Search:
Bhakti List Archives

ThiruvAimozhi NooRRanthAdhi: Paasuram 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • October 22, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs :

In this posting , we will cover the the third decade
of the first Centum . If the first decade is about Parathvam
(Uncontested Supermacy ) of the Lord , the second decade is about
UpadEsam to surrender totally to Him to attain Moksham , the third
decade is about AzhwAr's anubhavams before and after he woke up 
from a deep trance resulting from his thought about the soulabhyam
( easy accessibility to one and all BhakthAs) of the Lord .

The first Paasuram of this decade is a famous one .NammAzhwAr
composed this paasuram and reflected on the Bhaktha-
Soulabhyam of the Lord at the time , when He permitted Himself
to be tied up to a wodden mortar with a short length of 
a rope by a cowherdess (His Foster Mother )at the time 
of being caught in the act of stealing butter . The sheer 
thought about the YeLimai ( meekness as Bhaktha Sulabhan )
of the Lord demonstrated by Him at this time sent NasmmAzhwAr 
into a trance that lasted six whole months . He woke up from
that long trance and continued with the celebration of
his anubhavam of the enjoyment of the Lord in the rest 
of the decade . Sri MM summarizes the message of NammAzhwAr
in the third THiruvAimozhi NooRRamthaadhi paasuram :

patthu udayOrkkenRum Paran yeLiyanAm pirappAl 
  mutthi tarum maanilatthIr mooNdavan paal-patthi seyu
menRuraittha MaaRan tann inn sollAl pOm, neduhac-
  chenRa piRappu aam siRai......(3)

(meaning ): The Lord took vibhavAvathArams to become
easily accessible to His BhakthAs and to grant them 
Moksham .NammAzhwAr (MaaRan) addressed the fortunate
ones residing in this vast universe fit for His incarnation 
and instructed them to develop deep prEma Bhakthi for Him .
Those sweet aruliccheyal of NammazhwAr housed in this decade
will on reflection free one from the samsAra Bhandhams 
that tied one up for too long in His leelA vibhUthi .

(Commnents): The two main messages that Sri MM gives 
us through the summary of this decade are: (1) He is easy
to access by His BhakthAs (2) When one develops parama
Bhakthi for Him leading to total surrender , the Bhakthan is 
freed from the cycles of births and deaths ( na punarAvathathE , 
na punarAvathathE ;the last Brahma Soothram says 
anAvrutthi sabhdhAth).This is the thundering 
message of the Fourth chapter of Brahma Soothrams housed
in the PhalAdhyAyam . This is the message of ChAndhOgya 
Upanishad ( VII.xv.1) and of GitAchAryan (GitA VIII.15-16).
In the above two powerful and comforting slOkams of GitA,
the Lord declares :

" Reaching the highest perfection , and having attained Me , 
the great Ones are no more subject to re-birth on this earth,
which is dhukkhAlayam/the home of pain ...All the worlds , 
Oh ArjunA , including the realm of BrahmA , are subject to 
rebirth , but after attaining Me, O Son of Kunthi ,
there is no re-birth ".

The simplicity of Sri MM's condensation of this profound
upadEsam of NammAzhwAr is awe inspiring .He says :
" Paran PatthudayOrkku yenRum yeLiyan , Paran PiRappAl
YeLiyan, PatthudayOrkku yenRum Paran Mutthi tarum ".
Therefore , Oh BhakthAs of the World ! Meditate on 
this YeLiyan with glowing and ardent devotion ( MooNda 
anbhAl patthi seyum ). Your samsaric ties will break and 
you will attain parama padham . These are the sweet instrcutions
of NammazhwAr says Sri MM in this brilliant summary of
the third decade of the first centum .

before we leave the anubhavam of this UpadEsa Rathnam 
of Sri MM , it is appropriate to focus a little on 
the word , "PirappAl YeLiyan " (avathAritthinAl
sulabhnAvan = one who becomes readily accessible 
as a result of His incarnations as RaamA and KrishNA 
that permits Him to mingle with the BhakthAs easily ).
He is the greatest of the greatst , He is SarvEsvaran
who has been saluted as " JnAnandhamayan , SvayamprakAsan ,
NandhA viLakku, Suddha Satthva SvarUpan ". This Isvaran 
 descends on His Earth by His own sanklapam .There are six
rahsyams assoicated with His avathAram on Earth , which are 
described as "AvathAra rahasyams " .These are elaborated
in Sri Bhagavath Gita , chapter 4 , slOkams 4-7. The last
slokam is important in this context of Moksham for
those , who comprehend the BhagavAn's avathAra Rahasyams:

Janma Karma cha mE dhivyam 
yEvam yO vEtthi tatthvatha:I
thyakthvA dEham punarjanma
naithi maamEthi sOrjuna ! II... GotA: 4.7

(meaning ): "He  who thus knows in truth My divine 
birth and actions does not get rebirth after leaving 
the body ; he will come to Me only , O ArjunA ! ". 

People who do not understand that the Lord is not another
mere human being in Vibhava avathArams and do not 
comprehend His avathAra  rahasyams are doomed to be born
again and again in the samsAric world and suffer its pangs .
Such a " Mutthi tarum Paran " becoming "yeLiyan " to us 
is the tattvam that NammAzhwAr celebrated in Thiruvaimozhi 1.3 ,
which has been summarized by Sri MM with great bhAvam .    

AzhwAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan