tiruvaNpuruDOttamam - Periya tirumozhi 4.2.3 aNDar Anavar

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SrIH

SrImate ra’ngarAmAnuja MahA deSikAya namaH

 

tiruvaNpuroDottamam (tirumangai AzhvAr’s Periya tirumozhi 4.2) – tirunAngUr

divyadEsam

 

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SrImad ANDavan tiruvaDigalE SaraNam,

kalyANi kRshNamAcAri

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tiruvaNpuruDOttamam - Periya tirumozhi 4.2.3 aNDar Anavar:

 

aNDar Anavar vAnavar kOnukku enRu amaitta sOradu ellAm

uNDu kO nirai mEyttu avai kAttavan ugandu inidu uRai kOil

koNDal Ar muzhavin kuLir vArpozhil kulamayil naDam ADa

vaNDu tAn isai pADiDu nAngUr vaNpuruDOttamamE.

 

A. SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan:

It was the practice of AyppADi folks to offer worship for indra. They were

ignorant of the fact that kaNNan is standing right in front of them and giving

His darSanam to the cows also. He ate all the food meant for indra. He grazed

the cows and took care of them. The place where that sarveSvaran lives is

vaNpuruDOttamam. The clouds are always filled with thunder. Hearing the

thunder, the peacocks in the cool groves are dancing and bees are humming.

Instrumental sound from thundering clouds, dance entertainment by dancing

peacocks, music by singing bees are all ever present in this place.

 

B. SrI PVP:

aNDar Anavar vAnavar kOnukku enRu amaitta sOradu ellAm uNDu – The naive

cowherds, who only believe what they see, had prepared food for indra. kaNNan

told them that govardhana mountain that stands visible for the enjoyment of cows

and cowherds is the greatest object of worship and He devoured [in the form of

govardhana mountain] all the food meant for indra.

 

kO nirai mEyttu avai kAttavan – He grazed the cows and took care of them. He

assumed the responsibility of protecting them from any danger.

 

ugandu inidu uRai kOil – He is living in this temple with great delight.

 

koNDal Ar muzhavin kuLir vArpozhil kulamayil naDam ADa – Listening to the

sound of thunder from the clouds, peacocks are dancing

 

vaNDu tAn isai pADiDu nAngUr – and bees are humming in nAngUr.

 

vaNpuruDOttamamE - this is the place vaNpuruDOttamam.

 

C. SrI UV:

Next, AzhvAr is narrating the story of govardhana uddharaNam [lifting of

govardhana mountain] to prove that puruDOttaman is far above indra etc and is

the antaryAmi for everything.

 

kO nirai mEyttu aNDar Anavar – the cowherds earned the name ‘aNDar’ by

tending to rows and rows of grazing cows.

 

avai kAttavan - kaNNan protected the cows endangered by indra.

 

Cowherds are referred to as ‘aNDar’. devA-s are also called ‘aNDar’.

Thinking that they, aNDar, should worship ‘aNDar kOn’ [indra], they were

offering food to indra every year to pay their respects. Not bearing the

thought that they are praying to anya devatA – to a God other than Himself,

puruDOttaman suggested, “Why? You can worship this mountain. indra may give

you something in return, expecting your offering or he may not give anything.

This govardhana mountain expects nothing from you and helps you even though you

trod over, crush and destroy it. This worship is fit only for this mountain.â€

Even though they were puzzled as to how a mountain can eat food, the “aNDarâ€

– the cowherds followed His advice. To show them that the mountain has eating

power also, kaNNan took the form of the mountain and gulped down all the food.

Seeing that, they started paying respect to the Mountain God. The furious indra

rained on them;

kaNNan protected them using the same mountain and removed the danger. indra

came in person, prayed to puruDOttaman [by doing govinda paTTAbhishekam] and

left.

 

He is the great emperumAn who proved that there is no one equal to Him in

tending to the cows and grazing them. The cowherds were more worried about the

cows than themselves and so, more than protecting the cowherds, it became

important for Him to protect the cows. He offered protection to the cows and at

the same time, did not harm indra etc.

 

Since puruDOttaman is living here, the clouds come here in fear of Him and raise

a sweet instrumental sound. Hearing that, peacocks dance and bees hum.

emperumAn is the nAthan for all - devA-s, people, movable or immovable objects

etc.

 

D. SrI PBA:

The cowherds in tiruvAippADi had experienced the wonderful feats of kaNNapirAn;

so they had concluded that He is their savior and they should listen to whatever

He commands. Hence, the offering to govardhana mountain instead of indra.

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Abbreviations:

PVP = periyavAccAn piLLai

UV = uttamUr vIrarAghavAcAriyAr

PBA = P.B. aNNangarAcAriyAr

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End of periya tirumozhi 4.2.3 on tiruvaNpuruDOttamam

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To be continued …..