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| Sriman Narayanan |
Azhwars’ poetry has always been impregnated with multitude of layers of meanings. On the periphery, it would be something that a common man could perceive, digest and appreciate. However, when one delves deeper into the sea of azhwars’ works using acharayas’ explanation as the tool, he can unearth plenty of gems in it. To give an example, azhwars refers to various parts of the body like eyes, ears, hands, legs, waists and breasts in their pasurams. When it is used to refer that of Sriman Narayanan’s, everything is conotated with a beautiful “Lotus”. Nammazhwar says “kann paadham kai kamalam” in his magnum opus Thiruvaimozhi to describe that Perumal's eyes, feet are all each individually akin to a freshly blossomed lotus. But when those same parts of the body are used in a context of jeevathma (everyone apart from Sriman Narayanan), it would mean something else. That something else could be construed differently depending upon the depth we go into the pasuram’s vyakyanam.
We know that Paramathma Sriman Naarayanan is respite with kalyana gunams. Andal captures this in “katru karavai kanangal pala”. There is a finite group of cows. Likewise, there is a finite number of finite groups of cows. There is an infinite number of these finite groups of cows, which actually means that the number of cows is infinite. This is similar to counting the kalyana gunams of perumal, then at one point stop and bundle it, create more bundles, stop and create more bundles of it, only to realize at the end of it that He cannot be realized. “Aprameyoho Hrishikesaha” is what Vishnu Sahasranamam says. “Prema” is mind and “Apremeyo” is that which cannot be thought about with our mind.
Jeevathma has a finite number of gunams each with its own boundaries and capacities. To illustrate a few: Gynanam, bhakti, vairagyam, tejas, virakthi, shanthi, madham, krodham, kaamam, so on and so forth. It is very interesting to see that all these gunams are associated with our body parts in our azhwars’ works. While there is only one Purushothaman, all jeevathams are philosophical females, though gender differences on the exterior are for differentiation in this material world.
On these lines, let us first take the words “mulai” and “kongai” that refers to breasts since these are the ones that can easily be misconstrued. We shall see the peripheral and philosophical differences now. When azhwars refers to “kongai” or “mulai’, they always refer to “bhakti” as the ulterior meaning. Paraasara bhattar’s Thirupavai thaniyan says ‘nila thunga sthana giri …”. This thaniyan is more or less a sanskrit version of “Kuthu vilakeriya” paasuram where Andal says “Nappinnai kongai mel vaithu kidandha malar maarba”. Sthanam is the Sanskrit word for breasts that signify bhakti. The meaning of this particular line of the thaniyan is that “let us sing mangalaasaasanam (glories) to Andal who had tied Lord Krishna between her mountain like breasts”. On the inner meaning it goes to say that “let us sing mangalaasaasanam to Andal who has tied Lord Krishna with her immeasurable “bhakti”. Bhakti is associated with breasts here that are described as “mountain like” when Parasara bhattar says “sthana giri”. In our sampradhayam, these 2 sthanas (breasts) are two mountains which are “Thirumaalirunjolamalai” and “Thirumalai”. These two are the malais/mountains
Now let us take a few more instances and look at the superficial meaning first, followed by the meaning that we get when we associated breasts with bhakti.
(1) Nachiar Thirumozhi 1,5
vAniDai vAzhum avvAnavarkku
maRaiyavar vELviyil vagutta avi
kAniDait tirivadOr nari pugundu
kaDappadum mOppadum Seyvadoppa
ooniDai Azhi Sa’ngu uttamaRku enru
unnittu ezhunda en taDa mulaigaL
mAniDavarkku enru pEccuppaDil
vAzhakillEn kaNDai manmatanE!
We know that Paramathma Sriman Naarayanan is respite with kalyana gunams. Andal captures this in “katru karavai kanangal pala”. There is a finite group of cows. Likewise, there is a finite number of finite groups of cows. There is an infinite number of these finite groups of cows, which actually means that the number of cows is infinite. This is similar to counting the kalyana gunams of perumal, then at one point stop and bundle it, create more bundles, stop and create more bundles of it, only to realize at the end of it that He cannot be realized. “Aprameyoho Hrishikesaha” is what Vishnu Sahasranamam says. “Prema” is mind and “Apremeyo” is that which cannot be thought about with our mind.
Jeevathma has a finite number of gunams each with its own boundaries and capacities. To illustrate a few: Gynanam, bhakti, vairagyam, tejas, virakthi, shanthi, madham, krodham, kaamam, so on and so forth. It is very interesting to see that all these gunams are associated with our body parts in our azhwars’ works. While there is only one Purushothaman, all jeevathams are philosophical females, though gender differences on the exterior are for differentiation in this material world.
On these lines, let us first take the words “mulai” and “kongai” that refers to breasts since these are the ones that can easily be misconstrued. We shall see the peripheral and philosophical differences now. When azhwars refers to “kongai” or “mulai’, they always refer to “bhakti” as the ulterior meaning. Paraasara bhattar’s Thirupavai thaniyan says ‘nila thunga sthana giri …”. This thaniyan is more or less a sanskrit version of “Kuthu vilakeriya” paasuram where Andal says “Nappinnai kongai mel vaithu kidandha malar maarba”. Sthanam is the Sanskrit word for breasts that signify bhakti. The meaning of this particular line of the thaniyan is that “let us sing mangalaasaasanam (glories) to Andal who had tied Lord Krishna between her mountain like breasts”. On the inner meaning it goes to say that “let us sing mangalaasaasanam to Andal who has tied Lord Krishna with her immeasurable “bhakti”. Bhakti is associated with breasts here that are described as “mountain like” when Parasara bhattar says “sthana giri”. In our sampradhayam, these 2 sthanas (breasts) are two mountains which are “Thirumaalirunjolamalai” and “Thirumalai”. These two are the malais/mountains
Now let us take a few more instances and look at the superficial meaning first, followed by the meaning that we get when we associated breasts with bhakti.
(1) Nachiar Thirumozhi 1,5
vAniDai vAzhum avvAnavarkku
maRaiyavar vELviyil vagutta avi
kAniDait tirivadOr nari pugundu
kaDappadum mOppadum Seyvadoppa
ooniDai Azhi Sa’ngu uttamaRku enru
unnittu ezhunda en taDa mulaigaL
mAniDavarkku enru pEccuppaDil
vAzhakillEn kaNDai manmatanE!
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| Andal wants to get married to Krishna only and no one else |
Superficial meaning: Andal says “I am here destined for Sriman Narayanan. My breasts have always been on the lookout for my Krishna. If, even a talk arises that associates me with any other mortal being, I would not live anymore. This is akin to the situation when prasadam (havis) from a deva yagam is being licked and tasted by a wild fox.
Philosophical Meaning: On the inner meaning, she does not really mean breasts here. It is again bhakti. We all knew Periyazhwar had fostered bhakti in Andal’s heart right from the day she came in his nandhavanam. She knew only Krishna bhakti and nothing else. All the bhakti that she had was always for Krishna only. She says even if a talk arises about her marriage, she would not live any more. It is because once you marry you are supposed to be a pathi vrathai and have pathi bhakthi with the person that you got married to. She was born to be united with Sriyapathi and not any other pathis because her bhakti is an untainted towards the Highest namely Paramapurushan Sriman Naarayanan only and one one else. She says “unnithu ezhunda en tada mulaigal” to mean those breasts that have risen so high (her bhakti is so high) just waiting to be united and do nithya kainkaryam to HIM. They are waiting to be enjoyed by HIM, meaning He gets happiness in seeing the jeevaathama doing nithya kainkaryam with unmeasurable bhakti towards HIM.
(2) Nachiar Thirumozhi 12,4
am kait talattiDai Azhi koNDAn
avan mugattanRi vizhiyEn enRu
Sem kaccuk koNDu kaNNADai Arttu
Siru mAniDavaraik kANil nANum
ko'ngait talam ivai nOkkik kANIr
gOvindanukku allAl vAyil pOgA
i'nguttai vAzhvai ozhiyavE pOi
yamunaik karaikku ennai uyttiDumin
Philosophical Meaning: On the inner meaning, she does not really mean breasts here. It is again bhakti. We all knew Periyazhwar had fostered bhakti in Andal’s heart right from the day she came in his nandhavanam. She knew only Krishna bhakti and nothing else. All the bhakti that she had was always for Krishna only. She says even if a talk arises about her marriage, she would not live any more. It is because once you marry you are supposed to be a pathi vrathai and have pathi bhakthi with the person that you got married to. She was born to be united with Sriyapathi and not any other pathis because her bhakti is an untainted towards the Highest namely Paramapurushan Sriman Naarayanan only and one one else. She says “unnithu ezhunda en tada mulaigal” to mean those breasts that have risen so high (her bhakti is so high) just waiting to be united and do nithya kainkaryam to HIM. They are waiting to be enjoyed by HIM, meaning He gets happiness in seeing the jeevaathama doing nithya kainkaryam with unmeasurable bhakti towards HIM.
(2) Nachiar Thirumozhi 12,4
am kait talattiDai Azhi koNDAn
avan mugattanRi vizhiyEn enRu
Sem kaccuk koNDu kaNNADai Arttu
Siru mAniDavaraik kANil nANum
ko'ngait talam ivai nOkkik kANIr
gOvindanukku allAl vAyil pOgA
i'nguttai vAzhvai ozhiyavE pOi
yamunaik karaikku ennai uyttiDumin
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| Andal yearns to be in banks of Yamuna where Krishna lived |
Andal is suffering because she is not able to be united with Krishna. So, she becomes disinterested in anything else other than Sriman Narayanan. Whenever people who surround her, talk about worldly stuff, her breasts shrink in size. Whenever the talk is about Sriman Narayanan, it is growing in size. Equating breasts and bhakti here, the minute she hears about Emperuman, her bhakti grows and it shrinks to nothing when she hears about mundane stuff.
In this pasuram, Andal goes one step further, personifies and treats her breasts as a chetana object that can differentiate things. She says her breast has eyes. Since she is wearing a red color saree, she says these eyes are closed temporarily so that it does not have to see other stuff apart from Sriman Narayanan. But when HE comes before her with His beautiful chakram in His hand, those breasts automatically open up their eyes, grow bigger and go unto HIM only and no one else (govindhanuku allal vaayil poga).
In this pasuram, Andal goes one step further, personifies and treats her breasts as a chetana object that can differentiate things. She says her breast has eyes. Since she is wearing a red color saree, she says these eyes are closed temporarily so that it does not have to see other stuff apart from Sriman Narayanan. But when HE comes before her with His beautiful chakram in His hand, those breasts automatically open up their eyes, grow bigger and go unto HIM only and no one else (govindhanuku allal vaayil poga).
(3) Nachiar Thirumozhi 13,7
Andal scolds Yasodha here saying that she is the reason for Krisha’s misbehavior – be it in telling lies, stealing butter, not keeping up the words that He had promised Andal etc. Yasodha was the one who only raised HIM but not HIS real mother. She failed at her duty of raising a truthful boy. So, this Krishna who is there now is useless. All these scoldings are out of extreme love and not to be treated as scoldings as it might look in the exterior. She asks the mothers who are nearby to take her to Krishna and tie her breasts with HIS broad shoulder. She adds that she knows HE would not come on HIS own now and so requests people around to tie her breasts with HIM, i.e., tie her with HIM with her unsurpassable bhakti so that HE cannot escape afterwards.
(4) Nachiar Thirumozhi 13,8
uLLE urugi naivEnai
uLaLO ilaLO ennAda
koLLai koLLik kuRumbanai
gOvardhananaik kaNDakkAl
koLLum payan onRillAda
kongai tannaik kizhangODum
aLLip paRittiTTu avan mArvil
eRindu en azhalait tIrvEnE
veRRik karuLak koDiyAn tan
mImIdu ADA ulagattu
veRRa veRidE peRRa tAi
vEmbE Aga vaLarttALE
kuRRam aRRa mulai tannaik
kumaran kOlap paNait tOLODu
aRRa kuRRam avai tIra
aNaiya amukkik kATTIrE
mImIdu ADA ulagattu
veRRa veRidE peRRa tAi
vEmbE Aga vaLarttALE
kuRRam aRRa mulai tannaik
kumaran kOlap paNait tOLODu
aRRa kuRRam avai tIra
aNaiya amukkik kATTIrE
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| Andal cannot wait any more to be united with Krishna |
(4) Nachiar Thirumozhi 13,8
uLLE urugi naivEnai
uLaLO ilaLO ennAda
koLLai koLLik kuRumbanai
gOvardhananaik kaNDakkAl
koLLum payan onRillAda
kongai tannaik kizhangODum
aLLip paRittiTTu avan mArvil
eRindu en azhalait tIrvEnE
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| Andal very dejected as Krishna did not come |
This is an extremely strong pasuram in terms of outpouring pangs of separation. Andal is dejected deeply inside since Krishna did not come up for a long time. She says HE does not even care for her if she is alive or dead. So she call him “Evil kannan”, though people call him “Govardhanadhaari”. She goes on and adds, out of her extreme compassion for HIM, “All my body parts are useless since I am not able to see HIM, touch HIM, feel HIM. What is the use of this useless breasts of mine, if it cannot be with Krishna”. She exclaims “That evil liar Kannan is not going to come and show HIS face to me. If at all HE comes, I am going to pluck these breasts of mine from the roots and throw them at HIS chest. They are useless anyway”. Again, bhakti is the current that flows underneath. So again philosophically, she means that if her bhakti that she had gotten through her acharyan and father Periyazhwar is not able to make her unite with Emperuman, then what is the use of it. For that matter, what is the use of anything in this world if it is not taking us or putting us in the track of reaching the Highest? So out of sheer love for her Krishna, she feels she will do anything to be just with HIM.
Likewise, there are umpteen number of instances in other azhwar's works, namely Nammazhwar, Thirumangaiazhwar and Periyazhwar etc, where mulai and kongai is used. It always refers to bhakti. Similarly, let us take another body part and conclude so that we can extrapolate the meanings if we come across them later. “idai” refers to waists. The ulterior meaning though is “Vairagyam”. Vairagyam here refers to vairagyam in things other than emperumaan. We may be aware that the waist should be very slender and thin, accoding to Chamudrika lakshanam. Azhwars refer their girls (in penn bhavanai) as to ones who possess invisible idai, meaning the girls have no “vairagyam” in other stuff.
Similarly, eyes are associated with gyanam, so on and so forth. It is certainly interesting and fascinating to explore these deep divine meanings using our acharya vyakyaanam.
Azhwar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!!!
Similarly, eyes are associated with gyanam, so on and so forth. It is certainly interesting and fascinating to explore these deep divine meanings using our acharya vyakyaanam.
Azhwar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!!!
Andal Sametha Ranganathan Thiruvadigale Saranam!!!
Acharyan Thiruvadigale Saranam!!!
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