Thirumaalai(55)

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,

 
Paasuram-36
 

“mazhaikkandru varai munEndhum mainthanE! Madhura ArE!

  Vuzhaikandre pOla nOkka mudaiyavar valaiyul pattu

  VuzhaikindrErkku ennai nOkkA thozhivadhE!*  vunnai andrE

   AzhaikkindrEn Adhi moorthi arangamAnagarulAnE!”

 

mazhaikkandru varai munEndhum mainthanE! Madhura ArE!: 

Alwar here remembers the govardhana giri vrittAntham.  Everyone in
gokulam were busy decorating the place and getting ready for some
celebration.  Our kutti kannan didn’t know what was going around and hence he
enquired about the same to his father, nandagOpan.  Nandan said that it
was ‘Indra vizha’ which was celebrated each year to thank Indran, the
king of devas for the plentiful rains which he has showered.  Krishnan
then asked nandan, why at all such a festival to thank should be done
when showering the rain is the act of the clouds.  Never do we see Indra
before rain it is only the clouds we see.  Nandan replied that though it
was natural to rain after the appearance of clouds but lord Indra is
the one who governs the clouds and makes it to rain in the appropriate
place, rather than raining in the sea.  Athi vrishti(floods) and
anAvrishti(no rain) will spoil the entire cultivation.  We thank Indra for
controlling the same. 

 

Krishna continued saying, looking after the cattle and cultivating the
land is our duty which we are doing properly so isn’t it Indra’s duty
to shower the rain in appropriate time?  Why should we thank him? 
Instead I do accept that there is one bhagavan, for us the pratyaksha deivam
is only govardhana giri and hence the actual pooja should be done only
to that.  The gopars were innocent people and they could never argue
with intelligent Krishna.  They were so fond of Krishna that they were
ready to accept anything Krishna said and hence they all happily accepted
that Krishna was right and the pooja should be done only to the
govardhana giri and hence all of them with all the prasads made proceeded
towards the govardhana giri. 

 

Alwar here calls emperuman as mainthanE! because during the govardhana
giri vriththAntham kannan was only 7 years old and since only this
small kid lifted the whole mountain for the sake of saving  the whole
gokulam.  Indran, not getting the actual pooja this year sprouted with anger
and he engaged all the clouds capable to submerging the whole world to
shower on gokulam alone.  Not knowing what to do all the gokula vAsees
surrendered to Krishna saying, “govindam sharanam yayuhu”.  So to save
the whole lot of gokula vasees including the cattle lord Krishna
carried the whole govardhana giri and asked all of them to settle inside.  He
carried the mountain for 7 days till indran got tired of pouring the
rain without any effect on gokulam.  Imagine a 7-year kid carrying the
mountain for saving so many people and cattle. 

 

Though he was paramAtma himself still the gokula vAsees even after the
giri dhAranam asked Krishna if his hand pained and with love gave him
butter and considered him to be their kutti kannan.  Similarly alwar
says even though you do all such remote things still you appear to be like
my son and not a paramAtma.

 

Emperuman has number of nAmAs.  We can call him sarva loka rakshakan,
bhakthavatsalan, dheenadhayAlan but then alwar is not interested in all
these nAmAs.  He may be the protector of all the worlds but what is
important to me is his sweetness.  Alwar calls emperuman as “madhura
ArE!”.  SishupAlan and even Indran criticized krishna’s vAchAlam.  They say
his talk is cruel by which he diverts everyone.  However a child may
be, will the mother ever accept her child’s mistake?  She will say my
child never does like that you are all lying.  Similarly alwar who
considers kannan to be his own child says my kid’s words are always very
sweet.  You know not only his words he is himself a river of sweetness. 
This river started as a small river in Srivaikundam and now it is flowing
with great vigour in this gOshAlA(gokulam).  Adi shankara celebrates
kannan as, “adharam madhuram, nayanam madhuram………madhurAdhipathE akilam
madhuram”(his mouth and words are sweet, his eyes are sweet……….he the
king of madhura is fully sweet himself)

 

  Vuzhaikandre pOla nOkka mudaiyavar valaiyul pattu VuzhaikindrErkku
ennai nOkkA thozhivadhE! :   

  You saved the gokula vAsees and the cattles from the heavy rain and
from the wrath of Indra.  But Oh! My lord I have been caught in the
clutches of the samsara sAgaram where all my indriyams(sense organs) are
troubling me.  I am suffering due to all these, why do you turn your face
from me, without coming to help me?  asked alwar.

 

Vunnai andrE azhaikkindrEn Adhi moorthi arangamAnagarulAnE! :

Emperuman immediately asked alwar why he should
come to his rescue? Nandan and others where krishna’s relatives and they
surrendered to him in their hour of need.  So he protected him.  Why
should I save you, asked emperuman?  For which alwar replies, “vunnai
andrE azhaikkindrEn”, I always call only your thirunAmams.  Oh! Adhi
moorthi you came running to save gajendra from the clutches of one crocodile
when he shouted “Adhi moolamE!”  but now I am been suffering due to
number of crocodiles in this samsAram, day in and day out and I am
shouting for help.  I do not call anyone else other than you for help Oh! Lord
ranganatha, shouldn’t you come and save me? laments alwar.

 

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan