Tiruppavai - guNanusandhanam - nAmA 6 (nArAyananE)

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srI:

srImathE rAmAnujAya namaha

 

Tiruppavai - Pasuram 1 : nAmA 6 : nArAyananE

 

maargazhith thingaL madhi niRaindha nannaaLaal*

neeraadap pOdhuveer pOdhuminO nErizhaiyeer*

seer malgum aayppaadic celvac ciRumeergaaL*

koorvER kodunthozhilan nandhagOpan kumaran*

Eraarndha kaNNi yasOdhai iLam singam*

kaar mEnic sengaN kadhir madhiyam pOl mugaththaan*

naaraayaNanE namakkE paRai tharuvaan*

paarOr pugazhap padindhElOr embaavaay.

 

In the first pasuram, AndAL glorifies the following nAmAs : 1.

nandhagOpan kumaran, 2. yasOdhai iLam singam, 3. kAr mEnian, 4.

sengkannan, 5. kadhir madi am pol mugathan, 6. nArAyananE

 

The sixth and last nAmA in pasuram 1 is "nArAyananE" - moksha

pradathvam. HE ONLY can confer moksham to the jIvAtmAs, which is

liberation of jIvAtmA from the karmAs and cycle of birth and death to

perform nithya kaimkaryam in his abode Srivaikuntam. Azhwar describes

as "anthamil perinbam" (unending happiness). The nAmA "nArAyanan"

means ayanam (abode) for nArAs (all sentinent and non-sentinents).

 

One can understand that "nArAyananE" (exclusion to other Gods) to

confer moksham. But, why AndAl says "namakkE" (only for us). We

should take this as "namakke" (even for us). Cowherds take bath once

in a year (karthigaikku karthigai), that too in the night and that too

take bath for body without for head. Today, we have taken bath that

"nAt kalE neeradi" (early morning) and have uttered his nAmA

"nArAyanA" once, even though we are "arivonrum illatha ayykulam".

 

Later in her pasuram, she mentions the lack of karma, gnyanam and

bakthi as "karavaigaL pin senru kAnam serndu unbOm". Lord Krishna

has said in Bhagavad Gita "You have obligation to perform your karmA,

without exercising right for its fruits". But, we go behind

"karavaigaL" (cows which produce milk), so we don't understand karma

yoga. We "pin senru kAnam servOm" (go behind the cows to the

forest), so we don't even have the gnyanam of where the forest is and

hence don't perform gnyana yoga. Also, "kAnam serndu unbOm" (after

reaching the forest, we eat and don't take care of the cows), so we

don't have any bakthi also towards these cows. Hence, we are devoid

of karma, gnyana, bakthi.

 

Lastly, there is difference between AndAl and other azhwars. Other

azhwars hate this samsAram and wants nitya kaimkaryam in his natural

abode of Sri Vaikuntam. As thondar adi podi azhwar "adalal piravi

venden" (due to the samsAric troubles, I don't want next birth),

Swami Nammazhwar "koovi kollum kalam kurugadhO" (request to call him

to Paramapadham soonest) and even Periazhwar says "pallandum

paramAthmanai soozhndu irundu ethuvar" (will sing in paramapadam

eternally). However, AndAL, as bhoomi piratti has great compassion

for "vayyathu vaazhveergaL" (jIvAtmAs in her abode) says in the last

pasuram "engum thiru arul petru". We will have the opportunity to

serve the Lord eternally, whether here or in his eternal abode.

 

The next nAma 7 "pAr kadLul paiya thuyindra paraman", in pasuram 2,

andAL praises HIS quality of conferring "Bhogyatvam" (to be

continued)

 

namO nArAyanA

 

G. Sundarrajan