Temple Priest Quarters Construction series: Thondardippodi AzhwAr's ThiruppaLLiyezhucchi Paasurams: Part IX / Fourth Paasuram

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Let us start today the study of the Fourth ThiruppaLLiyezucchi

Paasuram.

 

The Fourth Paasuram of ThirupaLLiyezucchi takes this form :

 

mEttiLamEthikaL taLaividum AayarkaL

vEynkuzhal-Osayaum vidai-maNik-kuralum

yeettiyavisai disai paranthana vayaluL

irinthana surumbinam ilankayar kulatthai

vaatiya varisilai vanavarERE

maamnui vELviyaik-kaatthu , avabhiratham

aattiya vadutiRal AyOddhi-yemmarasE !

ArangatthammA ! PaLLi yezuntharuLAye !

 

The translation of the Fourth Paasuram by

Dr. K.C.VaradAchAri Swamy is as follows :

 

The sounds of the huge and tender buffaloes

moving , the flute songs of those cowherds who had united them ,

the jingling noises of the bells tied to the necks of those cattle ,

these (mixture of sounds) have spread in all directions. The honey-imbibing

bees have all moved out of their hives . Oh SriranganAthA ! Master of

the Celestials ! Oh Protector of the Yaagam of ViswAmithrA and destroyer

of the LankA's RaakshasA hordes ! Oh wielder of the KodhaNDam bow ,

who was anointed as the crowned ruler of AyOdhyA and ruled from there

for the purpose of destroying the enemies of light and truth ! Please wake

up from Thy sleep and bless us.

 

Sign of the Early Morning

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Here one is reminded of the ThiruppAvai scene , where ANDAL

referred to the release of the buffaloes from their pens for early

grazing by the cowherds and the haunting flute music of the cowherds

emanating from the grazing fields . Buffaloes graze mEl pull

( dew laden top blades of grass , where as cows do not .

Hence Buffaloes are let out twice , once in the early morning

(SiRithu viduthal ) and again later , when the Sun is up.

 

These cowherds ( having Buffaloes , Cows and sheep as their

wealth ) guide the buffaloes to their grazing grounds (siRu veedu=

gardens ) ( " KezhvAnam veLLenRu Yerumai siRuveedu mEyvAn

paranthana kaaNN " : 8th ThiruppAvai Paasuram ) .

 

" Keezh Vaanam " : at this early morning hours , the sky begins

to whiten. Then AruNOdhyam happens with its spectacular red

color . It is followed by the day break, when the sky becomes fully

white with advanced Sun's rays.

 

ThoNDaradippodi's anubhavam of cattle movement at Dawn

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

" mEttila-mEdhigaL thaLai vidum AayargaL ,

vEynkuzhal-Osayum vidaimaNik-kuralum

ittiyavisai-thisai paranthana "

 

In that assembly of cattle herded by the cowherds (AayarkaL),

there were young buffaloes with their horns just about sprouting ,

Cows and grown up bulls with bells tied around their necks to

track their location and movement . Earlier , the Aayars had freed

them all from their ties to the posts ( ThaLai vidum AayargaL).

After releasing them , the Aayars used thier flute to guide them

towards their grazing fields and that sound of flute mingled

with the sound of bells around the neck of the bulls and spread

in all directions ( vEnkuzhal-Osayum vidai maNik-kuralum

ittiyavisai-thisai parandhana). What a scene of kOlAhalam !

 

VayaluL Irinthana Surumbinam

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

Next , AzhwAr hears the swarms of awakened bees rushing by .

The busy bees have awakened and started on their long journeys in search

of honey for their community . They perform Hari Naama Sankeerthanam

as they go about their daily morning duties and cross the rice paddy

fields . " Surambinam " means the horde of bees . " Irinthana " means

the making of a big ghOsham . This sound gets mingled with

the sound of the bells from the neck of the moving bulls and

the sound of Flute originating from the cowherds for the purpose of

directing the cows to their grazing areas . This is also part of

the dawn scene at Srirangam seen by ThoNDaradippodi AzhwAr

as he rushes towards the innards of the Lord's temple.

 

Tribute to AyOddhikku Arasu

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

At Srirangam , uthsavar is considered as Lord Raamachandran

and the Moolavar is saluted as DaamOdhara KrishNan ( KaNNan)

with three welts amde by the rope that YasOdhA used to tie Him up .

 

AzhwAr thinks of the Uthsavar first and recalls the heroic deeds of

(uthsavar) Raama as a Young boy during the occasion of ViswAmiithra Yaaga

SamrakshaNam and performing avabrutha snAnam afterward to celebrate

the successful conclusion of the Yaagam at SiddhAsramam ( Maamuni

vELviaik-kAtthu avapiratham aadu-thiRal AyOdhdi yemm arasE ). aadu-tiral

means one who has the bravery and ParAkramam to bring the Maamuni

ViswAmithrA's Yaagam to the successful completion stage and then

performing avabrutha snAnam .

 

Next AzhwAr thinks about the Yuddham at LankA by Lord Ramachandra

and salutes the Lord as " Ilangayar kulatthai vaattiya varisilai vAnavarErE

" .

He scorched the Kulam of RaavaNan with the power of His bow and arrows

in His role as the Lord of the DEvAs and IndhrA .

 

AzhwAr addreses directly the Lord of Srirangam of valourous deeds

as " AyOddhi yemm arasE ( My Emperor of AyOdhyA ) " and appeals

to Him to awaken and bless all .

 

SrI Godharanga ParabrahmaNE Nama:

ThoNDardippodi AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

P.S : We have just 13 days to complete our Temple raffle to raise

the needed funds for the construction of the living quarters for

the priests of Sri RanganAtha at His Pomona , NY temple. Please support

this kaimkaryam during this sacred month of Maarghazhi and recieve

the blessings of ANDAL as well .Please contact me regarding your

participation .