Beginner’s guide – mudhalAzhwArgaL – part 1

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Previous Article

Full Series

ANdAL pAtti is planning to take vyAsa and parAsara to mudhalAzhwArgaL sannidhi in srIrangam and explain them their glories.

poigai AzhwAr

bhUthaththAzhwAr

pEyAzhwAr

ANdAL pAtti: vyAsa and parAsara! Today we will go to mudhalAzhwArgaL sannidhi in the temple.

vyAsa and parAsarA: Great pAtti. Let us go now.

ANdAL pAtti: Let me tell a little bit about them while we walk towards their sannidhi. mudhal means first. We already know the meaning of AzhwAr – one who is immersed in devotion. So, mudhalAzhwArgaL are the first amongst the 12 AzhwArs.

vyAsa: Why is there a plural in mudhalAzhwArgaL pAtti? Are there more than one “first” AzhwAr?

ANdAL pAtti: Ha! Ha! Very nice question. Yes, amongst the AzhwArs, the first 3 AzhwArs are always quoted together.

parAsara: Why pAtti? Are they like pancha pANdavas who were always together?

ANdAL pAtti: Very nice example parAsara. Yes – though the first 3 AzhwArs were born in 3 different places, through a divine event, they came together and met at thirukkOvalUr dhivya dhEsam and worshipped/enjoyed srIman nArAyaNan together. After that incident, they are generally quoted together.

vyAsa: What is that divine event pAtti? I am so curious to know about it.

ANdAL pAtti: Surely, I will tell you that incident. But before that, we understand a little about the 3 AzhwArs. First AzhwAr is named poigai AzhwAr – sarO yOgi. Second AzhwAr is bhUthaththAzhwAr – bhUtha yOgi. Third AzhwAr is known as pEyAzhwAr – mahathAhvaya.

parAsara: When and where were they born pAtti?

ANdAL pAtti: All 3 of them were born in the previous yuga – dhvApara yuga (the yuga when krishNAvathAram took place).  All 3 of them appeared from flowers. poigai AzhwAr was born on aippasi thiruvONam in a pond in thiruvekkA in kAnchIpuram. bhUthaththAzhwAr was born on aippasi avittam in a pond in thirukkadalmallai – now you know this place as mahAbalipuram. pEyAzhwAr was born on aippasi sathayam in a well in thirumayilai – now you know this place as mylApUr.

vyAsa: Wow! They were born from flowers. So, dont they have mother and father?

ANdAL pAtti: Yes, they were blessed by bhagavAn during their birth itself and they fully considered thAyAr and perumAL as their mother and father.

parAsara: Oh, that is wonderful to know. So, how did they meet and what was that divine incident?

ANdAL pAtti: Well, they were individually travelling to different kshEthrams and were worshipping bhagavAn in many places. That was their life – just go to a temple, worship perumAL and stay there for a few days and then move on to the next one.

vyAsa: That sounds so wonderful – no need to worry about anything else. Wish we could do that too pAtti.

ANdAL pAtti: Yes. Look we have arrived at mudhalAzhwArgaL sannidhi. Let us go in and have their dharsan. We will continue with rest of their life on return.

Authors: sArathy rAmanuja dAsan