Thondaradippodi AzhwAr's ThirupaLLIyezucchi:Part III (1st Paasuram)

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear SrI RanganAtha BhakthAs:

 

SrI Madhurakavi Daasan(SrIman Venkatesan) from Michigan

has posted a beautiful article on the first Paasuram of

ThirupaLLiyezucchi of ThoNDaradippodi. The commentaries

of PoorvAchAryaas have been nicely summarized there.

There is not much to add except svAnubhavams from here on.

adiyEn will try to compliment his excellent postings

covering PoorvAL's vyAkyAnams on this series by

SrI Venkatesan.

 

Before commencing the write up on the first of

the ten slOkams, let us enjoy the role played by

the AzhwAr as Vandhi and VaithALikar at the court of

RaajAthi Raajan , SrI RanganAthan.

 

To gain an appreciation of the role of court bard(Vandhi)

and time keeper for kings(VaithALikar), we have to refer to

the VaithAlika Paddhathi of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA

Sahasram created by Swamy Desikan at Lord RanganAthA's

sannidhi in praise of SaThAri Soori, the Lord's Paadhukais.

 

ThoNDardippodi becoming Vandhi & VaithALikar: First SlOkam

***********************************************************

In the FIRST slOkam of VaithALika Paddhathi ( the Ninth

Paddhathi of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram) , Swamy

Desikan refers to Upanishads awakening the Lord to adorn

His Padhukais and come out of His aasthAnam to bless

the assembled BhakthAs, BhAgavathAs , DEvas, Nithyasooris

(SlOkam has been modified slightly):

 

namasthE PrabhO! PumsAm SamsArArnava sEthavE

TavAnugrahAya VedAnthA Vandhi-VaithALikA: svayam

 

Oh Lord of SrIrangam! adiyEn prostrsates before You,

the Sarva Sakthan, who is the sEthu( causeway, dam)

across the ocean of births and deaths . To recieve Your

ParamAnugraham , Upanishads themselves have become

eulogizers of Your glories (Vandhi) and the awakeners

(VaithALikAs) at this early hours of the Morning at

the BhUlOka Vaikuntam of SrIrangam.

 

Second SlOkam of VaithALika Paddhathi

**************************************

In the SECOND slOkam , the Upanishads( AzhwAr linked with Tamil

vedAm) appeals to the Lord to favor BrahmA , Sivan , Indhran

and all the others held back by VishvaksEnar in the outside

court yard at this early hours of the morning (vide: Paasuram 6

and 7 of AzhwAr's ThirupaLLiyezucchi Prabhandham ).

 

Oh RanganATA! " PrabhAthE bhAhya-kakshyA niruddhAn Vidhi,

Siva , Sanaka aadhyAn (Tava) charaNakamala sEvA soukhya

SaamrAjyabhAjAm aapnuvAna: thistanthi. ThAmm aadhriyETA: " .

 

My Lord! at this break of dawn , in Your outter court

stand Brahma, Sivan , SankAdhi rishis awaiting to enjoy

the supreme sukham of the darsanam and worship of Your

lotus feet. This auspicious experience to them is like

being crowned as Emperors in Your SaamrAjyam. Please

bless them !

 

Third SlOkam

*************

This slOkam describes the arrival of the KaimkaryaparALs

assigned for the morning duty at the Lord's sannidhi with

garlands in hands ( 5th Paasuram of ThirupaLLiyezucchi:

" kalambaham punaintha alankalam thodayal koNDu adi paNivAn

amararkaL puhunthanar)like ThoNDardippodi AzhwAr himself.

The echoing passages from the third slOkam of VaithALika

Paddhathi are: " prathyAsannA: pratharAsTAna yOgya: Tava

parijanA: Tava nayana sObhAm pasyathu " .

 

General comments

*****************

ThoNDardippodi's Paasurams are filled with beautiful

descriptions of the early morning scenes at Srirangam

as the dawn breaks(Ushas Sooktham).They remind us of

the beautiful description of the scenes of the early

morning hours at SrI VilliputthUr by GodhA Piraatti

in Her ThiruppAvai paasurams.

 

Many SuprabhAthams composed in the past few hundred years

like SrI VenkatEsa SuprabhAtham by PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram

ANNan are modelled after the Paasurams of ThoNDardippodi's

ThirupaLLiyezucchi Prabhandham.

 

The VaithALika paddhathi is dealing a lot with

the UthsavArambham for Lord RanganAtha on a new

day and VedAs and VedAnthAs ( Upanishads ) waking

Him up for the enjoyment of that new day's uthsavams

and eulogizing Him during this occasion.

 

Tenth SlOkam of Swamy Desikan's VaithALika Paddhathi

******************************************************

The tenth and concluding slOkam of the VaithALika

Paddhathi is an example of the the Vandhis and

VaithALikAs performing their duties at the court of

the Emperor of Emperors, Lord RanganAthA:

 

ithi nigama-vandhi-vachasA samayE gruhItha-sankEtha:

abhisarathi RanganATa: prathipadha-bhOgAya PaadhukE! bhavatheem

 

This is a conversation of the Veda-VedAngams with the Paadhukais

of the Lord of SrIrangam. Oh PaadhukE! As the Upanishads

go about pointing the appropriate times ( nigama vandhi vachasA

samayE samayE gruhItha sankEta:)for the relevant uthsavams of

the day , the Lord wakes up listening to their eulogies

and adorns You to enjoy His pleasures (Pratipadha bhOgAya

thvAm abhisarathi).

 

In the next posting , adiyEn will commence the comments

on the First Paasuram of ThoNDardippodi AzhwAr's

Prabhandham of ThirupaLLiyezucchi.

 

NamO SrI RanganAthAya,

BhakthAngri rENu Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan