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ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam : Part XIV: Kaliyan's Paasurams: 3.1.9

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 11, 2003 


SrI:

Dear  BhakthAs:

Today we will study the Eighth Paasuram
of Thirumangai Mannan on Lord DhaivanAyakan of
ThiruvahIndhrapuram ( Periya Thirumozhi: 3.1.9):

vEl  koLL kaitalatthu-arasar vem-pOrinil VisayanukkAi maNittEr
kOl  koLL kaitalatthu Yenthai PemmAn idam , kulavu TaNN varaicchAral
kaal koLL kaNN kodikkai-yezhak-Kamuhu iLam pALaikaL kamazhal sAral
sElkaL paay taru sezhu nathi vayal puhu ThiruvayeendhrapuramE

General observations
**********************
In the last passuram, Kaliyan saluted Lord RaajagOpAlan
as GOvardhana Giridharan. In this Paasuram , Kaliyan's
dhyAnam is still on KrishNAvathara leelais. Here , 
the auspicious image of the Lord as ParthasArthy  
(Charioteer for His friend Arjuna with the horse 
prod in His hand ) fills the mind of Kaliyan . 
He describes the scene of Bhagavaan"s SaaraTyam 
during the war between PaaNDavAs and KouravAs.

In the last Paasuram , the swift flow of Garuda
nathi and the material that it brought as gifts 
to the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram ( Ivory and
Ahil logs) were described. In this Pasuram ,
Kaliyan's  mind is fascinated by the same Jala samrudhdi
in and  aroud Thiruvaheendhrapuram (the thriving flora 
and fauna from that jala samruddhi/abundance of water ). 


First Line of the Sixth Paasuram
******************************
"vEl koLL kai talatthu arasar vempOrinil VisayanukkAi-"

In that fierce Bharatha Yuddham (vempOrinil) , brave kings 
(arasar)from all parts of the country were assembled 
at  Kuru KshEthram . They all had  fierce weapons 
in their hands ( vEl koLL kai thalatthu arasar)and were 
ready for the battle. Some chose the side of PaaNDavAs
and others chose the side of KouravAs to fight . 
The Lord had promised that He would not take any  weapons 
in that war but would serve only as Saarathy for his friend 
PaarTan in that war. 

The many kings with powerful weapons assembled on
that battle field with fierce weapons in their
hands (vEl koLL kai talatthu arasar)are described 
in the first chapter of SrImad Bhagavad GitA this way:

athra soorA mahEshvAsA BhimArjuna samA Yudhi
YuyudhanO VirAdasccha Dhrupadhasccha mahAraTA:
--GitA : 1.4

(meaning): Here in this army are great archers 
similar in prowess to BhImA and ArjunA.King YuyuhdAna ,
VirADA and the mighty warrior Dhrupada are here .

These "arasars" were known for their expertise 
in handling  manifold missiles and were very 
skilled in the conductance of war ( nAnA-sasthra-
praharaNA: sarvE Yuddha visAradhA:).  

Second line of the Paasuram 
****************************
" (VisayanukkAi) maNittEr kOl koLL kai talatthu
   Yenthai PemmAnidam (ThiruvayeendhrapuramE)"

Our Lord as ParthasArathy held  the reins of
the horse drawing the gem-enmeshed chariot (maNittEr) 
of ArjunA and held in His sacred hand the stick used
to direct the horses drawing that chariot (Kaittalatthu
kOl koLL Yenthai PemmAn). ArjunA asked the Lord to position
his chariot between the two armies ( "SenayOrubhayOrmadhyE
raTam sTApaya mE Achyutha" ). When ArjunA saw the two
armies and his relatives and AchAryAs assembled on 
both sides to fight each other , he lost heart to do
battle , threw away his bow and arrows and was overcome
with inconsolable grief. Lord ParthasArathy took pity on
the desolate  ArjunA who was confused about his duties 
and blessed him with GithOpadesam culminating in
the blessed Charama slOkam to remove his sorrows. 

When Kaliyan salutes the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram as 
PaarthasArathy , he salutes Him as "Yenthai PemmAn". Our
Lord is the father of all beings in this universe and 
therefore is "Yenthai". PemmAn means Kula Dhaivam . 
Kaliyan reminds us that ThiruvahIndharapuratthu EmperumAn 
is his Kula Dhaivam . Kaliyan identifies therefore 
Thiruvaheendhrapuram as the preferred place of residence 
of his Kula Dhaivam ( Yenthai PemmAn idam). 
  
Third & Fourth Lines of the Paasuram
*************************************
" Kulavu taNN varaic-chAral kaal koLL kaNN kodi kai yezha
  Kamuhu iLam paaLaikaL kamazh Saaral sElkaL paay taru
  sezhu nathi vayal puhu ThiruvayeendhrapuramE"

Kaliyan refers first to the celebrated cool slopes
of OushdhAdhri ( Kulavu taNN varaic-chaaral ),
where the tender creepers of beetle plant are found
embracing the special posts erected for them ( kaal koLL 
kodi kai yezha).There on those cool slopes of Oushadha giri ,
kamuhu plants give out a sweet fragrance from their budding 
flowers. That fragrance gets admixed with the gentle breeze
( Kamuhu iLam paaLaikaL kamazh chAral) and that scent
is carried far and wide. At the foot of the Oushadha Giri ,
Kaliyan witnesses further the fertile fields irrigated with 
the  alluvial waters of Garuda Nathi brimming  with 
energentic  fish ( sElkaL paay taru sezhu nathi vayal
puhu ThiruvayeendhrapuramE).

In this ninth paasuram , Kaliyan pays tribute to 
the anugraham of the Lord of Thiruvaheendhrapuram 
for all the earthly riches that one finds at 
His dhivya dEsam and prostrates before Him 
as the KrishNAvathAra GeethAchAryan.  

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

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan



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