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re- a paasuram of thirumazhisai azhvar

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • May 7, 2001 


Dear Srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

Sri P.V.Ravi [rasee2002@yahoo.com] provided the 'pori'- spark of the fire by
writing on poigai aazhvaar paasuram with subject as "a paasuram of thiru
mazhisai aazhvaar". Sri Mani added his comments and padavurai again
maintaining the subject as above. Sri Viji [triplicane] also added his
comments. But that pori left in me to add the following.

Why Sri Ravi put the subject as Thiru mazhisai aazhvaar paasuram but wrote
about Poigai aazhvaar paasuram was lingering in my mind for some time. Just
when I was going through all the three posts again, it struck me that there
is a thirumazhisaip piraan paasuram also on the same episode. May be that he
read both and chose to write on mudhal thiruvanthaadhi paasuram but by slip
put the subject as above. Sri Mani and Viji chose not to pinpoint this.
Please see why I say like this. First Poigai aazhvaar paasuram as we already
had it.

NeRivaasal thaanEyaai ninRaanai ainthu
PoRivaasal pOrk kathavam saaththi aRivaanam
Aalamara neezhal aRam naalvarkku
AnRuraiththa aalamamar kaNdaththaran 
- 4 poigai aazhvaar's mudhal thiruvanthaathi

Now the second one-
Aala nizhaRkeezh aRa neRiyai naalvarkku
Melai yugaththu uraiththaan mei thavaththOn- gnaalam
ALanthaanai aazhik kidanthaanai aal mEl
VaLarnthaanaith thaan vaNangumaaRu. 
- 17 thirumazhisaip piraan's naanmugan thiruvanthaathi

So that pori led to this. Now a little more elaboration. 
NeRi- mean ozhukkam- discipline,- eg- thava neRi- discipline for ascetics. 
NeRi- also mean samayam - matham - religion or its sub-sects like vaiNava
neRi saiva neRi

This neRivaasal thaanEyaai- leads to a meaning of the route for establishing
a religion is himself- yes, he is the aachaaryan - gethaachaaryan- that
saraNagatha matham or srivaishnavam got the stamp of approval from HIM
directly. So neRi vaasal thaanE aagi ninRavan- that krishnan- avanthaanE.

5 poRi vaasal pOr- a war at the entrance of the 5 ports of entry. As I
mentioned at the beginning of this post, this word poRi has a meaning of
spark. This spark once it enters through the ports- vaasal- inside, then
there is a war. So poRivaasal pOr. 

A beautiful thought comes across. Hanuman standing in the raavaNa sabha.
RaavaNa orders put a poRi- spark of fire on the tail and leave that monkey
in the vaasal - outside the fort's door and then shut the door. You all know
what happened. PoRi vaasal vazhiyE pOi pOr aanathu, Kathavam saththi
aRinthaan than mudivu nerungiyathai- lankai erivathai.

That poRi- spark entering in struggles itself and leads to a big fire. Even
when penance is taken up, the aachaarya initiates by putting that spark in
the disciple and then he develops it as thavak kanal- fire of penance- is it
not a war of nerves- pOr. How is it achieved- kathavam saaththi aRinthaan-
by shutting the door on other entry points- other senses. 

Sri uththamoor swamy in his commentary says these 4 rishis are dhakshan
siva's father in law, pulasthya- raavaNa's ancestor, agasthya- the thumb
high maharishi, and maargandEya- the dheergaayashaman. Sri swami also
discusses whether it is pugazhchchi [praising] or igazhchchi [denigrating]
or sarcasm and concludes as praise only. 

It is very clear in thirumazhisai paasuram that sivan is addressed as mei
thavaththOn- one who has meyyaana thavam- true and successful penance on the
master creator that Lord mahavishnu. So it is plain praise on sivan and on
whom he does his penance is also clear- pray on that Lord naaraayaNan. 

Now go through the paasurams once again and enjoy that literal beauty first,
get the spark and dwell to develop that kanal on HIM.

Dhaasan 

Vasudevan M.G. 


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