A Riot of Colour

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

A Riot of Colour

 

The world would indeed be a dull place, if everything

were to be in black and white. It is colours that add

spice to our lives- we feel elated when we see a

rainbow, a garden alight with bright blooms, a meadow

of green grass topped with sparkling dew, a bright

blue sky with the Sun shining as a yellow ball of

fire, and so on. The rising and setting Sun is indeed

beautiful to watch, for its sheer colourfulness. Can

you imagine a world bereft of cheerful colours? It

would be as dull and dreary as ditchwater, and make

our lives mere drudgery.

It is interesting to find from our scriptures that

the Creator of all colours is Himself extremely

colourful. Let’s see some of the hues that He is said

to sport on various occasions.

To start our colourful journey with the Vedas, the

Purusha SUkta describes the Lord as being the colour

of the Sun-

“Aditya varNam tamasa: parastAt”. The reference to

Sun-colour is significant. Just as the Sun is the

antithesis of all darkness or evil, so too the

Paramatma is verily the abode of all good qualities,

and the antithesis of all that is inauspicious

(“akhila hEya pratyanIka, kalyAnaikatAna”).

 

Describing the TirumEni of the ParamaPurusha, the

ChAndOgya Upanishad has the following to say-

“Ya EshOntar AdityE hiraNmaya:Purusha:drisyatE

HiraNmaya:smashru:hiranya kEsa:AprNakhAt sarva Eva

suvarNa:”

The Lord is seen in golden splendour amidst the Solar

System, adorned by golden hair with a golden moustache

and facial hair to match. From head to toe, he is all

glitter like the Yellow metal.

It is perhaps this wonderful tirumEni that Sri

PeyAzhwar was able to witness at TirukkOilUr on that

stormy night, which is evident from his exclamation,

“Tiru kaNdEn, PonmEni kandEn, tigazhum arukkan aNi

niramum kandEn”.

Though Sri Nammazhwar too endows the Lord with the

colour of red gold,(“Sem ponnE tigazhum tiru

moortthiyai”, “ANi sempon mEni endAi” etc.), he

himself turns around later and takes objection to the

Lord’s colour being compared to that of a mere metal,

and says that the purest gold cannot match the glitter

of the Lord’s tirumEni-“ sutturaittha nan pon un

tirumEni oLi ovvAdu”.

 

At the other end of the spectrum, Emperuman sports a

jet-black colour too, as opposed to the sparkling

golden hue indicated in the Vedas. Especially in Sri

KrishnAvatAra, He is a blackie, as almost all the

Azhwars testify-

“KaNNan enum karum deivam”

“Karia mEni misai veLia neeru siridE idum peria kola

tadam kaNNan”

“karu mAmugil pOl vaNNan KaNNan”

“kAnagam ellAm tirindu un karia tirumEni vAda”

“kAr tiraL anaya mEni KaNNane unnai” etc.

Thus the Lord is credited with the colour of clouds

and the black sea- “kArAr kadal vaNNan pin pOna

nenjamum”(Siriya Tirumadal)

It is significant to note that the very name Krishna

denotes one who is black. Perhaps He was christened

with this name, looking to His colour at birth. He is

indeed a Black Diamond, says Sri Nammazhwar- “KaiyAr

chakkaratthu en Karu mANickkamE”.

 

Sri Andal goes a step further and, in a damaging

expose, reveals that Sri Krishna’s heart is as black

as His body-

“puram pOl uLLum kariyAnai”.

That the Lord sports the colour of blue-black clouds

is evident from Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam too, the

prelude to which says, ‘MEgha shyAmam peetha kousEya

vAsam”. On this black body, the attire of yellow silk

sits well.

Not only Sri Krishna, but Sri Rama too sported the

colour of black clouds-“RAmam indIvara syAmam”.

 

Another colour that the Lord sports is green-a green

that is restful to the eyes,says Sri Tondaradippodi

Azhwar-

“Pacchai mA malai pOl mEni”. Sri Nammazhwar concurs

in TiruvAsiriam, “Pacchai mEni miga pagaippa”.

Maragatam is a precious stone with a green hue, and

several Azhwars have indicated that Emperuman is of

this colour- “VAmanan en maragata vaNNan” says Sri

Nammazhwar.

His colour is compared to that of other gems too-like

“Mani”. Azwars are fond of calling the Lord

“MaNivaNNA”-(“ MarutthuvanAi nindra MAmaNivaNNA”,

“VaikundA MaNivaNNanE en pollA tirukkuraLA”, etc.).

 

Sri Tirumangai Mannan is so perplexed by the galaxy of

colours that the Lord sports from time to time, that

he seeks elucidation from Emperuman Himself as to what

His true colours are-

“Munnai vaNNam Palin vaNNam- muzhudum nilai nindra

Pinnai vaNnam koNdal vaNNam- vaNNam eNNum kAl

Ponnin vaNNam maNiyin vaNNam puraiyum tirumEni

Inna vaNnam endru kAttIr IndaLooreerE”.

 

Addressing Lord ParimaLa Ranga at Tiruvindalur,

Azhwar says,

“You were the colour of milk in Kritha Yuga, You

acquired the hues of pure red gold in the TrEtha Yuga,

and in DwApara Yuga You were the colour of a Blue

Diamond: Shastras tell us that your real colour is

that of the rain-bearing clouds. I am confused by all

these changing colours- do tell me what your true

colours are!”.

Each part of the Lord’s divya mangaLa vigraham is a

different colour- His hair is jet black (“Mai vaNNa

narum kunji”), His eyes too black with reddish lines

(“KariavAgi pudai parandu miLirndu sevvariOdi neeNda

apperiavAya kaNgaL”), His lips red (“Kovvai sevvAi”,

“SenganivAi”), the Discus He sports is the colour of

the blazing Sun, the Conch Panchajanya a milky white,

His palms and feet red like the lotus (“Minnum sudar

malaikku kaN pAdam kai kamalam” “SenthAmarai adigaL”).

Around His waist, He sports a beautiful cloth in

Yellow or Red ( “Peethaga Adai PirAnAr”, “PeethAmbara

dhara sragvI”—“arai sivanda Adayin mEl chendradAm en

sindayE”).

Taken together, with so many colours competing to

adorn His divine form, the Lord is indeed a riot of

colours, and looks like a heavenly garden in full

bloom.

 

Not to be outdone, PirAtti is also colourful. It is

noteworthy that Sri Piratti and the Lord are

compatible with each other not only in qualities,

divine beauty and powers, (“yat dharmai: iha dharmiNI

viharatE nAnAkrithi: nAyikA”), but also in colour.

While the Purusha Sukta describes Emperuman to be the

colour of the Sun (“Aditya varnam tamasa: parastAt”),

the Sri Sukta says that His Consort too is of the same

colour (“Aditya varNE “). While the Lord’s is “pon

mEni”, Piratti is also credited with the colour of

beaten gold (“HiraNya varNAm”). A connoisseur would

however note that Piratti , with Her eminently

feminine sense of colour, doesn’t take on blue or

black hues that the Lord sports in His avatArAs. It is

perhaps a reflection of our society’s predilections

for fair-complexioned females even to this date.

Tempting as it is to continue the saga of colours,

adiyen would like to conclude this piece here, for

fear of testing the readers’ patience.

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka

SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya

Nama:

 

------dasan, sadagopan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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