thirup pAvai - part 20 - "thozhilan"

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Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

 

"koor vEl kodunthozhilan"

 

The inner most meaning here for this line is tha achArya

sthAnam that is in the middle rungs of the ladder that the

jivAtma ascends in its way to the Lord. It has been discussed as

to why a Father is given the achArya sthAnam in the HINDU

marriage tradition. The ritual saraNagathi or baranyAsam itself

is considered a marraige with the Lord. Thus in the marriage of

saranAgathi performed as a nOnbu by Sri ANDAL (done for paving

the way for the jivAtmAs), the reference to Sri Nandagopan is

directed to achAryan. In this vyakyAnam the word "sthAnam" or

"position" here is important. In an overall meaning a jivAtmA can

attain (through the nOnbu or marraige known as saranAgathi) the

Lord as its eternal purushan mainly through the blessings of

achAryAn and the same is realised through the mantra upadEsam

that is performed during this occassion.

 

Thus the knowledge of achAryan comes first to the

jivAtmA through the "thiru aruL" of the Lord. Then through the

achAryan comes the realisation of the eternal bondage with

the purushan the Lord by the mantra upadEsam. Thus the

reference is made to mantra upadEsam through reference to the

"Mother yasOdhai" only after the "achArya sthAnam". This

realisation becomes complete and full only and only by Lord's

thiru uLLam knonw as "siddha upAyam".

 

The word "thozhilan" here refers to the position or

occupation or sthAnam. What is the thozhil or occupation that the

achArya sthAnam performs for a jivAtma in its ascendance to the

Lord. achAryAs parichchayam or acquaintance brings the jivAtmA to

the limelight. The jivAtman is surrounded by the annyAnam that is

similar to a deep dark black hole and thick dark smoke. These are

the "7" screens that cover the jivAtma in its realisation of

self. Though the jivAtma has the "pakkuvam" or maturity it still

needs to fully realise its own self. This is also similar to a

cleansing job, ie., like washing a vessel with the cleaning

liquid. AchAryAs vicinity itselves clears some of these screens

of. However the mantra upadEsam and the anusanthAnam such mantram

(ie.,dwayam mantram) alone makes this realisation to almost near

as "far" as the jivAtmA is considered. AchArya does the mantra

upadEsam and baranyAsam as a full time "thozhil" and tirelessly

for so many jivAtmAs who comes with the desire to surrender to

the Lord. In fact it is understood in Sri SampradhAyam that

they are "mandated" to perform these for the matured jivAtmAs.

Thus the "thozhilan" here is the achAryan who has the thozhil

of protecting the jivAtmAs from their annyAnams taking the toll

on them.

 

In Srivaishnavam "AcharyA sthAnam" is given the utmost

importance. This can be very well seen from the thaniyan "Lakshmi

nAtha samArambAm". ie., It is said that Lord Himself facilitated

the achArya pArampariyam as HE HIMself being the first achAryan

for the thAyAr Sri Lakshmi.

 

Coming to the pAsuram, one may ask as to why such

thozhil is referred as "kodum thozhil". Here the tamil word kodum

doesnot refer to some thozhil. ie., this sentence has to be

split as "koor vEl kodum" and "thozhilan nandagOpan" and

kumaran. The word "kodum" is referred to the "annyAnam"

that is destroyed by the "koor vEL" here known as the "thiru

aruL" of the achAryAn. Why is the "annyAnam" so dangerous

or kodum. It is because of the fact that such annyAnam prevented

the jivAtmA all along from fully realising the nature of its

own self. Why is achAryAs "thiru aruL" so sharp as "koor vEl",

because it destroys the annyAnam in a nodi.

 

ie., "nooRRAndu iruLaiyum nodiyilE pOkkidum OLiyAkum".

ie,. the iruL or the darkness that has been blanketting the

jivAtmA for centuries ie., in its several births so far, will be

pierced in just one split second by the "oLi" or bright

light that is passed from the blessings of the achAryAL. The

breaking the screen of annyAnam is first important and it

is implied as such that jivAtma couldnot have done it without

achAryAs "thiru aruL". ie., the "thiru aruL" of the Lord is made

through "achAryA" for the jivAtma.

 

Such oLi or thiru aruL is usually attained from achAryA

by doing bAgwatha kaimkaryam. ie.,Such will be facilitated by

being in the company of devout and learned bAgwathALs (sath

sangam). Then one will be able to learn through them the

importance of acharyAs and reach the "sath" acharya and do

errand service to them and attain their "thiru aruL". That is

when, the jivAtma begins to realise by discovering the swaya

swaroopam.

 

 

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sampath Rengarajan