Thiruppalliyezhuchchi - Avatharikai

July 10, 2008

Sri:Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

Thondaradippodi Azhvar aruLich seydha

Thiruppalliyezhuchchi

Avatharikai Saram:

As with all jIvAtmas, Thondaradippodi Azhvar too was asleep for countless time ("anAdi mAyayA supto yadAjIva: prabudyate" - GauDapAdakArikai). Without realising his true nature, the meansand the goal, he was considering his body to be his soul and wasinvolved in matters of this world. The Lord out of His unqualified grace awakened Azhvar and showed him His divine beauty ("mAdharAR kayaRkaN ennum valaiyuL pattu azhundhuvEnaip pOdharE enRu sollip pundhiyil pugundhu thanpAl Adharam peruga vaiththa azhagan" - Thirumaalai 16). With that, He changed Azhvar's attraction to other things, gave him the knowledge of his true nature and made him become attached to Him. Then, through Azhvar's works, He brought to light that He Himself is the means and the goal ("aimpulan agaththadakkik kAmbaRath thalai siraiththu un kadaiththalai irundhu vAzhum sOmbarai ugaththi" - Thirumaalai 38). Having done that, He went

to sleep without worry. Azhvar then sang this work Thiruppalliyezhucchi, to wake Him up and sought to perform services to Him.Having determined that He is the means and the goal makes it clear that Azhvar should sing to wake Him up, praise His divine beauty and provide flowers and other services to Him. This is what Andal seeks in the pasuram "mArimalai muzhainjchil" (Thiruppavai 23). Nammazhvar too showed the height of the goal sought, in "nedumArkkadimai" (Thiruvaymozhi 8-10-1), then adivised the the world in "koNda peNdiril" (Thiruvaymozhi 9-1-1) and then woke Him up and sought service in "kidandha nAL kidandhAy" (Thiruvaymozhi 9-2-3). Vishwamitra too woke Him up as "kausalyA suprajA rAma pUrvA sandhyA pravartate | uttiShTa narasArdUla kartavyam daivamAhnikam ||" (Ramayanam Bala Kandam 23-2). So too,Azhvar wishes to see the glorious sight of His waking up and sings this

pasuram.When Azhvar went to Him to seek this service, instead of receiving him, enquiring about him and accepting flowers from him ("sirasA deva: pratigR^ihNAti" (Mahabharatam Moksha Parvam 171-63), He lay resting.

What is the reason for this? Is it that He does not like Azhvar? That's not true, because He takes great delight in Azhvar. Did He have any problems such as indigestion or sleeping due to basequalities? That's not true because His body is divine and does not suffer from base qualities. Then, what is the reason?

Azhvar showed that attachment to this world was no good in "AdhalAl piRavi vENdEn" (Thirumaalai 3),

showed that he had gained the true knowledge in "pOnagam seydha sEdam tharuavrEl punidham" (Thirumaalai 41),

showed that he had understood the nature of this world in "ichchuvai thavira yAn vENdEn" (Thirumaalai 2),

showed that he had won over his senses in "kAvalil pulanai vaiththu" (Thirumaalai 1),

showed that he had given up other means in "kuLiththu mUnRanalai Ombum kuRikoL andhaNamai thannai oLiththittEn" (Thirumaalai 25) and, showed that he had gained the true

knowledge of the means in "unnarUl ennum Asai thannAl

poyyanEn vandhu ninREn" (Thirumaalai 33).

Seeing this, He became happy and considering His glory that changed Azhvar this way ("AtmAnam vAsudevAkhyam chintayan" - Sri Vishnu Puranam 6-4-6), and wondering how He could change everyone just like He changed Azhvar, He began to take rest ("nAgamisaith thuyilvAn pOl ulagellAm nangkodungka yOgaNaivAn"- Thiruvaymozhi 4-8-9). As such, He did not notice that Azhvar had come to Him.When Azhvar was trapped in the senses ("madhaRAr kayaRkaN ennum valaiyuL pattu") and staying away, He was awake, like Rama was when Sita was separated from Him ("anidrassatatam rAma:" - Ramayanam Sundara Kandam 36-44). Once Azhvar became attached to Him ("adiyOrkku agalalAmE" - Thirumaalai 20), He began to take rest without worry. Azhvar now had great enthusiasm to perform service to Him ("empirARku AtseyyAdhE en seyvAn thOnRinEnE" - Thirumaalai 28). So, like Vishvamitra did ("uttiShTa narashArdUla"), like Sita

did ("sa mayA bodhita: shrImAn" - Ramayanam Sundara Kandam 38-25) and like Andal did ("umbar kOmAnE uRangAdhu ezhundhirAy" - Thiruppavai 17), he too wakesup the Lord ("arangaththammA paLLi ezhundharuLAyE"). And then, he seeks the height of service which is service to His devotees ("thoNdaradippodi ennum adiyanai aLiyan enRaruLi un adiyArkku AtpaduththAy").

What is the reason to wake the Lord thus? Azhvar does this because he has understood the true nature of service ("AmparisaRindhu koNdu" - Thirumaalai 38). Which is, when doing all kinds of service, at all places, at all times and at all states ("aham sarvam kariShyAmi jAgratas svapatashca te" - Ramayanam Aranya Kandam 31-25, "ozhivil kAlam ellAm udanAy manni" - Thiruvaymozhi 3-3-1), one must do the service that He wishes for ("thanakkEyAga enaik koLLum IdhE" - Thiruvaymozhi 2-9-4). Since Azhvar wishes to do the service that He will command to do ("kriyatAmiti mAm vada" - Ramayanam Aranya Kandam 1-57, "enakkE Atsey" - Thiruvaymozhi 2-9-4, "mugappE kUvip paNi koLvAy" - Thiruvaymozhi 8-5-7), he describes the indications that dawn has arrived and wakes Him up.Azhvar sings thus. The Sun has dawned at the top of the mountain. The devas and kings are standing in the southern direction with all

the things needed for worship, waiting to be seen by Your divine eyes as You wake up. You are the Lord and the protector of all and have great attachment to those who seek You. Please wake up and accept our services. Just like a parent would show his children and seek alms from a king, so too Azhvar puts the devas who worship Him forward and seeks to do services.How is Thiruppalliyezhucchi different from Thirumaalai?

He awakened Azhvar who was asleep in ignorance for countless time, in Thirumaalai; having thus woken, Azhvar wakes Him up in Thiruppalliyezhucchi.

In Thirumaalai, Azhvar spoke about Him accepting his vocal service as sweet ("punkavidhaiyElum empirARku iniyavARE"); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar talks about His accepting his bodily service as sweet ("thodaiyoththa thuLabamum kUdaiyum polindhu thOnRiya thOL thoNdaradippodi ennum adiyanai aLiyan enRaruLi").

In Thirumaalai, Azhvar obtained that service which is sweet to Him ("empirARku iniyavARE"); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar prays for that service which is sweet to His devotees ("adiyArkku AtpaduththAy").

In Thirumaalai, Azhvar speaks of His attempt to get Azhvar; in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar says that He succeeded in that attempt.

In Thirumaalai, Azhvar asks for His grace ("eLiyathOr aruLumenRE en thiRaththu"); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar asks Him to give His grace to others ("avarkku nAL Olakkam aruLa").

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam