Re:Saathivka Abhinayanms of Arayars for AzhwAr Paasurams : Part II

[Guest guest]

Sri RanganATa ParabrahmaNE Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Our AzhwArs' dhivya prabhandham are in the ancient

and rich language of Tamil for which the grammar

was written by none other than Sage Agasthyar.

The literary heritage of Tamil goes back to Sanga Kaalam

and is recognized as " Sangha Tamizh " by our ThAyAr

Sri Andal in Her Divine ThiruppAvai. PerumkAppiyams ,

the counterparts of the MahA Kaavyams of Sanskrit

literature , flourished during the Sangha and Pre-Sangha Kaalam.

Those literary works laid the foundation for Tamil Culture ,

which evolved into the triumvirate of Iyal, Isai and Naatakam

/Mutthamizh ( Poetry , Music and Dance ).Sage BharathA wrote

his epic treatise on dance few centuries earlier than the Tamil

PerumkAppiyams.

 

The Bhakthi movement swept through the second to tenth centuries

through India in general and in DakshiNa dEsam in particular as

a fitting response to the damage done by Vedha-Baahya darsanams .

The divine bards, the AzhwArs ,incarnated and gave us the divine

message of the Supermacy of Sriman NaarAyaNan and our relationship

to that Sarva Seshi as His Sesha BhUthans . The AzhwArs played out

the way in which a Sesha BhUthan should perform SaraNAgathi to

the Lord of the Universe and sang in stellar Paasurams about

the anantha KalyANa GuNams of Sriman NaarAyaNan and His soulabhyam ,

KaaruNyam and His presence as ArchA Moorthys at His Uhandhu aruLina

nilangaL.The AzhwAr's paasurams were steeped in devotional

mysticism and celebrated the Parathvam of the Lord and stressed

their ananya-gathithvam and aakinchanyam . They performed

SaraNAgathi at the lotus feet of the Dhivya dampathis and

left behind their immortal 4000 verses that constitute

the Dhivya prabhandham .

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr blessed Swamy Naatha Muni with these dhivya

Prabhandhams , which had gone out of circulation (luptham) in

the Ninth Century C.E. Swamy Naatha Muni set these 4000 verses

to Music and TaaLam and taught them to his two nephews ; these

blessed students were honored with the title of Arayar

in recognition of their excellence in singing and SaathvIka

abahinayam of the individual verses of the dhivya prabhandham

set to Music and TaaLam . They sang and danced before the Lord

and intrepreted the individual paasurams of AzhwArs as a part of

the temple ritual known as Arayar SEvai . This tradition continued

at Temples such as Srirangam , SrivilliputthUr , AlwAr Thirunagari.

The Arayars had a distinct place of honor in the worship of

the Lord at the above temples. Great AchAryAs like RaamAnujA ,

EmbAr, ParAsara Bhattar enjoyed these bhakthi-laden SamarpaNams

of the ARayars before the Lord during major festivals like

Pagal Patthu and Raa Patthu . Special programs were carried

out during this important festival.

 

The Arayars always performed inside the temple and in front

of the Lord alone. They developed a repertoire of paasurams

of the AzhwArs in general and those of Swamy NammAzhwAr in

particular dealing with the dasAvathArams of the Lord and

those pasurams , where KuruhUr SatakOpan looses Himself

in the role of ParAnkusa Naayaki seeking the aasrayaNam

of the Sacred feet of the Lord and the unparalleled joy of

union with her Naayakan , the Sarva Swami , Sriman NaarAyaNan.

 

The Arayars were trained by their own forefathers to follow

the Arayar Sevai in the strictest sampradhAyic manner going

back to Swamy Naatha Muni. The Arayars wear the DhOti in

panchakaccham style, adorn a silk upper garment and have

a conical cap(VishNu's cap) during their service(sEvai) to the Lord .

They wear the garlands used by the PerumAL and hold the brass

cymbals in their hands to beat time to the vocal music and

perform SaathvIkAbhinayam to the passages of the AzhwAr

Paasurams.Unlike the dance that emphasizes Nruttham

techniques requiring the wearing of ankle bells , the Arayars

engage in the performance of Nruttham-free Naatyam ,

where facial and body movements (abhinayams) are most important.

The basic Thatta-Adavu of Nruttham is occcasionally used.

Whenever the Paasurams dealt with SringAram , even the Thatta-

adavu is eschewed. The Arayars of Each temple have their own

particular rasAnubhavams during the performance of the Arayar

sEvai. For instance , at SrivilliputthUr and AzhwAr Thirunagari ,

the Arayars walk back and forward in a delectably sweet way

that is a treasure to behold. SrungAram is enjoyed here by

the Lord in the spirit of aanadha SallAbham with the AazhwArs ,

His dearest ones .

 

Arayar sEvai can involve one ARayar or two. After the musical

rendering of the paasuram with the accompaniment of the cymbals

for time keeping, an eulogy known as "KoNDAttam " (Celbration )

follows . Subsequent to that , the cymbals are tucked away and

the SaathvIkAbhinayam starts and some times it may last as

long as an hour to fully intrepret the many meanings behind even

in one paasuram. A flood of aanndahm soaks the Arayars and

the BhakthAs as the Parama Rasikan , Sriman NaarAyaNan accepts

the Arayar's SamarpaNam.Only hand gestures are allowed

during the abhinayam intrepretation without the use of

facial expressions . One of the Arayar provides the Commentary

from the old text known as TambirAn PaDi .

 

The special Paasurams chosen for Arayar Sevai have been

covered in earlier postings ( V.Sadagopan: Bhakthi List

archives Dec30, 1998(0229);Dec 31, 1998(0232); Oct99 (message 8188).

Veda PramANam for Arayar Sevai is also covered here.

 

Srimathi Anita Ratnam , a celebrated Dancer and art critic

has a wonderful article in her web site on Arayar Sevai

with excellent pictures (http://www.arangham.com/areyar.htm).

 

Srimathi KaLLapirAN RanganAyaki AmmAL , a devout Bhakthai of

VaanamAmalai Matam has written extensively about Arayar Sevai

at Srirangam temple in her book: "Acharya PrabhAvam"..

 

Bharata Natyam artist , Srimathi Lakshmi VisvanAthan has

a small chapter on Arayar sevai in her book , Bharatha

Naatyam: The Tamil Heritage .

 

Arayar Sevai means : " the service of offering of royal priests".

 

Arayars are all descendants of Swamy Naathamuni's family.

 

Arayars peform only before the Uthsavar duirng His PuRappAdu.

 

Arayar's "stately walk, nimble right and left hand gestures

weave a complex imagery " of devotion to the Lord thru

Saathvika Abhinayam of Arayar Sevai.

 

Sri Rama Bhaarathi of Melkote has done a lot fro people

to understand the intricacies of Arayar Sevai. A Typical Arayar

will not teach this devotional art to anyone outside his paramparai.

This is too sacred for them . Many of the Arayars need strong

finnacial support .Their incomes from the temple except at

Srirangam is too little to sustain themselves.

 

The Arayar tradition gos deep . Swamy UyyakkoNDAr (b.886 C.E) ,

a direct sishyar of Swamy Naatha Muni had an Arayar by

the name of ThiruvallikkENi PerumAL Arayar s his sishyan.

 

Swamy MaNakkAl Nampi (b.929 C.E), the AchAryan of

YaamunAchArya and Sishyar of Swamy UyyakkoNDAr had another

Arayar as his Sishyan ( ThiruvarangapperumAL Arayar ).

 

One of the Srirangam Arayar went once to Kaanchipuram

Varadhan's Sannidhi and performed Arayar Sevai before

the Lord of Kaanchi . Lord VaradarAjan was so pleased

with the Arayar that he asked him to seek a Varam .

The Deft Arayar asked for permission from VaradharAjan

for RaamAnujA's settling down at Srirangam to grow

the SampradhAyam. Lord Varadhan granted the boon

and the rest is history thanks to the Arayar.

 

In the next posting of the series , adiyEn will begin

the coverage of the BhAvam, UpabhAvams behind the Paasurams

of AzhwArs that serve as the basis for the SaathvikAbhinayam

of the celebrated Arayar Sevai.

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan