Day 15, Sanctum 13 - Nammaazhwaar Sanctum

After visiting, Sri Kodanda Ramar Sanctum, turn left from the entrance of the sanctum and travel straight, you can Sri Pillailokacharyar Sanctum on your left.

You will have to cross this 4 pillar mandapam, which is opposite to Sri Pillailokacharyar Sanctum.

Proceed straight and take right near Sri Ramanujar Sanctum. Proceed straight.

One can find Administration office on his/her left.

Travel further straight and on your right, you will find Karthigai Gopuram and Anjaneyar Sanctum on your left.

If you want to revisit Anjaneyar Sanctum, visit :

https://www.vaikuntam.in/post/sanctum-8-sri-anjaneyar-sanctum

Kathigai Gopuram, view 1

Karthigai Gopuram, view 2

Green Guide board - 1

Green Guide Board-2

One can find these above shown green guide board on both sides of Karthigai Gopuram.

Enter the Karthigai Gopuram. Travel straight and take left. On your left, you can find Sri Venugopalan idol in glass shelf on the wall. Proceed straight and you can find Sri Nammaazhwaar Sanctum.

There are few steps to climb in order to enter the main entrance of the Sanctum.

Once you enter the Main Sanctum, you can find two things :

1. Ahead of you, you can see Sri Polindu Nindra Aadinaatha Perumal Sanctum.

2. On your left, you can see Sri Nammaazhwaar Sanctum.

First, we shall get the darshan of Sri Nammaazhwaar and Madhurakavi Aazhwaar.

So, take left and enter Sri Nammaazhwaar Sanctum Sanctorum.

Here, Sri Nammaazhwaar is seen in both Moolavar and Utsavar form. Along with Swami Nammaazhwaar, one can get the darshan of Sri Madhurakavi Aazhwaar.

Here, the Shatari that we get in Sri Nammaazhwaar Sanctum, is called as Sri Ramanujar.

Swami Nammaazhwaar's thiruvadi and Sri Ramanujar's Thirumudi are linked with each other.

Swami Nammaazhwar's thiruvadi is Sri Ramanujar's Thirumudi. While explaining Swami Ramanujar's Avayava Prabhaavam- mastaka: shrIshaThArAti: is being told, i.e.,

Swami Nammaazhwaar resides as Swami Ramanujar's thirumudi (head) .

Swami Nammaazhwaar was born in ThirukkurugUr (Aazhwaar thirunagari) as the child of Kaari and udayanangai. He was born days after the advent of kaliyugam. In bhagavad gIthA, krishnan declares that “After many many birth one comes to the conclusion that everything belongs to vAsudevan (himself). And it is very rare to find such gnyaanis”.(Bhagavat Gita - chapter 6, shloka 41 & 42).

Nammaazhwaar from his life and works proves that he was one such gnyaani who is very dear to emperumaan. Throughout his life (which only lasted 32 years in this samsaaram), he stayed under the tamarind tree (thirupuLiyaazhwaar) and was always in yogam (meditation) thinking about emperumaan. It is said in our purvaachaarya vyaakyaanams that, the moment we hear kurugur (generally in thiruvAimozhi paasurams, the last paasuram of each padhigam will have nammaazhwaar’s name and will generally be prefixed with kurugur which is his avathaara sthalam), we should do an anjali towards the south direction (which is where Aazhwaar thirungari is).

Nammaazhwaar is hailed as prapanna jana kootasthar – i.e., the first one in the prapanna gOshti. He is also hailed as vaishnava kula pati – the leader of the vaishnava fold by AaLavandhar. Alavandaar in his stotra rathnam, 5th slokam declares that he bows down at the lotus feet of vakulaabhiraaman who is everything (father, mother, child, wealth, etc) for him and his followers/descendants.

Swami Nammaazhwaar is known as Shathaari, Shathajit, Shathagopan, as Swami Nammaazhwaar has won the Vayu (Subtle air) known as Shatham (maayai).

Swami Nammaazhwar is also known as Vedam Thamizh Seidha Maaran, as Swami had made all the 4 Vedas (Rig,Yajur,Saama,Atharvana) into Tamizh Vedam (Draavida Vedam), namely - Thiruviruttam, Thiruvaasiriyam, Periya Thiruvandhaadhi, and Thiruvaaimozhi.

Swami is seen along with his disciple Sri Madhurakavi Aazhwaar. Madhurakavi Aazhwaar has sung only one prabandham known as Kanninun Siruthambu, which is a part of mudhal aayiram in 4000 Divya Prabandham.

Madhurakavi Aazhwaar saw his Aachaaryar Swami Nammaazhwaar as Bhagavaan.

Andal had also seen her Aachaaryar, Periyaazhwaar (her father) as Bhagavaan.

Seeing Bhagavaan as Bhagavaan and Aachaaryar as Aachaaryar is normal. But, seeing Aachaaryar as Bhagavaan is something difficult and doesn't come with an ease.

This has made them special and unique among the 12 Aazhwaars in Sri Vaishnava Sampradaayam.

The next Sanctum is Sri Polindu Nindra Aadi Naatha Perumal.

Polindu Nindra Adinaatha Perumal, residing here, is the same deity residing in Thirukurugur (birth place of Swami Nammaazhwaar).

After getting darshan from Nammaazhwaar and Polindu Nindra Aadinaatha Perumal, we come out using the second entrance, which is also the exit staircase. This staircase or entrance is opposite to Nammaazhwaar Sanctum, whereas, the first entrance, through which we entered the Main Sanctum, is opposite to Aadinaatha Perumal Sanctum.

Second entrance to the Sanctum