A Balm for The Lord

[Guest guest]

A BALM FOR THE LORD

 

When Sri Mukund from Singapore, to be handed over to ThiruvallikkEANi- saffron

powder alongwith 'kODali thailam' I was confused for a second. The kumkumapU is

meant for The GEthAchAryan but the balm? Is it also meant for Him? Now, this is

interesting. What about balm for the Lord. The balm is a pain reliever. Who

thinks of alleviating the agony of the Almighty? Those who are concerned about

His welfare. Those who are emotionally entangled with Him. Sri PeriyAzhwAr

comes uppermost in our minds being The MangaLA sAsana parar. He thought himself

to be the mother of Lord krshNA and suffered the pangs of a mother when the kid

is in trouble. He exclaims ' Oh! Lord I survived the fact that You were in

fight with the venomos snake" -'nanjumizh nAgathinOdu piNangavum-nAn vuyir

vAzhndhirundhEAn" 3-3-6;--Such is the nature of parivu of PeriyAzhwAr- that she

feels bad on surviving the scare of kALingan fight.

 

The case of Sri Kula-SekarAzhwAr is also wierd. Living yugAs after Sri RAmA, he

ordered his regiments to set off to the help of the Chakravarthith Thirumagan

absolutely not realising he is far far away from the period ages ago.

 

What about Sri Nam-AzhwAr. He regrets that Sri RamA being a Royal Head doe s

not have anybody to carry His bow and arrows

".ALum ALAr Azhium sangum sumappAr thAm..vALum villum koNDu pin selvAr maRRillai" 8-3-3;

 

The classic case of Thrimazhisaip pirAn is well known. It is customary for the

host to come out to the front and greet the guest. Sri Thirumazhisaip pirAn

while visiting the ThirukkUDandhai mentions to the Lord Sri ArAvamudhan "

Please do not take the trouble of even getting up from the reclining posture.

You are indeed tired after measuring the three worlds with YOur feet and also

exhausted after rescuing the world .Therefore, You may just speak to me on a

combined posture of getting up lying. And LO! The Lord indeed talks to AzhwAr

neither in a reclining posture nor in a sitting one but in a mixed one.

 

"nadandha kAlgaL nondhavOA? nadungu gnAlam yEanmAi

idandha mei kulungavOA? vilangu mAl varaichuram

kadandha kAl parandha kAvirik karai

kudandhaiyUL kidandha vARu yezhundhirundhu pEAsu

vAzhi kEsanEa" Thriuchandha vrutham 61;

 

Thamizhth thalaivan also voices the same concern.

 

'isaindha aravamum veRpum kadalum,

pasaindhangu amudhu paduppa, asaindhu kadaindha varuthamOA -kachi vekkAvil

kidandhirundhu ninRadhuvum

angu" mUnRAm ThiruvandhAdhi 64.

 

Oh! Lord, Perhaps You are tired on helping the dhEvars by churning the ocean by

using the serpant and extracting the nectar from the ocean and resting in

ThriuvekkA.

 

Thirumazhisai AzhwAr again expreseses the same sentiment

'ThALAL vulagam aLandha asaivEa kol,

VALAk kidandharulum vAi thiRavAn,

NEL Odham vandhalaikkum mAmayilai mAvallikkEaNiyAn

ainthalaivAi nAgathaNai' nAn-mugan thiruvandAdhi 35;

 

 

AzhwAr-s are the jEvAthmA-s involved in the kalyANa guNangaL of EmperumAn and

their concern springs from the affection emanating from the emotional

involvement.

 

That is why Sri Nam-AzhwAr desires "Shall I also be given the opportunity to

smother, soothen Your feet, Oh! Lord like Your divine consorts"

 

"vaDivinai illA malarmagaL maRRai nilamagaL pidikkum melladiyai kodu vinaiyEanum

pidikka nE oru nAL kUvudhal varudhal seiyyAyEa" Thriu vAi mozhi 9-2-10;

 

Well. The concerns, the affection, the agony on observing the Lord's efforrts

and magnanimity are emanate as pAsuram-s.

 

In fact these psalms are

 

The Balm for the Lord.

 

dAsan

vanamamalai padmanabhan