"vEnduvana-kEttiyEl" "yAm perum sammAnam"(2 of 2)

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Dear friends,

 

Continuing from the earlier post (1 of 2) with the

same title as this one...

-------------------------------

 

The 6 pieces of equipment the "aayarpAdi" girls ask

for are interpreted by traditional SriVaishnava

"vyAkhyAna- kartA-s" in terms of 3 different

metaphorical sets viz.(a) "purAnic" or mythological

(b) "Agamic" or temple-related and © philosophical

or "swApadEsArthA"

 

In the first mythological-set, the 6 items of gift the

"aayarpAdi" girls ask for are said to convey "purAnic"

equivalents as follows:

 

(1)The expression "pAlanna vanna.... sanghu" is said

to represent conches that would send out bugle-notes

like the divine-conch, Panchajanya of Lord Narayana

(2) "sAlap-parai" represents drums that sound exactly

like those that Krishna had Himself sounded during the

"kudak-kutthu" he performed in his youthful days in

Gokulam... that extraordinary dance performed with

earthen pots balanced on His head..

(3) "pallAndu-isaippArE" is a reference to the Lord's

foremost benediction chanteurs ---- NammAzhwAr who

sang "pOliha, pOliha, pOliha" (T'mozhi: 5-2-1) and

Peri-AzhwAr who sang "pallAndu-pallAndu".

(4)"kOla-villakku" is poetic metaphor for the "torch"

that would shed resplendent light along our pathway...

like "Napinnai-pirAtti" who in her role of

"purushAkArA" leads us on the roadway unto Him

(5) "kOdi" is an expression that symbolises a

flag-post with an insignia emblazoned on it....

exactly the kind of flagstaff function which

"peria-tiruvadi", Sri.GarudAzhwAr performs for the

Lord

(6) "vidAnamE" ... canopy ... is the poetic equivalent

of the Lord's fabric that is thrown around Himself

like a shawl... vide TiruppAnazhwAr's description in

the "amalanAdipirAn" as "arai-sivandhavaaday".

 

The next set of metaphors is closely related to temple

conventions or modes of worship as per say some

"Agama-manuals". For example in the Srirangam temple

when the Lord is taken out in procession during the

month of "mArgazhi" one can hear the

(1) "sanghu", the blowing of conches (2) the beating

of drums ("parai") (3) the recitation of

"tiru-pallAndu" (4) one can see "dAsa-nambis" holding

fire-torches or lamps of "kOla-viLakku" (5) great big

banners ("kOdi") and (6) canopies too.

 

Traditional commentators however emphasise that the 6

gifts of the "aayarpAdi" girls are in truth the

philosophical metaphors for the following

qualifications that every devotee of God ardently

seeks to acquire:

 

(1) "sanghu" or conch symbolises "ananyArha- sEshatvam

gnyAnam" embodied by the "pranavam". This refers to

the realization by the devotee of God that there is no

other means to liberation available to him except

through servitude to God

 

(2) ""parai" or drum symbolises "pAratantriya gnyAna"

which denotes the devotee's absolute reliance on God

for absolutely everything in life here and the

hereafter

 

(3) "pallAndu-isaipArE" or benediction-chanteurs

symbolises "satsahavAsam" or the extreme importance

that the company of the godly holds for the devotee

 

(4) "villakE" or lamp or torch... which symbolises

"bhAgavatha-seshatva gnyAna" or the need for the

devotee to willingly serve God's elect

 

(5) ""kOdi" or banner or flag-post symbolises

"bhagavath-kainkarya" or the yearning of the devotee

to be able to serve the Lord directly

 

(6) "vidAnamE" or canopy which symbolises

"bhOgdritva-nivritti" or the attitude of utter

self-lesness which the devotee must cultivate.

 

Without the above "gifts" of mind and soul, the

devotee of God can never hope to attain God. So when

AndAl, through the "aayarpAdi" girls, asks for the

"gifts of baubles", we realize that she is in truth

asking for the greatest of "gifts" that God in His

Kindness can ever grant a human soul.

 

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

In Stanza#27, we see the 'aayarpAdi" girls enumerating

the great benefits they shall reap with the help of

the 6 pieces of equipment they ask Krishna to gift

them and they are:

 

(1) "sudakamE" -- bracelets

(2) "tOlvaLayE"-- armlets

(3) "tOdE" -- ear-pendants

(4) "sevvipuvE"-- ear-studs

(5) "padagamE" -- anklets

 

Here too, the traditional "vyAkhyAna-kartA-s" point

out that the above are symbolic of the marks that a

true devotee of God bears upon both his body and soul

for all the world to see. What are those marks? They

are:

 

(1) "sudagam" which signifies the SriVaishnavite

caste-insignia or the 12 "urdhva-pundrA-s" or 12 marks

of "tirumann-srichurnam"

 

(2) "tOl-valai" signifies the marks of "Chakra" and

"sanghu" that is branded on the shoulers of every

SriVaishnavan during the "samAshrayanam" rite which is

obligatory in life for him

 

(3) "todu" symbolises the "tirumantra" or

"ashtAkshara" the sound of which will ever be

reverberating in the ears of the true devotee

 

(4) "sevippu" symbolises the "dvaya-mantra"

realization of which shows in a radiating halo of

"bhakti" around the devotees ears and head

 

(5) "pAdagam" symbolises the Lord's "charam-shlokam"

(of 32 aksharA-s) which shows the devotee on the path

on which he must tread to attain Him.

 

Thus, on a deep study of Stanza#26 and #27, containing

the very significant expressions ""vEnduvana-kEttiyEl"

and "yAm perum sammAnam"

we see how skillfully our "pirAtti" of SriVilliputtur

uses poetic symbols to convey lofty spiritual truths

through simple, scenes of idyllic drama.

 

AndAl tiruvadigalE sharanam,

dAsan,

Sampathkumaran

 

 

 

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