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nAcciyAr tirumozhi Conclusion PART II.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Kalyani Krishnamachari • July 4, 2003 


                                                      
 SrI:
      SrI ANDAL samEta SrI rangamannAr tiruvaDigaLE
SaraNam

nAcciyAr tirumozhi – Conclusion – PART II.

In this concluding section, we will enjoy the
greatness of gOdai in her incarnation as a human being
amongst us.

1.	gOdai as a natural nAyaki:

In their overflowing love and affection for emperumAn,
the different AzhvArs try to place themselves in the
position of a mother to Him and fondle Him and feed
Him and decorate Him and play with Him (e.g.,
periAzhvAr), or in the position of a nAyaki to Him
(e.g., parakAla nAyaki in case of tirumaÂ’nagai AzhvAr,
parAÂ’nkuSa nAyaki in case of nammAzhvAr etc.)., etc. 
But it is to be noted that when nammAzhvAr or
tirumaÂ’ngai mannan try to place themselves in the
position of a nAyaki to emperumAn, there is still a
level of “adjustment” they have to get used to. A born
woman knows the feelings of a nAyaki better than any
of the other AzhvArs could.  This added innate nature
of ANDAL as a woman saint in her incarnation, when
added to the intense devotion and love that she had
for emperumAn, resulted in the supreme outpouring
towards Him that is a class by itself that cannot be
excelled by any of the other AzhvAr-s.

Enjoying the union with emperumAn and suffering when
He leaves is a natural behavior for pirATTimAr.  
Based on SrI PVPÂ’s comment, in the case of ANDAL, 
“adu irrukiRa paDi Ayttu”.   SrI kRshNasvAmi aiyengar
expands futher  - “ANgaLAgap piRanda avargaLukku adu
mETTu maDayAi uLLadu. PeNNAna ivaLukku paLLa maDaiyAi
iyalvAgave irukkiradu” – for other AzhvArs who are
imitating nAyaki bhAvam, it is like “mETTu maDai” – it
is like attempting to store water on a tank up on a
steep slope, and for ANDAL, it is like “paLLa maDai” –
 trying to store water in a tank that is below the
ground level.   Or, imagine trying to make water flow
upwards on a steep slope (the effort needed for all
the other AzhvArs to adopt the nAyaki role), compared
to ANDAL for whom the effort involved is like making
water flow downwards in a steep slope.  

The intensity to which her feelings are expressed are
thus orders of magnitude higher than that expressed by
the other AzhvArs in their outpourings of their
intense love to Him.  Of course, added to this is the
fact that unlike the other AzhvArs who are nitya
sUri-s who have taken incarnation in this world, ANDAL
is pirATTi who took incarnation in this world.  So in
addition to being born a woman, she is also the actual
nAyaki of emperumAn, and so, if anything, ANDAL had
the tough ordeal of acting out the human role, being
separated from Him.

2. ANDAL and kaNNanÂ’s tiruviLaiyADalgaL:  Among
ANDALÂ’s great contributions is her description of
kaNNanÂ’s tiruviLaiyADalgaL that are described in
detail in SrImad bhAgavatam, but she has provided us
this nectar in the form of her anubhavam-s in
easy-to-understand tamizh through her two SrI sUkti-s,
tiruppAvai and nAcciyAr tirumozhi. SrI SaDagopan has
captured the significance of ANDALÂ’s contribution in
this area by her assuming herself to be one among the
gOpi-s, by reference to SrImad bhAgavatam itself:

Sruta mAtropi ya: strINAm prasahyAkarshate mana:  |
urugAyorugIto vA paSyantInAm kuta: puna:  || 

yAh samparyacaran premNA pAda samvAhanAdibhi: |
 jagadgurum bhartR-budhyA tAsAm kim varNyatE tapa: ||
(bhaga. 10.90.26-27)

“kaNNan is the great Lord who forcefully entices the
minds of those who have heard His name even once, or
who merely sing His praise through stotra-s etc. 
Given that, what is the great wonder in His completely
taking over the minds of the girls who constantly have
the bhAgyam of seeing Him always? 

How can the tapas and dedication of these girls - who
considered Him verily their nAthan, and who were
dedicating themselves to His antaraÂ’nga kaimkaryam
such as comforting His Feet with their hands etc. – be
described in words?” 

Having learned about kaNNan through SrImad bhagavata
SravaNam and through her father periyAzhvArÂ’s
tirumozhi, ANDAL imagined herself as one of the gOpis
in tiruvAippADi and experienced the samSlesham and
viSlesham anubhavams and finally got to see her kaNNan
in SrI bRndAvanam.   Not being able to contain her
extremely delightful anubhavam, she has shared this
delight with all of us.  One is reminded of one of the
comments that SrI VelukkuDi kRshNan svAmi made in one
of his upanyAsams:  Those who meditate on kaNNanÂ’s
stealing butter will be absolved of all sins of any
wrong-doing that they have committed by way of any
stealing etc.  

3. Our pUrvAcArya-s have given us diverse anubhavam-s
of the greatness of gOdaiÂ’s incarnations amongst us. 
SrI SaDagopan captures some of these anubhavam-s in
his maÂ’ngaLASAsanam in his tamizh vyAkhyAnam.  In gOdA
stuti 11, svAmi dEsikan sings the greatness of the
dakshiNa diSai (southern part of bhaAratam), wherein
lies SrIvilliputtUr, ANDALÂ’s place of appearance in
this world.  His anubhavaam is that the reason why
Lord raÂ’nganAtha is lying in SrI raÂ’ngam facing the
south because of gOdaiÂ’s presence in that direction.  

Another rasAnubhavam of svAmi deSikan is that viTTu
cittar got the unique title “periAzhvAr”, that no
other AzhvAr was able to get from emperumAn,  purely
because of his association with gOdai.  All the
AzhvArs including periAzhvAr sang in praise of Him
with extreme devotion, but only viTTu cittar was able
to offer to Him the garlands that had been first worn
by godai.  This was what pleased emperumAn so much
that He conferred the title “periAzhvAr’ on Him 
(“tAtastu tE madhubhida: stutilESavaSyAt, karNAmRtai:
stutiStai: anavApta pUrvam, tvan mouLi gandha subhagAm
upahRtya mAlAm, lebhE mahattara padAnuguNam
prasAdam”). 

We have already alluded to the maÂ’ngalASAsanam of SrI
maNavALa mAnunigaL on the greater purpose of ANDALÂ’s
incarnation for our sake: 

“inRO tiru AdippUram, emakkAga 
 anRO ingu ANDAL avadarittAL – kunRAda
 vAzhvAna vaikuNtha vAn bOgham tannai igazhndu
 AzhvAr tirumagaLarAi”

“Today is tiruvADippUram;  it is only for the sake of
protecting us and  recommending to her nAthan about
us, that ANDAL made her appearance on earth here. 
Forsaking the great bhOgam of being with emperumAn in
the great SrIvaikuNtham, she came here as the divine
daughter of periyAzhvAr”. 

SrI uyyakkoNDAr (also called SrI puNDarIkAkshar), a
disciple of SrI nAthamunigAL, has also sung the praise
of gOdai through the following 2 tanians:

“anna vayal puduvai ANDAL arangRkup
 pannu tiruppAvai pal padiyam – inniSaiyAl
 pADik koDuttAL naRpAmalai pUmAlai
 SUDik koDuttALaic collu”

“SUDik koDutta SuDark koDiyE tolpAvai
 pADi aruLa valla pal vaLaiyAi – nADi nI
 vEnkaTavaRkku ennai vidi enna immARRam
 nAm kaDavA vaNNamE nalgu”

“Always remember gOdai, who made her appearance in
SrIvilliputtUr surrounded by fields laden with swans,
who sang the great tiruppAvai and submitted the
pAmAlai and pUmAlai after gracing herself to tiru
ara’ngan.”

“Oh gOdAdevi!  With your exquisite, beautiful hands
wearing several bangles, you gave emperumAn the
garlands you wore!  Please create in us a sthira
bhakti for tiruvEnkaTam uDaiyAN and bless us with the
knowledge of the nAcciyAr tirumozhi that you sang.”

SrI tiruvarangattamudanAr who composed the great work
“rAmAnuja nURRantAdi” in praise of his AcAryan, sings
the praise of his AcArya as well as that of ANDAL in
the same breath, which is one of the greatness of this
work that pleased bhagavad rAmAnuja himself:

“ara’ngar mouLi SUzhginRa mAlaiyaic cUDik koduttavaL
  tol aruLAl vAzhginRa vaLLal irAmAnujan ennum
mAmuniyE!”

“tiruvara’ngan wears on His head the flower that ANDAL
first wore on her head.  Such is her greatness.  Our
rAmAnuja mAmuni lives by the blessings of this great
SUDik koDutta nAcciyAr”.

The well-known tiruppAvai taniyan that is chanted at
the very beginning of tiruppAvai chanting, was
composed by SrI parAsara bhaTTar, the son of
kUrattAzhwAn who was a primary disciple of SrI
rAmAnujarÂ’s disciple.   He did managaLAsAsanam to
gOdai saying he wants to serve her for ever:

“nILA tungasta nagiri taTI sUptam udbOdhya kRshNam
 pArArthyam svam sRti Sata Siras siddham adhyApayantI
|
  svOccishTAyAm sraji nigaLitam yA balAtkRtya bhunktE
 gOdA tasyai nama idamidam bhUya EvAstu bhUyah || “


 4. SrI UV adds additional dimensions to the anubhavam
of the greatness of gOdai.  He points out that gOdaiÂ’s
love for kaNNan was at a level far above the love that
the AyarpADi cowherds had for Him, and much greater
than the love of the AyarpADi girls to Him which
itself was greater than the first one.  At another
level of comparison, ANDALÂ’s love for kaNNan was much
greater than that of the Rshi-s for Him, and greater
than the love that the Rshi patni-s had for Him (refer
to the bhakta vilocanam incident referred to in NT
12.6).    Yet another dimension of this anubhavam: 
ANDAL had more love for emperumAn than any of the
other AzhvArs  not only that,  it  is even greater
than the composition of SrI vAlmIki.  Recall that
vAlmIki appeared from the “ears of bhUmi” – from the
holes made by the ants on the mound of earth, for the
purpose of pleasing  “the ears of the inhabitants of
the bhUmi”.  Above all, ANDAL’s upadESam-s to us are
greater than even those of emperumAn.  Her upadESam to
us has as its basis sheer dayA towards us out of her
sole concern for us.  To make sure that we reach His
Feet without returning to this ocean of samsAra
(Recall that the extent of the enormity of our sins is
such that without pirATTisÂ’ purushakArattvam, we will
not be forgiven).

5. phala sruti:  

We will be bestowed “vAyu nan maKKal”  (good
offsprings with great qualities, NT6.11); we will be
stripped of all sins (illai pAvame – NT 4.11) and will
not be drowned in the sea of sorrow (tunbak kaDalul
tuvaLAre – NT 13.10) and will be blessed with saying
His tirunAmam for ever (namO nArAyaNa enbAre – NT5.11)
and become “aNukkar” (NT 7.10) (get to live with Him
closely) by being tirumAl aDiyAr. We shall live
forever under His lotus feet (perum tAL uDaiya pirAn
aDikkIzh piriyAdu enRum iruppAre – NT 14.10).  

Chanting gOdai’s  endearing outpourings for her “perum
tAL uDaiya pirAn” will earn for us a place in SrI
vaikuNtham -   viNNavar kOnaDi naNNuvare (NT 1.10),
kuRaivu inRi vaikuNtham Servare (NT 2.10), vaikuNtham
pukku iruppAre (NT 3.10),  iDam vaikuNthame (NT
12.10). 

With our Mother gOdaiÂ’s blessings and our AcAryanÂ’s
anugrahams, we will be blessed with nitya kainkaryam
to perumAL and pirATTi   – pallANDu, pallANDu,
pallAyirattANDu.

ANDAL gives her final blessings to us in NT14.10: 
piriyAdu enRum iruppArE – “Unlike me, who had to ask
everyone “kaNDIrE” (have you seen Him?), the devotees
who understand this tirumozhi as the final remedy for
the bondage of samsAra (namely, meditate on Him and
Him alone as the Object to be attained and the means
to be attained), will be permanently and inseparably
united with Him, and will have the anubhavam of 
enjoying Him always.  Meditating on Him and His glory
will become their permanent pastime.

6. Thanks: 

To the following great bhAgavatOttamas –
 SrImAn oppiliappan varadAcAri SaDagOpan (for
everything, including expressing happiness over the
“ratham coming to a nilai”),
 SrI maNi varadarAjan of San Fransisco (for providing
the cyber space for the write-up and re-opening the
bhakti list so that the ratham can reach its original
nilai),
 SrI t.a. varadan of Denver/San Fransisco and SrI
nArAyanan of Milwaukee (for providing a copy of SrI
PBAÂ’s vyAkyAnam and the book by SrI puttUr kRshNasvAmi
aiyengAr with explanations of the vyAkyAnam by SrI
PVP)
 SrI Anand karalapAkkam of Chennai (for providing a
copy of the vyAkyAnam by SrI UV, who invariably added
new dimensions to the anubhavam of nAcciyAr
tirumozhi),
 Sri r. rAghavan of Chicago (for providing a copy of
the book by SrI T.S. rAjagOpAlan), and 
 SrI venkaT aiyengAr of SrI villiputtUr (for kindly
undertaking to collect and post all the write-ups on
the web and doing such a great job with patience),

and to all the other bhAgatOttamas who have been
encouraging aDIyAL through the bhakti list and through
personal emails,

aDiYal offers with folded hands:  “talai allAl
kaimmARu ilane”.


tiruvADipUrattu jagattudittAL vAzhiyE
  tiruppAvai muppadum SeppinAL vAzhiyE
periyAzhvAr peRReDutta peN piLLAi vAzhiyE
  perumpudUr mAmunikkup pinnAnAL vAzhiyE
oru nURRu nARpattu mUnRuraittAL vAzhiyE
  uyar arangaRkE kaNNi ugandaruLinAL vAzhiyE
maruvArum tirumalli vaLa nADi vAzhiyE
 vaN puduvai nagark kOdai malarppadangaL vAzhiyE

Abbreviations:
------------------
PVP= SrI periyavAccAn piLLai
PBA= SrI prativAdi bhayankaram aNNangarAcAriyAr
UV  = SrI uttamUr vIrarAghavAcAriyAr

sarvam SrIman nArAyaNAyEti samarpayAmi.
SrI ANDAL, SrI rangamannAr tiruvaDIgaLE SaraNam.
SrImatE vEdAnta rAmAnuja mahAdEsikAya nama:
SrImatE rangarAmAnuja mahA dEsikAya nama:

kalyANi kRshNamAcAri

(Articles on nAcciyAr tirumozhi are available at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/azhwars/nachiyar.html
maintained by SrI VenkaT aiyengAr of SrI villiputtUr)




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