Azhvargal thiruppalliezhuchi in Andal's thiruppAvai-3

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

 

Srimathe rAmAnujaya Namaha

 

Sri vara vara munayE Namaha

 

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

 

 

“poigaiyAr bhoodhaththAr pEyAr pugazh mazhisai

 

iyan arul mAran sEralarkOn-tuiyapatta

 

nAdhan anbartAl thooli narpAnan nankaliyan

 

edhivar thOtrath thadaivAm engu”

 

 

 

In the next paasuram, Sri Andal awakens nammAzhvar who is prior to kulasekarar

in the descending hierarchy of Azhvars. “kOdhukalamudaiya pAvAi!” refers to Sri

NammAzhvar. There is a common error prevailing for a long time to recite

“kOdhukulamudaiya “ instead of “kOdhukalamudaiya”. In Sanskrit, “Kowdhoohalam”

means wish. Only that term has been changed to “kOdhukalam” in tamil. Even

periyAzhvar says, “kOdhukalamudaiya kuttanEyO”. Here the wish is towards

emperuman or otherwise those who have got the wish of emperuman towards them.

Sri parasara bhattar while talking about nammazhvar says, “rushim jushAmahE

krishnatrishnA thathva mivOdhitam” meaning that nammazhvar is a sole

representation of Krishna kudhoohalam. Again krishnatrishnA came be either

trishna towards Krishna or krishna’s trishna (love towards Krishna or krishna’s

love).

 

 

 

Nammazhvar himself shows his feeling in the following paasuram,

“kaimAdhunpozhiththAyendru kaithalai poosalittE, meimAlA ozhindhEn embhirAnum en

mElAnE”. Like reflecting words of geethacharyan, “priyOhi jnAni nOthyarththam

aham sacha mama priya:” nammazhvar remained with deep love towards emperuman who

was filled with great love towards azhvar. The phrase “pAvAi!” also suits

nammazhvar. In thiruvAimozhi, Azhvar in many places, viz., “soozhvinai yAttiyEn

pAvaiyE” “enpAvai pOyiniththaN pazhanaththirukkOloorkE” calls himself similarly.

 

 

 

The word “ezhundirai” should clearly refer only to nammazhvar as he is the

azhvar who is seen in sitting posture in all divyadesams. Our poorvAcharyas

admire this posture as “padmAsanOpa vishtam”. So it will be meaningful only to

ask a person sitting to stand up. (keezhvAnam vellendru) Only during the

sooryOdhaya time the eastern side of the sky will be clear. Similarly the rise

of vagulabhooshana bhAskaran in the starting period of kali yuga has cleared the

minds of people. The lower part of the sky here refers to leela vibhuti and the

upper part is the nithya vibhuthi. Due to the thiruvaimozhi paasurams of

azhvar, this leela vibhuthi has been turned to nithya vibhuthi (“OrAyiraththul

eppaththu vuraikka vallArkku vaikundamAgum thammoorellAm”, “vaiyam manni

veetrirundhu vinnumAlvar mannoodE”).

 

 

 

(erumaisiru veedu mEivAn) veedu means moksham. Siru veedu refers to kaivalyam.

This reference has been first used by nammazhvar in his paasuram, “kurugamiga

vunarvaththodu nOki”. ‘erumai’ refers to thAmasaprakrudhigal (those filled with

thAmasa guna). Before the thiru-avadhAram of nammAzhvar many people where

filled with thAmasa guna and hence they reached siruveedu (kaivalyam) instead of

the real moksha.

 

 

 

(mikkulla pillaigalum ….) The action of stopping the rest of the gopis from

proceeding and halting in front of this gopi’s house shows the importance of

this gopi in their group, which again indicates the greatness of nammazhvar,

prapanna jana koodasthar among the group of Azhvars.

 

 

 

(pOvAn pOginrAnai) The usage of this phrase is amazing. Will we ever say they

are going for going, Then why this usage? This is to show that the action of

going itself is the goal (svayamprayOjanam). Such a usage has been first done

by nammazhvar in his thiruviruththam “pOvAn vazhikonda mEgangalE!”

 

 

 

(vunnai koovuvAn vandhu nindrOm) “koovikkollum kAlamennum kurukAdhO” “ennai

kooviarulAi kannanE” “koovikkollAi vandhandhO” wishes nammazhvar in many

paasurams and hence andal puts the above phrase to make him happy.

 

 

 

(mAvAi pilandha dEvAdhi dEvanai) Similar to andal’s nOmbhu in thiruppavai

nammazhvar also sings 10 paasurams with the same feelings. In his thiruvAimozhi

“veetrirundhEzhulagam” nammazhvar says “EttranOttrErkku” in the start and ends

with “vanthamizh noorka nOttEn” and in this azhvar enjoys devAdhi dEvan starting

with his mAvAi pilandha leelai in the first paasuram (“vemmApilandhAn thannai”).

In his first prabhandham azhvar enjoys devAdhirajan as “emaiyOr thalaivA!” and

as “ayarvarum amarargal adhipathi” in his last prabhandam.

 

 

 

(sendru nAm sEviththAl) “vAnanAyakanE! Adiyen thozha vandharulE” Azhvar called

emperuman to come and give him darshan but now andal calls azhvar to accompany

her to go and have darshan of emperuman.

 

 

 

(avAvendru) Andal says that as per azhvar’s wish, “AvAvena virangAr andhO

validhE kol, mAvAi pilandhAr manam”, “and adiyErkku avAvennAyE“ mAvAi pillandha

emperuman will say ” avA”. (ArAindhu) thereby azhvar’s wish “Arennai arAivAr”

will also be satisfied.

 

 

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Andal Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

 

 

Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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