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PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi 3.8- oru magaLai udaiyEn; senkaNmaalthaan koNdu pOnaan

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Madhavakkannan V • February 16, 2003 


SrI:
SrImathE Ramanujaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

With (last ten) the mother who understands and is so co-operative with her 
love for KaNNan, the daughter feels rejoiced that the wedding with Kannan 
will positively take place is waiting for that most joyful moment. She 
informs KaNNan of her motherÂ’s green signal as well and the D Day does not 
appear to happen- and she waits and waits. One day, KaNNan as usual entered 
the house when none was around and has taken her away – it appears. The 
mother searches and asks passers by everyone as to where she has gone and 
where has she disappeared.

nalladhOr_thaamaraippoykai naaNmalarmElpanisOra
alliyumthaadhum_udhirndhittu azhakazhindhaaloththadhaalO
illamveRiyOdiRRaalO enmakaLai_engumkaaNEn
mallaraiyattavanpinpOy madhuraippuRampukkaaLkolO?       1.

My home appears equal to the loveliest lotus pond which has lost all its 
well spread flowers (with all the petals well spread out with the droplets 
of early morning snow on them) falling off? Alas! My home looks deserted. 
Alas! (AlO) I do not find my daughter anywhere. Has she followed that KaNNan 
(who fought with the wrestler) and entered into outskirts of MathurA?

KaNNan was with my daughter and they called him to fight with the wrestler 
and hence he would have rushed hurriedly. Perhaps she followed him as well. 
My home appears to have lost everything without her. Perhaps KaNNan did not 
want to take her to battlefield and hence would have left her in the 
outskirts of MathurA.

onRumaRivonRillaadha uruvaRaikkOpaalar_thangaL
kanRukaalmaaRumaapOlE kanniyirundhaaLaikkoNdu
nanRumkiRiseydhupOnaan naaraayaNan_seydhatheemai
enRum_emar_kaLkudikku OrEchchukkolaayidungolO?              2.

Like these illiterate, cowherd folks who place the calves and cattle by 
mistake with the wrong cows, Narayanan (KaNNan) also has done something 
(good) and has misplaced my daughter somewhere else it appears. This wrong 
doing of KaNNan on my darling daughter- would it bring bad name to our 
family for ages to come?

These cowherd folks are not educated and misplace the cattle and calves. 
Having grown up there, KaNNan (Narayanan) also has done such a deed. Has he? 
If he does not take her, the residents (parents) will not do that. Hence 
what he did is fine (hence the word- nanRu- good – is used by AzhwAr). Since 
He did not ask anyoneÂ’s permission and took her without information even, it 
is also bad. (seydha theemai)- as it will talked about people and blamed by 
the whole town.

In the first pAsuram, the mother asks as to where KaNNan had taken her? She 
comes out searching for her and the people now inform her of KaNNanÂ’s wrong 
doing of taking her. She enters into village slums and informs those who are 
the well wishes of her daughter and her family in the next pAsurams.

kumarimaNamseydhukoNdu kOlamseydhu_illaththiruththi
thamarumpiRarum_aRiyath thaamOdharaRkenRusaaRRi
amarar_padhiyudaiththEvi arasaaNiyai vazhipattu
thumilamezhappaRaikottith thOraNamn^aattidungolO?          3.

Performing the function prior to the wedding of my daughter, adorning the 
ornaments, wedding attire, declaring to the whole town and all relatives 
that She is meant for Damodharan, prostrating the lotus feet of the divine 
consort of Devaraajan (the chief of Devas- NithyasUris), with the sound and 
music of mangaLa vaadhyams (auspicious drums), will I decorate the place 
with string of mango leaves and banana trunks?

The parents perform mangaLa snAnam and adorn her with new silk clothing; 
golden jewellery and garlands and flowers. And getting her wedded formally 
and declare to everyone that she is meant for Damodharan. Here dAmOdharan is 
to be enjoyed. This varan (groom) is special. One can be obedient to father 
(due to respect); to oneÂ’s Acharyan; but being obedient to mother is rare 
one for any boy. This boy obeyed his mother and got himself tied down around 
his waist to a mortar. Though he had strength to get out of her reach and 
run away, He allowed himself tied to by her.

Bowing down to indrANi- this does not refer to IndraÂ’s (DevendranÂ’s wife) 
wife. That will affect the girlÂ’s paramaikAnthithvam. This is the vyAkhyAnam 
of Thiruvaymozhi Pillai which is Parama bhOgyam. Also arasANi- can be 
interpreted as the ammi (the stone). arasANi can also mean the arasa treeÂ’s 
brach which is kept in the hall of wedding. – this is the commentary by 
Jeer. Arasa tree is the Narayana swaroopam with the presence of Lakshmi 
always- this is mentioned in pramANams. Thus, bowed down to arasANi can be 
enjoyed.

orumakaLthannaiyudaiyEn ulakamn^iRaindhapukazhaal
thirumakaLpOlavaLarththEn sengaNmaalthaan_koNdupOnaan
perumakaLaaykkudivaazhndhu perumpiLLaipeRRa_asOdhai
marumakaLaikkaNdukandhu maNaattuppuRamseyyungolO?          4.

[A lovely PAsuram. PeriyAzhwAr sings in his real role perhaps losing AndAL 
to Sri Ranaganathan for ever]. I, who has only one darling daughter brought 
her up like the Periya PiraaTTi herself due to her divine beauty and her 
kalyANa guNAs, etc..much to the praise of everyone in the world. Compatible 
to her nature and beauty (of being similar to PiraaTTi herself) that lotus 
eyed lord has taken her with Him. (oru magaLai udaiyEn.. sengaN maal thaan 
koNdu ponaan). The great lady- the blessed one- YasOdhA who is blessed to 
have KaNNan as her son- looks at my daughter (her daughter in law) with joy- 
will she arrange for her wedding formally to the knowledge of everyone?

I have only one daughter who is like Mahalakshmi herself. Not only do I say 
that. The whole world says that looking at the divine beauty and kalyANa 
guNas. Perhaps Yasodha also would have been aware of my darling daughterÂ’s 
greatness. I brought her up like that. She is like Mahalakshmi. Hence, only 
Narayanan should take her. She is meant for Him. He has taken her on His own 
waiting for a opportune moment. Yasodha knows what is good and what is bad. 
She has been living a grand and great life. He is the only son for her. Also 
he is not an ordinary one. VedhaahamEtham Purusham mahaantham. She must be 
happy that this girl of lime is going to be wedded to Him. If she realizes 
and arragnges the wedding, it would be great. Will she do? Or will she leave 
it just like the way He has taken her. I am worried.

thammaamann^andhagOpaalan thazhee_ikkoNdu_enmakaLthannai
semmaandhirEyenRusollich chezhungayaRkaNNumsevvaayum
kommaimulaiyum_idaiyum kozhumbaNaiththOLkaLumkaNdittu
immakaLaippeRRathaayar iniththariyaarennungolO?            5.

[Now it is father-in-lawÂ’s turn to feel happy]. NandhagOpan- who is going to 
be father in la for my girl- hugs my girl affectionately and caringly. Since 
he has not seen her when he hugged her and she lowered her head due to 
shyness, he raises her head to admire her beautiful divine face, enjoys 
looking at her fish like charming eyes, reddish lips, small curvy breasts, 
narrow waist, well grown bamboo like beautiful shoulders proudly, and does 
he say now that “the lady who is blessed to have such a beautiful girl as 
her daughter- having sent her to our home as our daughter in law- can not 
bear separating herself from this girl?”.

vEdarmaRakkulampOlE vENdiRRuchcheydhu_enmakaLai
koodiyakoottamEyaakak koNdukudivaazhungolO?
naadumn^akarum_aRiya nalladhOr_kaNNaalamseydhu
saadiRappaayndhaperumaan thakkavaakaippaRRungolO?          6.

KaNNan- who has kicked the sakatAsura (wheel asurA) and killed- our Swamy, 
in line with the kulam of hunters and others who commit sins, has taken my 
daughter as he has desired to take her away. (like the hunters take birds 
away). Will he stop with that without any further paaNigrahaNam (wedding) 
and start living with her? Or will he invite everyone, arrange wedding 
commensurate with His Nandha kulamÂ’s greatness?

Here AzhwAr (mother) does not even mention His name in the first two lines 
(when His taking her away is referred to). And when she wishes for the 
wedding formally arranged by Him, she refers to His grand deed of SaadhiRanp 
paayndha perumAn- the one who kicked and crushed the wheel asurA- and 
praises Him.

aNdaththamarar_perumaan aazhiyaan_inRu_enmakaLai
paNdappazhippukkaLsollip parisaRa_aaNdidungolO?
koNdukudivaazhkkaivaazhndhu kOvalappattamkaviththu
paNdaimaNaattimaarmunnE paadhukaavalvaikkungolO?           7.

PerumAn- who is the chief and Lord of all Devas- everyone in all worlds- the 
one who has the divine charka in his hand- after having taken her to his 
house, will he point out few mistakes of hers, few negative qualities of 
hers and treat her like a maid servant? OR will he lovingly adorn her with 
valuable jewels, enjoy living with her, adorning her head with his crown, in 
front of all his other spouses?

kudiyilpiRandhavarseyyum kuNamonRumseydhilan_andhO!
nadaiyonRumseydhilann^angaay! nandhagOpanmakan_kaNNan
idaiyirupaalumvaNanga iLaiththiLaiththu_enmakaL_Engi
kadaikayiREpaRRivaangik kaithazhumbERidungolO?             8.

[The mother finds that the wedding does not take place and now laments to 
her friends that the wedding of her daughter did not take place]. Oh friend! 
KaNNan- son of NandhagOpan- having hailed from such a grand family, he has 
not fulfilled the promise made to my girl. He has not even done what He does 
to others commonly. My girl- with her waist moving here and there churning 
the curd (having been asked to work for getting butter out) moves the rope 
to and from with her beautiful limbs and gets her both palms hardened 
(without actually getting the butter at all).

Perhaps, she is working as a maid in the house of Nandha gOpan. She must 
have been churning since birth- one may argue. She may not have belonged to 
Gopa caste (could be the reply). Or the one who is brought up like 
Mahalakshmi herself- how will she know to churn and do some hard work like 
this?

veNNiRaththOythayir_thannai veLvaraippinmun_ezhundhu
kaNNuRangaadhEyirundhu kadaiyavumthaanvallaLkolO?
oNNiRaththaamaraichchengaN ulakaLandhaan_enmakaLai
paNNaRaiyaappaNikoNdu parisaRa_aaNdidungolO?               9.

Before the east whitens (sun rises), my girl gets up from bed shedding her 
sleep behind, does she have enough strength to churn the entire lot of white 
solid curd? The just bloomed fresh red lotus flower like eyed Thirvikraman 
has asked my daughter to work such daily chores in his house like maid 
servant, much below her status as His spouse?

The curd, when fermented should appear yellowish white. Here it is pure 
white. Hence, perhaps it was fully formed curd and hence getting butter is 
an arduous task for her and poor girl is struggling without success. The red 
lotus eyed lord wakes her up when she sleeps and asks her to work. This 
ulagaLanthaan- has got lots of work in the world. In between, he instructs 
her to do these daily chores as well.

Perhaps, He is actually taking good care of her. She out of love for her 
Lord and care for the in laws, she gets up on her own and she does all these 
work. But like all mothers, this mother also finds fault with the maapillai 
(son in law) that he makes her work hard at in lawÂ’s house.

maayavanpinvazhisenRu vazhiyidaimaaRRangaLkEttu
aayar_kaLsEriyilumpukku anguththaimaaRRamumellaam
thaayavaLsolliyasollaith thaNpudhuvaippattan_sonna
thooyathamizhppaththumvallaar thoomaNivaNNanukkaaLarE.  10.

The mother of a girl who was taken away by KaNNan has sung this ten as if 
she had gone behind KaNNan, entering into the Ayar paadi slums and narrates 
what were told by them; informs them of how Yasodha and Nandhan would treat 
her darling daughter and then returning to her home lamenting how her girl 
suffers at in lawÂ’s place- this is uttered by Sri VilliputthUrÂ’s 
VishNuchitthar in pAsurams in chaste sweet Tamil. Those who learn these ten, 
will be blessed to be eternal servants of blue hued pristinely pure 
EmperumAn thUmaNi vaNNan.

This narration of mother going behind KaNNan, entering into Ayar padi, 
talking to people and coming back is the anubhavam of Thiruvaymozhi Pillai 
which is explained above. Sri Manavala mamuni enjoys as if the mother 
narrates and imagines all the above happening sitting at her homes itself 
and people come and tell her as and when applicable.
PeriyAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo narayana
dAsan

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