Thiruppalliyezhuchchi - Avatharika

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

Avatharika Sa:ram

 

As with all jeevaatmaas, Thondaradippodi Azhvar too was asleep for

countless time ( " ana:di ma:yaya: supto yada:ji:va: prabudyate " -

Gaudapa:daka:rikai). Without realizing his true nature, the means

and the goal, he was considering his body to be his soul and was

involved in matters of this world. The Lord out of His unqualified

grace awakened Azhvar and showed him His divine beauty.

( " ma:dhara:r kayarkan ennum valaiyul pattu azhundhuve:naip pOdharE enRu

sollippundhiyil pugundhu thanpa:l a:dharam 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 ka:mbarath thalai siraiththu un kadaiththalai irundhu

va:zhum so:mbarai 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 " ma:rimalai muzhainjchil " (Thiruppavai 23).

 

Nammazhvar too showed the height of the goal sought, in

" neduma:rkkadimai " (Thiruvaymozhi 8-10-1), then showed the way to

the world in " konda pendiril " (Thiruvaymozhi 9-1-1) and then woke

Him up and sought service in " kidandha na:l kidandha:y " (Thiruvaymozhi 9-2-3).

 

Vishwamitra too woke Him up as " kausalya: supraja: ra:ma pu:rva: sandhya:

pravartate | uttiShTa narasa:rdu:la kartavyam daivama:hnikam || " (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: pratigrihna:ti " (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 base

qualities? 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 " Adhala:l piravi

ve:nde:n " (Thirumaalai 3),

 

showed that he had gained the true knowledge in " po:nagam seydha se:dam

tharuavre:l punidham " (Thirumaalai 41),

 

showed that he had understood the nature of this world in " ichchuvai thavira

ya:n ve:nde:n " (Thirumaalai 2),

 

showed that he had won over his senses in " ka:valil pulanai vaiththu "

(Thirumaalai 1),

 

showed that he had given up other means in " kuliththu mu:nranalai o:mbum kurikol

andhanamai thannai oliththitte:n " (Thirumaalai 25)

 

and,

 

showed that he had gained the true knowledge of the means in " unnaru:l ennum

a:sai thanna:l poyyane:n vandhu ninre:n " (Thirumaalai 33).

 

Seeing this, He became happy and considering His glory that changed Azhvar this

way ( " a:tma:nam va:sudeva:khyam chintayan " -

Sri Vishnu Puranam 6-4-6),

 

and wondering how He could change everyone just like He changed Azhvar, He began

to take rest ( " na:gamisaith thuyilva:n po:l ulagella:m nangkodungka

yo:ganaiva:n " - Thiruvaymozhi 4-8-9).

 

As such, He did not notice that Azhvar had come to Him.

 

When Azhvar was trapped in the senses ( " madhara:r kayarkan ennum

valaiyul pattu " ) and staying away, He was awake, like Rama was

when Sita was separated from Him ( " anidrassatatam ra:ma: " -

Ramayanam Sundara Kandam 36-44).

 

Once Azhvar became attached to Him ( " adiyo:rkku agalala:me: " - Thirumaalai 20),

He began to take rest without worry. Azhvar now had great enthusiasm to perform

service to Him ( " empira:rku a:tseyya:dhe: en seyva:n tho:nrine:ne: " -

Thirumaalai 28).

 

So, like Vishvamitra did ( " uttishta narasha:rdu:la " ), like Sita did ( " sa maya:

bodhita: shri:ma:n " - Ramayanam Sundara Kandam 38-25) and like Andal did

( " umbar ko:ma:ne: uranga:dhu ezhundhira:y " - Thiruppavai 17), he too wakes up

the Lord ( " arangaththamma: palli ezhundharula:ye: " ). And then, he seeks the

height of service which is service to His devotees ( " thondaradippodi ennum

adiyanai aliyan aenraruli un adiya:rkku a:tpaduththa:y " ).

 

What is the reason to wake the Lord thus?

 

Azhvar does this because he has understood the true nature of service

( " a:mparisarindhu kondu " - Thirumaalai 38). Which is, when doing all kinds of

service, at all places, at all times and at all states ( " aham sarvam karishya:mi

ja:gratas svapatashca te " - Ramayanam a:ranya Kandam 31-25,

 

" ozhivil ka:lam ella:m udana:y manni " - Thiruvaymozhi 3-3-1), one must do the

service that He wishes for ( " thanakke:ya:ga enaik kollum i:dhe: " - Thiruvaymozhi

2-9-4). Since Azhvar wishes to do the service that He will command to do

( " kriyata:miti ma:m vada " - Ramayanam Aranya Kandam 1-57, " enakke: a:tsey " -

Thiruvaymozhi 2-9-4, " mugappe:

ku:vip pani kolva:y " - 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

( " punkavidhaiye:lum empira:rku iniyava:re: " ); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar

talks about His accepting his bodily service as sweet ( " thodaiyoththa thulabamum

ku:daiyum polindhu tho:nriya tho:l thondaradippodi ennum adiyanai aliyan

enraruli " ).

 

In Thirumaalai, Azhvar obtained that service which is sweet to Him ( " empira:rku

iniyava:re: " ); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar prays for that service which is

sweet to His devotees ( " adiya:rkku a:tpaduththa:y " ).

 

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 ( " eliyatho:r arulumenre:

en thiraththu " ); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar asks Him to give His grace to

others ( " avarkku na:l o:lakkam arula " ).

 

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam