Peep into Periya/-VachAn piLLai/Thirumozhi -9

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The Greatness of Periya-VAchAn piLLai

THE EXALTED SAGE

 

It is said that proof the pudding is in eating. The taste of sri periya-vAchAn

piLLai's vyAkyAnam will prove its greatness, indicate his genius.

 

" periya vAchAn piLLai pinbulla vaikkum theriya, vyAkyaigaL seivAl, ariya

aruLicheyal poruLai, AriyaRgatk ippOdhu, aruLicheyalAith aRindhu' upadEsa

rethinamAlai 46;

 

By the Great commentaries, sri peirya-vAchAn piLLai has blessed us to make us

understand the difficult meanings of AzhwAr's works and realise the great values

of aruLich cheyal.

A sample.

 

'..thavam purindh vuyarndha mAmuni koNardha gangaiyin karai mEAl, vadhari

AsirmathuLLAnEA " 1-4-8;

 

A literal transaltion would mean - The sage who got exalted himself by penance,

brough the ganges, where the badri em-perumAn is residing.

 

Who is the exalted sage? viswAmithrA - who raised from a shathriyA to a great

sage by his penance.

Who brought the ganges? bhagErathan.

Now this is a contradiction. The exalted sage did not bring the ganges.

bagErathan is the one who brought the ganges .

Here is where the vyAkyAnam comes into play.

 

Interpretaion 1: The exalted sage,viswAmithrA brought sri rAmA and lakshmANA to

the banks of gAnges, where the badrikAsramam is situated.

" avan shathriyanAyirukkach seidhEayum thapO balathAlEa brahma rishi

AnAniREA.avan perumALaiyum, iLaiya perumALaiyum nadathik koNdu vandhadhu

akkariyEa AgaiyAlEa athaich solliRRAgavumAm "

 

" Though being a shathriyan, sri viswAmithRa by penance became exalted and

attained the status of brahma rishi. He brought along with him, sri

chakravarthith thirumagan and iLaiya perumAL to this banks and hence we can say

that this pAsuram refers to this also "

 

Interpretation 2:

" anRikkEa bagErathan thannaiyEa solluvadhAi, avan kodu vandha gangai ennudhal " .

Otherwise, this pAsuram can be taken as referring to bagErathan -as he had

brought the ganges.

 

Sri periya-vAchAn piLLai, like his great predecessors, did not force their views

or interpretaion and thrust on others. They pur forth two opinions and it is for

us to take or leave them. That is their greatness.

 

swAmi periya-vAchan piLLai thiruvadigaLEa charaNam.

 

rAmAnuja dAsan

vanamamalai padmanabhan