Catalyst.

Thirumangai Azwar ,who has sung beautiful verses in Tamil ,enumerating the glory of Vishnu ,enshrined in deities all over India ,specially in Tamilnadu ,was a warrior and became the chieftain of places in and around Kumbakonnam ,in the 8 th century A.D .Either he was besotted by a beautiful Sri vaishnavite girl that he promised to feed 1008 devotees of Visnhnu every day for a year to secure her hand in marriage or seeing the Srirangam temples in ruins ,he being an ardent devotee of Vishnu sought to reconstruct it.What ever the cause, in doing so his treasury dipped and he resorted to looting wayfarers and rich traders in the nearby forests in order to fulfill his burning desire .

Legend has it ,that one day he accosted a newly married young couple . Try as he might with all his strength of which he was famed and was proud of ,he couldn't prise away a ring from the finger of the smiling young man. He at once became aware of his limitations and the company and soft words spoken by the radiant young man made him realise his folly to rob one to pay another!He there after mended his ways. He thence forward visited all Temples in the length and breadth of India and has sung verses in praise of the reigning deity in each and every Vishnu temple . These poems are more than a thousand in number!


Thondarapodi Azwar an exponent of Bhakti movement in the 8th century A.D was brought up ,befitting a orthodox temple priest.He was very good looking but was unaware of his appeal ,spending all his time tending the temple's garden and in decorating the deity with garlands. One day a dancer chanced to see him ,labouring in his garden .Attracted by his looks and manner she charmed him out of his pious life. One night he was thrown into the prison on charges of stealing the silver vessel of the temple , a sum to satiate the greed of the dancer's mother ,he wept and realised how low he had sunk and resolved then and there to lift himself up by seeking refuge in Ranganatha.He was freed the very next day and since then he devoted himself solely to worshipping the Lord and wrote several heart stirring poems in his praise .

The following is one his timeless popular verse.


Pachaima malaipolmeni Pavallavai kamala sengan

Achuda, amarar yere!Aayar tham khozhunde yennum

Ich chuvai thavira yaan poi Indira loka aallum

Ach chuvai perinum vendhen arangama nagarullane!


One ,who looks like hills wrapped in green,has mouth like corrals and eyes as red as a lotus,

Achchuda [krishna] Foremost amongst gods.The dazzling light of Yadavas,

Can I derive pleasure ruling Indra's heaven ,on being conferred with it?

Never.

The pleasure derived from chanting the names of the resident of SriRangam is much,much more!