Kulasekhara Azhwaar's Pasurams

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Jaganath.

 

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KULASEKHARA ALVAR'S SREENIVASA

(Sree. M.S. Ramesh)

 

Kulasekhara Alvar, a king by birth, known as Kolli

Kavalan, Koodal Nayakan, Kozhikone was a great

Chera ruler who had defeated the Pandyas and Cholas.

He was popularly known as Kulasekhara Perumal

because of his intense devotion to the Perumal in his

Rama Avathar. The Pasurams composed by him are

known as Perumal Thirumozhi, as they are the holy

words of a great bhaktha. He has composed ten

pasurams in praise of the Lord at Thirumala. Through

these pasurams it is evident that the Alvar wanted

Seshathvam, i.e., association in one form or another

with God. In this article, I propose to briefly convey

the meaning of the soul-stirring verses composed by

Kulasekhara Alvar.

 

In his first pasuram (pasuram 677), the Alvar says that

he does not desire a life of prosperity and wealth where

only the wants of flesh are met and the body puts on

weight. He says that he wants to serve that Lord who

subjugated the seven oxen and who is seen holding in

His hand the Conch and who is sitting at

Thiruvengadam. He wants to be born as a Kurugu bird

and stay on the banks of Swami Pushkarinee Theertha

at Thirumala.

 

In the above pasuram the Alvar refers to an episode in

Krishna Avathar where the Lord had to subjugate the

seven oxen in order to win the hand of Nappinnai.

Similarly, the Alvar suggests that if one desires to

attain God, one has to overcome the temptations of

wealth and prosperity. The Alvar wants to be born as a

Kurugu bird on the banks of the Swami Pushkarini,

near the temple on the Hill. This bird, white in colour

like the Conch, represents the Sathvic gunas. The

Alvar though born as a Kshathriya, does not want any

connection with Rajo or Tamo gunas. What is more,

the Kurugu bird is known for its single-minded

approach in achieving its objective. This bird usually

stands silently in the waters of a tank like a sentinel.

The fishes in the tank get deceived by this apparent

harmless immobility, until the stork suddenly darts it

beak into the flowing waters, gets at its prey to satisfy

its hunger. The Alvar is perhaps suggesting that we

should also have a similar single-minded devotion in

order to attain our objective, namely Moksha and

attainment of Lord's Lotus like feet. In brief, in the

very first pasuram, the Alvar makes it abundantly clear

that he does not want 'rajya sukham' i.e., 'aihikam'.

Instead, he hungers for 'aamushmikam' i.e., the

happiness of the other world.

 

In the second pasuram (pasuram 678) the Alvar desire

to be born as a fish in the flowing streams in

Thiruvengadam He says that he would spurn even

Indraloka with its youthful damsels like Rambha,

Urvasi and other apsarasa sthrees He says that his sole

objective is to attain Moksha. Tb joy to be got out of

seeking Moksha is 'nithyanandam i.e., eternal joy while

the pleasures of Indraloka- ar evanescent-passing

pleasures. The Alvar makes it abundantly clear that

Rajyasukham is like iron shackles and Indraloka

sukham is perhaps golden shackles. But neither of the

shackle is desired by him. He wants to be born as a

free fish in the flowing streams in Thirumala.

 

The Alvar in the previous pasuram wanted to be born

as a Kurugu bird; but in this pasuram wants to be born

as a fish. The commentators, with their poetic fancy,

explain that this change of mind of the Alvar may have

be prompted by the fear that a Kurugu bird which has

wing may in a weak moment, fly away from the

Pushkarini theertham i.e., Swami's Saanidhyam! The

Alvar, therefor does not want to take any chances, and

wants to live as a fish which can neither fly away from

the stream nor live outside the waters of the stream.

May be Alvar sought Bhagavath Sambandha, by being

born as fish and thus claim affinity with the

Mathsyavathara of the incident when Rama decided to

go to the forest to fulfil his father's wish. At that time

Lakshmana and Seetha wanted to accompany Him.

However, Rama tried to dissuade them. But

Lakshmana said that he would be like a fish out of

water if he were to live without Rama. Perhaps in the

mind of Kulasekhara Alvar this sentiment of

Lakshmana influenced him to opt to be born as a fish

in a stream in Thiruvengadam.

 

In the next pasuram (pasuram 679) the Alvar wants to

be a 'Kainkaryadar' to the Lord at Thirumala. He

wants to carry a golden bowl into which the Lord will

spit the water used for brushing His teeth in the

morning. The Alvar says that the jatadhari (Lord Siva),

as well as Chathurmukha Brahma as also the Lord

Indra are not able to go through the 'Vaikunta Neela

Vaasal' at Thirumala! The heavy crowds make it

difficult to enter the 'Sannidhyam' of Lord Sreenivasa.

The Alvar felt that by becoming the Kainkaryapara, he

will be able to gain easy access through Vaikunta

Vaasal and render service to his dear Lord, Sreenivasa.

 

The commentators say that the Alvar might have got

worried that the forest stream in Thiruvengadam may

run dry and as a fish he may also die without life

sustaining water in the stream! He therefore opted to

do Kainkarya to the Lord. The use of the words

"Vaikunta Neela Vaasal" by the Alvar is significant as

it is believed that the Thiruvengada Hill is the Kreeda

Parvatha in Paramapadha, brought to Bhooloka, on the

specific orders of Perumal, by his Vahana, namely

Garuda. The commentators also say that amongst the

various kainkaryas, the Alvar chose to carry the golden

bowl as he was sure that when the Lord spits into that

vessel, His benign glance will definitely cover not only

the bowl but also the person holding it! The Alvar

refers to the milling crowds waiting near the temple

gates consisting of all the Devas. This statement strikes

a sympathetic chord in us as the crowds that throng the

holy shrine even today are huge!

 

In the next pasuram (pasuram 680), the Alvar changes

his mind and wants to be born as a Shenbaga tree in

Thirumala. He says that the Lord at Thiruvengadam is

none other than the one who is seen in Yogic slumber

at Thirupparkadal where the coral creepers are washed

ashore by the waves. He says that as it is not possible

to go to Paramapadha and have the darsan of the

Divine Feet of Ksheera Sayana, one could have that

Padhaseva at Thirumala where the bees are singing

happily after having had their fill of the honey from the

myriad flowers on the Hills.

 

We find that in the earlier three pasurams the Alvar

expressed a desire to be born as movable objects in

Thiruvengadam Hill, namely as a bird, as a fish, as a

kainkaryaparar. But in this pasuram the Alvar wants to

be born as an immovable object in the same

Thiruvengadam. The commentators say that this

change of mind in the Alvar might have been the result

of a fear that as a movable object he might lose the

Bhagavath Sambandha. The bird could fly away; the

fish could die for want of water; the kainkaryapara

might be dismissed if his service is not satisfactory!

Thus, he may lose his opportunity to be near God,

namely Sreenivasa. He therefore opts to become an

immovable object in the same holy Hill which is

usually referred to as a 'Sindhu poo maghizhium

Thiruvengadam', i.e., Thirumalai where the air is filled

with the scent of flowers. This is very true even today

as the gardens maintained in the Hill for providing

flowers to the Lord are breathtakingly beautiful, filled

with innumerable scented flowers. In the idyllic

surroundings on the Hill the Alvar wants to be born as

a Shenbaga tree and provide the scented Shenbaga

flowers to adorn His Lord.

 

In the next pasuram, (pasuram 681) the Alvar wants to

be born as a bush in the enchanting Thiruvengadam.

He says he does not desire the trappings associated with

ruling over a kingdom. It is not his wish to sit on a

caparisoned elephant inasmuch as he does not value

such evanescent aisvaryas. He simply wants to be born

as a bush in beautiful Thiruvengadam where his

Thirumalaiyan, the Lord and the master of the world, is

residing.

 

The Alvar says that to be born as a bush will be a boon

conferred as a Thapobala rewards! That is why he uses

the words "Thavam Udayen Aavene". Earlier Alvar

desired to be a Shenbaga tree. Perhaps he was afraid

that people may cut the precious Shenbaga tree and

take it away for replanting elsewhere whereas if he is

born as a useless bush, none will waste a second glance

at him and he can stay on in the Hill and satisfy his all-

consuming, sole passion, viz., to be near the Lord of

Thirumala.

 

The commentators say that the Alvar might have been

reminded of the episode in Krishnavathara, when at the

behest of Sathyabhama the Parijata tree was pulled out

of Indraloka and transplanted in Bhooloka. He did not

want to face any such eventuality which could lead to

his being physically removed from Thirumala. That is

why he chose to be born as a useless bush on which

nobody in their senses would cast a second glance.

 

In the next pasuram (pasuram 682) the Alvar wants to

be born as a tall stone in Thirumala. He has no desire

to witness the dance of the slim waisted beautiful

apsara women such as Urvasi or Menaka. Instead he

will consider himself fortunate if he were to be born as

a mere stone in beautiful Thiruvengadam Hill,

reverberating with the pleasant humming of the bees.

 

Here the Alvar says that, the beauty of the divine

damsels hold no charm for him. Perhaps he was afraid

that if he were to be an ungainly bush in

Thiruvengadam Hill, somebody with a desire to

beautify the Hill might clear the bush; he was afraid

that he might thereby lose his sambandha with the Hill.

He therefore wanted to be born as an ungainly tall

stone which would require a herculear effort to be

shifted from Thiruvengadam Hill.