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Sri Badri SeshAdri's question on PeriyAzhwAr's Paasuram

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 27, 1997 


Dear Badri : 

It is nice to hear from you after a long time .

The Decad you referred to and the ending of 
the Paasurams in each paasuram of the decad 
is associated with an important phase in 
PeriyAzhwAr's seeking, celebration and 
the experiencing of the Lord.

There are similar instances in the other AzhwAr's 
experiences , where the major event of Aathma
SakshAthkAram of the Lord takes place and they 
describe with great joy this unique , transforming 
event . We can find instances of descriptions of such 
spiritual experiences in the paasurams of Thirumangai ,
NammAzhwAr , Thirumazhisai et al . 

Few words on the context of the fifth decad of PeriyAzhwAr's
paasurams . In the fourth decad paasuram ( 4.10.1)  , 
he pleaded for the boon for  anthima kaala Kataksham  
of the Lord . This Paasuram that sets the tone for this 
decad is a moving one . The Azhwaar reminds the Lord of 
Srirangam with feeling : 

"AppothaikkippothE solli vaitthEn ArangattharavaNai 
PaLLIyAnE " . He says that at the end of 
his life on this earth , I will be like a stone or  wood and 
will be ubnable to think of You ,my Lord .My  Dhruva smrithi 
( Unceasing rememberence ) will be affected . I will be totally
incapacitated in thought and deed . Therefore , I am appealing today
to you , when I am of firm of body and mind and placing my 
prayer for protecting me at that time , when I will be disabled . 
In the succeeding paasurams , the AzhwAr continued 
with his prayerful request :

AamidatthEh unnai sollivaitthEn-- 4.10.2
ARRaikku nee ennai kaaka veNdum--4.10.4
Iyya ! ini yennai kaaka veNdum --4.10.5
ANNalE ! nee yennai kAkka veNdum --4.10.6
anjalam yennRu yennai kAkka veNdum --4.10.7
aanAi nee yennai kAkka veNdum --4.10.8
anrangu nee yennai kAkka veNdum -4.10.9

AzhwAr's thought processes continues beyond the 
begging of the Lord's protection now. He has made 
his appeal in the spirit of VarAha Sarama Slokam .
He feels comfortable some what after enjoying the sweetness
of reciting the Lord's ThirunAmams . He reflects on the time
he had wasted in his life , when he failed to enjoy the sweet
experience of reciting the Lord's name. A great sense of 
sorrow ( Nirvedam ) pervades him and he sets the paasurams 
of the 5.1 decad in that mood. 

Inn these pasurams , he  chastises himself for 
the past lapses . He condemns himself for composing 
insignificant poems with his vicious tongue :  "Sazhakku 
Naakodu punkavi sonnEn -- pizhaipparAhilum tammadiyAr
sol poRuppathu periyOr kadan anrO " ( 5.1.2 of Periya Thirumozhi ) .
Here , he reminds Sri RanganAthA that as the supreme Lord , 
it is His duty to forgive the apachArams of His servants out of
the largeness of His heart and His role as the Master . Through 
the moving paasurams of this 5.1 decad , AzhwAr defines his 
relationship to the Lord and declares his ananya Bhakthi 
and seeks aparAtha KshAmaNam . 

In this mood , he arrives at the 5.2 decad of interest to us .
Out of his aakinchanyam and nirvedam , the AzhwAr 
poured out his heart in the previous 20 verses. The Lord 
of Srirangam was moved and recognized that His dear 
devotee is sorrowful and is pleading for aparAtha KshAmaNam
( forgiving of misdeeds ) because of His own aloofness 
and indifference until then.

Sri RanganAthA 's heart melted with the sincere and 
moving prayers of the AzhwAr. He immediately entered 
into the AzhwAr's mind  and let the AzhwAr enjoy Him to 
his heart's content . This situation is similar some what to
the experience of NammAzhwAr at ThiruviNNagar ( Oppiliappan
Kovil ) , where the AzhwAr is angry at the Lord for avoiding him and 
asks the Lord to leave his presence . The Lord could not bear 
the thought of being separated form His dear BhakthA 
and enters into AzhwAr and blesses him to enjoy 
His auspicious form and Anantha KalyANa guNAs . 
That sets the stage for the famous SaraNAgathi 
Paasurams of NammAzhwAr at ThiruviNNagar .

In  a similar mood of joy and thankfulness, PeriyAzhwAr
states that his body is the city ( PattiNam ) , where the Lord
has chosen as His home . He asks therefore the pestering 
spiritual and physical diseases bothering his body to leave
at once . He chases them away by reminding the sacredness
of his body by virtue of the fact that it is the residence of 
the supreme Lord ofSrirangam . He asks the diseases 
persistently enjoying him to go somewhere else and make 
a living . He compares these diseases to which he was prey 
until then to the endless rows of ants that spread themselves
over a vessel of ghee set aside for use as dravyam in the Yajnam
to celebrate the Lord. 

In the second half of first verse of the decad (5.2.1) , PeriyAzhwAr
introduces the refrain , " PandanRu pattinankAppE " and
repeats it nine times perhaps to symbolize the body 
characterized by nine entry points ( nava dhvArams ) 
for sensory objects . 

He reminds his diseases that ruled over his body earlier 
that the situation has changed . He says that his aathmA ,
which is the property ( pattinam/city ) is not in the previous state .
It is now protected by the Lord thru His entrance and occupation . 
He says : " meykkondu VANDHU PUHUNTHU VedappirAnAr
KIDANTHAAR , paikkonda paampanayOdum paNdanru 
pattinankkAppE " . He declares loud to the diseases that 
the Lord , who helped BrhamA with the gift of VedAs has 
now entered his body and is rsting there on the bed 
of AdisEshA odf spreading hoods and has made it His 
sweet home.Therefore , this aathmA , the city of the Lord , 
is no longer in the previous state . It is being protected by 
the most merciful Lord and Master . O diseases , who went
after me with such passion and persistence , please leave 
me and make your hom,e elsewhere .

In the final verse of this decad , we enjoy the most 
beautiful vision of AzhwAr , where the Lord is resting
in his body as KsheerAbdhi Naathan on Aadhi SEshA 
with MahA Lakshmi ( AravindappAvai ) and that the Lord 
has taken his body as His home for Aathma RakshaNam .
This is the upanishadic view , which recognizes and 
celebrates the body as the citadel of the Lord .

At this stage of his Prabhandham development , PeriyAzhwAr
has 20 more paasurams to offer at the feet of Sri RanganAthA 
to complete his vaachika kaimkaryam through 473 paasurams .
In decad 5.3 , he describes his resolute efforts to prevent the Lord
from leaving the  pattinam , where He entered willingly . These ten
verses are addressed to the Lord of ThirumAlirumcholai .

In the final ten paasurams of his prabhandham , PeriyAzhwAr
has the pala sruthi , which usually follows the Nirvedam and 
gaining the boon of Moksham . Here , he expresses his gratitude 
to the Lord for entering his body and mind and describes the many
auspicious events that resulted from the Lord's entry into his 
own property . These verses are addressed to ThiruvEnkatamudayAn .
He states that the Lord's presence in the five states ( Para ,
Vyuha , Vibhava , Antharyamithva and ArchA forms ) is for 
helping chEthanAs to become His servants and that all the 
five states are fully integrated in ThiruvEnkatam .

The Lord of ThiruvEnkatam is flustered after hearing the soulful
statements of gratitude and is concerned whether he has forgotten
anything else that he wanted to do for His dear BahkthA . AzhwAr
is moved by the Lord's solicitious concern and calms Him down
by stating that in his blessed state , there is nothing else he needs.
He says : " All his enemies have fled . I have been blessed with every thing.
You have now given me the ultimate present and boon that I desired.
Please do not be flustered over the thought of additional possible 
help to me. I am fulfilled thanks to your blessings " . 

Thus concludes the great Prabhandham of PeriyAzhwAr ,
which started with PallAndu , where the AzhwAr ventured 
forth with his benediction . 

PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai wrote a commentary on 
the Periya Thirumozhi , which unfortunately were 
destroyed by white ants. Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL
rewrote that commentary from memory .Most recently ,
the commentary by Uttamoor SwamigaL on PeriyAzhwAr's 
Thirumozhi was rereleased in January ,97 during his 
centennial celebration. I do not have acces to these texts and 
request others , who have access to elaborate on these 
observations of mine. The Upanishadic part viewing the body
as the home of the Lord could also benefit from bhakthAs 
like Sri KrshNa Kalale and Sri Vidya shankar .

PeriyAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan