Thirumaalai(34)

Sri Parthasarathi thunai,

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha
 

“ Mattrondrum vEinda Maname Madhilarangar

  Kattrinum meitha kazhalinai keezh- uttra

  Thirumaalai paadum seer Thondaradipodi Emperumaanai

  Eppozhudum peesu”
 

“ Srimat Krishna samahvaya Namo yaamuna soonave

  yetkadAkshai kalakshyAnAm sulabha: Sridara: sadaa”
 

Pranams,

In the previous posting, we saw the meanings of namA, kannan. 
Similarly there are meanings for all the thirunAmams of the bhagavan.  In his
bhagavat guna tharpanam, Sri ParAsara bhattar gives the meanings of each
nAma in the Vishnu sahasranAmam extensively.  Narayana nAmA is paratva
soochanam and Govinda nAmA Sowlabhya soochanam.  Narayana nAma is seen
in the Vedas whereas the Govinda nAma was the god’s beloved nAma in
krishnAvatAram, though it refers to him in other avatArAs too.  “gO” can
refer to both cow and earth.  Since varAha saved the earth he is also
called ‘mahAvarAhO Govinda”.  Since Sriramar was bhoopalan(ruler of the
earth) he also gets the name Govinda.  But then why does it refer to
Krishna mainly, that is because only in KrishnAvatAram there was a
specific govinda pattabhishekam.  That is why govinda nAma gets its
significance.  Andal says ‘kurai ondru millAdha Govinda’.  Our ancestors did
govinda keertanam before doing anything eating, sleeping etc.  Before
starting anything they start with Govinda nAma keertanam, govindA! GovindA!. 
In thirumaalai also alwar says the same in many places.  Let us now
continue with the meaning of the 18th paasuram.

 

  kaniyirundhanaiya sevvAi kannanai kanda kangal:  We saw earlier that
the alwars were always deeply involved in the beauty of the lotus like
eye and the coral liked juicy lips of the bhagavan.  Here thondaradi
podi alwar says that the lips of the bhagavan are red and they are so
sweet like a ripened fruit.  When we say the mouth is reddish like a coral
then we may think the mouth is tasteless like a coral.  So to get us
rid of that doubt alwar says the mouth is both beautiful and sweet in
taste.  After describing the bhagavan’s beauty, alwar then talks about his
own eyes.  What does his eyes do?  Alwar says kannanai kanda kangal,
but is he not standing in front of Sri RanganAthan? why doesn’t he say
that  instead why say kannanai? Actually all through his prabhadham alwar
sings RanganAthan to be kannan or rAman.  Here PVP differentiates
Periya Perumal to be kannan and namperumal to be rAman.  He says, “yesodhai
pirAtti pillai manam kannAmal theembhilE kai valarum padi valarththa
mosumosuppellAm thOtrierrukkum periya perumAlai kandAr”.  Krishna was
born as a son of yesodha who was a gopika.  NandagOpan was the king of the
whole village.  There were number of cows in that village and all were
“vallal perum pasukkal” which gave a lot of milk.  Yesodha has such a
lot of love for her dear son that she churns lots and lots of butter by
just singing his praise.  She never wants to say no to her beloved son
so she gives him lots of butter inspite of this he goes to steal butter
in all the houses and thereby he eats so much butter daily.  So Krishna
has become so fat.  Alwar says that Krishna has now come and lied down
in Srirangam as periya perumal.  Whereas Namperumal who is active
taking care of the kingdom of Srirangam is none other than Sri chakravarthi
thirumagan who is called BhoopAlan.  In the next line alwar says what
happened to his eyes on seeing this beautiful kannan.

 

  paniarumbhu vudhirumAlO enseikEn pAviyEnE:  When the emperuman was in
pArkadal there are number of droplets which are like pearls there.  But
in Srirangam pearl like droplets fall from the eyes of the bhagavatals
who enjoy the beauty of periya perumal.  They do not want to show their
bhakthi to others so they hide their tears.  But then they are unable
to do the same so we find small droplets in the corners of their eyes. 
Then the tears roll down through their cheek.  Kulasekara alwar says
these bhagavatals wet the whole area with their tears.  Alwar also
doesn’t want his tears to be shown to others but unfortunately he is unable
to stop it hence he says ‘vudhirumAlO enseikEn’(It falls what can I
do?).  Alwar feels that his bhakthi is nothing compared to the krupai of
bhagavan.  Even kuchElan, a friend of Krishna cries and says ‘aham pApi,
daridhdhiraha’.  He says he is a pApi because he feels that he has
cheated and got the krupai of Krishna paramAtma.  Here also alwar calls
himself papi because his bhakthi can never be equated to the kArunyam of
bhagavan.
 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan