"U", "ku" and "mu"

[Guest guest]

Dear Sampathkumar

What a brilliant exposition! Keep it up.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

[Guest guest]

Friends,

 

adiyen continues to reflect privately into his

'mArgazhi' diary. Here are some pretty

straight-forward traditional "reflections" on

"tiruppAvai" with adiyen's personal liberties in

interpretation completely expurgated, leaving room

only for the impressions of great "purvAchAryA-s".

 

***** ***** *****

 

Today's verse of the day is Stanza # 18 beginning with

"undhu madha-galitran OdAtha tOl valiyan...".

This verse begins with the sound "u".

 

The next verse Stanza # 19 begins with

"kuttuvillak-eriya ...". It begins with "ku" also

containing the sound "u".

 

And the following verse, Stanza# 20, also begins with

"muppatu-mUvar amararkku mun senru...". Here also the

first syllable is "mu" containing the sound "u".

 

So all three verses #18, #19 and # 20 of the

"tiruppAvai" in seriatum begin with the sound of "u"

which in Sanskrit is called "u-kAra shabdham" or the l

letter denoting "pirAtti-vAchakam"... the vowel that

constitutes "U" in the primordial sound of the

"praNava-mantra", A-U-M.

 

Within the sonic timbre of the "U" in the A-U-M, the

Divine Mediatrix, the Consort of Lord Narayana,

"sAkshAt-mahAlakshmi" is said to reside.

 

"AchArya-s" point out that the three "u's" used here

in 3 contiguous stanzas by AndAl are not without

significance as each of them denotes respectively the

following:

 

(1) the nature of "purushAkAratvam" of thAyyAr which

makes Her actively intercede with the Almighty on

behalf of "jivA-s"and secure for them His Grace; this

is denoted by the expression "kadai-tira-vAy" and

"vandu-tira-vAy".

 

(2) the nature of "nithya-yogam" of thAyyAr which

makes Her inseparable from the Almighty and which

constitutes His essential and inalienble Self; this is

pregnant in the expression "ettanai-yElum

pirivAtrakilAyAl..".

 

(3)the nature of "upEyatvam" of thAyyAr which holds

within it the power of rendering a "jivA's" condition

acceptable to the Almighty; this is latent in the

expression "un maNAlaNai emmai nirAttu...".

 

All 3 essential aspects of thAyyAr are however

splendidly brought together in one single piece of

poetic imagery through the use of AndAl's rare

expression: "pandAr-viraLi" in Stanza 18.

 

This phrase "pandAr-viraLi" is brilliantly explained

by that extraordinary giant amongst 'tiruppAvai'

commentators, Sri.PVPillai who wrote along the

following lines:

 

The literal meaning of "pandAr-viraLi" denotes

thAyyAr, 'napinnai-pirAtti', as a "playful lass" in

the aayarpAdi and found to be ever distracting herself

twirling a ball on her nimble fingers ("pandhu").

 

When such a lass got the better of Sri.Krishna Himself

at playing ball, "napinnai-thAyyAr' came to be

affectionately known as "pandAr-viraLi"... a sort of

"expert ball-player".

 

So deeply does "thAyyAr" savour her victory over

Krishna, and so delighted over her exploits with the

ball, that even while asleep she keeps the ball

tightly clasped in one hand, while with the other, she

lies embracing the Lord. And so lost is she in her

wonder-filled slumber that "nappinnai" does not heed

other "aayarpAdi" girls calling out to her from her

doorstep to awaken and allow them audience with Her

Lord Paramour, Bhagavan Krishna.

 

It is to such a lass that in this verse of the

tiruppAvai that the "aayarpadi" girls call out:

"pandAr-virali".

 

Sri.Peria-achhAn pillai here explains that it is

Krishna who is the "instrument to be enjoyed" by

"nappinai"; the ball is merely her plaything!

 

She holds in one hand "that which is contained" i.e.

"naram" ... the "ball" ... while in the other hand she

holds "the container" i.e. "narAyanan". While in one

hand she holds "vibhuti" ... i.e. substance... in the

other she holds "vibhutimAn" ... viz. the underlying

principle of all Substance.

 

In one hand she holds "chetanA-s"; in the other she

holds "Iswara"... both are so dear to her she clasps

the one no less tightly in her embrace than the other!

 

Thus, is clearly established thAyyAr's nature of

"purushAkAratvam"... being the all-compassionate

universal mother ...the Divine Mediatrix... to whom

her errant and wayward children ("chetanA-s") are no

less precious than her own Lord Paramour ("Iswara"

itself).

 

"pandAr-virali" also subtly brings out pirAtti's

"nitya-yOgam" --- inseparability with not only the

Lord in whose embrace she ever resides but also,

seemingly, with the "pandhu" -- this great Ball of

Creation. She keeps it tightly clasped in her hand

never letting it slip out of her hands for even a

moment... the poetic imagery of a mother who will

never let go of her infant even when in the embrace of

her husband is indeed exquisite here. It reveals an

important SriVaishnava doctrine that says that a

relationship between "iswara" and "chetana" would be

well nigh impossible without the intervening agency of

divine intercession.

 

"pandAr-virali" also suggests how by virtue of being

clasped in her hand, a ragged piece of "ball"

("chetana") attains to the elevated status of intimate

proximity with the Lord. If not for "pirAtti" would

the "ball" ever attain the kind of proximity to God

that is available in his own bedstead? Is it not she

who renders "acceptability" to the lowly "jivA" and

enables it to achieve "parama-gathi"? Here thus is

established the "upEyatvam" of thAyyAr!

 

A most wonderful explanation by Sri.Peria-AcchAn

Pillai indeed !!

 

(It is so fertile and grand in its interpretative

sweep that it triggers so many associative thoughts in

adiyen's mind. But what adiyen thinks is of no

interest to anyone else on the list but himself. So

adiyen will keep them to all to himself in his

"mArgazhi" diary.)

 

Stanza#18 is very important for one other reason. It

contains the lines

 

"sendhAmarai-kaiyAl seerAr vaLai-olippa

vandu tiravAy mahizhendElor embAvAy !"

 

The above lines literally mean : "With thy hand of

lotus-red hue and with the jingling of your beautiful

bangles, come forth, O napinnai, and fling the

doorway of thy abode open!".

 

Sri.Ramanuja in his early days in SriRangam lived in

the traditional "yati" style... going around begging

for food through the streets of the holy city. He was

fond of reciting the stanzas of the "tiruppAvai" as he

went around. (A habit which earned him the sobriquet,

"tiruppAvai-jeeyar").

 

One day on one of his alm-gathering rounds he found

himself at the doorstep of his achAryA, 'peria-

nambi'. It remained bolted shut.

 

Coincidentally, it so happened that Ramanuja happened

to be uttering the above lines of the "tiruppAvai" at

that very instant, and lo behold! no sooner were those

words uttered than the bolted door opened and

"attulAy", peria-nambi's little daughter sallied forth

daintily with that day's alms for the YatirAja-r!

 

So sudden and intense was the coincidence that it

simply took Ramanuja's breath away! For a moment he

seemed to have a vision of "napinnai-thAyyAr' herself

in the form of Peria-nambi's little daughter! He grew

giddy and fell into a deep and rapturous swoon !

 

Peria-nambi was not present at home then. But the fact

that Ramanuja had swooned and collapsed at his

doorstep quickly reached him in another part of the

town where he was tending to some other personal

chore. When the news reached him the venerable guru of

Ramanuja seemed to have already had a prevision of

what had transpired at his home, for he is reported to

have cooly commented, "undhu-madha-gaLitru

anu-sandhAnam- AyirrukkavadUkkum!" ...meaning, "it's

alright, I know what might have happened to that

fellow Ramanuja. He must have recited the tiruppAvai

stanza beginning "undhu-madha-gaLitru..." at my

doorstep and must have lost himself in a trance!".

 

dAsan,

Sampathkumaran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talk to your friends online with Messenger.

http://messenger.