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govindhan gunam paadi aen aavi kaaththiruppen- post 13

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • February 22, 2002 


Post 13

Dear Srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

In previous post, we saw periyaazhvar saying krishna himself played flute
music for his own dance. Perhaps that was the practice in earlier days. The
dance artist him or herself have to sing. The present day "play back"
methods may be a later date/ stage introduction. 

Srimadh bhagavatham says dhevaas gandharvaas and others played music for
krishna's dance out of affection to him [may be as accompanists].
tham narthum udhyatham avEkshya thadhaa 
thadheeya gandharva sidhDha sura chaaraNa dhEva vadhva:| 
preethyaa mrudhanga paNavaanaka vaadhya geetha 
pushpOpahaaranuthiBhi: sahasOpasEdhu: || 
slokam 18 chapter 16 canto X poorva ardham of srimadh bhagavatham

meaning: In that place of yamuna river banks where krishna raised in dancing
[on kaaLiyan's hood], gandharvaas, sidhdhaas, suraas [dhEvaas] chaaraNaas
[wandering musicians] descended down, started playing mrudhangam [drums]
paNavaanakam- a small drum type of taala instrument, and started singing
also out of love for krishna. Also they started pouring down flower showers
on krishna.

Point here is that krishna also played flute plus these people, also out of
love for their lord, started providing music for the dance. But here these
sidhdhaas dhevaas & others are not considered as audience to enjoy lord's
performance. 

Swamy desikan says the river yamuna also contributed its part of music- the
waves and ripples due to movement of krishna and kaaliyan, when they hit the
banks became mrudhanga music for the lord's dance. 

Even the flowing water of river created music for their lord. Without an
audience for a performance of an art, there is no taste for the performer.
See here who is the audience. 

thadh uththamaangam parikalpya rangam tharanga nishpanna mrudhanga naadham |
prasasyamaanas thridhasair akaasheedh avyaapahruthaaBhaaraBateem anantha || 
Slokam 121 sri yaadhaava abhyudhayam of swami desikan

Meaning: ananthan sri krishnan started his uninterrupted dancing with 
*	the kaaliyan's head as the stage [or field], 
*	the sounds of the waves of the river yamunaa as the accompanying
thaalam - mrudhanga vaadhyam sounds 
*	the dhEvaas who have come down as audience to applaud his dance.

See the role of dhevaas and sidhdhaas who descended down is identified
differently by different kavis. See thirumangai aazhvaar also confirms that
dhevaas who came down were the audience for the dance of lord. 

vaLaikkai nedunGaN madavaar aaichchiyar anji azhaippa
thaLaiththavizh thaamaraip poigaith thaN thadam pukku aNdar kaaNa
muLaiththa eyiRRu azhal naagaththu uchchiyil ninRu adhu vaada
thiLaiththamar seidhu varuvaan chiththira koodaththu uLLaanE
- 3-3-4 periya thirumozhi of thirumangai aazhvaar

meaning: that lord krishna is in this thiruch chithrakootam dhivya dhEsam
who entered the lotus pond and stood on the hood of the snake [who had two
curved protruding teeth lived] so that all dhEvaas and people of other world
can see. Since he entered the gopees who had jingling bangles in their hands
were afraid and started recalling their lord away from the snake. When
krishna stood on snake hood the snake started waning.

See another verse from same aazhvaar- 
thaLaik kattavizh thaamarai vaigu poigaith 
thadam pukku adanga vidal aravam 
iLaikkath thiLaiththattadhanuchchi than mEl 
adi vaiththa ammaanidam maamadhiyam
thiLaikkum kodi maaLigai aazh theruvil sezhu muththu 
veLLeRkenachchenRu munRil 
valaikkai nuLaip paavaiyar maaRu naangoor 
maNi maadak koil vaNangu en mananE - 3-8-8 periya thirumozhi

meaning is not elaborated here since context is same kaaLiyan uchichiyil
krishNan. 
[description about the dhivya dhEsam of naangoor mani maadak koil is to be
enjoyed some other time and not now]

Here three points are worth enjoying - 
1.	The pond is described as "thaLaiththavizh thaamaraip poigaith thaN
thadam"- thaLaik kattavizh thaamarai vaigu poigaith thadam - the pond had
all glory of chillness, blossoming lotus, dhevaas visiting that place etc
before the two-tongued snake entered the pond. Then the snake spit poison
etc so that all these gone. Now that the lord entered the pond, the pond got
its chillness, started blossoming with lotus etc once lord entered- like the
kadamba tree which blossomed sooner it got the touch of those sacred feet.

2.	When the dhevaas and others were seeing they started realising that
the snake is on the loosing side. See the words- adanga vidal aravam
iLaikka, azhal naagaththu uchchiyil ninRu adhu vaada - this chill lord gave
chillness to pond - but the snake - adangaa vidal aravam- snake with
continuously increasing amount of poison- azhal naagam - snake causing burn
to others - once chillness is given to fire- naturally it will die- so
iLaikka - vaada'. 

3.	But is it that lord enjoyed the snake's loosing - for the next word
is thiLaiththattadhanuchchi than mEl adi vaiththa,  thiLaiththu amar seidhu
- enjoyed in carrying out the war- no- it is thaN thadam pukku aNdar kaaNa
thiLaiththu - enjoyed that playing in chill water that too in the presence
of other worlds' people.
  
When the husband [snake] is suffering at the hands of somebody, it is
natural for the wives to plead for their husband to free him from this
suffering, with the person who creates this suffering. It can be a simple
pleading, can be praising etc. Since the wives have realised that it is the
supreme lord at whose hands their husband suffers, they started praising the
lord. This sthOthram of krishna is something superb and worth enjoying at
length. 6 slokas we had in earlier post. Another six slokas are here.
  
nama: krushNaaya raamaaya vasudhEva suthaaya cha!
praDhyumnaaya aniruDhDhaaya saathvathaam pathayE nama:!!
45th slokam 16th canto 10th skandham poorvaardham srimadh bhaagavatham

namO guNapradheepaaya guNaathamachchaadhanaaya cha!
guNavruthyupalakshyaaya guNadhrashtE svasamvidhE!!
46th slokam 16th canto 10th skandham poorvaardham srimadh bhaagavatham

avyaakrutha vihaaraaya sarva vyaakrutha sidhdhayE!
hrusheekEsa namasthE~sthu munayE mounaseelinE!!
47th slokam 16th canto 10th skandham poorvaardham srimadh bhaagavatham

paraavaragathignaaya sarvaaDhyakshaaya thE nama:!
avisvaaya cha visvaaya thadhdhrashtE~sya cha hEthavE!!
48th slokam 16th canto 10th skandham poorvaardham srimadh bhaagavatham

thvam hi asya janma sthithi samyamaan praBhO guNairaneehO~krutha kaalasakthi
Dhruk! thath thath svaBhaavaan prathibodhayan satha: sameekshayaamOga
vihaara eehasE!!
49th slokam 16th canto 10th skandham poorvaardham srimadh bhaagavatham

thasyaiva thE~moosthanavasthrilOkyaam saanthaa: utha mooDa yOnaya: saanthaa
priyaasthE hi aDhunaavithum sathaam sthathuscha thE Dharma
pareepsayEhatha:!!
50th slokam 16th canto 10th skandham poorvaardham srimadh bhaagavatham

Meanings and points we will enjoy in subsequent posts. 
Again in this post I am not able pin point which gunam to sing- so kurai
onrum illaadha govindhan gunam paadi let us save our souls.

Dhasan 

M.G.Vasudevan 



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