Thirumaalai(63)

Sri Parthasarathi thunai,
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

“ Mattrondrum vEinda Maname Madhilarangar
  Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra
  Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai
  Eppozhudum peesu”

“ Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave
  yetkadAkshai kalakshyAnAm sulabha: Sridara: sadaa”

Pranams,

Paasuram-41

“vAnulAr ariyalAgA vAnavA enbharAgil
  thEnulan thulabha mAlai senniyAi enbharAgil
  voonamAyinagal seiyum voonakAragargalElum
  pOnagam seitha sEdam tharuvarEl, punidhamandrE.”

In this paasuram, alwar talks about the greatness of bhAgavata
uchchistam (left overs).  Sage naradha is regarded as a parama bhaktha by all. 
But he attained this position only due to the bhagavata sEsham.  In his
previous birth, naradha was a son of a servant maid.  During one
chaturmAsyam, some sadhoos came to their village and were deeply involved in
bhagavat vishayam.  Naradha’s mother was doing service to these
sadhoos.  She was a bhAgavatai and hence she had instructed naradha to regard
the sadhoos with respect and do service to them when she was not there. 
He and his mother had only the left over food, of the sadhoos as
prasadam.  Due to this, naradha became clear in mind and body.  The sadhoos
pitied the boy and taught him the bhagavan nAma.  Till the end of the
chaturmAsam, naradha used to always stay away and listen to all the
discussions of the mahans, thereby he started getting attracted to bhagavan
and bhagavat vishayam.  While the sadhoos left the place naradha cried
but they told him to meditate on bhagavan, who will give him
everything.   Naradha did the same.  He got vairakhyam to the level that he
didn’t even feel for the death of his mother, who was his only relation.  He
just left to the forest and started meditating deeply without any
hindrance.  Perumal gave darshan to naradha for a second and then
disappeared.  In the next birth, naradha became a deva rishi, respected by all
and also became the guru of many like prahlAdan, druvan and others.  All
this happened only due to the bhAgavata kataksham and the greatness of
the bhAgavata prasAdam.  In this paasuram also, alwar reverberates the
greatness of bhAgavata prasAdam.

vAnulAr ariyalAgA vAnavA enbharAgil:  The devas have a higher position
than all of us but when it comes to understanding bhagavan, they are
also as ignorant as us.  Because even the Vedas are unable to fully
understand the magimai of emperuman.  The devas run to bhagavan for help but
at many times they are unable to see him. They either hear his voice as
asireeree or they get the answer through brahma (while in his penance). 
That’s why even in the gajendra mOksha vriththAntham we see that even
the devas were waiting to see who the “Adhimoolam” was.  So if one
understands that emperuman is the supreme, not understood by even the devas,
(Here Sri PVP goes deeper inside and says in his vyakhyanam that, if
one is capable of understanding emperuman to be the sole upAyam) and,

  thEnulan thulabha mAlai senniyAi enbharAgil:  If he understands
emperuman not only as parmAtma but also as our perumal, who accepts the
small thulasi garland given to him by his bhaktha with great regard and
always wears it on his chest, then (Here Sri PVP in his vyakhyanam says,
one who accepts emperuman as upEyam)

voonamAyinagal seiyum voonakAragargalElum:  Even if the person was a
great sinner in the past, killing number of jeevatmas and not stopping
with that he has also made others do the same still,

  pOnagam seitha sEdam tharuvarEl, punidhamandrE:  If such a bhAgavata
who has realized emperuman to be the upayam and upEyam gives his left
over prasAdam (they generally won’t, but if he accepts to give) then it
should be considered to be the most sacred, says alwar.

There are many prayaschittams for various papams given by the rishis. 
But for bhAgavatas these prayaschittams are not necessary.  Just on
realizing that emperuman is everything, upAyam and upEyam if they
surrender into his feet then all the sins are washed out.  Thondaradi podi
alwar himself got a little side-tracked from bhagavat bhakthi and got
involved in lowkika kAmam for a short period due to bhagavat sankalpam.  But
after realizing his mistake he didn’t follow any prayaschitta kAndam
and do any prayaschittam instead he totally ignored his past and rolled
in the pAda-dhooli of bhAgavatas and even changed his name from vipra
nArayanan to thondar- adi- podi(the dust under the feet of bhagavatas). 
So for the bhagavatas only the realization is important and If one
realizes the same then he has to be regarded with great respect and if he
gives his prasadam it has to be accepted as maha prasadam and very
sacred.  Rishis and alwars may have said many things but our acharyas showed
us the same putting it into practice (AchAra prathamO dharma:)

 Thirukachchi nambigal was not a brahmin but Ramanujar was a high class
Brahmin still he wished for the prasadam of thirukachchi nambigal. 
When he couldn’t get it he lost heart.  It became one of the reasons for
ramanujar to take up sanyasa and become ethirajar.  When it was a clash
between bhAgavata prasadam and family life, our acharya considered
bhAgavata prasadam as more important and sacrificed his family life for it. 
Such is the importance given to bhAgavata uchchistam by our acharyas.

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam
Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai
Sumithra Varadarajan