Sri Badri SeshAdri's question on PeriyAzhwAr's Paasuram

[Guest guest]

Dear Badri :

 

It is nice to hear from you after a long time .

 

The Decad you referred to and the ending of

the Paasurams in each paasuram of the decad

is associated with an important phase in

PeriyAzhwAr's seeking, celebration and

the experiencing of the Lord.

 

There are similar instances in the other AzhwAr's

experiences , where the major event of Aathma

SakshAthkAram of the Lord takes place and they

describe with great joy this unique , transforming

event . We can find instances of descriptions of such

spiritual experiences in the paasurams of Thirumangai ,

NammAzhwAr , Thirumazhisai et al .

 

Few words on the context of the fifth decad of PeriyAzhwAr's

paasurams . In the fourth decad paasuram ( 4.10.1) ,

he pleaded for the boon for anthima kaala Kataksham

of the Lord . This Paasuram that sets the tone for this

decad is a moving one . The Azhwaar reminds the Lord of

Srirangam with feeling :

 

"AppothaikkippothE solli vaitthEn ArangattharavaNai

PaLLIyAnE " . He says that at the end of

his life on this earth , I will be like a stone or wood and

will be ubnable to think of You ,my Lord .My Dhruva smrithi

( Unceasing rememberence ) will be affected . I will be totally

incapacitated in thought and deed . Therefore , I am appealing today

to you , when I am of firm of body and mind and placing my

prayer for protecting me at that time , when I will be disabled .

In the succeeding paasurams , the AzhwAr continued

with his prayerful request :

 

AamidatthEh unnai sollivaitthEn-- 4.10.2

ARRaikku nee ennai kaaka veNdum--4.10.4

Iyya ! ini yennai kaaka veNdum --4.10.5

ANNalE ! nee yennai kAkka veNdum --4.10.6

anjalam yennRu yennai kAkka veNdum --4.10.7

aanAi nee yennai kAkka veNdum --4.10.8

anrangu nee yennai kAkka veNdum -4.10.9

 

AzhwAr's thought processes continues beyond the

begging of the Lord's protection now. He has made

his appeal in the spirit of VarAha Sarama Slokam .

He feels comfortable some what after enjoying the sweetness

of reciting the Lord's ThirunAmams . He reflects on the time

he had wasted in his life , when he failed to enjoy the sweet

experience of reciting the Lord's name. A great sense of

sorrow ( Nirvedam ) pervades him and he sets the paasurams

of the 5.1 decad in that mood.

 

Inn these pasurams , he chastises himself for

the past lapses . He condemns himself for composing

insignificant poems with his vicious tongue : "Sazhakku

Naakodu punkavi sonnEn -- pizhaipparAhilum tammadiyAr

sol poRuppathu periyOr kadan anrO " ( 5.1.2 of Periya Thirumozhi ) .

Here , he reminds Sri RanganAthA that as the supreme Lord ,

it is His duty to forgive the apachArams of His servants out of

the largeness of His heart and His role as the Master . Through

the moving paasurams of this 5.1 decad , AzhwAr defines his

relationship to the Lord and declares his ananya Bhakthi

and seeks aparAtha KshAmaNam .

 

In this mood , he arrives at the 5.2 decad of interest to us .

Out of his aakinchanyam and nirvedam , the AzhwAr

poured out his heart in the previous 20 verses. The Lord

of Srirangam was moved and recognized that His dear

devotee is sorrowful and is pleading for aparAtha KshAmaNam

( forgiving of misdeeds ) because of His own aloofness

and indifference until then.

 

Sri RanganAthA 's heart melted with the sincere and

moving prayers of the AzhwAr. He immediately entered

into the AzhwAr's mind and let the AzhwAr enjoy Him to

his heart's content . This situation is similar some what to

the experience of NammAzhwAr at ThiruviNNagar ( Oppiliappan

Kovil ) , where the AzhwAr is angry at the Lord for avoiding him and

asks the Lord to leave his presence . The Lord could not bear

the thought of being separated form His dear BhakthA

and enters into AzhwAr and blesses him to enjoy

His auspicious form and Anantha KalyANa guNAs .

That sets the stage for the famous SaraNAgathi

Paasurams of NammAzhwAr at ThiruviNNagar .

 

In a similar mood of joy and thankfulness, PeriyAzhwAr

states that his body is the city ( PattiNam ) , where the Lord

has chosen as His home . He asks therefore the pestering

spiritual and physical diseases bothering his body to leave

at once . He chases them away by reminding the sacredness

of his body by virtue of the fact that it is the residence of

the supreme Lord ofSrirangam . He asks the diseases

persistently enjoying him to go somewhere else and make

a living . He compares these diseases to which he was prey

until then to the endless rows of ants that spread themselves

over a vessel of ghee set aside for use as dravyam in the Yajnam

to celebrate the Lord.

 

In the second half of first verse of the decad (5.2.1) , PeriyAzhwAr

introduces the refrain , " PandanRu pattinankAppE " and

repeats it nine times perhaps to symbolize the body

characterized by nine entry points ( nava dhvArams )

for sensory objects .

 

He reminds his diseases that ruled over his body earlier

that the situation has changed . He says that his aathmA ,

which is the property ( pattinam/city ) is not in the previous state .

It is now protected by the Lord thru His entrance and occupation .

He says : " meykkondu VANDHU PUHUNTHU VedappirAnAr

KIDANTHAAR , paikkonda paampanayOdum paNdanru

pattinankkAppE " . He declares loud to the diseases that

the Lord , who helped BrhamA with the gift of VedAs has

now entered his body and is rsting there on the bed

of AdisEshA odf spreading hoods and has made it His

sweet home.Therefore , this aathmA , the city of the Lord ,

is no longer in the previous state . It is being protected by

the most merciful Lord and Master . O diseases , who went

after me with such passion and persistence , please leave

me and make your hom,e elsewhere .

 

In the final verse of this decad , we enjoy the most

beautiful vision of AzhwAr , where the Lord is resting

in his body as KsheerAbdhi Naathan on Aadhi SEshA

with MahA Lakshmi ( AravindappAvai ) and that the Lord

has taken his body as His home for Aathma RakshaNam .

This is the upanishadic view , which recognizes and

celebrates the body as the citadel of the Lord .

 

At this stage of his Prabhandham development , PeriyAzhwAr

has 20 more paasurams to offer at the feet of Sri RanganAthA

to complete his vaachika kaimkaryam through 473 paasurams .

In decad 5.3 , he describes his resolute efforts to prevent the Lord

from leaving the pattinam , where He entered willingly . These ten

verses are addressed to the Lord of ThirumAlirumcholai .

 

In the final ten paasurams of his prabhandham , PeriyAzhwAr

has the pala sruthi , which usually follows the Nirvedam and

gaining the boon of Moksham . Here , he expresses his gratitude

to the Lord for entering his body and mind and describes the many

auspicious events that resulted from the Lord's entry into his

own property . These verses are addressed to ThiruvEnkatamudayAn .

He states that the Lord's presence in the five states ( Para ,

Vyuha , Vibhava , Antharyamithva and ArchA forms ) is for

helping chEthanAs to become His servants and that all the

five states are fully integrated in ThiruvEnkatam .

 

The Lord of ThiruvEnkatam is flustered after hearing the soulful

statements of gratitude and is concerned whether he has forgotten

anything else that he wanted to do for His dear BahkthA . AzhwAr

is moved by the Lord's solicitious concern and calms Him down

by stating that in his blessed state , there is nothing else he needs.

He says : " All his enemies have fled . I have been blessed with every thing.

You have now given me the ultimate present and boon that I desired.

Please do not be flustered over the thought of additional possible

help to me. I am fulfilled thanks to your blessings " .

 

Thus concludes the great Prabhandham of PeriyAzhwAr ,

which started with PallAndu , where the AzhwAr ventured

forth with his benediction .

 

PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai wrote a commentary on

the Periya Thirumozhi , which unfortunately were

destroyed by white ants. Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL

rewrote that commentary from memory .Most recently ,

the commentary by Uttamoor SwamigaL on PeriyAzhwAr's

Thirumozhi was rereleased in January ,97 during his

centennial celebration. I do not have acces to these texts and

request others , who have access to elaborate on these

observations of mine. The Upanishadic part viewing the body

as the home of the Lord could also benefit from bhakthAs

like Sri KrshNa Kalale and Sri Vidya shankar .

 

PeriyAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan