Transcription
Om Namo [Music] Narayanayo. I convey my humble salutations at the holy feet of Chakra Varadacharyam, Suddha Sattva Guruttamam, Srinidhi Raghavam, Vande Abhara Karunagaram, Thridandi Sri Chinnajiyar Swami. I convey my grateful greetings to Isaignani as well. My greetings to everyone gathered here.
Just four questions, after seeing four answers, I will conclude. First question: Why should we know this 4000 Divya Prabandham? Second question: Why is a musical form needed for this? Third question: Why should our Isaignani compose it? Fourth question: What is the benefit we can get from this?
Now, the first question: Why should each of us know the 4000 Divya Prabandham? Nathamunigal, who recovered these Divya Prabandhams, gives five reasons. Bhaktamrutham (Devotion-nectar). This Divya Prabandham, when we recite it, will be sweet like nectar on our tongue. The tongue will just smell fragrant. Shouldn't we drink that nectar fully with our tongue? Shouldn't we drink it with our ears?
Recite an Azhwar hymn, worship before the Lord, and see. "To my Lord who entered my soul with beautiful love, with beautiful sky-crown, conch, discus, sacred thread, garland, red lotus-like wide eyes, red fruit-like mouth, red lotus, red lotus feet, golden divine body. Divine body, sky-light, red lotus eyes, lotus hands. His chest is the abode of Lakshmi, His navel is the abode of Brahma. Is there any place for my Lord Perumal? For Him who mingled within me without any single place. He who mingled within me, with red fruit-like mouth, red lotus. For the shining mountain of light, eyes are feet, hands are lotuses. All seven worlds are within His stomach. There is nothing that is not mixed within Him. He himself is everything, a mountain of emerald. Then the lotus flower, eyes, feet, lotus hands. Always, day, month, year, eon after eon, then and there, my sixth nectar." The Lord will also be sweet. Those hymns will also be sweet. So, to drink that nectar, Arulichchel (Divya Prabandham) is needed.
Two: Viswajananaumodhanam (Universal delight). It gives joy to all people. There is no distinction of 'this person' or 'that person'. There is no gender distinction. There is no necessity to be born in a specific caste. It gives joy to everyone. Every day, by reciting these songs in pure Tamil, each and every one can worship the Lord. This is the second greatness.
Three: Sarvaarthadham (Giver of all benefits). It gives all the benefits you desire. It will give lineage, it will give wealth. All the sufferings that devotees undergo, it will make the earth good. It will bestow the vast sky. It will grant great land with grace. It will give prosperity and other things. It will do what even a mother who gave birth would do. I have found the word that gives good. The name Narayana, eight letters, gives eight things: It will give lineage, it will give wealth. All the sufferings that devotees undergo, it will make the earth good. It will bestow the vast sky. It will grant great land with grace. It will give prosperity and other things. It will do what even a mother who gave birth would do. It will give good. So, to receive all those benefits, shouldn't we recite this every day? This is the third reason.
Next, four: Sri Sadagopa Vaangmayam (Sri Sadagopa's literary work). The Azhwars, including Nammalvar, who incarnated on this Tamil soil, sang in pure Tamil. We, who were born on the soil where those Azhwars incarnated, must necessarily recite the Tamil Vedas, the Tamil hymns of those Azhwars. This is four. Fifth: Sahasra Saakhopanishath Samaagamam (Confluence of a thousand branches of Upanishads). We salute the Dravida Veda ocean. All the concepts of the Vedas are within these Azhwar hymns. The Vedas will say that the Lord is in Vaikuntam. If the same Lord comes towards us as Rama, as Krishna, the Itihasas and Puranas will speak of those incarnations. If the same Lord comes even closer to us, in temples and in our homes, as an Archaavataram in idol form, the Vedas, which are Azhwar hymns, will speak of that Lord. So, if Perumal takes an incarnation, the Veda also takes different incarnations. If He takes Archaavataram, the Veda incarnates as Divya Prabandham called Arulichchel. So this should be known to all of us. We have seen the answer to the first question.
Second question: Is a musical form needed for this Divya Prabandham? Certainly needed. The Azhwars sang and left the Arulichchel hymns. After that, at one point in time, this Divya Prabandham itself became obsolete. People forgot it. A great sage named Nathamunigal appeared. By the grace of child Aaraavamudhaalvaan Perumal and by the grace of Nammalvar, he recovered the 4000 hymns. After recovering, he goes to Veeranarayana Perumal at his native Kattumannarkoil temple. Nathamunigal asked that Perumal, "What should be done for these Prabandhams not to disappear again?" Then that Veeranarayana Perumal, Kattumannarkoil Perumal – they call Him the speaking Perumal – that Perumal said, "You must compose music for these songs if this is not to be lost. Because if it is prose, if it is in poetic form, we will do it today and forget it. But if it is in musical form, it will never be forgotten. You shall compose music for these songs," Veeranarayana Perumal commanded Nathamunigal 1200 years ago. Accordingly, Nathamunigal composed music.
Swami Desikan sings this: "To devotees with good love like the conch of time, the generous one who gave rhythm and sweet music to Tamil Veda. At the feet of Nathamunigal, who established the growing path of penance, let us worship daily, who is equal to us in this world." So, then, 1200 years ago, Nathamunigal was the first to set tunes for Azhwar hymns. That task is being taken up and done by our Isaignani today. Because in his style, he himself said, "He gave wisdom through song, he spoke of devotion through song. I suffered for that song. Those songs are of many kinds," he himself said, didn't he? Therefore, he conveys it through that song. When is he doing it? This is the 1200th year since Nathamunigal incarnated. Exactly four days ago, on June 20th, my humble self had gone to Kattumannarkoil on Aani Anusham, Nathamunigal's 1200th birth star completion. Then, if Isaignani himself is garlanding Nathamunigal, who restored the Dravida Veda, the Tamil Veda, with a musical garland, what a moment this is! Isn't it a moment that makes one's body shiver? Just imagine. So, in connection with that, on Sankara TV, our program 'Dhinandhorum Divya Prabandham' (Daily Divya Prabandham) takes one song daily, and I explain it at 8:30 AM. This too is a service started for Nathamunigal. This is the answer to the second question.
So, if there is a musical form, it will remain forever, it will not be forgotten. Three: Why should Isaignani compose it, if you ask? To compose music for Azhwar hymns, three things are needed: One: excellent musical knowledge. Two: dedication. Three: spiritual strength. I don't need to say who is the only person who has all three. Do I need to speak about his musical knowledge? How great a musician he is, all of you, your applause answers that. To say how great a musician he is: He is a music sage. By his music, the whole world is a moving sage. He is a flesh-sage steeped in music. He is a direction-sage for our lives. He is a glue-sage who makes songs stick in the heart. He is a kneader-sage who mixes divinity with song. He is a gravitational force-sage who attracts our hearts – this Isaignani. So, his musical knowledge is known to everyone.
Okay, musical knowledge alone is not enough; there must be dedication. Even at this age, we cannot see dedication like his in anyone else. That dedication, that dedication is his. That's why not just his songs, even in his BGM, see, if he puts BGM in one place, there will be a reason. If he delays BGM in one place, there will be a reason. If he leaves out BGM in one place, there will be a reason. That is a specialty unique to Isaignani. That dedication, do we just say it for nothing? "If Raja puts his hand, it has never gone wrong." So it will be right. So, whoever puts it, if it is right, he is the one who should set tunes for these hymns. This is two.
Third: spiritual strength. Even if all other things are there, if one has to compose music for those divine hymns of the Azhwars, the composer must also have that spiritual strength and divine grace. No one can deny that he has it in full measure. Is there anyone who has not melted after hearing his song 'Janani Janani'? Is there anyone who has not melted after hearing the song 'Yamunai Aatrile Neera Kaatrile'? So, who else can give divine music like him? Because behind the service to Perumal, Thiruvaranganathan is present. We should not forget that Isaignani is the one who did service for one tier of His Rajagopuram. So, if he, who built a gopuram for Ranganatha (praised by the twelve Azhwars with 247 hymns), is now building a musical gopuram for that Ranganatha, what a moment this is! This is the answer to the third question.
Time is up for us. Fourth question: Now that we have experienced this, from now on, Isaignani's Divya Prabandham music is going to resonate in all our homes every day. What is the benefit we can achieve from this? One: Awareness about these Azhwar hymns will arise in everyone. Because if Isaignani composes music for something, everyone will have a feeling that they must see what it is. So many people have come, haven't we? The thought of what it is will come. Because there might be those who sing and those who don't, but there is no one who doesn't listen to music. So, certainly, this is an awareness. This is an excellent opportunity for the next generation, youngsters, to learn about the Azhwars.
Two: These songs will not be forgotten by anyone anymore. The thing Nathamunigal said then, "If a musical form is given, it will not be forgotten." Now, if we listen to it in Isaignani's music, I will tell a small example. When I was studying in eighth grade, we had a memorization song: "Bent eyebrows and a bubbling smile on coral-red lips, dewy matted locks and milk-white ash on a coral-like body. If one can see the golden feet lifted with sweetness, one would desire human birth in this world." This is a Thevaram song sung by Thirunavukkarasar. Before our teacher said this, the boy sitting next to me said, "How did you say it, man?" "This is a song from the movie Thalapathi, Isaignani composed the music." So, if it's a Thevaram song, they don't know. If it's an Isaignani song, they know. So, if there is a better way for youngsters to remember it than this...
Third: This music is what conveys our feelings, that emotion, well. So, if we say these songs to the Lord, along with Isaignani's music, we can convey our feelings to God. A communication. Until now, the pooja we performed would be a ritual. Tomorrow, when we perform that pooja by reciting this song, our hearts will melt. We can communicate with the Lord. An interaction between God and us. Because music is what is capable of giving that. That's why, see, if I speak again for ten minutes, will anyone listen? Even listening once is difficult. But if Isaignani sings a song, "Say sing it one more time," "Play it one more time." Only for songs is there repeat. For speech, there is no repeat, it's "get lost, you go," that's all. Only for songs, on YouTube, how many times do we listen to his songs again and again? So, what can melt and mingle with that feeling by listening to it again and again is music.
The concluding reason, the important benefit is: Even God will be enchanted by this music. God is the one who yields to music. What can be used to enchant God? One can enchant with music. So, if we recite these hymns with his music, the Lord will be pleased. Krishna said in the Gita, "Vedhanam Sama Vedosmi" (Among the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda). If I am the Sama Veda, which is in musical form among the Vedas, then the same Lord who is in the music of Sama Veda, if He is going to bestow grace upon all of us from Isaignani's music as well, there is no doubt that divine grace will abound for us.
To conclude, I will conclude by reciting some lines written and composed by Isaignani himself: "In a world seeking desire, in a world seeking desire, with the lamp called song, upon the name of Rama, and the sage Thyagaraja, not just Thyagaraja, similarly, the sage Ilaiyaraaja, melted the flesh and lit the lamp in the soul. Oh, the life of his song, that itself he became." Thank you, greetings. Om Namo Narayanaya Om Om Om [Music].