govindhan gunam paadi en aavi kaaththiruppen - post 10

[Guest guest]

Dear Srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

 

In the previous post we saw periyaazhvaar saying "krishna, the beautiful, my

young boy" learnt the pure form of dance - thooya nadam payilum sundhara, en

siRuvaa. We also had Swamy desikan confirming he learnt the new dance called

navaneetha naatyam.

 

A doubt came to the mind that krishna learnt these two dances only or more

types also. Another aazhvaar confirms he learnt many types. See verse-

 

kadu vidam udaiya kaaLiyan thadaththaik

kalakki mun alakkazhiththu avan than

padam iRap paainthu pal maNi sinthap

pal nadam payinRavan kOil

padavara algul paavai nallaargaL

payiRRiya naadagaththu oli pOi

adai pudai thazhuvi aNdam ninRu adhirum

thiru veLLiyangudi adhuvE

4-10-3 periya thirumozhi of thirumangai aazhvaar

 

meaning: Yes. This temple in the dhivya kshEthram of thiru veLLIyangudi is

the temple where krishna stays, who

stirred the pond where the deadly poisonous snake kaaLiyan lived,

made that snake waver for his life,

made him spread the hood with difficulty

spit all that jewels [naaga raththinam] what he holds in his poison

bags of his mouth,

learnt many types of dances on the hoods.

This temple is also the place where the ladies [who have spread hips like

the hoods of snake] make so much noise in the drama they enact, that

reverberates in all the worlds, that drama on the deeds of krishna.

 

The important point here is that krishna learnt many types of dances - pal

vagai nadam payinRavan- pal nadam. Perhaps this aazhvaar knows better for he

has seen krishna in different forms in different kshEthrams and also learnt

directly from lord krishna.

 

To a good extent, we can say these two - periya and thirumangai aazhvaars

are so much attached to kaNNan that they may say very high of their pet

krishnan, gOvindhan.

 

Here is a confirmation from thirumazhisaip piraan who considered lord as

"lord" only- naathan- more vEdhaantham oriented aazhvaar - saying krishna

learnt dance on the snake hood.

 

kadangalanthavan kari maruppu osiththu Or poigai vaai

vidankalantha paambin mEl nadam payinRa naathanE

kudam kalantha kooththanaaya koNdal vaNNa thaN thuzhaai

vadam kalantha maalai maarba kaalanEmi kaalanE

- 38 thiruchchandha viruththam of thiru mazhisaip piraan

 

saadu saadu padhanE salam kalantha poigai vaai

aadaraavin van pidar nadam payinRa naathanE

thOdu needu kaiya seyya paadha naaLum uLLinaal

veedanaaga mei seyaadha vaNNam enkol kaNNanE

86 thiruchchantha viruththam

 

The main point in these two verses is that krishNa learnt dance on the hoods

of the poisonous snake kaaLiyan. [for detailed meaning I request readers to

refer commentaries]. Also he learnt a new dance form called kudam kalantha

kooththu- kudak kooththu- pot dance- keeping a pot on the head and dance.

[We will have more references on this kudak kooththu subsequently].

 

Also see this krithi by the poet who lived along with us and left us to

enjoy that krishna by staying very near him - Smt Ambujam Krishna - she

combines different dances in one krithi what kaNNan performed.

 

This krithi is in raaga maalika

 

Pallavi:

aadina aravindhap padham uRu thuNaiyE aiyan un

aadina aravindhap padham uRu thuNaiyE

 

meaning: your lotus feet, oh my lord, which danced is my closest companion.

 

anupallavi:

aadum thottilil aRiyaab baalanaai uruNdu

Odum sagadam udhaiththu nee viLai [aadina]

 

Meaning: You played with that rolling wheel asuran, from the hanging cradle,

by kicking him with your lotus feet to death. Such lotus feet are my closest

companion.

 

CharaNam 1:

thaa thaa enak kazhal silambu olikka

thaa thaa enach chevvai sol isaikka

thaa thaa enach chiram asaiya vizhi genja

thaa thaa enak karam veNNaik kEtkath

thaLar nadaiyittu niRka

thaai yasOdhai mei maRakka

dhaaraNiyOr kaNdu ugakka [aadina]

 

meaning:

The anklets in your feet make beautiful music thaa thaa.

The small lovely mouth of you oh krishna says thaa thaa musically

The head of you makes movements, which indicate thaa thaa,

also your eyes begs as though they are saying thaa thaa

the hands asks butters saying thaa thaa

the young shaky legs walks across,

mother yasOdha simply forgets her world in enjoyment of seeing you

the people of this world seeing you simply enjoys themselves

such dancing lotus feet are my closest companion

 

charaNam 2:

suruL kuzhal madhi nudhal puraNdida

karu vizhi iraNdum suzhanRu arul pozhinthida

naRu malar maalai maarbil ilangida

araithanil oLir pattaadai asainthida kaaLiyan

siraththai midhiththu thaththiththOm

thiththOm thOm thagaNathOm thaahathajam

thari tka thagita thaka enRu oru

padham niRuththi eduththu [aadina]

 

meaning:

the curling hair just falling on the moon like face of you

the black eyes rollicking to pour the grace

sweet smelling flowered garlands dangling in the chest

the waist just adorns the shining silk clothes

pressing the head of kaaLiyan snake with one leg

and lifting other leg you danced with various jathis

such lotus feet are my closest companion.

 

charaNam 3:

veLLamena amudham pozhiyum nilavilE

thuLLum keNdai paayum yamunaik karaiyilE

meLLa varum iniya kuzhalin isaiyilE

uLLam urugi onRaaik koodum vELaiyil

konjum vizhiyilE anjuga mozhiyilE

nenjak kalappilE minju kaLippudanE

thaththithadhingiNathOm thiththadhingiNathom

thadhingiNathom thingiNathom giNathom Nathom thomenru [aadina]

 

meaning:

the moon light floods the area with cool light

in that river banks of yamuna where fish jumps from water

in the slowly reaching flute music

the heart throbs and slowly mingles with you at that time

with loving eyes

with parrot like language

mind enjoying union with you and in that residual bliss

you danced with various jathis- such lotus feet are my companion

- oh krishna

 

Some points I want to share with you all on this krithi. But already

elongated length of this post forces me to postpone these to next

communication. So kindly bear with me.

 

Till the time you receive the next post you enjoy this guNam of dancing of

gOvindhan - pleasing bhakthaas by dancing.

 

Dhasan

 

M.G.Vasudevan