Re:Saathivka Abhinayanms of Arayara for AzhwAr Paasurams : Part I

[Guest guest]

At 09:08 PM 8/24/01 -0400, adiyEn wrote:

>Dear Srimathi Usha Narayan:

>

>In another posting , I will share with the group

>the mystic feeling states of our AzhwArs , who

>showed us the way to enjoy the Lord ( The Sarva Seshi ) as

> His Sesha BhUthans.

>

>With all best wishes,

>V.Sadagopan

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

When one looks across the length and breadth of AzhwAr's

AruLiccheyalkaLs , one is thrilled to note the many moods

of AzhwArs in Bhagavath anubhavam ranging from

ecstacy to melancholoy , laughter to anger , fear to disgust

in their dialogs with Sriman NaarAyaNan and in their

adorations of their Lord and in their moving appeals to Him

for the conferral of Nithya Kaimkaryam and ParipoorNa-

BrahmAnandha Anubhavams at Sri Vaikuntam.

 

They have experienced abundantly the nine rasams in their

dhivya prabhandhams : SrungAram as the Naayakis of the Lord ,

Haasyam over their own forlorn state, celebration of KaruNA

of the Lord , Roudhram (anger)over rejection by the Lord

(the mind set of Kaliyan at ThiruindaLUr), Veeram ,

BhayAnakam/Fear of being abandoned , BhIbathsam/disgust

over samsAric life and adhbhutham over the enjoyment of

the Lord's ThirumEni and anantha kalyANa guNams.

These nava rasams are abundantly seen in the different

Pasuram passages of Dhivya prabhandham.

 

In this series of postings , adiyEn will make an

unconventional attempt to provide examples of

the Various AzhwAr's anubhavams and relate them to

the rules enunciated by Sage Bharathar for the BhAvams,

Upa-bhAvams and Rasams in his Bharatha Saasthram.

adiyEn requests the indulgence of SampradhAyic

scholars in this effort of mine that is placed at

Sriman NaarAyaNan's Thiruvadi as humble samarpaNam.

 

Swamy Naathamuni is revered by us for setting Dhivya

Prabhandham to Music with Taalam and teaching it to

his nephews , which evolved later into ARayar Sevai

format with Saathvika Abhinayams about the divine

experiences of the AzhwArs (Saathvika Bhaavams)in their

dhivya prabhandhams.

 

Swamy Desikan saluted Swamy Naatha Muni for His mahOpakAram

this way in the 6th verse of AdhikAra Sangraham:

 

" TaaLam Vazhangi Tamizh MaRai innisai tantha VaLLal"

 

(Meaning): Swamy Naatha Muni blessed his dear nephews

with TaaLa Vidhyai (Gaandharva Vedam ) to sing sweetly

the Dhivya prabhandhams with Bhaavam, Raagam and TaaLam

as AzhwArs of yore did to enjoy their Lord with

Bhakthi-laden paasurams housing the Vedams in Tamizh.

 

Some of the AzhwArs took the role of Naayakis

to relate to their Lord.Andal did not need to take on

the role of a Naayaki because She was already the Lord's

divine consort. Her emotional outpourings were svabhAvikams.

 

Sage BharathA who gave us the first treatise on Naatya

Saasthram and spelled out these many moods of NaayakAs

and Naayakis many centuries ago in his treatise.He constructed

for our benefit an elaborate theory on the 41 BhAvams ,

including 33 UpabhAvams and 9 Rasams . By uniting BhAvam with

Raagam and TaaLam , ( Bh+Ra+Tha) , he gave us the Bharatha

Saasthram .

 

A vedAnthi by the name of Abhinava Guptha has written

a commentary for Bharatha Saasthram and described each of

the Rasams and concluded finally that there is only one rasam

at the end (i.e)., AanmIka anuubhavam or Religious Mysticism

with deep devotion that enjoys the Svaroopam of the Lord

and pays reverence to the relationship beteween Him and

the Sesha Jeevans .

 

There are 8 Bhaavams that generate 8 rasams .These are

named the SthAyi BhAvams .These are feeling states that

last longer compared to the other 33 BhAvams , which are

not as enduring from the perspective of time as the SthAyi

BhAvams . The well known Bharatha Naatyam artist ,

Dr. Padma Subramanyam has summarized the 8 sthAyi

BhAvams and the 8 rasams generated from them (in paranthesis)

as follows based on BharathA's original treatise:

 

(1)Rathi( SrungAram) (2)Hasam ( Haasyam)

(3)SOkam (KaruNA) (4)KrOdham (Roudram)

(5)UthsAkam (Veeram) (6)Bhayam (BhayAnakam)

(7)Jugupsai (BhIbathsam ) (8) Vismayam (Adhbhutham)

 

The UpabhAvams or non-sthAyee Bhaavams help to

transform SthAyee BhAvam into Rasams. Eleven of

these 33 UpabhAvams are:

 

1. nirvEdham ( dejection , longing )

2. glAni ( powerlessness and lack of strength to endure)

3. dhainyam ( helplessness )

4. smruthi( ninaivu /focused thought )

5. dhruthi( Contentment and sense of fulfilment:ThiruvAimozhi:10.10.10)

6. Outhseekyam ( impatience as recorded in the 2 madals of Kaliyan)

7. Sooptham ( Dreaming as Andal did in VaaraNamAyiram section )

8. amarsham ( deep anger: IndhaLUr Paasurams of kaliyan)

9. mathi ( Firmness of Mind and possession of True Knowledge)

10.ThrAsam ( Fear and agitation )

11.Vitharkkam ( Vaadha-PrathivAdham of Thirumazhisai and Kaliyan).

 

In the future postings of thi series , adiyEn will attempt

to enjoy the BhAvams behind the unique Bhagavath anubhavams of

our AzhwArs , Sri VaishNavite Mystics , who enjoyed

every second of their lives the Supersensory Beauty of

the Lord and His Anantha KalyANa GuNams .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan