I JUST JOINED PS GROUP FEW DAYS AGO. I AM GREATLY EXCITED TO KNOW THAT THERE IS AN EXCLUSIVE YAHOO GROUP FOR PS. I AM AN ARDENT FAN OF KALKI KRISHNAMOORTHI AND HIS PS. I AM A PH.D., DOCTOR IN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, CURRENTLY RESIDING IN CHICAGO, USA.
I WAS MUCH FACINATED BY THE FACT THAT THE THE CORE INCIDENT FOR PS IS THE SACRIFICE OF KINGDOM BY ARULMOZHIVARMAR, WHICH WAS VERY MUCH EVIDENT FROM THIRUVALANGATTU SEPEDUGAL, AS PER KALKI. BECAUSE I HAVE VISITED THIRUVALANGADU AND ITS MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE SEVERAL TIMES.
EVEN AFTER READING PS SEVERAL TIMES, I HAVE SOME DOUBTS TO BE CLARIFIED.
IN PS, WHO IS THE MURDERER OF AADITHYA KARIKALAR?
IT IS NOT PAZHUVETTAYAR, NOR VANDHIYATHEVAN, NOR MANIMEGALAI, OFCOURSE. IT IS NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE WHETHER IT IS NANDHINI OR RAVIDHASAN OR AD, COMITTED SUICIDE. IN THE MUDIVURAI ALSO, IT IS SAID THE NANDHINI TELLS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MURDER BUT THERE IS NO MENTION ABOUT THE MURDERER.
SOMEBODY CLATIFY ME, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN WHICH PART IT IS MENTIONED CLEARLY. OR SHOULD WE GUESS THAT IT IS NANDHINI'S WORK?
I recently signed up on this group and I am so happy to be here, among fellow PS-lovers (and I'm sorry to have missed joining you all earlier). I would have read PS at least a hundred times, and I'm now longing to get my hands on the book again, after going through some of the posts.
The evidence to support the theory that Ravidasan & co murdered AK is interesting. Though there is no clear mention of this by Kalki in PS (albeit a deliberate ploy to keep the suspense intact), he possibly thought of unraveling the mystery in a later sequel. Unfortunately, Kalki passed away before he could do this, and we have lost what would certainly have been a great sequel to a great novel (IMHO, none of the other so-called sequels deserve to be called so).
In Sri.Sivapathasekaran's observations following the description of the Siva temple near Veeranam, there are a couple of errors, though: Manavala Mamunigal, the great Srivaishnava Saint, was not born here; his place of birth was Kidaram, near Poonamallee. It was Nathamunigal who was born here. Quite possibly, Sri.Sivapathasekaran got the two names - Nathamunigal and Manvala Mamunigal mixed up.
In fact, Kalki refers to this Acharya's birth and his lineage as important milestones in Srivaishanava culture. As Azhwarkadiyan sings verses from Prabhandam in the Veeranarayanaperumal temple, a small boy attentively listens to him. This boy, in Kalki's words, grows up to be none other than Nathamunigal himself.
Before Nathamunigal's birth, the 4000 verses, collectively known today as Nalayira Divya Prabhandam were lost, as no records of the Azhwars' songs were available. Nathamunigal brought them back to their glory, with the blessings of saint Nammazhwar in Thirukkurugur. Interestingly, according to Srivaishnava Guruparampara texts, Nathamunigal got so impressed by the divine beauty of the ten Thiruvaimozhi verses he heard in a temple (opinion differs as to which temple this was - it was either the Sarangapani - Aravamudan temple at Kumbakonam, or the Veeranarayanaperumal temple at Veeranam) and engaged himself in the ardous task of finding the rest. It was not Sri Ramanuja, but Nathamunigal, who compiled the verses too (much before Sri Ramanuja was born).
The Guruparampara texts just talk about some unnamed Srivaishnavas' singing of the verses, stirring up Nathamunigal. Kalki, using his literary licence, gives the credit of catalysing the revival of Prabhandam, through Nathamunigal, to our beloved Azhwarkadiyan!
Manavala Mamunigal was born in Kidaram. Fine. This is Sikkil Kidaram, very close to Thiruppullani. This is not near Poonamalee. Some opine that he was actually not born in Sikkil Kidaram but in Azhwar Thirunagari, near Thirunelveli.
Also, the temple in which the 10 pAsurams was sung was indeed Veeranarayana Puram or Kaattu Mannar Koil. And the pAsurams were that of Aravamudhan of Thirukkudanthai. There is absolutely no doubt that the temple in question was Kaattu Mannar Koil.
I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing out my mistake about Kidaram.
I am not sure about the other aspect, though - My hometown is Kumbakonam, and we Kudanthai people want to take credit for the incident that changed the life of Nathamunigal and the Srivaishnavite community in general. In fact, when I grew up in the temple town, I had heard from my elders that the incident we're talking about happened in Thirukkudanthai (this is what the Wikipedia article about Divyaprabhandham says - personally I don't trust everthing that's in Wikipedia, but don't ask me if the article has been written by a Kumbakonamite). You're right about the 10 beautiful pasurams that start with "Aaraa Amudhey" - they are of course dedicated to the presiding deity of Aravamudhan in Kudanthai.
To add more - according to Guruparamparai, the pasurams that Azhwarkadiyan sings in PS are not the ones that got Nathmunigal started in his quest, but the Acharya was just a boy when Azhwarkadiyan visited Veeranarayanapuram. Later in his life, Nathamunigal heard the verses starting with "Aaraa Amudhey" from another set of devotees. Nevertheless, Azhawarkadiyan had introduced at least a few verses to Nathamunigal, and in this sense, he had played a key role.
In any case, I have enough reasons to be proud of being a Kumbakonamite - the best astrologer that lived during Chola times belonged to our town. I am also proud that the hero and heroine of PS first met each other (and what a meeting it was) in Kudanthai. Need I say more?
Thanks. I didn't know Vinjamoor Venkatesh is also known as Vengeancemoor Venkatesh (just joking, Venkatesh, no hard feelings). I've already got one rejoinder from him, and I was indeed happy to be rapped in the knuckles for my mistake. I didn't know either that you had intentionally said Manavala Mamunigal just to get our friend started....
I've posted another reply, and I am looking forward to Venkatesh's reponse.....
Honestly, some how I missed this point in your mail. Only when "our" Wikipedia, buzzed me about a reply from Ravi, I noticed it. Otherwise, you were very correct in your manipulations about me. :- ) :-).
Thank you. Regarding the Kumbakonam incident. I feel that the words in Wikipedia are not reflecting the truth. They might have wanted to say "ArAvamudhE..." on Kumbakonam. Instead it was written as "at" Kumbakonam which has caused the confusion.
Nowhere, to my knowledge (pls correct me if I am wrong) in any of the Guruparamparai, it is mentioned that Nathamunigal was in Kumbakonam when he first heard the pAsurams.
Rest regarding the Azhwarkkadiyan giving some intro Nathamunigal as a child is just the fictional part, as Kalki himself has declared that Azhwarkkadiyan is not a true character but a fictional one. Good for the story but not for hi"story".
aye....... good rhyming.... :-):-) summa appidi oru flowla vandhadhu.
Yes, it is very close to Thiruppullani or Dharbasayanam from where Dasaratha is said to have acquired the Payasam. Some believe that the Sethu-karai is actually in Thiruppullani. I had been there. But the interesting part is, when some one sees the bridge on Map, one would find that Thiruppullani is much south from where the actual bridge is. I dont know how it came to be considered as the Sethu Karai. Probably because Sri Rama is said to have rested there before the beginning of the building of the bridge.
One more reason could be, the Srivaishnavites would want to associate everything with a Divya Desam. Since that was the only Divya Desam close by, its shore might have chosen for Sethu Karai, as it is not too far away from the Sethu. Until about 15 years, there use to be boat services to the Bridge, from this place. Many of my relatives have gone and seen the bridge for themselves. Well I am not lucky though.
And yes, some people consider that Manavala Mamunigal was born in Thirukurugoor/Azhwar Thirunagari.
The reason for the difference in view is, Manavala Mamunigal's father was living in Azhwar Thirunagari. While his maternal uncle was living in Sikkil Kidaram. Those who claim Sikkil Kidaram as the birth place, rest there claim on the practice that the women go to their father's place for the delivery. Those who argue in favour of Azhwar Thirunagari, rest their case on works like "Yathindra Pravana Prabhavam", which gives an historical account of Manavala Mamunigal, in which it is said as Azhwar Thirunagari.
And this goes on and on and on.
Just for the information, Sikkil - Singaravelar and Uttharakosa Mangai are the other famous temples near Sikkil Kidaram.
Dont worry. No ill feelings. You dont need a rejoinder for the next mail that you posted. Nevertheless I have not disappointed you. I have replied to it already.
Thiru surely takes most of the credit for the new subscriptions. Ponnyinselvan.in is an amazing brain child. Earlier, searching for mails in yahoo groups site (which i do rarely) is quite difficult. Now a days I used the site to do the search and its quite precise as what i like to see as search result.
Great work Thiru. And the best part is, whatever we post gets reflected in google search in less than 1 hour(and the flip side is, as SPS points out quite often, even unpleasant mails get listed in less than 1 hour )
BTW, I am going to miss the forthcoming trip..
and
Venkatesh, SPS
Suganya is coming to India in next couple of weeks for a 3 week vacation. She is not checking her mails these days (romba busyam...scene thangala. but whenever I talk with her, she is in some shopping mall)
I am sure there are more than 1561 PS lovers (the current count of members) in the world! I don't remember if there has been any write-up on the PS group in Kalki magazine, or in newspapers published from Chennai. There must be a lot of people out there who are not aware of this group (for instance, I signed up only a few days back, having discovered the group quite by accident).
How about getting the current editorial team of Kalki being sounded out on our activities?
Remember one Q&A in Hai Mathan (Anandha Vikadan) There was a question Which is the largest unregistered organization (If not the same wordings something in that sense) For which Mathan Answered its the Fan club of PS and he also said that he is proud to say that he is also one among them
Really its a good idea... sure we mustdo this! We must show our people (who acts as if they have nothing to do with the olden ages and thinks that it's a waste of time) that Old is always gold and there are always lovers for it! :)
Wow, I didn't know Madhan was a fellow PS Group member.
Madhan Sir, if you're reading this mail, maybe you can help the group get some visibility through Kalki, Ananda Vikatan, The Hindu.... and why not, on a couple of TV Channels as well?
Kalki would be the ideal choice, as many of us are emotionally still attached to the magazine (and looking forward to the next serialization of another Kalki's novel)...
if you're in this group i have to thank you mainly for one thing. when i was in school, i used to read jokes in Anandha vikadan.In the section "madhan's Q&A", i came to know about the existence of the Pallippadai kovil of our Great Thala, Rajaraja Cholan!
At that time i couldnt go and visit the tomb of our beloved king. But, 3 months back, i went to that place. i also brought some sand from the tomb (since its Holy), and kept in my showcase!
if you're in this group i have to thank you mainly for one thing. when i was in school, i used to read jokes in Anandha vikadan.In the section "madhan's Q&A", i came to know about the existence of the Pallippadai kovil of our Great Thala, Rajaraja Cholan!
At that time i couldnt go and visit the tomb of our beloved king. But, 3 months back, i went to that place. i also brought some sand from the tomb (since its Holy), and kept in my showcase!
In his mail Ravi Chaari had mentioned that there are more than 1561 PS lovers. He was refering to the number of members in our yahoo groups. For this, I quoted a Q & A from Hai Madan which was published long back. Organised lovers of PS are 1561 ... But Mr Madan was referring to unorganized lovers who are scattered all over the world! If there was any ambiguity in my mail please forgive me...
In the section "madhan's Q&A", i came to know about the existence of the Pallippadai kovil of our Great Thala, Rajaraja Cholan! > > At that time i couldnt go and visit the tomb of our beloved king. But, 3 months back, i went to that place. i also brought some sand from the tomb (since its Holy), and kept in my showcase!
Hi sri
this i believe is a question which is yet to be settled, but do write in more detail of this place