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nacciyar thirumozhi day seven

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramani Naidu • December 21, 2002 


Day Seven
Nacciyar Thirumozhi
Second Thirumozhi

One of the characteristics of Thiruppavai and Thiruvampavai is their
dramatic nature. From the sixth to the fourteenth song in Thiruppavai the
way in which the shepherdesses wake each other up is described in dramatic
terms. There are two kinds of such songs. One kind is made up of dialogue
between the shepherdesses. The other kind presents one side of the dialogue
leaving the other side to be guessed. But in both what is explicit is the
interesting dramatic aspect.

We see a similar dramatic element in Nacciyar Thirumozhi also. This element
is quite obvious in the Second and the Third Thirumozhi. We see Kannan who
keeps answering the requests on the part of the shepherdesses not to destroy
the sand houses they had built as part of the ritual of the Vow in the name
of Kama, even as he continues to destroy them. In the Third Thirumozhi, we
see the shepherdesses pleading with Kannan to give them back their dress He
had stolen from them.

There is something to be paid particular attention to here. The ten songs in
the first Thirumozhi are in the nature of a prayer to Kama to take the lady
love to God for the sake of fulfillment of her love. They do not have the
dramatic element. Similarly the other Thirumozhis that address the birds,
clouds, flowers to speak to God on her behalf do not have any dramatic
element about them. There are other songs which proclaim that she cannot
live in separation from God and therefore plead with the Mother and others
around to take her to God. Those songs also lack any dramatic element. But
the Second and the Third Thirumozhi have this dramatic element in a very
explicit manner.

The Second Thirumozhi is in the form of speeches by the shepherdess who try
to hide their love and speak in contradictions.

The first song could have been easily paraphrased to mean the following:
“Had you been born the son to my aunt, my desire to get married to you would
have been fulfilled. Is it not in prayer to Kama that I should get married
to you that I make all these sand houses as offering to him? DonÂ’t destroy
them, please!” But a proper understanding of the address “Sridhara, the
Mischievous!” makes us understand the lines differently. “You are the
Mischievous. If I were to get married to you, is there any chance of my
escaping the distress caused by Your mischief?” Kannan says by way of an
answer, “I don’t even think of you. Why should you make these sand house
offerings to Kama to get me as your Lord?” and goes on destroying the sand
houses. But the Shepherdesses don’t yield and say, “These are not meant for
you. It is the season of the Festival for Kama and these are meant to please
him as he comes on a procession.”  Kannan then tells them that to make
offerings to Kama are alien deeds to a Vaishnava and proceeds to destroy
them. That is the dramatic scene we could see in the first song of the
Second Thirumoli.

The drama continues in the second song also. The sand houses had been
made through the day and the back has started paining in the effort. Had
Kannan seen the efforts that had gone into the making of the houses, he
could have understood their enthusiasm. But He is seen destroying them. They
then refer to the deed of appearing in the form of a child sleeping on the
lotus leaf and keeping afloat with the whole world contained in the stomach
at the time of the Deluge. Perhaps He hasnÂ’t yet opened the eyes He closed
then! In Thiruppavai Andal had pleaded of God to open His graceful eyes
gently to see the Shepherdesses who had come to wake Him up. Here too the
pleading is for the grace to fall in trickles from His opened eyes on them
and the houses they have built. Perhaps it is their sin that denies them His
grace.

In the Third Song also His silence continues. The drama continues too.
Kannan is destroying the sand houses built by the Shepherdesses with a smile
of his face. He keeps his sidelong glance on the Shepherdesses meanwhile.
Looking at Him they say, “We fell in love with You as the One who can dispel
our distresses. You lie on the bed of the Snake on the Milky Ocean. You are
majestic like a lion. You dispelled the distress of the Elephant Gajendiran.
Are you to cause so much of difficulty to us? We have sieved the sand to
such fine white particles as to make these fantastic houses. Woe is it that
you are destroying them thus!”

Between the Third and the Fourth Songs Kannan should have spoken soft and
placating words to the Shepherdesses. He should also have made them feel
romantic with His touch and caressing. They too should have fallen a prey to
His charms. That makes them wonder what charm he has as to make them faint
in love. But they are afraid of elaborating lest they should be dismissed as
the ignoble.

Their tone is further softened in the Fifth Song. The houses of sand they
have built of fine white sands sieved of even the small stones are so
fantastic that they make anyone who looks at them fall for their beauty.
Their hearts melt in the agony that despite the beauty of the houses, He
goes on destroying them. They declare that they donÂ’t otherwise regret His
act. They appeal to Him in the name of Kesava and Madhava. If Your eyes have
any sight, You will not destroy such beautiful houses, they say.

In the Sixth Song they appreciate the valour of Rama in destroying Lanka for
freeing Sita held captive by Ravana. He has also routed out the asuras. But
what nobility is there in destroying the houses built by innocent girls?
That is their question. Between the Fifth and the Sixth Songs, He should
have indulged in certain tricks of love which are too impish for them to
describe explicitly. That is why the tone of, “Can this be done with us?” is
maintained in the Sixth Song. That is why in the Seventh Song they say that
if He spoke such words who can understand the implications thereof, it would
be nice indeed. They are not old enough to understand such acts of
love-making. They are girls whose breasts are still sprouting to full
growth. That is why they plead with him to leave their sand houses aside in
the name of His Consorts.

Between the Seventh and the Eighth Songs there should have been another
dramatic scene. They should have asked Him what He would get by destroying
their houses. He would have said that there was nothing of course for Him in
destroying their houses. He would have then told them that it would be
something for Him if He could touch them and feel them. But those
Shepherdesses are too young to understand the passion that can be aroused by
loving touch. So they wriggle away. He then asks them if His touch has
become so cheap to them. He also manifests Himself in the form of the Divine
holding the bright Discus. Even then they say that even if he is God, he
should be aware of the fact that when the tongue has lost its ability to
taste, jaggery will turn sour. Similarly, His love will turn sour to those
who do not know what is to love and be loved.

The shepherdesses make evident their helplessness in the Ninth Song. You
destroy not only the houses of sand. You will undo even our hearts. There
are people around. Your love games make us feel delicate. They bow their
heads in modesty.

The divine quality that is celebrated in the Ninth Song is what is known as
Sowlabhyam in Sanskrit and Elivaral in Tamil. These words refer to the
condescending grace of God. When God is graceful enough to condescend and
offer Himself to them, why should they seek Kama to intercede on their
behalf? This implication is well obtained when we notice the fact that
Kannan makes Himself felt in the front yard of the house which they keep
locked lest he should make them feel delicate because of his erotic speech,
gestures and acts.

Celebrating the greatness of the Avatars of God is a characteristic aspect
of Alwar literature in general. We see that in the Second Thirumozhi also.
But the thrust of the Second Thirumozhi of Nacciyar is on the condescending
grace of God as indicated earlier.




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