thoNdaradip podi AhvAr thiru nakshatthiram

[Guest guest]

I posted the following in SCT a couple of days ago.

This came soon after an exchange between Badri and

me about why we should reserve high respect only for

sri vaishnavaas; why not to all irrespective of creed.

I fully agree with him. Further, I wonder to what extent

we practice this teaching of respect to all sri vaishnavaas

within our own community, irrespective of caste, as

thoNdaradippodi aazhvaar demands from us all.

It is inconceivable that we may ever accept a person

of non-brahmin birth as jeer in any of our mutts,

then or vada kalai.

 

Due to time constraint I am unale to

provide translations for paasurams. Please

consult your local Tamil expert. Perhaps

Badri can provide the translations if he

finds time.

-------

 

December 31, 1994 (maargazhi kEttai) is the

thiru nakshathiram of thoNdaradip podi

aazhvaar. He is credited with two

prabhandams, thiruppaLLi yezhucchi, and thiru

aalai. The ten pasurams of thiruppaLLi

yezhucchi are exquisite and regularly

recited. It is thiru maalai that contains

some paasurams that are not palatable for our

liberal sentiments. First, let me present

the two most egregious paasurams:

 

pulaiyaRa maaki ninRa

puththodu samaNa mellaam,

kalaiyaRak kaRRa maanthar

kaaNparO kEtpa rOthaam,

thalaiyaRup puNdum saavEn

saththiyaNG kaaNmin aiyaa,

silaiyinaa lilankai seRRa

thEvanE thEva Nnaavaan. (7)

 

VeRuppodu samaNar muNdar

vithiyilsaak kiyar_kaL, ninpaal

poRuppari yanakaL pEsil

pOvathE nOya thaaki

kuRippenak kadaiyu maakil

koodumEl thalaiyai aangE,

aRuppathE karumaNG kaNdaay

arangamaa nagaru LaanE! (8)

 

Suffice to say that I am not proud of these

two verses. The only consolation is that

Thiru maalai is filled with intense emotions

and aazhvaar spares no one, including

himself. Look at how he describes himself:

 

 

theethilaa mozhigaL koNdu un thirukkuNam

seppamaattEn .... enseyvaan thOnRinEnE (26)

 

marangaL pOl valiya nencsa vancsanEn (27)

 

manatthilOr thooymai illai, vaayilOr insol

illai (30)

 

thuvarttha sevvaayinaarkkE thuvakkaRath

thurisanaanEn (31)

 

manisaril thurisanaaya moorganEn moorganEnE (32)

 

 

 

Next, I present three more paasurams that

deal with caste discrimination (41 - 43).

With these paasurams the aazhvaar is

challenging the sri vaishnavaas to cast away

discriminatory practices within their

community. Limiting this advice to just sri

vaishnavaas does seem narrow minded. This was

the point of Badri's argument with me. I

would like to offer two possible, shall we

say, explanations.

 

1. In the aazhvaar's view sri vaishnavam is

the key to an egalitarian society and these

verses are not just advice for those who are

already in, but also a call to those on the

out to join them.

 

2. If you view these verses from the vantage

point of aazhvaar's time, anywhere from

sometime in the BC to 900 AD, one would see

that the aazhvaar was not a traditionalist.

In verse 43 he condemns a high brahmin,

learned in all four vEdaas, to the same lowly

status that they would ascribe to devotees of

low birth. Even today this advice is radical

for some!!

 

When you look at all three verses as a set I

see a bold call for a society of mutual

respect and love. To me, these three are the

best among the 45 paasurams that make up

thiru maalai.

 

 

`vaanuLaa raRiya laakaa

vaanavaa!' enpa raakil,

`thEnulaan^ thuLapa maalaich

senniyaay!' enpa raakil,

Unamaa yinakaL seyyum

Unakaa rakar_ka LElum,

pOnakam seytha sEdam

tharuvarEl punitha manRE? (41)

 

`pazhuthilaa vozhuka laaRRup

palasathup pEthi maar_kaL,

izhikulath thavar_ka LElum

emmadi yaar_ka Laakil,

thozhumineer kodumin koLmin!'

enRun^in NnOdu mokka,

vazhipada varuLi NnaaypOnm

mathiLthiru varankath thaanE! (42)

 

amaravO ranka maaRum

vEthamOr naan_ku mOthi,

thamar_kaLil thalaiva raaya

saathiyan^ thaNar_ka LElum,

numar_kaLaip pazhippa raakil

nodippathO raLavil, aankE

avar_kaLthaam pulaiyar pOlum

arankamaa nagaru LaanE! (43)

 

 

 

Finally, here is two more for those who are

cinematically excitable. The following were

made famous (!!) by TMS and Sivaaji GaNEsan

(nadikar thilakam for his fans) in the movie

Thirumaal Perumai.

 

pachchaimaa malaipOl mEni

pavaLavaay kamalach chenkaN

achchuthaa! amara rERE!

aayar_tham kozhunthE! ennum,

ichchuvai thavira yaanpOy

inthira lOka maaLum,

achchuvai peRinum vENdEn

arangamaa nagaru LaanE! (2)

 

UrilEn kaaNi yillai

uRavumaR Roruva rillai,

paariln^in paatha moolam

paRRilEn parama moorththi,

kaaroLi vaNNa NnE!(en)

kaNNanE! kathaRu kinREn,

aaruLark kaLaik Nammaa!

arangamaa nagaru LaanE! (29)

 

 

P.S.

TP aazhvaar sang in praise of thiruvarangam

only and thus thiruvarangam is the temple

that was celebrated by the most number of

aazhvaars, 11 out of 12. (madhurakavi

aazhvaar sang only about his guru,

namaazhvaar) Thiru vEngadam comes next with

10 aazhvaargaL.

 

 

regards,

 

Dileepan