thirup pAvai - part 19 - "koor vEl kodum"

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Dear bAgawathAs, mArgazhi day 10, 5:30 AM

 

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

 

"koor vEl kodun thozhilan"

 

"koor" means that which is sharp. vEl means a spear. In those

days the popular weapon for house keeping and safe keeping was

"vEl". It is said that Sri Nandagopan and his men were keeping a

constant vigil on Sri Krishna that Kamsa's emissaries would not

harm Sri Krishna despite several failed attempts.

 

The vaibavam took place in aaypAdi. Lord Sri Krishna is

the "jagath rakshagan". ie., HE protects the entire universe.

Then Why would he need some one to protect HIM ? Isn't it

Sri ANDAL delivered these pAsurams after Sri Krishna avathAram ?

Doesn't she aware of the fact no one is really protecting HIM and

that all these are HIS own leela vaibavam ? The reason is similar

to periyAzwar singing pallANdu for the eternal Lord. ie., Why

periAzhwAr has to bless the Lord to Live 1000 of years when he

knows that the Lord is eternal. The simplest understanding is

that Sri ANDAL took the bhAvam of gOpiyar and took us all there,

as if the whole avathAram is taking place now. When reading these verses

there is a sense of security felt within, such that we are

in the company of the Lord as an avathAram currently. This is one

of the reason that AchAryAs interpret that these 30 verses of

thirup pAvai itself is an avathAram in kali.

 

Coming to the original line, the word "kodum thozhilan"

means, one who is doing this duty of vigilance as HIS profession.

The word "thozil" means profession. thilan means one who is a

professional. Sri NadagOpan was the chief of the aayAr kulam

and now after Sri Krishna vijayam, his profession or occupation

has changed entirely such that he has devoted his entire time in

keeping a constant vigil on Lord Sri Krishna and believed that

he is protecting HIM. The word "nandagOpan kumaran" here has

been discussed earlier to bring out the overall essence of this

first pAsuram.

 

The word kodum means "krora" or that which is torturing.

The spear that SrinandagOpan is wielding is so sharp and will inflict

wounds that are torturing. Sri PeriyavAccahn pillai

says "nam siRiya AathAnaip pola anrusamya prathAraytthup

poruvathu". ie.,Sri nandagOpan looks as if the word "happiness"

took a form in his thiru uruvam. However when Lord Sri Krishna

arrived his nature changed a little bit and he was unrelenting,

ever alert and and wielding a sharp spear in his arms all the

time. He used to protect the Lord just as similar to our ilaya

perumAL protecting the Lord Sri RamA for 14 years in vanavAsam.

 

The word "kumaran" means "Son". Why is that Lord is

addressed here as nandagOpan kumaran while during many other

citations in "Sri math bAgawatham", Lord is addressed as

"vAsudeva nandan". Sri Krishna avathAram has many purposes. Of

which the references to Sri Krishna as Sri Nandagopan and

Sri yasOdhAs son are meant for conveying the achArya thaththuvam

and mantra upadEsam and convey the saranAgathi thatthuvam.

Vasudeva nandan is for referring to HIS para thaththuvam.

 

The word "kumaran" also refers to the paruvam or the age

of the Lord. ie., bAlyam. The ripe age for accepting a bride

(jivAtma). ie., it is the right "paruvam" or time for the Lord

to accept the Aycchiyars (symbolising jivAtmAs) here, in holy

matrimony (symbolising here the saranAgathi wedlock). In a

Tamil marriage inviatation When addressing some person as

someone's son, it is referred as so and so's kumAran. When

someone is older and is addresed as someone else's son, (in

presenting an accomplishment or anyother), such elderly person

is addressed as "thiruk kumArar". ie., kumaran becomes kumArar.

Such differences between the two words kumaran and kumArar shows

the different age or paruvam for the two addressed. In some

xceptional cases, it is rarely used to convey a respect to even

a lad as "kumArar", ie for example an erstwhile young prince of

a kingdom is used to be called as kumArar.

 

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sampath Rengarajan

 

 

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