mAyanai mannu

SrI:

SrImatE rAmAunjAya nama:

SrImath varavara munayE nama:

In her fifth pAsuram, AndAL sings the glories of SrI kriShNAvatAram including that of His thirunAmam (name) and associates. In this regard, the svApadEsArthams of certain phrases are very enjoyable. Below are glimpses of thiruppAvai vyAkyAnam for select words of the fifth pAsuram that are relevant to the context.

SrI kannan thirunAma vaibhavam

பெண் பிள்ளைகளிலே ஒருத்தி, “நாம் இப்படியே கனக்கப்பாரித்துக் கொண்டு இழியாநின்றோம்; நமக்குத்தான் இது தலைக்கட்டுகைக்கு விஸ்வாஸமென்?

அநாதிகால ஸஞ்சிதமான கர்மங்கள் இதுக்கு விரோதத்தைப் பண்ணாதோ? “ஸ்ரேயாம்ஸி பஹுவிக்நாநி” அன்றோ?

என்று பிரஸ்நம்பண்ண; அவர்களில் வேதாந்தஜ்ஞானம் உடையால் ஒருத்தி

“நாம் நம்முடைய விரோதிகளைப் போக்கிக்கொண்டு வந்து இதிலேயிழிகை என்று ஒரு பொருள் இல்லை; நமக்கு அடைத்த பகவத் அநுபவத்தைப் பண்ணா நின்றால்,

சேர்பால் போகரூபமாகப் பால் [பருகும் அவனுக்குத் தன்னுடைய பித்தம் போமாபோலே, இவை தன்னடையே விட்டு ஓடிப்போம்”

SrI rAma leaves for the forest

While observing the nOnbu vratam, a damsel in the gOpimArgaL gOShTi questions as to whether they would be able to successfully complete the vratam. Considering the group to be merely cowherd damsels, not knowing anything but butter and milk, she wonders what would happen if they were struck with an obstacle in course of their vratam. It is explained that this particular gOpikA was one who was well-learned and ripened in the knowledge of vEda-vEdAnatAs (she was vEdAnta gyAnam uDaiyavaL). Was there such a personality in our itihAsAs? This gOpikA is compared to SrI sumithrA pirATTiyAr, the mother of lakshmaNa and shatrughNa. In rAmAyaNa, SrI kausalyai cries and laments upon SrI rAma’s leaving to the forest. Seeing this, sumithrA consoles kausalyai, stating that no one could harm SrI rAma as there was no one superior to the supreme SrI rAma in both knowledge and strength. Owing to such knowledgeable preaching, sumithrai is considered to be a scholarly woman, knowledgeable of the vEdAntAs.

It is said, “shEyAmsi bahu vighnAnI bhavanti mahatAm api” – when one endeavors to perform good activities, impediments automatically find their way in. This can be seen in SrI rAmAyaNam. As SrI dasharatha maharAja contemplated on the arrangements for SrI rAma’s pattAbhishEkam (coronation), the ayOdhyAvAsIs expressed excitement about the glorious event and SrI vashiShTa mahariShi found a suitable day for the ceremony. While all these arrangements were made and that too for the supreme Lord SrI rAma, an impediment arose, which obstructed the ceremony. Quoting this episode and stating how the unimaginable happened in the case of SrI rAma, the above described gOpikA asks what would happen if any stumbling block came their way in course of the nOnbu.

Tending to her question, it is explained that the only way to drive out any obstacles in the path of our devotional service is by chanting the names of emperumAn (“mAyan dAmOdaranai cheppu”). To make clear this point, an example is stated. A person suffering from bile disease is advised to drink ten glasses of milk a day, which excites him given that he enjoys drinking it. As he begins to drink milk, his disease simultaneously begins to get cured; it is not that he drinks milk today and his disease begins to get cured a few days later. Just as how the process of healing takes place simultaneously as one takes the medicine (pAl kudikkum nOyu thIrumA pOlE), the obstacles disappear when we take to the chanting of emperumAn’s thirunAmangaL. Such is the greatness of the holy name!

SrI yamunai prabhAvam

SrI rAma and lakshmaNa look for SrI sIthai pirAttiyAr

In this pAsuram, AndAL says “thUya perunIr yamunai thuraivanai”. yamunai is described as “thUya perunIr”- divinely pure/holy. When one is said to be pure and sacred, it is a connotation that the other is not. Here, SrI yamunai is referred to as “thUya perunIr”; could there be a river that is not so? Here the implied reference is to river gOdhAvari. While yamunai is glorified as sacred, gOdhAvari is described as not sacred. When SrI sItA pirATTiyAr was kidnapped by the demoniac rAvaNan to lankA, she pleaded to gOdhAvari on her way to inform SrI rAma that rAvaNan had taken her away. However, when SrI rAma and SrI lakshmNa traversed the forests, looking for SrI seethai, asking the trees, flowers and rivers for the whereabouts of pirATTiyAr, gOdhAvari remained silent, not sharing any detail with SrI rAma, owing to fearing from rAvaNan. This is why gOdhAvari is not regarded as sacred.

SrI vasudEva carries kriShNa to the residence of SrI nandagOpan

In contrast to gOdhAvari, how was SrI yamunai? In the month of Avani, when rain was pouring down and the rivers were overfilled with water, SrI vasudEva, carrying his little kriShNa in a small basket, took to crossing the river to leave kannan at gOkulam. During this time, SrI yamunai paved way for SrI vasudEva by drying up until his knees so he could corss the river without any trouble.

SrI yamunai springs up in mathurA, right below the dwelling of kamsan. Not caring even a bit for kamsa, SrI yamunai boldly rendered kainakryam to kannan and His father. However, gOdhAvari, which flows in Andhra pradEsh that is several hundreds of miles away from lankA, feared of rAvaNa and stayed quiet at the time of need! And, hence, SrI yamunai is befitting of the honor “thUya perunIr”.

The gOpIs glorify SrI yashOdhai pirAttiyAr

AndAL says, “thAyai kudal viLakkam seydha dAmOdaranai”. Here, SrI yashOdhai pirATTiyAr is glorified by the gOpikAs. The gopikAs talk to themselves, saying, “How fortunate is yashOdhA! Who knows what nOnbu she performed that she was blessed with such a wonderful boy!”

SrI vishvAmithra with the divine brothers

Along the same lines, a reference is made to SrI rAmAyaNa, where in SrI vishvAmithra glorifies SrI kausalai pirATTiyAr. When taking SrI rAma and SrI lakshmaNa to the forest, vishvAmithra sings “kausalyA suprajA rAma pUrvA sandhyApravartatE…” to wake up SrI rAma in the morning. The manner in which vishvAmithra did so is described as, “unna pukku vAyai marappArai pOlE”- this refers to a hungry man, who, upon seeing wonderful delicacies would find himself absorbed in wondering how the delicious food was made rather than rapidly gobbling the food to satisfy his intense hunger. Similar to such a person, forgetting the reason underlying taking SrI rAma-lakshmaNa to the forest, vishvAmithrar stood completely mesmerized by the beauty of SrI rAma, leading him to wonder how fortunate was SrI kauslyai. 

TRANSLATED from the works of Mūāyirappadi (swAmi Periyavāchchān Piļļai) & Ārāyirappadi (swAmi Azhagiya Manavāļā Perumāļ Nāyanār).  

 AndAL thiruvadiklaey sharanam | emperumAnAr thiruvadikaley sharanam