yadava Prakasa’s group and was attracted by his tejas. On enquiring he was told that he had a questioning mind and was disturbed by the neecha upamanam ( low level comparison) his teacher  had given to Perumal’s Eyes. Yadavaprakasha  while explaining”Kapyasam Pundarikaksham” had compared the Eyes of Perumal to the derriere of a monkey. This low comparison pained Ramanuja and brought tears into his eyes. At the behest of his teacher he gave the explanation as the One having eyes like a lotus in full bloom. It was Deva Perumal who blessed Swami Desikan when he was one year old and had come to the temple for first time. Swami Desikan says that the first decad of Tiruvaymozhi is dedicated to Deva Perumal. Archanubhavam comes due to acharyashrayam. Madhavachariar swami went on to list the archanubhavam of his acharyan Tirukundanthai Andavan swami and his mastery over azhwars divya sukthis. When Andavan swami returned after his north India yatra to Kanchipuram, P.B, Anangracharya swami introduced him as one who could not do upanyasams without reference to azhwar prabhandhams.Andavan swami walked through the length and breadth of India and was highly venerated by all. Mukkur Srimadh Azhaghiasingar gave orders to his kainkaryaparas to accord swami the maryadhais due to Srimadh Azhaghiasingar when Andavan swami did mangalasasanams to Tiruvallur Veeraraghava Perumal.(Tiruvallur temple is under the aadinam of Sri Ahobila Muth) Vinnathangarai swami of Poundrikapuram  ashram was elated that Andavan swami covered by foot the divyadesams from Sethu to Himachalam. Likewise during Vanamamalai sadas Srimadh Andavan was given the honour of reciting Vanamamalai pasurams by the then Vanamamalai jeer swami. Such was the paraspara affection between yathishvaras. Moving on to Kanchi divyadesams swami quoted Venkatdwari kavi   in Vishvagunadarsha champoo  says that the ladies of Kanchi have large eyes because they keep having darshanam of Deva Perumal . All the divyadesams in Kanchi and situated close to each other and with proper guidance can be covered in a single day.
Writeup & Video : Vyjayanthi & Sundararajan
