Thiruchcherai
Thiruchcherai
As part of
dAsan
vanamamalai padamanabhan
SERVITUDE TO BHAGAVATHAS
bhAgavatha prabhAvam
Our beloved azhvars are adorned as “pEssiRRE pEsum Eka
kandargal” by our poorvacharyas. Swamy manavala mAmunikal
specially embellishes thirumangai azhvar as “mAran
paniththa thamizh maraikku Arangam koora avadhariththa”var.
2. Does the devotion of Sri Kaliyan towards the bhAgavathAs a flash in the
pan? Is it just a passing cloud or is it a fancy/infatuation? Is it a temporary
phenomenon or a permanent affair?
Please go further…..
“vinnavaril poligindrArE”
In the first two paasurams, kaliyan was fascinated with the Krishna
bhakthas who were ever involved in the enchanting leelas of kutti kannan
(“kEtpAr kEsavan keerthi allAl kEtparO”) In the next two paasurams,
kaliyan is getting involved with the rama bhakthas. (“karpAr rAma pirAnai
allAl karparO”)
Who are elders (periyOr)? An elder here doesn’t refer to just aged people.
Anyone may live for 100 years without even thinking about emperuman and
his kalyana gunas, immersed in the ocean of samsArA. Kaliyan is not
interested in those people. Here elders refer to those who spent their time
always in chanting the divine names of emperuman and who cannot live
without doing the same. Even if we get away from that satsangam for a
second then we are sure to fall into the ditch of samsAram. So kaliyan
says that he doesn’t even want to stay a second away from them.
Having the same in mind Sri Alavandaar in his stotra ratnam says as
follows:
Meaning
Thiruvallikkeni Alavandar
[Oh! Lord grant me the eligibility to get the katAksham of the elders/bhagavatas
who consider all the wealth and even moksha to be like a blade of grass when
compared to the darshan of your divine beauty. Oh! Lord the separation for even
a second from such elders is intolerable even by you.]
5. They say that proof of the eating is in the pudding. Similarly, one need
not look externally to confirm that one has become a srEvaishNavite. The
fact that one is ecstasic on seeing a fellow srEvaishNavie is the ultimate
proof of being a srEvaishNavaite.
It is quite usual for people to wish to be amidst others who are like-minded.
For instance, samsAris want to be amidst other samsAris, they can never
tolerate loneliness. The bhAhya kudrishtis (Buddhist and Jains) prefer
company of those in the same category. So in which crew do you want to
join?
“Ok azhveer! But even we have heard about narasimhAvataram. But still
we haven’t got that ultimate faith (ananyArhasEshatvam). How did you
come to know that you have affinity only towards the
jagathkAranabhoothan sarvEsvaran Sriman Narayanan?
“The joy I obtain while thinking about Srivaishnavas is the proof for my ultimate
surrender to emperuman”
Essence of kaliyan’s words has been shown by our acharyas in their life.
“The thought of bhagavatas is not sweet to all our hearts but how does that
feeling arise in you?” enquired the samsAris. Kaliyan answers, “That is
because I have surrendered to that almighty who rushes to the rescue to
those in danger (Abat rakshakan)” In the previous paasuram kaliyan talked
about emperuman rushes to save prahladam. Now he is reminded of the
earlier avatara as varaha moorthi where emperuman took the form of the
maha varaha to save piratti from the clutches of hiranyAkshan (elder
brother of hiranyakasipu).
Varaha moorthi did upadesa to bhoomi piratti and also gave the varaha
charama sloka where he talks about the bhagavatas. He says, “stitE
manasi …..aham smarAmi mat bhaktham nayAmi paramAm gathim” The
bhakthas/bhagavatas are ever in the thoughts of emperuman. So whenever
I look at them my eyes and heart experience a special joy, says kaliyan.
Bhoomi piratti wanted to preach this upadesa to one and all and hence she
took the avatara as soodikkoduththa nAchiyar and showed the importance
of singing the praise of the lord and bhagavata seshatvam through her
thiruppavai.
For a person who has surrendered to the divine feet of emperuman the next
motto will be to please the lord in all ways. How to please emperuman?
Emperuman gets elated only when we please his bhagavatas
(emperuman’s body). So in the next paasuram kaliyan says I have
surrendered to the lord but my love will surrender to the feet of the
bhagavatas.
One thing we all have in common is a big bag of sins accumulated over the
various births we have taken in this world. “mAri mAri pala pirappum
pirandhu” A tamil proverb says, “madiyillE ganam erundhAl vazhiyilE
bayam” If we are traveling from one place to another with something
precious with us surely we have the fear of carrying the object safely
without any thief stealing it or we ourself loosing it. Similarly we are all
now carrying a bag of sins it is nothing precious but it is sure to show its
true colours. We are sure to face a lot of hurdles in our life due to the
effect of our poorva karmas and at the end of this life, we are sure to face
the punishment specified in the sastras for the various bad deeds. So
when such a great tragedy is awaiting us will our minds be free and calm.
It will always be wandering and hence we cannot concentrate our minds at
any one point peacefully.
But these bhagavatas forget all these worries and they are deeply
immersed in the divine qualities of the lord. They enjoy the eye-filled
darshan of emperuman and fill their hearts with deep love and devotion
towards him. They are not worried about the sins they have committed, the
effects or the final result. They are ready to have a ride over the heads of
yama (the god of death) and his Servants. Even if we are unable to be so
confident like those bhagavatas, even if we lack the ultimate faith still a
single thought about these bhagavatas is capable of getting us rid of all
our sins and the after effects. Both the nithya sooris and those in this
world worship Emperuman. He is ubhaya vibhooti nAthan. What is not
possible for Him? These bhagavatas are capable of locking emperuman in
their hearts. So aren’t they having a step higher than emperuman? So
surely their thought will uplift us. That is what kaliyan conveys in his
Eighth paasuram of his kanSora venkuruthi padhigam.
Usually, we observe poets talking about swans while narrating style and
beauty of walk. Here in ThriuchERai it is the other way round. The swans
simulate the walking style of the beutiful women and did they succeed in
that?
My heart is a barren land filled with hard stones. How did love and respect,
that too towards bhagavatas, who I consider to be just like me
(sajadeeyargal) creep inside my heart? Deeply wonder’s azhvar in the last
but one paasuram in this canto.
Usually the last paasuram in any padhigam except for a few exceptions is a
pala shruthi paasuram. Pala shruthi paasuram declares who wrote the
above paasuram and what result those who chant these paasurams will
obtain. This canto is one of the rare ones that does that say the palam
(result) directly. Kaliyan says,
What is the pala shruthi here? Folding hands in front of the lord and
chanting the paasurams of kaliyan itself is the palan. How? Sri Parasara
bhattar in his guna ratna kosam says, “Ishvaryam akshara gathim paramam
padham vaa…. Oh! Ranganayaki your head is bowed down I have found the
reason. This person came in front of you and prostrated you with folded
hands. You gave him all the wealth, kaivalyam and even paramapadam but
still you are not satisfied with granting the required for what he did. So
your head is bowed due to shyness.” That is the generosity/magnanimity
of piratti. The same is with perumal. It is even enough if we stand in front
of him with folded hands. What to say, if we chant azhvar’s paasuram, that
too the paasurams that elaborate the greatness of bhagavatas very near to
emperuman’s heart (“jnAni tu Athmaiva mE matham” “mama prAnAhi
pAndava:”)?
What the satsangam of bhagavatas can do to us! Is adiyen not the best
example? Due to the satsangam of Sri Padmanabhan swamy and many
others in these groups adiyen has now got the greatest bhagyam to go
through the excellent vyakhyanam of Sri periavachan pillai to the
extraordinary canto “kan sOra Venkurudhi” of Kaliyan’s periya thirumozhi
and write a few words about the same (“elaiya pun kavidhaiyElum
empirArkku eniyavArE”). Even if any scholar did not do these postings,
still though done by an illiterate, it will surely please parthasarathi
emperuman. How do you say with such confidence? May be your query.
The reasons are,
1. The paasurams were done by none other than Kaliyan (emperuman
came running to give him the thirumanthram).
2. The commentary was given by parmakArunikar Periyavachan pillai
considered to be the punaravatara of thirukannamangai kannan.
3. This attempt to write was not adiyen’s individual decision but a
wish of a bhAgavatha (Sri Padmanabhan swamy)
So adiyen is sure that all errors on adiyen’s side will be pardoned and liked
by both emperuman and all his bhakthas.
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7.The rAmar vigrham is very old and the beauty of the work
is 'seen to be believed'