enRukolO vaazhtthu naaLE

[Guest guest]

I seek your forgiveness for all mistakes and flaws the

following may contain.

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For Sri Vaishnavaas there is no greater expression of

devotion for our Lord Sriman Narayana than devotion for

our Lord's devotees. As a matter fact, reverence towards

our Lord's devotees is the culmination of our reverence to

Lord Sriman Narayana. No other Azhvaar expressed this

principle more elegantly than our own Chera King

Kulasekaraazhvaar. This is completely in character for is

he not the one to unhesitatingly put his hand inside a pot

with a cobra to prove the innocence of our Lord's

devotees, maliciously accused of steeling the royal jewels.

(viz. Thaniyan by Manakkaal nambi.)

 

Unlike Thondaradippodi and to some extent

Namaazhvaar, whose relevent verses tend to be guidance

for our behavior towards fellow devotees,

Kulaseakaraazhvaar expressed these sentiments in the first

person. There are several verses where he starts out with

beautiful description of our Lord, and then, when we

expect him to finish by surrendering to such

a Lord, he ends with a surrender to the devotees of such a

Lord! Here is an example:

 

aathi yantham anantham aRputham

aana vaanavar thampiraan

paathamaamalar soodumpaththi

yilaatha paavikaL uyndhida

theethiln^anneri kaatti yengum

thirintha arangan emmaanukkE

kaathalsey thoNdarkku eppiRappilum

kaathalseyyum en nencamE.

 

"All pervading Lord of Sri Rangam has

shown us the impeccable code of prapaththi,

the code, if followed, is sure to save even

those with no devotion for the Wonder, the

Lord of heavenly gods who is the beginning,

the end, and the infinite. In all my lives my

heart shall be filled with love for these

devotees who love our Lord so dearly."

 

(Note: "theethil nanneRi" = prapatthi)

 

For me personally, the first 10 of the 105 paasurams of

this Azhvaar's PerumaaL thirumozhi never fails to evoke

nostalgia for Sri Rangam. Being an economic refugee in

the U.S. I contsantly entertain the hope that someday I

shall return to India and spend my retirement in Sri Rangam.

The first ten verses of Kulasekaraazhvaar resonates with

this longing in a sweet melancholy tone. Here are some

samples:

 

karumaNiyaik kOmaLaththaik kaNdu koNdu en

kaNNiNaikaL enRukolO kaLikkum naaLE.

 

"I long for the day I can behold my Lord and

delight at the sight of the dark gem the

emerald!"

 

 

maNivaNNan ammaanaik kaNdu koNden

malarsenni yenRukolO vaNangum naaLE

 

"I long for the day I can see my Lord of

emerald hue and worship with my head

bowed."

 

 

oLimathisEr thirumugamum kaNdu koNden

uLLamika enRukolO vurugum naaLE

 

"I long for the day when my heart will melt

away at the sight of the luminous sacred face

of my Lord of Sri Rangam."

 

 

kulasEkaraazhvaar thiruvadigaLE saraNam!

 

 

-- Parthasarati Dileepan