*Being a scholar in Thamizh, KulasEkara AzhwAr wrote 105 pAsurams in praise of the deities at Srirangam, Thirumalai (Thiruppathi), ThiruviththuvakkODu, ThirukkaNNapuram, ThiruccitrakUDam, AyOdhdhi, and also on Rama and Krishna. All the pAsurams have been compiled into 10 decads. It is important to point out here that it was the common practice among AzhwArs to do thematic 10 verses on each deity, episode, or shrine. Let us examine what each decad covers. In the first three decads (31 pAsurams in all) the AzhwAr agonizes about when he would be able to visit Srirangam and see Lord Ranganatha whose feet are washed by the river Cauvery.. He wants to do service to the Lord and his devotees. He recognizes that the real duty of the Lord’s servitors is to shun worldly pleasures.He wants to be a slave to the Lord in all seven births. In Srirangam he built a maNTapam and did renovation work in the 3rd enclosure surrounding the temple. It now bears KulasEkara’s name.*
* In the fourth decad he longs to be associated with ThiruvEngaDam (thirumalai/Thiruppathi) in any form—be it animate or inanimate in the sacred hills. He mentions that he does not want his royalty, wealth, and even the opportunity to rule the heavens if given. He would rather want to be born as the fish in the temple pond or the bird (a crane for instance) that circles there. The desire to be born as a crane is indicative of his earnestness to catch a glimpse of the Lord just as the crane would eagerly wait for the fish to swim by. He would want to be born as a flower bush, the hilltop, and even the flagpole at the entrance to the temple. The wild river, the path leading to the temple and even the steps at the entrance to the temple are his choices. Let us examine one pAsuram here.* செடியாய வல்வினைகள் தீர்க்கும் திருமாலே! நெடியானே! வேங்கடவா! நின்கோயி லின்வாசல் அடியாரும் வானவரும் அரம்பையரும் கிடந்தியங்கும் படியாய்க் கிடந்துன் பவளவாய் காண்பேனே. NDP 685 SeDiyAya valvinaigaL tIrkkum thirumAlE! neDiyOnE! vEngaDavA! ninkOyi linvAsal aDiyArum vAnavaarum arambaiyarum kiDandhiyangum paDiyayk kiDandhun pavaLavAy kANbEnE! *In this pAsuram he appeals to Lord VenkaTEswara of Thiruppathi who quells the miseries of his devotees that he would like to be a stone step at the entrance to His shrine which will be stepped on by the devotees, and celestials who come to visit Him. That way he could watch the Lord forever. To this day the step that leads to the sanctum sanctorum of VaishNavaite shrines is known as “KulasEkara thiruppaDi” (KulasEkara Sacred Step) in recognition of his intense desire to be born as the stone step.In the fifth decad he talks of the glory of the divya dEsam vittuvakkODu, located in PAlakkADu district (in KEraLA). There are so many similes in this decad. He says he considers the Lord as his mother and himself as the Lord’s child. Even if the mother were to desert the child, the child would cry and go to the mother. A patient would continue to see his medicine man although the medicine man may use harsh techniques (using knife) to cure him. Likewise even if God subjected him to undergo miseries, he would continue to visit the Lord in order to get deliverance. Another pAsuram talks about a bird which circles a ship would fly away to find the shore but not finding it would come back to the ship’s tall pole and sail. The AzhwAr finds himself in the same situation as the bird and that he would always surrender unto the lord.In the sixth decad he describes the despair/disappointment experienced by the gOpis at gOkulam when Krishna does not turn up as promised. He expresses the separation pangs experienced by the gOpis in several pAsurams. One pAsuram resorts to a complaint against Krishna by the gOpis. The gOpis tell Krishna that they are not gullible enough to be taken by the glib talk by him. It is a mock complaint telling Krishna not to come to see them because he utters deceitful words to attract them but does not follow through with his promises.* * The seventh decad is very heart wrenching. It deals with dEvaki’s misfortune with respect to her not being able to fondle and enjoy her infant son Krishna. The AzhwAr experiences her agony vicariously. DEvaki missed all the childhood pranks of Krishna. He even pleads with the lord on behalf of dEvaki to reenact such childhood activities to satisfy his birth mother. In addition he mentions that when baby Krishna was asked “where is father?” he turned his eyes towards NandagOpan (foster father) while that privilege was not available to VasudEva (real father). Let us look at one specific pAsuram here which describes YasOdha’s pleasure.* முழுதும் வெண்ணெ யளைந்துதொட் டுண்ணும் முகிழி ளஞ்சிறுத் தாமரைக் கையும்* எழில்கொள் தாம்புகொண் டடிப்பதற் கெள்கும் நிலையும் வெண்தயிர் தோய்ந்தசெவ் வாயும்* அழுகை யுமஞ்சி நோக்குமந் நோக்கும் அணிகொள் செஞ்சிறு வாய்நெளிப் பதுவும்* தொழுகை யுமிவை கண்ட அசோதை தொல்லை யின்பத் திறுதிகண் டாளே. NDP 715 Muzhudhum veNNaiyaLaindu thoTTuNNum mugizhiLanjciRuttAmaraik kaiyum ezhilkoL tAmbu kONDaDippadhaR keLgum nilaiyum veNtayir tOyndha sevvAyum azhugaiyuM anji nOkkuman nOkkum aNikoL senjciRu vAy neLippadhuvum tozhugaiyum ivai kaNDa asOdhai tollai inbattiRudhi kaNDALE *Meaning: YasOdha witnessed all the mischievous deeds of baby Krishna such as: eating butter with the lotus-bud-like tender little hands stirring in the pots of butter; laughing derisively upon being whipped by the soft rope; walking around with white curd spilling from the red mouth; mock crying and the fake look of fear; the curving of the red little mouth; and the appearance in front of his mother with folded hands seeking mercy. KR IRS 6724 * *These mischievous deeds were the divine child’s way of teasing YasOdha. These were the very same activities that would have given dEvaki (the real mother) immense pleasure which she was denied since the infant was transported in the middle of night soon after birth to gOkulam. The AzhwAr experiences such agony of dEvaki himself.* *The eighth, ninth, and tenth decads deal with Rama, the favorite deity of KulasEkara. The 10 songs in the eighth decad constitute a lullaby to baby Rama. All these songs were dedicated to the lord at ThirukkaNNapuram. Let us read one such lullaby.* மன்னுபுகழ் கௌசலைதன் மணிவயிறு வாய்த்தவனே! தென்னிலங்கை கோன்முடிகள் சிந்துவித்தாய்! செம்பொன்சேர் கன்னிநன்மா மதிள்புடைசூழ் கணபுரத்தென் கருமணியே! என்னுடைய இன்னமுதே! இராகவனே! தாலேலோ. NDP 719 Mannupugazh kausalaithan maNivayiRu vAyttavanE! Tennilangaik kOnmuDigaL sinduvittAy! semponsEr kanninanmA madhiLpuDaisUzh kaNapuratten karumaNiyE! ennuDaiya innamudE! irAgavanE! tAlElO. *In the above pAsuram the AzhwAr sings a lullaby to baby Rama placing himself in the position of a mother. He sings: Oh, Rama! the darling son of Kausalya you beheaded the king of lanka. You are now occupying the shrine here at ThirukkaNNapuram which is surrounded by the golden ramparts. You are my nectar. Please fall into sleep gently.* *In the ninth decad he assumes the role of Dasaratha (Rama’s father) and agonizes over KaikEyi’s demand that Rama should be exiled for 14 years, Rama having to sleep on the stone platform in the forest, and curses himself over such a predicament that befell Rama. In the tenth decad he describes the whole episode of Ramayana while observing Lord Govindaraja of ThirucitrakUDam (Cidambaram). Although Lord Govindaraja is in the recumbent position, the AzhwAr sees the lord as Rama seated on the throne or in the standing posture there.* *KulasEkara AzhwAr was also well-versed in Sanskrit and accordingly sang 53 slOkhams in Sanskrit on Krishna. It was in praise of Krishna titled Mukunda Mala (garland for Krishna). In the 52nd slOkham he signs it as a bee at the lotus feet of the lotus-eyed lord. In the final slOkham he declares the benefit (phalastuti) of reciting all the slOkhams, viz., the eradication of all sins and the attainment of the Lord’s abode. He is revered as PerumAL and his pAsurams (105 of them) are known as PerumAL Thirumozhi in recognition of his exalted status.* On Tue, 6 Aug 2024 at 09:00, Chittanandam V R <[email protected]> wrote: > > > *மகாலட்சுமிக்கும் கோபம் வரும் * > > *சுஜாதா * > > ஆழ்வார்கள் மிக அரிதாகத்தான் அரசர்களைப் புகழ்வார்கள். அரசர்களுக்கு அரசனாக > திருமால் இருக்கும்போது சின்னச் சின்ன மன்னர்களைப் பாடுவது அவர்களுக்கு > உவப்பில்லை. > > விதிவிலக்காக திருமங்கை ஆழ்வார் தன் பெரிய திருமொழியில் ஒரு சோழ மன்னனின் > வெற்றியைப் பாடியிருக்கிறார். விண்ணி என்னும் இடத்தில் நடந்த கடும் போரைக் > குறிப்பிட்டு அதில் சோழ ராஜா வெற்றி கண்ட திருநறையூரை அடைவீர்கள் என்று > குறிப்பிடும்போது அரிதாக ஒரு சரித்திரக் குறிப்பு கிடைக்கிறது. இந்த அரசன் > யார் > என்று அன்பர்கள் ஆராயலாம். > > இந்தப் பாடலின் முதல் பகுதியில் மகாவிஷ்ணுவின் உலகளாவிய வடிவை மிக அழகாக > ஆழ்வார் சொல்லும்போது அவர் கற்பனையின் விஸ்தாரம் நமக்குப் பிரமிப்பளிக்கிறது. > > *பவ்வ நீர் உடை ஆடையாகச் சுற்றிப் * > *பார் அகலம் திருவடியா பவனம் மெய்யா * > *செவ்வி மாதிரம் எட்டும் தோளா அண்டம் * > *திருமுடியா நின்றான்பால் செல்லகிற்பீர் * > *கவ்வை மா களிறு (உ)ந்தி விண்ணி ஏற்றக் * > *கழல் மன்னர் மணிமுடி மேல் காகம் ஏற * > *தெய்வ வாள் வலங்கொண்ட சோழன் சேர்ந்த * > *திருநறையூர் மணிமாடம் சேர்மின்களே! * > (பவ்வம் - கடல்; பவனம் - காற்று; மாதிரம் - திசை; > கவ்வை - ஆரவாரம்) > > கடலை ஆடையாகச் சுற்றி பூமியின் அகலத்திற்கு திருவடிகளும், > காற்றை மேனியாகவும், எட்டு திசைகளும் தோளாகவும், > அண்ட சராசரம் முழுதும் தலையாகவும் நிற்கின்ற திருமாலினிடத்தில் > செல்ல விரும்புபவர்களே! விண்ணி என்ற இடத்தில் ஆரவார யானைகள் > தலையை இடற பகைவரைக் கொன்று மன்னரின் கிரீடங்கள் மேல் > காகங்கள் உட்கார வாள் வீசிய சோழ ராஜாவின் திருநறையூருக்குச் > சென்று தரிசியுங்கள். > > இந்தத் திருநறையூருக்கு மற்றொரு கதை உண்டு. மகாலட்சுமி ஒரு முறை > கோபித்துக்கொண்டு பாற்கடலிலிருந்து புறப்பட்டு இந்த ஊருக்கு வந்து > மேதாவி என்கிற மகரிஷியிடத்தில் தங்கிவிட, பெருமாள் அவரைத் > தேடிக்கொண்டு வந்தாராம். > > மகாலட்சுமிக்கும் பிரச்னைகள், கோபம் வந்திருக்கிறது. > > *-- சுஜாதா* > ************************************* > > *சித்தானந்தம் * > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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