Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Vaarttaamaalai

From the Bhakti List Archives

M Srinivasan • January 20, 1997 


"Vaarttaamaalai" is a maNipravaaLa work by Pinbazhagiya PerumaaL Jeeyar, who
was a disciple of NambiLLai, and perhaps better known as the author of the
6000-padi Guruparampara Prabhaavam. As the name indicates, Vaarttaamaalai is a
collection of tidings or messages. 

Puttur Sri. S. Krishnaswami Ayyangar Swami has published the original with his
explanations. Sri. U. V. Velukkudi Varadacharya Swami has given a preface to
the Puttur edition. Even though my understanding is poor, I am very moved by
the style and content many of the `vaarttais`. Out of a desire to share the
good feeling that comes out of reading and meditating upon such works, I would
like to translate and publish here selected `vaarttais' occasionally. I have
absolutely no qualifications for attempting this. My hope is that this attempt
might kindle in the readers a desire to read the original itself. My
translation is based on the Tamil explanations given Sri. Puttur Swami. Since
it is impossible for me to preserve the style of the original, I will attempt
to get the sense of the content to the best of my imperfect understanding. Any
errors are mine, of course, and I will be grateful if the learned readers
would correct any errors they may find in my translation. 

My selections will be random, with no particular significance as to the order.


Dasan Srinivasan

-------------------------------------
Vaarttai 366 of Vaarttaamaalai

	VeerasikhaamaNi Pallavaraayar was a chieftain. He sought the feet of Bhattar
(Paraasara Bhattar, the illustrious son of Koorattaazhvaan and disciple of
Embaar) and prayed, "As I am busy doing things for the king, I do not find the
time to serve Sri VaishNavaas and hear their good advice. Please grace me with
a message in which I could take refuge."
	Bhattar replied, "Keep in your thoughts the sea shore." Pallavaraayar stood
their wringing his hands as he did not get the point. Bhattar explained, "With
the monkey army, Lord Sri Rama was staying on the sea shore like an ocean of
nectar. On the opposite shore was the carrion-eating rascal RavaNa with his
Rakshasa forces ready for battle. During the wakeful hours of the day, the
seventy-veLLam-strong (veLLam is an enormous number, perhaps millions of
trillions) monkey army was watching over and protecting PerumaaL, out of
overflowing sympathy (pongum parivu) and concern that nothing untoward should
befall Him. But during the night, overcome by the nature of the physical body,
the monkeys all got tired of hands and feet and fell asleep. At that time,
with the quiver tied to their back, and with a few carefully-selected sharp
arrows held in their hands, PerumaaL and iLaiya PerumaaL (Rama and LakshmaNa)
kept going around this seventy-veLLam-strong monkey army, protecting them like
a moving fortress wall and like some birds that guard the eggs they lay by
constantly going around them. Think of that hand of Lord Rama (Chakravati
Tirumagan) and the bow in His hand as the refuge and give up all worry."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------