pūtattāḻvār arul̤iya iraṇṭāntiruvantāti.

PREFACE

 

Bhutat Azhwar’ s Iranda‘m Thiruvandhadhi forms part of the ‘lyarpa“ portion of the ‘Na‘1a‘yira Divya Prabandham’, the collective works of the Azhwars of South India. The Azhwars probably lived between the fifth and eighth century A. D. in and around the regions served by rivers like Palar, Cauveri, Vaigai, and Tamrabarani. Drawn from different social backgrounds, they were mystic saints who through their inspired songs first propounded the Shri Vaishnava faith and Vishishta‘dvaita‘ philosophy. The Divya Prabandham numbering in all four thousand hymns in Tamil has been termed the Tamil Veda, due to their rich philosophic content and thought harmony with Vedas and Upanishads. By their ecstatic poetry, these saints laid the foundations for the spread of the bhakthi movement in the South, and the enunciation of the Vishishta‘dvaita’ philosophy by Shri Ramanuja who came later. Affirming the status of Narayana as the Supreme Being, (Parama-purusha) as authenticated in the Sruti declarations, they sang of Narayana both as immanent in the universe and transcendent and beyond it. They sang of Him in His diverse ‘praka‘ra’s’ or modes, as ‘Parava‘sudeva” in Vaikuntam, in ‘Vyuha’ form in ‘Kshira’bdhi’, in His various ‘Vibhava‘ta‘ra‘s as Rama, Krishna etc. , as ‘Antarya’mi’ in the hearts of all beings, and in ‘Arca" form in the temples erected for Him. To them, God was as real and transcendent in the ‘arca’ form as He is real and immanent in Vaikuntam. Thus all the five forms represent the one and only Supreme Being. In short, they experienced and articulated their experiences of the Lord in all His glory, both in ‘nitya vibhuti’ in the transcendent form, and in ‘lila’ vibhuti’ in the material universe. To them, God was not a mere abstraction or intellectual perception, but a living presence. He lived in them, and they lived in Him, or as one of the Azhwars beautifully phrased it, …..

Poigai Azhwar, Bhutat Azhwar and Pei Azhwar were the earliest of the Azhwar galaxy numbering in all twelve, and are referred to as ‘Mudhal Azhwars’. They were born on successive days in the same year and month, Poigai Piran the eldest of the three at Kancheepuiam, Bhutat Azhwar the middle one at ‘Thirukkadalmallai’ now known as Mahabalipuram, and Pei Azhwar the last at Mylapore in Madras. They came together for the first time in a place called Thirukkovalur, in the front passage of a house commonly known in Tamil homes as one stormy night, while taking shelter from the pelting rain. As they were standing in the narrow passage, there being only that much room for them to stand, sharing their experiences of the deities in various temples they had visited, they felt strange pressure in the darkness, as if there was a fourth person beside them. There indeed was a fourth person amidst them in that damp, dark passage eager to share the company of the three exalted souls, and listen to their conversation. By virtue of their super-conscious vision, the Azhwars intuitively understood the true identity of the fourth person as Shriman Narayana. In the ecstasy of their discovery, and being realised beings, each of them described the effect of that electrifying experience uniquely as he felt it. Poigai Azhwar conjured up a grand mental vision of the divine as the Supreme Master of the phenomenal universe by virtue of His ‘ubhaya-vibhuti’ in his ‘nidhi-dya‘sana” or ‘para-bhakthi’ state. Expressing this in poetic diction, he portrayed the world of matter as a lamp, the seven seas as the ghee, and the bright sun as the flame, all this being the manifest form of the Lord sporting the sparkling Sudarsana’. The second sage Bhutat Azhwar looked within his heart true to the Upanishadic script that the heart is to be understood as the principal shrineofthe Supreme Being in the whole universe (‘hnidayam tatvija‘neeya’t visvasya‘yatanam mahat’- Narayana-Suktham). His ‘parajna‘na’ or spiritual are light beaming on the effulgent divine presence within, moved him to visualise love as the lamp, his deep yearning as the butter oil, and the mind pining away in divine bliss as the flame. The youngest of them Pei Azhwar actualized that experience, (ma‘nasa sa’ksha‘tka‘ra’) and exulted in the direct vision of Shriman Narayana in the company of His Divine Consort Shri, climbing the very summit of bhakthi, (parama-bhakthi). The Brahman of the Upanishads had revealed Itself to them, and by their hymns, they restated the truths of the Sruti in the language of the land, viz. Tamil. The Divya Prabandham, which is generally believed to be an exposition of the three Vaishnava mantras-ashta‘kshari, dvaya’, and carama sloka was thus born. After describing the cosmic form of the Parama-purusha the Sruti also explores the supersubtle Antarya‘mi state and speaks of its seat as the lotus blossom of the heart situated like a citadel in the centre of a city, tiny, crystal pure, with a canopy even tinier, which is free from any kind of sorrow. The reality within that shrine is the object of all spiritual quest. (Mahanarayana-Upanishad-Daharavidya‘). Hence it is that the Azhwar who followed the Mudhal Azhwars viz. Thirumazhisai Piran glorified that Paramapurusha as …………

Shri Bhutat Azhwar’s Iranda‘m Thiruvandhadhi is a garland of mellifluous pashurams surcharged with great spiritual fervour, and soaked in bliss divine, affirming the ‘parathvam’ of Shriman Narayana, and extolling the concept of ‘Antarya‘mi Brahman’ as an avata‘raalso. In Azhwar’s perception, the heart of a devotee of Narayana is an abode as much as Vaikunta is, and in fact so dear to the Lord that it becomes the His most favourite abode relegating the ‘divya-desa‘s’ to the secondary rung in His preference scale. Hence the supplication of the Azhwar to the Lord, not to abandon the divys-desa‘s. ……. (54). As in the case of the rest of the Azhwars, the ‘vibhavavata’ra‘s’ figureprominentlyin Bhutat Azhwar’sprabandham, and among them Shri Vamanavata‘ra’ for the evident reason of the ‘rakshkatva’ or protective instinct so conspicuously displayed, and Shri Krishnavata‘ra’ for the quality of ‘soulabhya ”. Among ‘divya- desa‘s’ Tirumalai and the Lord that abides there, are mentioned in eleven pashurams. The Azhwar calls it the gift of the Lord to celestial beings like Brahma, Siva, etc., who hasten there everyday vying with one another for the Lord’s worship. The Azhwar scales the very heights of graphic imagery in portraying the ecology and ambience of the hills at Tiruvenkatam, such as the one depicted by him in one pashuram, where the primates living in the hill rise at dawn, dip in cool flower-laden ponds, and gather freshly blossomed flowers to offer to Lord Shrinivasa, the Jewel of Tiruvenkatam, in worshipful prayer, driving home the point that even animals which habit the hills of Tirumalai, are endowed with intelligence and spiritual fervour to set out to worship the Lord there. Other divya-desa‘s like Thiruvarangam, Thirumal-irunjolai, Tirukkottiyur etc., are also addressed with great feeling by the Azhwar. The Azhwar affirms the profound truth that the Lord Who is the quintessence of the Vedas, and our only sure-fire passport to liberation from the bondage of samsa‘ra’ is forever with us in the inner shrine of our hearts, and exhorts us to look within, and hold steadfast to the practice of meditating on His names and glory. Azhwar advises us to take to the sacred Feet of the Lord even when all our faculties are intact ……… - 91), and meditate on His names, assuring us that the Lord’s names are a safety-net and insurance of protection even in this life, (……… - 92). He recalls in deep gratitude how he had awakened to the drawing powers of the Lord’s sacred Feet, when he was a mere foetus and folded his hands in prayer in the mother’s womb- (…… - 87). Deeply immersed in a state of ‘sa‘dhyabhakthi’ thus, Bhutat Azhwar’s whole being is engulfed in the effulgence of that beatific state, where only the substratum of love remains, love for the Supreme Being that overflows like the current of a river in spate which has breached its banks.

This book just like the earlier one on ‘Shri Poigai Azhwar's Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi’ is a humble attempt of the author to reach out the message of the Azhwars to a larger section of the reading public, especially those not sufficiently well-versed in Tamillanguage, but keen on gaining a knowledge of the philosophical poetry of the Azhwars. The pages that follow contain a free translation of ‘Iranda‘m Thiruvandha‘dhi’, and explanatory and anecdotal notes based on the salient aspects of the commentary of Shri Peravacha’n Pillar the famous ‘vya‘kya’nakarta"who lived between 1167 and 1262 A. D. , (the one and only one of his kind who has the distinction of writing a commentary in maniprava‘la’ on all the four thousand pashurams) as recapitulated by Shri Krishnaswami Aiangar, Editor ‘Vaishnava Sudarsanam’.

I wish to dedicate this work to the memory of my eldest brother Shri N. Gopalakrishnan, (Formerly Chief Financial Controller, Neyveli Lignite Corporation) who was the guiding light of our family , and exemplified in his life, like a true Shri Vaishnava that he was, immense faith in the Lord, a palpable simplicity and humility of spirit, compassionate nature, and deep attachment to, and veneration for, our spiritual tradition and guru parampara. What little I have accomplished in life has been entirely due to Shriman Narayana’s grace acting through his doting care and guidance.

I am grateful to my younger brother Dr. N. Ranganathan Toronto, Canada, for his kind Foreword. I also place on record my gratitude to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for their generous financial assiastance enabling the publication of this work. Finally, I am deeply grateful to Sarvasri B. G. Kuki1laya, P. S. Vasu and their dedicated band of staff at Universal Print Systems for all their help in the design of the cover and complexion of the book and preparation of the inputs.

 

16th January, 2002.

N. Rajagopalan.

Besantnagar, Chennai-600090.

 

 

***

 

 

பகீமதே ராமானுஜாய நம:
ஆழ்வார்‌ திருவடிகளே சரணம்‌

pakīmate rāmāṉujāya nama:
āḻvār tiruvaṭikal̤e caraṇam

 

பூதத்தாழ்வார்‌ அருளிய இரண்டாந்திருவந்தாதி.

தனியன்‌

taṉiyaṉ

Invocation

(Single Invocatory Verse)

 

ஏன்பிறவி தீர விறைஞ்சினே னின்னமுதா
அன்பே தகளி யளித்தா$னை -- நனபுகழ்சேர்‌
சீதத்தார்‌ முத்துக்கள்‌ சேரும்‌ கடல்மல்‌லப்‌
பூதத்தார்‌ பொன்னங கழல்‌.

eṉpiṟavi tīra viṟaiñciṉe ṉiṉṉamutā
aṉpe takal̤i yal̤ittā$ṉai -- naṉapukaḻcer
cītattār muttukkal̤ cerum kaṭalmallap
pūtattār pŏṉṉaṅa kaḻal.

I worshipped the glorious and hallowed feet of Bhutat Azhwar who produced, for our sake, the sweet nectar of mellifluous poetry, beginning 'Anbe thagali', and was born in the famous 'Thirukkadal Mallai' blessed with a profusion of pearls - so my cycle of birth and rebirth may cease.

This 'thanian' was composed by Shri Thirukkurugai Piran Pillar, a disciple of Shri Ramanuja. The greatness of the Azhwar's beautiful feet is that seeking refuge in them will surely cut through the vicious circle of tsamsa'ra'.

The ’thanian' then describes the benevolence bestowed on us by this Azhwar, in gifting us the precious and priceless garland of verses beginning 'Anbe thagali '. The Azhwar himself refers to his work as ……..  (1) and …… (74). In the end, the invocation speaks about the hoary fame of the Azhwar's birth place ……. It is referred to as …. It is richly endowed with fame, first because of the presence of the presiding deity of the shrine there, who bears the appellation …….. after ', the Lord Who is reclining on the ground ', and second the Azhwar's association with the place. It is also ….. that is a cornucopia of cool pearls and other precious gems, washed ashore by the waves of the ocean. As another Azhwar Shri Thirumangai Mannan describes it, it is 'o meet ……, (…… 3.5.8.). The pearls also refer to the galaxy of devotees of the Lord who are of inestimable value like pearls and diamonds. Refer to Swami Nammazhwar's phrase ……….- 5. 8. 9). Later in the work, Bhutat Azhwar takes great pride in calling it ….., (70). Swami Nammazhwar hails the greatness of such devotees as Bhuta Piran in his work.

Such devotees are even more exalted than 'nithyasuris'.

It has been averred by scholars that the Mudhal Azhwars represented, in the mystic experiences they articulated in their works, different states of their love of the Divine or 'bhakthi. ' Thus Shri Poigai Piran conjured up a mental vision of the Divine as the Supreme Master of the phenomenal universe by virtue of His 'Ubhaya Vibhuthi' iii his 'nididhya'sana' or 'parabhakthi' state. This is perfected bhakthi attained after constant upa'sana or meditation enabling intuitive actualisation or 'ma'nasa- sa'ksha'tka'ra. ' Shri Bhutat Azhwar, in his Thiruvandha'dhi, internalises that frame and conceptualises his experience in the form of the soul's instinctive yearning for a vision of the Divine as expressed in its various states of love, longing, and anguish. This is the 'parajna'na' marked by glimpses of the divine vision followed with joy during communion with God and anguish during separation from Him. The continued longing to perpetuate that experience leads to the climax of the spiritual quest which is the state of 'parama-bhakthi', the actualisation in the form of a direct, comprehensive, and eternal commmunion with the Divine presence. The youngest of the Mudhal Azhwars, Shri Pei Azhwar exemplifies this last state in his experience. Shri Ramanuja has employed these terms for the first time in his Sarana'gathi-gadyam, on the basis of the mystic experiences of the Azhwars, with this prayer, 'Parabhakthi, Parajna'na, Paramabhaktheka-Svabha'vam Ma’m Kurushva '. ’Please make me eternally of the very nature of these three stages of 'bhakthi'. Even in the Land of perpetual Bliss, ' parajna'na' and 'paramabhakthi' have to be prayed for. The experience there is, such that though it may go on for ever, the aspects experienced are but an infinitesimal part of the unexperienced, the Vedantic 'Paripu’rna-Brahma'nubhava'. Hence it is, that Shastra's describe 'para- bhakthi etc. as aids to self- realisation. Shri Krishna says, 'Bhakthya'tu Ananyaya’ Sakyo Aham Evamvidha' una' I 'Gya'thum ashtum, ca' Tathvena Praveshtum ca' Paranthapa' II, (Bhagavad Gita 11-54). 'Ananyabhakthi' is bhakthi that is totally fixed on the Lord, or as Shri Poigai Piran puts it, …..-67) As Vishnu Puranam declares, '……..' (6-5-87). ’That by which the ‘param' which is flawless, pure, unparalleled, is grasped, perceived and attained is wisdom. Everything else is ignorance. '

In dwelling on 'sv›suuii r' . . . . . . . . ' prior', Poigai Piran establishes the truth that Shriman Narayana is the Master non-pareil of the whole universe, the Supreme Intelligence and Power behind its myriad worlds, beings and things. Immersed in his 'parajna'na', Shri Bhutat Azhwar starts his Thiruvandhadhi, with the words, '…….', and ends it on the note '……..', his heart and thoughts soaked in bliss divine, his mind absorbed in yogic vision of the Lord. Shri Pei Azhwar, opening his Thiruvandhadhi exultingly, with the words, ' …….', reaches the very acme of actualisation of the 'unwinding' state.

 

 

Shri Deshika's Invocation

Swami Deshikan, in his Tamil Work 'Prabhanda Sa'ram', has dedicated the following verse to Shri Bhutat Azhwar.

கடன்மல்லைக்‌ காவலனே பூத வேந்தே
காசினிமேலைப்பசியிலவிட்ட நாள்வந்து
இடர்கடியுந்‌ தண்கோவ லிடைகமழிச்சென்று
இணையில்லா மூவருமாயிசைந்தே நிற்க
நடுவிலிவரொருவருமென்றறியாவண்ணம்‌
நள்ளிருளில்மால்நெருக்கநந்தாஞானச்‌-
சுடர்விளக்கேற்றிய, அன்பே தகளியான
தொடைநூறு மெனக்கருளசெய்‌ துலங்க நீயே

kaṭaṉmallaik kāvalaṉe pūta vente
kāciṉimelaippaciyilaviṭṭa nāl̤vantu
iṭarkaṭiyun taṇkova liṭaikamaḻiccĕṉṟu
iṇaiyillā mūvarumāyicainte niṟka
naṭuvilivarŏruvarumĕṉṟaṟiyāvaṇṇam
nal̤l̤irul̤ilmālnĕrukkanantāñāṉac-
cuṭarvil̤akkeṟṟiya, aṉpe takal̤iyāṉa
tŏṭainūṟu mĕṉakkarul̤acĕy tulaṅka nīye

Thou Sentinel of Kadalmallai, thou Royal highness Bhuta, descended into this world under the star Avittam in Aippasi, Who congenially took shelter, as one of the incomparable trinity, in a corridor on a bluskry night in Thirukkovalu’r, when unobtrusively Lord Narayana wedged in amidst thee and thou lighted the ever-shining lamp in a hundred verses starting 'Anbe' thagali’. I pray to thee to bless me with that.

Shri Bhutat Azhwar who was second in line in the Mudhal Azhwar trinity, the others being Shri Poigai Piran who preceded him by a day, and Shri Pei Azhwar who followed him after a day, all born in the same Tamil month of ‘Aippasi', is believed to have been an incarnation of Shriman Narayana’s mace. In this verse, Swami Deshikan refers to the episode of the three Azhwars coming together for the first time in a dark, damp corridor of a house on a stormy night in the town of Thirukkovalur. As they stood there sharing their experiences on their peregrinations to various divya desa’s, Shriman Narayana eager to savour their sagely company and experiences, materialised in their midst literally crowding in on them in the confined space. Then the Azhwars curious to find the reason behind the sudden feeling of pressure amidst them in the narrow passage, realised that the fourth person was none other than Narayana in the compariy of His Divine Consort Maha'lakshmi. Each of them then spontaneously broke out in song ‘describing their individual experiences. Shri Bhutat Azhwar lit the inner spiritual lamp, visualising his love for the Lord as the flame. In the resultant light of self- awakening, the self-melted and dissolved in the Lord. Swami Deshikan prays for the Azhwar's blessing in the form of his garland of verses. Swami Deshikan has composed a hymn 'Shri Dehaleesa Stuthi' ('dehali' in Samskrit means a narrow corridor), in praise of the presiding Deity of this divya-desa, Lord Trivikrama. The Lord Who, in an earlier age had blessed sage Mrigandu here appearing for him, with His ' Sankha" and ' Chakra" transposed in His right hand and left hand respectively, appears here in this 'dehali' which is the sanctum, among others, in the company of the sage and the three Azhwars. In this hymn, Swami Deshikan calls the Mudhal Azhwars, … the insuperable masters of poetry endowed with pure thoughts who have for their two eyes Vedic learning and yogic vision ’, and their poetry, ' ……. '- light lit with the ghee of pure love and wick of impeccably perfect 'sa'thvik’ state.

 

 

PASHURAMS

 

1. With love as the lamp, deep yearning as the butter oil, and thoughts soaked in bliss divine as the wick, I lit a sparkling spiritual light --where the self-melted and dissolved—for Narayana, and composed this inspired Tamil poem illumined by that light.

Shri Bhutat Azhwar begins his prayer by affirming in this pashuram that the spiritual light that he has ignited is the outcome of his love for the Lord, (the lamp in his imagery) his deep inner yearning for Him, (the butter oil used to light lamps in Tamil homes and temples) and thoughts filled with Him (the wick). Azhwars metaphor is a beautiful imagery of how the substratum of bhakthi, (the lamp) has evolved in him to a state of 'para-bhakthi', (butter oil)- the 'upa'dha'na' cause of the spiritual chemistry in making. That yearning lubricates the spiritual experience, (the wick)that is suffused with the joy and glory of 'bhagavad vishayam’. The crowning point of the experience is the effulgence of light that engulfs the spirit in a state of 'parajna'nam'. The jiva'thma swarupa lakshanam' is the jna'nanandhaikagunam'. ' ……. declare the Upabrahmanas. As Brahmasutram states, (2-3-29) ……. the jiva'thma" is referred to synonymously as ' jna'na', consciousness, since the essence of Jiva'thma" is that. Azhwar describes this spiritual experience as ….. ' to mean that the jiva'thma" melted but the inner consciousness remained, (the state of parajna'nam') in the bliss of 'bhagavad anubhavam'. It is a state beyond sense perception described by Swami Nammazhwar, as' …… ' (……). It is a state where the soul described by Shri Krishna as ……', (Gita 2-24) —'that cannot be burnt or wetted ' — melted for the Azhwar. That verily is the extra-ordinary effect of 'bhagavad guna's '. Shri Bhutat Azhwar proudly proclaims his poem as …….. '. Not only is it set in mellifluous Tamil, it also imparts true knowledge of Shriman Narayana. The light that the Azhwar ignites in the process dispels the darkness surrounding the self in the shape of ' ajna'nam'.

In a striking parallel, Swami Nammazhwar echoes the same experience in his line, ……..' (…..). ' The yearning to adorn the head with the lotus Feet of the Lord melted my soul into a state of overpowering love'. Shri Nammazhwar also uses the word …. ' to depict the meltdown of his inner self, signifying the concomitant presence of ‘parabhakthi, parajna'nam, and parama-bhakthi' anubhava’.

 

2. If only we recite Narayana's names in a state of pure love born out of inner realisation of His 'svarupa' and 'vibhuti', and our relationship to Him, that will surely elevate us to the level of our spiritual kinfolk, the celestial beings of Shri Vaikunta eternally blessed to serve the Lord.

— Names that uniquely refer to Narayana such as Vishnu, Hari, Rama, Krishna etc. Apart from these, there are names that refer to His manifestations like Brahma, Rudhra, Indra etc. Azhwar says m , which is the high ground of abiding love for the Lord.

in mJg oñQujñ nits p onN @ soJ m v Eqn : ’. ' There is no shastra' nor order for a person with boundless love for the Lord '. tan&1 refers to the 'nithyasuris'. ’ 3J i•• aa <•i-• @nn yn O;iiCmeu end J ' 'Always paying obeisance to Narayana, in a staR of bliss and repeating namah. ' Azhwar says that

they are our real kinfolk, not Indra or the devas.

 

 

They who are devoted to the sacred Feet of the Lord of Milk Ocean with offerings of fragrant flowers will reach His abode of Vaikunta of replendent beauty that is beyond the reach of even the denizens of high heaven.

- 'The devotion (sa'dhya bhakthi) of a ' prapanna'. As the Azhwar has, in the previous pashuram mentioned 'ji;sir ' to mean 'svarupajna'na', the devotion implied by his term ' ' here, is that which has for its goal the Lord's feet. Azhwar calls the Lord's abode as 'Siyneiisu CA&1 ', that is 'parama pada ' which is only heard of by the celestials, not seen.

' SJ & 1 5 D **M D * 7 ' I St 50

: u 'II (e0 1. 9. 55). ' That which

the devas, sages, I (Brahma) or Samara, do not know of, is the abode of Vishnu, the Lord of all beings. ' Hence they are not 'sa'dhya devas' for us. The 'sa'dhya devas are 'nithya suris’. ' in y @Cm nurse: end Cger :', says Purusha Suktham. It is a great wonder that the 'parama- pada' which is difficult to reach even for those beings in high heaven who have done ' sa'dha'na' ' for the same for a long time, is within the easy grasp of a simple 'prapanna' who looks on the Lord as 'The way'. That is because the celestial beings like the devas lack the knowledge of the 'prapanna' of our ties to the Lord.

 

Carving out my heart as a citadel, setting thereon my pearl- like love like a fresh bouquet of flowers, embellished with desire for closeness and togetherness like diamond and saphire, I offered my devotion as a lotus to the Lord Who carries on His chest Goddess Lakshmi, prostrating to his Feet.

Shri Bhuthat Azhwar visualises his heart as a citadel he has erected for Narayana. Swami Nammazhwar uses the same imagery in his phrase ' Hp@vCm Jsiip@ '. The heart is the well-spring of love which is pure like pearl. In an evolved state, love matures to the tone and timber of an experience of our binding association with the Lord and His countless 'kalya'na guna’s', which fzll the heart with overflowing desire for His proximity and union. This is like precious stones embedded on a bouquet of fresh flowers. In a further evolution, this love blossoms further and attains the state of'parajna'nam', which is like an incomparable lotus flower. In that state, shedding all ego and ego-centric desires, our inner self prostrates to the Lord with the Divine Mother in the forefront as the mediatrix, 'purushakara'. This is in keeping with the spirit of the first part of the 'dvaya' mantra, 'Shriman Narayana Charanau Saranam Prapadhye' '.

appée@ afloeijee owgmggxu Quny{o app¥a j/}lygga&1 Osxaatuxw up@¥ag g{°8ynp Boc&I Qg\gox?w @w wpasw

^•*7^8 ****^^ 7@â@- 5

Oh Lord with complexion of the blue ocean, aeons ago, You manifested to ask Mahabali for three paces of land. But You scarcely needed those three steps to traverse this universe. Who can comprehend the secret of Your Feet or presume to speak of Them?

 

In this pashuram, Azhwar hints that there was a deeper significance to the Lord as Shri Vamana' asking for three paces of land from king Mahabali, though he poses the question to the Lord if He really needed those three paces, when in actuality he had covered the length and breath of the whole universe in just two paces. Azhwar knows that the third step of the Lord was intended to plant on Mahabali's head and push him down to the nether world where he belonged, in the grand design of the Lord.

gj JJ refers to the compassion of the Lord underlying His manifestation as Shri Vamana' in order to protect this world from Mahabali's misrule. ' oCyn nn;iigmn g, gIm stump, g Cg n euto{ieuâ euJQ I n. Cm Of efl to y Mñ (yQnimc

C Cgeu eañ Jim e6l;iiCeo' — II Vishnu Suktham.

'Oh Vishnu, Exalted as Thou art, Thou grew in unbelievable proportions. Then no one was there who could gauge or experience Thy greatness. We only know about the two steps that Thou took on the land and in space above. Beyond this the third step, only Thou knowest. Even the Vedha-Punisha remained silent on that mighty third step. '

tu?yx@?u@ pé Qu{g@go@0gr$»x¥¥&uty

They indeed are eminently blessed and will find their niche in the sacred Feet of the Lord with complexion matching the dark blue ocean, who channelising their sense organs inward with true insight about their relationship to Him, constantly recite and meditate on His names with overflowing devotion and thoughtfully gathered floral offerings.

 

In the previous pashuram, Azhwar posed the question who could comprehend the secret of the Lord's Feet. He knows that the answer to this question cannot be an unqualified negative, for that would render 'bhagavadvishayam’, a nonstarter. So in this pashuram, the Azhwar reassures us that they who with overflowing devotion constantly meditate on the Lord's names are blessed and bound to reach Him. This they are able to achieve because they have the discerning wisdom to channelise the pull of their sensory organs inwards where they can delve into 'bhagavadvishayam’ having found their identity with the Lord. 'Bhagavadvishayam' is spoken of as 'a'ntha'ra vishayam', (internal) in contrast to the external objects of sense experience which are ba'hyavishayam ’. Hence Swami Nammazhwar exhorts us with the advisory ' in; ii mrñ

8-2-8.).

0añiCsu ‹sqJlbpi - The knowledge illumined by 'sesha-seshi

bha’vam '.

6i JC - eminently blessed because they have the wisdom to pursue the path of 'sarana'gathi ' ' nun m;o é

Quxyx@ Qu@$l@% aur%oe$é ?PapQw

Oh my heart deep as the fathomless ocean, Seek with fervour the beautiful flower-like Feet of the Supreme Lord Who sports the fire spitting battle-eager Sudarsana', the Lord who as Trivikrama strode the worlds on His upraised feet, striking abject fear in the hearts of His adversaries, with His curled up lips and rolling eyes.

 

 

This pashuram refers to the episode where Narayana as Trivikrama shook the worlds in two giant strides with lips trembling and eyes rolling in anger driving terror into the minds and hearts of adversaries like Namusi. Refer to Shri Thirumazhisai Piran's lines in his Thinichanda

a&ualgux 6»xwtheouxe%gj . 8

Feigning motherly love, she cradled You in her arms, and snugly entreated You to feed on her surging, radiant breasts. Then, You putting on the child's natural innocence and joy outwardly, but with seething anger inside, pretended to drink milk but sucked her life out.

Azhwar relates demoness Putana's story in this pashuram to illustrate how one would come to grief if he were to approach the Lord with fake devotion. Swami Nammazhwar’s note of warning is germane to recall here.

Slunñm igg8uagrp9arjJi£señsurtfi (Q-ator. 9-10.)

Qu (gpwpwx aOu, g|Qox Qu$@p.

 

Seeing her drop dead thus, and with overflowing concern, the fearless cow-herd queen Yashoda then and there breast-fed You. In comparison to her melting compassion, is the vast expanse of this universe surrounded by oceans that You once scaled, any bigger?

Azhwar mentions this episode again to underscore mother Yashoda's overpowering concern in behalf of her child Krishna, and how she hastened to breast-feed him as an midote to the poison ingested by the child from Putana's breast. Narayana scaled the worlds as Shri Vamana out of his overwhelming protective concern for Indra. This was an extra- ordinary act of'a'sritha va'tsa1aya' and 'nirhetuka krupa' of the Lord for all the beings of the worlds. As the Supreme Master, He did not have to ask anything of Mahabali, but still He did because Bali was His devotee too, though an errant one. Even so, in Azhwar's estimation, all this redemptive grace of the Lord, great as it is, falls just short of Yashoda's love which is afterall human.

»xapBwsé uLiu»au. 10

Oh Protector of everything, as a child You with a mere mck smashed the leviathan rolling cart into smithereens. Accepting the gift of this earth, You, with caressing touch, brought to life this withering universe. Because my thoughts are centred on You, I constantly recite Your name, and my hands gather flowers for You. You must remove the residue of my past impressions.

Azhwar refers to the episode of Sakata'sura' who came to kill child Krishna disguised as a big cart. With a mere push of his leg, the child Krishna smashed the cart into smitheieens. Dwelling on his continuing fascination for Va'manavathara', Azhwar reverts to how the Lord desirous of protecting His devotee Indra who had lost his kingdom

 

to Mahabali, went to Mahabali and asked him for the gift of three paces of land. This He did, because Mahabali was also ms devotee, and deserved a milder form of punishment like a reprimand, while being taught a lesson for the breach of trust he had committed in abrogating to himself all that truly and totally belonged to Narayana. The main purpose was ' a'sritha rakshanam '. In saying ' nnñvifi ', ' §f ', ' &', ('contemplating', 'reciting His name', 'offering flowers’, Azhwar underlines the total involvement of his body, mind, and spirit.

Base@¥ég s?I«éu@g gxa¿ - ywc@%g

They receive mediocre rewards who stand at the portals of lesser gods, day in and day ou$ falling at their feet for favours. Oh Lord with complexion resembling the far-reaching blue ocean, how many are indeed wise enough to seek Your Feet instead?

Azhwar expresses his anguish and amazement at the irony of the way of the world where the countless many hasten after demigods for evanescent rewards, instead of seeking the lotus feet of Shriman Narayana, as the only worthwhile goal and redeeming grace in the end result, ’the parama- purusha'rtham', the eternal bliss of Shri Vaikunta. They are sadly ignorant of the Sruti declaration, ' Nabrahma Ne'sana'h' merely because the latter are also referred to as '

in a generic sense. And what do these lesser gods do ? They exact a heavy price for lowly favours. Even out of the minority who look upto Shriman Narayana, only a select few are wise enough to understand Him correctly as the 'Upa'ya"and 'Upeya', (the Goal and the Means). Has not the Lord, deliberated this human paradox and predicament, in the Gita? (7. 19) 'Va'sudevassarvamiti sa maha'thma' sudurlabah'. ' He who understands that Vasudeva is everything is

 

a mahathma' very difficult to find ', the great soul to whom even the most mundane existential chore is a godly experience. As Swami Nammazhwar puts it, ' rem ñ lon (gJ, o (yJ elf,

Sisu;bQ 6luistieomii Swami', (Q (yein- Hm 7-1.)

There is no dividing line among the devotees of the Lord, for the high and low alike worship and pmyerfully address the Feet of him Who rests on A'disesha'. Does not that illustrious list include the many-splendoured Surya', the lotus-seated Brahma and the third-eyed Rudhra, all of whom seek His presence for their daily worsmp?

Shri Bhutat Azhwar points out in this pasuiamla nere is no distinction of rank or pecking order in the list of devotees of Narayana They range from the most exalted of gods from Surya, Brahma, and Siva to the humblest of the humble. These deities are themselves the subject of prayer and worship. They folow Him assiduously and constantly to pay their obeisance. Ithihasa- pura'na's are replete with illustrations of this.

ux@gx Qthetñ$1@ggjri uceé (g. 13

Is it not because once long ago, the care-free tusker supremo, entering the sprawling lake for gathering the blossomed lotus to lay at the Feet of the Lord, came to grief at the jaws of the crocodile, and in dismay thought of those Feet of the Lord, Who sports the Sudarsana', in prayerful surrender, that he attained the exalted position in the Lord’s abode?

 

Azhwar describes the elephant king Gajendra as 'SI y exfsñ art' - the tusker who is capable of breaking free of any kind of iron leash put on him to rein him in, to indicate his licencious conduct, arising from his 'mast'. But even in his wildly wayward fun and frolic being an ardent Narayana devotee in his previous birth, his 'samska'ra" led him, in his lucid moments, to gather flowers from a lotus pond everyday for offering to Narayana in a nearby shrine. What ensued in one of those moments was a life and death battle of attrition between him and a vicious crocodile that was living in that pond, with Gajendra trying to extricate himself from the jaws of the crocodile, and the latter drawing the elephant deeper into the vortex, ' Gaja a'karshate' teere', gra'ha a'karshate' jale' ', (Vishnu Dharma 69-49). The elephant was dismayed not so much for his life, but that the dowers would wither away before he could offer them to the Lord.

'Oh Madhusudhana, I do not cry out to save this body of mine, but to offer these lotuses at Thy Feet. '

Oh the ignorant ones, rather than wasting time on flattery of the worldly ones, who just live to eat stuffing their bellies like a tinsel town, and committing all kinds of follies, with or without intent, go round reciting the names of Narayana Who as Trivikrama filled the eight directions with His four lofty shoulders, and by your presence sanctify the land.

lfi

 

6it3 (ytém unit - Azhwar refers to all seekers of gross sensual pleasures, who typically gorge on food as if their stomachs were a township by itself to be filled with all kinds of things.

In saying ' QJ', Azhwar enjoins recitation of the Lord's name for its own sake instead of as a means.

JyJ - ' y;iigñ +CqnQ @Q' ' J;iig : '- one who purifies others by his presence.

“ ^4°•s•=s**s•* a=••s 4*>°*vs* I

ya g«aa »«g nag <›«»«g: -ii

'Even if a grave sinner, by meditating on Achuta', one becomes a saint, and by his touch purifies a whole line of sinners. ”

“ Reciting the name of Va'sudeva knowingly or otherwise, one's whole load of sins melts away like salt in water. ”

He drove the chariot for Arjuna in the fierce battle-field. In an earlier age, he ran after the make-believe deer, only to lose His consort Sita, and lay down on the bare ground. Were these acts becoming of the Exalted One Who rests on the cool, cosy Anantha'?

 

Azhwar expresses his wonder at how the Lord of all creation wandered on this earth subjecting himself to tasks befitting lesser mortals caught in the web of'samska'ra", but not the Absolute Master of all creation that He is.

“aé•›A ›4za <é4 ••fr* rs*•= • I

qt$a g «›, gia agg »g: n, a, $ge»»« ii

“Know the a'tman as the rider, the body as the chariot, the intellect as the charioteer, mind as the reins; the sense organs as the horses and the sensory objects as the path of the chariot. ” He is the Lord Who conducts the whole universe, and yet in the Kurukshetra battle- field as Shri Krishna, He allowed Himself to be a comphant charioteer for the warrior A;juna. Did He atleast have an easier hfe in His earlier incarnation as Shri Rama? No. As He Himself admitted what privations He did not suffer like,

“ yn inn ñyinCew emp Numero: nifgir p@nn gIII n ;iie6l : I

e Hmñ totossu@fij gCgg; ill meuaté” II

‘Using the kingdom, life in the forest, loss of Sita, 1osing Jatayu, such misfortunes as have befallen me will bum even fire”. As if it was not all enough akeady, where did He choose to retire to work off the weariness of all ms exertions ? On the bare grass in the wild forest under the wide open canopy of the sky. Azhwar is beside himself with sheer astonishment and disbelief at the Lord's style of jagad- rakshanam. '

as@gauu aariugxé ox& -as@@r-asy

 

Even if the conscious self may not be able to realise its characteristic of dependence, it is but proper to hold on to the thought of His presence in the heart. Just as one can only prepare the ground for a lake to hold rain water falling on a bush-ridden high land, but cannot make it rain.

'It is jiva'tma's nature to belong, and Parama'tma's nature to own. ' Parama'tma' is the ' 'seshi ', and the jiva' is the 'sesha'. Azhwar says that it is seldom that one is, in thought and action, alive to this fundamental characteristic. The Lord, on the contrary, is forever eager and keen to hold on to His dear possession because of His ' a'sritha rakshanam'. One can prepare the ground and dig a lake there for storing rain water, but will it serve any purpose except as Varuna and his 'antar ya'mi ' Shriman Narayana grant that it serve the purpose for which it was designed by making rain to come down so as to enable it to fill. Likewise, a devotee has the characteristic of being an appropriate storehouse for the Lord, which, by itself, does not constitute the ' upa'ya" for reaching the Lord. So a learned one intuits that the Lord is the 'upa'ya". Then the Lord's grace descends on the devotee when he is thus evolved. In a manner of speaking, even creating the ground by removing the mental block of 'avidya", and 'karmava'sana's' is itself the Lord's handiwork. For as Shri Thiiumazhisai Piran asks,

u§Q ypmN I-;pu ijnr@igt ', (Jpr4étjpasé - Qg, aJjprQ- 23)

'The Lord (Who as Shri Krishna quelled the bulls set as wager for the hand of Nappinnai), is the farmer who on his own sows the seed, and nurtures the plant of devotion in the devotee. Do we need to sow the seed by our exertion, in this field of 'samsa'ra"? Swami Nammazhwar also expresses the same thought in the following lines.

 

 

'This universe is a field which the Lord has been ploughing from time immemorial, sowing the seed, irrigating, amng manure to, and making it yield a rich harvest by His extra-ordinary love towards us. '

£fe is the many-splendored Supreme ControPer around Whose proximity the lord of heavenly beings and the lotus-seated Brahma congregate to offer their prayers, and approaching Whom Rudra wearing the crescent on his matted locks, prayed to, for the redressal of his sin. Is there anyone worthy of such supplication other than that Lord?

Shri Bhutat Azhwar says, 6i ', to drive home the point that the lord of all devas Indra, and Brahma who originated in the lotus flower sprung from the navel of Shriman Narayana assemble round the periphery of Shriman Narayana to offer their worship. As Shri Poigai Piran says, ' effl (yJ

’>'4>*°°'Z S '^^>-' (14-dG 56) '

Even he who is seated on the lotus sprung from the navel of Shriman

Narayana can hardly comprehend the true measure of the Lotus Feet of the Lord. '

 

ñt5l uIl{yJy 6iv v mtrs - refers to Siva who wears on his crimson locks the lustreless crescent moon. The story • goes that the moon god who had married all twenty seven of Daksha's daughters, but was specially enamoured of only one of them viz.

Rohini, to the neglect of everyoneelse incurred the wrath of Daksha who cursed him to wane into oblivion, and was saved from total extinction by Siva's boon to wear him on his head. Azhwar in alluding to this, underscores the fact that even that Siva who had been the saviour of some like the moon, could not absolve himself of his own sin of 'brahma-hathi', and had to seek recourse to the Lord of Shri for his redemption.

mg;itfl (yJ ynN (pyJynN - ' By imploring Shriman Narayana, he got relief from his sin of ' brahma-hathi’.

oirm-s<jJ;pa& aaiñp sugé . 18

As Shri Vamana' You resumed overlordship of all the worlds. As Nrsimha of insupemble prowess, You planted Your nails and tore the chest of the formidable foe Hiranya. Yet another day, You took all the seven worlds scaled by Thee, for safe-keeping inside Your stomach. These were then the legitimate deeds of the lofty lotus-eyed Lord, loftier than the high heavens.

Azhwar refers to three episodes in this pashuram to underline Narayana's 'nirhethuka-krupa'. Fést, the Lord took the form of the diminutive Vamana', a form not quite becoming of the Lord of all creation, to seek the gift of three paces of land of Mahabali. Earlier, when He could have destroyed the insufferably iniquitous Hiranya, without lifting a finger, He took the form of the fierce Nrsimha Bhagavan to kill him with His bare Hands honouring the letter and spirit of Brahma's boon. Yet again, when the seven worlds were on the verge of extinction due to 'pralaya", He took them all into His

 

 

own stomach for safe-keeping regardless of their short-comings. Behind all these acts, is the lotus eye of the Lord, that radiates ms overwhelming compassion and protective instinct, on the onehand, and overlonlship over all the worlds on the other. Azhwar concludes that it may be possible to visualise the splendor of the high heavens, but not that of the Lord. Describing these acts of the Lord, Azhwar characterizes them as ' ' or ' appropriate'. Though they constitute acts designed for protection of the beings, the Lord considers them His own legitimate and proper act because after all it redounds to the credit of the owner of a property to protect his ownership rights.

Shri Valmiki Bhagavan says in Shrimad Ramayanam,

*+ii5is$Jétu o mmnñ yn Cmjt, qñ e&3' ñ I

ñ gñ sett glynn: elf sub: uq Cmg ' (Inc 1-85). ' After anointing Vibhishana as the king of rakshasas of Lanka, Rama now free from concern exulted in the thought of having accomplished what was to be accomplished.

agseegj e oxu oeflvsoo avgtgw agsQowgj @o$Isx Oacmcx ggs»egj @oflma2e erusQs@gg @ao @{gox0a

ux¿aflmésé Q r«igx«i u@. 19

You kicked the demon disguised as a hurtling juggernaut to his death. That was not what could be considered proper for Your age. So You should not take it that way. Then, Yow even more daring act of hurling %e demon fat came in ie garb of a calf at another who lay hidden in a wood-apple tree, killing fern bo1 at once, is like trying to mde a beacon light under the bushel.

Shri Bhutat Azhwar takes the thought of the previous pashuram a step further, and reminisces on the two episodes of the Lord's incarnation as Shri Krishna. He recounts how as a small toddler, Krishna kicked the demon Sakata'sura', cartwheeling to his death, belying His age and size. So Azhwar implores the Lord not to look upon this as in

 

order — cqp& & . or as part of His normal ownership guarding function, (Jagad-rakshanam). Azhwar’s plea stems out of his natural human feeling of concern. Even more daring than this act was the ploy Krishna adopted at a later date but still as very much of a fledgling kid, to eliminate the twin cunning demons, Vatsa'sura who mixed in Krishna's cattle herd as an ostensibly innocent calf, and Kapitha'sura who took the form of a wood-apple. Taking the calf by its feet, Krishna hurled it up at the tree killing both the demons instantly. What if both of them had fallen on Krishna. The Azhwar expresses his amazement at this daring act, and poses the same question to the Lord as to how.

He could consider this as just another routine aspect of His role of jagad-rakshanam’, when all this daring was fraught with such potential danger to His 'safety'- cqp&6i & Jn W m.

Shri Thirumangai Azhwar also expresses a similar thought on the unequalness of the 'act' and the 'actor', in referring to the earlier Sakata'sura' episode in his line' Jg y ten

', (- J, 10-7-9). ' Barely seven years old this diminutive boy on Whose bosom Mother Lakshmi resides, kicked with His sacred Foot the cart hurtling like a mountain'. Quite appropriately, Shri Andal sings benediction to the Lord recalling both these events in her lines from Thiruppa'vai.

 

They lead a life of joy and fulfilment who constantly worship You Narayana, in the prescribed way, steering clear of foisted charges and sins of commission, even as they who are set on the course with all favourable factors, in worshipful prayer and with a sense of deep involvement.

Azhwar says in this pashuram that like those who are akeady blessed with the actualisation of Lord's experience, by leading a life devoid of pitfalls of unsought calumnies and sins wilfully committed, as prescribed in Scriptural texts, and with a sense ofjoy and fulfilment, are those others blessed who are endowed with all the predisposing factors, but have not started on that path. The first category is, - f - those who find fulfilment by constant pursuit of the ways of' gna’na' - bhakthi yoga's '. Shri Krishna says in the Gita (9. 2.), ' uefl yAg gut, e«ee«eoñ ai};ii mñ ' of the bhakthi yoga, that 'it is supremely purificatory, blissful to practise, and assures a lasting outcome'. Swami Nammazhwar observes in a similar vein, ' psi›so n eun|j;euJ Slmenu ñ @ SCer '. 'They will find bliss here in this life and ever after'. Bhagavadvishayam is an exception to the normal rule of ' p earn C mn '- ' it is not always true that joy begets joy '. So Shri Bhutat Azhwar puts an exclamation mark after the word, ' an$ge', to indicate that this worldly hypothesis does not hold good here. The second category Azhwar speaks of, in this pashuram, comprises people who have all the predisposing factors going in their favour, viz. love born out of bhakthi, deep involvement in reciting Lord's names, the underlying impress in the shape of' purva janma suhrudam ', and above all the Lord's 'krupa'-kata'ksham', his benevolent look of compassion. ' They also lead a life of joy and

fulfilment. Does not Shri Krishna say in the Gita? (2-40), ' CJ

JnCmaeii ' - ' there is no loss to a good beginning in bhagavadvishayam'.

 

 

The humans are endow& with a mind that can contemplate the divine. Time is at hand for us to engage the mind in worshipful prayer, and lotuses fit for worship abound in tanks. Shri Vamana's beautiful Feet are ready and to bless our bowed heads. With so much going in our favour, will hell ever haunt us?

This pashuram is evocative of Shri Poigai Piran's pashuram in Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi (95),

•**ér•*ne»••<ñdif•*w•= f*=4ek'°•*•ii9i sé••*- 6-

' This unique wealth called human organism endowed with limbs like the hands and feet, has been created since the beginning of time as an instrument of service to the Master of the universe. ’

J- lotus flowers fit for worship. Shri Krishna mentions ' o yñ ' in the Gita, (9. 2d). Any flower is acceptable to the Lord when offered with true devotion. The Shastra's only preclude, ' ', wild flower with thom. Bhattar says that even that is precluded out of consideration to the devotee lest it should hurt his fingers.

Gij N - Lord's Feet beautifully soft to the touch. '

 

- 'Feet that are gently caressed by the Divine Mother Shri and Bhu Devi. ' The word ' Thiru ' indicates that the 'purushakara ' agency the Mother is also near at hand. It can also be taken to mean the 'ubhaya- vibhuti’ wealth of the Paramapurusha. Swami Alavandar, describes the Feet of Trivikrama thus, ' mm yg;nl a set o+

suéoy sum' - (Stotra-Ratnam - 31). “ Oh Trivikrama, Your Lotus Feet which have the tell-tale identifying marks of sankha, chakra, kalpaka-creeper, lotus, ankusha and vajra. '

' ynmCe Q C nNQ sunny axrosuJ QJ I rA C+ CmCg ogJQCmg; ug;ñ ' II ' The sound Narayana is there, the faculty of recitation is in us. Notwithstanding this, it is astonishing that people should fall into the clutches of hell. '

Qu{gA @waiaxaylñ Ou@jgéñ - s@w0gx¿

The path to liberation is blessed with the grace of the Lord Who is forever ready to remove whatever hurdles beset the path. Was not the dark -skinned Gajendra with pearly-white tusks, blessed with ms grace in overcoming the onslaught of his adversary, for his devout service of offering a lotus from the cool pond to the Lord?

Azhwar makes the point that those who have steadfast faith in the Lord and entrust their burden to Him, looking upto Him as their only recourse, will have their way cleared of any stumbling blocks, howsoever formidable or daunting, by His grace and prowess. The biggest impediment to spiritual progress is the mindset that one can achieve it by dint of one's own effort. That is removed by entrusting oneself into the Lord's hands. ' meet timeing eflCqn

 

N sir Q Q Q '. ' Extrication from one's own effort which goes against the grain of Lord's will, is “ prapatti “ or total surrender. ' 'Prapatd nishtai ' slips away the moment one thinks that his self-e9ort can, by itself, take him to his goal. Azhwar says in this pashuram that ridding oneself of that self-delusion is not only essenhal, but what is more important, must also be accomplished for us by the Lord's will and grace. Has not Shri Krishna confirmed this in ms Charamasloka in the Gita, “ en J” bidding us only that we put ourselves at His Feet, and assuring us that He will make the effort for us ? Our task is rendered easy, and even the- difficult- to- attain hberation becomes easy enough to achieve. This is illustrated in the episode related by the Azhwar in this pashuram, of Gajendra who was a devotee of Shriman Narayana and who used to take a lotus from the pond which he used to frequent for bath for his daily offering to the Lord. Was he not blessed with the Lord's grace in his hour of desperation and distress call to the Lord, from the deathly clutches of the vicious crocodile?, queries the Azhwar.

“ mu uJp: npnun fly I

en : mJ gum a:” II (ear. gJ 68)

' In the face of a grave danger, and looking upto Shriman Narayana as the supreme recourse, Gajendra thought of Hari. ' Shri Poigai Piran also recounts this episode in his Mudhal Thiruvandhadhi pashuram,

pin› nirCg; ”, (97). ' Oh Lord of great compassion, was not Gajendra engrossed in sensual pursuit in the company of his mate, blessed by Thy grace, by worship at Thy Feet? ’

 

The Lord Who hurled the demon-calf at the fruit-laden wood apple tree scattering away its fruits, and Who, in an earlier incarnaGon, had taken another form to encompass this earth under His Foot, blesses all beings who bow at £fis feet in keeping with their goals.

Bhutat Azhwar makes the point that those who turn to Him for His grace by adopting whasver means they choose to adopt consistent with their capacity like bhakthi, prapatti etc. as envisaged in the Scriptures, get their wishes fulfilled by His grace as appropriate to

their means and merit in the form of aishvarya', kaivalyat moksha'

etc. for He is the Dispenser of rewards. Has He not said so Himself in the Bhagavad Gita (9. 24), ' nuJexu ñ Cmâ

w Chen ', - ' I am the Enjoyer of all the offerings at sacrifices and the Dispenser of fruits of acion '.

Oh my good heart, don't you see that He is the Dispenser of the ultimate grace of liberation as also the binding cycle of 'samsa'ra"? &n't you see that He is the inner Controller of the sense organs and the five elements of air, fire, water, ether, and earth? He is also the manifest universe, the rising mountains, and at the time of dissolution the unleasher of blazing fires capable of turning the dark oceans dry. Don't you see?

Azhwar addresses his heart as the good heart since it exults at the recounting of the Lord's names in a world replete with sinners who cannot bear to hear of His name. By ' q M ;Qjti3 ’, Azhwar means that the fruits of one's actions are dispensed by Shriman Narayana. As Shri Krishna says in the Gita, (7. 14), ' mCa›su 2o

 

in mJC mmnCn ñ JJ Cg '. ' Those that surrender unto Me traverse the deceptive samsara’. Not only that. He is also the Controller of the sense organs. nJ; yen n, gi@mr mqsmñ uJg Cm Can: ' (A. p 6. 7. 28). ' The mind is the cause of the human condition leading to the bondage of samsara' and liberation therefrom. '. The sense organs are under the influence of the mind. The Lord thus is the inner Controller of the mind and the sense organs.

gig (g, s@'Lamont gCgn : éiua8ga 8g8susp* 8mioai : ”. II

‘be indriya's are referred to as ' hrushikangal'. As the Lord of them, Thou only, Who art known as Kesava' and Vishnu among deva's, are famed as Hrushikesa. ” When that Lord is the cause of the whole manifest universe of the elements that make up the universe, and its dissolution at the time of 'pralaya', it is no wonder that He protects and fulfils the desires of those that look upto Him.

The Lord Who rose in anger against Lanka, and put an end to Ravana, is also the One of abiding and exalted qualities worshipped by the heavenly beings. In a manner of speaking, He is the same One Who has come to abide in Venkatam of cool ranges where bamboos rise high.

The Lord could have, if He had so desired, destroyed Ravana by His mere will. But He chose to descend from His exalted abode of Shri Vaikunta, to launch His onslaught on Lanka and Ravana as a human being under the sway of human anger.

' C euM eunea ', - (yn. . 59. 136.). ' 6l+sii H sn 6leu r{gj Hmeiitn efgñ ' (âoJ e6l (y. — 56).

 

 

g@@ oe@guédl wr$aox¥i - - &@glri

. . . . . .

uQwoyjj ax\gé u@. 2s

Thiruvenkatam where ' Shrivaishnava’s ' reside, and to which the denizen of heaven hast en vying with one another for the worship of the Lord, is the gift of the Lord Who rests on the Milk ocean, to the celestial beings of Shri Vaikuntam, who have controlled the body made up of the five elements and the five senses which are a stumbling block to spritual progress.

Having referred to Thiruvenkatamin the previous pashuram, Shri Bhutat Azhwar is drawn by its unique greatness and proceeds to describe it.

m}g iamymtnqJ - Azhwar says that devas from Brahma downwards jostle with one another to be in the forefront to get to Thiruvenkatam to offer their prayers to the Lord there.

yñJJy - gifted to the ' nithyasuris'. ' in q Cen e«r n: mJQ C : ' where (the paramapadha), the nithyasuris or eternal beings like Visveksena', PeriaThiruvadi etc reside. Since in paramapadha there is no scope for them to experience 'soulabhya, sowseelya, va'tsalya, ka'runya'dhi ' 'kalya'na guna's' of Shriman Narayana, they embak on a daily pilgrimage to Thnivenkatam where they can enjoy the display of these qualities to the hilt. The Lord had, in His great compassion, ceded this abode to them so that they could come down here from their celestal world to savour this unique experience, not available there. The same thought is expressed by other

' ajj@un«i auBa/?sc ara«ae, ars«a$sei ajj@ Qeuu

gñé¿}6é - - (a«oeu\¿g$\St\x+ér — 3).

 

Having rested on Thirumalai, my racing, seeking mind, impelled by an upsurge of desire, rushed past the moon exploring the high heavens in search of the Lord in Shri Vaikuntam, like a creeper seeking a support staff to hug and spread around.

Shri Bhutat Azhwar savoured the sight of the Lord in a standing posture in Thirumalai in the previous pm But that experience only seems to have whetted his appetite for more. So in this pashuram, Azhwar craves for the experience of the Lord in ’paramapadha" itself. The cmving of his mind, seems to the Azhwar like the natural propensity of a creeper to seek the support of a staff to spread around in order to grow. 'm+ son Jgñ menogi;;i mN neat yM ñ &lmbu+ei BIN m. ’ - ($1 (g, eiatñ- 6lm 9. 3. 7.).

 

Hailed as the ' Deva” among deva's by countless beings, resting on the Milk Ocean, my Lord Who once had, as tiny Krishna, torn asunder the face of the demon Kesi, now abides in Thiruvenkatam and in the ineffably beautiful shrine at Shrirangam, and also wit me in my mind.

Azhwar describes all the five ' praka’ra's ' or modes of Shriman Narayana in this pashuram. He is the Lord of all beings and is resplendently present at ' paramapadha" for the 'nithyasuris', or celestial beings. ’ Wn C Csuixu Q, In C : ' (Purusha- Suktham) Who is glorious among the deva's who bask in His glory, and Who is their Patron-guide. ' ringe JQ ear

' (Vishnu-Suktham) Nithyasuris behold

constantly. ' ‹slings {gits atiojJaiui in eunrsuN', cremat- ion 1. 1. 1.). ' Jmo en g;ii Freq : onCgcseñCmgtjn earns pp (Purusha-Suktham). Paramapurusha of three-fold Vyuha form is far above and beyond. Only a part of Him appears again and again in this universe. 'Mfg ', 'mnJi Cy

+euCi nsut ', ' nu CyJ ñ e6ltsuctnl min '. (Thaittriya Narayanavalli). ' He that rests on the ocean for the perpetuation of this universe. ’ Then Azhwar refers to the Kesi episode from Krishnavatha'ra' to illustrate the Vibhava'tha'ra' which the Lord took for the sake of all living beings. ' ;sCgz e6l@mfi siimñynn cum p ' (Purusha-Suktham). Not stopping with this. He is forever with us in stationary archa' form in divya-desa's like Venkatam, Shrirangam etc. ' mJ mnN sucCeuei annum so ainers J+N aJ 6laiih men N ', (nmm -3). ’ error It eiinsay ñ Center Ceiñi+nñ ' — (N- lieu —47). As the Lord is in a standing state in the shrine at Thiruvenkatam, lest that should project the impression of any hurry on the part of the Lord, Azhwar refers to His relaxed state at Shrirangam by the phrase '

mé ', ' charming beyond what thought can convey '. It is charming because it is situated in a setting of lush, picturesque gardens, ' 'euen er y@ñ Cmd, mAeflnrm ñ

 

(Q ax&o — 6). But the most charming to the dear Lord, of all this, is the heart of the devotee which He covets more than anythingelse. ' N’. Hence the Azhwar describes the other states as ' Semi mu$si› ', ' bha'la'layam' or 'smaller shrine' “

In› “ — 54. Other Azhwars also speak of this in similar exalted terms.

osmo» a»raatacyggxm oxeeauxw 6lonsizno

asjqjy p¥¥auQ6sea paat\¿j as&ggxu

*scs •--• 4ca#a• •»-^*•--•

/\S^ +**^*A@ñA^^* /- 29

You - Who, in an earlier age, had reduced the beautiful Lanka to ashes with your arrows - let demoness Putana take you up in her arms, telling yourself, ' let me drink from her beautiful bosom to the brim of my stomach ', sucking her life out along with the milk. In so doing, you made your mother unsure of what to make of you.

 

Touching on Krishnavata'ra' in the previous pashuram, sets the Azhwar's thoughts wander further along the same trail.

‹ & - Putana came as if she was dying to suckle the child Krishna. As if warming up to her motherly warmth and entreaty in equal measure, Krishna appeared to be eager to drink to the brim from her bosom. ‹9t & - stomach.

- Since killing of Putana by Krishna was an act beyond his age and size, it made mother Yashoda unsure of Krishna.

0u0yx§ ?o&1lñ Jlyx¥é. 30

Oh, Lord of Shri, with body resembling the big blue ocean, once upon a time You as TYivikrama' measured the world. Another time you brought forth the submerged world from the depths of the ocean floor. Yet another time you churned the ocean, and in a yet different age, built a bridge across it. So say the sages of yore.

Jim jb an at - Azhwar speaks about Shri Vamanavata'ra' in which the Lord of Mahalakshmi of indescribably immense wealth and greatness, displayed His extra-ordinary simplicity and ' soulbhya" by assuming the dimunitive brahmin mendicant role for the sake of Indra, and asked for and accepted the gift of three paces of land from the asura’ king Maha'bali.

J$ alm ggiu$Cbpeai - Similarly, when the world got submerged in the ocean floor, you assumed the form of the grime-laden boar and retrieved this earth forking it up from the depths of the ocean ñoor with yow front tooth, and placed it in its proper position.

@4

 

g;ié (pN - refers to the churning of the oceans to restore the wealth and status of Indra and the devas.

m ining - refers to the building of the bridge

across the ocean as Shri Rama.

It is they who hail the Lord as the great Benefactor each passing day saying, ’Today dawned well’, and worship the Feet of Shri Vara'ha' with fragrant flowers from the Kwa' tree, that will experience the joy of His beautiful Forxn.

N - Azhwar hails the Lord as The Great Benefactor. 6kggtfi tg@ - The day dawned well '. Every day that is spent in Lord's memory and worship is a day well spent. So says the Azhwar.

Kn & a - flowers of the wild kura' tree. This is cited to illustrate that the Lord accepts any kind of flowers offered lovingly. oyxe@p ac¥#I e/jyo% uxgé u¥ai1 yoa$ a«e#I e{goé u@jbyt arsmtg - They who prostrate to the Feet of Shri Vara'ha' Peruma'n Who is beauty personified, will verily experience the joy of beholding His beautiful Form. As Shri Krishna says in the Gita, ' enrsnrmii @ min ', ' it is imperishable and exceedingly easy to accomplish. Both the means and fruit thereof are equally felicitous.

 

Oh Lord of Shri, My mind steadfast in thoughts focused on You, was ecstatic. Next my tongue forever praising your sacred feet rejoiced. My whole frame engaged in the act of singing and swaying to the glory of your blazing disc, couch and other armament, rejoiced in that experience.

- Shri Bhutat Azhwar extols the union of Mahalakshmi and Shriman Narayana, and as such addresses Him as 'Quit'. Hence ensues the joy of contemplating that union.

As per the Vedic statement, ' up: Csun end ;iig;y :', the mind orchestrates the tongue and other sense organs.

My thoughts have settled dwelling constantly on the sacred names of the Lord wearing the cool 'tulasi' garland. My body always bows in reverence toward the Lord abiding in the bamboo-laden Venkata hill. My tongue too engages itself in the constant refrain of reciting His great qualities.

u&uaé& uJga efi&1. 34

I have become Your eternal servant through the special grace showered on me at all times, worshipping, with fragrant dowers and incense, and in a spirit of overflowing love, Your sacred feet that once upon a time scaled this universe under a ruse as a gift of three footsteps of land.

 

Though Mahabali was a fit subject for destruction like Hiranya and Ravana, Narayana spared his life since he also had the saving grace of a generous heart, and devotion to the Lord, unlike the others. At the same time, he had to be taught a lesson for his arrogance and overweening ambition. So the Lord of 3ri decided to ask of Mahabali three steps of land since Mahabali in his vanity presumed that all the the worlds belonged to him, and in so doing, had dared to dispossess even Indra who was a friend of the Lord.

Azhwar acknowledges in this pashuram that the 'nirhetukakrupa”'

of the Lord towards him has made him the Lord's devotee for ever desirous of service at His Feet.

@¥d1agauy Axo Og&1Qj oxgg

@¥#1agwug gceaaB°{g aoggxu %¥#Iagesgj

»xo@y #mmngj @wBuj;gma #aivu8 (o

•••# r=e• ^6si- 35

Oh, Master, the ignorant look upon sensual pleasures as sustaining. Some would say that water is life - sustaining rather than sensory perception. Instead of being preoccupied with either, if only men would crave for even a little bit of your experience, that would indeed redound to their well-being under all conditions.

This pashuram contains some essential truths worth pondering. Azhwar dissociates himself from the common worldly perception of sensual enjoyment as life-sustaining. Even those who are capable of a sense of detachment from such sensory preoccupation, do not, however, seem to be free from other mundane concerns of existence, valid as they may seem, prima facie. This is echoed in the Vedic statement, ' eiBf$ nVtoJ no : '. Azhwar dissociates himself from both world

views. To him, the Lord’s thought is the real sustaining force in life; to paraphrase Swami Nammazhwar, '- n ñ Chug JJ

 

'. Has not Shri Krishna underscored how difficult it is for the rank and file of humanity, engaged as they are, in either maximising their material existential aspects, or in the day-to-day hard realities of eking out a bare sustenance, by his epigramatic pronouncement, ' eunenr genes nuJeix6l nu in surer ', (Gita 7. 19). ' He who looks upon Vasudeva as life-giving and sustaining, is the rare- to - find Maha'thma'.

There is no intrinsic merit ofjoy or life-sustaining quality in sensual pursuit. “ gC m gfim Seri q . ’. in mCg' I gC ea

pr A@fl;ii enrm;iiz›ntn II” The same subject matter may at first be a source of pleasure, but later could cause pain. The same thing may first be a source of displeaure, and at some point later, be gratifying. Therefore, in nature there is nothing inherently painful or pleasurable. So say the Sha'stra's. ' W;iiiopsñ mmm eoJeuñ ñ Q ', (Brih. Upanishad 6. 5. 6.). By divine design, everything seems desirable immensely. In essence, its nature is transient, and unstable. The real reason for the delusion of a being in this is his predisposition stemming from the impressions of his past karma'. So Shri Bhutat Azhwar underlines the wisdom of devoting even a tiny fraction of one's inexaustible capacity for desire in thoughts about the Lord. ' ion Ci/J (lqeflCaianprñ aft Ciu•sji aipunuflJ I cum err g : nor Co gñ (ygmnJ in yñu II (elf. . q.

1. 20. 19.). ' In the same measure of the ignorant for sensual pleasures, my heart should be filled with desire for thoughts about You, Oh Lord. '. Thus prays Prahlada’ to Shriman Nara'yana'. Azhwar says that even if we cannot all be like Prahlada', a little effort and interest in that direction would be richly rewarding in assuring us of the bliss of the Lord's experience. Hasn't ie Lord Himself assured this as Shri Rama, in His declaration, '& sup JS C ñ g, (. ay 18-3). ' I will not give up any one even if he approaches me in the ostensible guise of a friend. ' That is the true measure of the Lord 's 'nirhetuka krupa' 'for all his creation.

 

The vainglory of the gross worldly beings, tends to push them deeper into the morass of worldliness. They that are deluded wallow in ignorance. Oh, my heart, rest meditating on the wondrous Lord Who took this earth from Mahabali unobtrusively, swallowed it for safe-keeping at the time of dissolution, and brought it forth again at ie dawn of creation

Azhwar exhorts his heart to leave others who are after gross worldly pleasures to their fate, and instead engage in joyful contemplation of the Lord’s wondrous 'lila'vibhuti'. The vainglorious worldly beings are destined, in the perception of the Azhwar, to sink deeper into degrading depths of desolation deluded by their own sense of self- importance on the lines of Shri Krishna's characterization of their psyche. +fisuCynsgI0ñtiiggjtb Cal e6l;iiCgrs nJearJ I

J1LI!IS J 6li!IJb C&II SJJK2!I SVQ 6fU Jtfoll tDILI!I II

(Gita 16-14-15). I am the monarch of all I see. I am the enjoyer, achiever, strong, prosperous, wealthy, descended from a patrician background. Who is equal to me ?' This conceited sense of self- importance is self-destructive, and is what makes one caught up in the vicious cycle of ' samsara". They who pursue other gods are ignorant and continue in their ignorance. Instead ofjoining their ranks, Shri Bhutat Azhwar entreats his heart, and through that, addresses a larger message to us all, to join ie exalted group of people who s>k the substance of ' bhagavadvishayam ', and meditate on the supreme Lord. ' & As& (y oxen (y cgi israeli '. Thpse exalted souls are ' CuynnrN CuCyngjñ 6lu/CmaJ '. (Slu-

Hion@ 7. 4. 4.), as Shri Thirumangai Azhwar, deferentially

designates them.

 

Oh Lord, Who gave to the world the wise Brahma from the big, cool lotus sprung from your gracious navel. Our many recurring lives are all futile, if we fail to praise, and our heads do not bow in homage to your sacred Feet.

g ninsuJJ ina@ NCnr - From the cool lotus flower.

“, thus describe the Vedas, the origin of Bnfuna

Azhwar implicitly stresses that it is the Creator of Brahma, that is worthy of surrendering to. “ finn gi;exi ñ eel feud . . . seen o Cm “, (Svetas. Upanishad 6-18).

Since the purpose of life is to find its niche at the sacred Feet of Shriman Narayana, when our life is not geared in that direction, our repeated births are useless, observes the Azhwar. Does n't the good Lord give us these repeated lives in the fond hope that we will at some point make an effort to seek His grace?

Instead of gloating over material possessions as ours, understand what is our true wealth with a mind that is forever focused on Madavan as everything to us and recite His name as the gospel of the Vedas, appropriate for the tongue to recite.

Shri Bhutat Azhwar underlines in this pashuram what is ephemeral and as such is to be spurned and discarded, and what is of lasting value and as such is to be cultivated in life.

 

 

- Material riches are not something to be courted and looked upon as our security. As many wise men have not been tired of stressing again and again, what did we bring with us when we came into this world, to take with us when we depart from here. Yet, during the fleeting hyphenated period that separates these two points, that constitutes our life span in this world of karma, we get so illogically and inextricably attached to material possessions and gloat over them as mine, mine' guarding over it like a jealous genii. Swami Nammazhwar rightly calls it a raging fire. ' B+reriSiereir{|)j flnrJJDg (giJg Six @ 6lastieuin H ñp . ' (J (ysunei- taxi 4- 9-4). Azhwar advises us to get over this delusion and points out to us what constitutes our only true and eternal security and protection. That is Ma'dhavan, the Lord Who is always in the company of divine Mother, Shri. Reciting His many names, like ' Madhava', Shridhara' ' is the only scripture fit for recitation.

@@g1c% Ruxjga?pp@ dl@g&4w w@ga% Qu$

Vâ@â @D^@** * **B^^** - 9éAA**

aeñ&Qy% g%ggtthe oxue0yañ oxgo%#u$

The worship of the Supreme Being in the form of recitation of ms names is the quintessence of the scriptures. If you know the Vedas, you will understand this truth. To those who are bereft of this Yedic knowledge, Let me tell you, the substance of the Vedas is reciting Madhavan's names. It will suffice to understand this.

The essence of the Vedas is the recognition that Shriman Narayana is the 'antarya'mi' of all gods like Brahma, Rudhra, Indra etc. and indeed of the whole universe. ' Cen n qneaif mneuJ o rJ ge6l A : I f;neuK ax@ J yg gnp mñmu . II '. ' There is no doubt that whatever Vedic utterances are recited by the brahmins, are tantamount to singing the praise of Shri Hari 's names. ' It is to drive home this truth that Brahmins start and end their Vedic recitation with the invocation " : Jñ “. As Shri Krishna has

 

 

declared in the Gita, (15-15) “ Ceue gfio noJn›euq Caen

By means of all the Vedas, I alone am to be known. “ Azhwar exhorts all those who lack such Vedic knowledge, to lead themselves in the light of the words of the knowledgeable ones and realise that recitation of His names is the quintessence of the Vedas.

In another interpretation rendered by Shri Appillai, the underlying meaning of the phrase, ' J;yi Q ' in the previous pashuram, refers to the method of ' sa'dhana' bhakthi' described in the Vedanta' encapsulated by the ' Thirumantra' ' and the ' prapathi ma'rga' encapsulated by the ' Dvaya' mantra" meant for those not capable of the 'sa'dhana' marga". Shri Pillar Lokachariar in his ' Shri Vachana Bhushanam', has also echoed this interpretation, about the bhakthiyoga embodied by ' Ashtakshara japa' as the ultimate essence of Vedanta sa'ra. (6knr (ynf (p Q &u). The phrase ' tntrymN CJ Swirl Cy QJJN n{yñ ', has been interpreted to mean the ’prapatti marga' embodied by the 'Dvaya mantra'. '. Sutra's 41-50 of the same work may be referred to in this context. ’ lm' — 'su @d ', ' iurgsu& — ' a›nâdgapñi mJiso ir ' has been taken to refer to ' Shriman Narayana ' at the beginning of the 'Dvaya mantra' '.

Before phlegmatic and other fluids begin to rack and waste away the body, think of the Feet of the Lord adorned by Shri on His chest. Sensual pleasures which delude even cultured minds conversant with the greatness of His Feet, are without any substance whatever.

 

your nii in Cgi” -- I (Jgiaxisviso) ' When the throat is choked by phlegm, gas, and bile, and life itself is ebbing away how would we remember you ? ' asks Shri Kulasekhara Penimal.

Cgi '. ' It is through Sraddha’ - Mahalakshmi — that Deva Narayana attains His Supreme status. ' ' eiqeunt men eueonnJJeélei

10-6-9).

Quxjgmr aojgeso ys&Iwe ex»xyj a\gmx ego{g¿g oe?g a{gmx?a oxoag0wx§& &@g ose?la¥¥acvw uxg?o

@og?a@ ag@?e @&. 41

Paradise cannot be reached by worldly riches. It is the compassionate Lord's grace that can make it happen. Oh my heart, do not forget to meditate on the sacred Feet of the blue- complexioned Lord Who has given Himself to the realised souls.

- Azhwar states the well-known, but seldom realised truth, that all our wealth cannot help us in any way beyond the portals of this world and life. In the previous pashuram the Azhwar declared ' Conn gnei &ei& their ', that is sensual desire, or ' ka'ma" is without any substance. In this pashuram, Azhwar observes that even the ' purushartham ' of 'artha", viz. , material wealth does not fare much better in that reset.

— Though in general parlance, this term might be taken to mean heaven, Azhwar obviously does not mean this, but the bliss

 

of Shri Vaikunta in the august company of nithya suris. What will render this within our reach? Azhwar replies, 'Engg

‹9i&kg; '. It is the Lord's grace, that will bless us with the fruit of our dharma’. Azhwar's concluding advice to us is, '

6i M ' - ' an i g; tu - realised souls who yearn only for the bliss of proximity to the sacred Feet of the Lord, like Shri Suka', Va'madeva, Ma'rkandeya', etc.

@&riur¿ JlglñQuxcégjé 0gyx¿ -- a&riuxeñ

Jlg@gxt Jlg@Qglñ yjé ?u@%uao%wxé

May my thoughts dwell on the Lord of Shri, with a desire to behold His stately shoulders. They who cherish such a thought will not suffer the travm of repeated births. They who worship His shoulders, will view the lesser pleasures of worldly life with

— The word Q Extn› ', indicates that we should seek the Lord through the mediatrix of grace, the divine Mother.

' J C sir m ' - The stately shoulders of the Lord are the subject of repeated adoration. Thus, “ miii (y nn6l euqn88Hs

Cnap m g;;j° “, (eagi. .). “ Thou, (Bhu Devi) were lifted by Shri Varaha Bhagava’n, the repository of eternal bliss of one hundred arms. ” “ ginñ Hugh C nerrzy;iig eye onñyeir{gJ mnJmge in met . . ”, (Cheung -aun- 2-8-7.). ' Lord Who embraces Bhu Devi with big shoulders tingling in sheer joy. 'ñg mJt, gñ ñ n — (Stotra —Ratnam — 44). 'He Who hugs the delighted divine Mother with His broad shoulders'.

 

 

pleasures of those who are born in this world. ' Though Azhwar refers

to these pleasures as ' Lxn ', it is obviously meant in a sardonic vein, as such pleasures are evanescent - ' '. They who are blessed with the vision of the beauty of Lord 's shoulders, will view the worldly joys, however much commended as ' in gi Cm

&run ', with scorn, because they fade in comparison to the beauty of His shoulders. ' meet C sir

'- (Weir- Q . - 14). The idea is that ' vaira'gya", the bent of mind that turns away from attachment to worldly pleasures is integral to realisation of the divine. As Swami Nammazhwar describes it, “

6axcn?am ”, (jam-O - 8-2-8).

The greatest good that my blessed shoulders can do me is to bow in reverence to the feet of the devotees who worship the sacred Feet of the Lord, He Who struck with arrows to chop down the twenty shoulders, and all ten heads and two legs of Ravana.

Cpsm ogagBai&<s aJogsei agstgalaJ

qjg$& - Azhwar says in this pashuram, that even if one does not directly prostrate to the shoulders of the Lord, if he bows down in reverence to the feet of the devotees of Narayana, he is asswed of His blessing. ' Bha'gavatha nishtai ' is emphazized in this pashuram. “ n6l;ii@J ueuQ erm CgQ nutnooCiurâyQ Cnoe i ñ I p noñtro8maai g uñg u/aJiuny n to iii”. 'It is doubtful if devotees of Achyutha' will always attain liberation. But there is no shred of doubt in this as far as the servants of His devotees are concerned. ' The same thought is echoed by Shri Thirumazhisai Pira'n,

 

 

I will not look upon thwe human beings as deserving their bimi as such, who have forgotten the name of the Lord with eyes resembling the red lotus, ie swe passport to Ebemtion of His savants. With a mind, that is forever fixed on Ma’dhavan, the embodiment of compassion, always think of reciting m names as the purpose of life.

- the beacon light that guides us to our ultimate liberation. ' M put ', (Csoamn). The Lord assures us in this, ' I will myself lead you on to the higher path '. What is the reason behind this protective concern ? Azhwar suggests that this springs from overwhelming love forus, 1ike the love of the mother cow towards her calf. This is reflected in His eyes, the lotus-red eyes,

- Weir. ' mcii' - Lord of all beings, as also embodiment

of overwhelming love and concern.

J5nv& Jb init but — ' I will not consider those who have forgotten His name as human beings '. Similar thought is expressed by Shri Thirumangai Azhwar. “ in sñ aieé tosar;S8g snsuJJi8g8sa “ (aiaJiu — Q (g, atm. 11-7-9).

(-nc• 38 — 41). Compassion is the highest dharma. ' Ma'dhava'

— Lord of Lakshmi, - indicates the mother's connection.

ugly mN CmJ pnofl N JpjoiCg aeiJg§ - Azhwar addresses his mind to internalise the constant ' na'ma japa’. ' '

 

here refers to the 'dvaya mantra" incorporating the Lord's name in association with divine Mother.

They who are wedded to the sacred Feet of the Lord at Venkatam, the subject and substance of the unfathomable Vedas, in Whose sacred Feet the denizens of heaven rest their heads, are not inflated by the vanity of worldly riches, nor are they like others who lose their heart over losing what they had yesterday.

enmity - It is the general worldly trait to become possessive and vain about material riches. But the devotees of the Lord are an exception to this general rule.

& • & H (y error - Azhwar underscores the transience of material wealth by the phrase, '

I lst›& ', and the misery it causes when it is lost. But the devotees of the Lord are nowhere near such run-of-the mill worldly beings. On the contrary, with minds firmly focused on the Lord's Feet, they are for ever immersed in thoughts about their devotion to the Lord. As Swami Nammazhwar says, ' Silver

JJ gCg ' - (permits. 6-4-7). They only lose their heart when they experience separation from association with the divine. It is that experience that Swami Nammazhwar depicts beautifully in his ' Cm ' decad, (ariñ-6llm. 6-7.), and ' eunfl£ii clan II ' (Q (yainiii. 6lm. 6-5.). In pashuram 6-5- 7 of the latter, Shri Nammazhwar wonders about that experience thus,

' Is it the fruit of my past karma', or the design of the Lord '? (by virtue of His 'nirhetuka krupa").

 

8sugf N - He Who is the subject and substance of the Vedas which cannot be fathomed by anyone. ' Ceas gfi+ noJn›euy men Can in:, (Gita 15-15). ' I am the One Who is known by all the Vedas.

The Supreme Lord willong, magnificent arms, and rmembling the resplendent blue ocean, abides from time immemorial in Thiruvarangam and Thirukkottiyur. He also resides for long at Venkatam, and in beautiful Thiruneermalai set amidst lovely gardens.

In the previous pashuram, Shri Bhutat Azhwar described the blessed state of Shriman Narayana's devotees untainted by the temptations and frustrations of material life. In this pashuram, Azhwar describes the unremitting striving that the Lord undertakes for achieving this by His constant presence in all divyadesa's beckoning His devotees, and assuring them of His grace.

L n roll&g; — Unlike the shortlived Vibhava'vata’ra's ’, the Lord is forever present in these divyadesa's in archa' state for conferring His grace on us. Thiruvarangam hailed as Bhulokavaikunta is the shrine where the Lord is in a reclining state, and in Whose praise all Azhwars have sung except Shri Madhurakavi who sang only about his own Master Swami Nammazhwar. Swami Deshikan has extolled the undiminishing grace of this abode of Shri Ranganatha, in the words ' ya Southern Hm Collier› . . . . . . . ' In Thirukkottiyur, the Lord can be seen in all three states, viz. , in a recumbent, seated, and standing state. Shri Thirumangai Azhwar, in his own ornate style

 

addresses the Lord here thus, ' st› eune (yñ

@ âCmñy nCer ' — (as- . 9-10-7.). In Thiruneermalai the Lord appears in rare four states, viz. , reclining, seated, standing,

and strident. ' r eifl eqn r <=ñs•^ r°-is•fie $•-*

mummy JJn in' — (Ru- . 2-4-1.). In Thiruvenkatam,

the Lord appears in a standing posture, exuding beneficient grace, at Whose Feet Swami Nammazhwar exhorts us to seek sarana'gathi, with the assurance of'moksha prada'na' in the 'phala'sruti' pashuram of” maio (Jp can Bu (yeunmn 'with the words,

u ñC+@eia›nñHo nneir ’, the Lord Who is of unequalled,

incomparable glory, (warmth-61a. 6-10).

ox& u/Iy{ga6ñ uxgoe ymfl@p

Arise to worship my Master at dawn, with folded hands and with flowers placed at His Feet, and heart overflowing with fervour for His presence, He Who protected this universe, variously, by scaling, lifting, ingesting and recrea‘ting every aeon, and Who in one such incarnation, makrialised as Lord Nrsimha.

Azhwar exhorts us to show our gratitude to the Lord for His visible presence and eagerness to confer His grace on us, by worshipping His sacred Feet.

m &i 6i - Arise, (and seek your liberation), and worship Him at dawn with folded hands.

axé J — refers to the act of measuring the worlds, in Trivikamavata'ra'.

- lifting up of the earth from under the ocean in Shri

t

V araha 'Va I

 

Jy - safe-keeping of the world inside the stomach at pralaya' and regurgitating it after it.

- Master of the universe, as repeatedly authenticated by these astonishing episodes. As Swami Nammazhwar observes, '

Azhwar beseeches us to worship the Lord with all the feeling and fervour that our hearts are capable of, in grateful thought about His melting concern for His devotees as demonstrated by Him in Shri Nrsimha’va'ta'ra'.

Oh the Compassionate One, You bring the Vedas to light. You set the order and explicate the truths contained in them. You remain in the constant company of the lotus-born Mother. You reside in the enchanting Thirumalirunjolai covered by vast corridors of bamboo, and circumambulated by denizens of this land.

m yjbyrui rim grid pin -- Azhwar says that the Lord uncovers the eternal Vedas, and brings them to light at every dawn of life on this planet, thus recognising the fact that vedas have no authorship as such, and that even Narayana did not author them but only rediscovered them for our benefit.

Q JJ — 'JQ ' refers to the ' upabrahmana's', the smrithi, ithiha'sa pura'na's which throw light on the substance and philosophy of the Vedas. These have been authored by sages like Shri Va'lmiki, Veda Vya'sa', Para'sara, Suka etc. , with the Lord as their 'antaiya'mi'.

 

 

' Q J@ : ' - The spirit and substance of the Vedas is enlightened by the truths contained in these works.

C cir -- Azhwar 's phrase visualises the shoulders of the lotus-born Shri resting on the chest of Narayana in

: I <s«sCg siileégpi7AJijiiu, ›jiior uñeogJ m+wsng : urgh II “ ‘The Lord of the universe Narayana presides over the exaled sphere of Shrivaikunta along with Divine Mother surrounded by devotees. ”

unu$ (y@ Nilai - - Inhabitants of this earth circumambulate Thirumalirunjolai surrounded by vast verdant gardens, and groves of bamboo. ' in @C n& eia›@ 6ieai ejgsi› sup‹sC+ ', (jean- taxi. 2-10-8.). Shri Nammazhwar commends the beauty of the hills of this divya desa' dotted by gardens, in a similar vein.

@$u@@ e-›••*• #ur@u -- @bu@@§p

gyjay@pñi Queñt4m gafl%gj4a4c graQe%gj

Oh my heart, nestle upto Him without fear, the sweet-tongued Lord, Who shook the seven big mountains, the seven continents and the seven seas, by sucking the life out of Putana’ of poison-smeared breasts, lisping appreciatively while

- refers to the appreciative lisping sounds made by a child in the act of drinking mother's milk. ' Qñ+K e emit

LJLJff W 6ti6f L_ ' (6l)ffM - loff. 1-9- .). ' '

(Hu- Q;g, . 1-3-1). Azhwar reassures us in this pashuram that if we remember Putana' story, we donot have any cause for fear.

 

 

'Oh the Scion of Yadukula’, the difficult-to-imagine child of the shepherd clan, the dazzling Performer of unbelievable deeds, '

- with aforesaid thoughts resonating in me, I will call the Lord of Shri before everyone by the names that the blessed Gopis addressed Him in Gokulam, the very exalted names that cut asunder the gordion knot of samsa'ra'.

Otafl - Azhwar yearns to call the Lord not by the common names that connote His transcendence or ' parathvam', such as Narayana, but the exalted names that denote the ' soulabhya' and 'sousheelya", the accessibility and condescention of the Lord. What are these names ? Azhwar recounts, ' ’.

- difficult to comprehend by one's own effort. '

- member of the cattle-grazing clan. Swami Nammazhwar describes in a similar vein, ' mph Isa

tit alien ' — (Weimar-61a. 1-3-4.).

aar - Son of Vasudeva of Yadukula'.

(p — in front of everyone. Lest one should wonder if it is appropriate to utter the names of Lord that denote only His simplicity and condescending grace, Azhwar adds another name to the list, turmoils ioJJ the wonder kid of incredible deeds. ' Thus, I will respectfully address Him', says the Azhwar.

 

Oh my heart, meditate on the sacred Feet of the Lord with ie complexion of the blue ocean. Meditate on His exalted names. Meditate also on the blue complexion of Him Who once left His abode on the milk ocean to chum the oceans.

Shri Bhutat Azhwar lingers here to pause and ponder over the Lord, in slow unhurried steps, as if undecided as to how best it might be accomphshed to gra@ his inner craving. First, he addressed his heart to dwell on the sacred Feet of the Lord. Then he shifted the focal point of his 'dhya'na" to the great many names of the Lord. In this pashuram, he is drawn by the beauty of the Lord's complexion, and addresses his heart to meditate on that.

My Lord resembling the rain-beañng black cloud, with chest adorned by the Divine Mother, Whose abode is the big lotus flower, is a tower of grace. How can anyone fathom the magnanimity of Him Who merely condemned the culpable Mahabali, no less a demon than Ravana, to exile in the nether world for his errant ways, eventually rewarding him with Indra lokha'.

N - of black complexion. “ JsuC rm n meñgn

your axrJmN - He Whose chest is adorned by the presence of Mahalakshmi.

—' Who is like a tower of grace. ' ' tr iinixuñ

7 : ' (yo- s»rJ 38-41). ’ Compassion is the greatest

 

 

dharma'. ' Sita Devi reports having heard this from Shri Rama Himself. The Lord is the fountainhead of grace because of His constant association with Divine Mother.

- refers to Ravana who wields the sword given him by Rudra'. Why did the Lord let Mahabali get away with a milder punishment of exile to the nether world, when he deserved, like Ravana, to be killed. It was because Ravana had no redeeming quality whatever, whereas Mahabali had one great quality of a charitable disposition, despite his numerous other faults. As Shri Parasara Bhagava'n observes in Vishnu Puranam, (5-17-30), ' lu;j;ynup HJmNm os6lJ nCpr oJ insure Conan euear neoeii : I

’By offering water on That sacred Hand, Mahabali attained all joys in this world itself, and further achieved without any adversaries for a whole aeon the coveted sovereignty as the ruler of all the three worlds. ’. Who can fathom the greatness of the Lord Who made all this possible?, queries the Azhwar, in this pashuram.

*a‹d••› eu=•s-e a=<-e *-s•aso

nQua Qerm&;{10um Og uidl t$lduay

g{uOsa@sm nsu u 0ua (gqnO @ age ggu

GGuiñs<flu ua1é6£l (g1éqté 0sugJq. 53

It is Thiruvenkatam of rustling streams in full flow, - where along the winding paths, asceGcs sit rooted in 'sama'dN ', with profuse locks knotted and dangling on the back of their heads, like small mounds of earth around which creepers spread all the year round, - that is our coveted destination.

SU - In Azhwar's imagery, the pious devotees sitting in silent meditation on the Lord along the winding path to Thirumalai, appear transfixed to terra firma as if enmeshed with the trodden path. Refer to Shri Kulasekhera Peruman's thought on similar lines echoing the greatness of this place. “Sim@mnJ genCvn en

 

 

ppsi @tmg . . . . . . agflturyt Berti‹&;Jl aG8pj asMus£l - To the Azhwar's fertile imagination, the profuse locks of hair knotted at the back of the 'sa'dhus' heads, are mistakenly overrun by the spreading creepers on the hillside to become a part of the surrounding landscape of boulders, since the 'sa'dhus' sit motionless in the intensity of their meditation.

CsutnerCm tunté eifl (ytéLjié 6l£ugjrj - Thiruvenkatam is our coveted mountain. Refer to Shri Thirumazhisai Piran's ' SI (gj C ‹s C sn ', (sn - Q (y. 40).

aapauw @{ggj?er& 0awsuOoea @o¥?Iyaatj¿jé @gQuep @o@fipé @yaso0uxe @gaue pmmQsxuJl pe?méaswg ylmefl?sa6e Qammg

$1mfñiQsx¥J1¥ñ assaf1Qu Qe%p. 54

Even as You graciously descended upon the sacred hills of Thirumalirunjolai and Thiruvenkatam, mamng them Your favourite abodes, You now regard Your shrine in my heart as a favoured residence. On that score, do not ever forsake Your abode of the surging milk ocean. This is my humble prayer.

Although there are severalhills, only Thiiumafimnjolai and Thimmalai are looked upon as most sacred because of their association with the Lord, Who had made them His favoured abodes in order to attract devotees. But after the Azhwar started describing these hills in endearing terms, the Lord finding Azhwar's heart so very inviting, has made that His favourite shrine. Azhwar pleads with the Lord not to give up His other shrines on that score. “ Q meal @CanK

 

 

nsé. r gm. @pgeieieir 9. (g, suflsa. (. Q (g, ariñ. aur. -10-7-8.). .

The 'vyuhasthala's' of 'Paramapada', 'Kshrira'bdi', and 'arcasthala’s' like Thirumalai are designed to enlist devotees, but after the devotees are gained, the Lord finds ie fulfilment of the former shrines in the heart of the devotee, thereby making the latter the more favoured abode to the Lord. This is the implicit derivative in the usage by Azhwar of the phrase, ' fi '. ' Do not give up the 'bha'1a'layam'. 'Bha'1a'layam', in contemporary parlance, refers to a provisional sanctum where the 'utsava’ deities are kept when the main sanctum is under renovation etc.

' ' - the shrine of the devotee's heart. “ g gmñ Jmn e6loi›suetit rim “, (- no°). Nara'yana Suktham speaks of the devotee's heart, as the big shrine. Azhwar's

plea with the Lord stems from his concern that the Lord should not give up on the other shrines, after finding the niche of the devotee's heart more appealing than divya desa's. His concern is rooted in his sense of profound gratitude to these shrines for making this happen. His mention of the milk ocean is more illustrative. It applies to other abodes of the Lord also.

 

 

Oh my Omniscient Master, holding the chakra' that is ever triumphant in battles. I had never forgotten You through the cycle of repeated births in view of Your steadfast and ever thoughtful compassion. Grant me that I may now immerse in the ocean of everlasting bliss.

Shri Bhutat Azhwar expresses his gratitude to the Lord, for blessing him with the thought of the Lord through the successive births, and prays to Him to bless him further with the fmit of his ' sa'dhana" in the shape of everlasting bliss. Azhwar, in a typically egoless spirit, attributes his own practice of constant remembrance, (' , gJ Q ') to Shriman Narayana Who caused the Azhwar to remember Him always, by abiding with him in his thought.

JN ñ6lur@iun JJ on - ' grace of constant remembrance'. Similar thought is expressed by Shri Thnimazhisai Piran, ' myJ fJJ m 6ltuneir @JN (gj jet wrong mNmmin

elf gñ — 101). Refer also to Swami Nammazhwar 's lines, '

 

Azhwar adds that the Lord himself must further remove the obstacles in the way of realising the fruit of his bhakthi, and grant him everlasting bliss, for is He not holding the mighty Sudarsana' assuring unfailing success in the obliteration of obstacles, however formidable ?

JNrlñ - ocean of everlasting bliss. t3ñ xiv

nrJi sustie6l — 7-1.). ' This Paramapurusha causes the jiva’ to attain bliss. '

 

gxthes1i u{¿jQo% (g% gx Qo -- ?u¥aflg

- 56

When the passion for His vision grows out of hand, how shall one exercise self-restraint, in order not to appear impatient ? Do not despair. Even before the Lord chooses to bless us with the vision of His golden form, the Divine Mother is ever eager to hasten that process.

m egieii — Desire can be assuaged only by (His) vision. 'u ‹e eui2 rJ +ngisi› ' — (J (y-city . 97).

ñ str. — If it begins to to grow out of hand. Jul ‹9l& John - Is it possible to rein in that desire in order not to appear overly restless ? The implication is that the jiva' (beloved) in conformity with ' paratantra' svarupa" must wait for the Master (Paramapurusha') to take her in His fold, and not run wild in despair; in the spirit of Sita's calm and dignified self- restraint. “ ;ii actin no Menu “, (yn — en° — 39-30). ” “My protection is His role. ”

onfi té pt oeirJ - Azhwar's phrase underscores Divine Mother's ' purushaka'ra" role in representing our case before the Lord, with words such as, “p II n 116-

44.). “ There is none who is free from faults. ”

vé#•e• uxg *c1s=•••• ••1••s••1

 

Hear ye in all four directions, hold steadfast to the practice of singing the praise of the gracious Lord blessed by Divine Mother, abiding with Him for ever. Let us rightly sing the praise of the sacred Feet of our Master endowed with beautiful long hands.

- The Divine Mother confers all graces on the Lord by virtue of Her association.

“- (Shri Alavanda'r's Chtusloki). ' Shri is Your name. How shall we speak of You '? As the various Vedic declarations such as Purusha Suktham etc. , speak of the 'Param' as the Lord of Shri, it is the blessing of Her constant presence that establishes the ' Param'. “ mile guinea in agile “ — “ The principle on which fell the Mother's many graces turned into ' Param. “ As Shri Parasara Bhattar says, “ CaignJgnN g;i;eu flJignñ qN n6l in Ji;nb qQ “. “ Whose footprints rest in Shri Murari's chest after taking cognizance of which the Vedanta's round up their philosophical inquiry. ” Swami Nammazhwar describes the association in the following terms, ' in fbtii2sosn 6la n (gj Cuter›

eo+ p mJ . ' (junk-as. 6-10-10.).

Shri Thimmazhisai Piran addresses the Lord as ' en easn g;qN ', (N acn — Q . -62). Azhwar drives home the truth, that it is the Lord of Shri Who is the Supreme Being, not other

gods. ' Q e6lst›e›n C en ;iiCgCpei AniCgeJ '- (‹n

— (y . - 53). 'Do not consider as Lord those who have no connection whatever to Shri. '

 

Though singing the Lord's praise may be akin to the taste of neem, the goddess of learning Saraswati has favoured us by residing in ov heart, urging us to sing about the Lord with ie golden chakra’, and endowing us with this ability. This poetic inspiration is due to the grace of the compassionate Lord.

Jpnn& — goddess Sarasvati, hailed as ' eurñCge6l ', in the Veda's. Azhwar observes in this pashuram, that his poetic skill was the gift of Sarasvati having chosen the Azhwar's good heart, as the appropriate instrument to sing the praise of the Lord. How did the goddess of learning choose Azhwar's heart for conferring this favour? It was because the Azhwar enjoyed the special grace of Shriman Narayana, since the time he was in the womb of his mother, as gratefully acknowledged by the Azhwar later on in the work.

éiâarnilp6uujmg $Qi ' (87). ' I worshipped Him as a foetus

in the womb, seeing for myself the grace of the presiding deity of

4oéiJ]% Qux{ge? @gaouxuflgsa aux%Iqj@ uxRk. %gj Q - Why does the Azhwar compare singing the praise of the Lord to the taste of something as unpalatable as neem ? ; although the Lord's name is usually described as something indescribably sweet, as for instance in the words of Swami Nammazhwar, ' CJ i-rope #1;;;1d11ja «£er§;@ >¿9gig› 9J;8g ' — ($1 (5»*IZ — 6Jiui. — 2-3-1). It is to demonstrate that this contrary reaction is the result of the cumulative residue of tendencies built up over timeless births, or, in other words, our samska'ra's' which are not easy to shed.

^t!5•*Vdb# *!g^*A ^^^'7*^^ ^'•’A@

Qua[gmQgft gg I sx¥aspgg ou?uxyl %jgm@@@@

4gxs40wp ISpno&i @&g4gw Qgrwasoao

9*+!*- •-e*••\=^ *sr¿ g yj. 59

 

When the Lord cast His benevolent glance at us, His devotees, showering on us the grace of covtant remembrance, making some substance out of mere straw, my ignorance dispelled, I looked closely at the reality of God and Self, and meditated on His Feet resembling the lotus fiower. I then offered my soul to those feet without a thought of any other recourse.

6iun niByJJ - making substance out of straws,

m — When the Lord cast His compassionate glance. ' mñ Eli;in gp : ' — Whom Madhusudana' beholds. (yN C N - With the veil of 'aviveka" lifting, the knowledge of the connection between the self and Brahman

dawned. ’ niisu euu•«» S «a•s» «••$a«» or«»•+

NQ - The soul has the quality of being owned. Brahman has

the quality of being the owner. '

- - ' Reflecting over the 'parathantram' of the self to the Lord. '

N - - I offered myself to those Feet, realising them

as the Way. ' suCnI2sunmm gn Co usuQ uqnJgg n :

: ' - -” The prayerful mind steeped in His thought as

The Way ' is in a state of total surrender. ”

@{g\go w¥ñ& Ruxnfly{gao @%gg{goé n{g{ga aw4gu @jg@a@?gx¿ 9Gt!3•ju H$luxé o¥ag¥as o$}Ippngoiy ec%ct

@@ux4 aa¥Axriux¿ glsñgj. 60

Oh Lord, Yours is not just the face of the Supreme Deity, your essential nature is the effulgent expression of being the constant support of your devotees. The beings of this great earth visualise You as the transcendental reality. It is however, those who undestand You as the incomparable repository of redeeming grace, who will truly and for long help conserve this world.

 

visits Azhwar explains in this pashuram the common perception of the Creator, as a Being distinct from all other sentient beings, in accord with the Upanishadic statement, ' Cmr

amps, (2-5-13.). ' The immortal Being among other immortals, the Conscious Self, Who is the Dispenser of desired fruits. ' ' pi2 join p +nmCyn pnygnJ p nsriogiñ I pgim canCyn

JN i m II (gJCgi)'Neither countenance, nor figure, nor arms, nor abode exists for You. . Even so as the goal and support of devotees, You shine in the brilliance of all the above. '

+{y (y N jQuJC - -’ The denizens of this big earth, unaware of the aforesaid quality as your distinguishing characteristic, however, look upon You only as the Supreme Self, inaccessible and difficult to reach.

J - - ' Will live long and safeguard this world. '

#-e*a*r •=e• #=•v-a•• g-=*a==

aewgmgg ageuy @aseauwaxo awgj

ejgorthelflux ¥JIy@g xmo#w ee&u

£yaneaA@@nj Qu@g Bugj. 61

A long time ago, as a small dark brahmin boy, when You deceptive contriver, asked for the gift of three steps of land, one Foot that supposedy stood on the land filled this earth in a trice, and your towering shoulders traversed in all directions, so say the learned ones. That was a big grace that the faithful ones received from You, Oh Lord.

 

Shri Bhutat Azhwar illustrates the ' a'srithapa'rathantriyam ' described by him in the previous pashuram, by citing Shri Vamanavata'iam in this

‹ & - The day a long time ago, when Indra came wailing the loss of his kingdom to Mahabali.

Late — At the very instant that the designing Lord asked for the gift of three steps of land of Mahabali, one Foot of the Lord had already filled out the entire expanse of this earth. ' aCq JmJCg CgnCm sump curias : '. The moment the symbolic offering of water in token of the granting of the gift by Mahabali, fell on the outstretched hand of the diminutive Brahmin, He metamophosed into Trivikrama filling all directions.

— (Vishnusuktham), - 'in Whose three giant strides, all the worlds were encompassed '.

— This deed was not only to favour Indra but an act of grace to all those who live by their faith in the Lord.

BuQtg%gj p%eg}I6u% Qu@g@0u% OuasgasouPeñ

I bowed in prayer to Krishna the Supreme Leader of the Ya'dava' clan, Who drawn by love towards Nila Devi, performed the feat of breaking the horns of the bulls set as wager for her hand. In my ignorance, I had been oblivious of this bliss divine and the sad loser for this.

 

Azhwar drives home the point that it is the Lord, Who is the dispeller of the veil of ignorance that makes us lose sight of, and miss, the lasting bliss of ' bhagavadhanubhavam ', since this is rooted in the fruits of our action, and the underlying cause of chronic and inseparable association with ' prakriti', (nature).

# t moksha is attained

by wisdom, worldly bondage is caused by ignorance. '

As Shri Krishna declares in the Gita, “ lo0 team Burun ImCiosu Co u mJCg mmaCm ñ JQ Cg “ II (Gita 7-14

). This delusive power of Mine which is of three-fold guna's, is difficult to cross. Those who surrender lemselves exclusively unto Me cross over this 'ma'ya". For this, His compassion and blessing is essential. Hence Azhwar exhorts us to surrender ourselves at His lotus Feet as he himself has done in saying ' sus ant &orsn ' 6kn& - This does not signify lust towards women, but the inseparable love between jiva'thma' - 'parama'thma".

0p0g@ uriu e?I{¿tPxué -- ux0g@

sceécauxjg«t? avxeñafleñ sasg. 63

The story of how my Master Who had subdued and eliminated the seven bulls, filled blood from ms own hand, into the raw skeletal head — swarmed around by scavenger vultures, - stuck in the hand of fire-like red-complexioned, bull - riding Siva, to liberate him from his curse, is a long one to relate.

- the Lord Who as Krishna had subdued and killed the seven bulls set as wager for winning the hand of ' Nappinnai Pira'tti '.

— Siva who is red-complexioned like fire. '

susrnnri r — (H - . 6-1-2.). ' remit ' — (gin› — Sea . —5).

 

(yuirrzn — refers to the sin of 'brahma-hathi dosha' ', suffered by Siva, for cutting off one of the heads of Brahma. Shri Thirumazhisai Piran relates the same two incidents described by the Azhwar in this pashuram, in the following lines. ' CeuQe ejt›Ji

&F{J ftftif ’6Ef @ k& JQLJ If- & JLd£Ii&x & DILI ' —

SvJ — . — 42).

§g§l n y omit - The ' brahma-kapa'lam' stuck in the hand of Siva and used as a begging bowl, was swooped on by vultures which competed with him for food from the same receptacle. One can visualise his agony. As sri Thirumazhisai Piran

Sleifc6e6 - -' if related, will end up as a long story. ' This story has been narrated in Chapter 182 of Ma'tsya Pura'nam.

Oh my Master Krishna, if one prays to You in the light of the substance and spirit of the epics, such prayers address only your name. Lord of Shri, the very embodiment of the eternal scriptures, bless me that I may experience You in the resounding Vedic notes.

Since in the previous pashuram, Shri Bhutat Azhwar spoke of the epic stories, in this pashuram Azhwar affirms that the substance and spirit of the epics is to glorify the Lord's names.

angsJl& nug9é 0ua (gJggé Q& fluCy - The itiha'sa pura'na's only speak of the Lord's name and glory, (bhagavad- vaibhava and na’ma-sankirtana’) in the form of stories.

 

- - Even in these stories, it is not those that speak of His ' parathvam', or 'vyuha" or other avata'rs that constitute the core substance of the epics, but those relating to the felicitous simplicity and all-round accessibility of the Lord.

omyyié £itoir nut Peng; {ynnCw - - Lord of Shri Who is the substance of the resounding Vedic notes. ' Center mJeoaiyg;IiCneu Cents : ' (Gita 15-15). ' By means of all the Veda's, I only am to be known. ' nu mñ nu;iimñ qpNnu mñ m;ñ;ii (y;iim p âmCgi I Cen nâanN yñ uqiii gnniiQ ' I ' Solemnly affirming three times with hand raised, I declare that there is no greater treatise than the Veda's. '

Phnom -- Lord of Shri. “ ;iisutonenfJ long: : all JgA

s>J»••+•• : pp;;g;'^'e»g;»'''a *'¿¿, *»'s°gcp «›g, §i''s- i

(. 28) “ Mother Shri Devi, since You have the greatness of

attesting to the identity and attributes of the Lord, and abide with Him, none of the Veda’ declarations speaks of You as apart and different from Him”

JQ : ' ' The nithyasuris ever behold that exalted seat of Vishnu. '

uaafl@Qg¥ñ @{gQo&1 auléeoazé aAuxsñ acafl@0gg$% ?vap0o e¥ñurlñ -- p¥aflg0g¥ñ

v41•sé# «^*- y«as*aux¿yp +**•

Oh Lord of Mother Lakshmi, I bowed to your beautiful Form, and lovingly decorated your pink feet with pretty lotus flowers. Desirous of worshipping You, and with vision fixed on your supreme abode, I made bold to seek my repose there to offer my prayers to You for ever.

 

jgti &god) — Azhwar speaks of worshipping the Lord as a fulfilment in itself, as he is immersed in 'seshatva rasa '

agi xé ‹ &Lnfs JCyN - Following the dictum, “ &@fl Nm Cen nin, gjmo Q : “ — “ Without service, ’seshatvam ' is not achieved. ”- Azhwar possessed of overwhelming love, decorated the Lord's Feet with pretty lotus flowers.

e Jg8 - 'determined to lead a life offering eternal 'mangala'sa'sanam' to the Lord ', like nithyasuris in Shrivaikuntam, ' g efliiqnCnun eflmJimCear rñ (ysunñeo . nui£lJgiCg ', (Vishnusuktham), -' in that paramapadha where the eternal beings who are at once realised, pious, and for ever watchful, sparkle. '

Oh my good heart, you have seen how insidious is this worldly life, and the suffering unleashed by it. It is the gateway to inferno and is to be devoutly avoided, by reciting the names of Narayana. If you will, thimk about the degradation of this existence.

Azhwar underlines the perils of' samsa'ric existence in this pashuram. g&EU — Azhwar addresses his heart, for a good and congenial heart is an important prerequisite for any kind of worthwhile pursuit of ' bhagavadvishayam '. ' up per n @iua mysratn uJ

' II (Vishnupura'nam, 67-28.). “ Mind alone is the cause of a man's bondage and liberation, the mind obsessed with sensual pleasure being the cause of bondage, and mind devoid of sensual desire being the cause of liberafion. ”

 

- refers to the fault-ridden ' samsa'ric' existence.

>•›-< °uJ k& a›•ép =oe =+•••• ••›-i»•

Q Year - Constant recitation of the diverse names of

Narayana, the support, the goal, and ne sure means of avoiding the portals of hellish existence.

a Ii m — If you can, you will realise the binding nature of this worldly existence.

I was blessed with the vision of His beautiful Form in my dream. In that I beheld in His hand the dazzle of the fire-spitting Sudarsana'. In that vision again, I experienced His spontaneous grace capable of cutting asunder the binding ka'rmik affliction, and the underlying residue of past impressions.

In the previous pashuram, the Azhwar issued an advisory to his heart, warning of the degrading potential of'samsa'ric' existence. As if not prepared to wait that long, the ' nirhetuka krupa" of the Lord, reaches upto the Azhwar in a beatific vision of dream-like actualisation in this pashuram. Manusmrithi describes the divine personally as

y &uin ', (12- 122), that is ' dream-like mental actualisation ' which is the unique gift of Yogis and Azhwars.

Q (g$n&1 nGM#c&. @iéj &o›& mmés4Mfla& rim@lé

- Azhwar has the visual experience of the beautiful and auspicious form of Shriman Narayana, complete with the fire-spitting dazzling Sudarsana' in His hand.

 

 

CJgiftii Qy té (y&Up - Due to this experience, Azhwar feels rid of the shackles of 'samsa'ra' ' in the shape of both papa' and punya'. Not only that, the Lord 's nirhetuka krupa" is such that it cuts at the root of the inherent ' va' sana's' and 'samska'ra's' capable of resurrecting the binding affliction.

UIN té in Cgntii 6Ivg)jmrN oJafl u Cut - As Shri Krishna warns in the Gita, “ /mnndJ CiqnnJJ ggyJ ñqno up : II nJ noJmnndl noñmñm yâ &g n uy : II, (Gita — II — 60-61), the impellent and impetuous senses as the focal point of our 'va'sana's', forcibly drive the mind astray. Hence, controlling them all, one should integrate the mind with the divine, looking on Shri Va'sudeva' as Supreme.

Qsxqgjsé RsxéRux&I@g Osr. 68

The Lord churned the ocean with the sparkling mandara mountain as churning stick, and the shiny serpent Vasum as rope, in order to quell the asura' race equipped with a fierce figh’ting force armed to the teeth - He Who snapped the tusks of the rogue elephant in another age.

In this pashuram, Azhwar describes the unbelievable feat of the Lord, Who single-handedly made the supreme exertion of churning the ocean to fulfil the desire of the emasculated deva's for 'amrit' to be able to prevail over their asura' adversaries who had repeatedly outfought and subjugated them. Azhwar has used the word sirsir', in a manifold sense.

erms - refers to rapier-like foreteeth of the asura's. ' entcir

- refers to the asura' army wielding sword as their battle- weapon.

arch - stands for the sheen of the mandara mountain. ' on& mé - describes the shiny skin of Va'suki.

 

Since the deva's were a hopelessly debilitated race, and both they and the asura's were unequal to the task of churning the ocean, the Lord accomplished the feat by His sole exertion. ' C nmsi› J& n› er, (H — H 5-7-4).

Cont grnié 6iairñq @JlJQ Cor — Lord Who effortlessly snapped the tusks of the powerful tusker Kuvalaya’peeta, despatched by Kamsa' to kill Shri Krishna. The term ' J fmn refers to serpent Vasuki, in the usage, ' Jgr n ', and the elephant in the usage,

They who have become royal highnesses and rule over this earth, riding their high horses before our eyes, are what they are, because they were devotees in their several preceding births who placed cool lotuses at the exalted Feet of the Lord Who has a navel adorned by a red lotus flower.

Azhwar observes in this pashuram that the kings who rule this earth, forever extending their domain ensconced in the saddle of the horses they ride, owe their present prosperity to the fact that in their several preceding births in this world, they had been ardent devotees wedded to the sacred Feet of Narayana.

Jim nut - Shriman Narayana from Whose navel springs a red lotus.

 

ppJeo g;nms qAni . ' (6luJm euJgn — 72). As Swami Nammazhwar has sung in the above pashuram, the lotus flower adorning the navel of Shriman Narayana, distinguishes Him as the primordial fountainhead of all creation, among the Trinity, comprising Him, Brahma, who sprang from the lotus on Narayana's navel, and Rudra who was created by Brahma.

in . ef j§ gc¥. éQur{g. uy Q. o& - - g. o{ge?@a

The heart of a true devotee is verily like a shrine, be it Tanjai, or hallowed first among 'divya desa's’ Shrirangam, or Thiruthanga’l, or the ever cool Thiruvenkatam the cherished treasure house of devotees, the milk ocean, Kadanmallai Aways in the thought of devotees, Thirukkovalur, or the high- walled Thirukkudandhai, the abode of my Lord Shri Rama.

- - Azhwar likens the heart of the devotee to a shrine, since the Lord is seated therein with great love. He is in His favoured abodes, the divya — desa's. Hence Azhwar mentions very appropriately, the heart of the true devotee first, true to the dictum, ' iuJ gñ @suñ ' — that which is preeminent is to be ranked high in the order of things. For it is said in the Upanishad (eng — Ayr), ' gi; ñ g elf Jmn;ñ e i›susñmnmg ', ' The devotee's heart is to be understood as the Lord's great shrine, mug

that all other shrines are to be interpreted as 'bha'la'laya's only. In an earlier pashuram (54), Azhwar had himself proclaimed other shrines as ' a$sti '. Shri Nammazhwar refers to the devotee's heart as the big shrine, 6i heirs ', (-sts. 3-8-1.). Azhwar then lists some of the shrines. ' ' also known as '

s& ', ' y ;j&mé ', - Shrirangam, considered the crown jewel among divyadesa's and referred to in our tradition

 

only as 'Cma$st›'. Shri Thirumangai Maman describes it as '

cgi ‹eIusi&ID

(firm Q nwsii›, Shrirangam that is surrounded by other divyadesa's which are like gardens round it '.

- Thiruthangal. By mentioning Tanjai and Thirutangal in the same company as Shrirangam and Thiruvengadam, Azhwar drives home the point that no invidious distinction is to be drawn among the divyadesa's.

6kn i j - Cool Thirumalai which is looked upon as a treasure- house by all ShriVaishnava devotees.

feud - Milk ocean.

— Mahabalipuram the abode of the Lord lying on the bare earth, where the sage Pundarika was blessed, and hence so dear to the devotee's heart.

mrs&i - Thirukkovalur where the Lord manifested Himself along with His consort to shower His grace on the first three Azhwars, Poigai, Bhutam, and Pei, in a narrow corridor of a house, where they had taken shelter from rain and storm. Hence called '

n Jbmy - high —walled Thirukkudandhai where the presiding Deity was most beloved to Shri Thirumazhisai Piran, and of Whom this Azhwar inquired with such solicitous concern, ' cn›ani St Ceun', (Q âoJ — elf . 61).

 

When the Supreme Lord of the universe bestirred himself from his bed of the serpent Anantha' puffing out venomous fumes from the mouth, to lift his flower-like foot in order to measure the worlds in all directions, the Sankha’ on his left Hand, blew loud, and the fiery Sudarsana' rendered all adversaries nervous by its sparkle.

This pashuram relates the episode of Trivikrama avata’ra', in which the loud thunder of the Lord's Sankha', and the fiery brilliance of Sudarsana' was enough to throw all adversaries into nervous helplessness.

nfi Isutép;[l JN Jiim — Hearing the thunderous roar of Sankha', lauded lavishly by Shri Andal as ' 6l+nsii Q +;ii fmit I wfisimell ', gladdened the hearts of all devotees to exult, ' gñ u+m n a;ii ', and broke the hearts of adversaries, like it did again, in the Kurukshetra’ war, ' no C npr gu’q gqn gñ gmrJ siimgcqm . ', (Gita — 1-19). Shri Periazhwar echoes the same thought in the line, ' itsdl am ñ ?

HJa N JnmmJ Q N &lJ @ - As if this was not enough, Lord’s Sudarsana' by its shower of fiery sparkle all-round, stunned all adversaries freezing them on their tracks.

permit m - Lord's couch Anantha emitting venomous fumes from its awesome mouths, - is intended to highlight the cold terror of the moment for all adversaries. Shri Thirumazhisai Piran describes it on similar lines, ' fi ymnqñ in C

< @ RAID 6lJffM &IJ6IJ . ' — (J (;iff @ & — . IN.).

feud C Ng;& - What is the reason for this preemptive action from the Lord 's functionaries ? The reason is their overwhelming eagerness to ensure the undisturbed rest of the Lord,

 

on the milk ocean, jestfully underplayed by Shri Periazhwar as,

mgier Men our Ji 6lmer p '

(n — . 5-1-7.). Lest no harm should come to that beautiful body in apparent slumber on the serpent couch,

even the nithyasuris are always watchfully alert. ' gig C :

eun i u: nuAJJiC ' (Vishnusuk>am).

- Lord's foot is like flower in bloom. in my (Vishnu Sahasrana'mam - 952.)

Ouxg@@ge j OAP¥. ¥é0u@gjeé Ouxgj. we?mé -- ?ux, gj

Rising at dawn, the primates would dip in the flower-laden ponds, and gather the freshly blossomed flowers to offer in worshipful prayer. Oh my heart, you also hasten to recite the names of my Lord, and offer flowers at the lotus Feet of Him Who is the Jewel of Thiruvenkatam.

While in the previous pashuram, Shri Bhutat Azhwar described the exalted status of the Lord, with only 'nithyasuris' surrounding him in constant attendance and alert, in this pashuram Azhwar reassures his heart of the Lord's 'soulabhya“- accessibility, to even primates and people like us.

jb cum - Kn - the early hours of dawn

considered very propitious for prayer and meditation. “ iiyngIIl8lo

usmié*s *••és•= *is*=s•é•*a• s$s* I u'fi >p;

siimngtt;8y eome;inam : II “ “ At the stroke of

dawn (bra'hma- muhurtha'), a Shrivaishnava should rise and recite

Hari's name several times. ” Shri Andal underlines this in Thiruppa'vai,

 

hurt erflJJ . . . — (@ riursosu — 6). This is 'aJ en min'. Like the sages and Shrivaishnava's, even the primates of Venkata hill, possess intuitively the virtue of rising at dawn and setting out for the worship of the Lord. Lest anyone should wonder if it is possible, this pashuram sets at rest such scepticism, by reminding us that it is possible due to their habitation in a divya-desa' like Thiruvenkatam. Azhwar is not alone in this, as it will be seen that other Azhwars have dso used similar imagery. For instance, Shri Thirumazhisai Piran also acknowledges existence of similar virtue in the elephants of Thruvenkata forests, in his lines, ' eosuiiunir

- 46).

— Just then freshly blossomed flowers. yJ - The primates pray raising some sounds appropriate to their character. ' nJi at Csuni inn eunweiJzsii eJ l+aim N. ' — (. -). The Lord of Thiruvenkatam accepts with love equally the chatter of the monkeys, and the Vedic hymns sung by nithyasuris.

— reciting the sacred names of the Jewel of Thiruvenkatam. ' Azhwar underlines the importance of prayerful recitation. (ewdlc mtn).

Ca«ña<su& uaqpaCa avaia›ti Curr u <%l - 'Offer flowers at the lotus Feet of the Lord of Venkatam. ' Azhwar emphasises thus, another aspect of devotional service, viz. ' in

mñ '. Thus, Azhwar underlines the importance of all three- fold service.

 

plñ @giasyriu mJ1yé0u yx$Igj¿j a@g]oxui

. . . . . .

Jlag&QsxLi (gé QPlñiseé s@s?I (y@g auéox¥a

@ag&AxLiuu@ yjc&I@g wx%. 73

Firm in resolve to serve my Lord Narayana, the Supreme Protector, —Who saved the red-eyed Gajendra with crescent

- like tusk, — I will recite his thousand names, at dl times of

day, morning, noon, or evening, sprinkling whatever flowers I

can gather.

Azhwar affirms his resolve to put into practice, worship of the Lord with all his senses, mind, tongue, and body at all times of the day. The parallel of this sentiment is to be found iii Swami NammazhwWs affirmation, ' eiils0ma›Si rant

- (amir- Sits. - 3-3-1.). 'At all times without ceasing, we shall pledge ourselves, with body and soul, to the unfailing service of my Father, the Primogenitor of all our forefathers, and the leading Light of beautiful Thiruvenkatam dotted with springs. ’

- The thousand sacred names of the Lord (' Sahasrana'mam'), are to be meditated upon, and not to be just recited mind1essly. The ' Sahasrana'mam ' of the Lord referred to by the Azhwar in this pashuram, is illustrative, and not exhaustive, for as Swami Nammazhwar observes, Narayana is, ' C gr i5lg; om in mtnHo men ', (Chennai-61a. 1-3-9.). ' The Lord has a thousand names, and even more. '

Jb (y mJ c a gpii — At all times of day and night irrespective of the hour. To yogis and sages there is no night or day, for the sphere of the ascetic who has mastered his senses, is Supreme Truth. '. As Shri Krishna says, the single-minded yogi is in perpetual communion and constant remembrance. 'mnrsam Clin eng ñ

 

 

min Q lieu :' - (Gita — 8-14.). It is only those who recite the names with a benefit in mind, that consider where, when, and how, of this pursuit. The yogi is not in this category. He is always awake, and ' bhagavadanubhavam' is his life breath. As Swami Nammazhwar asks, ' +@suCgrJ ••suñei*e* =••**-•

ct Ca›, - (. — 97). Another parallel of the

AzhwWs resolve is to be found in Shri Thiiumazhisai Piran's statement on how he spent his time, ' eriJl ,

CmaWsa ii Cw ', (Weir — . - 63). Place, state, or time has no relevance to meditating on Narayana. ' Verify en ruin can QnjinJC n in q ;iiy mn I pCan pnqnm CmQ nji; such II ' Wherever we are, while at rest, or standing, let us hold close to 'Ashta'kshara' mantra'.

anniiJby u o (J c6l - Sprinkling whatever flowers are gathered, not necessarily choice ones. ' in iuJig ñJinbm JS eri;iiyin s pea ñgn : '. ' To the true devotee, there is no limiting line of sa'stra' or method. 'As Shri Krishna, says, 'u C ñ

but Jby 131a ñConJ{yâ Slvl In o;{l - Gajendra with crescent-like tusk and red eyes. ' H+fi ' denotes fury or being in heat. ' N Can +nfl|gJ ' — (pico — Q — 97). ' ' literally elephant to highlight the fact that the Lord's compassion transcends a being's status in life, conduct or intelligence.

flg 6kxialxr N - The Lord Who delivered the elephant Gajendra from the jaws of the crocodile, when the former called loud ' scorn', without letting the elephant drop even one of the lotuses gathered by him for offering to the Lord. When all other gods forsook him, saying, ' not I ', ' not I ', it is Narayana Who rushed to his rescue responding to the ' peel&i ' call, testifying to the truth that He is the primordial Supreme Being.

 

 

My Master, in life after life, and in all states, I dedicated myself to your service. I have been blessed with the fruit of my penance now, and the opportunity to adorn your sacred Feet with this garland of mellifluous Tamil verses. It is your grace that I excel in the Tamil arts.

Azhwar acknowledges his debt to the Lord for his boundless grace through successive births, culminating in the Jxntical outpouring about his being blessed with the Lord's thought and service at his Feet.

rums ym@6lvuiCye ypNg;iiL)ié mu6imn ié - ' I did penance in all births and states. ' What penance does the Azhwar allude to ? It is the blessing of ' bhagavad- kainkarya ' through countless births. ' n»gtficriCy * Cm in

I two-m-r @C- : iaygraudg ' II ' After thousands of births, one evolves to a state of penance and realisation. Devotion to Shri Krishna is born in men whose sinful karma has withered away.

—' I have realised the fruit of my penance. ' The fruit is ' bhagavad anubhava ' and ' bhagavad kainkarya '.

mN Swift in - I composed this beautiful garland of great Tamil poetry. Azhwar mentions this as an instance of' bhagavad — kainkarya '. ' SHvei in Ji; irgJJ

e6lJ culprit ' — (amir — 6ltm. 4-5-7.). If it was in Sanskrit, it would have been within the grasp of only afew people. By composing this in sweet Tamil language, AzhwWs verses come within the comprehension of many. As lauded by Swami Nammazhoar. '

 

 

— Hm. 10-7-11.) Such melodious poetry is music to the ears of the celestials and 'nithyasuris'. ' e0

nbsuuin ' - Such poetry is like ' worship performed according

to formulated order which is accepted in toto by the Lord by a nod of his head, as it were. ' ' Slrnei indd y;i;p Certified ' - reunite —6lm. 4-5-1).

turk BOQ 6leaNBmN - ' I adorned your sacred Feet

with this garland. ' Azhwar calls this work a garland, since he thinks of every 'kain karyam' in terms of garlanding and adorning the Feet of the Lord.

- Azhwar is proud to call himself a Tamil literateur.

- But he adds that he is just not a technical language expert, but one who is immersed in the experience of the Lord, ('bhagavadvishayam’). Lest any one should be tempted to question the appropriateness of Azhwar's apparent self-accreditation, it may be said that in the matter of ' bhagavadanubhava ', no taint of vanity attaches in speaking out about one's own internal perception of that experience. Swami Nammazhwar strikes a similar note in his

au (g ogQogé oxIñJlpé@ p%&l%gj

B{gnced4m \pg&leñ oxlñi6 -- a{gé&l{gjjig

Behold Thiruvenkatam the exalted mountain of the Lord resembling the hue of the blue sky, where the tusker driven by 'mast' could be seen mesmerised in front of its favourite mate, and offering to it a succulent bamboo plant of just two rings plucked by it, and dipped in honey oozing from a honey comb nearby.

 

 

This pashuram is set as testimony to the Azhwar's self-description as a gifted Tamil hterateur. The splendor and beauty of the literary flavour permeating these lines makes one feel as if the Azhwar breaks out in this poetic flurry in response to a possible poser from the Lord to prove his claim to being a Tamil literateur. Among the Azhwars, Shri Thirumangai Mannan has the reputation of having been a versatile poet ; hence one of the several feathers in his cap sets him out as a ' +e6liiSlu (ymeir '. He has, by way of tribute to the artistic excellence of the aforesaid pashuram, borrowed the imagery of this, in one of hips pashurams, in the followings lines, ' in

6iu (y icy Cmpñ — The tusker looks like a hill on the Thiruvenkata mountain. ' m H+ñ mñ ' — (61a -

— 1-2-5.). The elephant oozes the juices natural to it when it is in heat.

in (pNJ§i&|gj — mesmerisedly facing its favourite female partner with whom it is in love, biding a congenial moment to please the mate. ' ' — (6lu — Q (y. 1-2-5). The tusker seems to be looking into the eye of its mate waiting for its signal or command,

eiieijfiimé› gijiisQoauajAA a ugfi eojaitfir ;gjJuiJi gj@ : I

. . . . .

(Shri Sthavam 1). When creating, in sustaining and dissolving the worlds, and when conferring the fruits of heaven, hell and moksha' on the worldly beings, Bhagava'n Hari looks into the face of the divine Mother, and carries out those functions in the light of her signals '. The tusker's behaviour is evocative of the Lord's action.

- A succulent bamboo just grown two rings in size. ' current ', in Shri Paraka'lan's phrase. The tusker is alive to

 

the sensitivity of its young partner, and chooses a soft, succulent bamboo shoot. Shri Kaliyan adds, ' Knr6leuQJ curing ', to indicate though a young plant, the bamboo is rich and succulent, due to the richness of the soil of Thirumalai.

& i& en&Hi - bamboo plucked with due care having regard to its delicate texture. Though the tusker in 'mast' is usually devoid of clear thinking due to a state of passionate intoxication, here since the act is in behalf of its mate, it is extra-vigilant.

Jy tip - honey dripping from a honey comb nearby.

In Shri Paraka'1an's phrase, ' in A C en

Jb JñQ;;& — offering the bamboo mixed with honey in supplication, entreating the mate to accept it. In Kaliyan's phrase,

Let us now savour the beauty of a pashuram on identical lines from Shri Bhutat Azhwar 's younger contemporary, Shri Pei Azhwar, in the following lines, ' ngCeapñ curtly long Q

Cei i Cn ' - (Weir- . - 45). Shri Pey Azhwar in this pashuram, evokes a parallel imagery of a male and female elephant wandering in separation owing to the common misunderstanding, (ccii) typical between the spouses. Shri Bhutat Azhwar describes the coming together of the tusker and its mate after this separation.

' pen mm a m (ys Slwfiyñ ' — Kaliyan completes the imagery on a consummate note of grace on the part of the young female in demurely accepting the treat offered, in a felicitous reconciliation and rebonding, not unlike the divine Mother accepts the garland of her Lord graciously, at Her doorstep on the ' Pankuni Uttaram ' day and invites in the Lord signifying the happy ending of

 

the 'viraha". In his own ornate way, Paraka'lan uses the phrase, ' Weir Slai iyñ ', implying that the tusker is aware that if he gives the bamboo with the honey, it might choke the young partner, and so instead he chooses to wring the honey in the bamboo into the mouth of the mate.

Famed for this kind of happening, Thinivenkatam is the resting place of the Lord, whose complexion blends so beautifully with the colour of the sky.

What is the underlying 'ta'tparya" of the illustration handled in this pashuram ? It is to the effect that the Lord resides in that mountain where the tusker protects its mate by giving her the desired thing. As mentioned in Swami Nammazhwar 's pashuram, ' rein eursn

>sirgpii zisrnC C ñ (Q (ysunfi — Sta. — 1-8-3.), it is proof that just as Shriman Narayana confers His grace on, and protects, the celestials, and people of this earth standing at Thirumalai, even the animals like the monkeys and elephants are an integral part of His 'rakshana" scheme. ,

Gathering plenty of mountain sandal paste, exquisite jewellery and silks, as also fragrant jasmines, worship prayerfully, with bowed head, as befitting a true devotee, the sacred Feet of the all-knowing primordial Cause of all creation.

â Cyb -- The sandal referred to as suitable for the lovely texture of Lord's body, is that gathered from mountain Chandanagiri which is known for its special quality sandal tree. It should be like the sandal paste prayed for from the 'Kubja", (the hunch-back woman), on the streets of Muthura' by Shri Krishna, with

 

the plea, ' eo•aJgCng 9r F§g9is nJ Cp I Minus mr%f nv Jm ' II ' This sandal is highly fragrant as fit for kings, and has texture, Oh Lady of beautiful face, give us some sandal paste suitable for our bodies. ' Azhwar 's mention of high quality sandal to offer to the Lord, does not mean that the Lord accepts only that. He will no doubt graciously accept whatever is offered with love. It only means that the best of things befits the beauty and loveliness of His 'svarupa". In a figurative sense, it means the devotee's yearning heart is ever overflowing with love for him, looking upon him as the 'upa'yo-upeyam ', (ie formula and the fruit), or in the words of Swamy Nammazhwar “ tween lung JJ aeiflñ

e Nan›gpé — exquisite jewels as can adorn the Master of all worlds. In Shri Nammazhwar's reckoning, it is the act of folding of both the hands in fervent prayer. “ C area mndlasu ñ emir e ñ nomic +Ce “, (Chennai Wm. 4-3-2.).

4-3-5.). In a metaphorical sense, the flower garlands, the jewels, and silks translae in Swami NammazhwWs equation, to life breath, love, and fervent prayers.

— gathering in plenty.

- The Primordial Being, “J ñqgijaxi CJ taxis

 

 

0p0n main time eif p p qnndJ . . . . . . “, (Mahopanishad). ' When there were no Brahma, Rudhra, nor any sentient beings, worlds, or stars. ' “ yC+a gI£ even gnqnmna M “ -, (Mahopanishad). ' Only Narayana was. ' “ In e n e6lg Q

(Swetasvatara Upanishad). ' He Who at the beginning of creation projected Brahma and others. . . . seeking liberation I seek refuge at his Feet, ' Thus the 'parathvam' of this eternal effulgent Being, the original Source of everything is well-nigh impossible to visualise, let alone comprehend.

Hg}lsuN - The all-Knowing. “ mgNeriqniom: “, (Vishnu Sahasranamam). He that has the knowledge and understanding capable of gratefully equating one small good deed to a hundred thousand fold, and commensurate love. The knowledge spoken of here is just illustrative of the Lord 's omniscience.

Q - fervently praying, reciting hymns in praise of Him or His names, or addressed to His lotus Feet.

- bowing in reverence.

— befitting the self.

S> my good heart, it is but proper for us to worship the exalted Feet of the Supreme Lord of all beings. It is fitting to adorn his Feet with pretty lotus flowers. Adorning them thus, and bowing in reverential homage, and worshipful prayer, it behoves us to engage in penance of constant recitation of his Sahasrana'ma’.

 

 

H e6l‹s+;ii n in An›sonN @eIn ' - (Q (yeunai- Hm. — 1-7-

8.). Though ostensibly the Azhwar addresses his heart, the hearts of Azhwars are always engaged in constant pursuit of ' bhagavadvishayam'. As such the underlying message is like a wakeup call to ordinary people like us, with wayward hearts which are after lesser pursuits, to arise, awake and approach the redeeming Feet of the Master, and meditate on That. Such a construction would be in line with the interpretation of Swami Periavacha'n Pillar.

- - The exalted Feet of the Purushothama', (The Greatest of all Beings). His Feet are, in a sense, like his nama', larger than He, since they have the magic quality of redeeming and liberating without drawing any distinction between worthiness and worthlessness, as was the case in conferring 'moksha" on the reprobate Sisupala in his moment of departure. In Shri Periazhwar’s elegant phrase, ' meoeusonin geflJ mp ', (H inn exit

. 4-3-5), His grace is boundless taking within the fold of his Feet even such a hardened sinner. As Swami Nammazhwar puts it, en gnñurn› in Jg ', (Chennai- 61a. 7 -5-3.). Hence

it is, that the Lord's sacred Feet have been the object of adoration and adulation of Azhwars and Acha'ryas' alike. “ gorisir Nett “, semi—61a. 1-2-10.). Swami Pillar Loka'cha’rya,

in his Mumukshupadi — 146, reinforces this thought in the words, '

i. ¥7azpuju atuigyté sJlppjté @ (g, aiipaeé sñlzagi ,

', meaning ' even if forsaken by divine Mother, or the Lord HimseF, his sacred Feet do not ever forsake. They remain the unfailingly safe haven to all. ' Also, “ Muirs dJpJg Jett

msv›su “, (Sanga-Tamil Paripa'dal — 3).

 

monxé yN onJ - Adorning the Feet

with pretty lotus flowers, and prostrating to them.

- worshipfully praying with lips.

RmN emy@ T - - His one thousand names, (Vishnu Sahasrana'ma').

- Recitation, (of His names) is penance enough. Whether called by accident, or design, for a purpose or mechanically, or jestfully, his name has redeeming quality, and in Lord's reckoning bears fruit. That is the gist of this pashuram.

gopQewyj grwpsQe augj¿jw gycafl

B-r»e=•• B=>• ••‹o•‹o• *-»e-

sow&ggi oxys sjgs?lmw saass@y

Qu«ig&@@ri ?u¿Qox@ggi Iñl6é. 78

It was only the four-faced Brahma that reaped the fruit of his devout penance, when he, reci”ting the many names of the Lord, washed with sacred Ganges water the towering golden Feet of him when He set out to measure the worlds.

JbfNJjpnBm - It was only the four-faced Brahma that reaped the fruit of ' divya -na'ma sankirtana" by being blessed with the opportunity to wash with his own hands, the Lord's Feet in His Trivikrama'vata'ra'.

— Lord's golden feet that are not only the instrument of all 'purusha'rta's', but also the self-fulfilling object of all spiritual search, striving and sa'dhana'.

Jyn th Jñ 6lrnrg;m - The raised golden Feet of the Lord in their giant stride to measure the worlds. Lord 's Trivikrama'vata'ra' is referred to here, which He took in order to restore to Indra the rightful sovereignty over the celestial world. While Indra got his kingdom back, it was Brahma who got something of

 

far greater value, the blessed state of touching and washing the golden Feet of the Lord with water of river Gang a. “CpCy

mpa qgeir mmeé “, (get› Q e»JignQ — 56). Even though, he was born in the lotus flower sprung from the navel of the Lord, Brahma had never ever had as much as a glimpse of the lotus Feet of Narayana. For the first time, he had that blessing now in Trivikrama'vata'ra'. No one before or after had that kind of up close and personal benediction of the Lord's Feet.

JJ 6i - sprinkling the Ganges water. Ishvara Samhita narrates how when Narayana set out to measure the worlds as Trivikrama', the devotion of Brahma and other celestials transformed into sacred water which filled Brahma's ' kamandal '. Taking that water in his hands, Brahma washed the Feet of Trivikrama' with great love and respect. Siva who saw the overflowing 'thirumanjana" water took that water and sprinkled it over his head, saying to himself, ' I can purify myself with this sacred water ', and did not release that water from his matted locks for thousands of years, till Bhagiratha' did penance and prayed to him to release it for the liberation of his forefathers condemned to damnation by Kapila Muni. This water then descended to this earth as river Ganga.

•n jb -- reciting all the names of the Lord. pN fmfg m K f k qâ c6l N - - washed to the ecstatic relief of his pretty hands.

 

In matching comparison to the Feet of the Lord in measuring this vast universe, the greatness of the unparalleled courage and valour of the hero of the epic Ramayana, stands out - the Lord who, ever true to his word, would not be dissuaded from his purpose by the mother’s plea, nor tñat of his Consort of slender shoulders, the incarnation of the lotus-born Lakshmi.

Azhwar cites the rectitude and courage of Shri Rama as something which matches the greatness of Shri Vamanava'ta'ra, in measuring all the worlds with His Feet.

t$&ski& —' Following Shri Rama, and pleading with him, mother Kausalya' implored. . . . . ' Her plea was, “ i ugeu C

g i5lyn nsg£lñ : niieugiJCnna no°gIi (y;iigimn w I p

(Shrimad Ramayanam — Ayodhya 21-52). ' My Son, even as your father is venerated by you, so am I venerable by you. From what I consider righteous, and with my overwhelming love towards you, I will not allow you to go to the forest, nor is it proper for you to leave me in my state of grief. ' Shri Rama did not consent to her plea, citing the overarching 'dharma" applicable to both of them - of his imphctly following his fathWs ñctat, and his mother as the wife of his father falling in line with her husband's wish. “ e m0 a g:

ñfiqn n mQ sunst5l mm;ii I m;ii stimulus mJmn

<° i= &7 >• •'•<&< 9 i9'i<*B 9G '>°'* >GB& II en encu

tf0‹qJJff 1 MU @ ff lBfflD ID 6f1J&6DfftD tl3Qff6li I

oQ : rim gin “ II, (Shrimad Ramayanam, Ayodhya 21-59-60.). 'Whatever a person who is, a teacher, king, father, and an elder, lays down whether in anger, joy, or desire, how could a right-thinking son who considers that righteous and proper conduct, not comply with that ? I, being that son, cannot refrain from carrying out that wish, since he is the father who can legislate our action, and who is husband, guardian, and the law to mother Kausalya'. '

 

N cir-'Then Sita of slender shoulders like bamboo, and incarnation of lotus-born Maha'lakshmi, eager to hasten to the forest, a step ahead of her husband, pleaded with him in the following words. ' mQ feud ñqeri gin Jñ ni ;iimi en been I nñqeriC

+An;iiunA ñq p +enn+rJ 11 ', (Shrimad Ramayanam, Ayodhya — 27-6). ' Oh Raghava', if you should be on your way to the impenetrable forest, let me be your pilot and walk ahead of you, setting the path free from weed and thorns. ' Shri Rama would not however listen to her plea, until she cited his own words in reference to mother Kausalya, as equally pertinent to her.

Simtsii gj C Ngj& — the hero of the epic Ramayana. Cecil gnxñ N C exit C Ngj& — non pareil in the power and valour of his shoulders, and fortitude of character.

HoimnrJJ &lsuJytrN RJy ñ ié CJbJ - The only thing that matches all this, is the expanse of space that He strode (in Trivikrama'vata'ra'). What Azhwar implies in this analogy is that Shri Rama's valour in destroying Ravana and his army, matches that of Shri Va'mana' in subjugating Namusi and others, in the same way as Shri Rama's steadfast adherence to ' dharmarakshana', compares to Shri Vamana's adherence to 'a'sritharakshana'.

Being blessed to be your devoted servant, and constantly meditating on your lotus Feet, I have found fulfilment in overflowing love towards your pink sacred Feet. To those blessed with the vision of the bare Feet of the Lord as He scaled the worlds, would the sight of his bejeweled Form hold any greater allurement?

 

C JbC — Blessed with the opportunity of service at the Lord's Feet, due to his overwhelming ' nirhetuka krupa' '. As Swami Nammazhwar echoes the thought in his lines, ' ñn

 

n›cxi. 8-9-11).

lotus Feet.

 

in — ' My thoughts centred round the

 

JC Bharti ‹ & — ' I found fulfilment in overflowing love towards your pink sacred Feet. '

u & 6lnnBexr? - Two alternative interpretations have been presented. 1. To those blessed with the eye-full vision of the Lord's Feet, how much inadequately equipped would the eyes be, given the vision of the Lord's complete Form. ? 2. To those blessed with the vision of the bare Feet of the Lord, as He ascended the skies to scale the worlds, would the sight of His bejeweled Form hold any greater attraction ? The second construction has been adopted in the translation, on the consideration that the beauty of the Lord's Form lends charm to the adornments that cover Him, and not vice versa, because He is, ' oqwaeiimnoysrañ ' nuJm na

ar% $lejggj #Px$I ap@. 81

In a vision of eternal daylight, I saw Shriman Narayana, in a clearer light than a passing dream. In that vision, I witnessed clearly his resplendent Form as in his celestial abode, with his Chakra’ shedding its dazzle on his Body, and his crimson Feet.

 

In the previous pashuram, Shri Bhutat Azhwar described the ecstasy of those whe were blessed with his vision in time long gone by. In this pashuram, Azhwar describes his own overwhelming experience of the Lord's vision here and now.

uaañ idol - the dawn of realisation, or awakening of bhagavad vishaya jna'na" dispelling the cloud of'sarnsa'ric ' existence, underlying the Vishnu Pura'nam phrase, ' 8te June ', (V. P. 5-17-2).

ñ — In that brilliant light, Shriman Narayana shines like an eternal sun. ' fiC & Q in ' — The sun rises impelled by fear of the Supreme Being, Who inheres in everything and is the ConSoller of all beings ; ' aJig : iiiys5ls@< : iruieiiga

jsr ñ eoJwn in (Thattriyam, Aranyam 3-11).

om&lO tdloño CnN - This vision springs from inner realisation, and is forever, unlike a passing dream or visual perception. 6 x i - The vision is real. In pashuram 67, Azhwar had sung, ' Cacti (yCu› ill error me6lsi›', in reference to his mental visualisation. Here, he says, ' '. This vision is real and describable in specific terms.

CJ - Chakra' shedding its dazzle on Lord's body. “'**-*i d °'°*fi4**'$*'-é *'-I ié “ (di2i-'-*^*••*tk —2). nfi nN - The Lord with lustrous crimson Feet.

sunk té Cvr@ m oJ A CnN — I saw Him in his resplendent abode of Shri Vaikunta. ' n siiCmna n '

uas?oxwo sa¥'ceex«t? u%me? -- aps4sxafl qbm@@am I. fl%@a gaioy/gg agwQsr0a>x #anw@gn aflfi& @a @. 82

 

The lotus —born divine Mother of perfectly chiselled beauty with sparkling eyes having set her sight on the eternal endowed youthfulness of the Lord, is ever in his company. So is Mother Bhu Devi always at his Feet with overflowing love. Does this beauty become ever less because so many drink from it?

Azhwar extending the thought of his vision of the Lord, observes in this pashuram, that what he envisioned was not celibate Narayana, but Shriman Narayana.

exp& nraxn — chiselled beauty.

tuner 6iJb (yfi — In that overall chiselled form, her eyes sparkle.

ana o;jxeii- born in the pretty lotus blossom.

6ie' i casein Weir — Setting her sight on Lord's beautiful countenance, and unable to tear herself away from that. 'ttj eiatgtonJ ', (Rigveda’). The Paramapurusha is described as in the beginning stage of youth and the completed stage of adolescence. ' &$ a ', (6xa)iu- . 7-10-1). The divine Mother is ever present in His company true to Swami Nammazhwar 's depiction, ' Jun in flsi›Cainir ',

(Q wnfi- Sta. 6-10-10.). 'Never parting from Him even for a fraction of a second.

aoJ s — Bhu Devi, the very embodiment of patience.

Ryñflors6l Tsuto q;{lJby mN6lorflsun- in constant touch with Lord's Feet, with overwhelming love.

C feud Eli Jet&o - Lord's beauty does not diminish because Shridevi and Bhudevi drink deep from the same. “ r no

›••a«•dee•8g›skilq›uiu r a 8uu2=•s =as=›•a • s tuiua I

: IP’, (Shrimad Ramayanam — Balakandam — 77-36. “ In the company of the beautiful daughter of Janaka of the exalted royal family line of Mithila, Shri Rama the son of Rajarishi Dasaratha shone resplendent

 

like the leader of all the celestials Vishnu in the company of Goddess Shri. ” Other parallels from Divyaprabhandam are, ' Q+ fleir;o

eurai. H 10-6-9). ' eo N exmF eunq &;o ', (- Thiruppalandu). The union of Shridevi and Bhudevi

with Narayana is not a competikve game as in the case of worldly unions with co-wives competing for the same piece of enjoyment. The Lord is like a big perennial river in which the jivathma's can immerse in whatever number, without detracting from the infinite bliss-potential. Echoing this thought is the following verse of Bhattar. “end afñ efl nqyenfl+naSei ynJgIiIñ enter our nAeunñygiaJlJmeaJñ a gisrimn “-, (Rangaraja-stavam — 1- 63). ” Divine Mother and her shadow-like Bhudevi, forever desirous of frolicking, (in the pond of Shri Rangana'tha'),

like two queen swans. ”

I spoke of the Lord in inadequate terms in a presumptuous vein, the Master of whom even the Vedas whisper in a venerable tone as 'That'. Having spoken thus, I still looked upto Him, all this while hoping for some tiny part of his infinite storehouse of grace.

In pashuram 74, Azhwar had, in a momentary burst of enhusiasm, referred to himself as a great Tamil literateur. Having envisioned the Lord in the indescribably exalted company of His divine Consorts, Azhwar is overtaken by a twinge of conscience as it were, wondering in a self-introspective mood, if he had not sounded somewhat self- flatteringly presumptuous about his literary merit, and thereby committed a ' bhagavad — apacha'ra" in sounding so daring before

 

the Lord, of Whom, even the Vedas dread to speak any louder than in a reverential whisper.

fire 61 6ieirJéncñ niJ&2mN - ' Spoke daring words fat detracted from any merit thereof. ' It must be noted that the Azhwafs remorse is keeping in mind the sheer indescribable greatness of the Lord, and does not have any bearing on his poetic acumen, for he has been extolled by no less than Swami Nammazhwar, and that multi-dimensional master of Tamil language and literature, Shri Thirumangai Azhwar, in the following terms. ' mCa›iii gApJ & mqJ u;iigJ ', (amir-6lm. 1-5-11). ' head in

e6l ', (eirU- B . — 7-9—6). ’ • , N srd'J CrnJJ merry in in menu ' (R in - JSln. 2-10-4.).

fg K - ' Ma'1 of whom the Vedas speak as ' That' '. The Vedas which began to describe Him as ' unsur nixun ', proceeded to equate the blissful state in all possible worlds in multiples of hundred years, finally describing the summum bonum of the final state of bliss as ' nu in gJg ', (' That One is the bliss of the Brahman '). They fall short of describing Him in nearer terms such as ' This', and admitted ' iu8ga surflar JeuJ JCg ', - from where words return without reaching ', meaning that He cannot be described in words. Also refer to, ' g; cdl C : myaxn spin ', ' Vishnu's supreme abode is That. ' ' mNmnn ñ eñm in tn'„ He that is comprehended by one who does not comprehend '. Azhwar ruminates on these Upanishadic declarations, and is struck by a regretful thought, ' What kind of deceitful poetry was this?. Whom was I trying to hoodwink ?. '

in (yJC —' I looked upto the great One hoping for a tiny bit of the infinite reservoir of His grace all this while. ' Azhwar observes self-disparagingly, ' Not only did I compose these verses, but hopefully looked upto Him to bestow on me a tiny bit of his inhnité

 

 

grace as a recompense for my labours. ' Actually Azhwar was not one to expect any kind of reward for his poetic labours. The term 'etnin', however indicates gracious consent, so at best, the Azhwar might have implied his wistful looking up to catching the Lord's glance in gracious acknowledgement of his musical versification as a rich reward in itself.

The Feet of my beautiful Lord are the quintessential nectar of this beautiful spacious land, the Lord Who in half-leonine, half-human form tore up the wilful Hiranya inebriated by his brawn and the boons obtained from gods, and unremitting in his enmity to the Lord.

eqpé (yJ — regarding highly his boons.

y—not submitting to Him.

efl noQCmmnñCm+ñ p pCnmñ +niiudl ’, (Shrimad Ramayanam, Yuddha Kandam, 36-11). Ravana's boast, ' would rather be broken in two than bow to anyone. ’

suNmn ié o (y yñoJysu - obstinately obsessed with his prodigious muscle power, and the boon obtained from Brahma granting him near immortality.

Jby nenui — 'As half-lion half-man, tore to bits' — As Hiranya's boon granted him immunity, among other things, from being killed by man or animal, the Lord assumed this hybrid form to kill him.

 

oi& — The beautiful Nrsimhavata'ra' has been hailed as, ' Cm p ion : ', in Rig Veda, and as q aq: mJ ', in Vishnu Sahasrana'mam. Also refer to Shri Thirumazhisai Piran's

' mpflmrsn nCnr in (yeusii g;nCca (en - Q . 22). suJ — Nectar of this expansive universe.

betrays I iiymâaQ ;iisuir q eumryrm n6lJ

: II ' — (Shri Alavandar's Stotra Ratnam — 29). Shri Alavandar says, ' One drop of the nectar ocean of love springing from Thy two lotus Feet, extinguishes in a trice, the forest fire of samsara' and reaches to the devotee the greatest happiness that he can ever find. '

The Vedas hail the Lord who wields the sparkling Chakra’ as nectar and honey, He who exulted in churning and distributing nectar to celestial beings. I hail my Supreme Lord, and praise and worship him with this nectar-like garland of verses.

61 - The Lord is the nectar of all living beings, unlike the nectar of the milk ocean which was available only to the celestial beings.

fl§i& g)jii — Upanishads hail the Lord as ' ereJeugnu '. Honey is a compound of all six tastes that cover the whole spectrum of what we call taste.

rN — Wielding the Sudarsana'.

Whitby Jb N — Though the Lord churned the ocean for the sake of the celestial beings, at their request, his exultation was more than theirs in this, because He is quick to

 

 

recognise even those who look upto him for favours as elevated beings. ' n. grin : enter ynieuCg ', (Gita 7-18). All the three categories of devotees, viz. they who seek Him for worldly or celestial joys and the realised beings who love Him for his own sake, (yfisuJiu n›+eusi›mnJ;ii nJ), are elevated beings.

- Here, ' in ', could be construed to mean divine Mother Shri who materialised from the milk ocean. ' on

Cgi&m £leaNm — nectar like garland of poetry. Only in the previous pashuram, Azhwar had spoken deprecatingly of his verses as, ' mpmn+ Sieu@6lan{dmsir m@Cnrnii'. But since the subject matter of his verses is the unsatiating nectar of' baghavad vishayam', Azhwar changes tack having tasted the sweetness of the subject and refers to his verses as nectar-like garland.

Ginr en — The great Lord spoken of so endearingly by the Vedas which are replete with such statements. ' qCmn men no ', (Thaithriya Upanishad, Brahma'nandavalli 7-1.) The Paramapurusha is the essence of essences. ' nut euro . , (Chandogya Up. 3-14-2). 'He is of all tastes. ' euro : Mg

men menu : ', (Vishnu-Suktham).

' Honey flows from Vishnu's exalted Feet. '

 

What fruit have the learned ones reaped by their prayer to the Supreme Lord, with freshly gathered flowers, and constant remembrance and utterance of His sacred names! Tms is not achieved by tortuous body-bea’ting penance, but by His grace. how else have I been blessed by His vision except by the grace of my Lord with complexion like a blue jewel and the sky?

Azhwar makes the point that at the root of any spiritual sa'dhana' which culminates in God-experience is his grace, for no penance, however rigorous and marked by self-punishing practice can lead to Him, unless it is blessed by his 'nirhetuka krupa".

g&N myJy gnmeiJoni - The learned ones naturally endowed with spiritual proclivities who seek their progress, by constant japa' and meditation.

gathering just blossomed fresh flowers. kguN ‹S & psi›? — literally, what is the

fruit of their worshipful prayer to Him ? The implication is that God- experience is not the outcome of any mechanical input-output equation, for Narayana is the fruit as well as the dispenser of the fruit,

N y yié 6iiotiiJymJynsIi in in - difficult to envision by the pursuit of ' karma yoga" practices. (of those well- versed in such practices).

Etna of - Lord Who resembles the blue sky and a blue diamond.

tend mJ user ott mN 6ionsii — 'With what ascetic powers do I see Him now?' The implication is that it is the 'nirhetuka krupa" that enables the Azhwar to experience the Lord in his day to day thoughts and pursuits. Swami Appillai 's commentary has it that the Azhwar refers to himself as ' men', in utter humility, that is meaning, ' humble as I am '.

 

Swami Periava'cha'n Pillar 's interpretation, however is that Azhwar refers to himself as 'axisir', in an exulting and euphoric sense, blessed as he is with direct experience of the Lord, even as Swami Nammazhwar does under similar circumstances, ' inn

succa Cg ', (Q sunk- Finn. 4-5-8.). ' eun rñC+n ñ aefl Demise suniCa›;Ii i lsdl arr Cn ', (jeunai- taxi. 4-5-1.).

B&p a›QA&Cp m-a›Ca›m- & (yQsugmpa ao&t;gtñ ser@g Q (ga1pmu copy s (g&Caatip ujréA<$gj ns0gagpCpm- a Ct_m

Q{g&CasLip 0u$mp @gé. 87

A long time ago, lying in foetal state, I witnessed the powers of my Lord of Thirukkottiyur. Dmwn by this, I folded my hands in prayer. It is not that only today I have awakened to the drawing power of my Lord's sacred Feet which scaled the heavens and earth aeons ago.

Azhwar recounts in this pashuram, how as a formative child in his mother's womb, he was blessed by Lord's vision, and experienced to his utter amazement, the greatness of His 'svaruparupa guna vibhutis '.

&{JJj g;meiiCa›& —' It is not as if I have become awarn of Him, (bhagavad-vishayam), only today ’. As if anticipating a question as to if it is possible to have that experience as a mere foetus, Azhwar refers to the Trivikrama'vata'ra.

to&=é-s* n•aD map «mgg Sc-o-< —' cis

sacred Feet which scaled the heaven and earth. ' Did the Lord make

this exertion at anybody's behest ? It was like the instinctive reaching out of the mother to the baby in sleep. It is all the ' nirhetuka krupa' of the Lord, Who showers His grace without any apparent reason.

 

Even as Swami Nammazhwar eulogises, ' aennnCm Hp@Cw

- lying in foetal state. nn• ygi, gJJ aJñCu', (Vishnu Puranam — 6-5-10.). Starting with this phrase, Vishnu Puranam describes, in six slokas, painful states confronting the foetus. So the Lord is cognizant of all this. Did he not move quickly to understand the helpless state of Parikshit in Uttara's womb, and act to protect him from the 'brahma'stra" launched by Asvatta’ma'? Shri Bhutat Azhwar’s pashuram is on similar lines as Shri Poigai Azhwafs line, ' in niyfiz flux s Sign C nir zenCnN Q (ymyfiaCnmnsii jews', (n› — (y. 6). ’ rmnnpin

ñ mñ CmJ n p: I non;iie6l nu e6lJC

en s cuCaxi nJ dJJ;a+ : II, (Maha'bha'ratham Santhi Parva, 358-73). “ He that is still in the mother's womb, who is blessed by Madhusudhana's grace, is a sa'thvika' by nature, and is attuned to ultimate liberation. ”

eC mJmy - The qualities (of svarupa, rupa, guna, vibhutis, and actions), of the presiding Deity of Thirukk- ottiyur, which is famous for its bountifully fertile soil texture.

mv 6i qp8 - (As evidence of tWs experience) I folded my hands'.

@péur a@aP¥ñj¿j$fi sañnx¥ñ -- $lpéuxñ'

 

Except for those who walk the unfailing path of my Lord of Thiruvarangam, the portals of the bastion of celestials and the abode of my Lord, Shri Vaikuntam, would shut before others who tread their own fallible path, ever reach them, enmeshed as they are, in the tangled web of hellish existence. This I know now.

Here again, Azhwar underscores the point that the Lord's grace and guidance is an integral part of ow spiritu¥ pursuit, seeking oneness with Him, and that they who are daft enough to think that they can find liberation by dint of their own effort, will never be able to cut the gordion knot of samsa'ric existence.

H oJ mjbmy - Lord of Thiruvarangam, the same Lord who, on Kurukshetra battle-field, rounded up his gospel with the ultimate enunciation that He is the Upa'ya', and told his disciple Arjuna to seek recourse to Him. “ mñ y iaxys n siiyJ “, (Gita

— 18-66).

H — The Supreme Lord who is ever the unfailing path. The Upanishads drive home this truth, ' Benn- i wa ', (Subhalopanishad). ' pnmevaw mineral ', (Narayana Suktham). Since His is the only infallible royal path, ('e‹e+ofl yn ' — Saint Shri Thiagaraja) other paths are fraught with risks of failure.

â J&Al - cutting through the impenetrable undergrowth of samsa'ra’. Before one is able to find the root of this undergrowth, and remove this by his own 'sa'dhana'nu-

shtana", the doors of Shri Vaikuntam will have closed down.

smvg;uyoj - |gj — closed down.

— bastion. — city of the nithyasuris. ' &pnñ in ', (Purusha — Suktham). Instead of meandering aimlessly, one would be advised to seek recourse to the Lord's Feet as the Upa'ya’.

-' This I got to understand after much reflection. '

 

»g&Ié sgQjé1g@g sge%rp% erui @yj ags?Iri?ux¿ wr& Qwxél@gi -- ugafluxlñri ua&iur< JCqgjgIu u aaatgas< uoaaEmu uauidluaui& eaauñphuBu nd. 89

You finished off the vengeful Kamsa in a burst of anger, and vanquished the battle-tested elephant by breaking off its tusk. In an earlier age, melting with compassion, You as the diminutive Brahmin, accepted the symbolic offering of water from Mahabali and took away this earth from him.

As if conjecturing the Lord's mind as to how the Azhwar could be so sure of the Lord carrying out the devotee's wish underlying his act of surrender, Azhwar enumerates three illustrative episodes, as if telling the Lord, ' This is how You are.

- Finishing off the vengeful, angry Kamsa, in a greater burst of anger. As Shri Andal says, ' been suaSl{f; H iiH sa Jeirp H axisii '- Shri Krishna was like a smouldering cauldron of fire in the stomach of Kamsa “m

The Paramapurusha took birth here to punish Kamsa for his evil of ' bha'gavadapachara", of which the Lord takes an irrevocable view. As Swami Nanjiyar has commented, concur i

'. Next the Azhwar refers to the Kuvalaya'peeda episode.

 

— melting concern.

rsii — accepting the symbolic offering of water, in his hand. ' maxé Ji 61 Jiginñe — (Jñ Jgin. - 6).

Lord 's Hand is described as generously long to make the favour — seeker put up both his hands, to say enough, enough '. turk — Mahabali who was determined to give anything to anyone in his sacrificial altar.

inmate accepting the gift of land as the celibate Vamana. 'â @ @Cpnr nuñsii en suJsu ñ

: s igiaxtaxurñ ' — 'concealing His Consort on His chest with deer skin'. Such was the concern and compassion of the Lord for his devotees like Vasudeva', Devaki, Indra' and so on.

After approaching and submitting in self-surrender to the Lord of Shri, of pink-lotus eyes, the Supreme Being and our Master, would I not rule over this world, and even walk the corridors of paradise, as a celestial among celestials ?

As if anticipating another poser from the Lord, suggesting ' leave aside what I did for other devotees; tell me what it is that you want’. Azhwar proceeds to reassure the Lord that he got everything he wanted when he surrendered at His F eet. That, by itself, to Azhwar is like ruling over this wide earth, and walking the regions of Shri Vaikunta, with complete freedom.

us& mé MCsn m - 'would I not rule over this earth.

' is only illustrative. It refers to the whole 'lilavibhuti’.

 

Would I not mesh with Vaikunta as a celestial among celestials? 'gi& ' implies freely roaming the inner corridors, even the private

chambers of the Lord and divine Mother.

tnr — Lord of Shri.

61 n - The Paramapurusha' with eyes like pink lotus flowers. “ heirs min mnnuñ tj iiinJaC 0ndJ quite n. QQ pm “, (Chadogya Upanishad). ' He has two eyes resembling the lotus flowers opened up in the sun's rays. His name is, 'The Exalted One '. ' ' also indicates eyes reddened by melting concern towards the devotees. ‘T•me6lJCgQ eqn ji;g

‹s (y@ mñ qeunn6lpñ I

(g, s«itfi iiqei (g, jj; gdsu 8u gé (g, giuaJj jsnuevy riuQ “II, (Mahabharatham. Uttaraparva — 47-33). Shri Krishna says, The distant cry of ' Govinda ' by Draupathi weighs heavily on my heart like a compounded debt. '

Comm -' our Lord ’. ” mNm;iieiieunAJ “, (Saranagati- gadyam).

— approaching and worshipping Him in self-surrender and with folded hands. Azhwar says that all that he did was one act of worship. That, by itself, had melted the heart of the great Lord. As Swami Alavandar says, “ ;iisugfiñJ Qfii

ñ C n@wH : I ge gen @ iummnJmCm g: titPuaJ5l Q p mCg II”, (Stotra Ratnam — 28). ' One act of surrender at Thy sacred Feet. by anyone anytime, in whatever manner, wipes out all sins then and there and makes all the good to multiply.

It never suffers any reduction. 'As Swami

Nammazhwar sings, ' fi6l e , Caer

‹ct’. 6lgi& , Our 'remit-6lazi. 1-2-7).

 

 

As Hanuman exulted at the sight of the victorious Rama after decimating His enemies, 'mJ fia nmniiynii n C sum mn- g8 i a : I. ' I have reaped a bonanza similar to heavenly kingdom. ’

4sé. m e. u{ggyA. é 0Pyx. o@ Quyjgj&. ¿ .

Oh confused men, who worry over how best to avoid entering the terrible hell after you have shuffled off your mortal coils. Try to pray to His sacred Feet beforehand, He who scaled the worlds surrounded by dark oceans and has been objectified in various Scriptures.

In this and the next three pashurams, the Azhwar in his overflowing compassion for the 'samsa'ris', of the world, gives out his message of faith and prayer. In this pashuram, he cautions against the all-too- common notion that prayer and meditation can wait till after the evening of one's life. If one follows the proclivities of one’s nature, to the logical end, then the gates of hell will be wide open to receive him at the end of life's journey. So Azhwar rightly advises us to shake off our inertia, and go to the Lord beforehand. How can one be sure that He is the One to seek? We have Azhwar's assurance on this. He is the One who has been objectified in Sruthi, Smrithi, Iithiha'sa Pura'na's. They all speak eloquently about the Parathvam of Narayana. To a possible question whether it is appropriate to say of Him, merrJginen', or literally Who has been measured or determined ', when the Srutis whisper, ' tuCg;r aunCwn Jean JiC ', - 'from whose quarters the words turn back', it can be submitted that to say that He is difficult to spell out specifically is also some measure of objectivisation, to be guided by. That is why, Sruti in recognizing “ iuerixuinn “, (to whom It is not comprehensible), quickly adds, '

 

 

Jinixu ', (by him, It is comprehended). Even the Vedapurusha' Who declares about Himself, ' Cm gIIi n mesh ', (Purusha- Suktham). - ' I know this Purusha", adds as if to fill the blank, to the next question 'How?' ' Ji ’, - ' The immeasurably Great '.

asjés<sñ ;g@ g§aaJmp nsñsuali ner$ga& - He who scaled all the worlds surrounded by dark oceans. ' en ñ gis ’, He pervaded the universe in all sides. This He

did for the apparent purpose of fulfilling the need of the celestials, but underlying this, was the overarching purpose of casting His net, far and wide, to bring as many ' chetana's', (devotees), as possible within His net. His sacred Feet touched and blessed all and sundry beings all over, in a spontaneous outpouring of His “ soulabhya', souseelya', ka'runya', va’tsa1ya'dhi guna's”.

hymn Ceqnui& Cnut — So that you can avoid the catastrophe of hell later on. '

-Try to worship Him beforehand.

For this life and body is a fleeting phenomenon. “ a n i6lsnefJ or lieu “, (Q (ysunñ —61a . 1-2-2).

Chant His names and glorify Him, He that has a long memory and a flag that sports Garuda the eagle king and is ever Qorified by celestials, Who killed Kamsa before he could even s‘tir, by a mere kick. If you glorify His names thus, it will usher in the desired blessings for you.

 

Purusha'rtha's or goals of human life can be classified into two general categories, viz. ' anishtaniwithi '- removal of suffering and pain which everyone is averse to, and 'ishtapra'pthi' — attaining desired ends. In the previous pashuram, Azhwar spoke about the former goal. In this pashuram, he says that even for getting what one wants in life, one should have the Lord's grace.

tyrant (pNn p â 6iogj — Kamsa 'vadham' is an instance of the Lord conferring both the purusha'rtha's on celestials. This He did with just one kick by His Foot. ” up& nreiJr‹c

Isa mgmfi+mCn g&ñ+wdlmnai”, (Q (yeuniii —6lnn. 9-2-2.). This the Lord did, before Kamsa could even dare to lift his little finger against

— ever glorified by celestials for the Lord's countless acts of kindness.

N — He Who sports mighty Garuda,

hailed as ' 8su ', on His flag. , symbolic of Lord's supreme quality as the Protector of everything. Even the ancient Tamils in their various poetic works, had repeatedly glorified the flag sporting Garuda as attesting to the Lord, as 'Parama'. ' Coeaei

Stan CiuaN ', (oJmnnei —1), ' Steer eaoN meuna

»i;a«»pe<re« ', (»jxr<a —2j, ' qsr«n« ;fi<jg

we •-=i°=«#8#x6w*i', (u/mc et —3), 'dd@gg*ii

61 nN - He who has a long memory. The Lord never forgets the devotee who chants his names in prayer.

n §fJ ncir - glorify His names. ' eunCeon I n Lynn : - ' They who chant His names achieve long-

lasting fruits'.

ment - desired results. “y mñ N ñ

LJffJbl6D6Tf &tD 1 6 &6lJ tLJtD LJ&6IJJ QtD &- IDLE Jeff SU. HD

nwf “ II ' This mantra' will reach to us worldly prosperity,

IOT

 

celestial bliss and otherworldly joys, everlasting happiness and the Lord's proximity itself. ' Lest one should doubt if a ' prapanna", like Azhwar should propagate the message of 'na'ma japa", etc. it may be clarified, that since that is an integral part of 'prapath marga", and the world is composed of a diverse range of people with varying levels of predisposition, most of whom can at best evolve in slow step-by- step stages. Even the 'Shastra's ' advocate different goals and ways of achieving them, while stressing the truth of the Lord being the Way'

and the supreme tGoa1'. So Azhwar says,

amijj;;tii ', - It (Lord's name), will facilitate quick realisation of all our desires.

spp Qsx (ggyso Jlpsxyjo aewass Qsxpgwppaux peéeo op»wso

asxaatcx&s aggaoxw /sasr-x&s asxwais gyj

ac%ux& Qu@péI0jgj @@§j. 93

Hell is a vast cauldron of horrors wrought by the emissaries of death too terrible to bear. Wake up and try to ward off tms deathly desolation, by seeking and worsmpping the Lord, with the beautiful Sankha' Who tore apam the maned horse-demon, and drank off the poisoned bosom of the ogress.

6im (y mn — hell is first and foremost too horrible to visualise.

lgjon ñ 6iv imo 6inny — over and beyond this, the persecutions heaped on the sufferers too terrible to bear. As Swami Periazhwar's line has it, ' Hgi iimeucn nJ H ñoñ OeongoF

 

(6luJm-J . — 1-6-4.).

Azhwar warns us that regardless of our belief-system in regard to questions like hell and experiences of hellish existence, since 'Sha'stra's' and learned people make reference to these things, we may atleast sit up and ponder this matter and turn to Him for protection from such terrors.

H (JpNmñ - before it happens to you and me.

mâmté £1 f - He who holds the beautiful ' Sankha" in his hand.

- Lord who tore the mouth of the maned

horse demon, Kesi. ' mJgisi› mJJlsrxn Siren at ' — (uJ sneer

—3-3) '*°•••i Akñs:is °•:i»0ts&•'v•°•* =•*YséR-z

, (call 6lgrm+ —67), 'mJ gif nr 6l+nsn nmn ñ

CmaJsu ' — (gi6lginnrerrnAyñ).

- He who drank the life out of the poison-smeared bosom of the ogress Putana’.

§fJ — Take to Him and pray to Him, (leaving aside your doubts and disbeliefs), as the only certain remover of all such fears and adversaries.

My heart sings the glory of the Lord with complexion of the sky, Who once swallowed the worlds for safe-keeping, and dug into the heart of the sworn irredeemable enemy, and now resides in beautiful Pa'takam. You also take to Him and sing His glory in fervent prayer.

 

eddy one&diJ6i qp&& — seek and bow to His Feet and pray to Him. Let us not entertain the thought how we, being so lowly, can ever deserve to reach the vicinity of the supreme Being of all. He does not look at our station in life. He is forever eager for identity and communion with our spiritual entity, ('a'thmavastu ') even as Shri Krishna, He was so eager to taste all the butter in Gokulam offered with such ingenuous and innocent devotion and love, by the cattle- raising ya'dava's who did not know the difference between their right and left hands.

yqplii (p - Who swallowed all the worlds in whole for safe-keeping. “ Use muslim KCnei

6kn{yJ N — Hiranya who was evil beyond redemption.

J - digging into the heart as if exploring if it contained atleast an iota of saving grace. ' nrJ6l '- (- . -1-6. 9). ed' - residing in the beautiful divya-desa'

Pa'takam revealing the Form that hastened for the protection of the devotee Prahla'da.

yJ ‹ & 61a — ' my heart will sing the glory of '.

The great Lord, resplendent Gke a blue diamond, and resting on the milk ocean, Who in time immemorial absorbed the universe in Himsek, and brought it forth for creation of life, and tore the hard-heart of the demon Hiranya, abides in Athiyur, radiating His grace as always. How gracious of Him that He inheres in my heart and head.

HO

 

The previous four pashurams contained the message of the Azhwar to the world at large. From this pashuram till the end, the Azhwar immerses in self-experience. In this pashuram, he is beside himself with sheer wonder about Lord's ' soulabhya". The pashurams of all the Azhwars usually harmonise in terms of diction and meaning. But sometimes, for greater felicity of expression, the order could get transposed, as for example, in this pashuram where the Azhwar begins the pashuram by saying, “ rrN6lm nN ciN “ ' resides in my heart and head '. Later only, Azhwar talks about Who resides there.

(pNmté m0 N — In time immemorial, the whole cosmos was in ' Brahman' state. “ nuCge Cnunñiu &gnñq K;ii” (Chandogya- 6-2-1). ' In the very beginning, this universe remained as 'sath' in Brahman state. ' yCan seven grimier WM p tidy C p ', (Mahopanishad). ’ Only Narayana

was there in the inception, neither Brahma nor Siva. That Brahman willed ' eiimnñ ’, ' let me become manifold '.

N - at that time, the Lord created the worlds, and life. n. mCmJ té @iunN - reclining on the Milk ocean, and cherished by all beings.

a#=•p›ia= -sa •-cs> :. ••«s• «•a»•=«•a sr .

(Purusha- Suktam). Purusha willed to assume three forms, Aniniddha,

Sankarshana, and Pradhyumna, in the 'Paramapadha". One form viz. Aniruddha transformed into ' kshira1›dhinadha", reclining on the Milk ocean. ' giC n efleJi suM nimaynn nunmpnpnooCg nJ (Purusha-Suktham). After that Purusha pervaded everywhere to protect all lives, those that take food, and those that do not.

mm can 61a IN — tearing the hard heart of the demon, Hiranya.

with complexion like a blue diamond.

 

• nN — the sacred divya-desam of Hastisaila, or Kancheepuram, where Lord resides as Varadha'. “ Hgieirsa

ap a @uppia< aieataiwréi Dyaoigyasér”

(ar•=g›a- 8«iñs ;¿gr$ — 31.). In the next pashuram, Azhwar continues to invoke the name of the Lord of this divya-desam, with words beginning, ' in en ¥rn;@ari ir ', which is evocative

of the famous Garuda-seva" 'utsavam’ for this Lord.

elf 6i vâ Cant - He resides in my heart. ' snags ñ

10-6-6.).

Our Lord Who has the eagle king Garuda as His vehicle, and the serpent king with hood embedded in jewels, and patterned in colours, for His bed, is the substance of the Veda's which speak of three-fold fires, and is the Master of Rudhra’. He abides as the presiding deity at Athiyur.

 

his vehicle id presides at ASH as h h

 

fl th

rd ‘

 

iftio Cg t5lm p flue tariff : “, (Varadarajasthavam 25). “ Lord, Thy crown by itself attests to the fact that Thou art the Emperor of all the worlds. ” Similarly, the fact that the Lord at Kancheepuram has Garuda as his vehicle testifies to that. This is borne out on the strength of Azhwar's 'mangala'sa'sanam' to this Deity in this and the previous pashuram.

' He who rests in sleep on Thiruvanantha' embedded in jewels, and patterned in colours. ' gisrr : : jbsrix8J gño gi '- (Kaushidhaki). ' The bed Anantha' is of immeasurable strength. On that rests the Brahman. ' In citing Garuda, the head of the 'nithyasuris', and Anantha', Azhwar pays tribute to the 'nithyavibhuti' of the Lord. JjpJJ dingy s N- He who is worshipped with three-fold 'agnis' as proclaimed by the Veda's. These three-fold fires are ’ga'rhaspathyam', 'a'vahaniyam', and 'dakshina'gni'.

— Upanishads that constitute the crown of the Veda’s. He is

the One who is the substance of the Veda's, and proclimed by them

as the 'Parama-purusha'. Even the ancient Tamils recognised this as evident from the phrase, ' Ceug ninth ', (Quests 3. 66).

•••=* sñ••<=•< s-*e* $-a• nsuncn — Even

Rudra' who considers himself Isvara' by virtue of having swallowed

the poison that emanated while churning the Milk ocean, looks upon Narayana as his Master. ' CA e6lqniim m;iiCqna i (y Cqna ring ' (Rukh Mandalam 10 —136. 7). Kesava Who has beautiful locks, drank the poison with Rudra' as the symbolic instrument which contained the venom. ' The idea is that Rudra' was just the apparent instrument for drinking the poison, Narayana being the 'Antarya'mi', who absorbed it. In referring to Rudra’ who is considered the head of the 'samsa'ris', the lila"vibhuti' of the Shriman Narayna is implied. By referring to Him as 'marsh', Azhwar drives home the point, that the Veda's which are ’apaurusheya', themselves proclaim Him as the embodiment of both 'nithyavibhuti'

 

 

and 'lilavibhuti', and by his benediction, ' t3Jrsn their ', he further adds that such a great Master of all life and creation, has for all our benefit, and in all his love and simplicity, come to abide in Hasthisailam. By the choice of the the pronoun 'yfi ', the Azhwar has been most generously inclusive of all of us, and not merely him, and afew chosen ones, even as Swami Nammazhwar does in his line, 'C harsh g u ’, (amir . 2-7-1.)

My Lord, with divine Mother lovingly seated on your chest, You are the supreme Being with beautiful red eyes, the Head of all celestials, and our Master. You laid down on Anantha’ with a thousand hoods and mouths at the shrine at Kudandhai, wishing to abide there.

-He who has Shridevi adorning his chest. In addressing the Lord as 'Q mJm', Azhwar underscores the ’Purusha'ka'ra" (mediatrix) role of divine Mother following the meaning of the dvaya' mantra'. Again, in calling the Lord as, ’ 6i weir', Azhwar continues to dwell on the 'soulabhya" of the Lord, as in the previous pashuram. ' Cg son ifi m;iiJHiunr ', (Purusha-Suktham). g — Chief of all celestials. The parathvam of

the Lord is addressed. mmJ eu{gJñ nnqJ set in u ,

((yeun i -6lnn. 1-1-1). gi;ii eifln;iC : oynñ Attn cum no•iytu : ', (Vishnu —Suktham).

in 0 cut' ', (Chandogya. U. 1-6-7). That Paramapurusha has two

eyes like a pair of lotuses, opened up by sun's rays.

6lJgQj;ntN — Great One.

 

L_ &Elm Cmnuflmn& 6imn {y wishing to abide in Kudandhai, (Kumbakonam).

- You laid down on Anantha' with one thousand hoods, mouths, and noses.

c:ozxi Ozzm c sfloeg. 98

The Lord who has ensconced himself in my heart, came down to this earth, to be raised lovingly in the cowherd family to grow up prancing around with milk pots. As a tiny baby lying on a banyan leaf, He swallowed the seven worlds to be tucked away in a corner of his stomach. What marvel was that !

&t - As a cowherd. The Lord of all the worlds chose in all his simplicity the lowly cowherd clan for his incarnation as Shri Krishna. ' g£iñ CgCsun p +JgJCeun p mC n p qngnu: I aggté Cum onJg;Csun g:sopgi dJJ mAC nJsmgr II

' I am not a deva', neither gandharva' nor yaksha'. I am yours and you ought not to look upon me in any other way. ', reassured Krishna. ' &nr — prancing around with pots. The dance of cowherd girls and boys with milk pots on their heads is a typical cultural trait.

mN Kg@ok 0m&1 &nnno 6lor Orgy — entering my heart and perching Himself there as his abode.

nJ C té 6inrr No — Azhwar's reference to seven worlds is only illustrative. It means the whole universe. Azhwar marvels at the protective instinct of the Lord in that tiny state, even

IU

 

as his predecessor Shri Poigai Azhwar did in his Prabhandam,

(Kesi› sum Q — 69). In a similar vein, Swami Nammazhwar sings, ' enemy so ein (y uJe6leiiQ s lK ‹sleirsaeivñ aaiñqli› ateuiteaersuaj ', ($1 (g, eirui —slua. — 4-2-1). ' +iqiuaJJgp

 

(Q sunk- can. 3-7-10).

With the celestials beseeching prayerfully for His grace, respectfully looking upto Him, and strewing fresh flowers, the Lord our Master, the Greatest of all, with rosy jingling anklet- laden Feet, and bewitching red eyes, and ever gentle and loving towards devotees, assumed the form of the dwarf, and strode the worlds to strip Mahabali of his kingdom.

orgy e:rrN N — Lord, our Master, Kindly bless us. ' Offa› Ja srisunAJ Hero NeanAJ ', (Sarana'gathi gadyam).

— Brahma, Siva, and other celestials.

— with beautiful, rosy, jingling anklet-laden feet.

mg;m ñ ' — (Svetas. Upanishad). ' He who is the supreme Lord

of the ruling deities and the Deva' of deva's. 6ipnl — Greater than all the rest.

un& —fountainhead of love and compassion. remit - as diminutive Vamana'.

11fi

 

in & 6im mN — accepted the earth given as a gift. From Azhwar's expression, ' csueSlsr aisrnHmsrnnnen un& ', it is evident that even in the act of dispossession, the Lord was motivated by ' va'tsalya' ' towards Mahabali as his devotee.

My resplendent, glorious Lord, immeasurably great, Master of

£1 celestials wearing the cool tulasi garland, Oh Shri Krishna, Who, in time gone by, hurled a demon disguised as calf, at another disguised as a wood-appIe, and struck both down. My love for You is like an overflowing river, bursting the limits of my being.

Azhwar rounds up his work with the thought that his love for the Lord is like a river current that overflows the banks, and prays to Him to help him keep it contained within himself. He cites six different attributes of the Lord for this overflowing emotion. They are 1. tnt so

— glorious in 'svarupa"-rupa' guna's and vibhutis. 2. H immeasurably Great. 3. - guiding all beings, like the eye. 'merit eunsrf mea |})jñ cara Cyb effect C â , (Cheung - 6inn. — 1-8-3). 4. cuJñ Ctoswf — Master of all celestial beings. 5. sdluN ñ &we&or&a - always decorated by cool tulasi garland. 6 Cioeiasi› ei$nreiflN emit & -Once upon a time, You slayed the two asura's who came to kill you disguised as a calf and a woodapple hidden in the branches. This also redounds to your greatness.

o gt& • rife &{{p& with •rm . M ‹ &L] - My love for you ovemins the limits of my being. , meaning, ' I feel loose in limbs and thoughts, and at a loss how to have my fill of Thy experience. '

' If & tL{tD & &@ ID '- (fiL3JtLI 6li. — 34).

to the Lord to help him rein in his free-flowing emotion.

 

 

The end of the commentary on Iranda'm Thiruvandhadhi.

Benedictory Verse on Shri Bhutat Azhwar

Long live the One who showered the grace of 'Anbe Thagali' of hundred verses. Long live the One born on ’Aippasi Avittam', in a 'kurukathi' flower. Long live The One who brought fame to Thirukkadanmallai.

Long live the One who laid the wick of melting love

And lighted the beautiful lamp of ’Gnanachchudar’. Long live the One who sang the praise of the Lord

Of Shrirangam, Long live the sacred Feet of Bhuta Muni.

LflqrN (ysuyoCnr »q n.

I seek refuge at the sacred Feet of Shri Bhuta Muni.

 

Partial Index of Pashurams

 

I. References to Vibhava‘vata‘ra‘s A. Shri Vamana

Description

 

B. Krishnavata‘ra’.

 

Reference to Pashuram

i5

 

 

C. Nrsimhavata‘ra‘

 

 

 

E. Ra‘ma‘vata’ra’

F. Other avata‘ra’s

5 i

 

II Referenes to Fvyadesa’s.

A. Tiruvenkatam

Jsn;O ajté . . . . . . gsriivayei Cent Cm 25

CTirumalirunjolai

D. Tiiukkotdyur

F. Tanjai

HTMmmelm

I Patakam

 

J. Mamallai

K. Tirukkovalur

L. Hastisailam

M. Kshirabdhi

N. Shri Vaikuntam

8l 88

 

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