Panivinaal manam adhu onri

இந்த பதிவினை தமிழில் படிக்க, இங்கே சொடுக்கவும், நன்றி

As the saying goes ”Thirumaalai (the prabandham) ariyaadhaar, Thirumaalaye (Emperumaanai) ariyaadhaar”, we all need to learn and understand Thirumaalai , sung by Thondaradipodi Azhwaar, to know more and more about Emperumaan. In the first three hymns of this Divyaprabandham, Azhwaar enjoyed the experiences, graced by Emperumaan on him and in the subsequent eleven hymns, Azhwaar was preaching his experiences with Paramathma. When people raised many objections, Azhwaar responded to them to follow Sri Rama, when he mentioned “silaiyinaal ilangai setra devane devan aavaan”; and asked them to follow Sri Krishna, who is simple and easy to approach, by ‘katrinam meytha kazhalinai panimin‘; and finally to Aranganathan, by  ‘uybavaruku uyyum vannam Thiruvarangam kaatinaan”. Azhwaar continued his preaching by mentioning the glories of Thiruvarangam.

In spite of above, people did not follow Azhwaar’s preaching, he decided to leave them and started to sing about the great help graced by Periyaperumal to him in the next ten hymns (15-24). We discussed the first of these hymns, the fifteenth paasuram, ‘Meyyerke Meyyanaagum‘ where Azhwaar sang that Emperumaan does all the things for those who show truthful devotion to him; He also protects those who do things related to devotion which are not wholly truthful, but could be classified as truthful; He lets down those who are not even doing such false devotion as mentioned above. Azhwaar concluded that hymn that Emperumaan uses His beauty to clarify all the doubts. In the next hymn, “soodhanaai kalvanaai“, Azhwaar mentioned that he himself was a thief and a fraud, who got entangled with the beauty of the eyes of the other women and fell in deep pits. Azhwaar asserted that Periyaperumal used His beauty to correct him and diverted all his love and affection towards Him.

In the next hymn, “Virumbi ninru“, Azhwaar sang that previously he did not use his hands to pray, mouth to say prayers or heart to devote himself to Emperumaan. Emperumaan used His tender and sweet beauty to melt the hardened heart of Azhwaar and Azhwaar was so happy that his eyes were filled with tears. Initially, Azhwaar was happy about the opportunity of having the dharsan of Thiruvarangan, who is all alone, without any peer and ruling the entire kingdom but that happiness caused continuous tears from his eyes. With tears, he could not enjoy the dharsan continuously. So Azhwaar was worried and frustrated at himself in not making use of the opportunity, hence called himself a sinner in the eighteenth hymn, “ini thirai thivalai“.

In the nineteenth hymn, “Kuda thisai mudiyai vaithu“ Azhwaar sang that Emperumaan created the four directions and kept the holy parts of His form (thirumeni) in each direction, so that we can get abode by having dharsan of those holy form. Azhwaar continued that his mind and body started to melt after the splendid dharsan of Periyaperumal and wondered how others were not affected; if they were taking any potion to sustain such a strong state, Azhwaar asked them to give him a small portion of that medicine.

For that, people asked Azhwaar to come out of the devotion to Emperumaan. People who know the glories of Emperumaan, would understand that Emperumaan is in Thiruvarangam only for themselves. But people who are selfish and proud of themselves would move away from Periyaperumal and Azhwaar said that he would be one among them. This is what he conveyed in the twentieth hymn, Paayuram Neer Arangam Thannul.

Now let us go into the next hymn.

Thirumaalai Twenty First Hymn

Panivinaal manam adhu onri, pavala vaai Aranganaarku, thunivinaal vaazha maataa, thollai nenje nee sollaai, aniyinaar semponaayaa aruvarai anaiya koyil, maniyanaar kidandhavaatrai, manathinaal ninaikalaame (Thirumaalai 21)

In the last hymn, Azhwaar said that he could not move away, after having the dharsan of Arangan. Two things happened. One is that his heart told Azhwaar that he should create a boundary and and set a limit to himself for the enjoyment of the beauty of Arangan. Secondly, the people who heard Azhwaar’s words, “karumbinai kandu kondu” (17), “aravanai thuyiluma kandu” (19), concluded that Azhwaar was distressed and did not know what to do (en seygen (18) and (19)), because he looked at Arangan with his eyes. They suggested that Azhwaar could sit in a corner and meditate about Arangan, through his heart, rather than looking through his eyes. Both these made Azhwaar to come to a conclusion that limiting the dharsan of Arangan was like the experience that he missed for a long time in the past, because of not having the courage; here Azhwaar referred, the complete trust (maha visvaasam) as courage.

Azhwaar in this hymn, was questioning his heart, how it would be possible to limit the enjoyment of Arangan who with coral like lips, reclining like a blue gemstone, in the temple that was like mountain Meru, made out of reddish gold. Azhwaar told his heart that it missed the opportunity to have the knowledge on Paramathma for a long time, because it did not have the humility, focus and courage. Azhwaar’s conclusion was that the experience of limiting the enjoyment of Arangan would end up like the knowledge that was missed in the past.

Panivinaal manam adhu onri

Azhwaar mentioning that his heart should commit and have the courage to worship Thiruvarangan (Periyaperumal) and move away from all other worldly matters, and the start of that commitment was stressed here by Azhwaar. Azhwar said ‘adhu‘ in “manam adhu onri” instead of “manam onri”, to refer to the thinking, the function of mind, rather than the mind itself. In Thiruvaaimozhi (4.3.1), Swami Nammazhwaar meant similar thing, when he used the word “nenjame” to refer the mind rather than the heart, in the phrase “poosum saandhu en nenjame“.

Nammazhwaar stressed the importance of that thought process, as “Thozha karudhuvadhe thunivadhu soodhe” in Thiruvaaimozhi (2.10.9) as the determination in our mind to reach Thirumaliruncholai as the first thing, to offer our prayers and getting abode successfully.

If we submit ourselves to anyone other than Paramaathmaa, there is no assurance that they would show any mercy. Even if they show mercy, we do not know whether it would result in any benefit. But if we show our humbleness to Periyaperumal, the amount of kindness and compassion shown by Him is boundless. To get such kindness, anjali to Emperumaan is enough, as seen from what is said below.

• Ravana had vowed that even if his body was split into two, it would not fall towards Rama. (Ramayanam, Yudha Kaantam 36.11). Paramathma Who could do many great deeds like taking incarnation etc, would have shown His kindness, even if Ravana had considered changing his vow. So what we need to show to Paramathma is only our involvement or intention and He would not expect total surrender.
• There is another opinion, that our humility would not give any desired benefit, but His kindness and pity towards us alone, would give the benefits. If someone lifts his hand to hit another person, even if he does not hit, the second person would feel humiliated throughout his lifetime, as though he was hit. Similarly the beginning of the thought process of worshipping Periyaperumal and the starting of worshipping like showing the sign of tribute (anjali mudra) will enable the creation of His Kindness from Periyaperumal and the associated benefits.
• Next is a sloka by Alavandhar, our achaaryar, in his Sthothra Rathnam (28), If someone, at some time, in some method, showed his or her respects to Paramathmaa’s holy feet by showing the anjali mudra, such act reduces his or her sins, increase the benefits and unabatedly always. (Be assured that the benefits would not be lessened at any time).
• Next is what Lord Krishna said in Bharatham, Shanthi Parvam (46.163). An Anjali Mudra, done properly is greater than performing ten Aswamedha Yagams, as, those who performed Aswamedha Yagam might reborn and become eligible to do another Aswamedha Yagam, but a person who did the Anjali to Paramathma would reach Him and would never be born.
• In Garuda Puraanam (11.26), it is mentioned that doing an Anjali to Paramathma is the fastest way to please Him.

Pavala Vaai Aranganaarku

Azhwaar states that if Emperumaan finds someone who has started this involvement, His coral like reddish holy lips, utters consoling words so that the person would not feel that he lost this opportunity for such a long time. Emperumaan does not want to be too far away and wants to be nearer to the person who started this involvement and started thinking about Emperumaan and hence He is in Srirangam.

Thunivinaal Vaazha Maataa

According to Azhwar, what is said earlier as humility and what is being said now as courage, are not initiated by the Jeevathmaas. Only Arangan’s beauty has initiated such courage and humility through which the Jeevathmas experience an excellent life.

According to Azhwaar, as we did not have the courage, we did not try the experience. So Azhwaar was asking for such courage in this hymn. Lord Krishna in Shanthi Parvam, Mahabharatham (334.47), said that those who were not sure in their mind would never reach Paramathmaa. In Ramayanam, Janaka Maharaja, father of Sita, was very clear than his achaaryar Veda Vyasa, that determination or courage was the only unfailing method to reach Paramapadham.

For our better understanding, we can take the words like courage and determination, that are mentioned here are equivalent to undaunted loyalty to Him. (Maha Visvassam)

Thollai Nenje

Azhwaar was mentioning to his heart that, since there was no determination or maha visvasam it missed all these wonderful experiences with Emperumaan in the past.

Nee Sollaai

Here Azhwaar was again mentioning to his heart which had mindlessly lost the experience of enjoying Emperumaan, that it was stupid if his mind to think that it could measure the experience of Emperuman so that it could completely finish that experience at some time. (and such an act would be equivalent to the losses he had suffered due to the missing His experiences in the past.)

Aniyinaar sem ponaaya aruvarai anaiya koil

Azhwaar stated that the huge Thiruvarangam temple was very beautiful that looked like the Mountain Meru made up of red hued gold. So this temple was like an ornament to this world and hence called it Aniyinaar. Similarly as a mountain is stable and a strong base to the whole world, so is Thiruvarangam temple. Hence Azhwaar suitably mentioned ‘aruvarai anaiya’.

Maniyanaar kidandhavaatrai

Periyaperumal, in the reclining posture in the centre of Srirangam temple, is like a precious blue gemstone pressed on such a Meru Mountain according to Azhwaar.

Manathinaal Ninaikalaame

Azhwaar is asking his heart, whether it would be possible to limit the experience of enjoyment of the beauty of Periyaperumal. He further told his heart that it might be possible to measure the experience of his glories and His playful activities too. But, to Azhwaar, it is impossible to measure or limit the experience of His beauty. The function of the mind or heart is to think and the thinking can not be carried out by any other part of our body. In the same way it is impossible for the mind or heart to measure or limit the experience of His beauty.

Let us catch up again on the next hymn. Thanks