based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai
by Smt Sumithra Varadarajan

Paasuram-16
"soodhanAi kalvanAgi dhoordharOdu esaindha kAlam
mAdarAr kayarkanennum valayul pattu azhundhuvEnai
pOdharE endru solli pundiyutpugundhu * thanpAl
Adaram perugavaiththa azhaganoor arangamandre"

In this paasuram alwar actually recollects his own experience. Generally we all say that talking is easy and doing is difficult. In the case of other alwars they have always been in the thought of bhagavan and hence had no chance to undergo the miseries of the samsAram. So people may say, only if they undergo the same they will know how difficult it is to overcome it. But in case of thondaradipodi alwar he has also been caught in the hold of kamam and undergone all the miseries we jeevatmas undergo. So he now gives out his personal experience and says if you really go and fall in the feet of bhagavan, Sri Ranganathan, then it is sure you will come out of this samsara sAgaram and enjoy the divine bliss under his feet. Sri PVP says, "thanmudaiya poorva vriththAntham arulicheikirAr".

Here let us also get to memory the story of Sri thondaradi podi alwar. Alwar was born in a Brahmin family in mandangudi and was named vipra Narayanan. As he grew up he was thought all Vedas and vedantha and he was so much involved in bhagavat kainkaryam that he left his birth place and decided to go to Srirangam. He sold whatever property he had in mandangudi and in srirangam he purchased a small land where he grew a beautiful garden with variety of flowers. His main job was to take care of the plants in the right way and to pluck the flowers and make garlands for aranganagarappan. He not only made beautiful garlands out of flowers he was deeply involved in the bhakthi towards the lord that he sang two prabhandams, one for waking up the lord in the morning, thirupalliyezhuchi and one thirumaalai(garland of words, this he sang at a later part of his life). When this went on for sometime, emperuman decided to play a little bit with the alwar. He wanted to test alwar's bhakthi.

One dasi by the name devadevi once visited the kingdom of urayoor to entertain the king. On the way back due to rain she and her sister wanted to find some shelter hence came towards the garden of alwar. Alwar didn't even release their presence and he was busy with his kainkaryam. Devadevi who was considered the most beautiful was really surprised to see one man who didn't even lift his head and see her. Her sister told her that he was a para bhAgavatan and will never bother about her beauty or get impressed. But devadevi challenged that she will make him follow her. Then the two decided that this will be a challenge and if devadevi won then the sister will become her servant and viceversa. That day they left but then another day devadevi came simply dressed without any ornaments and started crying in front of vipranArayanar. When asked why she replied that she belonged to the dasi kulam and that she was not interested in the kula thoZhil and wanted to do service to the lord. So she requested him to give some kainkaryam in his garden and a small place to live. Vipranarayanar was innocent and didn't understand her intensions but feeling sorry for her obliged to her request. Days passed and they became close and Devadevi made VipranArAyanar to fall in her net. Now, vipranarayanar forgot all about the kainkaryam and was always enjoying the lowkika kama with devadevi. One fine day devadevi returned back to her house leaving vipranarayanar all alone. But he couldn't stay without her and hence he followed her to her place. She refused to even open the door to him still, he layed crying in the doorsteps of devadevi. The lowkika kAma has such effect. It has totally changed vipranarayanan who was well versed in vedam and who left even his bhandhu mitrargal(relative and friends) and came to Srirangam for the purpose of doing service to lord ranganatha. Now he has forgotten everything and is lying in the doorsteps of a vEsi. One day Sri ranganatha came in veedhi purappadu and also visited alwar. But he was in a state not to even identify perumal and give the due respects. So emperuman returned back with disappointment but thayar who is filled with karunai couldn't stand their kid undergoing such miseries. She talked to perumal and asked why he has left his bhakthan in this state. Perumal replied that even when perumal visited him, he never even saw him. So he cannot do anything about it. But thayar replied with apAra karunyam, how ever the bhakthan may me it is the duty of bhagavan to correct him. This is called as purushakAram in our sampradayam. Piratti talks on our behalf to the bhagavan. So now bhagavan accepted to make vipranarayanar understand his mistake.

Again the bhagavan has a different approach towards anything. He took his own silver vessel and went to the house of devadevi and gave it to her and asked her to call vipranarayanar and make him happy. She did the same thinking, that the boy who came to deliver was a servant of vipranarayanar. The next day the temple authorities were shocked to see the vessel missing and they reported to the king. The king started investigation and the servant maid in devadevi's house who also worked in the temple told that she saw the vessel in devadevi's house. The king sent for devadevi who told that vipranarayanar only gave it to her. When asked vipranarayanar replied that he didn't know anything about this and also that he didn't have any servant boy as stated by devadevi. The king couldn't decide anything but still arrested vipranarayanar and prayed to the lord to show him the justice. The lord in his dream said that he was the one who gave the vessel to devadevi on behalf of his bhaktha and hence to release vipranarayanar. The king did the same that night itself and explained whatever bhagavan told to alwar. It was then that alwar really understood his mistake of forgetting perumal and his kainkaryam and going at the back of this temporary kama. He cried for his mistake and came to the conclusion that only the bhagavatas padha dhooli(the dust under the feet of a bhagavat bhakthan) can purify his sins. So he also changed his name from vipranarayanar to thondar-adi- podi(the dust under the feet of a bhakthan) and from then on did service to emperuman and bhAgavatas without any break. From alwars story we realize that whatever sin we may have committed, emperuman has the power and karunyam to forgive us and take us in the right path. So it is our duty to fall under his feet and beg for forgiveness. And each one of us how bad we may be have the right to go to emperuman for nullifying our sins and also enjoy his kainkaryam.