PeriyAzhwAr's ThiruppallaNDU Paasurams: Part VIII ( The Fifth Paasuram )

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Today we will study the Fifth Pasuram of ThiruppallANDu :

 

aNDakkulutthukku adhipathiyAhi asurar-irAkkatharai

iNDakkulatthai yedutthuk-kaLaintha IrudeekEsanranakku

ThoNDaikkulatthuLLer vanthadi thozhuthu aayiranAmam solli

paNDaikkulatthait-tavirtthu pallANDu pallAyiratthANDenminE

 

(Meaning of the Paasuram as per Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan ):

 

Abandoning the old kulam (Multitude of people desiring material

wealth/Iswaryam) , Oh People ! You have come to our group of

ThoNDars ( desiring Bhagavath Kaimkaryam as the only goal).

Oh Devotees ! Come and prostrate at the holy feet of Lord

HrisheekEsan ( Lord Master of all senses ) , who is the Supreme

Ruler of all cosmic eggs and the vanquisher of RaakshasAs and

asurAs (i-e., the saviour of the righteous and the enemy of

the wicked ) . In praise of this Lord , let us chant the one thousand

names and sing : " May You live long for many years , many thousands

of years " .

 

In this Paasuram , PeriyAzhwAr admonishes first and then peruades

the material wealth seekers to seek Moksham instead as their

PurushArTam and nithya kaimkaryam to Sriman NaarAyaNan .

AzhwAr asks the IswaryArTees to stay away from Indhriya

Kaimkaryam and to seek instead VishNu Kaimkaryam . Here AzhwAr

extends his invitation to IaswaryArTees to join his ghOshti.

 

1. Commentary of Upanishad BhAshyakArar

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There are many aNDams (Cosmic eggs) in the Lord's creation .

There are agents appointed by the Lord to take care of these

different aNDams. These agents belong to the aNDak-kulam

and are known as aNDAdhipathis . The Supreme Master (adhipathi)

for all this aNDak-kulams(aNDAdhipathis) is Sriman NaarAyaNan

( aNDak-kulatthukku adhipathi).

 

One of the duties of the Supreme Master is to come to the help of

aNDAdhipathis , whenever their aNdams are threatened by RaakshasAs

and asurAs. He destroys the asura and Raakshasa vargam and helps

the aNDAshipathis to continue to rule over their aNDams as His

appointed agents . The aNDAdhipathis have rulership over their

respective aNDams but the Lord is Nikhila ANDAdhipathi , the Emperor

of all aNDAdhpathis. He is HrushIkEsan . The destruction of the Asura

and Raakshasa kulam by HrushIkEsan is saluted by PeriyAzhwAr as:

" aNDakkulatthukku adhipathiyAhi asurar irAkkatharai, iNDakkulatthai

yedutthuk-kaLaintha IrudIkEsan " . Our Lord protects the dharmam and

preserves the aNDams and their rulership by the aNDAdhipathis. BhagavAn's

Akhila ANDAdhipathithvam stays thus firm and eternal.

 

Now , PeriyAzhwAr reminds the IswaryArTees that they are also

Bhagavath BhakthAs and therefore asks them to banish their

thoughts from karmAs that yield alpa ( insignificant and perishing )

phalans. Please join our group as one belonging to the Kulam with Daasya

Buddhi ( eternal Servant to the Lord ) . Join us with the awareness of

the good fortune ( adhrushtam) arising from Seshathva svaroopa

Jn~Anam , place the burden of your protection at the sacred feet of

the Lord through Prapatthi anushtAnam and enjoy the BrahmAnandham

of Kaimkaryam to Him in His Supreme abode ! Recite His thousands of

Naamams ! Join us in performing MangaLAsAsanam to Him through

the singing of PallANDu to Him ! BhOgyathA nAmOccharaNam kuru

( Perform Prapatthi first and then with the mind steeped in the bliss

of that anushtAnam , recite the thousand names of the Lord ).

 

2. Commentary highlights of Sri Periya ParakAla Muni

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In this Paasuram , AzhwAr invites Iswaryam seekers to his ghOshti.

He reminds this group that all Iswaryam including Brahama Pattam

and Indhra Padhavai ( being crowned as Chathurmukha Brahma or

DevEndhran ) arise from the UpAsanam of Sriman NaarAyaNan .

Two of the most auspicious attributes of the Lord for such UpAsanam

are : His Nikhila ANDapathithvam ( being the Emperor of the rulers of all

cosmic eggs/worlds ) and SvAbhimatha Iswarya virOdhi nivarthakathvam

( removal of the enemies /iNDai kulatthAr/RaakshasAs and AsurAs , who

overpower the AndhAdhipathis appointed by the Lord to rule the aNDams).

Once such UpAsanai is performed successfuly , the Jn~Ana guNams

will follow readily thereafter . Our Lord takes the weapons like

KodhaNdam in RaamAvathAram , His own nails in NarasimhAvathAram

to destroy the INDai Kulam . This Lord is HrishIkEsan/HrudeekEsan ,

who is the AkhilANDa Koti adhipathy . AzhwAr asks the IswaryArthees to

come with Bhagavath prEmai and join his ghOshti , develop bhAva

bhandham ( ties thru such bhakthi bhAvam ) and be counted as

members of the ThoNDaikkulam (GhOshti of Bhagavath PrEmis).

Before becoming members of ThoNDaikkulam , as IswaryArthees ,

they belonged to PaNDaikkulam ( the ancient ghOshti seeking other gods

and targeting their rquests to them to gain alpa phalans ). AzhwAr

appeals to the PaNDaikkulatthOr ( adhama jaathi) to abandon their

ancient habit of chasing wealth and develop instead Bhagavath

Bhakthi and prEmai to elevate themselves to the Uthtama Jaathi

(Kulam ) of ThoNDaikkulam (SaajAthya VishNu BhakthAs) .ThoNDai

Kulam will give the new VaishNava Kulam ( Kulam tarum ). After

making the transition to ThoNDaikkulam through upAsanA , the upAsakAs

are bewitched by the Soundharyam and the anantha kalyANa guNams

of BhagavAn and sing PallANDu to the Lord , who in turn will be

happy that His efforts have borne fruit ( Krushi palitthathu yenRu

visEsha KaTAksham paNNuvAn ).

 

3. Thirukkudanthai Desikan's Commentary Highlights

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ANdakkulatthukku adhipathiyAhi : For those who perform UpAsanA

with the manthrams : " AndAdhipathayE Nama: , asura sathravE nama: " ,

our Lord changes their status from IswaryArthees( PaNDai Kulam)

and blesses them to joun the ThoNDai Kulam and directs their senses

(Indhriyams) in to service unto Him in His role as HrusheekEsan.They

worship the Lord's sacred feet alone as ananya prayOjanar and

cut their links to paNDai kulam ( PrayOjanAnanthapara Jana samsargam).

They identify with the Lord's sacred feet alone as the only PrayOjanam ,

develop intense prEmai for those Sevvadi and sing PallANDU for them .

 

4. Highlights of Thirukkudanthai Sri RanganAtha Swamy

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After inviting ParamaikAnthis (ananya prayOjanar ) first

and Kevalar ( KaivalyArthees) next , Azhwar now turns his

attention to the IswaryArthees out of compassion natural to

an AchAryan. He feels for their bad lot (Dhurgathi) and performs

upadEsam for sadhgathi . AzhwAr asks the IswaryArthees to fall

at the Lord's sacred fett , perform SaraNAgathy ( aathmAthmeeya

Bhara NyAsam) and to pursue the life of kinchithkAram ( Kaimkaryam )

that would be befitting their new svaroopam ( svaroopAnuroopa kaimkaryam )

as members of the ThoNDaikkulam . Sriman NaarAyaNan will be

immensely delighted with your SaraNAgathy and Kaimakryam

and look at you with vaathsalyam . At that time , hail Him long

life ( PallANDu ) and offer your prayers for His Nithya SrI ( eternal

auspiciousness ) to thrive forever and ever ( PallANDu PallANDu

pal kOti NoorAyiratthANDu). After that , recite His sahasra NaamAs

to celebrate Bhagavan-nAma MahAthmyam . That will break the golden

shackle of PuNyam ( Sukrutha nivarthakam ) as well as the iron

shackle of sins ( dhushkrutha nivarthakam ) and prepare you to enjoy

the adhyantha sukham (Supreme Bliss ) of Moksham .

 

PeriyAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

ThUppul KulatthadiyArkaL adiyAr poRRp-padham pORRi

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

SrivaNN Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: