vEdha nool pirAyam nooru

[Guest guest]

Sri Sudarshan writes with panache and feeling on virakthi. As to his

interpretation of thonDaraDippoDi AzhwAr's take on human frailty and

folly, while Sri Sudarshan's 'free translation' is interesting, I

believe it moves away from the central purport of Azhwaar's

outpouring, his enchantment with thiruvarangam as the bhoolOka

vaikunTam and his ardent desire to perform perpetual service

at the feet of Arangan (per Sri Periya vAcchAn piLLai's vyAkhyAnam).

 

This pasuram has to be put in the context of the previous pasuram,

a pasuram of immeasurable beauty:

 

pacchai mA malai pOl mEni

pavaLa vAy kamalacchengaN

acchuthA amara rErE

Ayar tham kozhundhE ennum

icchuvaiththavirai yAn pOy

indhira lOkamALum

acchuvaipperinum vEnDEn

arangamA nagaruLAnE

 

Azhwaar only wants icchuvai - he wants to be here with arangan - and

nothing else (yAn pOy indhira lOkamALum achchuvai vEnDEn) - not even

indhira lOkamALum vaikunTam. Now, if one

examines the next pasuram (vEdha nool pirAyam), it would seem that

Azhwaar is talking at cross purposes (Adhalaal piravi vEnDEn) - it is

clear why he does not want samsaric piravi - but what does he want

then? - he does not want mOksham and he does not want samsaaram -

what he seeks is perpetual saannidhyam of arangan at thiruvarangam.

 

Azhwaar's pasuram, in contrast to Sri Sudarshan's interpretation

below, is an ultimate affirmation of the desire to be a Sri

VaishNava (per Sri vELukkuDi krishNan's upanyasam) and one indulging

in service at the feet of arangan. To even suggest that Azhwaar

does not want to be a part of this life, ensconsed in the joy of

service at the feet of arangan, is a direct contradiction of Sri

PVP's vyakhyanam.

 

Azhwaar rejects the futility of samsaaric bondage, because of the

inadequacy of the opportunity it provides, in the context of the

different stages - pEdhai, paalakan, adhu (yauvvanam), piNi, pasi,

mooppu, thunbam - to seek and develop gnyAna/bhakthi/vairAgyam, as

enjoined in the shastras. Instead, Azhwaar suggests, go indulge in

arangan's anubhavam (Enjoy his Aashritha vyaamoham, saulabhyam and

paratvam) and you will not need any thing else (karma, gnyana,

bhakti).

 

One of the most alluring aspects of Sri VaishNava

tradition/philosophy (as opposed to advaitic view points) is that the

ultimate joy, that uplifted state of nirathishaya aanandam

(ceaseless, wonderous enjoyment) is available here and now, at the

feet of the archAvathArams. We do not have to go seeking exalted

states that require you to jettison all that you can perceive and

comprehend. There are no qualifying states. All that is required is

simple, total surrender at the feet of SrimannarayaNa. As Sri

Alavandhar eloquently performs prapathi,

 

na dharma nishTosmi, na chaatma vEdin

na bhakthimaargascharaNAravinde

akinchanaha

ananyagathish

charaNam

aham prapdyE

 

A simple translation - I have no dharma nishTa, nor gnyanam or

bhakti, I have nothing (akinchanaha), anayagathi (no where else to

go), just your lotus feet. And that encompasses all that one can

acquire with gnyAna, bhakthi and vairAgyam.

Hence, the virakthi associated with other traditions, notably

advaitha, may not be pertinent in Sri VaishNavam.

 

In this context, it is also important to note the need to properly

study and understand compositions of Azhwaar's and Acharyas, lest we

fall prey to the occidental (and something clearly extrinsic to the

Shruthi-bound Sri Vaishnavite tradition - of learning at the feet of

an Acharya) tendency of inaccurate representation of concepts

inadequately understood. Given the wealth of orthodox and accurate

vyaakhyaanams available, it is incumbent on any jignyaasu to make

the requisite effort to properly comprehend the concepts at the feet

of an acharya. Self-study in such cases is replete with dangers

of mis-constural and worse, a notion of false knowledge (which, as

our acharyas repeatedly point out, is far worse than ignorance

since it breeds ego).

 

I am not about to suggest that one should not interpret, comprehend

and communicate. Just that we need to acquire the requisite tools

that qualify us to do so unerringly, and free of distortions.

 

Azhwaar Emberumaanaar Jeeyar thiruvaDigaLE sharaNam

 

sridhar

 

>

> And nearer home, the great saint, our dearest Tondar-adi-podi AzhwAr,

> indeed brought out the very quintessence of "virakti" in the 3rd stanza

> of his "tirumAlai":

>

> "vEda-noor pirAyyUm nooru manisarthAm pUgUvarElUm

> pAthiyyUm Urangi-pOgUm ninratheer padhinai-Andu

> pEdhai bAlagan-athAgUm peeNi pasi-mUppU~thhUnbum

> Ada-lAl piravi vEndEn, arangamA nagaruLAnE !"

>

> (my free translation):

>

> A hundred seasons have Thou leased me, O Ranga

> To live, love and mellow in the wisdom of Thy knowledge ---

> But half must I spend perforce in slumber

> And a quarter to waste in dissolute youth;

> And if the rest passeth over the years

> In care, illness, and senilitya

> What's left of thy wondrous gift, O Ranga,

> Is what I'd rather do without!

>

> *************** *************** *************

>

> We will continue in the next post.

>

> adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan,

>

> Sudarshan

>