A Tribute to the Tall One

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

 

 

A Tribute to the Tall One

 

 

 

Tiruppavai is all about KrishnAnubhavam. Most of the pasurams are

aimed at waking up slumbering devotees and make them partners in the

indescribable bliss of union with the " Yasodai iLam singam " . The prayer to Sri

Krishna is to rid us of all desire that comes in the way of the aforesaid

bliss- " Mattrai nam kAmangaL mAttru " . Like Her distinguished father Sri

Vishnuchitta, Sri Andal too engages in the extremely pleasant avocation of

enjoying the innumerable auspicious attributes of Govindan, by thought, word and

deed. Where Sri Periazhwar has somewhat limited himself to mostly chronicling

the exploits of the child Krishna, Sri Andal, as befits Her sex, is more

obsessed with the slightly older but none the less attractive and youthful

Krishna. Thus it would be accurate to say that Sri Kodai Nacchiar's focus has

been on the KrishnAvatAram and its matchless magnificence.

 

 

 

However, despite Herself, Sri Andal does mention two other avataras in

Tiruppavai. Her resolution to focus solely on Sri Krishna suffers an involuntary

relaxation, when She is forced to sing about the TrivikramAvatAram and Sri

Ramavataram. Of these two, Sri Rama finds a mention in two places, " sinatthinAl

ten ilangai kOmAnai chettra manatthukkiniyAn " and " sendru angu then ilangai

chettrAi tiral pOttri " .

 

 

 

Significantly, in both these contexts, Sri Andal finds nothing worth mentioning

about Sri Rama but for His triumph over RavaNA. As such, we may consider this to

be only a passing reference to the avatara from a ladylove, who is firm in Her

allegiance to " NandagOpan Kumaran " . As it were, She doesn't want to get

distracted from the immense pleasure of KrishnAnubhavam , and restricts Her

references to the Prince of Ayodhya to a mere passing mention.

 

 

 

However, try as She might, She is unable to dispose of TrivikramAvatAra so

lightly. The towering Lord, tall in physical stature as well as glory, refuses

to be put off so easily from Sri Andal's thoughts and continues to linger on,

prompting repeated references time and again. At the very beginning of

Tiruppavai, in the third pasuram, Nacchiar commences the verse with " Ongi

ulagaLanda utthaman " , goes on to eulogise His exploits in " ambaram Udarutthu

Ongi ulagaLanda umbar kOmAn " , and ends up singing His praise again in " andru

ivvulagam aLandAi adi pOttri " . Thus two very significant pasurams commence with

a tribute to the Tall One. Considering Her preoccupation with Sri Krishna, it is

indeed noteworthy that Lord UpEndra has managed to bag two pasurams and a

portion of the third, accounting for a tidy ten percent of Tiruppavai.

 

 

 

What is more significant is the choice of sobriquets showered on Trivikrama,

which outshine even the appellations addressed to the Hero of the work, Sri

Krishna.

 

The best possible epithet, " utthaman " , is reserved for Trivikrama, who is again

referred to with adulation as " umbar kOmAn " (the Lord of the Celestials) in the

17th pasuram. This is perhaps understandable, as the thieving Krishna could

hardly be addressed as " Utthaman " , for He is more of a " Dharumam ariyA kurumban "

and " Puram pOl uLLum kariyAn " .

 

 

 

What makes Choodikkoduttha Nacchiar address this originally diminutive specimen

as " utthaman " , a privilege She doesn't afford to any other of the Lord's forms?

 

 

 

First of all, the Trivikramavatara has the distinction of being extolled by the

Vedas, not once or twice but any number of times- the Yajus Samhita is full of

such references to the Lord's wonderful feat of measuring the three worlds with

His feet.

 

" treeNi padA vichakramE Vishnu: gOpA adAbhya: "

 

trEdhA Vishnu: urugAyO vichakramE "

 

" VichakramE prithivImEsha EtAm " etc.

 

 

 

This is perhaps the only avatara, apart from Sri VarahAvatAra, to find

extensive mention in the Vedas.

 

It is therefore no wonder that the avatara is given preferential treatment in

Tiruppavai too, which is after all

 

" Vedam anaitthukkum vitthAgum Kodai Tamizh " .

 

 

 

Secondly, Sri Trivikrama is eminently qualified for the sobriquet " Utthaman " . By

stature, He towers above all of the Lord's forms known to us. There is simply no

comparison to this Emperuman, as far as physical dimensions are concerned. From

a pitiable little dwarf, He grew into an immense, immeasurable giant, piercing

all the spheres above the earth and the Universe. The pace and magnitude of this

growth can be imagined, if the Constellation of stars, which originally formed a

canopy over the Lord's head, turned first into a magnificent necklace around His

neck and then into a glittering belt around His midriff. When He grew further,

it adorned His feet as an anklet. And when He outgrew even that, the Stars

admitted their defeat and begged the Lord to advise them as to how they might be

of adornment to Him. The following slokam from Swami Desikan's DEhalIsa Stuti

describes this beautifully

 

" Bhaktapriya! Tvayi tathA parivardhamAnE

MuktA vitAna vitati: tava poorvam Aseet

HaravaLi: paramatho rasanA kalApa:

 

TArA gaNa: tadanu mouktika noopura Shree: "

 

 

 

Thirdly, by character too, the Trivikrama is an " Utthaman " . Based on their

traits, people are categorized into " adhaman " (the scum of the earth),

" Utthaman " (the noblest of men) and " Madhyaman " (those belonging to intermediate

classes, neither bad enough to be adhamAs nor great enough to be UtthamAs).

 

Those who make their livelihood based on the sweat and toil of others without

any inherent goodness or industry of their own, are " adhamAs " . Those who are

gracious enough to live and let others too live, are " MadhyamAs " . It is those

great people who sacrifice themselves for the welfare of others, who qualify for

the label " utthaman " . Thus, it is Sri Trivikrama, whose sole avatara prayOjanam

was the restoration of Indra's glory, (without Himself gaining anything from the

strenuous exercise of measuring all the worlds with His feet) who suits the word

" Utthaman " to a T. The monumental surveying exercise must have indeed been

tiresome to the Lord, (as the Azhwars remark- " andru ivvulagam aLanda asavE

kol? " ), making Him resort to a reclining posture permanently thereafter.

 

 

 

One man's food is another man's poison: so goes the adage. While Sri Andal

considers the Trivikrama an " Utthaman " , it is interesting to note that Sri

Nammazhwar calls Him a cheat and deceiver, for the very act of measuring the

worlds with His tiruvadi, for having given the impression of a dwarf and then,

after having wangled out three feet of land from MahAbali, growing into a giant

of unimaginable proportions-

 

 

 

" gyAlam koLvAn KuraLAgiya vanjanE "

 

" ariyAmai kuraLAi nilam mAvali moovadi endru

 

ariyAmai vanjitthAi " etc.

 

 

 

The Bhagavat Gita too appears to concur with the Nacchiar's assessment that

Trivikarama is an " Utthaman " -

 

 

 

" Utthama: Purusha: tu anya: ParmAtmA iti udAhrita:

 

yO lOkatrayam Avisya bibharti avyaya Ishwara: "

 

 

 

If we stretch the word " Avisya " to mean the Lord's feet traversing the three

worlds, we come to the conclusion that it is indeed Trivikrama who is the

" Utthaman " referred to here. This epithet is used in this sloka synonymously

with " ParamAtmA " :Ishwara: " etc., proving conclusively that Trivikrama is not

only the noblest of the noble, but is also the Supreme Lord.

 

 

 

That this " Utthaman " is also the Master of all Celestials is derived from Sri

Andal's second tribute, " ambaram Udaratthu Ongi ulagaLanda umbar kOmAn " . He is

the omnipotent Lord, to whom all devatas vie with one another to be of service

and pay tribute- " SarvEsmai dEvA balim Avahanti " .

 

 

 

When Sri Andal says " Utthaman pEr pAdi " , She refers to the chanting of the

Ashtakshara. This magnificent mantra, like the Vamana moortthi, contains in its

short structure all that needs to be known about the self, the Lord and other

components of the Arttha Panchakam. Similarly, the Narayana sabdam in the

Ashtakshara is synonymous with the Trivikrama sabdam, due to its all-pervasive

nature.

 

The term " Utthaman " thus signifies the Superlative, the other degrees of

comparison being represented by " Uth " and " Utthara " .

 

 

 

That the chanting of the Lord Trivikrama's holy name can bring us all prosperity

is derived from the succeeding lines of the pasuram-'teengindri nAdellAm tingaL

mummAri peidu'. This tirunamam is capable of dispelling all evil and ensuring

timely and copious rains, which in turn spell fertility and affluence.

 

The " Utthaman " 's glory is as tall as His stature, and defies description. The

Veda Purusha tries in vain to encapsulate Trivikrama's eminence, and gives up

after several futile attempts, admitting his inadequacy. We too can but try to

eulogize this Lord's tiruvadi, in Sri Andal's own immortal words-

 

" andru ivvulagam aLandAi adi pOttri " .

 

 

 

Srimate SriLakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya namah:

Dear sri Sadagopan Swamin,

As usual yet another brilliant post from dEvarIr. Really enjoyed reading it.

I was reading Sri Mukkur Azhagiya singar's ThiruppAvai commentary which is

sweet, simple and different as well.

For Ongi ulahaLandha Utthaman- Swamy writes:

 

this line is referred to Vaamana taking Thrivikrma avtaar to measure the

Universe (during Mahaabhali yaagam- when he came in the guise of small

Brahmachari Boy). But we do not feel that it is AndAL's ThiruvuLLam here to

address to Vaamanan or Thrivikraman. It should be Sri Krishnan and Sri AndAL

has made us contemplate on these lines in our minds as follows: (writes

Swamy)

 

1. Utthaman (most virtuous One)- Can Vaamanan be Utthaman- when he cheats in

the role of Brahmachari, came in a dwarf and later took huge form, it can

not be the act of Utthaman. But Sri Krishna took that Viswa roopam (when

Arjuna wanted to see) and hence he is Utthaman.

 

2. He helped Devendhran (a devathAtharam), a kamavasyan- and hence can not

be Utthaman-:-) Sri AndAL's group is ParamaikAnthins asking for neengaatha

selvam (unfleeting wealth- which is Himself)

 

3. He is Parama Purushan- Utthaman- the nexy few lines, refer to cows and

giving milk in abundance etc.. can not refer to Vaamanan. It should refer to

Only Sri Krishnan.

 

4. Also, He hid Periya PiraaTTi with the deer skin (when he came in as

Brahmachari). Had Maha bhali (by chance) seen PiraaTTi, would he give those

measures of earth? such vanjakan (cheater:-) can not be termed Utthaman

 

any many more that does not readily come to my mind..

Good anubhavam and AndAL and PerumAl would have shared smiling glances at

these comments.

This does not belittle Vaamanan; it is only glorifying Ayar

kozhundhu..AyarkOn, YasOdhai ilam chingam...

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan

 

 

 

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