The way of the "jignyAsu": Wonder as Worship -Part 7

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(continued from Part 6 posted earlier)

 

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That the accounts and narratives found in the the

"purANA" do inspire and sustain the "jignyAsu's"

faculty of Wonder, and that they form an essential

part too of his Way of Worship, is clearly evidenced

in the lives of the great saints of India, and

especially those of the SriVaishnavite tradition --

those mystics known as the 'AzhwAr-s'.

 

NammAzhwAr was the foremost among the 12 AzhwArs. He

was a 'gnyAni', a 'yogi', a realized soul. For most

part of his life he spent time in solitude, penance

and spiritual meditation. But now and then, for brief

spells of time, he did come out of seclusion and

mingle with the ordinary world. It was in those brief

but lucid moments that he sang his famous mystical

outpouring of God-devotion, called in Tamil as the

"tiruvoimOzhi".

 

In the songs of the "tiruvoimOzhi" one easily finds

unmistakable proof that a "jignyAsu" indeed draws much

of his capacity for Wonder through constant

recollection and contemplation of the "purAnA".

 

In the following verses of NammAzhwAr we find some

truly illuminating examples of the "jignyAsu's" mode

of inquiry into God and the wonderment derived

therefrom. Engaging in ceaseless questioning... in

"pari-prashna"... NammAzhwAr's verses speak the

typical language of the "jignyAsu" indeed. The sample

of verses is a very beautiful one indeed and they are

all based on allusions to one "paurAnic" event or the

other. (English translation from the Tamil by the

well-known poet A.K.Ramanujam in his book "Hymns for

the Drowning"):

 

(1) maayaa! vaamanaNnE!* madhuchoothaa! neeyaruLaay,*

theeyaay neeraay nilanaay* vichumpaayk kaalaay,*

thaayaay thandhaiyaay* makkaLaay maRRumaay muRRumaay,*

neeyaay neenNinRavaaRu* ivai enna niyaayangaLE!

7.8.1

 

"Worker of miracles,

magical dwarf,

and killer of the demon

named Honey,

 

only you can tell us:

 

becoming father, mother,

and the children too

and all others

and all things unnamed,

 

the way you stand there,

being yourself --

 

what's it all about?"

 

++++++

 

(2) angaN malarththaN thuzaaymudi*

achchuthaNnE!aruLaay,*

thingaLum NYaayiRumaaych* chezumpal chudaraay

iruLaay,*

pongu pozimazaiyaayp* pukazaay paziyaayp pinnumnNee,

vengaN veNGkooRRamumaam* ivai enna vichiththiramE!

7.8.2

 

"O lord unending

wearing honey flowers

and basil leaf

in your hair

 

tell us this:

 

as moon

as sun

as the amazing numberless stars

 

as darkness

and as torrents of rain

 

as honour

as shame

 

and as death

with his cruel eyes

 

how fantastic

can you get?"

 

++++++++

 

(3) chiththirath thErvalavaa!*

thiruchchakkaraththaay!aruLaay,*

eththanaiyOrukamum* avaiyaay avaRRuL iyalum,*

oththavoN palporuLkaL* ulappillana vaayviyavaay,*

viththagaththaay nNiRRi nee* ivai enna vitamangaLE!

7.8.3

 

"You do stunts

with your chariots

 

the discus your weapon:

 

tell us how

 

managing every one of the four ages

becoming every little thing in them

 

harmonious now

now quite contrary

 

you stand there

 

a marvel

of contradictions!"

 

++++++++

 

(4) mayakkaa! vaamanaNnE!* mathiyaam vaNNam

onRaruLaay,*

ayarppaayth thERRamumaay*azalaayk kuLiraayviyavaay,*

viyappaay venRikaLaay*vinaiyaayp payaNnaayp

pinnumnNee,*

thuyakkaay neenNinRavaaRu* ivai enna thuyarangaLE!

7.8.6

 

"Dwarf,

you confuse everyone.

 

But make me understand:

 

becoming oblivion, memory,

heat, cold,

all things wonderful,

and wonder itself,

 

becoming every act of success,

every act of good and evil,

and every consequence,

 

becoming even the weariness

of lives,

 

you stand there --

and what misery you bring!"

 

+++++++++

 

(5)viNmeedhiruppaay! malaimEl niRpaay!*

kadalsErppaay,*

maNmeedhuzhalvaay!* ivaRRuLengum maRaindhu uRaivaay,*

eNMeedhiyanRa puRavandaththaay!* enadhaavi,*

uNmeedhaadi* urukkaattaathE oLippaayO? 6.9.5

 

"You dwell in heaven

stand on the sacred mountain

sleep on the ocean

roll around in the earth

 

yet hidden everywhere

you grow

invisibly:

 

moving within

numberless outer worlds

 

playing within my heart

yet not showing your body

 

will you always play hide and seek?"

 

+++++++++

***********

(to be continued)

 

Regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

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