"For Example"

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

" For Example"

_______________

 

"An example is an argument in miniature"- adiyen

doesn't know who said this, but whoever did, never

said a truer word. Concepts, which call for pages of

elaboration, could be lucidly explained through an

example. Great poets and philosophers alike have

employed the example or "upamAnam", for illustrating

and embellishing their prose/poetry. Kalidasa was

renowned for his apt similes, so much so that the very

word "simile" brings the Mahakavi to our mind ("upamA

kAlidAsasya"). However, Kalidasa is not alone in the

usage of impressive examples- before him, Adikavi

Valmiki has employed similes throughout Srimad

Ramayana to telling effect. And, after Kalidasa, our

own Sri Vedanta Desikan has been a prolific user of

examples, especially in his Kavya works like Sri

Paduka Sahasram , Sri Yadavabhyudayam, Sri Hamsa

Sandesam, etc.

 

Though we do come across the widespread

use of similes in the Divya Prabandams too, it is rare

to find a concentration of these in a single group

of poems. An exception to this is the fifth "patthu"

of Perumal Tirumozhi, where as many as eight different

similes have been used in the space of ten pasurams,

all in praise of the Lord at TiruvittuvakkOdu. And the

examples employed are unique, in that each highlights

a different aspect of the relationship between the

Jeevatma and the Paramatma. However, the common thread

that runs through all the ten verses is "ananya

gatitvam". This is defined by Swami Desikan as

"sharaNyAntara vaimukhyam", or rejection of anyone but

Sriman Narayana as one's saviour. Sri Nammazhwar puts

this succinctly when he says, "KaLaivAi tunbam

kaLayAdu ozhivAi, kaLaikaN matrilEn". As Sri Satakopa

Muni is the "angi" and the other Azhwars "angAs", it

is but natural for Kulasekhara Perumal to elaborate

the aforesaid line in ten beautiful pasurams. Here

they are-

 

The first pasuram enunciates clearly the theme of

the "patthu" by saying "un sharaN allAl sharaN

illai". And to what might this lack of interest in

other saviours be compared? A very moving simile

follows-

"arisinattAl eendra tAi agatridinum, avaL

tan aruL ninaindE azhum kuzhavi aduvE pOndru

irundEnE".

The mother is really an epitome of patience. .

However even she tires of the child and its pranks at

times and pushes it away in mock anger. When this

happens, the child, though it realises that mother is

annoyed and unheeding, still keeps crying for her

attention, for it knows not anyone else who is as kind

and caring. Similarly, even if Emperuman doesn't heed

our prayers, we have no refuge other than Him. By

describing himself as a child and the Lord as the

mother, Azhwar indicates the relationship of Creator

and creation, and Protector and protected, subsisting

between the Jeevatma and the Paramatma. In this

pasuram, Emperuman has perhaps usurped the role of His

Consort, who is usually called "JaganmAtA" and

"samasta janani". This pasuram and its import so

moved Sri Alavandar, that he has reproduced it almost

verbatim in his Stotra Ratnam- "rushA nirastOpi

sishu:stanandaya:na jAtu mAtu:charaNou jihasati".

 

The second pasuram begins with another winner-

"KaNdAr igazhvanavE kAdalan tAn seididinum

KondAnai allAl ariyA kulamagaL pOl

ViNtOi madil pudai soozh vittuvakkOttammA

Nee kondAlAy Agilum un kurai kazhalE kooruvanE"

 

A chaste wife, even if her husband is guilty of the

gravest of crimes attracting social stigma, doesn't

forsake him for another man. Similarly, even if You,

the Lord and master, have scant regard for me, I know

not a refuge other than your lotus feet, says Azhwar.

By placing Him in the position of a husband and

himself in that of a wife, Azhwar indicates here that

the relationship between the individual soul and the

Lord is similar- He is the Lord and Master, and we,

his slaves (this may not conform to the present day

man and wife relationships, but has to be understood

in the proper context). We belong to him in every

sense. His company brings us pleasure, and being away

from Him results in grief.

In the next verse, the comparison is with an errant

king, who has abdicated his responsibiliy of caring

for his subjects' welfare, and the poor citizens, who

still look to him for good governance and providence-

"tAn nOkkAdu ettuyaram seididinum tAr vEndan

kOl nOkki vAzhum kudi pOndru irundEnE"

.. The Rakshya-Rakshaka bhAvam subsisting between

ourselves and the Lord is highlighted in this

pasuram. He is the Protector and we, the protected.

Emperuman has often been described as a physician. He

is the Great Healer ("Bhishak", "Vaidya:"as Sri Vishnu

Sahasranamam calls Him), who has the medicine for the

great malaise represented by this sAmsAric life. Every

doctor, for his patient's well being, has to perform

surgery whenever called for, which is invariably

painful for the patient. The patient, however, doesn't

abuse the doctor for subjecting him to the unkind

knife: instead, he is grateful to be cured of the

malady.

Seralar kOn tells the Lord at VittuvakkOdu ,"Even if

You were to subject me to ceaseless suffering I would

still untiringly look to You for deliverance". That

the Lord always has at heart the good of the

individual soul, and the need for the Jeevatma to have

absolute faith in Him even in the midst of the

severest of travails, are brought out by this pasuram.

 

 

The next pasuram displays another beautifulsimile-

that of a bird, which goes to sleep in the evening,

perched on the mast of a ship, which gets under way

during the night, and covers a few hundred knots

before daybreak. The bird, waking up, searches for

familiar landmarks, and flies out in various

directions, only to find that land has disappeared,

and everywhere there is only water. Not finding a

single treetop to perch on, it returns to the ship, to

bide its time till the ship reaches shore again.

"Engu pOi karai kANAdu eri kadal vAi meendEyum

vangatthin koombErum mApparavai pOndrEne"

Doesn't this bird's conduct ring a bell? We are

reminded here of Sri Valmiki's beautiful description

of the delinquent crow, who, after having committed an

apachArA to Janaka nandini, flies desperately all

round the world, trying to escape the pursuing

RamabANam. Whosever's doors it knocks at for refuge,

turns it away, as they are powerless to protect a

person who is the target of Sri Rama's anger. Thus,

the crow falls at Sri Rama's feet in an act of

SaraNagati, and is duly saved by the Saranagata

vatsala.

"treen lOkAn samparikramya tamEva saranam gata:

vadhArhamapi Kakutsta: kripayaA paryapAlayat."

 

We have seen the lotus blooming as soon as the Sun's

rays caress it lovingly. Is it only the heat from

sunlight that causes the flower to open its petals?

Not at all, for if, instead of the sun's heat, we were

to place near the lotus a stove disseminating similar

heat, we would observe that the flower remains shut,

and if the heat is intensified, it just wilts. There

is thus a special, irreplaceable relationship between

the sun and the lotus: similarly, we devotees would

not be moved by anything except the countless

auspicious attributes of the Lord. Here is the

Azhvar's sreesookti-

"SenthazhalE vandu azhalai seidinum senkamalam

antaram sEr venkadirOrku allAl alarAvAl

ventuyar veettAvidinum vittuvakkOttammA! Un

andamil seerkku allAl agam kuzhaya mAttEnE"

 

Even at times of severe drought, when there is nary a

hint of rain, the green shoots of paddy always look up

to the sky in the hope of sighting the dark

rain-bearing clouds. Similarly, even if Emperuman

pays scant attention to our problems, He is always in

our thoughts, and we look to Him for solace.

"Etthanayum vAn maranda kAlatthum painkoozhkaL

maitthu ezhunda mAmukilE pArrthu irukkum matru avai

pOl

meitthuyar veettAvidinum vittuvakkOttammA! en

chittam miga unpAlE vaippan adiyEnE".

Here, by placing himself in the place of crops and

denoting Emperuman as a cumulus, Azhwar indicates that

the Lord is the source of sustenance for all

creatures.

 

All rivers, however far they may flow and in whichever

direction, have the sea as their ultimate

destination.("AkAsAt patitam tOyam yathA gacchati

sAgaram"). Azhvar's mind, irrespective of the

innumerable distractions of this sAmSAric world, is

firmly fixed on the Lord's kalyANa guNAs.

 

"tokkilangi ArellAm parandOdi todu kadslE

puukandri puram nirka mAttAda matravai pOl

mikkilangu mugil nirattAi vittuvakkOttammA un

pukkilangu seer allAl pukkilan kAN puNNiyanE"

 

The nAyaka-nAyaki bhavam subsisting between Emperuman

and ourselves is brought out by this pasuram, as the

Ocean is generally called the husband of rivers

(Samudra: saritAm pati:).

 

The series of similes ends with the following pasuram-

"ninnayE vEndi neeL selvam vENdAdAn

tannayE ,tAn vENdum selvam pOl, mAyatthAl

minnayE sEr tigiri vittuvakkOttammA

ninnayE tAn

vENdi nirpan adiyEnE"

 

When one is attracted to Emperuman, worldly

pleasures lose their attraction for him: riches are

but dust for him ("paramAtmani yO rakta: virakta:

aparamAtmani") however, these riches come to him on

their own, due to his unflinching devotion to the

Lord. Similarly, says Azhvar, even if You are

indifferent to me, I shall continue to look to you for

solace.

Sri

Kulasekhara Perumal's penchant for the mot juste and

the apt simile are on full display in the patthu

described above. Unfortunately, adiyen is afraid of

having lost the flavour of the original, in adiyen's

translation. Adiyen would like to present a few more

instances of such fine examples in the next

instalment.

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrsimha divya paduka sevaka

SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya

Nama:

 

-dasan,sadagopan.

,

 

 

 

 

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Respected Sadagopan swamin,

 

In context with the topic "Ananya Gatithvam" of

Seralar Kon in his "Perumal Thirumozhi", adiyen wants

to add one more to it in the same context. Adiyen

feels that even Swamy Vedaantha Desaikan in his

"Adaikkalapathu" first paasuram illustrates this

aspect of "Ananya Gatithvam" using the simili

 

"Ethhisaiyum uzhanrodi ilaithu vizhum kaagam pol.."

 

This example sounds similar to the example devareer

gave where the Crow return to the ship after it finds

nothing but the ocean all around.

 

Learned scholars of the list should pardon adiyen, if

Adiyen's interpretaion of this context is

inappropriate. Adiyen just thought with this mandha

budhi that this could also be an example that is

similar to the context in discussion.

 

Even though all the 10 paasurams of Adaikalapathu

describes the "Ananya Gatithvam" by explaining the

Pancha Angams of Sharanaagathi to Sriya: Pathi

emperumaan, this particular line clearly illustrates

the "Ananaya Gatithvam" that respected Sadagopan Swamy

has mentioned.

 

Adiyen bows swamy for the amount of efforts that swamy

has taken to enjoy and at the same time make us also

enjoy this rasam of "Perumaal Thirumaozhi".

 

Seralar Kon thiruvadigale Sharnam

 

Aazhwaar, Emperumaanaar, Aachaaryan, Bhaagavatha,

Bhagvath thiruvadigale sharam

 

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan

 

Narayanan

 

 

 

 

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dear shri narayanan, that was indeed a beautiful

parallel you had drawn between Perumal Tirumozhi and

Desika Prabandam. after reading your informative post,

another such instance struck adiyen.Sri Kulasekhara

Azhwar talks of Sri Ramavataram as "venkathirOn

kullatthukkOr viLakku"(a lamp to illuminate the Surya

Vamsam into which Sri Rama was born), while Swami

Desikan refines this further as "dinakara kula kamala

divAkara"(portraying Sri Rama as the sun which made

the lotus of IkshAku vamsam bloom").a little more

research would perhaps throw up several such gems.-dasan,sadagopan.

 

 

 

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