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Denver Conference : PeriyAzhwAr's Paasurams 2.4 decad on NeerAttam

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • December 19, 1997 


ManjanamAttal 
*****************

YasOdhA piratti wanted to bathe her child , KrishnA .
She collected water for the thirumanjanam . She added
cinnamon , cardamom and other fragrant powders in
the water . She looked around for KrishNa and invited him
to come to the bathing room ,where she had lovingly prepared 
fragrant water at the right temperature  . He heard her call , 
but tried to get away from her reach . YasodhA appealed 
to her son to come to her , described at length about 
the enormous efforts she took for him 
to have a most enjoyable bath ,  praised him and tried 
to lure him to take his bath with sweet and coaxing words . 

PeriyAzhwAr took on the role of YasOdhA , the mother ,
to enjoy this scene .These verses are always 
recited during the Thirumanjanam ( holy bath ) of 
the ArchA murthys at the temples or the vigrahams 
or SaaLagramams at home . 

Paasuram 1 : VeNNayaLantha KuNangum ----

O my Lord who is not easily  accessible ! NaarAyaNA ! 
Please come here for taking Your bath . I have prepared 
the oil for Your oil bath ,  the soap nut powder and have
been waiting for You to come here for a long , long time . 
I will not let you dirty the bed tonight with the day's dust 
besmearing Your body from all of Your playful activities
and the unwelcome smell arising from the immersion
of Your hands all the way upto Your shoulder , when You 
stole and ate butter during the day . This I shall not put up 
with . Please come and take Your bath and cleanse Yourself 
before You retire to bed  . 

Paasuram 2 : KanrugaL Oda ---

O Lord who knocked down the seven trees with the power of
Your arrow during RamAvathAram ! Today is the day of 
SravaNam ( ThiruvONam ) , when Your birth star is in
ascendance . Please do  not try to escape from me . 
I am exasperated with Your pranks . Earlier in the day ,
you ran after the frightened calves and placed the biting 
ants into their ears , which made them more panicky and they 
ran away . How am I going to milk the cows , when the calves 
have run away ? If I do not  milk the cows , how are You going 
to get the butter  to steal and eat ? Please do not run away .
Come and take Your bath .

Paasuram 3 : pEycchi mulai ---

O my precious one of auspicious glories ! O my dear one
with the hue of a blue jewel ! When I saw You partake 
the poisonous milk from the fearsome  PuthanA's breast 
and suck her life forces , I responded to the collective call
of the fleeing neighbors and approached You and breast-fed 
You . I did not run away like them out of fear at the sight of
the mighty corpse of PuthanA , whom You had dispatched 
to heavens . Today , I have prepared warm and comforting 
water containing broiled leaves of Nelli tree for sweetness . 
I have stored this lovely water for Your bath in large vessels ,
so that You can enjoy a long and leisurely bath . Please do not 
escape me. Come and have Your bath . 

Paasuram 4 : Kanjan puNarpinil ----

O great helper , who destroyed the asuran in the form
of  the wheel sent by Your evil uncle Kamsan with a swift
kick of Your tender feet ! O Lord, who sucked the life out of 
the deceitful PUthanai ! I have added turmeric powder ,
and enriched Your bath water with petals of red lotus flowers . 
I have set aside fragrant sandal paste and black collyerium 
for decorating Your eyes after Your bath . O Beautiful One !
Please do not run away from me .Come  and take Your
bath with further hassle ! 

Paasuram 5 : Appam kalantha siRRundi ----

O Lord of full perfection ! O my Swami ! 
My salutations to You . Please come here . Young girls with 
tender breasts will complain behind my back about Your 
minor offenses and laugh over them . While they are busy 
that way , I have been busy dissolving cubes of jaggery in milk 
and flour to cook sweet tasting appam and 
other delicious luncheon items for You .
If You want this lovely lunch , You must take a bath first. 
Please come and have Your delightful bath .

Paasuram 6 : YeNNai kudathai urutti ---

O Lord with the beautiful blue complexion of the 
waters of the ocean with  noisy waves ! O Swami 
who kicks the oil containing vessels around with Your 
tender legs and who wakes up sleeping children with 
Your pinching ! I will give You sweet , hand-picked fruits .
Please come here and take Your bath without further delay !


Paasuram 7 : KaRantha naRpAlum ---

O My Lord ! From the day You were born , I have not
seen the likes of either milk or curds or the butter 
stored in the pots hanging from the ceiling . You have
taken care of all of that ! If I started to criticize You in
front of others , they will be astonished at me as the 
mother complaining about the child that I bore ! Hence ,
I am hesitant to criticize You because of fear about 
offending my neighbors . I will never belittle You in
front of others . Please come here and take Your bath ! 

Paasuram 8: KanRinai vAlOlaik katti -----

O Lord of total perfection ! I can not fully comprehend
Your limitless , auspicious attributes ( anantha kalyANa 
guNams ) or Your power  . One day , You tied the ribbons 
on the tail of the asuran , who took the form of a calf 
to kill You . What did You do ? You took that calf by the tail , 
swirled him around and threw him at a wood  apple tree . 
The fruits fell as a result of that impact 
and provided a feast for Your play mates . Thereafter , You 
went to the banks of YamunA river and got on the top of 
the hoods of the poisonous KaaLingan and danced there 
to Your heart's content and subdued the serpent's arrogance . 
Today happens to be the day of Your birth . Therefore You 
must take an enjoyable bath . O NaaraNA ! 
Please come hither! Do n't run away .

Paasuram 9 : pUNit thozhuvinr pukkup -----

O Lord without any modesty ! My mANikkam ! My blue 
sapphire !  I enjoy seeing your beautiful limbs covered 
with dirt from Your entering the cow sheds and playing 
in the mud there . But , those who see Your body smeared 
with all that dirt  blame me and call me an uncaring mother .
O shameless Lord who puts me in such a dire spot ! 
Nappinnai will laugh at You , if she sees You in this state. 
Let me help You . Please come here and cleanse Yourself 
with the lovely bath that I have prepared for You . 

Paasuram 10 : Kaarmali mEni niratthu--

Those who recite these ten paasurams composed by 
PeriyAzhwAr--, the elder of the most ancient land known 
as Sri VillipputthUr -- on the way in which the full-breasted
YasOdhA pirAtti bathed her son , KaNNapirAn of complexion 
far more beautiful than the clouds of the rainy season , 
will become completely free of any sins .

Sri PeriyAzhwAtr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan