WHY IS 100 VESSELS OF CHAKKARA PONGAL AND BUTTER OFFERED TO THE LORD?
Andal and azhagar
ANDAL requested the clouds to carry her message to kaNNan but they showered abundantly on tirumAlirunchOlai. Unable to bear this disappointment, ANDAL insists on marrying none other than SundararAja perumAL of tirumAlirunchOlai.
587. Sindura chempoDi pOl tirumAlirum SOlai engum
indira gOpangaLE ezhundum parandiTTanavAl |
mandaram nATTi anru madura kozhum sAru koNDa
Sundara tOLuDaiyAn Suzhalaiyil ninRu uidungolO || One ||
587. The Azhagarmalai now covered with colourful flowers and red butterflies all around seems to form a red carpet that reminds me of emperumAn’s red lips! The butterflies and emperumAn seem to enjoy troubling me. I am so weak that my bangles are slipping from my hands! He who churned the ocean ( in koormAvatAram), squashed the pride of mount mandara and kept the essence with Him (periya pirATTi), uses deceptive methods (suzhalayil ninRu) sending the clouds, butterflies to torment me instead of coming in person. (1)
588. pOr kaLiru porum mAlirum SOlai am poom puravil
tAr koDi mullaigaLum tavaLa nagai kATTuginRa |
kAr koL paDAkkaL ninRu kazhari chirikka tariyEn
ArkiDuhO tOzhee avan tAr Seida pooSalaiyE || Two ||
588. The majestic elephants are sporting the corridors of tirumaAlirunchOlai having fun like emperumAN. The creepers of tArkoDi mullai (arabian jasmine) and kArkoL ( bedaly emetic nut) remind me of His sweet smile and white teeth, but they seem to be making fun of my condition. Dear friend ! (who fell unconscious seeing Andal’s condition), now I have none to share my grief and helplessness. (2)
589. karu viLai oN malargAL kAyA malarhAL tirumAl
uru oLi kATTuhinreer enakku uivazhakku onru uraiyeer |
tiru viLaiyADu tiN tOL tirumAlirum SOlai nambi
vari vaLaiyil puhundu vandi paTTrum vazhakkuLadE || Three ||
589. Oh, the dark coloured kAyA (ironwood tree) and karuvilai (mussel shell creeper) flowers! You remind me of His tirumEni! His majestic shoulders are the sporting place of tAyAr (tiruviLayAdu tintOL). Now, instead of seeking me, kaNNan, enters my house, holds my hand forcibly and takes away my bangles. I am not able to bear this disappointment. Is this act of His, fair and decent? (3)
590. paimpozhil vAzh kuyilgAL mayilgAL oN karuviLaigAL
vamba kaLanganigAL vaNNa poovai narumalargAL |
aimperum pAtagargAL aNimAlirum SOlai ninra
emberumAnuDaiya niram ungaLukku en SeivadE || Four ||
590. Oh! the dark coloured cuckoos, peacocks, kAkkam and kayA flowers, the kalAp fruits, you all remind me of His dark hued tirumEni! For me, you seem to be the five great sinners (aimperum pAdagargAL), as you are making me suffer a lot. All chEtanas and achEtanas seem to have joined hands to torment me. He is the master and we are his servants! Shouldn't we be united? He gave his colour to you. Instead, if you had refused, I would have derived some comfort. (4)
tangu SendAmaraihAL enakkOr SaraN SARRuminE || Five ||
591. ANDAL tries to be friendly with the nature now. Oh! beautiful ponds, lotus, the queen of flowers (semkaN karumugilin) and the bees, you are busy conversing with each other. Should you not relieve me of my solitude, as you remind me of His tirumEni and avayavas (body parts)? Tell me dear friends, where do I seek refuge ( sharaN sARRuminE) for this torture? He has not yet come to take me! (5)
NOORU TADA VENNAI AKKARAVADISIL
592. nAru narum pozhil mAlirum SOlai nambikku nAn
592. nooru taDAvil veNNai vAi nErndu parAvi vaittEn |
nooru taDA nirainda akkAravaDiSil SonnEn
Eru tiruvuDaiyAn inru vandu ivai koLLum kolO || Six ||
592. ANDAL wants to attract the lord of tirumAlirunchOlai, surrounded by fragrant groves by offering His favourite food, desiring to do permanent kainkaryam. Dear Lord! I orally vow to offer You ( vAy nErndu) a hundred big vessels filled with butter (nUru tadA vil veNNai) as kaNNan loves this and another hundred filled with akkAravaDisil (sweet Pongal). Though You are wealthy, my sincere offering will make You wealthier and in turn it will make goddess MahAlakshmi happy ( Eru tirumudayAn). Will Azhagar come today and accept my offerings of butter (sharaNAgati) and akkAravaDisil (eternal bhagavat kainkaryam)? (6)
593. inru vandu ittanaiyum amudu SeidiDa peril nAn
onru noorAyiramA koDuttu pinnum ALum Seivan |
tenral maNam kamazhum tirumAlirum SOlai tannuL
ninra pirAn aDiyEn manattE vandu nEr paDilE || Seven ||
593. ANDAL conveys her sole purpose of existence. My Lord, in standing posture (ninRa pirAn), resides in the fragrance filled tirumAlirunchOlai. If He overcomes the beauty of this nature around Him, accepts my offerings (amudu seyda peril) of butter and sweet pongal with delight and decides to permanently reside in my heart, then for every vessel, I will offer a hundred thousand more (onRu noor AyiramAga). My desire to do eternal flawless kainkaryam (pinnum Alum seivan) as prescribed by the elders, will then be fulfilled. (7)
594. kaNNan is yet to come! Night passes and sun rises too. Oh! dark sparrows! (kariya kuruvi), you got up reciting the name of HARI and seem to be announcing His arrival too! Which perumAL are you praising? (avan vArtai uraikinRadE). The Lord of this region (solai malai pErumAn) or the kaNNan of dwAraka who married me in my dreams (tuvarApati emperumAn) or vaTapatrasAyee (Alin ilia—her kula deivam)? I wish your singing comes true (maruL pAdudal meymey). ANDAL thus convinces herself that they are speaking the truth. (8)
595. Will I ever be able to gain proximity to the sound emanating from the pAnchajanyam touching His beautiful lips and from the shArngam while stringing the bow? Hearing these sounds, I can hold on to my life, yet I am lying here (in tirumAlirunchOlai) useless like the garland shaped bunches of flowers hanging from the silk cotton tree (kOngu maRam) and the Indian laburnum (konRai poo), which are not offered to lord Vishnu. (9)
596. SandoDu kArahilum Sumandu taDangaL porudu
vandu izhiyum SilambAruDai mAlirum SOlai ninra |
sundaranai SurumbAr kuzharkOdai tohuttu uraitta
Sendamizh pattum vallAr tirumAl aDi SErvArgaLE || Ten ||
596. The silambAru river carrying sandalwood and agil eaglewood (kAr agilum—used for yagnam), rushes eroding the banks to reach the abode of the Lord of tirumAlirunchOlai who is in standing posture. This garland of ten pAsurams, each like a gem, has been sung by the most beautiful kOdai, with thick locks of hair, swarming with bees (surumbAr) who mistake it to be a bunch of flowers. Those who recite this with faith will enjoy eternal kainkaryam of the Lord without going through agony, like her. (10)
HOW SWAMI RAMANUJA BECAME THE ELDER BROTHER OF ANDAL?
NACHCHIYAR TIRUMOZHI 9.6
"NOORU TADA VENNAI AKKARAVADISIL SONNEN" FULFILLED BY SWAMI RAMANUJA
NACHCHIYAR TIRUMOZHI PASURAM 9.6
*nARu naRum pozhil-*-an interesting incident based on this pasuram.
In this particular pAsuram ANDAL verbally vows to offer a hundred vessels of butter and another hundred vessels of akkAravaDisil to SundararAja perumal of tirumAlirunchOlai. Before she could fulfill the vow, she merged with SriranganAthan.
Once Swami rAmAnuja was doing nAchchiyAr tirumozhi kAlakshEpam. On this particular pAsuram, EmperumAnAr intuitively felt that he must fulfil ANDAL'S verbal vow. He immediately proceeded to tirumAlirunchOlai. SwAmi RAmanuja offered a hundred vessels of butter and another hundred vessels of akkAravaDisil to SundararAja PerumAL and thus fulfilled ANDAL'S vow. Extremely contended, he proceeded to Srivilliputtoor ( birth place of ANDAL) to thank kOdai nachchiyAr for giving him the opportunity to complete this kainkaryam. ANDAL was eagerly waiting to greet emperumAnAr. She came out of her archA sannidhi ( inner sanctum), and thanked swami rAmanuja for fulfilling her desire like a responsible elder brother and called him "nam Kovil annanO" / "நம் கோயில் அண்ணனோ"! (my elder brother from my home).
That is why, in ANDAL VAZHI TIRUNAMAM, there is a phrase that says,” perumbUdUr mAmunikku pinnAnAL vAzhi” meaning ANDAL became the younger sister of SWAMI RAMANUJA.
- By Smt. Vidya Varadhan
LEARN THIS PASURAM FROM OUR GURU SMT. SEETHA SARANATHAN
Absolutely marvellous translation and narration. Could visualise the solaivanam, the trees and birds and animals, the longing and love of Kodhai so beautifully described, I can see Perumal Azhagar s Tirumeni with your description (Manakann). Such a passionate dedicated devotees you all are. My Salutations to you for bringing this translation 🙏
Beautifully explained!!! Lovely illuatrations too!!
ReplyDeleteYou are all doing great kainkaryam!!
Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteVery well explained,.
ReplyDeleteIt will be easy to chant the pAsuram now,with the meaning which leaves no doubt.
Beautifully explained,it was as if we were seeing it happening before us,so well was the explanation.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely marvellous translation and narration. Could visualise the solaivanam, the trees and birds and animals, the longing and love of Kodhai so beautifully described, I can see Perumal Azhagar s Tirumeni with your description (Manakann). Such a passionate dedicated devotees you all are. My Salutations to you for bringing this translation 🙏
ReplyDeleteVery beautifully illustrated Vidya. Felt like this was happening in front of my eyes. Thank you 🙏
ReplyDelete