thiru viNNagarath thEn - part 8 - iRuththa thEn

[Guest guest]

Srimadh Azhagiya Singar thiruvadikaLE saraNam

 

(Summary: This being the " kavi " or poetry of Sri thirumangai AzhwAr

many possible usage of poruL and inam are revealed. It is not very

easy to interpret Sri thiru mangai AzhwAr's pAsurams. An elaborate

explanation is derived from poorvAchchAryA's vyAkyAnams. This 2nd thEn

is referred to Sri Maniappan of thiru viNNagaram)

 

thiru viNNagarath thEn - part 8 - iRuththa " thEn "

 

Dear bAgawathAs,

 

iRuththa " thEn " means why did one give up certain things ? It

also means the " thEn " or the Lord who let one give up all these

materialistic pursuit and kAmA. Sometime one gets to use the ArtthA

and kAma to the fullest extent. Many scholars have said that " alai

kadal kooda Oyalam, Asai OyvathE illai Enru " . ie.. Even the roaring

sea may take rest and cease to produce waves and may settle down to

stay stale. " Ottagam kooda oosi munaiyil nuzhaiyalAm, poruL uLLa

oRuvaraL poruL Asaiyai vittu vilagA iyalAthu " . ie.. It may even be

possible for a camel to enter through the ear of the needle, but it

is impossible for a well-to-do person to relinquish his desire for

more wealth and other materialistic pursuit. But the desire in human

is subject to karma. It is karmA that activates or kindles such

desires in a human. Such desire would would never end untill the

assigned karmA cease to exist in a given birth. However since Sri

AzhwAr was not subject to karmA, it can also be said that having

exhaustively used Arttha and kAmA (as per the thiru uLLam of perumAL)

he felt saturated with them and gave them up. ie.. One would have

reached the limit of these and felt fulfilled. If one feels vexed

up so much, there is no where to go further. ie.. If one reach the

peak, one can only fall down or follow the slope to a downward

descent. Where else one can go ? Someother feels that it was one's

" kadamai " to give away all those " poruLs " to others. It may also be

considered that adiyEn gave up those " poruL and inbam " as if adiyEn

was finishing up on my assigned " kadamai " .

 

Earlier AzhwAr uses the word " sol " while delivering " pun sol

nenchil poRuth " thEn " . When AzhwAr uses the word " sol " (the tamil

word sol means a word or a phrase or saying) it throws in a lot of

weight to interpret everything that follows after in terms of a

poetic sense. Usually the word " sol " is used in poetry to cite

" kavithaigaL " or poetry itself. When adiyEn was doing " thuthi pAdal "

on aRpars (praising the unworthy) I used my words that were the

treasure that I had. Infat those " kavi pAdum " words or poetic words

were much more than the materailistic things that I gave to many of

those bhandhukkaLs. Those words are the worthiest " ArthAs " I

possessed. Those Arthas or word materials had many arthams or

inner meanings in tamil when I used them in my " sthuthis " or songs.

Those arttham or meanings of the words were so sweet as similar to

thEn. " inbam " comes from the word " in " . The tamil word " in " means

sweetness. When one talks about sweetness what else can they think

of, other than the " poruL 'thEn' " or the sweet meanings of those

poetic words. adiyEn felt that adiyEn exhausted those " arthAs " in

those mortal poems sometimes. However many of those turned up as

avaishnava and began criticizing Sri AzhwAr.

 

Arttham and kAmam are two of the four purushArttham that are

offerred as the blessings by this Lord when someone prays to HIM

seeking the same. This is the same Lord who also removes our

" paRRu " or attachment to these Arttham and kAmam. HE is none other

than Sri MaNiappan of thiru viNNagaram. The tamil word " MaNi " has

several meanings. In the current reference it is derived as

" maNiyai ottha niRam koNda appan " or HE is known as the one who

is so radiant, bright and mesmerising with HIS " thiru mEni varNam "

(color) being similar to pricelsss, incomparable precious stone.

Sri nammAzhwAr had a darshan of Sri oppiliappan as Sri Ponnappan

(Ursavar), Sri Maniappan, Sri Mutthu appan and Sri ennappan. Sri

maNiappan comes between Sri ponnappan and Sri mutthappan. Among

great jewelry the costliest is maNi. If one is referred as " poruL

udaiyavan " , he must have " vilai uyarntha navarathnams " and in

particular certain rare collection of " maNi " with him. MaNi or

stone is worthier than pearls and gold ie.. " mutthu and pon " .

Certain maNi are known for their power to revive the dead to alive.

" Aga poruL enum idatthu maNiyaik kuRitttha thAga sollak koodum " .

ie.. Hence in this second phrase it is derived that Sri AzhwAr

is citing Sri maNiappaan and delivers that HE is the one who gave

HIM all his wealth and joy. It is also understood that Sri

maNiappath " thEn " is also the one who made Sri AzhwAr give up his

attachment for all this material wealth and materialistic pleasure.

 

Sri kumuthavaLLi nAcchiyAr samEtha Sri thirumangai AzhwAr

thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sri boomidEvith thAyAr samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE saraNam.

adiyEn irAmAnusa dAsan

thiruk kudanthai Sampath Rengarajan

 

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