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VaraLi Pancha rathnam --Part 7.1: Reflections on Kanu Pongal day

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 15, 1998 


Thai Month 2nd Day 
Kanu Maattu Pongal Dinam
Aayilyam/Maham Nakshthram
January 15, 1997

Dear Rama BhakthAs : 

I would like to share with you three  reflections on 
this Kanu pongal day before continuing with 
the remaining two charaNams of VarALi krithi .
The word KANU triggered these three reflections .

Reflection 1
**************
On this Kanu Pongal Dinam , my mind runs back to 
Thirukkdanthai AarAvamudhan temple and the west gopuram
in front of Hema PushkaraNi .

Three friends are assembled there . They came for their annual
chat and to place Kanup pidis ( Multicolored , cooked rice balls )
on the steps of the pushkaraNi . One of them , Sri KomaLavalli ,
the consort of AarAvamudhan is padi-thAnDa patthini . As such ,  
She could not step out of the portals of the temple  . Her friends ,
SitA pirAtti ( Consort of Lord Ramachandra from the south western 
part of KumbakOnam ) and Sri Vijyavalli ( Consort of Sri ChakrapANi
from the North Western part of the City ) have travelled to meet their
dear friend , Sri KomaLavalli . The archakAs take the Kanup pidis
from the hands of the three dEvis and place it on the foot steps of
the Eastern bank of the PushkaraNi for the benefit of 
the birds and other jivarAsis . Sri KomaLavalli watches 
this event from inside the boundary of the temple . After that event ,
these MahA Sumangalis get together inside the temple , exchange 
information on the year's events , say good bye after promising to
meet each other in an year's time .

Reflection2 
************

This scene is on the bank of Cauveri River at Thiruvayyauru , 25 miles
south of KumbakOnam ( Thirukkudanthai ) . A Parama BhakthA of
Sri RamachandrA chooses Nayaki rAgam to express his gratitude
to the Lord and criticizes pOli BhAgavathars. His krithi starts with 
the word , KANU :

Pallavi : KANUgonu soukhayamu Kamalajukaina galgunA ?

Anupallavi : Dhanuja vairiyugu Raamuni dhaya galgina nathani vinA ?

CharaNam: tanuvOkachO manasOkachO tagina vEshamOkachO niDi
                      Janalu nEchuvAriki JayamounE ? ThyagarAju ( Kanugonu
) 

( Meaning ) : Can even Chathurmukha BrahmA have the blessings 
that ThyagarAjA had of direct darsanam of Sri RaamA ? That soubhAgyam
can be had only with the Lord's grace .

With the body in one place and the mind elsewhere , 
those pOli bhagavathars , who cheat  the people by
pretending to be great bhakthAs by wearing appropriate
vEshams ( Pundra DhAraNam , Veda PaarAyaNam et al )
will not succed in being blessed with the Lord's direct darsanam .

Reflection 3
************** 

It is still the CauvEri river bank at ThiruvayyAru . Saint ThyagarAjA 
has  returned from the morning anushtAnams at the river bank.
He has collected the flowers and Tulasi for SuprabhAtham and
morning AarAdhanam . He sings the Bhouli krithi, mElukOvayyA ,
and wakes up the Lord with eager expectation to have His darsanam .
Saint ThyagarAjA performs dheepArAdhanam next and witnesses a 
splendid sight inside his pUjA graham . He is filled with immense
joy at the sight he saw . In  the morning hours , Raagam Bilahari
joins with him to express his supreme joy :

Pallavi :        KANU gontini Sri Raamuni nEDu

Anupallavi : Inakulamandhu yimmughAnu bhuttina 
                      ilalOna , SitA nAyakuni nEDu 

CharaNam : Bharatha LakshmaNa Sathrugnulu koluva
                       PavamAna suthuDu paadhalabhaDDu 
                       dheerulaina Sugreeva pramukhulu 
                        vinuthi sEya , ThyagarAjanuthuni nEDu ( KANU ) 

( Meaning ) : I have seen today my Lord Sri RaamA , the Consort
of SitA Piratti . I have seen this scion of the solar race with His 
dear brothers BharathA , LakshmaNA and SatrughnA performing
kiamkaryam  to Him . I have seen Sri AnjanEyA is holding His
sacred feet in his hands and I have seen King SugreevA and 
other great ones singing about my Lord Sri RamachandrA's
anantha kalyANa guNams . 

Sri Raamachandra Para BrahmaNE Nama:
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan