श्री :
DIVYA PRABANDHAM WORKSHOP
SESSION 21 - SIRIYA TIRUMADAL
NOVEMBER 2022
NamaskArams and welcome to the next session of aruLicheyal ArAvamudam.
Siriya TirumaDal is the ninth divya prabandham in the moonRAm Ayiram (iyarpA) section of divya prabandham.
Brimming with uncontrolled love and passion for bhagavAn, Tirumangai AzhvAr writes this prabandham in parakAla nAyaki bhAvam performing mangaLAshAsanam for 25 divya dEsams.
SIRIYA TIRUMADAL – 40 PASURAMS
Siriya TirumaDal consists of 155 lines and is construed as one single pAsuram according to Tamizh grammar. But, once when the total number of divya prabandhams were being set to a rounded figure of 4000, there was a shortage of 118 pAsurams excluding the two maDals. SwAmi dEsikan divided siriya tirumaDal into 40 pAsurams and periya tirumaDal into 78 pAsurams and arrived at the exact magic number 4000 to give it the name “nAlAyira divya prabandham நாலாயிர திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம்”.
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| madal oordal |
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF MADAL?
Now Let’s go back to Sangam times to understand the background of title ‘TIRUMADAL’.
‘MADAL’ is a figurative poem that portrays how a dejected lovelorn youth suffering from the pangs of separation, crosses his boundaries and scorns His beloved.
According to Tamil tradition, ‘maDal-oordal’ மடல் ஊர்தல் or ‘‘maDal ERudal" or மடலேறுதல்’ or "maDanmAvErudal மடன்மாவேறுதல்" is a ritual used as the last resort by the lovelorn boy to convince his unwilling lover for marriage. Typically, the disappointed lover boy makes a toy horse out of palm stem and leaves. He then smears his body with ash, wears a head band of erukku flowers (crown flower calatropis) on his head, a garland of unpleasant smelling flowers, holds a kizhi (a piece of cloth that bears the painted picture of the lover), and mounts on the horse. Riding on the toy horse and staring at his lover’s picture, He yells her name and maligns her character so that it is audible to all her friends and the village people at large. He throws tantrums shamelessly and threatens to give up his life if she did not accept him. After witnessing this despicable scene, the villagers used to act immediately, and get the lovers married by pacifying the girl and the concerned parents.
The palmyra stem alias Panai tAL or peNNai tAL is called maDal. The palmyra horse is also referred to as ‘maDal’. In this prabandham, the maDal is taken by parakAla nAyaki for emperumAn, in the role of his lover or wife. Hence the poem is also called tiru-maDal.
THE MAKING OF TIRUMADALS BY TIRUMANGAI AZHVAR
Tirumangai AzhvAr became a staunch devotee of Shreeman nArAyaNa and performed mangalAshasanam of more than 75 temples in the prabandham Periya Tirumozhi. He then composed TirukuruntANDakam fixing his trikaraNas - thought, word and deed entirely on emperumAn. In the next work, surrendering totally to Lord ArAvamudan, he requested that He be protected against the miseries of samsAra. But, Shreeman nArAyaNa paid no heed to him even after this. Stung by excessive love-turned-divine lust and unable to bear the delay in reaching the Lord, Tirumangai AzhvAr decides to perform ‘maDal oordal மடல் ஊர்தல்’ in the role of a women called parakAla nAyaki.
MADAL NOT FOR GIRLS – A DARING HUMOR
In the sangam tamizh tradition, maDal oordal was attempted only by boys and never by girls. ‘maDal oordal’ involved defaming the lover to a large extent. Boys were allowed to mock at girls. Whatever happens, beautiful girls having the gait of a swan were not supposed to cross the limits of the four noble female characteristics (nAngu paNbugaL)- namely - achcham (fearsome), nANam (shyness), maDam (innocence) and payiruppu (modesty).
When Tirumangai AzhvAr was asked why He was composing a maDal in the role of parakAla nAyaki which is against the sangam tradition, AzhvAr answered in his Periya TirumaDal that she (parakAla nAyaki) decided to follow the North Indian tradition to attain emperumAn at the earliest. ( In the North where people speak Sanskrit and Hindi languages, women are allowed to engage in maDal.)
மானோக்கின் அன்ன நடையார் அலரேச ஆடவர்மேல், மன்னும் மடலூரார் என்பதோர் வாசகமும்,
தென்னுறையில் கேட்டறிவ துண்டு, - அதனை யாம்தெளியோம், மன்னும் வடநெறியே வேண்டினோம்-
mAnOkkin anna naDaiyAr alarEsa ADavar mEl, mannu maDalUrAr enbadOr vAsagamum tennuraiyil kEttaRivaduNDu, adanai nAm teLiyOm mannum vaDaneRiyE vENdinOm”
MADAL KOORAL, NOT MADAL OORDAL
Tirumangai AzhvAr has composed two maDals – siriya tirumaDal and periya tirumaDal as parakAla nAyaki. For parakAla nAyaki, the nAyaka is Shreeman nArAyaNa, the supreme God Himself. Do you think an AzhvAr who has such persistent devotion could defame the swaroopa (innate nature), roopa (visual form), guNa (qualities) and vibhooti (wealth) of the supreme Lord having ananta kalyANa guNas just for the sake of performing maDal? Never!
AzhvArs love emperumAn to the extent pirATTi does. As a pativratA, pirATTi has ananyArha-sEshatvam (not being subservient to anyone other than Shreeman nArAyaNa), ananya-sharanatvam (not surrendering to anyone other than Shreeman nArAyaNa), ananya-bhOgyatvam (not being the object of enjoyment to anyone other than Shreeman nArAyaNa). AzhvArs also have all these qualities and so they are inseparable from bhagavAn. Just as pirATTi would try all means to coax perumAL but would never slander Him, parakAla nAyaki just threatened bhagavAn that she would perform the maDal and listed all the reasons why He should accept her. This pre-stage of maDal where the lover announces his decision in a pleasant soft manner is called ‘maDal kooral’. ParakAla nAyaki remained in this peaceful stage itself and it is believed that she did not perform ‘maDal Erudal’ or ‘maDal oordal’ in reality though she announced with conviction: ‘oorAdu ozhiyEn nAn vArAr poom peNNai maDal’. When the lover on the other side accepts such love beforehand and stops the maDal oordal, it is called ‘maDal vilakku’.
Let’s us do this session and see whether BhagavAn accepted parakAla nAyaki and performed ‘maDal vilakku’.
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| TIRUMANGAI AZHWAR AND KUMUDAVALLI |
LEARN SIRIYA TIRUMADAL
AUDIO LESSONS BY SMT. SEETHA SARANATHAN
SIRIYA TIRUMADAL
TANIAN
By Shri piLLai tirunaRaiyoor araiyar
கொல்லிக்கென்னுள்ளம் கொதியாமெ — வள்ளல்
திருவாளன் சீர்க்கலியன் கார்க்கலியை வெட்டி
மருவாளன் தந்தான் மடல்
muLLich sezhumalarO tArAn muLai madiyam *
koLLikku en uLLam kodiyAmE * - vaLLal
tiruvALan seerkaliyan kArkkaliyai veTTi *
maruvALan tandAn maDal
Propitious as he is, tirumangai AzhvAr (seer kaliyan), the wearer of the muLLi flower garland or lotus garland (Or muLLi chezhu malar tArAn), the bountiful AzhvAr who gave us numerous pAsurams (vaLLal), the ruler of the wealth called ‘vaiShNava shree’ (tiruvALaN), the wielder of the befitting spear (maruvALan), the dispeller of ignorance that is kali (kAr kaliyai veTTi), has given this maDal and saved my heart from getting burnt in the fire (koLLikku kodiyAmE) of the rising moon (muLai madiyam) which excels in scorching lovers undergoing viraha tApam.
SIRIYA TIRUMADAL
PASURAMS 2673 TO 2682
Tirumangai AzhvAr's request to Lord ArAvamudan of TirukkuDandai was not fruitful. AzhvAr concluded that the Lord had forgotten him. Unable to bear the extended separation, AzhvAr engages in maDal. In this prabandham, his state of mind is just like a perturbed gOpi who went to dance with KaNNan who was performing kuDa koottu (குட கூத்து) but could not dance because she was worried about getting separated again.
seerar suDar chuTTi seNgkaluzhi pErARRu
pErAra mArvin perumA mazhai kUndal
neerAra vEli nila maNgai ennum ippArOr solappaTTa mUnRanRE (1)
AzhvAr as parakAla nAyaki uses the expression of extreme love or kAmam as the purushArtam to attract the Lord towards her which is an innate quality in humans who live on this earth. Since Bhoomi pirATTi, the epitome of patience controls the earth, parakAla nAyaki opines that being a woman she will appreciate and acknowledge her emotions and she starts describing her beauty in this pAsuram.
The vast blue ocean appears to resemble a beautiful saree for pirATTi to drape neatly and the folds of waves can be compared to the pleats (kaNNAr kaDal uDukkai) of her saree. The wide turbid and reddish holy rivers carrying fragrant saffron and sandalwood are like ornaments beautifying her chest (pEr Aru pEr Aram mArbin) which resemble the hills of tirumALiruNchOlai and tiruvENkaTam (kAr Ar varia koNgai) where her dear Lord resides in archa form. The sun enhances her beauty and radiance by adorning her forehead as a sparkling ornament (seer Ar sudar chuTTi). Her long and attractive tresses resemble the dark water laden clouds above the vast ocean (peru mA mazhai koondal). The water surrounding the universe seems to be like a fort protecting the chastity of that mother earth.
The aggrieved and disheartened AzhvAr continues to sing by pretending to tarnish the realities laid down in the shastras to gain emperumAn’s attention. This behaviour of parakAla nAyaki was only due to viraha tApam.
He says that the sacred texts say there are four goals (purushArta) for a mankind to achieve during his lifetime. The jeevAs living on this earth who belong to the patient and chaste Bhoomi pirATTi are fortunately favoured to satisfy these goals here. (1)
seerAr iru kalaiyum eyduvar (2)
parakAla nAyaki declares that after having introspected she feels there are only three purushArtams -dharmam, artham and kAmam (ammoonRum ArAyil aRam porul inbam enRu) whereas in general they are four.
dharmam ( aram- righteousness, following ones svadharma diligently)
artham (poruL-Signifies accumulation of wealth in a righteous manner)
kAmam (inbam-enjoying life with affection and love without violating dharmam and artham)
mOksham (veeDu- striving for emancipation with the help of shastras)
Due to separation from the lord she proclaims that among the three, the quality of kAmam which is an innate unsatiated desire filled with love in all humans is most ideal. This helps the jeevas to gain the other two (iru kalai) without much effort. (2)
OrAmai anRE ulagattAr sollum sol
OrAmai AmARu adu uraikkEn, kELAmai kArAr puravEzh pUNDa tani Azhi
tErAr niRai kadirOn maNdalattaik keeNDu pukku ArA amudam aNgEydi ………(3)
AzhvAr as parakAla nAyaki speaks like a non-believer due to viraha tApam mocking the tenets of our sampradayam. The distressed nAyaki says that some uneducated men have stated that there is a fourth goal called mOksha which is the ultimate purushArtam to be achieved by a jeevA! This purushArtam appears to be a blind belief and the abode called srivaikuNTam seems to be an imaginative one. It says that the soul which has surrendered to emperumAn (a prapannan) reaches this abode after leaving the body. Would you like to hear more about it? Then listen carefully (OrAmai yAm Aru uraikEn kELAmE?).
Once the soul leaves the body after death, it rises up, cuts across the clouds in the vast sky and reaches the surya maNDalam. Here Lord surya is seen riding a radiant chariot with one wheel, pulled by seven horses driven by arunan who has no legs! (kArAr puravi Ezh pooNDa tani Azhi)! The soul is guided to a path which leads to the most auspicious abode of the lord called paramapadam which is the epitome of merriment for the soul never to return, free from getting entangled in the cycle of births. It appears (AzhvAr says) that the prapannan who is now a muktAtma enjoys the beauty and tastes the sweet nectar of the Lord paramapadanAThan by doing nityakainkaryam (eternal service) to Him and he is none but ArAvamudan of tirukkuDandai ( ArAvamudam aNgu Eydi). (3)
ErAr muyal viTTu kAkkai pin pOvadE!
erAr iLa mulaiyeer! enRanakku uRRadu tAn
kArAr kuzhal eduttuk kaTTi……(4)
Hence this philosophy doesn’t seem to have been analysed properly by the learned. It conveys that once a prapannan attains paramapadam he will never return to this material world. He can enjoy the epitome of beauty of paramapadanAthan along with the nityasooris and permanently perform kainkaryam of his desire ! I condemn this. Is this acceptable? Isn’t it hilarious? (onRu uNDE?). He tauntingly claims that we have emperumAn in various divya dEsams in archai form; He who is the paratvam, has come down willingly to reside on this earth to grace us. Even if this purushArtam is true, why should we have to undergo a long journey of reaching paramapadam and then enjoying the Lord there when it is easier to worship Him on the earth? This seems as foolish as running behind a crow to hunt it when it may fly away while hunting a rabbit is easier as it is on the land! (ErAr mulai viTTu kAkkai pin pOvadE)!
parakAla nAyaki enters into the state of parama bhakti now. She turns towards her friends and women around her and says, ”My dear beautiful young ladies! Ignore whatever I spoke now. Listen to the suffering I had to undergo after getting a glimpse of the Lord (endanukku uRadudAn)”. (4)
vArAra veekki maNimEgalai tirutti
nErAr kamalam pOl senkaN mAl enRoruvan pArOrgaL ellAm magizha paRai kaRanga
sErAr kuDam iraNDEndi ………(5)
With a great expectation to see the Lord and craving to get His glimpse once again I dressed myself to look very attractive in case He surprises me. I folded my black fragrant long thick tresses on the head (kArAr kuzhal eDuttu kaTTi). I tied the gemstudded belt (maNimEkalai) around my waist just as seeta pirATTi had worn a similar waistband which enhanced her beauty while climbing onto the boat while leaving ayOdhya. Then I tightly gripped my chest with an attractive cloth, applied collyrium to my entycing sharp spearheaded eyes (anjanattin neer aNindu). pArakAla nAyaki adorns these as they are considered auspicioius for a woman.
Having decked myself so beautifully I waited with anticipation for my Lord. To distract myself I started playing and bouncing a nice decorative ball of flowers. Previously I was engrossed in worldly pleasures but now being completely drowned in the ocean of emperumAn’s association and His amazing feats, I became oblivious of what was happening around me!
Meanwhile sounds of drums were heard (paRai kaRaNga) in the village. Generally it is to alert when there is a mad elephant but here it seemed something else! All women and friends rushed to see who it was. It was to announce the approach of kaNNan! He is the young gorgeous one having eyes like an unopened pinkish lotus bud floating alone in a huge pond. He is called tirumAl (mAl enRoruvan) who is praiseworthy and the favourite of all. He was performing an attractive dance called kuDa koottu. (5)
ErAr iLamulaiyAr ennaiyarum ellArum
vArAyO? enRArkku senREn en valvinaiyAl
kArAr maNi niRamum kaivaLaiyum kANEn nAn
ArAnum solliRRum koLLEn …….(6)
He was performing this kuDa koottu along the narrow streets (suzhuN teruvE) of the village. This game was his specialty! The young women, my friends and my mother called out to me (vArAyO?) to see Him performing though their eyes were fixed on His beauty and the dance.
“parakAla nAyaki! Engrossed in the thoughts of the lord you are spoiling your health. Come with us! Distract yourself by enjoying this dance. He is holding two pots in his hands and juggling them so efficiently by throwing them high up in the air! He is asking if anyone has ever witnessed this game (Ar ena cholli) and is willing to dance with Him.” Unable to refuse I went along to see Him. Probably that was wrong decision. I feel this state of parama bhakti towards my Lord is a sin as the suffering of separation is unbearable (en valvinaiyAl).
As I have had privilege of enjoying His proximity previously, I became very weak and pale as soon as I saw Him and His performance. My complexion became dark like his tirumEni and my bangles started slipping off my hands! I almost swooned. Seeing my condition, my relatives spoke to me with concern, but I ignored them (ArAnum cholliRu koLLEn). (6)
ErAr kiLikkiLavi emmanai tAn vandennai
seerAr sezhum puzhudik kAppiTTu ……(7)
Due to viraha tApam I was in a dazed state, mentally very weak and unstable, blabbering meaningless words (pEduruvEn kaNDiraNgi). I had completely lost my radiant complexion too. Yet my obsession towards emperumAn did not reduce.
Observing my physical and mental condition, my mother grew extremely concerned. She came near me and spoke to me very sweetly like a parrot (ErAr kiLi kiLavi) while I had always experienced her harsh language for falling in deep love with emperumAn. She was a true mother who wished the well-being of her daughter. Fearing that I have contracted a deadly disease, she applied the divine dust of the bhAgavatas on my forehead (pAda dhooli- seerAr perum puzhudi kApiTTu) as a protection and remedy to my condition. (7)
nErAdana onRu nErndAL……(8)
Now my mother tried yet another remedy. She was a staunch devotee of Lord nArAyanA who would never prostrate any demigod (devatAntara sambandham). Surprisingly what she did now was unacceptable (tAn pinnum nErAdana onRu nErndAl) to me!
Anxious over my state of health and praying for my well-being, she did Anjali with folded hands worshipping a demigod who wore a garland of reddish colour kurinji flowers (kunthiana- seNkuRinji tArAr naRumAlai sAttarku)! She considered this as a means or upAyam to cure me whereas an Anjali to emperumAn adorning the tulasi garland would solve every problem! (8)
vArAdu mAmai adu kaNDu maRRAngE
ArAnum moodaRiyum ammanaimAr solluvAr
pArOr solappaDum kaTTuppaDuttirEl ArAnum meyppaDuvan enRAr …….(9)
The treatments of my mother were unfruitful. My complexion remained pale and I was very fragile. My mental state of mind was gloomy and cranky. Now it seemed to have worsened due to the association of the demi gods. This pitiable state of mine attracted several relatives and the elderly women in the village. Among them were some elderly wise women who were well acquainted with ancient practices of diagonosing a disease. Genuinely concerned about me they came to see me and consoled my mother (ArAnum moodaRiyum ammanaimAr solluvAr).
They spoke to my mother,” You must have heard that there is a practice of calling the fortune tellers. They are extremely skilled in diagonosing any disease especially in young girls like parakAla nAyaki. They are very competent to even expose whoever it is; even if it is that kaNNan who often troubles these girls without manifesting before them (ArAnum meipaDuvan enRAr).” (9)
seerAr suLagil sila nel piditteRiyA vErA vidir vidirA mey silirA kai mOvA
pEr Ayiram udaiyAn enRAL …..(10)
Convinced and approving to the elderly women’s suggestion my mother decided to call for the fortune teller (kaTTuvichchi-kuratti-women belonging to kurava tribe). Surprisingly a fortune teller with black hair and long braids emerged from among the group and agreed to treat me after listening to all the conversations (adu kETTu karAr kuzhal koNDai kaTTUvichchi)!
She took a beautiful winnow (seerAr suLagu- முறம்) and spread some paddy (நெல்) which had a mixture of husk ( பதர் - chaff) and rice grains. The winnow has the capacity to easily separate the grains from the chaff. She started pounding them. Suddenly she experienced shivering, sweating profusely and experienced goosebumps ( vErA vidirvidirA mey silirA). She knew the disease was related to bhagavad vishayam which is rarely experienced by all. She smiled and took my hand to smell it. Due to extatic joy she faltered and stammered as she spoke,” As this young girl is constantly contemplating on Lord nArAyana, her hands smell of the divine tuLasi. Hence the culprit who is causing this suffering is the One who has a thousand names (pErAyiram uDaiyAn enRAL). He is glorified by rishis and the vEdas.”
tirumaNgai AzhvAr expresses similarly in periya tirumozhi (10.8.4) saying ‘nAmam pala palavum uDaya nambi’. The shrutis honour emperumAn as one who has a thousand names- देवो नाम सहस्रवान्|
PoorvAchAryas say that this kaTTuvichchi can be considered as the AchArya like bhagavad rAmAnuja. If there is even one devotee who expresses selfless devotion towards emperumAn, the achAryas will come forward to uplift them.
The guruparamparA says that before bhagavad rAmanuja, the acharyas would test the steadfastness of the sishyAs. They will consider them to be fit as sishyas for initiation only if they are satisfied. Whereas bhagavad rAmanuja was an ocean of compassion. Without being prompted he would rush to perform upadEsam to any person who shows even slight dedication and bhakti towards emperumAn. (10)
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SIRIYA TIRUMADAL 11 TO 20
PASURAMS 2683 TO 2692
Kai aduvum seerAr valampuryE enrAL
Filled with horripilation all over the body, the kaTTuvichchi (fortune teller) further described what she saw. Pointing to the dark rain clouds, she hinted that the body color of the trouble monger krishNa was dark blue in colour. She said that the person holds the bright right-coiled conch (valampuri shankh aduvum- chakra is also implied) in his divine hands.
2684. tiruttuzhAy tAr Ar naRumAlai kaTTuraittAL
She also gestured that He wears the sacred tulasi garland that emits fragrance not only in the material world but also in the spiritual world.
ArAnum allan, aRindEn avanai nAn ,
After showing the presence of emperumAn through all these gestures, the kaTTuvichchi pacified parakAla nAyaki’s mother thus: “You don’t worry at all! The person who caused the disease of your daughter is not a scary man or an unknown dEvatA as you think. I have found Him!
ArAl ivvaiyam adiyaLappu uNdadudhAn
ArAl ilangai poDipoDiyA veezhndadu maRRu
ArAlE kanmAri kAttadudAn
Oh, young women having eyes as sharp as the spear (kooru Ar vEl kaNNeer)! Shall I tell you all about Him? He is the one by whose feet this universe was measured (trivikrama). He is the one by whose action LankA was reduced to powder (rAma). Not only that, He is also the one who held the mountain and prevented Indra’s hailstorm (kal mARi) from destroying the cowherds (krishNa). (12)
UrAnirai mEyttu, ulagamellAm uNDumizhndum
Behold! He is the amazing one who churned the ocean! He is the one who passionately grazed the cattle of the Ayarkula. He is the one who swallowed the entire universe during praLaya and spit it out again for recreation.
ArAda tanamaiyanAy AngorunAL AyppADi
Yet remaining unquenched, He went on to satiate his hunger by being born as KrishNa in AypADi among the cowherds who were blessed to see and experience his saulabhya guNas.
seerAr kalaiy algul, seeraDich, chem tauvar vAy,
ParakAla nAyaki describes the beauty of the lucky mother YashOdA first. Mother yashOdA had beautiful hips draped in her divine saree blest with the color and smell of turmeric, curd, and butter from krishNa’s tirumEni. Her legs that were lovingly embraced by krishNa were firm. Her cherry red lips were gazed at by krishNa when He was given a bath.
ErAr iDai nOva ettanaiyOr pOdumAych
seerAr tayir kaDaindu veNNey thiraNDadanai
vErAr nudal maDavAL vEROr kalattiTTu
nArAr uRiyERRi nangamaiya vaittadanaip
With corseted, full bosoms, she churned the rich curds holding the churning rod relentlessly for long hours, putting up with her painful waist, in order to get butter. Her forehead oozing droplets of sweat, YashOdA transferred the butter obtained into a pot. She covered it and tied it up on the uRi. To ensure high security against the butter thief krishNa, she covered the uRi with many ropes not leaving even a thread’s gap for a finger to enter.
OrAdavan pOl uRangi aRivuRRut, tArAr taDam tOLgaL uLLaLavum kai neeTTi , ArAda veNNey vizhungi
So long as she was around, krishNa faked that He was sleeping. The moment the war-spear eyed yashOdA left, He woke up and shoveled his garlanded shoulders into the butter pot, deep down to the bottom, and relished the butter insatiably. (13)
OrAdavan pOl kiDandAnaik kaNDavaLum vArAttAn vaittadu kANAL (14)
His mission complete, to cover up for His mischief, He rolled down a buttermilk pot nearby and went back to the same place where he had feigned sleep before. He lay down again as if he had no thoughts of butter. Mother yashOdA came back and found that the butter was missing. (14)
neerAm iduu seydher enROr neDum kayiRRAl
UrArgaLellArum kANa uralODE
teerA veguLiyaLAych chikkena ArttADippa
ArA vayiRRinODu ARRAdhAn (15)
Hitting her stomach in dismay, she screamed, “Who else other than His Highness could have entered and eaten all the butter!” Worried that KrishNa would suffer from indigestion, yashOdA asked krishNa who was lying down innocently, “Have you eaten all the butter?” With immense anger, she grasped a strong rope that within her immediate reach, dragged Him and tied Him up tightly on to a mortar and hit him while the village people watched all the fun. KrishNa stood sad bearing the wound on this stomach.
* It seems KrishNa used to cut all the ropes into small pieces because yashOdA used to tie him up very often. Yet, the term neDum kayiRu (long rope) is used in this pAsuram. It can be construed as a ‘strong rope’ or ‘the blessed rope’. (15)
OrAyiram paNa venkOviyal nAgattai
vArA enakkenRu maRRadan mattagattu
seerAr tiruvaDiyAl pAyndAn. (16)
In yet another instance, KrishNa went to a huge pond brimming with water, He dived into it and challenged the thousand hooded poisonous serpent kAliyan to fight with Him. He jumped on to its hoods with His beautiful, divine tiruvaDis and danced until kAliya was finished. (16)
koorArnda vALAl koDimookkum tAdiraNDum
eerAviDuttu avaTkumoottOnai. (17)
When the demon ShoorpanakhA advanced towards rAma thinking that she was at par with His wife seetA dEvi, He, Lord rAma, chopped her thin nose and her ears with a sharp sword, making her run to her elder brother Kara. (17)
sem tuvar vAy vArAr vanamulayAL vaidEvi kAraNamA
ErAr taDantOL irAvaNanai (18)
Kara rushed to see Lord rAma. Confronting His bent kOdaNDa bow, Kara experienced the worst of all hells without need to go to any other hell. Then, to rescue His beloved vaidEhi having sweet red lips and beautiful corseted bosoms, Lord rAma reached the mighty king rAvaNa who was sporting well built, strong shoulders. (18)
pOrAr neDu vElOn ponpeyarOn Agattai
koor Arnda vaL ugirAl keeNDu (19)
The lotus eyed Lord RAma cut five proud heads of rAvaNa first so that they can see the other five heads that would fall next to rid rAvaNa of ahankAra. He then rejoiced that the enemy of the sages was gone forever.
He is Lord Narasimha who with his sharp, paw nails ripped open the chest of HiraNyakashyapu (pon peyarOn – HiraNya – gold), the resenting king having a long sword. (19)
Chem kurudi sOrAkkiDantAnaik kungumattOL koTTi
ArAvezhuntAn ari uruvAy (20)
Effortlessly picking up HiraNyan's intestine, Lord Narasimha hung it as a garland on His divine chest occupied by the auspicious Vijayalakshmi pirATTi. While HiraNyan lay in a pool of red blood, Lord Narasimha rose ferociously in the mood of victory, beating his chest smeared with vermillion. (20)
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SIRIYA TIRUMADAL 21 to 31
PASURAMS 2693 TO 2703)
The fortune teller continued to describe the 'person' who was the reason for the nAyaki's piteous state...
thArAyenakkenRu vEnDi chalathinAl*
neerERRu ulagellAm ninRaLandhAn mAvaliyai
He is the one who...
Assuming the dwarf form of vAmana mUrti during the avatAra period, sought three feet of land from mahAbali chakravarthi. Accepting the water sprinkled by the king, by way of securing the pledge, vAmanA, cleverly (ChalathinAl) grew manifold, measured up and reclaimed all the lokAs. (21)
kArAr varainattu nAgam kayiRAga*
pErAmal thAngikkaDaindhAn
tiruthuzhAi tArArndha mArvan
In the never-ending battle between the devas and asuras, with chest adorned with the fragrant tulasi garland, He, together with the asuras, placed the mandAra mountain(varai) which had clouds lingering (kArAr) over it, in the milky ocean. Using the serpent vAsuki as the rope to run over it, He churned the ocean. He also held the mandAra mountain on His back to prevent it from sinking (pErAmal tAngi) into the ocean, by taking the koorma avatAram. (22)
pOrAnai poigaivAikkOTpaTTu niRalaRi*
neerAr malarkamalam koNDu Or neDunkaiyAl*
nArAyaNAvO! maNivaNNA!nAgaNaiyAi!*
vArAi en AriDai neekkAi.
ena veguNdu theerAdha seeRRathAl senRu iraNDu koorAga*
ErA adanai iDar kaDindAn emperumAn*
pErAyiramuDaiyAn
He came to the rescue of gajEndran, the mighty elephant, huge as the mountain ( taDamAlvarai), who was caught in the jaws of the crocodile. Holding a just bloomed lotus in its long trunk, he cried out in pain and despair,' O nArAyaNA! maNivaNNA! nAgaNaiyAnE! Please relieve me from this distress! (iDar neekkAi). Seething with rage (teerAdha seeRRam), emperumAn reached the banks of th pond and severed the crocodile into two and saved gajEndran.
He is the one who is hailed and worshipped with a thousand nAmAs. ( 23,24)
The fortune teller concluded by exclaiming, 'O foolish ladies!
This emperumAn of such glory, is indeed the cause for your daughter's plight. (24)
The following verses are, as expressed by parakAla nAyaki. She says:
pOrArvERkaNNeer! avanAgil poonthuzhAi*
thArAdhozhiyumE?thannaDichiyallaLE?*
maRRArumallanE yenROzhindhAL.
O sakhis, having eyes as sharp as the spears used in the war field! My mother (engaL ammanai) is now convinced (chikkena) that no other dEvAntara (ArAnum allAmai) is responsible for the illness that has befallen her daughter. She says that since it is the emperumAn Himself who is the cause for my daughter's ailment, He will not deny blessing her with His prasAdam - the tulasi, especially since she has dedicated herself to His service (tan aDichi), and heaves a sigh of relief. (25)
pErA pidaRRAthiritharuvan
Alas! Ever since I set my eyes upon His dark, lustrous tirumEni, I have lost my composure (pErA) and I mumble and blabber meaningless words (pidhaRRu). (26)
sOrAmaRukkum vagaiyaRiyEn.
Even the cool breeze ( thaN vAdai) seems to enter my body and shears through and rips it apart, leaving me worn out and in distress(sOrA maRukkum). I am not even able to express the distress that overwhelms me! (27)
vArAmalkAppadaRku vArAyirundhOzhidEn.*
Fearing the sly comments that would come from the thick braided girls and to save myself from their mockery (EsuvAr), I restrained myself from revealing my emotions. (vALA irundhOzhindEn).
Notwithstanding, I should have performed 'maDal oordhal’, irrespective of what others would comment about me. (28)
maNivaNNan seerArtirutuzhAi mAlai namakkaruLi*
tArAntarum enRu iraNdathil onRadanai*
arAnum onnAdhAr kELAmE sonnakkAl*
ArAyumElum paNikEttu adhaRenilum*
kArAr kaDalvaNNaN pinpOna nenjamum*
vArAdE ennai maRandadudAn
ParakAla nAyaki decides to send her heart as a messenger to emperumAn...
O senseless heart (maDa nenjE)! Get up! Go and reach the abode of the sapphire hued emperumAn and plead with Him to show sympathy to me. Ask Him straight on, if He will give me His glorious tulasi garland, or not.( tharum thArAn).
O heart! Convey my message to Him, only when no adversary is around(onnAdhAr Arcanum kELAmE)
Whether He enquires about me with deep concern, or whether He even refuses to acknowledge me, O heart, come back to me and do not lodge yourself there.
But, entranced by the dark hued emperumAn, even my heart abandoned me and stayed back. (29)
Alas! The unfortunate lass that I am, I am now reduced to the pathetic state where everyone gleefully ridicules and lurks at me. (30)
2703. mARRenakku ingu arayvar illai....
Parakala Nayaki firmly states that no one else's mercy could be defined and counted as divine grace. When my manas is not obliging my words, who else is there to speak, feels parakAla nAyaki.
AzhalvAy mezhugu pOl neerAy urugum ennAvi.....
When my heart and soul melts due to this separation just like wax melts when heated, how could I withdraw my heart forcefully? replies NAyaki when questioned how could she be indifferent like this? (31)
SIRIYA TIRUMADAL 32 TO 40
PASURAMS 2704 TO 2712
2704. neDum kaNgal UrAr irangilum tAn urangA....
When asked why she could not close her eyes and fall asleep, she says: “Even if everyone else (like her mother, the other relatives, and even the nityasooris) sleeps, my eyes do not sleep. They are not aware of the concept of sleeping in that special space. Isn’t it His heart where I live?”
“He alone has the simplicity of being easily approachable and He only tempted me and made me sleepless. Only His divine nAmas would help”, replies parakAla nAyaki when teased by others. They added that she must wait patiently like seetA, the daughter of king janaka who waited for ten long months. They also felt that she was incapable of reciting His nAmas in the structured order as she is totally immersed in devotion. (32)
2705. pinnaiyum kArAr kaDal pOlum kAmattar AyinAr Arey pollAmai arivAr adu nirka.....
She laments and asks “Why should I bother about the words of others who have no idea of my desire that crosses all limits and knows no boundaries just like a deep ocean and how is it possible to wait patiently”. (33)
vArAr vanamulai vAsavadattai enRu
ArAnum sollapaDuvAL....
She is not having any deficiency in her intellect.
She is not an ordinary person, and she is being praised by all. Listen to my words as I say. Isn't she very famous and praised by all? Isn't she a celebrity amidst divine pirATTis?
ParakAla nAyaki says that it was not she alone who adopted peculiar ways and means to attain the Lord; even she referred here (VAsavadattA) took the very same path. (34)
tArAr taDantoL taLaikAlan pinpOnAL
oorAr igazhndiDa paTTALey...
ParakAla NAyaki adds on, “I am narrating all these for you people to agree with me as I don’t want to leave You and go.
But listen to me. Didn't the woman named vAsavadattA leave her friends, and despite being the princess of ujjaini, didn’t she walk on the vast road along with her beloved vatsarAjan (prince of vatsa, Chandra kula) who was chained by her father? Who isolated her from the crowd? Though she took the daring, abnormal path to unite with her lover, people still praise her. Why do you corner me then? (35)
kArAr tirumEni kANumaLavum pOy,
seerAr tiruvEnkaTamey tiruvEngkaDamE tirukkovalUrE * -
When some of her friends tried to criticize ParakAla nAyaki to correct her stubbornness, she yells at them loudly, taking the names of divya desams.
I will accept only those who agree with my words. Others who counsel me and say 'wait patiently until you attain him' are not of my concern and I will not accept them as my Lord. As stated in TiruvAymozhi 5-3-6.
"annai en seyyilen seyyilen en sollilen (What matters to me as to what my mother does or what other folks in the earth talk about me.) I who set out to play with flowers and he who set out to dance with pots ultimately lost my heart and I fell for that beautiful dancer krishna. Here starts the divine tour of divyadesams.
1. TiruvEnkaTam,the divine tirumalai.
2. TirukOvaloor, where He held the Govardhana hills to save the people and block the pouring rains.
3. Tiru oorgam &
4. 4. tiru pEragam. Both are within the famous kAnchi town. pEragam, the sannidhi in appakudattAn temple also known as Tirupper.
5. Tiruvallarai where Lord Krishna broke through the two marudha trees (The story of the two sons of lord kubera, Nalakoopara and manigreeva have been referred here.) which were firm, and has taken this place of dwelling. It is a divine abode where people with lot of love for emperumAn live and want to live.
6. TiruvekkA, the sannidhi of sonnavaNNam seida perumAl where the lord rolled his bed/mat and went behind His devotee kalikaNNan when He left the town refusing to sing in praise of the king.
7. Periya tiruvAlinagari, the birthplace of Tirumangai azhvar.
8. TiruttaNkAl,the place where emperumAn removes the obstacles of the bhAgavatas like a cold wind and thus it became tankAl.
9. TirunaRaiyoor, the place where PirATTi has been given supremacy and independence.
10. KuTTanADu tirupuLiyur, a place where plants, men and women live united as stated in Tiruvaimozhi 8-9-7 mellilai chela vankoDippulga vingilandal kamigin....even the creepers exchange affection as found in the act of betel leaf creeper hugging areca nut tree.
11. Tiruvarangam, the arangam surrounded by gardens. It is the permanent dwelling place of emperumAn and one could firmly state from the verses of AzhvArs and all other divya desams are mere resting places when he goes on tour. (36)
2709. KaNNamangai karAr munnira kaNNanoor viNNagaram........tirumOgoor.
12. TirukaNNamangai, Kaliyan himself has mentioned about this divyadesam in his periya tirumozhi 7-10-9, kangal aralavum...
13. ThiruviNNagar, where emperumAn with the complexion of bluish gemstone has chosen this place to set right the shortcomings of His devotees.
14. ThirukaNNapuram, the pukkagam (husband's house) of Parakala nAyaki.
15. TiruchchErai, is famous for emperumAn not knowing the difference between the bosom of his mother (yasOdA) and others (pUtanA) as a child.
16. tErazhundoor, the divyadesam wherein the lord manifested his quality of not sustaining himself without the butter that has been touched by His bhakta.
17. TirukuDandai, the residence of ArAvamudan, kaNNan.
18. TirughaTigai, here the lord is as sweet as a sugar candy fruit and is called AkkArakkani. (Periya tirumozhi pAsuram 8-9-4.)
19. TirukaDalmallai, also known as mAmallapuram where emperumAn lay on the floor leaving aside his divine bed TiruvanatAzhvAn to please His devotee Pundareekar.
20. TiruviDavendai, a divya desam where emperumAn took a form of wild boar to show His infatuation with bhoomipirATTi and combined 365 pirates to one and holds on His left thigh.
21. Tiruneermalai, a divya desam where emperumAn proved his simplicity as told by AzhvAr in his verse, "neervaNNan nirmalaikke poven" in tiruneDuntANdaKam 18.
22. TirumAlirunchOlai, where emperumAn manifests in his simple and easily approachable qualities.
23. TirumOgoor, where the lord cares for his bhaktas without any discrimination. (37)
UrAya ellAm ozhiyAmE nAn avanai
OrAnai kombosittu OrAnai kOL viDutta
seerAnai sengaN neDiyAnait tEn tuzhAyt
tArAnai tAmaraipOl kaNNAnai
24. BadrikAshram,the very famous place praised by all and where perumAL carried our penance for the wellbeing of His devotees.
25. VaDamadurai, the favourite place for great sages. It is a connect for Bhagavath vishayam. In RamAvatAram, this is the place where shatrugna had defeated lavanAsura and ruled over the place; This is where kaNNA took KrishnAvataram for the sake of punishing Kamsa.
ParakAla NAyaki adds on with her unparalleled determination, "I will visit each and every divya desam where the red eyed great Lord VishNu performed several miracles like breaking the tusks of the mad elephant kuvalayApeeDa, relieving the elephant gajEndra from the crocodile’s mouth, other tricks like pot dancing and juggling with pots to please His bhaktas. Depicting His several guNas in my songs, I shall finally convince the lotus eyed, great and kind Lord who adorns the tulabha garland to attain me at the earliest”. (38)
2711. eNNaruncheer pErAyiramum pidaRRi.
Some scholars have explained this phrase as "if there can be a sahasranAmam for guNa kathanam (praising His good qualities), then why not there be one for guNahAni (praising His deficiencies)"? (39)
vArAr poompeNNai** maDal
**PeNNai is the name of palm tree. She refers to the palm tree and concludes.
ParakAla nAyaki concludes "What shortcomings I have when I have the best BrahmAstram in my hand. I will not stop my attempt to write a maDal till I reach my goal of attaining Him and will walk around in the big street in spite of being troubled by the people of the region." Else there is no value for the term ‘bhaktAnAm’.
jitAntE stOtram 5 reads thus:
tathApi puruShAkArO bhaktAnAm tvam prakAshasE
According to this shlOka, all though bhagavAn is extolled by the purusha sooktam as being the greatest authority, neither his roopam, nor His personality nor his weapons nor his abode of paramapadam belongs to Him. All these swaroopa, roopa, guNa, vibhootis are solely for the protection of His devotees or bhaktas (bhaktAnAm).
A concluding song by poet Kamban
seerAr mulaittaDangaL sEraLavum – pArellAm
anROngi ninRaLandAn ninRa tirunaRaiyUr
manROnga Urvan maDal.
Dear ladies having bright foreheads,
ParakAla nAyaki says: Until the time the Lord comes and embraces me, I shall continue to perform ‘maDal oordal’. Publicly, I will stand in the crossroads at divya dEsam triunaRaiyoor and engage in maDal against the Lord who proved His ownership of all the worlds by spanning them with His divine tiruvaDis, once upon a time.
From this pAsuram, it appears that parakAla nAyaki wanted to engage in maDal particularly against tirunaRaiyur nambi perumAL, the target of her ethereal love. (40)
