ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam : Part XIV: Kaliyan's Paasurams: 3.1.9

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today we will study the Eighth Paasuram

of Thirumangai Mannan on Lord DhaivanAyakan of

ThiruvahIndhrapuram ( Periya Thirumozhi: 3.1.9):

 

vEl koLL kaitalatthu-arasar vem-pOrinil VisayanukkAi maNittEr

kOl koLL kaitalatthu Yenthai PemmAn idam , kulavu TaNN varaicchAral

kaal koLL kaNN kodikkai-yezhak-Kamuhu iLam pALaikaL kamazhal sAral

sElkaL paay taru sezhu nathi vayal puhu ThiruvayeendhrapuramE

 

General observations

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In the last passuram, Kaliyan saluted Lord RaajagOpAlan

as GOvardhana Giridharan. In this Paasuram , Kaliyan's

dhyAnam is still on KrishNAvathara leelais. Here ,

the auspicious image of the Lord as ParthasArthy

(Charioteer for His friend Arjuna with the horse

prod in His hand ) fills the mind of Kaliyan .

He describes the scene of Bhagavaan"s SaaraTyam

during the war between PaaNDavAs and KouravAs.

 

In the last Paasuram , the swift flow of Garuda

nathi and the material that it brought as gifts

to the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram ( Ivory and

Ahil logs) were described. In this Pasuram ,

Kaliyan's mind is fascinated by the same Jala samrudhdi

in and aroud Thiruvaheendhrapuram (the thriving flora

and fauna from that jala samruddhi/abundance of water ).

 

 

First Line of the Sixth Paasuram

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

"vEl koLL kai talatthu arasar vempOrinil VisayanukkAi-"

 

In that fierce Bharatha Yuddham (vempOrinil) , brave kings

(arasar)from all parts of the country were assembled

at Kuru KshEthram . They all had fierce weapons

in their hands ( vEl koLL kai thalatthu arasar)and were

ready for the battle. Some chose the side of PaaNDavAs

and others chose the side of KouravAs to fight .

The Lord had promised that He would not take any weapons

in that war but would serve only as Saarathy for his friend

PaarTan in that war.

 

The many kings with powerful weapons assembled on

that battle field with fierce weapons in their

hands (vEl koLL kai talatthu arasar)are described

in the first chapter of SrImad Bhagavad GitA this way:

 

athra soorA mahEshvAsA BhimArjuna samA Yudhi

YuyudhanO VirAdasccha Dhrupadhasccha mahAraTA:

--GitA : 1.4

 

(meaning): Here in this army are great archers

similar in prowess to BhImA and ArjunA.King YuyuhdAna ,

VirADA and the mighty warrior Dhrupada are here .

 

These "arasars" were known for their expertise

in handling manifold missiles and were very

skilled in the conductance of war ( nAnA-sasthra-

praharaNA: sarvE Yuddha visAradhA:).

 

Second line of the Paasuram

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

" (VisayanukkAi) maNittEr kOl koLL kai talatthu

Yenthai PemmAnidam (ThiruvayeendhrapuramE)"

 

Our Lord as ParthasArathy held the reins of

the horse drawing the gem-enmeshed chariot (maNittEr)

of ArjunA and held in His sacred hand the stick used

to direct the horses drawing that chariot (Kaittalatthu

kOl koLL Yenthai PemmAn). ArjunA asked the Lord to position

his chariot between the two armies ( "SenayOrubhayOrmadhyE

raTam sTApaya mE Achyutha" ). When ArjunA saw the two

armies and his relatives and AchAryAs assembled on

both sides to fight each other , he lost heart to do

battle , threw away his bow and arrows and was overcome

with inconsolable grief. Lord ParthasArathy took pity on

the desolate ArjunA who was confused about his duties

and blessed him with GithOpadesam culminating in

the blessed Charama slOkam to remove his sorrows.

 

When Kaliyan salutes the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram as

PaarthasArathy , he salutes Him as "Yenthai PemmAn". Our

Lord is the father of all beings in this universe and

therefore is "Yenthai". PemmAn means Kula Dhaivam .

Kaliyan reminds us that ThiruvahIndharapuratthu EmperumAn

is his Kula Dhaivam . Kaliyan identifies therefore

Thiruvaheendhrapuram as the preferred place of residence

of his Kula Dhaivam ( Yenthai PemmAn idam).

 

Third & Fourth Lines of the Paasuram

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

" Kulavu taNN varaic-chAral kaal koLL kaNN kodi kai yezha

Kamuhu iLam paaLaikaL kamazh Saaral sElkaL paay taru

sezhu nathi vayal puhu ThiruvayeendhrapuramE"

 

Kaliyan refers first to the celebrated cool slopes

of OushdhAdhri ( Kulavu taNN varaic-chaaral ),

where the tender creepers of beetle plant are found

embracing the special posts erected for them ( kaal koLL

kodi kai yezha).There on those cool slopes of Oushadha giri ,

kamuhu plants give out a sweet fragrance from their budding

flowers. That fragrance gets admixed with the gentle breeze

( Kamuhu iLam paaLaikaL kamazh chAral) and that scent

is carried far and wide. At the foot of the Oushadha Giri ,

Kaliyan witnesses further the fertile fields irrigated with

the alluvial waters of Garuda Nathi brimming with

energentic fish ( sElkaL paay taru sezhu nathi vayal

puhu ThiruvayeendhrapuramE).

 

In this ninth paasuram , Kaliyan pays tribute to

the anugraham of the Lord of Thiruvaheendhrapuram

for all the earthly riches that one finds at

His dhivya dEsam and prostrates before Him

as the KrishNAvathAra GeethAchAryan.

 

AzhwAr EmperumAnAr Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

SrI HemAbja NaayakiA SamEtha SrI Achyutha Para BrahmaNE nama:

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan