A Peep into Periya ThiruMozhi 195

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Terazhundoor—The People- womenfolk

 

What about the women of Terazhundoor? Sri Kalian has a lot to say

about them. Rather than ask for human beings’ comments about the

damsels of Azhundoor, Kalian ask the birds and the bees. The bees,

for instance, say that they prefer the heavily scented and sweet hair

of Azhundoor women, as a place of residence, to their normal abodes

atop trees—

 

“kombil aarnda maadhavi mel kodi meynda vandinangal

ambu araavum kan madavaar iympaal anayum Azhundoore”

 

These women have beautiful eyes resembling sharp arrows, capable of

piercing the hearts of even the most hard-hearted of men—“”ambu

araavum kan madavaar”. The fragrance of their hair is due to constant

exposure to perfumed smoke of “Akil” wood. Their feet are soft as

cotton—(“Panji anna melladi nal paavaimaargal”) and adorned with

anklets and similar ornaments, which make a pleasant sound when they

walk. Their hands are bejewelled with a variety of bangles, which

again emit sweet tones, when the hands are moved. Added to this, the

damsels hold in their hands beautiful parrots, which keep repeating

the words taught to them in their syrupy voices.

 

These beautiful women of Azhundoor are extremely facile

dancers—“Aaderu malar kuzhalaar”—and their heads are adorned with the

finest of fragrant flowers. Even their normal walk is as graceful as

to resemble a swan’s—what to say then of their dance! Of course, the

spirit of the verses appears to be that while the women were

well-versed in fine arts and were facile singers and dancers, these

talents were used to portray the glories of the Lord, rather than for

empty and mindless recreation.

 

>From Sri Kalian’s pasurams on this divyadesam, it is apparent that the

residents of Azhundoor excelled in every aspect of human endeavour, be

it agriculture, industry, spiritual endeavours or fine arts, all with

an underpinning of devotion for the Emperuman of Azhundoor.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan