VaraLi Pancha rathnam --Part 7.1: Reflections on Kanu Pongal day

[Guest guest]

Thai Month 2nd Day

Kanu Maattu Pongal Dinam

Aayilyam/Maham Nakshthram

January 15, 1997

 

Dear Rama BhakthAs :

 

I would like to share with you three reflections on

this Kanu pongal day before continuing with

the remaining two charaNams of VarALi krithi .

The word KANU triggered these three reflections .

 

Reflection 1

**************

On this Kanu Pongal Dinam , my mind runs back to

Thirukkdanthai AarAvamudhan temple and the west gopuram

in front of Hema PushkaraNi .

 

Three friends are assembled there . They came for their annual

chat and to place Kanup pidis ( Multicolored , cooked rice balls )

on the steps of the pushkaraNi . One of them , Sri KomaLavalli ,

the consort of AarAvamudhan is padi-thAnDa patthini . As such ,

She could not step out of the portals of the temple . Her friends ,

SitA pirAtti ( Consort of Lord Ramachandra from the south western

part of KumbakOnam ) and Sri Vijyavalli ( Consort of Sri ChakrapANi

from the North Western part of the City ) have travelled to meet their

dear friend , Sri KomaLavalli . The archakAs take the Kanup pidis

from the hands of the three dEvis and place it on the foot steps of

the Eastern bank of the PushkaraNi for the benefit of

the birds and other jivarAsis . Sri KomaLavalli watches

this event from inside the boundary of the temple . After that event ,

these MahA Sumangalis get together inside the temple , exchange

information on the year's events , say good bye after promising to

meet each other in an year's time .

 

Reflection2

************

 

This scene is on the bank of Cauveri River at Thiruvayyauru , 25 miles

south of KumbakOnam ( Thirukkudanthai ) . A Parama BhakthA of

Sri RamachandrA chooses Nayaki rAgam to express his gratitude

to the Lord and criticizes pOli BhAgavathars. His krithi starts with

the word , KANU :

 

Pallavi : KANUgonu soukhayamu Kamalajukaina galgunA ?

 

Anupallavi : Dhanuja vairiyugu Raamuni dhaya galgina nathani vinA ?

 

CharaNam: tanuvOkachO manasOkachO tagina vEshamOkachO niDi

Janalu nEchuvAriki JayamounE ? ThyagarAju ( Kanugonu

)

 

( Meaning ) : Can even Chathurmukha BrahmA have the blessings

that ThyagarAjA had of direct darsanam of Sri RaamA ? That soubhAgyam

can be had only with the Lord's grace .

 

With the body in one place and the mind elsewhere ,

those pOli bhagavathars , who cheat the people by

pretending to be great bhakthAs by wearing appropriate

vEshams ( Pundra DhAraNam , Veda PaarAyaNam et al )

will not succed in being blessed with the Lord's direct darsanam .

 

Reflection 3

**************

 

It is still the CauvEri river bank at ThiruvayyAru . Saint ThyagarAjA

has returned from the morning anushtAnams at the river bank.

He has collected the flowers and Tulasi for SuprabhAtham and

morning AarAdhanam . He sings the Bhouli krithi, mElukOvayyA ,

and wakes up the Lord with eager expectation to have His darsanam .

Saint ThyagarAjA performs dheepArAdhanam next and witnesses a

splendid sight inside his pUjA graham . He is filled with immense

joy at the sight he saw . In the morning hours , Raagam Bilahari

joins with him to express his supreme joy :

 

Pallavi : KANU gontini Sri Raamuni nEDu

 

Anupallavi : Inakulamandhu yimmughAnu bhuttina

ilalOna , SitA nAyakuni nEDu

 

CharaNam : Bharatha LakshmaNa Sathrugnulu koluva

PavamAna suthuDu paadhalabhaDDu

dheerulaina Sugreeva pramukhulu

vinuthi sEya , ThyagarAjanuthuni nEDu ( KANU )

 

( Meaning ) : I have seen today my Lord Sri RaamA , the Consort

of SitA Piratti . I have seen this scion of the solar race with His

dear brothers BharathA , LakshmaNA and SatrughnA performing

kiamkaryam to Him . I have seen Sri AnjanEyA is holding His

sacred feet in his hands and I have seen King SugreevA and

other great ones singing about my Lord Sri RamachandrA's

anantha kalyANa guNams .

 

Sri Raamachandra Para BrahmaNE Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan