counting the head of raavana - post 2

[Guest guest]

Post 2

 

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

"Has this counting of raavaNaa's head any reference in srimadh raamaayaNam? We

will see in next post". That was the last line we had in previous post. [sorry

for delay in giving a reply to the question raised in the previous post. Due to

certain business travel commitments I could resume to seat today only and then

start on the topic].

 

To give a straight answer - it is "NO". This also raises another question - how

come aazhvaar could get this reference, or see or visualize such an episode

which was not envisaged by the writer of raamaayaNam who also had a good vision

of that very same lord.

 

For this sri Uththamoor Swamy [uV] says, in his commentary named "prabhandha

rakshai" - re page 70 of mudhal thiruvandhaathi - 1. "puraaNangaLil engum

prasidhDhamaana pala leelaigaL irukka ingE aazhvaar pudhiyadhoru varalaaRRai

varaindhathu en enil em perumaanai aRiya yaarukkum aagaadhu enRum kooRalaam,

aRiyak koodum enRum kooRalaam".

 

Meaning - Why aazhvaar wants to raise a new episode in the puraaNaas [or

history] when there are plenty of well known leelaas of the lord. Is it to

establish that the humans can understand the supreme lord in a large measure or

to prove that his devotees can not know him in his full capacities?

 

2. "pramaaNa grandhangaLil pala idangalil pudhiyana puguvadhum irundhana

inmaiyum kaaNaaninROm".

Meaning: in the reference books, we could see in many places the known episodes

missing and new ones inserted.

 

3. "aNai katta aNilgaLum muyanRadhaagath thirumaalai koorumE".

A new one appears in thirumaalai such as - the squirrels attempted to build the

dam sEthu to lanka. [this, as a side line, also indicates that there is no

original reference in raamaayaNam about squirrels helped in building the dam

across the ocean.]

 

>From the above, it is clear that it is a "brand new" anecdote is visualised and

included by poigai aazhvaar in his andhaadhi. Ok, if it is one aazhvaar

visualised by the lord's grace and included. But how about other two aazhvaars -

pEiaazhvaar PA and thirumazhisai piraan TP also included the very same anecdote.

How come, it can be said they also had same vision?

 

The answer can be as below. By the time poigaiyaar completed his andhaathi,

second aazhvaar started - boothaththu aazhvaar. When he completed then the third

- pEi aazhvaar started. So, we can even say, since first aazhvaar stated a new

anecdote, third aazhvaar was influenced by first and included same anecdote in a

different form in his verse [changed the language content with same theme],

basing his reference on the first aazhvaar.

 

How come thirumazhisaip piraan includes same anecdote in his work? For he is of

slightly different period - born earlier, and lived as contemporary to PA. Since

pEi aazhvaar was considered as guru of thirumazhisaip piraan TP, TP was

influenced by his guru. So TP included such an episode, may know fully well that

perhaps such an original ref is not there in srimadh raamaayaNam.

 

That shows the "unquestioning acceptance of guru's words" in those periods. A

rare attitude. [This perhaps may be a rarest thing today].

 

We can conclude, so to say, it may be that, long ago this anecdote was very much

there in original srimadh raamaayaNam, later dropped by somebody. The version

what we have is modified one - as stated by UV swamy above. That is one aspect.

 

There are some more specials in these paasurams. To enjoy those is also the

intention.

 

thamar ugandhadhu evvuruvam avvuruvam thaanE

thamar ugandhadhu ep pEr maRRu appEr - thamar uganthu

evvaNNam sindhiththu imaiyaadhirupparE

avvaNNam aazhiyaanaam - 44th paasuram - mudhal thiruvandhaathi.

 

thamar - bhakthaas.

uganthu -santhOshappattu, aasai koNdu - with pleasure or happiness, with a

longing desire

sindhiththu - thought continuously

imaiyaadhirupparE - did not wink their eyes.

 

Generally it is said dhEvaas do not wink their eyes. Here it is uganthu

sindhiththu imaiyaadhiruppar - or ugantha sinthanaiyaal imaiyaadhu iruppavar -

becomes imaiyaadhiruppar means - by concentration on the lord becomes dhEvaas.

Who enjoys the lord in that concentration on the lord, they do not even wink

their eyelids in that enjoyment of him. [the winking of the eyelids which

incidentally is called anichchai cheyal - is also gone in that enjoyment of that

supreme lord] - to that extent immersed in the thoughts on the lord. So

naturally lord also confers the status of imaiyaadhiruppar -dhEvaas. That is

said in the next paasuram amararkku aRiya aamE. Yes, dhEvaas who did same now

comes to know of such a person - a new entrant is there to that elevated

status.

 

Ok adhu niRka - let it stand as it is.

aamE amararkku aRiya adhu niRka

naamE aRigiRpOm nan nenjE poo mEya

maadhavaththOn thaaL paNintha vaaLarakkan neeLmudiyan

paadham aththaal eNNinaan paNbu - 45th paasuram - mudhal thiruvandhaathi

 

now see - poo mEya paadham aththaal eNNinaan - those feet which are being

sanctified with flowers - he used those feet to count. The flowers were the

offerings of such uganthu sindhiththu imaiyaadhirukkum devotees.

 

Such a "poo mEya paadham eNNinaan" paNbu naamE aRigiRpOm nan nenjE - we will

know ourselves - oh my mind - for we have come closer to him by becoming dhEvaas

- imaiyaadhiruppavar - know about the character or nature of such a lord, whose

feet are covered by flower offerings of devotees.

 

When the mind realises the nature of that supreme lord what happens. See next

paasuram 46 -

puN purindha aagaththaan thaaL paNivaar

kaNdeer amarar tham bOgaththaal boomi aaLvaar - 46 mudhal thiruvandhaathi.

 

Such sindhiththu imaiyaadhiruppavar once realise the lord, then becomes amarar

and will rule the earth with bOgam - enjoyment, and also fall at that lord's

feet - thaaL paNivaar.

 

Then what will happen - meignaanaththaal uNarvaar kaaNparE kain naagaththaan

kazhal 47 mudhal thiruvandhaathi.

 

They will feel the enjoyment at the lord's feet and also will practically see

those feet - means will reach the lord's feet to see with their own eyes - those

winking less eyes. That is why it is said evvaNNam sindhiththu - avvaNNam

aazhiyaan - thinking of his feet always -lord helps such thinkers to reach his

feet to see those feet. Just combining the lines anew dimension is reached.

Also this explains our sidhaantham of saraNaagathy also.

 

In the New Year 2004 dear bhakthaas we will also do what aazhvaar guides us to

do - sindhiththu imaayaadhirunthu kainnaagaththaan kazhal kaanbOm.

 

Dhaasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.