Day-18 Pasuram-9 by Dr. S. Lakshmi Kumar Tatachariyar (Pudukkottai Vasudavan)
On May 1st 2015 ,Ubha.Ve Lakshmi kumara Tatachariar swami took up the 9th pasuram of ‘Amalanadipiran’ beginning ‘Aalama marrattin’. After describing Perumal’s Tirumeni part by part Tiruppanazhwar does anubhavam of Him as a whole. On whichever part of His Tirumeni our sight falls it gets stuck there, struck by the sheer Beauty and Perfection. Perumal’s ‘samudhaaya shobai’ is sung in this verse. Tiruppanazhwar enjoy’s Ranganatha’s ‘laavanyam’ here. lavanam means salt and lavanyam indicates evenness. Tiruppanazhwar does not get ‘poornatvam’ ( full satisfaction ) after enjoying Him part by part. At this juncture swami related the story of five rishis who assembled to understand ‘Atman’ and ‘Brahman’. They consulted Arunan’s son Uddhalaka who directed them to Ashvapathi the ruler of Kekaya desam. He asked them to stay in his palace for 4 days and asked each one of them how he conceived ‘Brahman’. One rishi replied as ‘aakasham'(sky) as ‘prithvi'(earth) etc. Ashvapathi told them it was like blind men describing an elephant. While the person who touched the trunk said it was like a pipe, the one who touched its leg said it was like a pillar, the one who touched its ears said it was like a handfan. Though each one was right none of them gave the correct picture . Likewise each rishi gave the answer in parts and failed to paint the picture in totality. Aadhi shows ‘sarvajagathkaranam’ and Antham is also Him. During mahapralayam He lies on a banyan leaf and is known as Vatapatrasayee(One who reclines on the banyan leaf) . The question arises if He swallowed everything where did the banyan leaf come from? He alone exists at this time sucking the nectar from His Toe. With Shiva as upasechanam He swallowed everything in layers and the only witness was Markandeyan the rishi who is eternally 16. This Super being reclines on Adiseshan in Srirangam Seshan does all kinds of kainkaryam to Him. When He walks He becomes an umbrella, when seated His throne, when He stands His paadukhas and His bed when He reclines. He is the Father of all including Brahma and Rudran.The One who was worshipped by celestials has come dwell in our ‘koilazhwar’ to do ‘rakshatvam'(protection). Beautiful gem studded necklaces adorn His broad chest.’Kola ma mani’ ,Ma means Laksmi and She lives here. The Srivatsa Lakshmi is ‘Yoga Laksmi’ Ubhaya nachimars are’Bhogha Lakshmi’ and Thani koil Nachiyar is ‘Veera Lakshmi’. One stranded. three stranded, five stranded and seven stranded pearls hang happily around His Neck. He Himself is an Emerald spat by Adiseshan. Perumal is a priceless Gem for sure and why is He compared to a Gem? Both are of the highest quality, attract people, don’t lose its value even when tied up in a dirty cloth and can be sold in times of need. Everyone falls at His Feet and He is accessible to the learned and the ignorant. For the sake of His bhaktha He gets arrested in the sanctum sanctorum and does the work of a messenger. Tiruppanazhwar uses the term ‘aiyo’ here as he fears that his divine anubhavam is going to come to a close. But our sambandam with Him is Eternal.
Writeup & Video : Vyjayanthi & Sundararajan
