Pages 36-39
In the ancient divisions of Tamizhagam, Vizhuppuram is located in the area of TirumunaippAdi in the NadunAdu.
Nadunadu has other names, Sethi Nadu, MalAdu Nadu, said SriCharaNar, and added that there is an opinion that even Tirumunippadi was another name for Nadunadu. "But then nadu is the madhyabhAgam (central part); whereas munai is the tapering place. Howsoever then Nadunadu became MunaippAdi?", he also raised this question. Saying that for the king who adopted and brought up Sundaramurti SwamigaL, there was a name Munaiyaraiyar, he clarified that Munaiyaraiyar was only the king of Munaippaadi. The name Tirumunaippadi might have referred to one end of Nadunadu; since there are many places that end with the term 'pAdi', Muniappadi could as well have been the name of a place at a tapering end of Nadunadu and later that name might have come to be referred to the surrounding areas too.--it seems that he was of this opinion.
Since it was the middle part of Tondai Mandalam and Chozha Mandalam, it became 'Nadunadu'. Our Acharya PerumAn, the embodiment of neutrality, has taken avatara in Vizhuppuram in Nadunadu, which was located between the Tondai Mandala Kanchi and the Chozha Mandala Kudanthai (Kumbakonam)--both these places having received a special connection with SriMaTham!
The greatness of Nadunadu is limitless. It was only in an idaikazhi (narrow place) of a house in this idainAdu (middle country) that the first three Azhvars (Poigaiyar, Boothathar and Peyazhvar) met accidentally (since they had to be huddled there to escape from rains), NamperumaL (Lord Vishnu) came as the fourth, pressurized them and obtained an antAdi song from each of them and created the Nalayira Divya Prabhandam known as the Dravida Vedam. This great incident took place in Tirukkovalur in Nadunadu.
For the country Nadunadu--specifically the part around Vizhuppuram--that obtained such a great honour in Vaishnavam, there are many honours in Saivam.
Tiruvamur where Appar Peruman took avatara, Tiruvatikai where he returned to Saivam from the Jaina religion, Tirunavalur where Sundaramurti SwamigaL took avatara, and TiruveNNainallur where Iraivan (Shiva) took charge of him and made him sing a song on His glory--these uttama sthalas (lofty places) are located near Vizhuppuram. TiruveNNainallur has also the honour that the Saiva Santana Acharya MeikaNda Tevar lived there. Tiruturaiyur, a Padal Petra Sthalam and the place of Arunandi Sivacharyar, is also located near Vizhuupuram.
Since the Advaita Sampradaya Sannyasis forgo their shikhA (hair) and do muNDanam (tonsure) they are known as muNDa(r), munDi(n). Among the Patal Petra Sthalams near Vizhuppuram, there is a place bearing the very name Mundeechvaram (muNDIchvaram). Next to Vizhuppuram is another place called Mundiyampakkam with a railway station. I had mentioned in my earlier-written essay about our Turavi Vendar's (ascetic king's) birthplace thus being surrounded by places that have connection with turavu (asceticism). Whereas (on reading it) SriCharaNar said playfully, "It can also be taken to mean the good-for-nothing muNDam (headless body)!" He also gave an interesting new piece of information: "There are stone inscriptions, that, for the very place Mundeechvaram having the name of a moTTaitthalai (tonsured head), give name in Sanskrit as 'Mauligramam' and in Tamil as a direct translation, as 'Tirumudi' (tirumuDi). Our (SriMaTham) Swami is also Chandramauli, right? Those who carry that name, we call them just 'Mauli'". Thus he showed one more connection.
He continued with another interesting connection: "If our Swami is here in Mundeechvaram, In Tiruvatikai, Amman bears the name of our MaTham's AmbaaL and remains as 'TripuraSundari'. In the very place where Swami remains as Tripurantaka, AmbaaL TripuraSundari is also there."
He who told this also spoke about a mahat tattvam (great truth) in anAyAsa (effortlessly), which can be elaborated over pages. "The essence of Brahma Vidya and SriVidya, both are seen here; the process of rejection by neti neti and the process of acceptance as sarvam shakti mayam!" To reject the shUla, sUkShma, kAraNa purams as none of them are Atman is the neti of Advaita that is Brahma Vidya; to accept even these as parashakti vilAsa (manifestions of Goddess Parashakti) and have the essence of Shiva in them is the Shakta that is SriVidya.)
Glossary:
antAdi - end and beginning, a poetic work where the ending word or phrase appears as the first of successive verses.
muNDana - shaving the head, tonsure; protecting, defending.
shikhA - locks of hair on the head, tuft, crest, peacock's crest, flame, ray of light.
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