Azhvargal thiruppalliezhuchi in Andal's thiruppAvai-4

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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, “thoomani mAdhaththu” andal awakens the next earlier

azhvar, thirumazhisai pirAn. Here the phrase “mAmAn magalE” refers to a bodily

relationship. Thirumazhisai azhvar and andal have a sort of bodily

relationship. As per Sri desikan’s godhasthuthi, “kamalAmivAnyAm gOdhAm” and

“sandha:payOdhi dhuhidhus sahajAm vidhustvAm” andal is none other than sri

mahalakshmi and as per amarakosham “bhArgavee lOkajanani ksheerasAgara sambhavA”

and as per the puranas lakshmi (andal) was born in brughu kulam. As per the

charitram of thirumazhisai azhvar, he was also born in bhrughu kulam. So the

fact that both of them were born in the same kulam has to be kept in mind.

Azhvar took birth as a son of a rishi and then was brought up by a hunter

(pirambhan kudi). Andal was born as a daughter to a brahmin and changed herself

as a gopika.

 

 

 

Thoomani mAdhaththu- the manikka gem inside the shell will not be clearly

visible. Thirumazhisai azhvar requests emperuman to show him the darshan of

emperuman as he is inside “vutkidandha vannamE puramposindhu kAtitE” and

emperuman did as per the wish of azhvar and hence it is appropriate to use

thoomanimAdhaththu to refer to thirumazhisai pirAn.

 

 

 

Suttrum vilakkeriya- here the lamp is the light of knowledge (jnana oli). As

per the verse, “sAkiyam kattrOm, samanam kattrOm, sankaranAr Akkiya Agamanool

ArAindhOm” this azhvar has learned all philosophies and hence got a clear

knowledge which is referred to as suttrum velikkeriya. Azhvar himself declares

this in his paasurams as “yAnarindhavAru ArarivAr” and “en madhikku vinnellAm

vundO vilai”

 

 

 

dhoobham kamazha- It is not enough if one has deep knowledge it has to be

practiced and the knowledge should flourish. One who has deep knowledge will

submit him to the divine feet of emperuman and will not fall to the feet of any

other deity even due to loss of memory (marandhum puram thozhA mAndhar)

 

 

 

tuyilanaimEl kanvalarum- This azhvar was deeply involved with emperuman’s in

sayana thirukolam (reclining posture). Thirumazhisai azhvar spent most of his

time in kachchi vekka and thirukkudandhai. Azhvar lists the divya desams in

which emperuman is seen in reclining posture as “nAgaththanai kudandhai vekkA

thiruevvul nAgaththanai arangam pEr anbil nagaththanai pArkadal kidakkum Adhi

nedumAl anaippAr karuththanAvAn”

 

 

 

tuyilanaimEl kanvalarum mAmAnmagalE- the word magal shows the closeness

(vedhEyathvam). It is a practice for a daughter to listen to the words of the

father and visa versa. MAmAm refers to mahA mahAn (greatest among the great).

TuyilanaimEl kanvalarum mahA mahAn is none other than the emperuman in

thriuvekka (sonna vannam seidha perumal, yadhOthakAri) who did as per the words

of azhvar. Emperuman obliged to the words of azhvar when he said, “kanikannan

pOgindrAn neeyum vun painAgappAi surittikkol” and again later when azhvar said,

“vun painAgappAi viriththukkol”. Then another perumal, thirukkudandhai

AravamudhAzhvan who also reclines on the divine serpant adhisesha listened to

azhvar’s words “ezhundirundhu pEsu vAzhikEsanE” and thereby even today gives

darshan in the half reclining and half getting up posture (uththAna sayanam).

Otherwise mAman can refer to the great pEyazhvar who enlightened thirumazhisai

pirAn and brought him to our sampradayam. In the thaniyan, “bhoodham

sarascha” peiyazhvar has been referred to as mahadhAhvaya

 

 

 

vunmagal thAn voomaiyO- dumb people express their ideas with actions.

Similarly in perum puliyur azhvar on his way halted in front of a Brahmins

house. There some brahmanas were chanting some vedic mantras. On seeing azhvar

not knowing azhvar’s greatness, considering him to be a low caste person not

wanting the vedic mantras to be heard by him stopped the chanting.

Understanding the same azhvar left that place and seated himself in front of

another house. The brahmanas wanted to continue chanting but were unable to

recollect the place they stopped. Immediately azhvar took a black grain and

spilt it with his nail and indicated the meaning of the vedic manthra where they

stopped (“krushnAnAm vreeheenAm naganirbhinnam”. Immediately the Brahmins

understood azhvar’s greatness and thereby prostrasted azhvar and showed their

deep respect towards the great mahan. Since azhvar indicated the manthra

through action andal wonders if he is dumb.

 

 

 

SevidO- a person whose ears have lost the power of listening. In the same

perumpuliyur incident some Brahmins invited azhvar to a yagna where some others

insulted azhvar like sisupala who insulted Krishna in krishnavatharam. Azhvar

shut his ears to the insulting words of those persons and hence andal wonders if

he is a deaf person.

 

 

 

AnathalO- are you asleep? Sleep for paramaikAnthis is shutting their eyes

towards anything other than bhagavat vishayam. Azhvar says, “vunnai

theriththezhudhi vAsiththum kettu vanangi vazhi pattum poosiththum pOkkinEn

pOdhu” and “thozhilenakku thollaimAl thannAmamEththa pozhudhu enakku mattradhuvE

pOdhum”. This mental state of azhvar itself is a sleep for him from other

matters.

 

 

 

A-mapperunthuyil mandhirappattAlO- More than the other Azhvars, this azhvar had

a special attraction towards emperuman and special separation from other issues

and hence he was in the state of perunthuyil. “pidhiru manamillEn piggnagan

thannOdedhirvan, avanenakku nErAn” says azhvar. This strength in words is the

speciality of thirumazhisai pirAn.

 

 

 

MAmAyan- “mAyamenna mAyamE” and “mAyamAya mAkkinAi vun mAyamuttrum mAyamE” says

azhvar about the mayam (the astonishing act) of emperuman in various places.

 

 

 

MAdhavan- “mAdhavanai ethAdhAr eenavarE” says azhvar. Further in another place

azhvar says, “thiruvillAth dEvarai thErEnmin dEvu”

 

 

 

Vaikundan- Azhvar declared himself to be the person who has sung his paasurams

on vaikundan “vaikunda selvanar sevadimEl pAttu”. Hence it is clear that this

azhvar has enjoyed singing the thirunamams of mAmAyan, mAdhavan and vaikundan in

his paasurams.

 

 

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Andal Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

 

 

Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan