24.ANRIVVULAGAM -by U.Ve.ESB Swamin

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24.ANRIVVULAGAM

 

 

In days of yore Arjuna ordered Sri Krishna, on the holy

battlefield of Kurukshetra, to park his chariot in between

the array of the two armies and the charioteer did so.

So also now the Gopis earnestly solicited Him to walk

out and embellish the royal throne by occupying it. He

did it. When He stirred out, all the Gopis with Nappinnai

followed Him with prayers for His safety (Mangalaasaa-

sanam) and when He sat on the throne, held His feet with

their very tender hands and pressed them to their heart

and eyes with veneration.They beheld quickly the change

in hue (i.e., the feet became very red owing to the strain of

walking and being pressed by their soft hands gently).

 

This reminded them of Sri Krishna's former heroic feat

of measuring the whole universe with His very delicate

feet.They thought they were also as cruel-hearted as

Indra and the devas who never thought about His tender-

ness (Saukumaarya).

 

That Andal is the very worthy daughter of Periyaazhwar

is proved in this verse.

 

She says:

 

" O Lord! you measured

this universe for the sake of Indra, who was intent on

getting back his kingdom; while Bali was after fame.No one

gave a thought to your tenderness; so we have come to

pray that you must be free from all evils.

 

Ravana was worse; he had neither the generosity nor the

aesthetic sense of Bali. Just like entering a cave and

waking up and fighting a wild beast you walked to Lanka

and fought with him. Hence we are afraid for you.

 

That was when you were 37 years of age. What about the

asura who entered the cart which was there to protect

you, at the time when you were an infant and unable to

distinguish between friend and foe? So we fear all the

more for that.

 

Then two asuras assuming the guise of a calf and fruit

tried to put an end to your life.They were hidden enemies.

We fear that all the more.

 

These were evil acts by your foes; but what about Indra for

whom you strained every nerve ? He suddenly became an

adversary, for the flimsy reason that you consumed his

food, and rained stony rain for seven days.You lifted up

the mountain and saved the entire Gokulam. Mangalam etc.. "

 

UN SEVAKAME - only your (Krishna's) heroic feat. But it

may be remarked that in this paasuram Andal has sung

the glory of Vamana, Rama and Krishna. However there is

no contradiction here because they were all His own

previous births. Similarly her father Sri Vishnuchitta

sings of them all - " Varuga varuga inge Vamana nambi..

kariya kuzhal..Kaakutta nambi etc. " As Sri Nanjeeyar

delectably puts it, " Both father and daughter had the

habit of building dams after all the water had flown

through to the sea. "