IDU OR ARPUDHAM KELEER -PART 8

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Sri lakshmi nrusimha divya paadukaa sEvaka SrivaN satakOpa Sri Vedaanta

desika yateendra mahaa dEsikaaya namah:

 

A very big thanks to Sri Mani who gave a very beautiful cross reference from

Thirumangai aazhvaar in response to part 7. Thanks also to Sri Viji

triplicane.

 

In the previous postings parts 1 to 7 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

and few others who relished the kuzhal oothal episode of krishna leelai

 

Thanks to Smt. Jayshree Narasimhan for her response to part 7 when this

write up was posted earlier in Malolan net. She conveyed a beautiful pet

name and description for narasimhan - "iLichchavaayan" as quite often said

with fun, by my aachaaryan Sri Mukkoor Azhagiyasinger. May be this pet "name

calling" very well fits HIM.

 

"Ezhai (poor man), eLiyEn (simple person), iLichchavaayan (sulabhan, can be

taken for granted), three beautiful names for my kaNNan. Sage naarada once

asked naaraayaNa himself "among the avataaras you have taken which avataara

you like more".

 

The reply is Ezhai, eLiyEn, iLichchavaayan.

Ezhai- is vaamanan - went for begging.

ELiyan is raaman - always considered himself as ordinary maanudan (human).

Third is iLichchavaayan- of course narasimhan.

 

Some body exclaims "hey! Can you prove your fellow is here also?"

Instantaneous and spontaneous answer is "YES" from the other, small in size,

but big in stature. Just to prove this single word, this very firm yes, this

"iLichchavaayan" is forced to appear there, at that moment, without wasting

any time, even the small time taken to wink the eye. No garbhavasam, no

human mother, only an "achEthana thooN (pillar)" as thaai - the mother,

(please recollect kaNNan - thooN episode in part 2).

 

Can not appear in a marvellous child form, like kaNNan with chanku and

chakram to show the parents that your child is not an ordinary person and

then hide them later- all forcing circumstances.

 

No slow growth, no baala leelai like kaNNan (on which, one part is the topic

for these posts, getting elongated part after part- excuse me for going on

prolonging without completing)- must appear in "full-grown form". Immediate

and urgent work on hand to kill the fellow, who asked the question "can you

prove". Much time is also not there to carry out the job of killing. No help

from anybody nearby, forced not to use any known weapons like sword, arrows,

etc.

 

Every time some body will give varam (boon) without thinking, and without

any hesitation. "in no way" you can kill the varam receiver is the actual

position. "in a new way" kill that fellow by this iLichchvaayan -that is the

way this fellow has to do - because of the ill effects of that varam-

innovate the way- to achieve the same task. All these account for that good

name calling "iLichchavaayan". Aha! Aha!

 

A "rasanai miguntha azhagaana" name - bountiful of taste in that name

indeed. HH Swamy was always quickwitted. Such off the cuff remarks from him

always have deep meaning and enjoyable for quite a long time to come. Thanks

again to Smt. Jayshree for kindling the fond memories of the revered

aachaaryaa.

 

Another incidental link between krishna and narasimha by another staunch

krishna baktha - leela sukhar in his krishna karNamrutham

 

First slokam:

"Prahlaada bhaagadhEyam nigama mahaardrEr guhantha

Narahari padhaabhidhEyam vibudha vidheyam mamaanusandhEyam"

 

The puNNiyam of prahlaada metamorphised into a roopam as Narasimha. The

subject of reference to be thought in the mind, and is called Narasimham,

who is the resident of the caves in the vedaa hills (the vedaas themselves

form the hill - vedhaadri). The subject which concur with the words of the

devaas and does kaaryams accordingly, that subject called Narasimham is the

one, on which, I do my dhyaanam and is also fully fit as my dhyaana vasthu.

 

[i understand there is a place in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh called

vEdhaadhri where the presiding diety is Narasimhan. So the name vedhaadhri

referred may not be his own imagination from Leela sukhar].

 

Second slokam:

Nruthyantha mahyantha vilOkaneeyam

krshnam maNisthambhagatam mrugaakshee

nireekshya saakshaadiva krshnamagrE

dvidhaa vithEnE navaneetha mEkam -

 

The lady yasodhai, who has the eyes like the deer, [maan vizhiyaaL -mruga

akshee] sees the dancing Krishna nearby herself, and his reflection in the

rathnam decorated pillar. In the pillar Krishna appears differently. Same

kannan appears for a second as krishnaa and then as nrusimha in the same

pillar for yasodhai.

 

She is very much confused. She divided the single butter ball held in her

hand (to give it krishnaa) into two, since the reflection is so natural like

Nrusimha and original kaNNan standing nearby. She gave butter to both. (one

to real krishna standing in front and to the nrusimha in the pillar). This

describes the confused state of yasodai seeing krishnaa in the pillar.

 

See another beauty here. Two mothers two sons- yasodhai and the pillar-

krishnan and narasimhan. One mother sees both sons with her eyes. The other

mother (pillar - please recall "thooN meethu sathiyam" in part 2) wonders

"is that my son who is standing there? Because within me he gives the

impression and appearance as my son". What is this?- a confusion- no taste

of very high order.

 

Note: in tamil mirugam is animal, but in samskrut mruga- is deer

 

See how the bakthaas enjoy nrusimha in krishna, which brings us double

amount of joy in a single attempt.

 

Before we go into the next arpudam let us see one more paasuram of

periyaazhvaar on the same kuzhal oothum leelai.

 

KunReduththu aanirai kaaththa piraan

KOvalanaai kuzhal oothi oothi

KanRugal mEiththu than thOzharOdu

Kalanthuu udan varuvaanai theruvil kaNdu

EnRum ivanai oppaarai nangaai kandariyEn

Edi vanthu kaaNaai, onRum nilla,

vaLai kazhanRu thugilEnthiLamulaiyum envasamallavE

- 3-4- 7 thazhaigaLum of periyaazhvaar

 

KunReduththu kOvalanaai aanirai kaaththa piraan - the Lord who lifted the

hillock (kunRu is hillock, malai - hill) govardhanam to save flocks of cows

(aa- cows) (nirai- flocks). Here the word piraan is a beautiful selection -

savior, head, lord, king all put together in one word.

 

He is the gOpaalan- savior of cows- in tamil kOpaalan only -pa va mix up

allowed, hence gOpaalan has become kOvalan. He is also the king of

yaadavaas, so kOvalan.

 

Kuzhal oothi oothi - playing the flute- why two times? oothi oothi- means,

it is not a one time affair or one day affair. It is a regular and routine

practice, that krishnan plays the flute, when he goes for grazing of the

cows and calves. But one day he wanted to show his prowess in music, play

with all the living things through his music. Hence all the arpudams

happened on that day, which came to us thru 10 paasurams. Reason - he is

"leelayaa gOpa vesha: vishnO:" as described by Sri Swami Desikan.

 

Why this oothi oothi? Another reason- periyaazhvaar gives the indication in

advance - that I am going to give arpudam after arpudam, prepare yourself to

see that, enjoy that, because it may not be repeated. Because krishna has no

equal/ above in this world, his arpudangaL are also going to be above all

excellent things available. Be prepared- a fore warning - that is why this

warning appears in 3-4-4, and arpudams are given one by one in 3-6-1 to 10.

 

Than thOzharOdu kanRugaL mEiththu- he goes to the forest to grass the young

calves along with friends, so company for krishna is available- task is not

handled single handedly.

 

Kalanthu udan varuvaanai- he mixes and mingles with all easily- see the

sowlabhyam- kalanthu - status is not thought about- not only with boys -

calves also.

 

Theruvil kaNdu - seen in the streets

 

EnRum ivanai oppaarai kandariyEn nangaai- a person equal in stature to

krishnaa, I have not seen- enRum- ever- oh my dear girls, says aazhvaar.

 

"Ivanai opparai kandariyEn nangaai- I have not seen an equal to krishnaa".

[This stopped my thinking further and forced me to linger on same line again

and again. Yes, who is there equal to my krishnaa except himself].

 

"Edi vanthu kaaNaai, onRum nilla, vaLai kazhanRu thugilEnthiLamulaiyum

envasamallavE". Periyaazhvaar says "due to continuous thinking on my

krishna, as to who is equal to him, I could not control any thing like my

mind, my body, my dress etc, - onRum nillaa, nothing stands- runs after

krishnaa.

 

Bangles became loose, clothes which supported my breasts are gone, breasts

are also not in my control - means they long to embrace krishna thereby

forcing the clothes to go - means the clothes are shed in the longing.

 

All these mean when the thinking is on the flute playing krishnaa, all

things go out of control- body becomes pale, bangles loose, dress gone etc.

Please observe the power of krihnaa's flute. So there is no wonder that

aazhvaar gives arpudam after arpudam.

 

We will see 11 slokams from "yaadhava abyudhayam" the voluminous work by our

Swami Desikan on krishna charitham. In this baala leelai of kuzhal oothum

krishnan is covered in chapter 8. The meanings of these slokams and how the

taste is in similar lines of periyaazhvaar, we will see in next post.

 

1. praayasthadhaahvaanavidhow niyOkthum pragruhya vENum

prathipannadhUthyam ! nyavEsayath kudmalithE salilam bimbaadharE sUchitha

chitha raagE!! - chapter 8 slokam 45

 

2. SaamOpapannaan kramasa: svarandhrai: sapthasvaraan saptha

bhirudhvamantham! PrachamakramE vaadhayithum vanaanthE vamsam priyO

vallavavamsajaanaam!! Slokam 46

 

3. MukundavakthraanilavaadhyamaanO vENur babhow vEdha iva dvitheeya:!

Raagaavadheenaam rahasaam yadhEkam geethaathmanaam thasya nidhaanamaaseeth!!

Slokam 47

 

4. thadhvamsanaadha: subhagO anugachchan agrEsaram sowrabham

aagamaanaam! Ayathnanishpannamanassamaadheen aabrahmakaan aathanuthEva

janthUn!!

Slokam 48

 

5. sruNvadhbhirudhvaanthamadhupravaaham vamsasvamna thasya

sudhaikavamsam! SayUthyathaam nUnamavaapya sarvai: sathvai: sthitham

saaminimeelilaakshi:!! Slokam 49

 

6. madhudhravairulvaNa sammadhaa srUNlEkhya nishpadha mrugadhvijaani!

UdhgrakOsOthpulakaani krushNO vamseeninaadhEna vanaanyakaarsheeth!! Slokam

50

 

7. aaswaadhya thadhvamsaninaadhamaadhveemaadhraaya

thathsancharasowrabham cha! Bhukthaamruthaanaam bhuvi sowrabhEyya:

kshipthEtharaam ksheebadha saamavaapu:!! Slokam 51

 

8. vamsasvanaasvaadha vaseekruthaanaam vyakthOdhayaanaam

vanadEvathaanaam! Sa karbura: snigdhathamai: kataakshai: sEndhraayudhow mEga

ivaababhaasE!! Slokam 52

 

9. aadhmaapayaamaasa sa srungamagrayam sankham thathaa

bhUthbhikaathmayOgaath! Jagow cha gEyaani bahUni yEshaa gaandharva vedhO api

na paaradhasravaa!! Slokam 53

 

10. thristhaanayukthasvara bhUshitham thath thridhaa sthitham

graamavisesha yOgaath! Aran~jayan saptha jaganthyayathnaath geetham harE

raahutha kinnarowgham!! Slokam 54

 

11. vilaasavaakyairiva vENu naadhai dhivyEna geethEna cha dhaithya

hanthu:! NivEdhithaarthaa" sudhrusa: svavaasaadhaajagmuraakarshaNa

manthratheekshNai: slokam 55

 

Dasan Vasudevan M.G.