katRu kaRavai

SrI:

SrImatE rAmAunjAya nama:

SrImath varavara munayE nama:

பதினோராம்பாட்டு. (கற்றுக்கரவை) க்ருஷ்ணன் ஊருக்காக ஒருபிள்ளையாய் எல்லாராலும் கொண்டாட வளர்ந்தாப்போலே, ஊருக்காக ஒருபெண்பிள்ளையாய், “பதிஸம்யோகஸுலபம்” என்னும்படி பருவத்தையுடையளாய், அவனைப் பெறுகைக்கு நோற்பேன் நானோ, அவன் தானேவேணுமாகில் நோற்று வருகிறானென்னு கிடக்கிறாளொருத்தியை யெழுப்புகிறார்கள்.

In the eleventh pAsuram, AndAL wakes up a gOpikai, who is addressed as “kOvalar tham porkudi”. This gOpikai was very special as she possessed very fine qualities that are captured in the words ‘kOvalar tham porkudi’, ‘punamayil’, ‘putRaravalgul’ and ‘selva pendAtti’. The svApadEsArtham explained is that if a bhAgavathOththamar is bestowed with good kulam, beauty and auspicious qualities, he is to be celebrated and his association is to be glorified. Below are glimpses of thiruppAvai vyAkyAnam, particularly 6000-padi, relevant to the context.

Bringing glory to her kulam

nAyanAr explains that “kOvalan” is a cowherd, who in accordance with his varNa and Ashrama performed his duties as kainkaryam(“kaNangaL pala kaRandhu”)and it is his daughter who is referred to as “kOvalar tham porkudi”. It is explained that this gOpikai brought glory to her father.

SrI sIthai pirAttiyAr

Here, a comparison is drawn to SrI seethai pirAttiyAr. Her father, SrI janaka maharAja, says, “janakAnAm kulE kIrtim Aharishyati mE sutA”. Very proudly, janakA says sItai is HIS daughter- “mE sutA”. Having married the Almighty, SrI rAma, she brought utmost glory to the janaka kulam.  kamban beautifully says, “unkulam unnadhAki than kulam thannadhAki en kulaththaiyum vAzhviththAL”- sItai brought fame and splendor to the kulam she was born in, to the sUrya vamsa kula of SrI rAma as well as to the vAnara kulam. In this context, it is shown that a girl must be patient, bring glory to her kulam of birth as well as the kulam she is married to.

periyAzhwAr raises AndAL with love

Similarly, AndAL is called “pattarpirAn kOdhai”- AndAL and her glory are always associated with her father, periyAzhwAr. periyAzhwAr celebrates the glory of his daughter in the pAsuram, “oru magaL thannai udaiyEn ulagam niraindha puzhAl thirumagaL pOla vaLarththEn sengkanmAl thAn kondu pOnAn”.

Such was the greatness of “kOvalar tham porkudi”, who brought great fame to the Aykkulam.

Glimpses of AchArya hrudayam

nAyanAr

In the first prakaraNam of AchArya hrudayam, azhagiya manavALa perumaL nAyanAr, when revealing the eminence of nammAzhwAr, says “janaka dasharatha vasudEva kuLangaLukku mUththa pennum naduvil piLLAiyum kadai kuttiyum pOlE ivarum pugazhum AkkamumAkki anchjiraiyum aruththAr”. Here three kulams are stated- janaka kulam, dasharatha kulam and vasudEva kilam. sIthai, the oldest daughter of janaka brought pugazh to her kulam. bharathAzhwAn, the son of the (middle) wife kaikEyi, brought nanmai to his kulam. kannan, the last child of vasudEva, saved his parents by virtue of destroying their iron shackles, thus uplifting his kulam. nAyanAr explains that nammAzhwAr individually accomplished all the three. He brought glories to his place-thirukkurugUr, he was the embodiment of shEShathvam (as seen in the thiruvAimozhi-pandainALAlE) and he was similar to SrI kannan as in his pAsurams (paththudai) when recited frees on from the bondage of samsAra just as SrI kannan says in his SrI gIthai, “janma karma cha mE divyam...tyaktvA dEham punar janma”-one who understands His transcendental nature does not take birth again in samsara. Similar was the greatness of the pen “kOvalar tham porkudi”.

TRANSLATED from the works of Mūāyirappadi (swAmi Periyavāchchān Piļļai, Ārāyirappadi (swAmi Azhagiya Manavāļā Perumāļ Nāyanār) and the kAlakshEpams of revered vidvAns.  

  

 AndAL thiruvadiklaey sharanam | emperumAnAr thiruvadikaley sharanam