IDU OR ARPUDAM KELEER - PART 7

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Sri lakshmi nrusimha divya paadukaa sEvaka SrivaN satakOpa Sri Vedaanta

desika yateendra mahaa dEsikaaya namah:

 

In the previous posting parts 1 to 6 on this topic, we saw

* How periyaazhvaar identified KaNNan with thirumaal,

* How he described the entire world was tied down by his divine music thru

the paasurams (without the meanings of the paasurams),

* Certain points on observations of bagavathaas.

* The meanings in detail for the first six paasurams

* Verses of few other bakthas who relished the kuzhal oothal episode of

krishna leelai

 

Before we really take up the next arpudam of periyaazhvaar, I would like to

add few points in the fourth arpudam "menakaiyOdu" and how aaNdaaL has

enjoyed this kuzhal oothi episode of krishna leelai.

 

Menakai, rambai, oorvasi thilOththamai are all dancers of repute in the

dEvEndran sabai in the dEvalOkam- so naturally they have the vidhyaa garvam

- "I am an expert in music and dance".

 

They were looking for their servants- the vaaniLampadiyar- these servants

were lured to the brindaavan by kaNNan's music and they came down from

dEvalOkam. Simply these folks were tied down in the music and did not turn

up when they were wanted.

 

When the servant is not available at the beck and call, it is but natural

for the master to look or search for the servant. Since not even one fellow

was available / not traceable, the masters Rambai and all came down, in

search, to the vaanagampadi looking whether these servants are seen around

some where. These servants were along with gOpiyar of brindaavan enjoying

kaNNan's music (as we saw in 3-6-3).

 

Now these damsels got curious. A small boy is playing music- karunchirukkan-

let us see how this boy plays- we are experts - so we can judge very fast -

so, they stood at the vaanagampadi. Once started listening to kaNNan's

music, the dancers started dancing to the music, but soon got intoxicated

and lost the rhythm, so started singing. The vidyaa garvam is crushed. The

singers started on music but missed the raagam and taalam, due to the sheer

joy, so in joy started dancing- the balance on music is lost. Really not

knowing what they were doing, they did all different things. Reason kaNNan's

music.

 

One more reason also. These damsels did not come down to boolOkam- these

human folks will laugh at us - hey - you dEvaas - you think you are great-

but see your position- after hearing OUR kaNNan's music you missed your

routine. This "kEli pEsi sirippaargalE" thought, parihaasam- sarcastic

remarks from brindaavan gOpiyar- human folks- prevented them to come down

and enjoy the music mingling with brindaavan folk.

 

Another added reason is- When the master follows the servants, it is below

master's dignity. This also prevented them from coming down.

 

Actually boolOka people could not see these mEnakai, oorvasi and others but

periyaazhvaar has seen and given to us.

 

What an arpudam - what a visualisation- oh krishnaa - your music changes the

course of everybody.

 

2. We have seen the daddy picturising and giving arpudam after arpudam. Will

the daughter, who is brought up by such a krishna bakthaa, have a different

notion than the daddy?

 

"Kamban veettu kattuth thariyum kavi paadum" is the proverb. "The weaving

implement in the kambar's house also can compose tamil songs because of the

association with kamban, the poet, who wrote raamaayaNam. Similarly

periyaazhvaar peRReduththa peN piLLai aaNdaaL - will she have a different

route or routine?

 

Definitely not. Now let us see what aaNdaaL has to say on this kuzhal oothi

episode. "ThuvaraippiraanukkE sankarpiththu thozhudhavaL aayiRRE aandaaL".

Please see what she wants.

 

"Thazhaiyil pozhil vaai niraip pinnE nedumaal oothi varuginRa kuzhalin

thoLai vai neer koNdu kuLira mugaththu thadaveerE" says in 13-5- kaNNan enum

karum deivam decad in naachiyaar thirumozhi.

 

I am physically sick, because of thinking, visualising, seeing, describing,

writing, singing, dancing, enjoying all about kaNNan - "kaNNan enum karum

deivam kaatchi pazagi kidappEnai says aaNdaaL" - the word pazhagi is a

beauty here- always enjoying kaNNan- so an intense heat generated. I need

medicine to cure this thaapam -heat.

 

The medicines are the peethakavaadai kaaRRu - air from yellow dress -

vaijayanthi maalai- tulasi garland. Please bring me the water (?) or

"nectar?" flowing out of the holes of the flute, held in the mouth of

kaNNan, while he rains out the soul stirring music. Where is he giving the

music as per aaNdaaL? Thazhaiyil pozhil vaai- at the entrance of leafy green

gardens- nirai pinnE- nirai is flock- flock of what? All living creatures

-daddy has given the composition of the flock -so I am not giving it says

aaNdaaL- it is nirai only.

 

Nedumaal is pouring out the music- the long? The big?- oh no! -the

thrivikraman - very very... big maal- naaraayaNan- oothi varuginRa kuzhalin

thoLai neer- the water oozing out of the flute while he is playing the

music.

 

AaNdaaL does not ask the music but the water from flute. Why? The music will

tie down and make her as a servant. But asks the vaayamudham - available

only for the wife- so indirectly wants a very big status. If the person is a

child then vaayamudham of the child is available for the parents and others.

But here KaNNan is a grown up boy.

 

Already aaNdaaL had a wordy duel with the sangu- the conch- paancha janyam-

hey - you are drinking daily the vaayamudham of my maadhavan -un selvam

saala azhagiyadhE- you are really gifted etc. So she wants, not the music,

but the nectar from the mouth.

 

3. In 3-6-5 periyaazhvaar nicely linked narasimhan with flute playing

kaNNan. See how nicely his daughter is also bringing out her thoughts on

narasimhan at the most appropriate places. These subtleties are to be

relished by every word of it.

 

In the dream sequence of marriage vaaraNamaayiram, poorvaacharyargaL have

pointed out the vedic rituals are very nicely brought as per the veda mantra

sequences etc.

 

Now let us see where all narasimhan is there in the marriage.

 

KOLari maadhavan gOvindhan enbaan Or kaaLai pugutha kanaa kaNdEn - 6-2.

KOLari is narasimhan. Tomorrow the marriage is going to take place. The

bridegroom enters the marriage hall or venue today. At that stage aaNdaaL

says kOLari. Narasimhan enters. First name is narasimhan- next maadhvan -

then gOvindan. See the order of priority. Calling by the first name is

always an intimacy creation step - is it not?

 

Next- arimugan achyuthan kai mEl en kai vaiththu pori muganthu atta kanaa

kaNdEn - 6 -9. In the performance of marriage according to vedic procedure,

 

Step 1 - kaiththalam parruthal (paanigrahaNam- holding the hands),

Step 2 - theevalam seithal - agni pradakshaNam -coming around the sacred

fire,

Step 3- ammi mithiththal- sapthapathi- placing the girls foot on the stone,

Step 4 - pori muganthu attuthal- placing the scorched rice in the fire-

laaja homam

Then only the marriage is complete and firm.

 

[Actually the maangalya dhaaraNam is a later day insertion in the rituals as

I could understand from senior bhagavathaaL].

 

Now see the order in which aaNdaaL lists the names -

KOLari maadhavan gOvindhan - pugutha- enters the hall

Madhusoodhan- kaiththalam paRRa- grasping the hand

KaLiRu annaan- krishnan- theevalam seyya- going around the fire

Arimugan- narasimhan- laaja homam

Avan - mangala veedhi valam - no names.

 

The starting and ending is narasimhan- see the beauty- recalling the correct

names at the appropriate places.

 

[KaLiru annaan- walking like an elephant- the male should walk like an

elephant

The female should like a swan- hamsam.

In kamba raamaayaNam - kamban says seethai is a anna nadaiyaaL]

 

In first naaraNan nambi- no confirmation yet that he is the bridegroom. So

he is naaraNan nambi.

 

Next naaLai vadhuvai- confirmed that he is the groom- so he is identified as

kOLari- narasimhan

 

It is also said according to the saastram after the sapthapathi and laaja

homam only the marriage is confirmed. So when laaja homam is taking place it

is arimugan- narasimhan- achyuthan.

 

Why? Because both narasimhan and achyuthan are kai vidaatha deivam- who will

not let down- instantaneous avathaaram not to let down the baktha

prahlaadhan- narasimhan. Achyuthan- as the name suggests one who will not

let down.

 

In the dream first, later actually, the hands of aaNdaaL taken by arimugan

and joined together for ever.

 

This I am not saying but daddy periyaazhvaar- sengaNmaal thaan koNdu pOnaan

- in 3-8-4 nallathOr thaamarai- see here also- daddy also says narasimhan

only took her sengaN maal- any trace of doubt is also removed by the

"thaan'- he only.

 

AaNdaaL also refers guNdu neer uRai kOLari in 2-2 naamam aayiram- decad.

Bbhagavathaas can add the context and the meaning for this.

 

Another place where she refers narasimhan is oon koNda vaLLugiraal

iraNiyanai udal idanthaanai in 8-5 viNNeela mElaappu but this is more

explicit.

 

So "mun narasingamadhaagi" has a deep impact on aaNdaaL and is also nicely

linked with kaNNan.

 

Now let us see a "paapanasam sivan" song on Kannan who is playing flute:

 

In the raaga thanyaasi

 

Baalakrishnan paadamalar paNivorkku idar illai- varaguNa (baala)

 

Neela mugil pOl azhagan, nirai mathi vathanam athanil

iLa nagai nilava aruL oLi thavazhum (baala)

 

GOkulam brindhaavanam yamunaa vihaari gOpaalan

gOpijana mana mohana murali gaana vilOlan

Vyakulam thavirkkanbar manathil vaazh karuNaalavaalan

Mazhai thadukka gOvardhdhanan malai yeduththa sinthOLan

Pizhai poruththaruL dhayaaLan paNiyum raamadaasan (baala)

 

[sri Sivan was a tamil music writer who has written many songs on krishnaa,

raama, naaraayaNa mahalakshmi besides ambaal sivan & others. To quote a very

famous song on krishnaa is 'enna thavam seithanai yasodhaa, engum nirai

parabrahmam amma enrazhaikka' in the raaga kaapi famous song sung by many

especially Maharajapuram Santhaanam who gives his soul in this song].

 

Since the length of this post is creeping slowly long and long, we will see

the seventh arpudham in next post

 

Dasan Vasudevan M.G.

[Guest guest]

Sri M.G. Vasudevan wrote:

> They were looking for their servants- the vaaniLampadiyar- these servants

> were lured to the brindaavan by kaNNan's music and they came down from

> dEvalOkam. Simply these folks were tied down in the music and did not turn

> up when they were wanted.

> ... A small boy is playing music- karunchirukkan-

> let us see how this boy plays- we are experts - so we can judge very fast -

> so, they stood at the vaanagampadi. Once started listening to kaNNan's

> music, the dancers started dancing to the music, but soon got intoxicated

> and lost the rhythm, so started singing. The vidyaa garvam is crushed. The

> singers started on music but missed the raagam and taalam, due to the sheer

> joy, so in joy started dancing- the balance on music is lost. Really not

> knowing what they were doing, they did all different things. Reason kaNNan's

> music.

 

Dear Sri Vasudevan,

 

Your picturesque description of how kaNNan's music mesmerized

everyone immediately brought to my mind some fascinating

lines from Thirumangai's siRiya thirumadal. Please pardon me if

you have already mentioned this or are planning on doing so.

 

Alvar, in nAyikA bhAvam, as a young girl, speaks of how she

all of a sudden was entranced by the activities of one "strange

unknown man":

 

... I tied my dark, beautiful hair back,

adjusted my bountiful bosom and

placed jewels around my waist;

I anointed my long eyes with collyrium

and was bouncing my ball around,

just minding my own business,

 

When I heard all these people

joyously beating their drums

for some fellow named Maal,

who had eyes red like lotuses, and

who was doing this great dance

with two pots; and he danced

right in the middle of the luxurious street,

asking, "Who's next? Who's next?"

 

Seeing this, all of them -- the young women and

my own parents included -- called to me, asking,

"Won't you come too?"

So I went, ill-fated as I am!

 

And seeing him, my dark jewels and my bracelets

slid off my body, out of sight;

Alas! Why didn't I listen to anyone?

I lost consciousness and fainted ...

 

... kaaraar kuzhal eduththuk katti -- kathirmulayai

vaaraara veekki maNimEgalai thiruththi,

aaraarayil vERkaN anjanaththin neer aNindhu,

seeraar sezhumpandhu kondadiyaa ninREn naan,

 

neeraar kamalampOl cengaNmaal enROruvan,

paarorgaL ellaam magizhap paraikaraNga,

seeraar kudam iraNdEndhi -- sezhundheruvE

aaraar enac colli aadum adhukaNdu,

 

Eraar iLamulaiyaar ennaiyarum ellarum,

vaaraayO enRarkkuc cenREn en valvinaiyaal,

 

kaaraar maNin^iRamum kaivaLaiyum kaaNEn naan,

aaraanum colliRRum koLLEn -- arivu azhindhu

theeraa udambodu pedhuruvEn ...

 

As usual, no translation does justice to the subtlety and

felicity of expression of the Alvar's Tamil. I am indebted

to my dear friend Vijaraghavan Triplicane who first introduced

me to this divine poem and who patiently explained its meaning

to me.

 

daasan,

Mani