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VitthuvakkOttu PerumAL & KulsEkarar Paasurams

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Sadagopan • March 20, 2002 


SrI:

Dear Srimathi GeethA Rangarajan:

In response to your questions on the purport of
the KulasEkara AzhwAr's VitthuvakkOdu Paasurams ,
I wish to offer these following observations: 

The 5th decad of KulasEkara Azhwar on VitthuvakkOttu
PerumAL is about ananya gathithvam and aakinchanyam ,
which are two doctrines closely tied to SaraNAgathi.
Ananya gathi means that the Prapannan has no other 
recourse for succor than SrIman NaarAyanan . The Prapannan 
is therefore ananya PrApyan . He does not have any one else 
as his goal (upEyam)for rakshaNam.He is also ananyArhan (i-e) 
he does not belong to anyone. He is the sole leige of 
the Lord. He is ananya prayOjanan as well . He only 
thinks of his relationship to perumAL ( His anubhavam , 
His kaimkaryam ).He is nirapEkshan (i-e) he does not
expect anything else except the Lord's grace and embrace.
He is filled with the mood of KaarpaNyam or his lack
of qualifications and feels helpless with respect to
his own ability to take care of himself. Recognizing
this utter state of helplessness , he throws himself 
at the feet of the Lord and places the burden of his
protection entriely at he Lord's feet. He recognizes 
that his karmaas (munn vinaikaL) have brought him into
the world with a body and recognizes that his sole means of
overcoming the karma bhnadhams is through the performance of 
prapatthi at the Lord's Thiruvadi to attain the boon of
residence in Parama Padham and enjoying ParipoorNa 
BrahmAnandham there thru ceaseless and blemishless kaimkaryam
there to the Dhivya Dampathis. 

In these paasurams , KulasEkara AzhwAr reminds the Lord of
VithtuvakkOdu (Uyyavantha PerumAL)about his unalterable
relationship to Him and performs SaraNAgathi 
at His Thiruvadi .

The key passages of the Ten paasuram are:

Paasuram 1
***********
"Taru Thuyaram tadAyEl, Unn SaraN allAl SaraNillai"

(meaning): Even if You do not choose to chase away 
the Sorrows of SamsAram that adiyEn experiences , 
I have no protection except You and You alone . 
Thou art the One , who causes the sorrows 
as a result of my vinaikaL .Thou art the One to banish
them .When You decide not to protect me , no one else 
can step in Your place and be my Rakshakan . Therefore ,
I have no means except to seek Your sacred Thiruvadi
for the removal of my sorrows and gain Moksha siddhi.

Paasurma 2:
***********
" Unn kuRaikazhalE kooRuvanE": 

Here AzwAr compares himself to a chaste and loyal 
wife , who is offended by the negligence of her
husband and his chasing of other women
and declares that like that chaste lady thinking
only about her wedded husband inspite of the pain the
husband causes , he (KulasEkarar) will only meditate on 
and eulogize the Lord's sacred feet with steadfast devotion.
 
Paasuram 3:
***********
" yenn paal nOkkAi aahilum ,Unn paRRU allAl paRRilEn"

Even if You , Lord of VitthuvakkOdu, do not turn Your
glances towards me, I will not seek anyone else for
my support and protection.

Paasuram 4:
***********
" AaLA ! adiyEn Unathu aruLE paarpan" 

Oh Mighty Ruler of the Universe! Like the surgeon,
who cuts me up to heal me , even the sorrows that
You give me is to purify me and qualify me for 
sathgathi.Therefore, I will only think about Your
DayA GuNam always.

Paasuram 5:
************
" Unn iNai adi adayal allAl yengu pOy uyhEn?" 

Where will I go for my upliftment/salvation 
(Ujjeevanam) except to perform Prapatthi at Your 
sacred feet ?

Paasuram 6:
***********
" vemm thuyar vitAvidinum , Unn antham il seerkku
allal aham kuzhaya maattEn"

Even if You do not elect to banish my severe sorrows,
I will not be moved by any thing except Your anantha
kalyANa guNams .My heart will not melt over by anything
else.I will not have any dEvathAnthara Sambhandham.

Paasuram 7:
***********
"adiyEn mey thuyar veettA vidinum, yenn chittham
Unn paalE miha vaippan".

Even if You will not banish my sorrows and smsAric
pains, I will suffer them while keeping my mind 
totally focussed on You .

Paasuram 8:
***********
" PuNNiyanE! Unn seer allAl pukkilEn kANN"

Oh ParisuddhanE! Like all the rivers who have no
other final destination than the mighty ocean ,
my mind will not unite with anything except 
Your anantha kalyANa guNams. 

Paasuram 9:
***********
" NinnayE thAnn vENDi niRpan adiyEnE"

For those seeking His anugraham , Our Lord
does not confer wealth in this world and 
takes it away from them in favor of granting
nithya sukham in the Supreme abode (YasyAnugraham
icchAmi dhanam tasya haraamyaham ). He appears
as though He is not paying attention to them .
He is testing their resolve . Here KulasEkarar
reasons that the Lord's indifference to him will not
stand in the way of his steadfast devotion to Him ,
the grantor of the lasting wealth of Moksham.

Paasuram 10: Phalasruthi
*************************
"Nee vENDAyE aayidinum maRRarum paRRilEn yenRu,
Avan TaaLL nayanthu sonna nal Tamizh patthum 
vallAr narakam naNNAr" .

Oh Lord of VitthuvakkOdu! Even if You reject me , 
adiyEn will not seek anyone else for my succor and
protection . adiyEn fell at Your Sacred Thiruvadi 
with this message elaborated thru the ten paasurams. 
Those who recite them will never ever end up in narakam.
They will only gain You as their immeasurable wealth.

In these ten beautiful and moving paasurams devoted
to the Lord of Thiru VitthuvakkODu , Kolli Naattu
king, KulasEkarar instructs us on the inseperable
realtionship between ParamAthmA (Sarva Seshi and
Sarva Loka SaraNyan ) and the forever dependent jeevAthmA , 
the nirupAdhika sEshan .

KulasEkara AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan
 

 





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