Tiruppavai - guNanusandhanam - nAmA 8 & 9 (Ongi ulagaLandhavan & uththaman)

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srI:

srImathE rAmAnujAya namaha

 

Tiruppavai - Pasuram 3 : nAmA 8 & 9 (Ongi ulagaLandhavan) (uththaman)

 

Ongi ulagaLandha uththaman pEr paadi *

nAngaL nam paavaikku caaRRi neer aadinAl *

theenginRi naadellaam thingaL mum maari peydhu *

Ongu peRum sennel oodu kayal ugaLa *

poonguvaLaip pOdhil poRi vandu kaN paduppa *

thEngAdhE pukkirundhu seerththa mulai paRRi *

vaanga kudam niRaikkum vaLLal perum pasukkaL*

neengaadha selvam niRaindhElOr empAvAy.

 

In this pasuram 3, AndAL glorifies two nAmAs : Ongi ulagaLandhavan and

Uththaman.

 

We all know that Lord in his vAmana and trivikrama avathArams, measured the

entire 7 lokams (Bhu, Bhuva, Swarga, Maha, Jana, Tapa and Satya) to restore to

Indra (who is the king of Bhu, Bhuva, Swarga) who lost his 3 lokams to Mahabali

(son of Prahlada). But, Lord measured all the 7 worlds and when his left feet

reached satya lokam (abode of Brahma), Brahma sanctified by cleaning Lord's

feet, which is still flowing in this earth as Ganges. Parama Sivanar adorned

that holy water in his head and got purified. Prahladha had a prayer during

Nrisimha avatAr, that Lord should not kill anymore in his dynasty. Hence, Lord

only took 2 steps to measure the entire 7 lokams (Story that he kept his last

measure on mahAbali's head and send him to pAtALa lOkam is unfounded). Still,

emperumAn in tirukovalOr divyadesam holds out 1 finger and ask us where I should

place my third one. In this divya desam, first 3 azhwars (Bhootam, Pey, Poigai)

sung their respective thiru andhAdhis (vayyam thakaliyA, anbE thakaliyA, tiru

kandEn). In this divya dEsam, Lord can be seen lifting his right leg (itihAsas

say he lifted his left leg during trivikrama avataram). It is more delightful

to see that Lord holds chakram (disc) in his left hand and sanku (counch) in his

right hand (exactly opposite). It was due a prayer of maharishi, he displayed

like this (right leg up, chakram in left hand and sanku in right hand). The

correct pose of the avatAr can be see kAzhicheerAma viNagaram and Tiru oorakam.

This is all his svabhAvam, where he helps Indira, Brahma, Shiva whenever they

get into trouble.

 

The viseshanam here is why andAL did not say "Ongi ulagaLantha trivikraman pEr

pAdi", but say "uththaman per pAdi". Who is "Uthaman" ? A person who helps

others expecting a return is called "adhaman". A person who helps others

expecting nothing in return is called "madhyaman". A person who helps others,

despite the other dishonouring him, is "Uthaman". Though, Lord helped Indra in

restoring his 3 lOkams from MahAbali, Indra sent wild rains and winds, when

gokulam residents prayed Lord Krishna for rains. The Lord lifted the gOvardhana

hill and protected the residents to ward them off the rains. Indran "kal marI

pozhindan". We gOpikAs praise "Ongi ulagaLanthavan" to bless this world with

"tingaL mum marI" rains. Lord showed his vAtsalyam towards Indra and forgives

him. Even though Lord helped him, he showed disrespect to the Lord. That's why

andAL praises him as "Uthaman" after the nAmA "Ongi ulagaLandhavan".

 

The next nAmA 10 appears in pasuram 4 - "mAyan", which is his inherent gunA. (to

be continued)

 

namO nArAyanA

 

G.Sundarrajan