Thirumangai's periya thirumadal

[Guest guest]

Today is our dear thirumaN^gai AzhvAr's thirunakshathram.

(kArththigaiyil kArththigai). I was reading the excellent posts by

Badri Seshadri and Dileepan on periya thirumadal.

(http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/alvars/kaliyan/madal/periya-overview.html)

They both used to write more often and all of them were gems...

 

I thought I would throw my 2 cents. AzhvAr taking the nAyikA

bhAvam as parakala nayaki, sings two madals. There is a good

description of the concept of madal in Badri's post. The thamizh

tradition to which parakaala naayaki(PN) belongs, repudiates the notion

of a woman performing madal. So, PN has to defend herself. This is

what she has to say.

 

mAnOkkin anna n^adaiyAr alarEsa AdavarmEl

mannu madalUrAr enbadhOr vAsagamum

thennuraiyil kEttu aRivadhuNdu - adhanai yAm theLiyOm

mannum vada n^eRiyE vENdinOm

 

(The southern (thamizh) tradition holds the view that tender

beautiful women with eyes like that of a deer and the gait

like that of hamsam do not engage in performing madal. But I don't

to that southern thought. I am going to embrace the

NOrthern line of thought (and am going to perform madal) )

 

 

vENdAdhAr

thennan podhiyil sezhuNYchan^dhanak kuzhambin

annadhOr thanmai aRiyAdhAr- Ayan vEy

innisai Osaikku iraN^gAdhAr* mAl vidaiyin

mannu maNi pulamba vAdAdhAr* - peNNai mEl

pinnum av anRil pEdai vAych chiRu kuralukku

unni udal urugi n^aiyAdhAr* - umbar vAyth

thunnu madhi uguththa thoon^ilaa n^IL n^eruppil

tham udalam vEvath thaLarAdhAr

 

(She describes those who think she is doing something wrong -

vENdAdhAr :

She gets really mad at them and describes them basically as totally

insensitive. She says," They don't realize the nature/fragrance of

the nice sandal paste, they don't get captivated by kannan's mellifluous

music for the cows, they don't even feel sorry for the female anRil bird

that pitifully cries having lost her husband, how can they

bear the scorching heat showered by the full moon (because of

viraha thApam)..." and she goes on and on...)

 

On getting immersed in AzhvAr's anubhavam, I really feel that no

other AzhvAr was this expressive, with such elaborate description

not only of her state of love but also of the insensitivity of those

who think otherwise. This is amazing poetry! I am truly blessed

being able to read this and enjoy thoroughly the anubhavam of

AzhvAr as PN.

 

Everybody should enjoy this anubhavam. It is available right at

your fingertip through Mani's webpage. Stalwarts like Badri and

Dileepan have written beautiful commentaries to some selected

pAsurams. (Search for thirumangai / kaliyan in the archives). With

all this overflowing sowlabhyam, if one doesn't make an attempt to

enjoy, then they can safely consider themselves as those that

AzhvAr described as "vENdAdhAr". :-)

 

thirumaN^gai AzhvAr thiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

adiyEn

-Viji

(Vijay Triplicane)