19. KUTTU VILAKKU - by U.Ve.ESB Swamin

[Guest guest]

19. KUTTU VILAKKU

 

 

A chola king who was constructing one of the ramparts

of the temple at Sri Rangam found that the beautiful

circular design was being spoilt by the house of a disciple

of KURATTAAZHWAN called PILLAI PILLAI AZHWAN, and ordered

it to be demolished.Sri PARASARA BHATTAR adviced him against

it explaining that it it is not his rampart but the

mangalasaasana (PALLAANDU) of the devotees which would

ensure safety to the Lord; and also that demolishing the

house of a SriVaishnava would be sure to bring down the

wrath of God. But the king turned a deaf ear to this advice,

and becoming furious caused trouble to Sri BHATTAR, as a

result of which he had to leave for Tirukkoshtiyur. While

he was suffering the grief of separation from Sri Rangam

and the Lord, his disciple NANJEEYAR requested him to

compose a song in praise of ANDAL to mitigate his feeling

of sorrow.There appeared from his lips the 'taniyan'

" NEELA TUNGA etc " , which is the essence of the present

paasuram (KUTTU VILAKKU).

 

NAPPINNAI is lying on the costly couch along with Krishna.

The cot stands on four ivory bases, the ivory for which was

obtained by Krishna by his valorous act of plucking the

four tusks from the murderous mighty elephant Kuvalayapida.

Being the wife of a great hero she cannot get sleep anywhere

else except on such a cot.The references to the various

kinds of pleasures in this stanza is a suggestion by Andal

that all gopis should get them in Sri Krishna's company

and only for that reason Nappinnai is keeping company

with Him. " If you don't ensure this, you surely don't have

mercy, " Andal rebukes Nappinnai.