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enRukolO vaazhtthu naaLE

From the Bhakti List Archives

Parthasarati Dileepan • February 28, 1996 


I seek your forgiveness for all mistakes and flaws the
following may contain.
-----------


For Sri Vaishnavaas there is no greater expression of
devotion for our Lord Sriman Narayana than devotion for
our Lord's devotees.  As a matter fact, reverence towards
our Lord's devotees is the culmination of our reverence to
Lord Sriman Narayana.  No other Azhvaar expressed this
principle more elegantly than our own Chera King
Kulasekaraazhvaar.  This is completely in character for is
he not the one to unhesitatingly put his hand inside a pot
with a cobra to prove the innocence of our Lord's
devotees, maliciously accused of steeling the royal jewels.
(viz. Thaniyan by Manakkaal nambi.)

Unlike Thondaradippodi and to some extent
Namaazhvaar, whose relevent verses tend to be guidance
for our behavior towards fellow devotees,
Kulaseakaraazhvaar expressed these sentiments in the first
person.  There are several verses where he starts out with
beautiful description of our Lord, and then, when we
expect him to finish by surrendering to such
a Lord, he ends with a surrender to the devotees of such a
Lord!  Here is an example:

     aathi yantham anantham aRputham
     aana vaanavar thampiraan
     paathamaamalar soodumpaththi
     yilaatha paavikaL uyndhida
     theethiln^anneri kaatti yengum
     thirintha arangan emmaanukkE
     kaathalsey thoNdarkku eppiRappilum
     kaathalseyyum en nencamE.

          "All pervading Lord of Sri Rangam has
          shown us the impeccable code of prapaththi,
          the code, if followed, is sure to save even
          those with no devotion for the Wonder, the
          Lord of heavenly gods who is the beginning,
          the end, and the infinite.  In all my lives my
          heart shall be filled with love for these
          devotees who love our Lord so dearly."

          (Note:  "theethil nanneRi"  =  prapatthi)

For me personally, the first 10 of the 105 paasurams of
this Azhvaar's PerumaaL thirumozhi never fails to evoke
nostalgia for Sri Rangam.  Being an economic refugee in
the U.S. I contsantly entertain the hope that someday I
shall return to India and spend my retirement in Sri Rangam.
The first ten verses of Kulasekaraazhvaar resonates with
this longing in a sweet melancholy tone.  Here are some
samples:

     karumaNiyaik kOmaLaththaik kaNdu koNdu en
     kaNNiNaikaL enRukolO kaLikkum naaLE.

          "I long for the day I can behold my Lord and
          delight at the sight of the dark gem the
          emerald!"


     maNivaNNan ammaanaik kaNdu koNden
     malarsenni yenRukolO vaNangum naaLE

          "I long for the day I can see my Lord of
          emerald hue and worship with my head
          bowed."


     oLimathisEr thirumugamum kaNdu koNden
     uLLamika enRukolO vurugum naaLE

          "I long for the day when my heart will melt
          away at the sight of the luminous sacred face
          of my Lord of Sri Rangam."


kulasEkaraazhvaar thiruvadigaLE saraNam!


-- Parthasarati Dileepan