SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavara munayE nama:
Starting with thiruppAvai, until the previous decad, various levels of maturity which happened for ANdAL were mentioned, leading to higher levels of maturity in her devotion. In this thirumozhi, how that devotion transformed into paramabhakthi (a stage in devotion where she couldn’t sustain herself unless she united with emperumAn, leading to bhagavath anubhavam (experiencing emperumAn)) has been mentioned. In thiruppAvai, she started with “nArAyaNanE namakkE paRai tharuvAn” (only SrIman nArAyaNan is capable of giving us the ultimate benefit of servitude). She then enjoyed with followers of emperumAn in the intermediate pAsurams of thiruppAvai, culminating in prApakam (means) in the 28th pAsuram of “kaRavaigaL” and in prApyam (ultimate benefit) in the 29th pAsuram of “siRRam siRu kAlE”, establishing prApyam and prApakam. Since she did not attain the prApyam immediately, she became bewildered. In the 1st padhigam (decad) of nAchchiyAr thirumozhi “thaiyoru thingaL” she observed nOnbu (a ritual) by falling at the feet of kAman (deity for love). In the 2nd padhigam “nAmam Ayiram” she tried to attain emperumAn through building sand houses. In the next padhigam “kOzhi azhaippadhan munnam” by having a bath early in the morning, in the 4th padhigam “theLLIyar palar” by engaging with kUdal and in the 5th padhigam “mannu perum pugazh” by listening to a cuckoo, she tried to attain emperumAn. Through all these, her desire to see him in person developed in her. Since she could not see him immediately, she sustained herself by recounting how she married kaNNa pirAn in her dream through the 6th padhigam “vAraNam Ayiram”. Since it was an experience in her dream and since it was not clear, in the 7th padhigam “karuppUram nARumO” she enquired with SrI pAnchajanyAzhwAn who guides regarding bhagavadh anubhavam. In the next padhigam “viNNeela mElAppu” looking at dark clouds, being tormented [since they reminded her of emperumAn], she enquired from them about emperumAn. Just as sIthAp pirAtti made hanuman, who came from SrI rAma as his messenger, as her messenger to him, ANdAL made those clouds, which came from thiruvEngadam hills, as her messengers to emperumAn who had taken residence in thiruvEngadam. In the 9th padhigam “sindhurach chembodi”, she recounted about various entities which appeared during the rainy season, saying how she was tormented by them since they reminded her of emperumAn, each in its way. In the 10th padhigam “kArkkOdal pUkkAL” she mentioned about how they tormented her fully. In the 4th pAsuram of the 10th padhigam “kumaranAr sollum poyyAnAl nAnum piRandhamai poyyanRE” she doubted whether her being the daughter of periyAzhwAr and the assurance given by SrI rAma in his charama SlOkam as enunciated in SrI rAmAyaNam yudhdha kANdam 18-33 “sakrudhEva prapannAya thavAsmIthi cha yAchathE l abhayam sarvabhUthEbhyO dhadhai Ethath vratham mama ll” (To the person who surrenders to me once and to the person who tells me ‘I am your servitor’ I offer protection from all entities alive. This is my vow) would get falsified in her case. At the end of that padhigam in the 10th pAsuram beginning with “nalla en thOzhi”, she said “villipudhuvai vittuchiththar thangaL dhEvarai valla parisu varuvipparEl adhu kANdumE” confirming that even if his word becomes false, her connection with periyAzhwAr would certainly give her the ultimate benefit. In the next (11th) padhigam “thAm ugakkum” through the 10th pAsuram “semmaiyudaiya thiruvarangar thAm paNiththa meymmaip peru vArththai vittu chiththar kEttu iruppar” she became clear in her mind that since he [emperumAn] is honest, she doesn’t have to lose her ultimate benefit. Even then, since he did not come and manifest his divine face, she brought that padhigam to an end in a sorrowful manner by saying “sAdhippAr Ar iniyE”. Since the firmness which she had that her connection with periyAzhwAr would certainly give her the benefit did not yield result immediately, she started to go to the place where he was residing. However, since she had become weak, she could not walk. Hence, she asked those who had the strength, to carry her to the place where he was residing, in 12th padhigam “maRRIrundhIrgatku”. In the next padhigam (13th) “kaNNan ennum” she said that even if they are unable to carry her to his place, they could bring some material which has had connection with him and apply that on her such that she could sustain herself. Even though she had been born in the prapanna kulam (clan of those who surrender to emperumAn right at the time of birth) who had affirmed that emperumAn alone is the refuge, wasn’t her deep love towards emperumAn such that she had to observe various rituals in order to attain him? Having such a deep love, affirming in thiruppAvai that both prApyam and prApakam are only emperumAn, her condition was such that unless she attained him, she could not sustain herself.
Though she had such a deep love, emperumAn’s thinking was different. He delayed manifesting himself to her thinking “If the benefit, which is her experiencing us, were to fit her, her love has to grow even deeper. When a person is suffering from indigestion, if he is fed food, it could lead to the end of his life. In the same way, unless she reaches the stage of deepest love, which is paramabhakthi where she could digest ultimate happiness [of being together with us] she would not be able to fit with that ultimate happiness. Thus, we should manifest ourselves to her only after creating the stage of paramabhakthi”. After that, her love started overflowing, making her to sustain herself only if she attained him and to give up her life if she could not attain him, making her to somehow attain him even if it meant that she had to compel him for that. Thus, after she attained the stage of paramabhakthi, just as he had manifested his face to nammAzhwAr when AzhwAr reached the stage of paramabhakthi and recited the pAsuram as in thiruvAimozhi 10-10-10 “en avAvaRach chUzhndhAy”, he manifested himself to ANdAL and took her under his refuge. Since the paramabhakthi stage which she attained and the ultimate happiness which was appropriate for that paramabhakthi were so excessive, without any limit, this decad could not be recited by one person speaking fully. Thus, in every pAsuram in this decad, the first half appears to be spoken by those who are asking, when they say “kaNdIrE” [Did you see?] and the second half of every pAsuram appears to be spoken by those who are responding when they say “kaNdOm” [We saw]. Thus, she brings this nAchchiyAr thirumozhi to an end by speaking about the paramabhakthi which had got created in her and the ultimate happiness which she attained, by speaking as two persons.
While she belongs to the prapanna kulam [clan of those who have surrendered to emperumAn], since emperumAn showed her his face only after she reached the stage of paramabhakthi, will it not be construed that her bhakthi is sAdhana bhakthi (attaining emperumAn through the path of devotion, on her own efforts)? Though her devotion was stronger than that of those who observe sAdhana bhakthi, that devotion came about because of her anguish of not having attained him and it was not a tool to attain him. Thus, hers is not a sAdhana bhakthi. Though she is a SaraNAgathai (one who has surrendered) with sidhdha sAdhana nishtai (one who is firmly rooted in attaining emperumAn through him), she has overflowing desire. When prapannars (those who have surrendered to emperumAn) attain emperumAn, they should have this desire compulsorily. Without this desire, it is impossible to attain him. In that case, could one attain the ultimate benefit through that bhakthi itself? Carrying out sAdhana bhakthi with its angams (ancillaries such as karma yOgam and gyAna yOgam) is very difficult. Moreover, for one who knows the connection between emperumAn and self as that between a husband and wife, sAdhana bhakthi is similar to a wife demanding money for enjoyment with her husband, not fitting with one’s svarUpam (basic nature). Hence, making bhakthi as the means to attain emperumAn has to be renounced; bhakthi is not to be renounced towards emperumAn who has unexplainable greatness which makes all other greatness non-existing. For a prapannan, emperumAn who has all auspicious qualities alone is the upAyam (means). Those qualities themselves will be the prApakam (ultimate benefit). Just as it has been said in thaiththirIya upanishath Anandhavalli 1-2 “sO’SnuthE sarvAn kAmAn sahabrahmaNA vipaSchithA” (mukthAthmA [soul liberated from samsAram, and has reached SrIvaikuNtam], enjoys all the auspicious qualities of the supreme entity, along with the omniscient brahmam [supreme entity]), even if one goes to parama padham, aren’t qualities apt to be enjoyed!
Since the parama bhakthi which was created in her and the ultimate happiness aligned to that parama bhakthi are not seen in a chEthana (entity with knowledge) in this world, ANdAL tells her parama bhakthi, where she is unable to sustain herself unless she sees him, through the words of those who are asking when they say “kaNdIrE” and tells the ultimate happiness that she attained, through the words of those who are responding in the latter half of the pAsuram when they say “kaNdOmE”, bringing the decad to its end. Since she is speaking in the pathos of a herd-girl in thiruvAyppAdi, this also becomes anyApadhESam (instructing others). In the final pAsuram [of this decad] since she says “vittuchiththan kOdhai sol” she also makes it clear that it is ANdAL who composed this.
- pAsuram 1 – patti mEyndhOr
- pAsuram 2 – anunga ennai
- pAsuram 3 – mAlAyp piRandha
- pAsuram 4 – kArththaN kamalam
- pAsuram 5 – mAdhavan en maNiyinai
- pAsuram 6 – dharumam aRIyA
- pAsuram 7 – poruththam udaiya
- pAsuram 8 – veLiya sangu
- pAsuram 9 – nAttaip padai
- pAsuram 10 – parundhAL kaLiRRukku
Next, we will consider the 1st pAsuram of this decad.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
archived in http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org