SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
vathArikai (Introduction)
When asked “But vEdham has angas (ancillary texts) and upAngas (additional ancillary texts). Does thiruvAimozhi have anything like that?” that is explained here.
chUrNikai 43
vEdha chathushtayAngOpAngangaL padhinAlum polE innAlukkum irundhamizh nUl pulavar panuval ARum maRRai eNmar nanmAlaigaLum.
Simple Explanation
Just as the four vEdhams have angas and upAngas which are 14 in total, for these four (thiruviruththam, thiruvAsiriyam, thiruvAimozhi and periya thiruvandhAdhi), have the six prabandhams of irundhamizh nUl pulavar (thirumangai AzhwAr, who is the great thamizh poet) and the wonderful garlands [of words] of the other eight AzhwArs.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
That is – the four vEdhams namely rig, yajur, sAma and atharvaNa have six angas namely SIkshA, vyAkaraNa, niruktha, chandhas, kalpa and jyOthisha and eight upAngas namely mImAmsA, nyAya, purANa, dharma SAsthra etc [Note: Ayur vEdha, dhanur vEdha, gandharva vEdha, Silpa/artha SASthra are identified as upavEdhams, and are included in vidhyA sthAnas].
Similarly, these four dhrAvida vEdhams (thiruviruththam, thiruvAsiriyam, thiruvAimozhi and periya thiruvandhAdhi), have the prabandhams which are in the form of SAsthrams, given by thirumangai AzhwAr, as said in periya thirumozhi 2.4.10 “kaliyan vAyoli seydha panuval” (thirumangai AzhwAr mercifully spoke this garland of thamizh pAsurams with tune); thirumangaqi AzhwAr has seen the boundary of dhrAvida vEdhams, as said in periya thirumozhi 1.7.10 “irundhamizh nURpulavan mangaiyALan” (thirumangai AzhwAr is an expert in great thamizh SAsthram and is the king of thirumangai region), which cannot be seen by anyone. The four dhrAvida vEdhams also have the distinguished prabandhams sung by the other eight AzhwArs. nAyanAr said “nanmAlaigaL” considering the goodness which was mercifully identified in mudhalAzhwAr’s prabandham mudhal thiruvandhAdhi 57 “naya ninRa nanmAlai” (beautiful garland being in the form of SAsthras) and is applicable for all prabandhams.
thirumangai AzhwAr’s prabandhams are identified as angas for nammAzhwAr’s prabandhams due to the following commonalities:
- Just as incidental defects are spoken by nammAzhwAr in the beginning, i.e., in thiruviruththam 1 “poynninRa gyAnam” (knowledge which is the opposite of truth), thirumangai AzhwAr too sorrowfully spoke about the incidental defects in the beginning, i.e., in periya thirumozhi 1.1.1 “vAdinEn vAdi” (I suffered very much)
- abundance of love towards bhagavAn
- in that, having great attachment towards archAvathAram
- having union and separation, one after another
- speaking in the mood of someone else
- in that, having sorrow in the night, sending messenger, enacting bhagavAn etc, performing madal (a process where a person publicly longs for the beloved), having the states of girl-friend, mother and heroine.
- fearing for the sense organs
- fearing for ISvara’s total independence
- performing prapaththi [act of surrendering] multiple times
- overwhelming sorrow
- being unable to bear the suffering of others, repeatedly advising others etc
As the prabandhams of other AzhwArs too match the meanings presented by nammAzhwAr in his prabandhams, and help in determining the meanings of these prabandhams, they are known to be upAngas for these.
Thus, as said in SrI rangarAja sthavam 2.18 “SIkshAyAm varNa SikshA padhasamadhikamO vyAkriyA nirvachObhyAm chandha: chandha: chithausyAth gamayathi samayam jyOthisham ranganAtha | kalpEnushtAnamuktham hyuchitha gamithayOr nyAya mImAmsayOssyAth artha vyakthi: purANa smruthishu thadhanukAs thvAm vichinvanthi vEdhA: ||” (Oh SriranganAtha! In the angam for vEdham SIkshA, how to pronounce the syllables is explained; in vyAkaraNam and niruktham, knowledge about words are present; in chandhas grammar relating to gAyathri chandhas etc are present; in jyOthisham, the time to perform the rituals are present; in kalpa sUthram, what is to be performed is present; in tharka (nyAya) SAsthram and mImAmsA, clear meanings are present; in purANams and smruthis, explanations with examples are given; vEdham which has such angas is searching for you), just as angas and upAngas of vEdham help the four vEdhams, these prabandhams of other AzhwArs help these four thamizh vEdhams.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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