AndAL vaibhavam (II)

SrI:

SrImatE rAmAunjAya nama:

SrImath varavara munayE nama:

AndAL’s sahaja pAratantriyam

புருஷன் புருஷனைக்கண்டு ஸ்நேஹிப்பதிலுங்காட்டில் ஸ்திரீ புருஷனைக்கண்டு ஸ்நேஹிக்கை பள்ளமடை ஆகையாலே, ஆழ்வார்களிற் காட்டிலும் எம்பெருமான் பக்கல் பரம பக்தி உடையாளன ஆண்டாள் விலக்ஷனை,இங்கு அருளி செய்தது.

For a so-called puruSha in this world to show bhakti to empeurmAn, he has to adopt the mood of a sthrI. This is seen in the case of AzhwArs. nammAzhwAr, kulashEkhara AzhwAr and thirumangai AzhwAr as parAnkuşa, kulashEkhara and parakAla nAyakI respectively embraced the mood of a girl (nAyakI) to enjoy mAdhurya prEma with emperumAn.   This embracing of the nAyikA bhAvam called for overcoming their so-called masculine nature for they were puruShAs by birth.

However, AndAL was a girl by birth and hence the nAyaki bhAvam was innate to her. For a girl (sthrI), pAratantriyam or dependence is very natural (sahajam). A wife is completely dedicated to her husband and this quality of sincere dedication comes to her naturally rather than by any means of acquiring it. Similarly nAyikA bhavam toward emperumAn came to AndAL naturally (svAbhAvikamAha). Besides, being the divine incarnation of SrI bhUmi pirATTiyAr, gyAna (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion) were characteristic of AndAL just as how the fragrance (narumalam) associated with thiru-ththuzhAi AzhwAr (tulasi) is characteristic of her and inseparable from her. Thus, this innate gyAna, bhakti and pAratantiyam of AndAL, further ripened by periyAzhwAr’s divine upbringing, was evident (pratyaksham) in AndAL’s thirumEni.

AndAL embraces the gopIs’ mood

பெண்பிள்ளைகள் தங்கள் ஆற்றாமையாலே "துஷ்ட காளிய திஷ்டாத்ர க்ரிஷ்னோ ஹமிதி சாபரா" என்கிறபடியே அவர்கள் அநுகரித்து

தரித்தார்கள்' என்று கேட்டு , தானும்(ஆண்டாளும்) அவர்களைப் போலே அநுகரித்து

... ஆண்டாளும் ஸ்ரீ வில்லிபுத்தூரே திருவாய்ப்பாடியாகவும், அங்குள்ள பெண்கள் இடைப் பெண்களாகுவும், தானும் அவர்களிலே ஒருத்தியாகவும்,வடபெருங்கோயிலே ஸ்ரீ நந்தகோபர் திருமாளிகையாகவும், உள்ளே

நிற்கிறவன் கிருஷ்ணனாகவும் அநுஸந்தித்து...

அநுகாரம் முற்றி , இடைநடையும், இடைப்பேச்சும், முடைநாற்றமுமாய் விட்டது.

AndAL was born in kali yugA. emperumAn’s rAma-kriShNa vibhavAvatAra pastimes took place during the previous yugAs. So, wondering how she could associate with kannan, AndAL thought she could go to the places where kannan performed his leelais, where she could enjoy the same anubhavam as the gOpIs. However, AndAL lacked the strength to travel even a few steps since she became so weak owing to the pain associated with being separated from emperumAn (virahatApam). Was there a possibility of emperumAn coming himself to rescue AndAL? It didn’t seem so. In the case of sItA pirATTiyAr, SrI rAma ppirAn had the opportunity to meet with and marry pirATTiyAr given SrI janaka maharAja’s arrangement of the lifting-of-the-shiva-dhanuSh contest in the context of SrI sItA pirATTiyAr’s wedding. In the case of nappinai pirATTi, her father kumbhar took oath that the person who would kill the seven rAkshasa bulls would be given his daughter in marriage; and, hence, kannan emperumAn had the opportunity to kill the bulls and marry nappinnai pirATTi. However, periyAzhwAr had not made any such arrangements nor had he taken any such oaths with respect to AndAL’s marriage.

rAsa dance

AndAL’s helpless state finally found solace in the words of dhArmikAs (great saints)found in the purANAs, where they explain the state of the gOpIs of thiruvAyppAdi. The gOpIs were enjoying the supreme-most bliss when involved in the rAsa dance with kannan, also known as rAsakrIda/thirukuravaikOththu. Their transcendental happiness and ecstasy reached such heights that they were completely intoxicated by the bliss of being in the company of kannan. Since extremities of both happiness and distress could pave way for danger, kannan subsequently disappeared from the scene for a change in rasa. Following kannan’s vanishing, the gOpIs felt great pain of separation from kannan, which was very difficult for them to bear. Hence, being so attracted to kannan, they began to imitate and enact the pastimes of kannan- this adoption of another’s behavior/mood/voice is called anukaraNam. By doing so and reminding themselves of the pastimes of kannan, they obtained some satisfaction.

kriShNa playing his flute with the gOpikAs

AndAL, likewise, decided to embrace the mood of the gOpIs. She considered herself to be one of the cowherd girls (iDai pengaL), SrIvillipuththUr to be thiruAyppAdi, the vaTapathrasAyee kOvil at SrIvillipuththUr to be nandagOpan’s thirumALigai and SrI vaTapathrasAyee emperumAn to be kannan. Further, AndAL’s embracing of the gOpIs’ mood (anukAram) ripened to such extent that she began to walk like the gOpIs (cowherd girls), dress up like them and talk like them!

TRANSLATED from thiruppāvai avathārikai in mūāyirappadi of vyAkhyAna chakravarti, swAmi periyavāchchān piļļai. 

  

 AndAL thiruvadiklaey sharanam | emperumAnAr thiruvadikaley sharanam