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A Tribute to the Tall One

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sadagopaniyengar • December 18, 2002 


                   
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

                         A Tribute to the Tall One

 

          Tiruppavai is all about KrishnAnubhavam. Most of the pasurams are aimed at waking up slumbering devotees and make them partners in the  indescribable bliss of union with the "Yasodai iLam singam". The prayer to Sri Krishna is to rid us of all desire that comes in the way of the aforesaid bliss-"Mattrai nam kAmangaL mAttru". Like Her distinguished father Sri Vishnuchitta, Sri Andal too engages in the extremely pleasant avocation of enjoying the innumerable auspicious attributes of Govindan, by thought, word and deed. Where Sri Periazhwar has somewhat limited himself to mostly chronicling the exploits of the child Krishna, Sri Andal, as befits Her sex, is more obsessed with the slightly older but none the less attractive and youthful Krishna. Thus it would be accurate to say that Sri Kodai Nacchiar's focus has been on the KrishnAvatAram and its matchless magnificence.

 

   However, despite Herself, Sri Andal does mention two other avataras in Tiruppavai. Her resolution to focus solely on Sri Krishna suffers an involuntary relaxation, when She is forced to sing about the TrivikramAvatAram and Sri Ramavataram. Of these two, Sri Rama finds a mention in two places, " sinatthinAl ten ilangai kOmAnai chettra manatthukkiniyAn" and " sendru angu then ilangai chettrAi tiral pOttri".

 

 Significantly, in both these contexts, Sri Andal finds nothing worth mentioning about Sri Rama but for His triumph over RavaNA. As such, we may consider this to be only a passing reference to the avatara from a ladylove, who is firm in Her allegiance to "NandagOpan Kumaran". As it were, She doesn't want to get distracted from the immense pleasure of KrishnAnubhavam , and restricts Her references to the Prince of Ayodhya to a mere passing mention.

 

However, try as She might, She is unable to dispose of TrivikramAvatAra so lightly. The towering Lord, tall in physical stature as well as glory, refuses to be put off so easily from Sri Andal's thoughts and continues to linger on, prompting repeated references time and again. At the very beginning of Tiruppavai, in the third pasuram, Nacchiar commences the verse with "Ongi ulagaLanda utthaman", goes on to eulogise His exploits in "ambaram Udarutthu Ongi ulagaLanda umbar kOmAn", and ends up singing His praise again in "andru ivvulagam aLandAi adi pOttri". Thus two very significant pasurams commence with a tribute to the Tall One. Considering Her preoccupation with Sri Krishna, it is indeed noteworthy that Lord UpEndra has managed to bag two pasurams and a portion of the third, accounting for a tidy ten percent of  Tiruppavai.

 

What is more significant is the choice of sobriquets showered on Trivikrama, which outshine even the appellations addressed to the Hero of the work, Sri Krishna.

The best possible epithet, "utthaman", is reserved for Trivikrama, who is again referred to with adulation as "umbar kOmAn" (the Lord of the Celestials) in the 17th pasuram. This is perhaps understandable, as the thieving Krishna could hardly be addressed as "Utthaman", for He is more of a "Dharumam ariyA kurumban" and "Puram pOl uLLum kariyAn".

 

What makes Choodikkoduttha Nacchiar address this originally diminutive specimen as "utthaman", a privilege She doesn't afford to any other of the Lord's forms?

 

First of all, the Trivikramavatara has the distinction of being extolled by the Vedas, not once or twice but any number of times- the Yajus Samhita is full of such references to the Lord's wonderful feat of measuring the three worlds with His feet.

"treeNi padA vichakramE Vishnu: gOpA adAbhya:"

  trEdhA Vishnu: urugAyO vichakramE"

  "VichakramE prithivImEsha EtAm" etc.

 

 This is perhaps the only avatara, apart from Sri VarahAvatAra, to find extensive mention in the Vedas.

It is therefore no wonder that the avatara is given preferential treatment in Tiruppavai too, which is after all 

"Vedam anaitthukkum vitthAgum Kodai Tamizh".

 

Secondly, Sri Trivikrama is eminently qualified for the sobriquet "Utthaman". By stature, He towers above all of the Lord's forms known to us. There is simply no comparison to this Emperuman, as far as physical dimensions are concerned. From a pitiable little dwarf, He grew into an immense, immeasurable giant, piercing all the spheres above the earth and the Universe. The pace and magnitude of this growth can be imagined, if the Constellation of stars, which originally formed a canopy over the Lord's head, turned first into a magnificent necklace around His neck and then into a glittering belt around His midriff. When He grew further, it adorned His feet as an anklet. And when He outgrew even that, the Stars admitted their defeat and begged the Lord to advise them as to how they might be of adornment to Him. The following slokam from Swami Desikan's DEhalIsa Stuti describes this beautifully

                         "Bhaktapriya! Tvayi tathA parivardhamAnE 
                             MuktA vitAna vitati: tava poorvam Aseet
  HaravaLi: paramatho rasanA kalApa:

  TArA gaNa: tadanu mouktika noopura Shree:"

 

Thirdly, by character too, the Trivikrama is an "Utthaman". Based on their traits, people are categorized into "adhaman" (the scum of the earth),  "Utthaman" (the noblest of men) and "Madhyaman" (those belonging to intermediate classes, neither bad enough to be adhamAs nor great enough to be UtthamAs).

  Those who make their livelihood based on the sweat and toil of others without any inherent goodness or industry of their own, are "adhamAs". Those who are gracious enough to live and let others too live, are "MadhyamAs". It is those great people who sacrifice themselves for the welfare of others, who qualify for the label "utthaman". Thus, it is  Sri Trivikrama, whose sole avatara prayOjanam was the restoration of Indra's glory, (without Himself gaining anything from the strenuous exercise of measuring all the worlds with His feet) who suits the word "Utthaman" to a T.   The monumental surveying exercise must have indeed been tiresome to the Lord, (as the Azhwars remark-"andru ivvulagam aLanda asavE kol?"), making Him resort to a reclining posture permanently thereafter.

 

 One man's food is another man's poison: so goes the adage. While Sri Andal considers the Trivikrama an "Utthaman", it is interesting to note that Sri Nammazhwar calls Him a cheat and deceiver, for the very act of measuring the worlds with His tiruvadi, for having given the impression of a dwarf and then, after having wangled out three feet of land from MahAbali, growing into a giant of unimaginable proportions- 

 

"gyAlam koLvAn KuraLAgiya vanjanE"

  " ariyAmai kuraLAi nilam mAvali moovadi endru

    ariyAmai vanjitthAi" etc.

 

The Bhagavat Gita too appears to concur with the Nacchiar's assessment that Trivikarama is an "Utthaman"-

 

 "Utthama: Purusha: tu anya: ParmAtmA iti udAhrita:

   yO lOkatrayam Avisya bibharti avyaya Ishwara:"

 

 If we stretch the word "Avisya" to mean the Lord's feet traversing the three worlds, we come to the conclusion that it is indeed  Trivikrama who is the "Utthaman" referred to here. This epithet is used in this sloka synonymously with "ParamAtmA" :Ishwara:" etc., proving conclusively that  Trivikrama is not only the noblest of the noble, but is also the Supreme Lord. 

 

That this "Utthaman" is also the Master of all Celestials is derived from Sri Andal's second tribute, "ambaram Udaratthu Ongi ulagaLanda umbar kOmAn". He is the omnipotent Lord, to whom all devatas vie with one another to be of service and pay tribute-"SarvEsmai dEvA balim Avahanti".

 

 When Sri Andal says "Utthaman pEr pAdi", She refers to the chanting of the Ashtakshara. This magnificent mantra, like the Vamana moortthi, contains in its short structure all that needs to be known about the self, the Lord and other components of the Arttha Panchakam. Similarly, the Narayana sabdam in the Ashtakshara is synonymous with the Trivikrama sabdam, due to its all-pervasive nature.

 The term "Utthaman" thus signifies the Superlative, the other degrees of comparison being represented by "Uth" and "Utthara". 

 

That the chanting of the Lord Trivikrama's holy name can bring us all prosperity is derived from the succeeding lines of the pasuram-'teengindri nAdellAm tingaL mummAri peidu'. This tirunamam is capable of dispelling all evil and ensuring timely and copious rains, which in turn spell fertility and affluence.

 The "Utthaman"'s glory is as tall as His stature, and defies description. The Veda Purusha tries in vain to encapsulate Trivikrama's eminence, and gives up after several futile attempts, admitting his inadequacy.  We too can but try to eulogize this Lord's tiruvadi, in Sri Andal's own immortal words-

"andru ivvulagam aLandAi adi pOttri".

 

Srimate SriLakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Dasan, sadagopan. 

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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