Naachiyaar Tirumozhi - Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas:

As a sequel to our enjoyment of Tiruppaavai, We present Part 1 of Naachiyaar Tirumozhi.

In the next posting we will savour Some interesting points in this Naachiyaar Tirumozhi.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy =======================================================

 

 

NAAYCHIYAAR TIRUMOZHI - Part 1

 

· What is Tirumozhi?

· The Prabandham that contains Paasurams in groups of 10 (or 11) (PathikangaL) and runs to over several such PathikangaL is called Tirumozhi. Thus, we find Periyaazhwaar Tirumozhi, Periya Tirumozhi etc. Nachiyaar Tirumozhi is of this type.

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TANIANS

· Naachiyaar Tirumozhi has two tanians:

1. Alli naaTTaamarai mEl aaraNangin in tunaivi

Malli NaaDaaNda maDa mayil

Aayar kula vEndanaagathaaL then puduvai

vEyar payanda viLakku

Meaning:

· Sri Andal (alias Godha) is held in great esteem being the intimate friend and fellow spouse of Goddess Mahaalakshmi (the divine Periya piraaTTi)) who sprang from the great lotus that bloomed with charming petals; Sri Godha is said to be with the tender frame (of limbs), beautiful like the young peahen and very attractive as she captivated the minds of all in Tirumalli naaDu; she earned the grace and love from the heart of Sri KrishNa (aayarkula vEndan) and she is the rising star as the daughter of Sri Periyaazhwaar of vEyar kulam, in the beautiful town of Sriviliputtur”

2. kOla suri sangai maayan sevvaayin guNam vinavum

seelathinaL, then tirumalli naadi, sezhun kuzhal mEl

maalait toai thennarangarukku eeyum madippuDaiya

sOlaikkiLi, avaL tooya nar paadam tuNai namakkE

Meaning:

· We resort to the holy and divine pair of feet of Sri Andal as our sole refuge. Her pair of feet is very auspicious and enjoyable (bhOghya). Sri Andal asked the great Paanchajanya (the divine conch of Lord VishNu) which is beautiful and abounds in spiral lines, about the extraordinary merits and sweetness of the rosy lips of Lord KrishNa (maayan). She is the queen of the South and has the good fortune of offering to God Ranganatha, the fragrant garlands of flowers after having worn them on her dense locks of tresses. She is like the young lovely parrot (for she has sung two great hymns, Tiruppaavai and Naachiyaar Tirumozhi) abounding in mellifluous songs reminiscent of the sweet utterances of the parrots in the bowers

(Translations from Dr.V.K.S.N. Raghavan)

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· Naachiyaar Tirumozhi comprises of 143 stanzas in 14 decades delineating on the following:

1. Andal prays to Kaama dEvan aka Manmathan for making KrishNa her husband.

2. Andal requests KrishNa not to destroy the toy-houses constructed by her and her peers while playing with the sands of the river bed.

3. Andal prays to Lord KrishNa to give back their garments - which he had stealthily taken away. This episode is based on the “Vastra apaharaNa” incident described in the 10th skhaanda of Srimad Bhaagavatam.

4. “kuDal izhaithal” – a kind of design game in which a proper pairing of markings would indicate success in one’s undertaking - in the present case, union with KrishNa.

5. Godha requests her pet black cuckoo (karum kuyil) to call the Lord for putting an end to her separation from him.

6. Andal describes to her friend a dream that she saw in which she goes through the various steps of her own wedding with KrishNa.

7. She enquires Paanchajanya (divine conch) to reveal the secrets of his proximity to the Lord.

8. Andal sends clouds as her messenger to inform KrishNa of her trauma in being separated from him.

9. Andal pleads with the Lord of TirumaalirumsOlai expressing her pangs of separation.

10. Andal pleads with four flowers, three birds, one cloud, a sea and a close friend requesting them to unite her with KrishNa.

11. A “nindaa sthuti” on Lord Ranganatha.

12. Andal pleads with her peers and elders to take her to places connected with KrishNa,

13. Andal pleads with her peers to bring fans made of TuLasi leaves etc that have connections with KrishNa to relieve her pangs of separation.

14. At long last, Andal achieves what she has been pining for and finds KrishNa in Brindaavanam.

Each decad is heart rending and brings out picturesquely the trauma of separation (vislEsham) from her beloved and the joy in union with him (samsEsham).

· The dream theme contained in the 6th decad describing her dream of marriage sets forth the procedure of the wedding rituals faithfully as was being followed in her days.

· This decad “vaaraNam aayiram” is being sung in all south Indian weddings when the game of rolling coconuts as ball is played between the bride and the groom and provides a whopping fun fare to the spectators. (It is not known if this is the practice in North India too).

· A question arises whether it was proper on the part of Andal, a Paramaikaanti, to fall at the feet of Devataantaram like Kaaman. (naanyam dEvam namaskuryaat vishNu paadaabja samsrayah). Several explanations have been given by Poorva acharyas. Some of them are indicated below:

- When in a desperate mood (vyaamoham), rules of Saastras are said to fall apart.

- When it is for the purpose of Emperumaan, it is not a defect. It will be repugnant only when anything is asked for other than PerumaaL.

- Vyamoham is Ok. But, the means adopted is not correct.

- It is true that in those days, spinsters used to observe “ananga nOnbu” to get married before it became too late. This has precedent in the “Kaartyaayani Vratam” for rains during periods of drought. This was considered a “naimittika karma AnushTaana” that came under the exceptions in ancient scriptures.

- When Andal has emphatically declared “narayananE namakkE parai taruvaan”, “eRRraikkum ezhEzh piravikkum untannOdu uRROmE yaavOm” , “ UnakkE naam aaT seivOm” and “maRRai nam kaamangaL maaRru” etc, it is impossible to imagine that she would have done dEvatantara bhajanam under any circumstances.

- Can we expect this kind of misdemeanor on the part of the daughter of Periyaazhwaar, the great Achaara seelar?

- Andal did not do dEvataantara bhajanam. But, she appealed to the “antaryaami” of manmathan, who is the Lord Himself.

- She was praying to KrishNa who is “manmatha manmathah”

- Taasaamaa virabhoor souri smayamaana mukhambujah/

Peetaambara sragvee saakshaat manmatha manmathah//

- Pradhymnan is considered to be the emanation of the Lord and was known as “manmatha amsam”.

- Is not the Lord called “KaamadEva, kaamapaala, kaamee” in Sri VishNu sahasranaamam? So, KaamadEva here refers to Bhagavaan Himself and none else.

- MadanagOpala murthi is also known to have sugarcane bow, flowers as arrows and flag with the figure if fish decorating it. Therefore, her prayer to him is well within the Saastric paradigm.

- She says “unnaiyum numbiyaiyum” You and your brother. There is no reference to a brother for Manmatha, the cupid. Therefore, it only refers to PerumaaL.

- What is the meaning of “manmatha”? One who churns the mind. It is Bhagavaan who does this all the time using his “maayaa”

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In the next posting we will savour Some interesting points in this Naachiyaar Tirumozhi.

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