periyAzhwAr thirumozhi – 2.2 – aravaNaiyAy! AyarERE!

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periyAzhwAr thirumozhi >> Second Centum  

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While all the AzhwArs were affectionate towards krishNAvathAram [incarnation of krishNa], unlike the other AzhwArs, periyAzhwAr was deeply in love with krishNAvathAram. In order to enjoy the flavour of that avathAram, AzhwAr considered himself as a herd-person [either as a male or as a female entity]. Just as ANdAL had mentioned in nAchchiyAr thirumozhi 8-10 “bOgaththil vazhuvAdha pudhuvaiyar kOn” (the controller of Sri villibuththUr, who did not miss out on any of the experiences of krishNa), AzhwAr enjoyed all the flavours of that avathAram. In the first three thirumozhis [decads] of the first centum, when krishNa incarnated, AzhwAr mentioned as to how the herd-folk, who were in thiruvAyppAdi, celebrated in a distinguished manner, krishNa’s arrival in their midst [periyAzhwAr thirumozhi 1.1]. He then described how yaSOdhAp pirAtti had exclusively enjoyed his beautiful limbs, starting from his divine feet to his divine crown and how she called others, who were interested in enjoying those limbs and showed them the same [1.2]. He then described her keeping krishNa in the cradle and singing lullabies [1.3]. Though AzhwAr belonged to a later period of time, due to his overflowing love for krishNa, he enjoyed the experience of yaSOdhAp pirAtti and others, at the same time as they did. He then experienced the way krishNa called chandhran [1.4], the way he danced sengIrai [1.5], the way he clapped his hands [1.6], the way he took tender steps [1.7], the way he embraced the front and back [1.8 and 1.9 respectively], the way yaSOdhAp pirAtti desired and the way krishNa carried out the childish activities of embracing her on the front and back sides, with her pathos. In the previous thirumozhi [2.1], he enjoyed krishNa’s activity of performing appUchchi with those in thiruvAyppAdi, the way yaSOdhAp pirAtti had enjoyed with her words, at the same time and with the same words which she had used and was happy.

Now, as part of his activities in line with his incarnation, krishNa had forgotten even to suckle yaSOdhAp pirAtti and was sleeping for a long time. Just as the saying goes “Mother will know about the child which has not eaten”, yaSOdhAp pirAtti realised that and woke him up in order to feed him. She told him about the long interval in his feeding, desiring that he should take the milk which is flowing out of her bosoms. Even when he was not keen, she forced him to feed from her. AzhwAr, desiring to experience the same activity, taking over her pathos, indulges in activities such as waking krishNa up etc, enjoying the same, and becomes happy.

thiruvAimozhip piLLai, in his svApadhESam says the following: Just as periyAzhwAr had mentioned in thiruppaLLANdu 11 “alvazhakku onRum illA aNi kOttiyar kOn” (one who is the head of the beautiful thirukkOttiyUr, which does not have anyone with bad conduct), AzhwAr made thirukkOttiyUr, which was without people having bad conduct, as the divine abode where krishNa would incarnate, made the presiding perumAL in that dhivyadhEsam as the cause for his incarnations and the people of that place, who did not carry out any improper act, as the preceptors. When such kaNNan incarnated in thirukkOttiyUr, all the people there celebrated. AzhwAr made himself as one of the people of that place and saw all these [this was the first thirumozhi in first centum]. He then saw the divine limbs of emperumAn who incarnated there, starting with his divine feet and ending with his divine crown, ascertaining that they were not only without any shortcoming, but that this is the parama purushArtham [supreme benefit of attaining emperumAn].  He felt happy with this and showed them to people who are like himself, saying “kANIr, kANIr” (please come and see) [1.2]. Then, many entities, from both leelA vibhUthi [materialistic realm] and nithya vibhUthi [spiritualistic realm] sent him various materials as symbols of their servitude, which could be classified as those which have been ordained in SAsthras and those, which are carried out to fulfil their role as servitors. These were sent with affection, ascertaining their relationship with emperumAn. Some of these materials were sent through others while some were brought by the respective entity, to manifest the reality of incarnation, catering to both krishNa’s eminence and simplicity, praying to him to accept them. After krishNa accepted these, he was laid in a cradle and AzhwAr mercifully composed lullabies for him to sleep [1.3]. Then, AzhwAr pointed out the eminence of gyEyam [emperumAn] over gyAthA [one who is the repository of gyAnam, knowledge] [here, AzhwAr told chandhran, who is the gyAthA, to come and look at krishNa [gyEyam]. He called all the people who had knowledge, in both leelA vibhUthi and nithya vibhUthi through terms such as “iLamAmadhI”, “viN thanil manniya mAmadhI” telling them to come and enjoy krishNa’s divine activity of playing with mud and dirt in the courtyard, enjoying these activities himself and calling others who are like him, to come and witness krishNa’s divine activities [1.4]. Then, through “uyya ulagu padaiththu” padhigam [1.5], he invites those who had not come in the previous thirumozhi, pointing out to emperumAn who resides in parama padham (SrI vaikuNtam), shining as the causative factor of all the worlds, recalling the divine abodes which he had mentioned earlier along with divine abodes such as thirukkuRUngudi in this thirumozhi, where emperumAn has taken residence. The one, who shines as various incarnations carrying out noble deeds, is the one who is mentioned as in bhagavath gIthA 15-15 “vEdhaiScha sarvair ahamEva vEdhya:” (only I am known through all the vEdhas), saying that “Only I am known through all the vEdha SAsthrams, ithihAsams [epics], purANams [ancient sacred texts] etc”. He had called such supreme entity earlier [in the third thirumozhi] as nArAyaNA azhEl azhEl (Oh, nArAyaNa! Do not cry). In this thirumozhi [1.5] he addresses him as nAnmaRaiyin poruLE (Oh, one who is the meaning of all the vEdhas!), ElumaRaip poruLE (Oh, one who is the meaning of vEdhas which are apt to speak about you!), engaL kudikku arasE (Oh, one who is the lord of our clan!) affirming that emperumAn is the meaning of all the sacred texts and that he is all the words which describe the meanings. Through the first pAsuram in this thirumozhi [1.5.1], “seyyavaL ninagalam sEmam enak karudhi – AyargaL pOrERE Aduga sengIrai” (periya pirAttiyAr (SrI mahAlakshmi), who resides on a reddish lotus, considering that your divine chest should be well protected – Oh, one who is like a bull which is ready for battle! You should dance), to make the people of the world to follow the ordained activities by following authentic texts, through fear or devotion or relationship [with emperumAn], to make it appear that emperumAn is dependent on his followers, AzhwAr asked him to perform the sengIrai dance. With the pretext of sengIrai (1.5), AzhwAr prayed for other divine activities such as chappANi (clapping the hands, 1.6), thaLar nadai (taking tender steps, 1.7), achchO achchO (you should embrace me from the front, 1.8), puRam pulguvAn (you should embrace my back, 1.9) and appUchchi (creating fear by showing upturned eyelid or the divine weapons of divine disc and divine conch, 2.1). As krishNa carried out these activities, AzhwAr started repenting, thinking “If he does these, his divine feet will get hurt”, “When he takes tender steps, he may fall and his divine form will get hurt”, “Through achchO achchO and puram pulguthal since AzhwAr’s chest is hard, when emperumAn embraces, his divine chest will get hurt”, feeling sad, thinking “What have I asked him to do, by praying to him?” In order to pacify periyAzhwAr, when emperumAn showed his divine disc and divine conch, since they too were reasons for creating fear (in the minds of entities such as periyAzhwAr who will fear as to what ill will befall emperumAn) and relief from fear (in the minds of other favourable followers), AzhwAr decided that by carrying these divine weapons all the time, emperumAn’s divine form would be drooping. Since emperumAn was sleeping well due to the comfortable mattress, AzhwAr wakes him up. emperumAn had said in rig vEdham “anaSnan” {he does not eat]. Destroying his divine will of not eating anything, AzhwAr makes him eat in this thirumozhi, just as emperumAn had said bhagavath gIthA 9.26 “aSnAmi” (I eat).

We shall next consider the 1st pAsuram of this thirumozhi.

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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