"uttaman pEr pAdi": The Names, the Named and the Namer

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Dear friends,

 

The 3rd "pAsuram" in the "tiruppAvai" (celebrated today on the 3rd

day of "mArgazhi") is an all-time classic in the history of Tamil

devotional literature. It is a poetic gem, a scintilla of

Upanishadic wisdom. It is simply incomparable.

 

A galaxy of scholars and SriVaishnava exponents have analyzed this

stanza thread-bare. But the verse itself has lost none of its

original appeal. Neither time nor custom (nor the unrelenting

scrutiny of "vyAkhyAna-kArtA-s", past and present) has rendered this

"pAsuram" stale. The stanza continues to excite and delight, without

abating, everyone who recites it and/or listens to it -- year after

year, "mArgazhi" after "mArgazhi", again, again and again:

 

"Ongi ullagaLandha uttaman pEr pAdi…"

nAngal nam pavaikku sAtri neeradinAl

teenginri nAdellAm tingaL mummAri peyydu

Ongu perun sennaloodu kazhayUgaLa

poongu vaLai pOdhil pori vandu kan paduppa

tEngadhey pukkirunthu seetra mullai patri vAnga

kudam niraikkum vallal perum passukkal

neengAtha selvam niraindu elor embAvAy !

 

This stanza is a rich poetic document by itself. It conjures up a

vision of a lush, picturesque countryside blessed with copious

rains, where healthy cows graze upon rich pasture. It is a land

filled with proverbial milk and honey. And the phrase "pEr pAdi"

refers to the heightened joy of "singing the glory of God's names"

in a land of such serene and universal prosperity. The Tamil

phrase "neengAtha selvam", meaning "undiminishing wealth", is

AndAl's magnificent metaphor for the ultimate goal of life --

"parama-nissrEyasam", "parama-purushArtham" or "parama-aiswaryam"

viz. the limitless wealth awaiting Man in the province of God.

 

The substance of this verse is the truth that the

"divya-nAmA-s" of God, His divine Names, are a sure means of securing

for us not only material well-being on this earth that Andal

calls "kudam niraikkum perum-passukkaL", but also "neengAtha-

selvam", her term for the unfading riches of the world beyond.

 

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The expression "uttaman pEr pAdi" is a particularly beautiful one in

this "pAsuram". Great commentators like PeriavAchAn Pillai have

analyzed and commented upon this phrase with elan and eloquence. Let

us too partake and savour a bit of the immense delight they derived.

 

The word "utthaman" is a reference to "utthama-purusha" or

"pUrUshOttaman" which is a special name of Vishnu, the Supreme

"pUrUsha" or Being, in His avatar as Lord Narasimha:

 

"nArasimha-vapuH srImAn kEsavah: purushOtamah: ..." says the

Vishnu Sahasranamam.

 

Now, what does "uttaman" mean?

 

It is said human character fall into 4 principal categories:

 

(1) The first is called "atamatthamann". These folks are thankfully a

minority but they are a terrible and dangerous variety. These people

return not only "evil for evil" (in the spirit of "tit-for-tat") but

think nothing of returning evil for good too.

 

(2) The second category is "atthamann". These folks may be described

as the parasites of the world. They eke out a living by simply

living off others in society. They take everything from other people

but give no thought whatsoever of giving something back to society.

 

(3) The third specie of men in this world is called "maddhimann".

These are basically good-natured but very, very self-centred folks

who live by the rule of "Live and let live". They want to live

happily and wish others also the same happiness -- no more, no less.

 

(4) There is however a fourth variety of men called "utthamann".

These are rare human beings. They live and work for the happiness

and well-being of larger humanity. Their chief concern in life is

the well-being of others around them -- even if at their own cost.

 

One or more of the first 3 categories would characterize almost all

of mankind. But it is God Almighty alone who fits the fourth

viz. "utthamann".

 

Although God is indeed an "utthaman", the fact is not easily

realized by many. One needs to be blessed with rare insight into the

nature and many auspicious attributes of the Almighty in order to

realize He is "utthaman". And how is one to be so blessed? Lord

Krishna has an answer.

 

In the Mahabharatha, Krishna said:

 

"guNAni mama nAmAni kIrti-tAnicha kanichit…"

(Santi Parva (342-10)

 

"My divine Names are born of My qualities and activities".

 

Anyone who acquires knowledge of the divine "nAmA-s", the sacred

Names of God, said Krishna, he easily acquires knowledge, firstly,

of My divine activities and exploits. Such knowledge then, slowly

but surely, begets the realization of God's true nature, his unique

quality as an "utthamann".

 

In the 'trivikrama' avatar (to which Andal refers with the

phrase "Ongi ulagaLandha uttaman") God went to all the trouble of

striding across the world, placing His feet upon all beings and

things without exception. Every prince and peasant, every rich and

poor soul, every sage or fool, every sinner and saint received in

that one moment the Absolute Grace of God.

 

Similarly, in the "narasimha" avatAr, He gladly donned a hideous

form solely for the sake of a child.

 

Again,in the Krishna avatar, He stooped to do all kinds of menial

errands in the service of the Pandavas -- He acted as charioteer in

war and bore the brunt of arrows flung at him by Bhishma and Drona;

He went to the court of Duryodhana as a mere emmissary of the

Pandavas; He patiently bore the invectives of SisupAlan; He broke His

word in order to enable Bhishma keep his; He spoke a hundred 'lies';

He twisted a hundred 'truths' and 'half-truths'; He even went to the

extent of turning day into dusk and then nightfall back into day; He

really was "wheeler-dealer", our dear Lord Krishna!

 

The "itihAsAs" tell us that God did all such things and more in

various avatars. It makes us ask, "For whose sake and why? For what

purpose?" For the sake of the welfare of all humanity, of course --

The Almighty had 'yOga kshEma' in mind all the time, isn't it? So is

it any wonder he is called "utthaman"?

 

Since it is thanks to the divine "nAmA-s", and through them alone,

that one is enabled to realize the nature, attributes and greatness

of the Supreme Brahman -- who is indeed, first and foremost,

an "utthamann" -- it is exactly why the "tiruppAvai" goes a step

further in hailing God as "utthamann" : it goes on to hail His "pEr"

too... His divine names!

 

 

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The "pEr" or "divya-nAmA-s" of God were not given Him by anyone

other than Himself. The various "pEr" or "nAmA" of God, singly and

collectively, were all coined by the "utthaman" Himself. In other

words, He who had been given names, was Himself the author of such

names! The Named one who had been given 'Names' was the Namer

Himself! Hence AndAl's phrase, "utthamann pEr pAdi". This might

sound to the un-initiated like some conundrum or tautology but AndAl

certainly knew what she was talking about because the significance

of her poetic phrase is based on the great Vedic saying:

 

"vEdAhamEtam pUruUsham mahAntam Adityavarnam tamasastu pArE I

sarvAni rupANi vichitya dheera: nAmAni krutvA bhivadan yadAstE" II

("purusha-suktam"-16)

 

"The Great Purusha, after having created, gave Creation all its

Form; and then He caused them all to be designated by Name too!

After naming thus all Existence, the Purusha moveth about indeed

ruling everything through name and speech!":

 

All Creation in the beginning was nameless, impersonal, inchoate,

disorderly and characterless. It was only after God, the "pUrUsha",

gave Creation its many forms and names that everything -- all

Existence -- could be even begun to be conceived ... and only then

did Cosmic Order evolve out of Cosmic Chaos.

 

Since the "pEr" or Name of everything in the vast cosmos was first

given by that great "utthamann", that mighty "purushOttaman" spoken

of by the Veda, His own "nAmA-s" that go to denote His nature are

also hence fit to be hailed ("pAdi") as "utthamann pEr".

 

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There is yet another reason why ANdAl used the beautiful

phrase "uttaman pEr pAdi".

 

The many "nAmA-s" or "pEr" of God coined by the "veda-pUrUsha"

Himself were furthermore discovered by great and noble minds of the

world who in their own right were "uttamAn-s" too. It is

great "mahAtmA-s" and "rshi-s" indeed who have conveyed and handed

down to us the many stirring and beautiful "pEr-s" of God.

 

This fact about the sacred Names of God is attested indeed by the

grand old sire of the Mahabharatha, Sri BhishmachArya, in that

singularly meaningful line in the Vishnu-SahasranAmam:

 

"yAni nAmAni gauNani vikhyAtAni mahAtmanA:

rshibih: parigeetAni tAni vakshyAmi bhutayE"

 

Bhishma tells Yudhishtara: "I am sharing with you these well-known

'nAmA-s' of God which reveal His exquisite qualities and nature, and

which ancient "rshi-s", seers and sages of yore -- i.e. "uttamAn-s"

of the world --- have celebrated throughout the ages."

 

Since it was "uttamAn-s", like "rshi-s", "mahAtmA-s" and Bhishma

himself, who discovered the divine "nAmA-s" of God, AndAL's choice

of the expression, "uttaman pEr pAdi", could not be any apter.

 

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Vedantic philosophy states that the qualities of God (Brahman) are

inexhaustible excellence and immeasureable auspiciousness

("kalyANa-gunA")... These qualities are so powerful and

irresistible as to arrest man's attention ("aakarshanam") and command

his adoration and utmost devotion (bhakti). Such divine qualities of

God are collectively known as "bhagavath-svarUpa-rupa-guNa-vibhava-

aiswaryam".

 

The great Vedantic 'AchAryA' of the 10th century CE, SriRamanujA, in

a passage of extraordinary, extemporaneous beauty recounted the

qualities of Supreme Brahman as follows:

 

"svABhAvikA-navaDhikAtishaya gnyAna-balaishwarya virya-shakti

tEjas-shousheelya vAtsalya mArdava aarjava sowhArda sAmya kAruNya

mAdhurya gaambheerya owdArya chAturya sthairya dhairya shourya

parAkrama satyakAma satya-sankalpa krititva kritagnyatAt-samkhyEya

kalyANa-gUNa-gaNOwGha-mahArNava!"

 

("saraNagati-gadyam")

 

"The attributes of God (kalyANa guNAs) are naturally endowed,; they

are unlimited, stupendous, excellent; they are GnyAnam, Bhalam,

Aishwaryam, Veeryam, sakthi, tEjas ( "shad-gunA", six qualities),

sowseelyam (pleasantness); vAtsalyam (affectionate); mArdhavam

(intimate); Arjavam (honest); sowhArtham (good-natured); sAmyam

(equitable); kAruNyam (compassionate); MAdhuryam (tenderness);

ghAmbeeryam (majesty); audhAryam (generosity); chAturyam (endearing);

sthairyam (steadfastness), dhairyam (fearless); sowryam

(single-handed

valour) ; parAkramam (ever victorious); sathyakAma (one who is ever

resident in Truth); sathyasankalpa (one who is of right resolve);

kruthitva (reliable, unfailing); kruthagnathai (grateful; never

forgetful of good deeds done unto Him); such exquisite qualities

abound and reside in our Lord!".

 

Any being in whom all the above "gUNA" are to be found can be

best described by a single epithet -- and that is by the word

"utthaman" again. And the genius of AndAl, once again, revealed this

through the immortal phrase:

 

"Ongi ullagaLandha uttaman pEr pAdi…"

 

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The word "aiswarya" means wealth, a fund of riches, a source of

prosperity and happiness. The many excellences of God's attributes

are hence to be imagined by us as being a great, inexhaustible "fund

of riches". Our securing this fund, this "aishwaryam", is the

attaining of Life's purpose -- the ultimate purpose which AndAl

celebrates as "neenggAda selvam" :

 

"Ongi ullagaLandha uttaman pEr pAdi…"

 

"kudam niraikkum vallal perum passukkal

neengAtha selvam niraindu elor embAvAy!"

 

On this sacred day of Margazhi, let us pray to the Almighty that we

may ever seek and never rest until we attain that Fund in both the

here and the hereafter!

 

AndAl tiruvadigaLE saranam,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan