NaachiyAr Thirmozhi's echo in one of the Purandara Daasar krithi

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Recently Srimathi Kalyani Krishnamachari wrote

beautifully about the 2nd NaachiAr Thirumozhi ,

where ANDAL begs KrishNA not to destroy the sand castles

that She and her friends were building as part

of their play . There is a "Bhaaratha pOrr " between

ANDAL and the "wilful" Krishnan . She points out to Him that

it is a pity that He does not have compassion for them

and begs the Lord not to torment them with His cruel deeds .

She concedes that it is impossible for them to be angry with

Him , once they lock their eyes with His bewitching eyes .

She tells Him however not to go too far in making their

minds sour on Him , since even jaggery will taste bitter

when one's mind gets embittered .

 

One hears partial echos of this anubhavam of ANDAL in a krithi

by Sri Purandara Dasar , a great Bhakthar of Purandara

Vittlar of PandrApUr .In the case of ANDAL and her friends ,

KrishNA destroyed the sand castles and bimbhams they

were playing with ,since they dealt with devathAntharams .

He did not relish it that they were not paying attention

to Him as he was standign before them . In the case of

the krithi of Daasar ,the complaint to KrishNA is " Oh My Lord !

what You are doing is not fair .Please save us from ruin ".

It is a very deep appeal with profound meaning !

What did KrishNA do ? let us examine the saahithya

Vaakhyamsof this beautiful krithi set in the apUrva raga of

sEkharachandrikA .{{The arOhaNam is SR(1)G(2)M(2) D(1) N(3)S ;

the avarOhaNam is SN(3)D(1)M(2)G(2)R(1)S }}.

Srimathi Jayasree Varadarajan of California has rendered

this song most movingly .

 

The saahithya Vaakhyams are :

 

Pallavi: sallaDo KrishNaa SallaDo

 

Anupallavi: Sri vallabha iDa nOdi pAlisabEko

 

CharaNams(1-5):

 

bithhi beLesi thale ethhiDa pairanu

mathhe thuruvindu bittu mellisuvuDu

 

sAvira honnikki saDanava sADhisi

pAvakanurige neenoppisikoduvuDu

 

kusalaDi baNNisi bareDa chithhArava

masi maNNU mAdi nee kedisuvuDu

 

balukAla muDDisi klaisi mAthugaLa

giLiya sAki bAvugage oppisuvuDu

 

karuNisu PunDara ViTTalanE namma

hiriDu mAdi mathhe kiriDu mAdiduvuDu

 

The translation according to my dear friend ,

Srirangam Mudal ThirumALikai (late )Dr.Yaamuna

TatAchAr Swamy is as follows :

 

" This is not fair , KrishNA , what You are

doing is not fair .It was through much care and

effort that these seeds sprouted and grew into splendid

plants that are now munched away by (Your )cattle .

Beautiful jewelery crafted out of the purest gold

is thrown into flames and melted away . The talents

of skilled artist crafted this superb picture

and it soiled by mud and grime . This parrot ,

a fine bird tended with love and learning to talk

has now been grabbed by a mean cat . And here I am made

to feel so good and important , only to be let down

suddenly , to find myself low and worthless . You have

given us this life as a reward of good works (karmAs)

of earlier births .You now allow us to waste away this

precious life in follies that take us away from You.

KrishNA! What You are doing is not fair .Please save

us from ruin ".

 

Daasar refers to Vishaya Ruchi that turns us

away from thoughts about Him . Daasar takes

on the role of a Gopi arguing with KrishNA ,

who is trying to teach her the futility of

attachments to things other than Him . The clevr

Gopi turns around and puts the blame for such

predilictions right at the feet of the Lord

and chastises Him for letting things go this way !

It is an wonderful anubhavam of a Bhakthar .

 

DaasAnudAsan , Sadagopan