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Third Day of Dhanur Maasam : AndAL& RamAvatharam

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • December 18, 1996 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

Yesterday , we focussed on the three direct salutations of AndAL 
to the MahA Veeran , Raghu Raman in three different pAsurams
of the divine Thiruppaavai . Today we will include another indirect 
salutation of ANdAL to Veera Raghavan and continue with the earlier
thoughts on Rama/KrishNa avatharams and AndAL's customized
appreciations of them .

Direct salutation 1 : SINATTHINAAL TENNILANKHAI KOMAANAI
CHERRA --- The twelfth pAsuram of Thiruppavai refers to the 
anger , nay the rage of Veera Raghavan that led to the destruction of 
the Lord of LankhA . The 99th Khandham of Srimadh RamAyaNam
describes the anger of RamA at the evil RavaNA seeking  battle 
with  him this way : "  Rama was seized with anger ( Rama: Krodha 
Samanvitha : ) and let fly arrows in uninterrupted succession against
the king of ogres .  " In the next canto , the battle continues and Rama 
is outraged by the audacity of RavaNA in the battle field and gets furious 
and hit RavaNA with numerous arrows ( Ragavasthu SusamkruddhO 
RavaNam bhaubhi: Sarai: ) .Rama takes a vow to destroy RavaNA 
and states " Let the world see the Ramathvam of Rama in the course of my 
combat with the evil ogre ( Adhya Pasyanthu Ramasya RAMATHVAM 
mama samyughE ) . "  Ramathvam that Rama himself refers to is
the courage and valor in any battle field . That display of Ramathvam
that extends beyond the battle field in his role of SaraNAgatha rakshakan 
moves AndAL very much and she describes him for that reason as 
MANATHUKKINIYAAN .

AndAL salutes the Ramathvam elsewhere indirectly  in Thiruppavai 
( ThAzhAdhE sArngam udaittha sara Mazhai pOl , vazha ulaginil peythidAi ) .
In addition to the shower of  arrows of destruction aimed at RavaNA , the shower
of Daya and AnukampA is also the underlying meaning to connote the 
rejuvenating, life-giving showers of anugraham of this KaruNA Moorthy .  

His Maha Veeryam as the supreme wielder of the bow revered as Saarangam
(Kodhandam ) of this SaarangapANi and His destruction of RavaNA is
saluted by the overawed AndAL next In the salutation , " pollA arakkanai 
kiLLIkkaLaindhAnai keerthimai paadippOi " . The ten heads of the evil
ogre were cut off by RamA after he recited Aditya Hrudhayam and renewed
his combat with RavaNA . 

In  a great tribute to the valour(ThiRal)  of RamA , AndaL sums up
in her PoRRI Paasuram with the salutation : senRangu tennilankhai 
seRRAi tiRal poRRi ". She visualizes the sethu bhandanam , travel
on the rama sethu and arrival at LankhA and mighty fight with RavaNA 
and destroying him with unsurpassable heroism .  

Sri Lakshmi TatAchAr in his article on AndAL's mangaLAsAsanam of 
Rama and KrishNa quotes the commentary of PeriyavaacchAn PiLLai
to indicate that Rama as a supreme hero (MahA Veeran ) did not need 
any protection from enemies through prayers and it was the helpless 
KrishNa , who needed all the prayerful wishes/blessings /benedictions 
(MangaLAsAsanam ) that he can get from AndAL . PiLLai says :
" In Ramaavatharam , RamA's father was DasarathA , the destroyer 
of SambharA . The city was Ayodhya , which could not be conquered 
by any person . The acharyAs were VasishtA and others well versed in 
several manthrAs . The sons of DasarathA were virtuous and quite 
disciplined . In KrishNAvathAram , the parents were innocent cowherds.
The dwelling place of KrishNA is a hamlet inhabited by the cowherds.
Besides in BrindhAvan , anything , which sprouted could turn out to be
a demon . KrishNA was such a naughty child that he would even fall 
in the mouth of the venemous serpent , if his brother BalaramA was 
engaged otherwise even for a moment .The calamities that befell 
KrishNA through PutanA and other swere endless . "  Hence PeriyavacchAn 
PLLai concluded that except for the blessings of AndAL , there was nothing
that could protect the Lord . 

In her pORRI pasuram of Thiruppavaai saluting RamA ( senRangu 
Tennilankhai seRRAi tiRal pORRI ) , she brings before her memory's
eye all that happened a long , long time ago and out of her great
reverence and awe-inspired love for the MahA Veeran , she performed 
the MangaLAsAsanamm for Vijaya Raghavan , the RaNa Pungavan .

AndAL continues to pay her tributes to the unmatched heroism 
of RamA in the verses of NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi . I will cover them
in the next posting.

alli nAttAmari mEl aaraNangin tuNaivi
malli naadAnda mada mayil --melliyAL
aayarkula vendanahatthAL then pudhuvai
veyar payantha viLakku--- ThirukkaNNamangai AandAn

 "GodhA tasyai Nama idhamidham bhooyayevAsthu bhooya: "
                                                                        ---
ParAsara Bhattar 

SrivaishNava Daasan ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan