PeriyAzhwAr's ThiruppallaNDU Paasurams: Part XI ( The Eighth Paasuram )

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Dear BhakthAs :

 

Today we will study the Eighth Pasuram of ThiruppallANDu :

 

Neyyidai nallathOr sORum niyathamum atthANic-chEvakamum

kaiadaikkAyum kazhutthukkup-pooNodu kAthukku kuNDalamum

meyyida nallathOr saanthamum tanthennai veLLurAkkavalla

paiyuDai Naahap-pahaik-kodiyAnukkup-pallANDu kooRuvanE

 

Meaning according to Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan

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(The speciaI grace , viz., VisEsha anugraham bestowed

on VishNuchitthar by Lord VishNu is refered to in this paasuram ).

The Lord has bestowed on me His divine grace by giving me

(1) the best food mixed with sufficent ghee (2) the opportunity

to perform nithya kaimkaryam ( prescribed daily duty)

(3) the special duty to do asthAna kaimkaryam (Thiruvolakkam

at the royal assembly ) , (4) the remnants of betel leaves and areca

nuts for my hands (5) mukta haaram or gem - necklace for my neck ,

(6) Kundalams (ear rings) for my ears and (7) the fragrant sandal paste

to besmear over my body. Thus , He is powerful enough to purify me

and make me a holy soul ( veLLyuir) . Let me sing in praise of Him ,

who has the banner of Garuda , the enemy of the hooded serpent :

" May You live long for many years ! " .

 

1. Upanishad BhAshyakArar's commentary highlights

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In this Pasuram , AzhwAr acknowledges the union of

the erstwhile IswaryArtthees(ANDAdhipathis) in his ghOshti

following his invitation for them to join and sing pallANDu

to the Lord ( these aahUthars become now sangathars ) .

 

ANDAthipathis now reflect on their good fortune and say :

" As ANDAdhipathis , it is customary for us to be steeped in

the enjoyment of sukha bhOgams . These sukha bhOgams are :

(1) enjoying annam surrounded by ghee , (2) the servant clan that

executes our commands , (3) the servants with betel and nuts

on their hands for our sukha anubhavam , (4) the aabharaNams for

our neck , KuNDalams for our ears and fragrant sandal paste

to besmear on our bodies .

 

All of these Iswaryams were blessed to us by the Lord ,

who made us the rulers of the different ANDams . We stayed

enjoying these Iswaryams and had the mind set that such

bhOgams alone were sufficent . Thanks to any sukrutha visEsham

( good fortune ) we had , BhagavAn made us loose this attitude of being

stuck in the mire of bhOgams and created svaroopa Jn~Anam in us and

lifted us out of SamsAram and blessed us to become the equivalents of

His nithya Sooris ( eternally liberated Jeevans).That BhagavAn rests on

AdhisEshan as Anantha Sayanan . He has Garudan in His flag who is

the enemy of the hooded serpents. Let us now recite PallANDu

to our Lord , who has blessed us in so many ways !

 

Thus the former IswaryArthees sing PallANDu for the eternal auspicousness

(Nithya SrI ) of the union of the Lord with AdhisEshan and Garudan .

 

Excerpts from the original Sanskrit commentary of Upanishad BhAshyakArar

is as follows : " aajya madhyasTam sameecheenam vilakshaNam saathvikam

annam , antharangasEvAm tadhupayOgI dhAsi-dhAsam , hasthayO: thAmbhUla-

veeDeem , kaNDasya kaNDikAya saha , karNayO : makara kuNDalam , SarIrE

anulOpanAya gandham cha dhathvA , Maamm aarUDa chEthanam karthum

samarTam PhaNisAlina-Naaga virOdhi dhvajam , Bhagavantham

uddhisya PaLLANDu gaasyam ithyarTa: " .

 

2. Sri Periya ParakAla Muni's commentaries

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The IswaryArthees from ANDakkulam now state their qualifications

and describe their changed mental state and join the GhOshti of

ParamaikAnthis led by PeriyAzhwAr . Out of gratitude for the Lord ,

who blessed them with all iswaryams , they elaborate on their

contentment with their lot and state that Lord will grant them

Mukhya BhOgya dasai (Supreme state of enjoyment , Moksham)

as they join in singing PallANDu with this VisEsha ghOshti .

The Lord , who gave us all this wealth to enjoy has now created

desire in us for Moksham and is ready now to recieve our

MangaLaasanam as veLLyuirhaL ( qualifying holy souls for

Moksha sukham) .

 

3. Thirukkudanthai Desikan's Commentaries

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Now that ANDakkula IswaryArthees have responded positively

to his invitation to join his ghOshti , AzhwAr unites them with his

ghOshti in recognition of their rejection of kshudhra purushArTams

(seeking saadharaNa Iswaryams that have time limit ) . AzhwAr recognizes

their transformation from mere bhOgis to suddhAthmAs and encourages

them to sing PallANDu to the Lord .They have become Mumukshus

(desirous of Moksham ) and join the assembly of Nithya Sooris instead of

staying as nithya samsAris .

 

Thirukkudanthai Sri RanganAtha Swamy's commentary

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The ANDAdhipahtis representing those who seek perishable

wealth state their fitness to join the ghOshti of AzhwAr to sing

PallANDu to the Lord. Lord's oudhAryam (generosity ) blessed

them with the wealth they sought .Now they recognize that

the acquired wealth ( Taaraka pOshaka BhOgyams) has no eternal

value and seek instead the permanent Iswaryam of Kaimkaryam to

the Lord ( PallANDu Paaduthal) in His Supreme abode as MukthAs .

The svaropa Jn~Anam awakens in them and they want to enjoy

Bhagavath VibhUthi ( Iswaryam of BhagavAn). The ruchi for

the holy feet of the Lord becomes ascendant and that ruchi

kicks away the tendency for immersion in vishaya sukhams.

 

Thus ends the 7th Paasuram , which celebrates the Vaibhavam of

IsvaryArthees joining the AzhwAr ghOshti to perform MangaLAsAsanam

to the Lord.

 

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: