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ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam : Part VIII : Kaliyan's Paasurams: 3.1.8

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 10, 2003 


SrI:

Dear  BhakthAs:

Today we will study the Eighth Paasuram
of Thirumangai Mannan on Lord DhaivanAyakan of
ThiruvahIndhrapuram ( Periya Thirumozhi: 3.1.8):

virai kamazhntha menn-karum kuzhal kAraNam villiRutthu
adal mazhaikku nirai kalangida varai kudai yedutthavaan nilaviya idam
tadamAr varai vaLam thihazh mathakari maruppOdu malai vaLarahil unthi
tirai koNarnthaNai sezhu nathi vayal-puhu ThiruvayeendhrapuramE

General observations
**********************
Kaliyan dwelled on RaamAvathAram incidents in the last 
two Thiruvaheendhrapuram paasurams. He begins  the shift 
from RaamAvathAram to KrishNAvathAram in this paasuram. 

In the previous paasuram , Kaliyan was moved to describe 
the natural beauty of the fertile fields of red rice , 
where he saw the peaceful scene of the pairs of swans 
resting comfortably on their soft beds of lotus flowers.

Kaliyan shifts his attention in this paasuram to Garuda nathi 
flowing vigorously with foam and froth and bringing ivory 
and fragrant  tree trunks from the fierce rains at the mountains.

When Kaliyan witnesses the swift floods of Garuda nathi, Kaliyan's
thoughts go to the scene at AaypAdi, where the Young  KrishNan 
lifted the Govardhana Giri and held it as an umbrella
to protect the cattle and the people of BrindhAvanam from
the ferocious rains ordered by Indhran and salutes 
the Govardhana GiridhAran.

First Line of the Sixth Paasuram
*********************************
The first line deals with the breaking of the mighty 
Siva dhanus by the Young  Raamamchandran at King  JanakA's
court and winning the hand of SitA PirAtti at Her 
svyamvaram through that  display of His prowess :

" virai kamazhntha menn karum kuzhal kaaraNam villiRutthu "

Here Kaliyan points out that the beauty of SeethA pirAtti 
characterized by Her fragrant and shiny black tresses 
and RaamA's  desire to have that SeethA as His darma pathni 
motivated Him to string the mighty bow of Siva. 

The power of Raama's hands ended up breaking that  bow ,
which could not even be lifted by many contenders for
SitA's hand. King Janaka had vowed that  He would give
SitA in marriage to the one , who would string the divine 
bow of Lord Siva , which was his family  property. The prince
of AyOdhyA won handily in this contest and King Janaka
declared solemnly (ValmIki RaamAyaNam: BAla KaaNDam; 67.23):

" SitA prANair-bahumathA dhEyA RaamAya mE suthA"

(My daughter SeethA , who is dearer to me than my own
life is now ready to be given away to RaamA in marriage).

Kaliyan says here that it was the beauty of SeethA PirAtti 
that propelled RaamA to do " the impossible feat " of stringing
the gigantic bow of Lord SivA .
 
Second line of the Paasuram 
****************************  
"adal mazhaikku nirai kalangida
 varai kudai yedutthavan nilaviya idam "

IndhrA was wrathful at the GopAs headed by NandhA
and KrishnA , who obstructed his(IndhrA's) annual worship.
IndhrA commanded the destructive clouds of paraLayA 
time (adal mazhai) to hail destructive , torrential rains
to destroy the cowherd settlement of Nandha , who
heeded his son KrishNA's advise to abandon the customary
worship for IndhrA ;he was convinced that Krishna was a mere 
mortal and ignoramous and had to be punished for insulting him.
The people and the cattle of Brindhaavanam were tormented
by that fierce rain ( adal mazhaikku nirai kalangida).
Blinding lightning, deafening thunder and avalanche of 
hailstones frightened the animals and people of 
BrundhAvanam.

The Baala KrishNan decided to teach the egotistic
IndhrA a lesson and lifted the GovardhAna mountain 
like lifting a mushroom and held it with His little
finger for seven days and protected the entire 
BrundhAvanam under the umbrella of the mountain :

gOpAyE svAthmayOgAth sOayam mE vratha aahitha:
ithyukthathvaikEna hasthEna kruthvA GovArdhanAchalam
dhadhAra leelayA krishNacchathrAkamiva Baalaka:
-- SrImad BhAgavatham: X.25.18-19

( With the words that it was His vratham to protect
His devotees) , KrishNA , a mere boy lifted up 
the Goovardhana Mountain and held it up as it were 
a mere mushroom. Now Govardhana Giridharan invited 
all to take shelter under the cavity below the uplifted
mountain and dumbfounded Indhra with His Yogic power.
IndhrA understood now the power of the Lord and fell at
the feet of his Lord.

Kaliyan says that ThiruvayIndhrapuram is the dhivya dEsam
of Lord Krishna , who performed the miracle of lifting 
the Govardhana giri (Varai kudai yedutthavan nilaviya idam). 
  
Third & Fourth Lines of the Paasuram
*************************************
" TadamAr varai vaLam thihazh matha-kari maruppodu malai vaLar
  ahil unthi thirai koNarnthu anai sezhu nadhi vayal-puhu
  ThiruvayeendhrapuramE "

Kaliyan suggests that the mountains surrounding 
Thiruvaheendhrapuram  send their treasures ( Ivory from 
elephants in rut , fragrant ahil kattais) via the churning 
waters of Garuda nathi as thier homage to Baala GOpAlan , 
who lifted the mountain of Govardhanam to protect His bhakthAs
and their property during KrishNAvathAram . The ivory cast aside 
by the elephants in the mountains and the ahil tree branches 
from the same  mountains downed by the rains get washed down
by streams joining the Garuda nathi and float down stream
as offerings to the Lord of Thiruvaheendhrapuram , who is
the Raaja GopAlan . Swamy  Desikan composed a beautiful
sthOthram on Raaja GopAlan at ThiruvahIndhrapuram known
as "SrI GopAla Vimsathi " containing SrI GopAla Manthram
in one of its slOkams.

The Raama-krishNa avathArams are thus highlighted in 
the Eighth Paasuram along with the natural beauty
of this dhivya desam .

AzhwAr EmperumAnAr Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,    
SrI HemAbja NaayakiA SamEtha SrI Achyutha Para BrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan



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