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IDU OR ARPUDHAM KELEER -PART 8

From the Bhakti List Archives

L&T-ECCG-Buildings & Factories • October 4, 1999 


Dear Sri Vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

Sri lakshmi nrusimha divya paadukaa sEvaka SrivaN satakOpa Sri Vedaanta
desika yateendra mahaa dEsikaaya namah:

A very big thanks to Sri Mani who gave a very beautiful cross reference from
Thirumangai aazhvaar in response to part 7. Thanks also to Sri Viji
triplicane.

In the previous postings parts 1 to 7 on this topic, we saw 
		*	How periyaazhvaar identified KaNNan with thirumaal, 
		*	How he described the entire world was tied down by
his divine music thru the paasurams (without the meanings of the paasurams),

		*	Certain points on observations of bagavathaas. 
		*	The meanings in detail for the first six paasurams
and few others who relished the kuzhal oothal episode of krishna leelai

Thanks to Smt. Jayshree Narasimhan for her response to part 7 when this
write up was posted earlier in Malolan net. She conveyed a beautiful pet
name and description for narasimhan - "iLichchavaayan" as quite often said
with fun, by my aachaaryan Sri Mukkoor Azhagiyasinger. May be this pet "name
calling" very well fits HIM. 

"Ezhai (poor man), eLiyEn (simple person), iLichchavaayan (sulabhan, can be
taken for granted), three beautiful names for my kaNNan. Sage naarada once
asked naaraayaNa himself "among the avataaras you have taken which avataara
you like more". 

The reply is Ezhai, eLiyEn, iLichchavaayan. 
Ezhai- is vaamanan - went for begging. 
ELiyan is raaman - always considered himself as ordinary maanudan (human). 
Third is iLichchavaayan- of course narasimhan.

Some body exclaims "hey! Can you prove your fellow is here also?"
Instantaneous and spontaneous answer is "YES" from the other, small in size,
but big in stature. Just to prove this single word, this very firm yes, this
"iLichchavaayan" is forced to appear there, at that moment, without wasting
any time, even the small time taken to wink the eye. No garbhavasam, no
human mother, only an "achEthana thooN (pillar)" as thaai - the mother,
(please recollect kaNNan - thooN episode in part 2). 

Can not appear in a marvellous child form, like kaNNan with chanku and
chakram to show the parents that your child is not an ordinary person and
then hide them later- all forcing circumstances.

No slow growth, no baala leelai like kaNNan (on which, one part is the topic
for these posts, getting elongated part after part- excuse me for going on
prolonging  without completing)- must appear in "full-grown form". Immediate
and urgent work on hand to kill the fellow, who asked the question "can you
prove". Much time is also not there to carry out the job of killing. No help
from anybody nearby, forced not to use any known weapons like sword, arrows,
etc.

Every time some body will give varam (boon) without thinking, and without
any hesitation. "in no way" you can kill the varam receiver is the actual
position. "in a new way" kill that fellow by this iLichchvaayan -that is the
way this fellow has to do - because of the ill effects of that varam-
innovate the way- to achieve the same task. All these account for that good
name calling "iLichchavaayan". Aha! Aha! 

A "rasanai miguntha azhagaana" name - bountiful of taste in that name
indeed. HH Swamy was always quickwitted. Such off the cuff remarks from him
always have deep meaning and enjoyable for quite a long time to come. Thanks
again to Smt. Jayshree for kindling the fond memories of the revered
aachaaryaa.

Another incidental link between krishna and narasimha by another staunch
krishna baktha - leela sukhar in his krishna karNamrutham

First slokam:
"Prahlaada bhaagadhEyam nigama mahaardrEr guhantha
Narahari padhaabhidhEyam vibudha vidheyam mamaanusandhEyam" 

The puNNiyam of prahlaada metamorphised into a roopam as Narasimha. The
subject of reference to be thought in the mind, and is called Narasimham,
who is the resident of the caves in the vedaa hills (the vedaas themselves
form the hill - vedhaadri). The subject which concur with the words of the
devaas and does kaaryams accordingly, that subject called Narasimham is the
one, on which, I do my dhyaanam and is also fully fit as my dhyaana vasthu. 

[I understand there is a place in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh called
vEdhaadhri where the presiding diety is Narasimhan. So the name vedhaadhri
referred may not be his own imagination from Leela sukhar].

Second slokam:
Nruthyantha mahyantha vilOkaneeyam 
krshnam maNisthambhagatam  mrugaakshee
nireekshya saakshaadiva krshnamagrE
dvidhaa vithEnE navaneetha mEkam - 

The lady yasodhai, who has the eyes like the deer, [maan vizhiyaaL -mruga
akshee] sees the dancing Krishna nearby herself, and his reflection in the
rathnam decorated pillar. In the pillar Krishna appears differently. Same
kannan appears for a second as krishnaa and then as nrusimha in the same
pillar for yasodhai. 

She is very much confused. She divided the single butter ball held in her
hand (to give it krishnaa) into two, since the reflection is so natural like
Nrusimha and original kaNNan standing nearby. She gave butter to both. (one
to real krishna standing in front and to the nrusimha in the pillar). This
describes the confused state of yasodai seeing krishnaa in the pillar. 

See another beauty here. Two mothers two sons- yasodhai and the pillar-
krishnan and narasimhan. One mother sees both sons with her eyes. The other
mother (pillar - please recall "thooN meethu sathiyam" in part 2) wonders
"is that my son who is standing there?  Because within me he gives the
impression and appearance as my son". What is this?- a confusion- no taste
of very high order.

Note: in tamil mirugam is animal, but in samskrut mruga- is deer

See how the bakthaas enjoy nrusimha in krishna, which brings us double
amount of joy in a single attempt.

Before we go into the next arpudam let us see one more paasuram of
periyaazhvaar on the same kuzhal oothum leelai.

KunReduththu aanirai kaaththa piraan
KOvalanaai kuzhal oothi oothi
KanRugal mEiththu than thOzharOdu
Kalanthuu udan varuvaanai theruvil kaNdu
EnRum ivanai oppaarai nangaai kandariyEn 
Edi vanthu kaaNaai, onRum nilla, 
vaLai kazhanRu thugilEnthiLamulaiyum envasamallavE 
- 3-4- 7 thazhaigaLum of periyaazhvaar 

KunReduththu kOvalanaai aanirai kaaththa piraan - the Lord who lifted the
hillock (kunRu is hillock, malai - hill) govardhanam to save flocks of cows
(aa- cows) (nirai- flocks). Here the word piraan is a beautiful selection -
savior, head, lord, king all put together in one word.

He is the gOpaalan- savior of cows- in tamil kOpaalan only -pa va mix up
allowed, hence gOpaalan has become kOvalan. He is also the king of
yaadavaas, so kOvalan.

Kuzhal oothi oothi - playing the flute- why two times? oothi oothi- means,
it is not a one time affair or one day affair. It is a regular and routine
practice, that krishnan plays the flute, when he goes for grazing of the
cows and calves. But one day he wanted to show his prowess in music, play
with all the living things through his music. Hence all the arpudams
happened on that day, which came to us thru 10 paasurams. Reason - he is
"leelayaa gOpa vesha: vishnO:" as described by Sri Swami Desikan.

Why this oothi oothi? Another reason- periyaazhvaar gives the indication in
advance - that I am going to give arpudam after arpudam, prepare yourself to
see that, enjoy that, because it may not be repeated. Because krishna has no
equal/ above in this world, his arpudangaL are also going to be above all
excellent things available. Be prepared- a fore warning - that is why this
warning appears in 3-4-4, and arpudams are given one by one in 3-6-1 to 10.

Than thOzharOdu kanRugaL mEiththu- he goes to the forest to grass the young
calves along with friends, so company for krishna is available- task is not
handled                               single handedly.

Kalanthu udan varuvaanai- he mixes and mingles with all easily- see the
sowlabhyam- kalanthu - status is not thought about- not only with boys -
calves also.

Theruvil kaNdu - seen in the streets

EnRum ivanai oppaarai kandariyEn nangaai- a person equal in stature to
krishnaa, I  have not seen- enRum- ever- oh my dear girls, says aazhvaar. 

"Ivanai opparai kandariyEn nangaai- I have not seen an equal to krishnaa".
[This stopped my thinking further and forced me to linger on same line again
and again. Yes, who is there equal to my krishnaa except himself].

"Edi vanthu kaaNaai, onRum nilla, vaLai kazhanRu thugilEnthiLamulaiyum
envasamallavE". Periyaazhvaar says "due to continuous thinking on my
krishna, as to who is equal to him, I could not control any thing like my
mind, my body, my dress etc, - onRum nillaa, nothing stands- runs after
krishnaa.

Bangles became loose, clothes which supported my breasts are gone, breasts
are also not in my control - means they long to embrace krishna thereby
forcing the clothes to go - means the clothes are shed in the longing. 

All these mean when the thinking is on the flute playing krishnaa, all
things go out of control- body becomes pale, bangles loose, dress gone etc.
Please observe the power of krihnaa's flute. So there is no wonder that
aazhvaar gives arpudam after arpudam.

We will see 11 slokams from "yaadhava abyudhayam" the voluminous work by our
Swami Desikan on krishna charitham. In this baala leelai of kuzhal oothum
krishnan is covered in chapter 8. The meanings of these slokams and how the
taste is in similar lines of periyaazhvaar, we will see in next post.

1.	praayasthadhaahvaanavidhow niyOkthum pragruhya vENum
prathipannadhUthyam ! nyavEsayath kudmalithE salilam bimbaadharE sUchitha
chitha raagE!! - chapter 8 slokam 45

2.	SaamOpapannaan kramasa: svarandhrai: sapthasvaraan saptha
bhirudhvamantham! PrachamakramE vaadhayithum vanaanthE vamsam priyO
vallavavamsajaanaam!! Slokam 46

3.	MukundavakthraanilavaadhyamaanO vENur babhow vEdha iva dvitheeya:!
Raagaavadheenaam rahasaam yadhEkam geethaathmanaam thasya nidhaanamaaseeth!!
Slokam 47

4.	thadhvamsanaadha: subhagO anugachchan agrEsaram sowrabham
aagamaanaam! Ayathnanishpannamanassamaadheen aabrahmakaan aathanuthEva
janthUn!!
	Slokam 48

5.	sruNvadhbhirudhvaanthamadhupravaaham vamsasvamna thasya
sudhaikavamsam! SayUthyathaam nUnamavaapya sarvai: sathvai: sthitham
saaminimeelilaakshi:!! Slokam 49

6.	madhudhravairulvaNa sammadhaa srUNlEkhya nishpadha mrugadhvijaani!
UdhgrakOsOthpulakaani krushNO vamseeninaadhEna vanaanyakaarsheeth!! Slokam
50

7.	aaswaadhya thadhvamsaninaadhamaadhveemaadhraaya
thathsancharasowrabham cha! Bhukthaamruthaanaam bhuvi sowrabhEyya:
kshipthEtharaam ksheebadha saamavaapu:!! Slokam 51

8.	vamsasvanaasvaadha vaseekruthaanaam vyakthOdhayaanaam
vanadEvathaanaam! Sa karbura: snigdhathamai: kataakshai: sEndhraayudhow mEga
ivaababhaasE!! Slokam 52

9.	aadhmaapayaamaasa sa srungamagrayam sankham thathaa
bhUthbhikaathmayOgaath! Jagow cha gEyaani bahUni yEshaa gaandharva vedhO api
na paaradhasravaa!! Slokam 53

10.	thristhaanayukthasvara bhUshitham thath thridhaa sthitham
graamavisesha yOgaath! Aran~jayan saptha jaganthyayathnaath geetham harE
raahutha kinnarowgham!! Slokam 54

11.	vilaasavaakyairiva vENu naadhai dhivyEna geethEna cha dhaithya
hanthu:! NivEdhithaarthaa" sudhrusa: svavaasaadhaajagmuraakarshaNa
manthratheekshNai: slokam 55

Dasan Vasudevan M.G.