It is God who has to face insuperable difficulties to liberate samsãris ('jivas'). In this endeavor both God as well as the samsãris are obstinate - God, to liberate the samsãris and the samsãris, to escape His clutches, as they do not desire liberation. Men also struggle relentlessly for this (to escape God's desire to liberate). The sages say,

"Manidargalãga padãda pãdu pattu"
"Struggle as human beings".

God gave the Vedas in order to uplift man. But those who acquired Vedic learning turned out to be mere scholars without acquiring (true) knowledge. Instead of the destruction of the ego, the root cause of man's misery, it fattened up their ego. So, the Lord incarnated Himself on the earth. In 'Ramavatãram' (incarnation as Lord Rama) the Lord lived as a 'dharmãtma' concealing His true nature. But many questions were raised, viz. his killing 'Vãli' in an indirect fight thus raising a doubt about his Valour: his sending his pregnant wife Sita away to the forest to appease a dhobi.

And in His next avatar as Lord Krishna, he did not conceal His identity but revealed Himself at every stage of His life. However, His 'rãsa lila', trickery used by Him on the great battlefield of Kurukshetra were all scoffed at. His 'Viswaroopa Darshan' failed to bring about the expected change in Arjuna's attitude but instead only frightened him further.

When His attempts through the Vedas and His own Avatãrs failed the Lord decided to use Mahãtmãs as His hands and send them to the earth to uplift man.

Kalau kalubhavishyanti Nãrãyana parãyanãh paroksha priyahdevah"
("In Kaliyugam there shall be a continuous line of Mahãtmãs who will sing the Name of Lord Nãrãyanã!")

says the Vedas.

"Tãmrabarani, Kritamãla, Payasvini,..."
("These Mahãtmãs will be born in the belt spanning such rivers as Tãmrabarani, Vaigai, Pennaru, Cauvery...")

The Ãzhwãrs (the twelve Vaishanava Saints) have all been born in these belts. They are the Nityasuris. Those who serve the Lord in SriVaikuntam are Nityasuris. They are called Divya Suris and the temples that have been sung by them are called Divya Desams. The Mangalasãsana Pãsurams (Divine hymns) sung by them is collectively called Divya Prabandham.

The difference between Maharishis and ordinary human beings is that of a mountain and a small mound. And, the difference between Maharshis and Ãzhwãrs (the twelve Vaishanava Saints who exemplified the path of Bhakti) is that of an ordinary Mountain and the mighty Himalayas!

The gods shown by the Maharshis cannot be perceived with the eyes. Whereas, the Ãzhwãrs have sung the'Archãvatãrs' (idols) as,

"Tiru Allikeni Kandene!" -
(I saw the Lord of Tiruallikeni! - Lord Pãrthasarathy) and
"Tanpãl ãdaram perugavaita Azhagan oor Arangamanro!"
(Is not Arangam the city of the one who made my heart overflow with love for Him?)

Thus they enabled even the lowly, undeserving people to see the gods in 'arcchãvatãr' (idols). The gods shown by the Ãzhwãrs can be easily seen by everyone.

Even though the Ãzhwãrs belonged to different periods of time they had no differences in their opinion that it was Lord Nãrãyanan who had to be realised, that Nãma Kirtanam (singing the praise of the Lord) the only way for this and that the purpose of human life was His service. But the Maharshis, even while being contemporaries had differences of opinion beginning from such ordinary subject as 'Anushtãnam' (simple daily religious practices). So, even from this perspective, Ãzhwãrs are superior to the Maharshis. Further they had all come from the same abode. Hence, "Pesitrre Pesalalãl" - they will not speak differently.

Ãzhwãrs have been the pioneers of the path of Bhakti. Even the Nãyanmãrs (the sixty-three Devotees of Lord Siva) came later, as did the other great devotees like, Tukãram, Nãmdev, etc.

Ãzhwãrs' Jnana (knowledge) came through the grace of the Lord. On the contrary, the Jnana of the Maharshis was based on their learning, practice and strength of their tapas that are limited.

Even though the Ãzhwãrs are twelve in number, since Madhurakavi Ãlwar sang the praises of his 'Ãchãrya' (spiritual teacher) and since Ãndal secured the place of the consort beside the Lord Himself, there are indeed only ten Ãzhwãrs (like the ten avatars of the Lord Himself) leaving these two Ãzhwãrs.

They are,
1. Poikaiãzhwãr
2. Boodatãzhwãr
3. Peyãzhwãr
4. Thirumazhisaiãzhwãr
5. Nammãzhwãr
6. Kulasekarãzhwãr
7. Periyãzhwãr
8. Thondaradipodiãzhwãr
9. Thirupãnãzhwar
10. Thirumangaiãzhwãr

Of all the Ãzhwãrs, Periyãzhwãr enjoys a special status. While the other Ãzhwãrs had affection for Perumal, Periyãlwar had overflowing affection combined with compassion (!) for the Lord. Since Periyãzhwãr married off his daughter Kodhai (Ãndaal) to Lord Rangan, he sang,

"Pallãndu, pallãndu, pãllãyirathãndu, palakodinoorayiram
Mallãnda tintol mannivannã un sevadi sevvi tirukãppu...."
He blesses the Lord, "May You live long!"

In the Vaishnava tradition, Periya (big, allusion to being foremost) Koyil (temple) denotes Sri Ranganathar Temple, Periya Perumal denotes Lord Sri Ranganathar, Periya Pirãtti denotes Sri Ranganayaki Thãyãr, Periya Jeeyar denotes Sri Manavãla Mãmunigal, Periyavãcchãn Pillai is the one who wrote commentaries on all the 4000 Pãsurams and the Periyãzhwãr is the Ãlwar who sang the praises of Periya Perumal. Periyãzhwãr is considered as the only brother of all the other ten Ãzhwãrs. Since Ãndal was the only daughter of Periyãzhwãr, she received the Sridhanam (the dowry (blessings) that goes with a bride) of all the Ãzhwãrs.

"Vedam annaitirkum vitãgum"

Ãndal's Thiruppãvai is considered as the seed of all the Vedas.

Epics such as Srimad Rãmãyanam, Srimad Bhãgavatam and Mahãbharatam are only the essence of the Vedas. The very first chapter of Srimad Bhãgavatam says,

"Nigama Kalpataror galitam phalam...."
(The fruit borne on the tree of the Veda)

Mahãbharatam is referred to as "Iti panchamo Vedah"

But, the essence of Tiruppãvai is the Vedas! Tiruppãvai is greater than even the Upanishads, which is the total essence of the Vedas. The reason being, the Upanishads say to the Ajnãni (the ignorant, one who does not the true knowledge)

"Uththishtata! Jãgrata! Prãpyavarãn! Nibotata!"
"Awake! Be careful! Attain the result! "

Whereas, Thiruppãvai not only awakens us, the 'ajnãnis', but also the Lord Himself (!) and the Ãzhwãrs who are 'Ãcchãryãrs'! But the Ãzhwãrs are not ajnãnis! Where is the need to awaken them? Due to the desire that all should enjoy the experiences of the Ãzhwãrs that Thiruppãvai wakes them up! By waking Nammãzhwãr, who had sat under the tamarind tree till his 16th year enjoying the everlasting bliss, in solitude, Madhurakaviãzhwãr has blessed us all to experience in 'ghoshti' (together) that which Nammãzhawãr had enjoyed in solitude.

Similarly, the Gopis of Vrindavan are also not ajnãnis. Ãndal says in her Thiruppãvai,

"Koodi irundu kullirndelorempãvãi"
"Let us all together enjoy bliss"

Ãndãl, in her Tiruppãvai, awakens everyone so as to enjoy the divine play of the Lord together. Thiruppãvai is greater than the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita frightens people with various kinds of sadhanas to reach God. In His upadesa to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna, spoke elaborately on the various kinds of paths, viz. karma, yoga, jnãna, Bhakti. But in the end the Lord, in an embarrassed tone, declared

"Mãm ekam sharanam vraja"
"Surrender unto ME only

What Bhagavad Gita says finally, Ãndal declares the same boldly in her very first 'Pãsuram'!

"Nãrãyanane namakke paraitaruvãn"
("Only Lord Nãrayanã will grant us Vaikuntam")

Hence, Tiruppãvai is greater.

To be continued ....

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