Srinivaasa Vaibhavam - NammAzhwAr's divine anubhavams- Thiruviruttham- 60th verse- She is so young and child like...

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest all,

 

After Nammazhwar anubhavams of Thiruvaymozhi [on

Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan], let us take up his other works

namely Tiruviruttham and Periya anthAthi.

 

Today’s verse on ThiruvEnkatam from this wonderful

work is the 60th verse of Tiruviruttham. Let us

continue to enjoy.

 

mulaiyO muzhumuRRum pOnthila,

moypUNG kuzhalkuRiya

kalaiyO araiyillai naavO

kuzhaRum, kadalmaNNellaam

vilaiyO enamiLi rungaN

NivaLpara mE!perumaan

malaiyO thiruvENG kadamenRu

kaRkinRA vaasagamE? 60

 

The mother pities her darling daughter’s plight of

having been separated from her beloved nAyakan after

being with Him and rejoiced the same. The mother

unable to bear seeing her suffering the pangs of

separation; unable to see her getting thinner

languishing for Him, feels bad for her daughter. She

enquires her friend [thozhee] and she informs the

mother of her love for the Lord. Mother laments “alas!

My girl is still immature and is still a child…”

Though her daughter has actually grown and is of

marriageable age, the mother feels miserable for her

daughter’s pitiable state and hence she considers her

as the child.. This is the basis for this verse.

 

This verse subtly narrates the yearning for a reunion

with the Lord. The physical and psychological

conditions of the consort caused by the pangs of

separation are described with a rich poetic imagery

along with pathetic appeals to the Supreme Lord,

through the words of her mother.

 

“my girl’s – my darling daughter is so young; and even

her breasts have not formed fully; Her black tresses

have not yet aligned and she is like a child. She does

not even know how to tie her clothing around her

waist. Her tongue has not seasoned and her words still

sound like child’s babble and she talks like a small

girl with “mazhalai soll”. Her eyes still cannot focus

on one firm object; [she is still a child and such an

innocent one].

 

But does such a small girl like my sweet daughter

“This ThiruvEnkatam; it is a residence of my Master;

my Lord “. She has learnt to say such [loaded]

statements. What a wonder! How can love strike my

girl!

 

Inner meaning: AzhwAr [right from His infanthood] is

blessed with the blemishless Bhagavath bhakti and

bhagawath kaamam. Seeing and wondering at such a

jnAnam and bhakti, love for the Lord Sriman Narayanan,

the bhaagawathaas and other jnAnis wonder “how and why

does He get into such a love for the Lord! And how he

suffers longing for Him!

 

mulaiyO muRRum Pondhila; Bhakti has not yet matured

into para bhakti, para jnAna, Paramabhakti.

 

naavO kuzhaRum- uninterrupted naama sangeerthanam is

being uttered by AzhwAr.

kaNN miLirum- He keeps looking at the vacuum

contemplating of the Lord; not looking at the world.

 

Sri Periya Vacchan PiLLai comments beautifully:

leaving, Para, vyooha et al [other four] forms, this

girl of mine says: ThiruvEnkatam alone is where my

Lord resides. How does she get this jnAnam at such an

age!.. [realizing the glory of archA mUrthy]

 

This verse is somewhat related to the verse of Sri

GuNa rathna kOsam of Sri parasara Bhattar where Swamy

describes the soundharya of Sri RanganAyakI [Thanks to

Sri satakopan swamin for his compilation]

 

aamaryAdham-akaNDakam sthana-yugam naadhyApi

naalOkithA

bhru-bhEdha smitha vibramaa jahathi vaa

naisargikathvAyasa:

soothE Saisava-Youvana vyathikarO ghAthrEshu tE

sourabham

bhOga-srOthasi kaantha-dEsika kara grahENa

gaahakshama:

 

(Meaning According to Dr.V.N.VedanthAdEsikan): " Your

eternal state is the intermediate stage between

childhood and feminine youth. The breasts have just

started growing , one should say. The brow-raising ,

the smile ,etc. are said to be parts of the prelude to

the love-sport ; they would be feigned by a girl , who

has reached the full youth . But then Mother Lakshmi

has then almost as natural features even in the

pre-youth stage. May be it is regarded as a demerit

for the female in the mundane world! That stage has

not yet passed off in Mother's case as yet! When You

descend in the ocean of love-bliss , the Lord Himself

would act as tutor to you in the art of erotics

,giving a helping hand , making You fit for immersion

--when You acquire a new fragrance fit and

commensurate for the amorous sport , even in that

pre-youth state , permanent though.

 

(Comments): The enduring stage of the beauty of

Sri RanganAyaki is frozen between that of a girl child

(Saisavam ) and a fully-blossomed feminine youth

( TaruNa Yuvathi). AzhwArs are also fond of

visualizing the Lord in this fashion. For instance ,

One of the AzhwArs describes the Lord as " ILam

Kumaran" in one of the ThiruviNNagar Paasuram . Here ,

the AzhwAr visualizes the Lord's beauty as some where

between saisavam (childhood) and Yuvan ( Nithya YuvA

as visualized by Vedam).

 

All the feminine feaures illustrate this unique state

of Sri RanganAyaki. The stage is beginning stage of

Youvanam and the Saisavam has not completely left Her.

As a result , Her breasts are not fully developed

(AamaryAdham akaNDakam Sthana Yugam). This is also

the case of ParAnkusa Naayaki (MulayO Muzhu MuRRum

pOnthila) as described by Swamy NammAzhwAr

 

AzhwAr ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam,

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan