Azhvargal thiruppalliezhuchi in Andal's thiruppAvai-4

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe rAmAnujaya Namaha

Sri vara vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

“poigaiyAr bhoodhaththAr pEyAr pugazh mazhisai

iyan arul mAran sEralarkOn-tuiyapatta

nAdhan anbartAl thooli narpAnan nankaliyan

edhivar thOtrath thadaivAm engu”

 

In the next paasuram, “thoomani mAdhaththu” andal awakens the next

earlier azhvar, thirumazhisai pirAn. Here the phrase “mAmAn magalE”

refers to a bodily relationship. Thirumazhisai azhvar and andal have

a sort of bodily relationship. As per Sri desikan’s godhasthuthi,

“kamalAmivAnyAm gOdhAm” and “sandha:payOdhi dhuhidhus sahajAm

vidhustvAm” andal is none other than sri mahalakshmi and as per

amarakosham “bhArgavee lOkajanani ksheerasAgara sambhavA” and as per

the puranas lakshmi (andal) was born in brughu kulam. As per the

charitram of thirumazhisai azhvar, he was also born in bhrughu kulam.

So the fact

that both of them were born in the same kulam has to be kept in mind.

Azhvar took birth as a son of a rishi and then was brought up by a

hunter (pirambhan kudi). Andal was born as a daughter to a brahmin

and changed herself as a gopika.

 

Thoomani mAdhaththu- the manikka gem inside the shell will not be

clearly visible. Thirumazhisai azhvar requests emperuman to show him

the darshan of emperuman as he is inside “vutkidandha vannamE

puramposindhu kAtitE” and emperuman did as per the wish of azhvar and

hence it is appropriate to use thoomanimAdhaththu to refer to

thirumazhisai pirAn.

 

Suttrum vilakkeriya- here the lamp is the light of knowledge (jnana

oli). As per the verse, “sAkiyam kattrOm, samanam kattrOm,

sankaranAr Akkiya Agamanool ArAindhOm” this azhvar has learned all

philosophies and hence got a clear knowledge which is referred to as

suttrum velikkeriya. Azhvar himself declares this in his paasurams

as “yAnarindhavAru ArarivAr” and “en madhikku vinnellAm vundO vilai”

 

dhoobham kamazha- It is not enough if one has deep knowledge it has

to be practiced and the knowledge should flourish. One who has deep

knowledge will submit him to the divine feet of emperuman and will

not fall to the feet of any other deity even due to loss of memory

(marandhum puram thozhA mAndhar)

 

tuyilanaimEl kanvalarum- This azhvar was deeply involved with

emperuman’s in sayana thirukolam (reclining posture). Thirumazhisai

azhvar spent most of his time in kachchi vekka and thirukkudandhai.

Azhvar lists the divya desams in which emperuman is seen in reclining

posture as “nAgaththanai kudandhai vekkA thiruevvul nAgaththanai

arangam pEr anbil nagaththanai pArkadal kidakkum Adhi nedumAl

anaippAr karuththanAvAn”

 

tuyilanaimEl kanvalarum mAmAnmagalE- the word magal shows the

closeness (vedhEyathvam). It is a practice for a daughter to listen

to the words of the father and visa versa. MAmAm refers to mahA

mahAn (greatest among the great). TuyilanaimEl kanvalarum mahA mahAn

is none other than the emperuman in thriuvekka (sonna vannam seidha

perumal, yadhOthakAri) who did as per the words of azhvar. Emperuman

obliged to the words of azhvar when he said, “kanikannan pOgindrAn

neeyum vun painAgappAi surittikkol” and again later when azhvar said,

“vun painAgappAi viriththukkol”. Then another perumal,

thirukkudandhai

AravamudhAzhvan who also reclines on the divine serpant adhisesha

listened to azhvar’s words “ezhundirundhu pEsu vAzhikEsanE” and

thereby even today gives darshan in the half reclining and half

getting up posture (uththAna sayanam). Otherwise mAman can refer to

the great pEyazhvar who enlightened thirumazhisai pirAn and brought

him to our sampradayam. In the thaniyan, “bhoodham sarascha”

peiyazhvar has been referred to as mahadhAhvaya

 

vunmagal thAn voomaiyO- dumb people express their ideas with actions.

Similarly in perum puliyur azhvar on his way halted in front of a

Brahmins house. There some brahmanas were chanting some vedic

mantras. On seeing azhvar not knowing azhvar’s greatness,

considering him to be a low caste person not wanting the vedic

mantras to be heard by him stopped the chanting. Understanding the

same azhvar left that place and seated himself in front of another

house. The brahmanas wanted to continue chanting but were unable to

recollect the place they stopped. Immediately

azhvar took a black grain and spilt it with his nail and indicated the

meaning of the vedic manthra where they stopped (“krushnAnAm

vreeheenAm naganirbhinnam”. Immediately the Brahmins understood

azhvar’s greatness and thereby prostrasted azhvar and showed their

deep respect towards the great mahan. Since azhvar indicated the

manthra through action andal wonders if he is dumb.

 

SevidO- a person whose ears have lost the power of listening. In the

same perumpuliyur incident some Brahmins invited azhvar to a yagna

where some others insulted azhvar like sisupala who insulted Krishna

in krishnavatharam. Azhvar shut his ears to the insulting words of

those persons and hence andal wonders if he is a deaf person.

 

AnathalO- are you asleep? Sleep for paramaikAnthis is shutting their

eyes towards anything other than bhagavat vishayam. Azhvar says,

“vunnai theriththezhudhi vAsiththum kettu vanangi vazhi pattum

poosiththum pOkkinEn pOdhu” and “thozhilenakku thollaimAl

thannAmamEththa pozhudhu enakku mattradhuvE pOdhum”. This mental

state of azhvar itself is a sleep for him from other matters.

 

A-mapperunthuyil mandhirappattAlO- More than the other Azhvars, this

azhvar had a special attraction towards emperuman and special

separation from other issues and hence he was in the state of

perunthuyil. “pidhiru manamillEn piggnagan thannOdedhirvan,

avanenakku nErAn” says azhvar. This strength in words is the

speciality of thirumazhisai pirAn.

 

MAmAyan- “mAyamenna mAyamE” and “mAyamAya mAkkinAi vun mAyamuttrum

mAyamE” says azhvar about the mayam (the astonishing act) of

emperuman in various places.

 

MAdhavan- “mAdhavanai ethAdhAr eenavarE” says azhvar. Further in

another place azhvar says, “thiruvillAth dEvarai thErEnmin dEvu”

 

Vaikundan- Azhvar declared himself to be the person who has sung his

paasurams on vaikundan “vaikunda selvanar sevadimEl pAttu”. Hence it

is clear that this azhvar has enjoyed singing the thirunamams of

mAmAyan, mAdhavan and vaikundan in his paasurams.

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Andal Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan