Inputs for CD ROM: XI.5: Third Prabhandham of Swamy NammAzhwAr(SN), Periya ThiruvandhAthi/Atharva Veda Saaram

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Dear BhakthAs :

 

AdiyEn will cover the highlights of

Periya ThiruvandhAthi in this and

a subsequent posting .

 

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyNa

 

The Origin of Periya ThiruvandhAthi

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Thiruviruttham and ThiruvAsiriyam are considered

the anubhavams based on Swamy nammazhwAr's Para Bhakthi

and Para Jn~Anam respectively . Periya ThiruvandhAthi(PTA)

is the blossoming of the Parama Bhakthi anubhavam of

Swamy NammAzhwAr (SN).ThiruvAimozhi is about Bhagavath PrApthi.

 

In Thiruviruttham ,AzhwAr's prayer to the Lord was to cut

asunder the Deha-Sambhandham that stood in the way of

the enjoyment of the Lord in Parama Padham through Moksham.

In ThiruvAsiriyam , Bhagavath SaakshAthkaram was realized

and AzhwAr enjoyed the SvarUpam , rUpam and the GuNAs of

the Lord in the spirit of Para Jn~Anam. In PTA , AzhwAr is

immersed in Parama Bhakthi and cries out to join without

delay the Lord through the route of Bhagavath

GuNAnubhavam .Swamy Desikan has described SN's

GuNAnubhavam as an intense wish to unite with the Lord

to perform nithya kaimakryam: " SvakeeyAm Bhagavath-

anubhavE spOdayAmaasa theevrAm aasAm".

 

PTA has 87 paasurams set in VeNN Paa style. It has been

linked to Atharva Vedam just as Thiruiruttham and

ThiruvAsiriyam have been linked to Rg and Yajur Vedam

respectively .PTA is a moving dialog of SN with his

Manas .The dhvarai (paraparappu /impatience )of SN to

unite with the Lord is captured in these dialogs.

Eeedu has identified the state of SN in this Prabhandham

as equivalent to BharathAzhwAr , who waited impatiently

at NandhigrAmam performing PadhukA Aaradhanam and

waiting for his union with the Lord of the Paadhukai.

 

The First Reason for the name of PERIYA ThiruvandhAthi

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There are two views on why this prabhandham got

its name , Periya ThiruvandhAthi or the Great/Big

ThiruvandhAthi . There are other AndhAthi Prabhandhams

with more paasurams like the ones by the three Mudhal

AzhwArs ( 100 each ) and Naanmuhan ThiruvandhAthi by

Thirumazhisai with ninety Six Paasurams . Why is PTA

still called the Big ThiruvandhAthi?

 

According to the first view , the vishaya gouravam

( the importance of the topic , Charama SlOkArtham)

puts this prabhandham ahead of all other views.

The connection is in the 56th paasuram of TVA :

 

varavu aaRu onRu illaiAl vaazhvu inithAl* yellE!

Oruvan oru aaRu puhA aaRu*--urumARum

Aayavar thAmm sEyavar thAmm anRu ulaham thAyavar thAmm

MAAYAVAR THAAMM KAATTUM VAZHI

 

Here SN says that Lord KrishNan has asserted that there is

no need for the ChEthanan to seek other means ( Bhakthi

and other Yogams and dharmams) and that seeking Him alone

as refuge (Performing Prapatthi)would be sufficent for Him

to accept all responsibilities(burdens/Bharam) of protecting

that ChEthanan . The key words in this paasuram containing

these thoughts are: "Oruvan oru AaRu puhA aaRu , urumARum

Aayavar thaam kaatum vazhi" . SN concludes this Paasuram

with the spirit of MahA visvAsam and declares

his joy about his lot : "Maayavar thaamm kaattum vazhi

varavu aaRu onRu illai , Vaazhvu inithAl yellE!"

(This MaayAvi has asked us to adopt the path of Prapatthi.

How it (this path)came to me and why He chose me are not

relevant.What is relevant is that adiyEn considers the fruit

of following that upAyam as BhOgyam(the most enjoyable).

 

The above distillation of the essence of Charama SlOkam

and SN's prayers for dhruva Smruthi (unceasing rememberance)

of the Lord qualifies this AndhAthi to acquire the distinct

name of Periya ThiruvandhAthi.

 

The Second reason for the name , Periya ThiruvandhAthi

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

The clue for the second reason is found in the 75th paasuram

of PTA;here, Swamy NammAzhwAr engages in a debate with

the Lord , the Ubhaya VibhUthi Naathan , and asks Him

to examine the issue of who is bigger (Periyan)between

the two of them :

 

puvium iru visumpum ninnahattha* nee-yenn

seviyin vazhi puhunthu yennuLLAi--avivu inRi

YAANN PERIYAN NEE PERIYAI YENPATHANAI YAAR ARIVAAR?

Oonparuhu nEmiyAi! uLLU

 

(meaning ): Oh Lord ! It is well known that You are

the Master of the Two great Isvaryams , LeelA VibhUthi

and Nithya VibhUthi. You hold the powerful ChakrAyudham ,

which cuts asunder the limbs of the Raakshasa Kulam.

When You of such greatness made Your entry (anupravEsam)

into me through my ears , I caught You deftly and have

kept You tightly in my heart lotus.Thou art now within

me just as the entire world was once within You .

Now tell me , Who is the bigger One (in glory )?

Myself or Yourself? Who can comprehend this

fact? Pray think about this.

 

This debate about "Periyan" makes this AndhAthi

the "Periya ThiruvandhAthi".The many insightful

descriptions of his (SN's)daasathvam to the Lord (Swamy)

makes this Prabhandham the Periya ThiruvandhAthi.

For instance , SN says: "Tadam KadalmEyAr Tamakku

nizhalum adithARumAnOm " ( adiyEn has become the shadow

of His ThirumEni and Paadhukai for Him , who resides

eternally in the expansive Milky Ocean)...PTA Paasuram: 31.

In Paasuram Sixty , SN salutes the Parathvam of the Lord

unconditionally : " Vemm Narahil sErAmal kAppathaRkku ,

maRRum ohr iRai illai kANN" ( Oh My Mind! For SAVING

US from falling into the terrible Narakam , please

remember that there is NO ONE ELSE EXCEPT OUR LORD).

 

Goal and Approach of Periya ThruvandhAthi

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

Sri K.C.VaradachAri points out that the purpose of

this Prabhandham is to instruct the mind to recognize

the unparalleled greatness of the Lord nad worship Him.

This prabhandham is therefore intended to make the mind

attain Svaroopa Jn~Anam (knowledge of its true nature)

and to make it " bathe fully in the flowing waters of

divine goodness". This is "cleansing in the waters of

divine infinity and greatness" . Through PTA , SaThakOpan

shows that " through God's grace , which is gotten through

sincerest surrender in all respects, the Divine purifies

the soul" and blesses it to approach Him and " finally

infinitises it by a mere look ".

 

Among the four Prabhandhams of SN, Thiruviruttham and

ThiruvAimozhi are considered essentially as approaching

the Lord in the Naayaka-Naayaki BhAvam ( Love of a pathivrathai

for her Lord) ;ThiruvAsiriyam and PTA are recognized

to have the approach that emphasises the servant/slave/vassal

relationship to the Master (SwAmi).Either of these approaches

has been pointed out as the means to acquire " Supreme

felicity and liberation ".

 

In the concluding posting on TVA , adiyEn will summarize

selected upadesams of SN in PTA and attempt to connect

them to Atharva Veda manthrams in particular. One certainly

finds the echos of the messages of PTA in the other

three Vedams too , but we will confine our study to

just Atharva Vedam.

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan