Third Day of Dhanur Maasam : AndAL& RamAvatharam

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

 

Yesterday , we focussed on the three direct salutations of AndAL

to the MahA Veeran , Raghu Raman in three different pAsurams

of the divine Thiruppaavai . Today we will include another indirect

salutation of ANdAL to Veera Raghavan and continue with the earlier

thoughts on Rama/KrishNa avatharams and AndAL's customized

appreciations of them .

 

Direct salutation 1 : SINATTHINAAL TENNILANKHAI KOMAANAI

CHERRA --- The twelfth pAsuram of Thiruppavai refers to the

anger , nay the rage of Veera Raghavan that led to the destruction of

the Lord of LankhA . The 99th Khandham of Srimadh RamAyaNam

describes the anger of RamA at the evil RavaNA seeking battle

with him this way : " Rama was seized with anger ( Rama: Krodha

Samanvitha : ) and let fly arrows in uninterrupted succession against

the king of ogres . " In the next canto , the battle continues and Rama

is outraged by the audacity of RavaNA in the battle field and gets furious

and hit RavaNA with numerous arrows ( Ragavasthu SusamkruddhO

RavaNam bhaubhi: Sarai: ) .Rama takes a vow to destroy RavaNA

and states " Let the world see the Ramathvam of Rama in the course of my

combat with the evil ogre ( Adhya Pasyanthu Ramasya RAMATHVAM

mama samyughE ) . " Ramathvam that Rama himself refers to is

the courage and valor in any battle field . That display of Ramathvam

that extends beyond the battle field in his role of SaraNAgatha rakshakan

moves AndAL very much and she describes him for that reason as

MANATHUKKINIYAAN .

 

AndAL salutes the Ramathvam elsewhere indirectly in Thiruppavai

( ThAzhAdhE sArngam udaittha sara Mazhai pOl , vazha ulaginil peythidAi ) .

In addition to the shower of arrows of destruction aimed at RavaNA , the shower

of Daya and AnukampA is also the underlying meaning to connote the

rejuvenating, life-giving showers of anugraham of this KaruNA Moorthy .

 

His Maha Veeryam as the supreme wielder of the bow revered as Saarangam

(Kodhandam ) of this SaarangapANi and His destruction of RavaNA is

saluted by the overawed AndAL next In the salutation , " pollA arakkanai

kiLLIkkaLaindhAnai keerthimai paadippOi " . The ten heads of the evil

ogre were cut off by RamA after he recited Aditya Hrudhayam and renewed

his combat with RavaNA .

 

In a great tribute to the valour(ThiRal) of RamA , AndaL sums up

in her PoRRI Paasuram with the salutation : senRangu tennilankhai

seRRAi tiRal poRRi ". She visualizes the sethu bhandanam , travel

on the rama sethu and arrival at LankhA and mighty fight with RavaNA

and destroying him with unsurpassable heroism .

 

Sri Lakshmi TatAchAr in his article on AndAL's mangaLAsAsanam of

Rama and KrishNa quotes the commentary of PeriyavaacchAn PiLLai

to indicate that Rama as a supreme hero (MahA Veeran ) did not need

any protection from enemies through prayers and it was the helpless

KrishNa , who needed all the prayerful wishes/blessings /benedictions

(MangaLAsAsanam ) that he can get from AndAL . PiLLai says :

" In Ramaavatharam , RamA's father was DasarathA , the destroyer

of SambharA . The city was Ayodhya , which could not be conquered

by any person . The acharyAs were VasishtA and others well versed in

several manthrAs . The sons of DasarathA were virtuous and quite

disciplined . In KrishNAvathAram , the parents were innocent cowherds.

The dwelling place of KrishNA is a hamlet inhabited by the cowherds.

Besides in BrindhAvan , anything , which sprouted could turn out to be

a demon . KrishNA was such a naughty child that he would even fall

in the mouth of the venemous serpent , if his brother BalaramA was

engaged otherwise even for a moment .The calamities that befell

KrishNA through PutanA and other swere endless . " Hence PeriyavacchAn

PLLai concluded that except for the blessings of AndAL , there was nothing

that could protect the Lord .

 

In her pORRI pasuram of Thiruppavaai saluting RamA ( senRangu

Tennilankhai seRRAi tiRal pORRI ) , she brings before her memory's

eye all that happened a long , long time ago and out of her great

reverence and awe-inspired love for the MahA Veeran , she performed

the MangaLAsAsanamm for Vijaya Raghavan , the RaNa Pungavan .

 

AndAL continues to pay her tributes to the unmatched heroism

of RamA in the verses of NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi . I will cover them

in the next posting.

 

alli nAttAmari mEl aaraNangin tuNaivi

malli naadAnda mada mayil --melliyAL

aayarkula vendanahatthAL then pudhuvai

veyar payantha viLakku--- ThirukkaNNamangai AandAn

 

"GodhA tasyai Nama idhamidham bhooyayevAsthu bhooya: "

---

ParAsara Bhattar

 

SrivaishNava Daasan ,

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan