nacciyar thirumozhi day seven

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Day Seven

Nacciyar Thirumozhi

Second Thirumozhi

 

One of the characteristics of Thiruppavai and Thiruvampavai is their

dramatic nature. From the sixth to the fourteenth song in Thiruppavai the

way in which the shepherdesses wake each other up is described in dramatic

terms. There are two kinds of such songs. One kind is made up of dialogue

between the shepherdesses. The other kind presents one side of the dialogue

leaving the other side to be guessed. But in both what is explicit is the

interesting dramatic aspect.

 

We see a similar dramatic element in Nacciyar Thirumozhi also. This element

is quite obvious in the Second and the Third Thirumozhi. We see Kannan who

keeps answering the requests on the part of the shepherdesses not to destroy

the sand houses they had built as part of the ritual of the Vow in the name

of Kama, even as he continues to destroy them. In the Third Thirumozhi, we

see the shepherdesses pleading with Kannan to give them back their dress He

had stolen from them.

 

There is something to be paid particular attention to here. The ten songs in

the first Thirumozhi are in the nature of a prayer to Kama to take the lady

love to God for the sake of fulfillment of her love. They do not have the

dramatic element. Similarly the other Thirumozhis that address the birds,

clouds, flowers to speak to God on her behalf do not have any dramatic

element about them. There are other songs which proclaim that she cannot

live in separation from God and therefore plead with the Mother and others

around to take her to God. Those songs also lack any dramatic element. But

the Second and the Third Thirumozhi have this dramatic element in a very

explicit manner.

 

The Second Thirumozhi is in the form of speeches by the shepherdess who try

to hide their love and speak in contradictions.

 

The first song could have been easily paraphrased to mean the following:

“Had you been born the son to my aunt, my desire to get married to you would

have been fulfilled. Is it not in prayer to Kama that I should get married

to you that I make all these sand houses as offering to him? Don’t destroy

them, please!” But a proper understanding of the address “Sridhara, the

Mischievous!” makes us understand the lines differently. “You are the

Mischievous. If I were to get married to you, is there any chance of my

escaping the distress caused by Your mischief?” Kannan says by way of an

answer, “I don’t even think of you. Why should you make these sand house

offerings to Kama to get me as your Lord?” and goes on destroying the sand

houses. But the Shepherdesses don’t yield and say, “These are not meant for

you. It is the season of the Festival for Kama and these are meant to please

him as he comes on a procession.” Kannan then tells them that to make

offerings to Kama are alien deeds to a Vaishnava and proceeds to destroy

them. That is the dramatic scene we could see in the first song of the

Second Thirumoli.

 

The drama continues in the second song also. The sand houses had been

made through the day and the back has started paining in the effort. Had

Kannan seen the efforts that had gone into the making of the houses, he

could have understood their enthusiasm. But He is seen destroying them. They

then refer to the deed of appearing in the form of a child sleeping on the

lotus leaf and keeping afloat with the whole world contained in the stomach

at the time of the Deluge. Perhaps He hasn’t yet opened the eyes He closed

then! In Thiruppavai Andal had pleaded of God to open His graceful eyes

gently to see the Shepherdesses who had come to wake Him up. Here too the

pleading is for the grace to fall in trickles from His opened eyes on them

and the houses they have built. Perhaps it is their sin that denies them His

grace.

 

In the Third Song also His silence continues. The drama continues too.

Kannan is destroying the sand houses built by the Shepherdesses with a smile

of his face. He keeps his sidelong glance on the Shepherdesses meanwhile.

Looking at Him they say, “We fell in love with You as the One who can dispel

our distresses. You lie on the bed of the Snake on the Milky Ocean. You are

majestic like a lion. You dispelled the distress of the Elephant Gajendiran.

Are you to cause so much of difficulty to us? We have sieved the sand to

such fine white particles as to make these fantastic houses. Woe is it that

you are destroying them thus!”

 

Between the Third and the Fourth Songs Kannan should have spoken soft and

placating words to the Shepherdesses. He should also have made them feel

romantic with His touch and caressing. They too should have fallen a prey to

His charms. That makes them wonder what charm he has as to make them faint

in love. But they are afraid of elaborating lest they should be dismissed as

the ignoble.

 

Their tone is further softened in the Fifth Song. The houses of sand they

have built of fine white sands sieved of even the small stones are so

fantastic that they make anyone who looks at them fall for their beauty.

Their hearts melt in the agony that despite the beauty of the houses, He

goes on destroying them. They declare that they don’t otherwise regret His

act. They appeal to Him in the name of Kesava and Madhava. If Your eyes have

any sight, You will not destroy such beautiful houses, they say.

 

In the Sixth Song they appreciate the valour of Rama in destroying Lanka for

freeing Sita held captive by Ravana. He has also routed out the asuras. But

what nobility is there in destroying the houses built by innocent girls?

That is their question. Between the Fifth and the Sixth Songs, He should

have indulged in certain tricks of love which are too impish for them to

describe explicitly. That is why the tone of, “Can this be done with us?” is

maintained in the Sixth Song. That is why in the Seventh Song they say that

if He spoke such words who can understand the implications thereof, it would

be nice indeed. They are not old enough to understand such acts of

love-making. They are girls whose breasts are still sprouting to full

growth. That is why they plead with him to leave their sand houses aside in

the name of His Consorts.

 

Between the Seventh and the Eighth Songs there should have been another

dramatic scene. They should have asked Him what He would get by destroying

their houses. He would have said that there was nothing of course for Him in

destroying their houses. He would have then told them that it would be

something for Him if He could touch them and feel them. But those

Shepherdesses are too young to understand the passion that can be aroused by

loving touch. So they wriggle away. He then asks them if His touch has

become so cheap to them. He also manifests Himself in the form of the Divine

holding the bright Discus. Even then they say that even if he is God, he

should be aware of the fact that when the tongue has lost its ability to

taste, jaggery will turn sour. Similarly, His love will turn sour to those

who do not know what is to love and be loved.

 

The shepherdesses make evident their helplessness in the Ninth Song. You

destroy not only the houses of sand. You will undo even our hearts. There

are people around. Your love games make us feel delicate. They bow their

heads in modesty.

 

The divine quality that is celebrated in the Ninth Song is what is known as

Sowlabhyam in Sanskrit and Elivaral in Tamil. These words refer to the

condescending grace of God. When God is graceful enough to condescend and

offer Himself to them, why should they seek Kama to intercede on their

behalf? This implication is well obtained when we notice the fact that

Kannan makes Himself felt in the front yard of the house which they keep

locked lest he should make them feel delicate because of his erotic speech,

gestures and acts.

 

Celebrating the greatness of the Avatars of God is a characteristic aspect

of Alwar literature in general. We see that in the Second Thirumozhi also.

But the thrust of the Second Thirumozhi of Nacciyar is on the condescending

grace of God as indicated earlier.