Reflections on Sri HemAbjhavalli SamEtha Sri DevanAtha PerumAL of Thiruvaheendhrapuram following Swamy Desikan's dvine footsteps: Part III-> MummaNikkOvai

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

We will study the second and third verses of MUmmaNikkOvai(MMK)

in this posting .

 

(2) Thirumaal adiyavarkku meyaanAr seyya-

ThirumAmahaL yenRum sErum thirumArbil-

immaNikkOvayudan yERkinRanAr yenn

MummaNikkOvai mozhi

 

This verse is set in Nerisai VeNN Paa metre and

here Swamy Desikan points out that the Sri Sookthi of

MMK is an object of great relish (parama bhOgyam ) for

the Lord of ThiruvahIndrapuram .He points out that

DevanAthan in His role as Natha sathyan ( adiyavarkku

meyyan ) wears this prabhandham with great affection

on His divine chest known well for the nithya vaasam of

Periya PirAtti and the famous Kousthubham gem .

He suggests that this prabhandham dear to the Lord

would also be a cherished bhOgya Vasthu for

the BhagavathAs as well . The key passage is :

Thiru Maal ( one who is immensely in love with

His PirAtti : maal koNdavan ) ThirumAmahaL Serum

Thiru Maarbil YenRan Mozhi, MummaNikkOVai , yERkinRar.

 

Thiru Maamahal arose out of the Milky Ocean ,

just as the Kousthuba rathnam . Thiru Maal

gave them both the most honored place on His divine

chest to reside . Swamy Desikan suggests that

Lord DevanAthan , the Kinkara Sathyan , has

elevated his Prabhandham by wearing it as a

special necklace made from three kinds of gems

on His divine chest , the traditional residence

of Periya PirAtti and the KousthubA gem .

 

(3) The third paasuram set in KattaLI kalitthuRai

meter follows the rules of Sangam Tamil poetry

dealing with ahapporuL subject matter.This class

of poetry dealing with the Oodal and Koodal

of the Naayakan ( Talaivan ) and Naayaki ( Talaivi)

has the characters of the Mother and the friends of

the Naayaki appealing to the Naayakan to be kind

to the suffering Naayaki . They empathize with

the Naayaki and respond sympathetically to her

plight in a state of compassion (irangal section

of ahapporuL poems).The mouthpiece for the poet

in the third paasuram is the ThOzhi or friend of

the Naayaki , who describes to us the sad state

of the Naayaki.The text of the Paasuram is:

 

mozhivAr mozhivana mummuRai aahum Ayindhayil vanthu

izhivAr izhiha yenRu inn amutha kadalAhi ninRa

vizhi vaar aruL Meyyar melladi vENDiya melliyal mEl

pozhivAr Anangar tamm poom karumpu unthiya poo mazhayE

 

The first line of this paasuram , the Thozhi of the Naayaki

celebrates the greatness of ThiruvahIndhrapuram ( Ayindhai)

and points out that the words spoken here by women , children ,

parrots , nightingale are the essence of all Vedams . In this

sacred place, She says that Dhaivanaayakan arrived to reside to

let all the chEthanams enjoy Him and attain the bliss of

salvation.Here , the Lord according to the Thozhi is like

an insatiable nectar to all devotees and showers

His grace on them through His karuNA katAkshams.

 

Now , the Thozhi continues about the particular

misfortune that has fallen on Her Naayaki inspite of

the greatness of the KshEthram and the loftiness of

the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram . She says:" My Naayaki ,

who is hopelessly in love with DhaivanAyakan

wanted to embrace Him physically ; her wish was not fulfilled

due to His archA samAdhi and as a a result , she is

grieving over her misfortune. At this juncture,

the God of Love , Ananga Devan, came by

and launched the shower(arrows)of flowers (pushpa -

bhANams)from his sugar cane bow and made my

Naayaki suffer even more. Why does he do that ?

Does not he recognize my Naayaki's suffering ?

Instead of helping her unite with her Lord , he makes

my Naayaki suffer even more . What can I do ? ".

So laments the friend of the Naayaki in this paasuram .

 

Swamy Desikan's ( Sri VenaktanAthan's)choice of words

to eulogize the KshEthram ,the KshEthra Naathan and

the sufferings of himself as Venkata Naayaki are

simply beautiful .

 

The KshEthram is full of Veda-saara bhAshanams

(Speeches). The Lord is " izhivAr Izhiha yenRu

inn amudhak kadalAhi niRpavar" (i-e)., He stands here as

the sweet ocean of nectar to let the devotees

enjoy Him . His natural disposition ( SvabhAvam)

is like a cloud raining dayA through His katAkshams

( vizhi vaar aruL Meyyar). The one , who did not

benefit from that cool , comforting shower of

anugraham is the Naayaki (Melliyal) , who longed for

the Lord's soft and sacred feet (Meyyar melladi veNDiyavaL).

The insensitive one is Manmathan , who made the Naayaki

suffer even more with his flower arrows launched at her

from his sugar cane bow ( Anagar tamm poom karumpu unthiya

poo mazhai pozhivAr).

 

The inner meaning is that the BhagavathAs (Thozhis)

empathized with Swamy Desikan about the prakruthi sambhandham

that interfered with his great desire to have samsLesham

(union ) with the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram to enjoy

Him fully.

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Daasan, OppilA-appan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan