Soundararaja Perumal Temple, Nagapattinam
Thiru Naagai
Photo: Ssriram mt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Sthala Purāṇam
Sri Soundararaja Perumal Temple at Nagapattinam is the Divya Desam Thirunagai, where Vishnu is enshrined as Soundararaja Perumal, the beautiful king, with his consort Soundaryavalli Thayar; the four-armed moolavar form is also called Neelamegha Perumal. The town's very name is explained by the principal legend: in the Krita Yuga the serpent-king Adisesha performed severe penance here, and Vishnu, pleased, agreed to accept him as his eternal couch; the Naga king begged that the place be named after his race, and so it became Nagapattinam, from nagam, meaning serpent. The temple tank, the Sara Pushkarani, is held to have cured the Naga king's affliction. Tradition records darshans across the four yugas, by Adisesha in Krita, Bhudevi in Treta, the sage Markandeya in Dvapara, and a Chola king in the Kali Yuga; a princess born of the Naga king's worship is said to have been wedded to the Chola in the Lord's presence. The kshetram finds mention in the Brahmanda Purana. A distinctive feature is the depiction of Garuda in a seated rather than the customary standing posture, and the temple is noted for its several vimanams, the principal Soundarya Vimanam crowned with kalashas. Thirumangai Alvar glorified the Lord in his pasurams, famously assuming the role of a love-struck heroine to extol his surpassing beauty, exclaiming in wonder at the splendour of this matchless one.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Soundararaja Perumal (Neelamega Perumal) with Soundaryavalli of Thiru Naagai is glorified by:
Thiru Naagai - the Sri Soundararaja Perumal Temple at Nagapattinam (Chola Nadu) - is a Divya Desam glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham exclusively by Thirumangai Alvar (Parakala / Kalikanri). His mangalasasanam consists of a single decad of ten pasurams in the Periya Thirumozhi: the 9th centum (onpadham paththu), 2nd decad, known by its opening word 'Ponnivar', running as Naalayira Divya Prabandham verses 1758-1767. The presiding Lord is Soundararaja Perumal (moolavar Neelamegha Perumal), 'the beautiful king', with Thayar Soundaryavalli. The decad is celebrated for its distinctive nayaki bhava: the Alvar assumes the persona of a love-struck heroine (Parakala Nayaki) who, having beheld the Lord's surpassing beauty, is overwhelmed and incoherently extols him. Every verse closes with the famous, wonder-struck refrain 'achcho oruvar azhagiyavaa' - 'Aho! How matchlessly beautiful is this one!' - which gives the decad its renown. The opening verse (1758) likens the Lord's golden form and the emerald jewel on his chest to lightning, and the heroine wonders whether he is a Vedic seer or a deva descended to earth. The concluding phalasruti verse (1767) names Thirunagai and the Lord who took the forms of Hamsa (swan), Varaha (boar) and Matsya (fish), identifies the poet as Kalikanri, king of Mangai, and promises that those who master the ten verses will rule the earth and then rejoice in the celestial realm. Verbatim Tamil for the head verse (1758) and the phalasruti (1767) was sourced from dravidaveda.org, a full-text authority for the Divya Prabandham, and the decad's identity, count and theme were cross-confirmed against Wikipedia, Tamil Wikipedia and temple sthala sources.
பொன்னிவர் மேனி மரகதத்தின் பொங்கிளஞ் சோதி யகலத்தாரம் / மின் இவர் வாயில்நல் வேத மோதும் வேதியர் வானவ ராவர்தோழீ / என்னையும் நோக்கியென் னல்குலும் நோக்கி ஏந்திளங் கொங்கையும் நோக்குகின்றார் / அன்னையென் னோக்குமென் றஞ்சு கின்றேன் அச்சோ ஒருவர் அழகியவா
ponnivar mEni maragathaththin pongiLanj jOdhi agalaththAram / min ivar vAyil nal vEdham Odhum vEdhiyar vAnavar Avar thOzhI / ennaiyum nOkki en nalgulum nOkki Endhu iLam kongaiyum nOkkuginRAr / annai en nOkkum enRu anjuginREn achchO oruvar azhagiyavA
O friend! His form shone golden, and the emerald pendant on his chest flashed like lightning. Is he a Vedic seer who chants the Vedas, or a deva come to earth? He looked at me, gazed upon my slender waist and my tender bosom; I dread how my mother will look upon me - Aho (achcho), how surpassingly beautiful is this matchless one! (The Alvar, as a love-struck heroine, marvels at the beauty of Soundararaja Perumal of Thirunagai.)
அன்னமும் கேழலும் மீனுமாய ஆதியை நாகை யழகியாரை / கன்னிநன் மாமதிள் மங்கை வேந்தன் காமரு சீர்க்கலி கன்றி குன்றா / இன்னிசையால் சொன்ன செஞ்சொல் மாலை ஏழுமிரண்டுமொ ரொன்றும்வல்லார் / மன்னவராய் உலகாண்டு மீண்டும் வானவராய் மகிழ் வெய்துவரே
annamum kEzhalum mInumAya Adhiyai nAgai azhagiyArai / kanni nal mAmadhiL mangai vEndhan kAmaru sIr kalikanRi kunRA / innisaiyAl sonna senjol mAlai Ezhum iraNdum oronRum vallAr / mannavarAy ulagANdu mINdum vAnavarAy magizhvu eydhuvarE
Phalasruti (benediction): The beautiful Lord of Nagai, the primordial one who took the forms of the swan (Hamsa), the boar (Varaha) and the fish (Matsya) - on him Kalikanri (Thirumangai Alvar), king of Mangai of strong, fair great ramparts, sang this faultless garland of ten truthful verses in sweet music. Those who can recite these ten will rule the earth as kings, and then attain the celestial world and rejoice in bliss.
Verses & references (1)
- Continuing in the voice of the love-struck heroine, the Alvar describes again the irresistible, matchless beauty of the Lord of Thirunagai, each verse of the decad closing with the wonder-struck refrain 'achcho oruvar azhagiyavaa' ('Aho, how beautiful is this one!'). (Tamil text intentionally omitted as not re-verified verbatim against the primary source in this research pass.) — Thirumangai Alvar, Periya Thirumozhi 9.2.2 (NDP 1759) · source ↗
Tamil text & meaning sourced from divyaprabandham.koyil.org and other Śrī Vaiṣṇava authorities — please cross-check the linked source for the canonical reading.
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