Swamy NammAzhwAr Thirunakashathram Special postings: Part III Swamy NammAzhwAr's paasurams on ThirumOhUr Dhivya Desam

[Guest guest]

SvabhAnu Vrushabha Maasam, Sukla paksha ThridhIyai,

VaikAsi VisAkam , June 12,2003

 

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Swamy Parsara Bhattar's Thirunakshathram ( VaikAsi Anusham)

follows that of Swamy NammAzhwAr. Bhattar was a keen oral

commentator of ThiruvAimozhi and the Itheehayams attributed to

Bhattar in the enjoyment of ThiruvAimozhi are many.His Taniyan

for ThiruvAimozhi is a Master piece in its own right.

 

Let us dedicate today's posting on ThirumOhUr

paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr to SrI RangEsa PurOhithar ,

the great rasikar of ThiruvAimozhi.

 

 

AdiyEn will FIRST provide the verbatim translations from

Dr.V.N. VedAntha Desikan in his monograph entitled

"AzhwAr ThiruvuLLam " and add NEXT adiyEn's anubhavam

of these individual Paasurams , which will follow

this posting in subsequent days :

 

Paasuram 1: " ThALa ThAmarait-taDa maNi vayal ThirumOhUr--"

 

" We have no proper company or guide or help in

our path except the Lord , who has taken a permanent

abode at ThirumOhUr , rich in stem-thick-lotus-filled ponds

and paddy-rich fields, with a view to destroying asurAs.

He has four strong shoulders , dark and heavy locks

of hair and enchanting eyes like lotuses and red

fruit-like mouth. He is a veritable KaaLamEgham

showering at the right time".

 

Paasuram 2: " Ilamgathi maRRonRemmaykkum ---"

 

" I have no company or help except the Lord of

ThirumOhUr,I said. This is for every birth even

that one may take. The Lord wears TuLasi garlands ,

with flowers that exude honey. The sight , especially

when He walks along , with these garlands oscillating

is a most pleasing sight. The greatness of the Lord is

quickly condensed in the thousand names of His.

The glory of the Lord is so well deserved that it can

never become an exaggeration. The place is noted

for Vedic Scholars , whose greatest virtue is that,

like the Lord , they have extreme kindness for BhakthAs

and would attempt to raise others to the level of

attainment. This quality of generosity characterizes

His feet also! The cool shadow of this pair of feet

provides a veritable pond for us to rest and resort to

on our path. Nothing else can help us to this degree.

 

Paasuram 3: " anRiyamoru puhalidamilam--"

 

" We have no other refuge , so say Brahma , Siva and

other DevAs to the Lord. It is only a word from the lips--

not a hearty feeling.They wish to have some immediate

relief from Him and resort to Him. Nevertheless the Lord

helps them. After going out , achieving the end, protecting

the seekers, He returns to ThirumOhUr . Protection to all

is His breath now, while being here; we shall cling to His

feet , but as a real helpless people. Let us , however not go

with ulterior motives for minor returns.Our want is to help

in our path. He is the sure help in the path to Moksha.

We will seek His favour.It is good".

 

Paasuram 4: " Idar keda yemmaip-pOnthaLiyAi---"

 

" The halo-surrounded lustre that the Lord is, was being

continously pestered by DEvAs and sages with request after

request to come down on a rescuing mission . They would

appeal: Ward off our distress; please come and help us.

To facilitate their reach , He took the bedding on the couch

of AdisEshA , say , in ThiruppARkkadal. The same Lord is

at ThirumOhUr , whom , you people, tempted to join the band of

single-minded BhagavatAs , may go and worship for removing

your troubles; come along , BhagavathAs".

 

Pasuram 5: "ToNDIr Vammin namm SudaroLi oru tani mudalvan--"

 

Oh BhAgavathAs! come along! Our Lord,with His splendour

visible, stands; He is the first cause of all creation;

He could , in a moment , measure all three worlds; to Him,

ThirumOhUr is a well deserved ornament; so He loves it

and He has taken permanent abode therein. His affluence can

be seen in the Sugarcane crops standing in all sides , to which

red paddy stalks generously provide shelter.That the Lord

has chosen this shrine as being to His liking is obvious.

You go there , perform perambulations and sing and dance

in overwhelming Bhakthi.

 

Paasuram 6: " Kootthan Kovalan ---"

 

" The Lord's walking gait is stately and His dance (say

with the pot) is bewitching , and graceful . He is proud

of being a cowherd and he has the same kindness to all,

to the GopAs, to the cows, to the calves,to the DevAs, etc.,

the other aspects being ireevalant. To the violent and

belligerant asurAs. He is harsh like Yama. He is dear

and kind , to the same degree to us (who now resort to

Him) to DevAs and to sages . Being a resident of

ThirumOhUr , which is incidentally encircled by cool

and water-rich fields.He is a Parama-aptaa to all

of us , a good friend , philosopher and guide.

I do not have any refuge other than His lotus feet".

 

Pasuram 7: " MaRRilamaraN vAnn perumpAzh Tani MudalvA--"

 

" When nothing was there , with widely extant Prakriti

as the first, He created , step by step , water around

it and so on , then the oldest creature , Brahma , capable

of meditation and other devAs and so on and so forth. Who?

He who is in ThirumOhUr . If we make perfect perambulations

here , our grief will disappear fast. When this is thus available,

we have no other refuge at all."

 

Paasuram 8: " Thuyar kedum kadithadainthu vanthadiyavar--"

 

" For all grief to be dispelled fast , come fast and take

refuge at the feet of the Lord of ThirumOhUr (griddled

round by groves of tall trees and picturesque fields)

who has a thousand names to serve our purpose to come

to our aid. Whose names are sources of delectation for

discerning devotees that can relish them as expressions

of His unique qualities, before whom villanous demons

voluntarily subdue themselves and vanish , as He was

born as the son of Dasaratha(He was no mere son , but

a green cool , pleasant-to-see Maragatha gemstone and

He was like a large cool tank from which so many can benefit)".

 

Paasuram 9: " MaNittadatthadi malarkkaNNkaL--"

 

" Pond-like cool feet ; lotus-like eyes; pearl-like

lips; four strong jewel-bedecked shoulders--all in all

most lovable to look. That God , with a covetable form ,

perhaps should be safe-guarded from onslaught . But then ,

no, He is a mighty force that can, by Himself , dispatch ,

at any moment , the asura clan. He resides in ThirumOhUr

of sylvan surroundings . We have neared the place ,

which means we have secured our safe protection".

 

Paasurma 10: " Naamadaintha nallaraN namakkenRu--"

 

" We have resorted to the assured protection , which ,

incidentally , is the choice for a rsort , for the knowledgable

devAs, when they are afraid of asurAs. The Lord then takes

a suitable wished-for-form (as NarasimhA , VaamanA , Mohini,

as the occasion demands) and protects the dEvAs.That Lord's

abode is ThirumOhUr. All my people shall recite His names ,

contemplate on Him and praise Him (in fact , doing all this

in rspect of this dhivya dEsA would itself be efficacious).

 

Paasuram 11:" yEthtumin NamarkAL yenRu--"

 

" The Lord, while enacting the artistic pot dance said,

'Praise Me, My people , all of you!'. ThrukkuruhUr

SaThakOpa , as verbal service , sang a thousand of that

Lord KrishNa. Of them all ,which directly established

contact with the Lord , this decad is dedicated to

ThirumOhUr . Whosoever recites it will be relieved of

grief. Company of the Lord in the final journey will be

vouchsafed to him."

 

Prapanna Jana SanthAna KootastharAna

Swamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan