nAnmugan thiruvandhAdhi-28

[Guest guest]

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

Paasuram-21

 

“evaiyA pilavAi tirandherikAndra

evaiyA erivatta kangal- evaiyA

veripongik kAttum emaiyOr perumAn

aripongik kAttum azhaghu”

 

Listening to the sweet words of azhvar, emperuman was filled with

great ecstasy and his divine lips, divine eyes and the whole divine

body blossomed with happiness. Azhvar enjoyed the beautiful reaction

of emperuman but at the same instant azhvar was reminded of elders

adorning emperuman as “avikArAya” (one who undergoes no change) but

now emperuman’s thirumeni has undergone change for the sake of

azhvar. What an amazing thing! But haven’t he done the same earlier?

Yes, remembered azhvar the great narasimhAvatara where emperuman

showed his extreme anger and pain for the state of his beloved

bhaktha prahlada. Reminded of Narasimha, azhvar sings the following

paasuram.

 

(evaiyA pilavAi) “avAkya anAdhara:” the one who shows indifference

towards all and has no wants or dislikes. “vruksha eva stapthO dhivi

dhistati” [like a tree he stays in paramapadam unknowing to

prostrate]. The above are respectively verses from chandokya and

mundaka Upanishads that praise emperuman’s unique greatness. While

the sastras talk about the emperuman as above, what is the actual

state of the same tattva when it comes to his devotees! Admires

thirumazhisai azhvar.

*evaiyA pilavAi* “mAyanAr seyya vAi IyyO! Ennai sindhai

kavarindhadhuvE” (ama-7) “valiyadOr kanikol vinaiyAttiyEn

valvinaikol, kOlam thiral pavala tundankolO ariyEn, neelanedumugil

pOl thirumEniammAn thondaivAi” (thiruvai-7-7-3) this is how the

azhvars enjoy the divine mouth of emperuman but what an amazing

thing! The very same mouth now opens like an entrance of a big cave

emitting hot fire.

 

The above line can be either read as “tirandhu erikAndra pilavAi evai”

or “pilavAi evai tirandhu eri kAndra”. Again “evaiyA” is either split

as “evai+Aa” where “Aa” is an expression of surprise or “evaiyA?”

 

Azhvar wonders, “Oh! Is this the same divine mouth that I am deeply

enjoying today that opened like a big cave and emitted fire during

the narasimhavatAra?”

 

(evaiyA erivatta kangal) “sudarmAmadhilpOl vuyirkkellAm

thAyAyirukkindra taNthAmarai kannA!” (periya thirumozhi 7-1-9)

“soozhavum thAmarai nAnmalar pOl vandhu thOndrum kandeer” (thiruvai

7-7-1) “kariyavAgi pudaiparandhu milirindhu sevvariyOdi neenda

apperiyavAya kangal ennai pEdhaimai seidhanavE” (ama-8) Such is the

appearance of the divine eyes to bhagavatas. But are the same eyes

capable of burning the bhagavata virodhis just at sight?

 

It can be considered that azhvar is comparing the divine beauty of the

emperuman’s thirumeni in front of him in contrast to that of the

beauty of narasimhan or that azhvar has totally lost himself to the

beauty of narasimha and hence sings solely about the emperuman during

narasimhAvatara who has now appeared in the mental eyes of azhvar

(vutkan/manakkan)

 

(evaiyA eripongi kAttum emaiyOr perumAn aripongi kAttum azhaghu) The

lord, with a divine body, the head of the nithya sooris, appeared as

Narasimha for the sake of his devotee and expressed his beauty in a

different manner.

 

(eripongi kAttum) “na tatha sooryO pAdhi na chandradhArakam

nE mO vidyuthO bhAnthi kudhO yamagni”

[mund. 2-2-1]

[in front of the lord the sun, moon or lightning doesn’t shine then

what to say about fire?] Declares the shruthi.

 

(emaiyOr perumAn) Even the nithyasooris were taken aback by the sudden

appearance of the narasimha perumal and started singing “pallandu” for

the welfare of the divine lord.

 

(eripongi kAttum emaiyOr) In a yaga “ahoothi” is given in the fire to

kindle the fire. The devas starting with indra accept the havis

through the fire. Here it can be said that azhvar refers to these

devas by the words ‘eripongi kAttum emaiyOr’

(emaiyOr perumAn) the head of these devas is none other than the

divine lord who for the sake of the devas killed hiranya. Thoroughly

astonished by the divine act of emperuman the devas fell of the lord’s

divine feet and surrendered.

 

(aripongi kAttum azhaghu) this divine beauty of Narasimha has won over

the appearance of paramapadanAthan.

 

Thirumangai mannan enjoyed the divine beauty of narasimhan like milk

mixed with sugar in his “angan jnAlam” padhigam (peri-thiru-1-7). In

this paasuram thirumazhisai azhvar enjoys the same divine beauty of

the lord mixed with the divine kalyana guna where the lord adorned as

‘avikArAya’ undergoes ‘vikAram’ for the benefit of his devotees.

 

(To Be Continued)

 

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

Note: Dear devotees, to add on to the enjoyment of just reading the

beauty of Narasimha perumal through the words of thirumazhisai azhvar

please visit www.pbase.com thiruvallikeni section to visualize the

divine beauty of azhagiya singar/thelliya singa devu- photos taken

during the ani brahmotsavam this year. Just as a matter of fact see

what thirumangai azhvar says about this perumal. “palliyil Odhi

vandha than siruvan vAyil OrAyiram nAmam olliya vAgi pOga

Angadhanukku ondrumOr poruppilanAgi pillayai seeri vegundu

toonpudaippa pirayettru anal vizhi pEyvAi thelliya singa mAgiya

thEvai thiruvallikeni kandEnE” Again kaliyan repeats the words of

thirumazhisai azhvar “pEsittrE pesa allAl”. Though here in

thiruvallikeni the moolavar is seen in yogam and the utsavar a total

embodiment of azhaghu (divine beauty)- AzhagukkE azhaghu sErkkum

azhagiya singar (“azhagiyAN thAnE ari vuruvam thAnE”)