VitthuvakkOttu PerumAL & KulsEkarar Paasurams

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Srimathi GeethA Rangarajan:

 

In response to your questions on the purport of

the KulasEkara AzhwAr's VitthuvakkOdu Paasurams ,

I wish to offer these following observations:

 

The 5th decad of KulasEkara Azhwar on VitthuvakkOttu

PerumAL is about ananya gathithvam and aakinchanyam ,

which are two doctrines closely tied to SaraNAgathi.

Ananya gathi means that the Prapannan has no other

recourse for succor than SrIman NaarAyanan . The Prapannan

is therefore ananya PrApyan . He does not have any one else

as his goal (upEyam)for rakshaNam.He is also ananyArhan (i-e)

he does not belong to anyone. He is the sole leige of

the Lord. He is ananya prayOjanan as well . He only

thinks of his relationship to perumAL ( His anubhavam ,

His kaimkaryam ).He is nirapEkshan (i-e) he does not

expect anything else except the Lord's grace and embrace.

He is filled with the mood of KaarpaNyam or his lack

of qualifications and feels helpless with respect to

his own ability to take care of himself. Recognizing

this utter state of helplessness , he throws himself

at the feet of the Lord and places the burden of his

protection entriely at he Lord's feet. He recognizes

that his karmaas (munn vinaikaL) have brought him into

the world with a body and recognizes that his sole means of

overcoming the karma bhnadhams is through the performance of

prapatthi at the Lord's Thiruvadi to attain the boon of

residence in Parama Padham and enjoying ParipoorNa

BrahmAnandham there thru ceaseless and blemishless kaimkaryam

there to the Dhivya Dampathis.

 

In these paasurams , KulasEkara AzhwAr reminds the Lord of

VithtuvakkOdu (Uyyavantha PerumAL)about his unalterable

relationship to Him and performs SaraNAgathi

at His Thiruvadi .

 

The key passages of the Ten paasuram are:

 

Paasuram 1

***********

"Taru Thuyaram tadAyEl, Unn SaraN allAl SaraNillai"

 

(meaning): Even if You do not choose to chase away

the Sorrows of SamsAram that adiyEn experiences ,

I have no protection except You and You alone .

Thou art the One , who causes the sorrows

as a result of my vinaikaL .Thou art the One to banish

them .When You decide not to protect me , no one else

can step in Your place and be my Rakshakan . Therefore ,

I have no means except to seek Your sacred Thiruvadi

for the removal of my sorrows and gain Moksha siddhi.

 

Paasurma 2:

***********

" Unn kuRaikazhalE kooRuvanE":

 

Here AzwAr compares himself to a chaste and loyal

wife , who is offended by the negligence of her

husband and his chasing of other women

and declares that like that chaste lady thinking

only about her wedded husband inspite of the pain the

husband causes , he (KulasEkarar) will only meditate on

and eulogize the Lord's sacred feet with steadfast devotion.

 

Paasuram 3:

***********

" yenn paal nOkkAi aahilum ,Unn paRRU allAl paRRilEn"

 

Even if You , Lord of VitthuvakkOdu, do not turn Your

glances towards me, I will not seek anyone else for

my support and protection.

 

Paasuram 4:

***********

" AaLA ! adiyEn Unathu aruLE paarpan"

 

Oh Mighty Ruler of the Universe! Like the surgeon,

who cuts me up to heal me , even the sorrows that

You give me is to purify me and qualify me for

sathgathi.Therefore, I will only think about Your

DayA GuNam always.

 

Paasuram 5:

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

" Unn iNai adi adayal allAl yengu pOy uyhEn?"

 

Where will I go for my upliftment/salvation

(Ujjeevanam) except to perform Prapatthi at Your

sacred feet ?

 

Paasuram 6:

***********

" vemm thuyar vitAvidinum , Unn antham il seerkku

allal aham kuzhaya maattEn"

 

Even if You do not elect to banish my severe sorrows,

I will not be moved by any thing except Your anantha

kalyANa guNams .My heart will not melt over by anything

else.I will not have any dEvathAnthara Sambhandham.

 

Paasuram 7:

***********

"adiyEn mey thuyar veettA vidinum, yenn chittham

Unn paalE miha vaippan".

 

Even if You will not banish my sorrows and smsAric

pains, I will suffer them while keeping my mind

totally focussed on You .

 

Paasuram 8:

***********

" PuNNiyanE! Unn seer allAl pukkilEn kANN"

 

Oh ParisuddhanE! Like all the rivers who have no

other final destination than the mighty ocean ,

my mind will not unite with anything except

Your anantha kalyANa guNams.

 

Paasuram 9:

***********

" NinnayE thAnn vENDi niRpan adiyEnE"

 

For those seeking His anugraham , Our Lord

does not confer wealth in this world and

takes it away from them in favor of granting

nithya sukham in the Supreme abode (YasyAnugraham

icchAmi dhanam tasya haraamyaham ). He appears

as though He is not paying attention to them .

He is testing their resolve . Here KulasEkarar

reasons that the Lord's indifference to him will not

stand in the way of his steadfast devotion to Him ,

the grantor of the lasting wealth of Moksham.

 

Paasuram 10: Phalasruthi

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

"Nee vENDAyE aayidinum maRRarum paRRilEn yenRu,

Avan TaaLL nayanthu sonna nal Tamizh patthum

vallAr narakam naNNAr" .

 

Oh Lord of VitthuvakkOdu! Even if You reject me ,

adiyEn will not seek anyone else for my succor and

protection . adiyEn fell at Your Sacred Thiruvadi

with this message elaborated thru the ten paasurams.

Those who recite them will never ever end up in narakam.

They will only gain You as their immeasurable wealth.

 

In these ten beautiful and moving paasurams devoted

to the Lord of Thiru VitthuvakkODu , Kolli Naattu

king, KulasEkarar instructs us on the inseperable

realtionship between ParamAthmA (Sarva Seshi and

Sarva Loka SaraNyan ) and the forever dependent jeevAthmA ,

the nirupAdhika sEshan .

 

KulasEkara AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan