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THirumangai"s Ninda Sthuthi in Thirumadal and elsewhere !

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • March 30, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatti group; 

I am delighted to read the many responses  
to Sri Varadhan"s query on the Ninda Sthuthi 
aspects of the Eros or Madal Literature of 
Thirumangai. The most recent posting of Sri Badri 
has cleared up many of the points . Hence I will
focus on yet another  aspect of this Azhwaar"s 
mercurial moods, when he does not hesitate to offer 
Ninda Sthuthi to The Lord, when he gets frustrated.
 
This is the case, when Thirumangai arrives at 
IndaLoor with great expectation to have the 
Darsanam of Parimala Ranganathan in the 
Veera Saynam pose. He does not get the 
Darsanam and feels spurned. He heckles the 
Lord , who was not responsive to his passion to
enjoy Him and says :

AASAI VAZHUVAATHU YETTHUM EMAKKU 
INGHU IZHUKKU AAYTTHU ADIYORKKU
DESAM ARIYA UMAKKEH AALAAY TIRIHINROMUKKU
KAASIN OLIYIL THIHAZHUM VANNAM KATTER
EMPERUMAAN VAASI VALLER INDALUREER 
VAZHNTEH POM NEEREH 

We are totally dedicated to your service and
we are travelling from place to place singing
your glory and doing Kaimkaryam to you .The
whole nation knows of our disposition as
your servants. In this Ksethram of Yours celebrated
 as IndaLur , please show/bless  us with the 
sight of your golden hue.You know very well
the difference between the qualities of devotion 
of your Bhakthas . Why wont you bless us with 
your Darsanam? When You can not bless us
who are dear to you, what is the point of You 
being here in Archa ? You may as well join 
with your Para Rupam and stay in Sri Vaikuntam.
There you can stay happily ever after . Why does such
misfortune come our way? what did we do to 
deserve such treatment. He gushes forth additional
harsh words to the reluctant Lord and continues in a 
mood of Ninda Sthuthi at Indaloor.

The spirit here is the same as in the Madal ,where
"an ardent love that lays bare its whole heart is spurned "
and thus takes the lover (Azhwar ) to dramatize the acute
"Psychosis set up by his faith in Saranagathi " and 
eggs him on to engage in Ninda Sthuthi.

Bards engaged in Bhagavad Anubhavam never "composed 
anything in any meter or in any Raga (melody or tune) unless it 
expressed the sentiment fully."Thirumangai's composition 
of the Madals in Kali Vemba fits this describtion. 

Another Bard, who spent in his days on this earth in the 
Anubhavam of Sri Ramachandra chose a specific raga 
reserved for expressing Ninda Sthuthi in a state of dejection
over the Lord turning a deaf ear to his appeal.
This Raga is Hameer Kalyani .The two krithis of 
Saint Thyagaraja illustrate the use of Hameer Kalyani for 
capturing the mood of Ninda Sthuthi.These songs are:

1. MANAMU LEDHA ? TANAVAADANI ABHIMANAMU LEDHA?
KAANAMURAA NEEVELA NIRMOHINI
KAANA RUCHI TELIYU KUSA LAVA JANAKA.

O Father of Lava and Kusa! Do n't you have any
shame? Do not you have any affection for me 
as one belonging to You? It is rare to see some one
like you, who have no attachment and who are 
hard hearted. 

2 NEE DAASAANU DASUDANANI PEREH YEMI BHALAMU?
BEDHA DAASULENTHU NEEKU PREMA LEKA POYEH 
SARIVAARILO NANNU CHOWKA JESITHIVI GAANI
KARUNIMPA LEKA NEETHU KARMAMA NEVU GAANI
ROSAMU LESAMU LETHAAYA RUCHIRA VAKKULA POYEH
DAASULA PROCHITIVATA THYAGARAJILALOH 

"No doubt I am known well as the humblest
of your devotees; but of what good is it?
You have lost all love for the poor and holy !
You have slighted me among my compeers.
while not showing me your grace, You callously
dispose of me by attributing my difficulties to
my Karma.
Have You not in the least any feeling of 
indignation? All sweet words have abandoned You. Still 
they say that You protected devotes in the Past.

Thus goes the Ninda Sthuthi of the two great 
Saranaagathas in their mood of anger and 
frustration at the delay of the Lord not 
listening to their sincere appeals.

Sri Ramachandra Para Brahmaneh Nama: 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari sadagopan   
 .