Ezhai Edhalan

Ezhai Edhalan

thiruvarangam 5

AzhwAr sings in these pASuras about guha, hanumAn, gajEndra, sumuKa, gOvindaswAmi, mArkaNDEya, sAndeepini, vaideekan and toNDaimAn all of whom sought the tiruvaDi and became blessed. AzhwAr wishes to have the same experience as they had.

EzhaiEdalan keezhmahanennAdu
irangi maTTravarku innaruLSurandu
mAzhaimAn maDanOkki untOzhi
umbi embi enrozhindilai uhandu |
tOzhanneeyenakku ingozhiyenra
SorkaLvandu aDiyEn manattirundiDa
AzhivaNNa ninaDiyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

Sree rAma made friendship with guha, the hunter chief without considering his caste, occupation and intellectual cadre. He blessed him by saying “here is my wife seeta. Consider her as Your friend. Here is my brother lakShmaNa. Consider him as Your brother. More than guha rAma felt happy about it. He told guha to come and stand by Him. AzhwAr says—“Oh! rAma! Your words to him have entered my mind and remain there. I was drawn by Your guNa and believe firmly that You take me as You did guha without considering my short comings.

Ezhai, Edalan, keezhmahan— Stupid doesn't mean fool. It means not having discriminative intellect. It also means poor since he is only a chief hunter where as rAma is a son of chakravarti of soorya kula. He is vaikuNThapati and Sriyah pati.

Edalan— literally means Elien and enemy. Here guha is a professional hunter who kill animals out of no enemity or hatred. Hence he is the natural enemy of all the creatures.

mAzhai mAn maDa nOkki—It is the characteristics of the women to have doe-like look—scared and innocent. seeta must have cast such a look on seeing guha. She must have asked rAma to have mercy on him pleading with her look.

pEdai—is a quality of a good woman. It is knowing everything but not revealing their knowledge.

AzhwAr has sought ranganAtha’s tiruvaDi on seeing His compassion on guha.

vAdamAmahanmarkaTam vilangu
maTTOr SAdi enrozhindillai uhandu
kAdalAdaram kaDalinum peruha
Sei tahavinukku illai kaimmArenru |
kOdilvAimaiyinAyoDum uDaNE
uNban nAn enra oNporuL enakkum
Adal vENDumenru aDyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

Oh! ranganAtha! You did not consider hanumAn as belonging to another jAti and that too of a non-discriminative animal group, and also of a vAnara kula possessing all the mischievous guNa. Your love to him increased beyond the boundary on thinking “he has done lot of help to me for which he never expects any result. To such pure and guileless friend what shall I do in return except taking a sahaBOjana (eating with him in one plate)”. Thus thinking rAma asked hanumAn to eat on the other side of the plantain leaf.

It is said in rAmAyaNa that rAma stopped with all His followers at BaradwAja ASrama while returning to ayOdhya and received the hospitality of the riShi. He sent hanumAn as a messenger to Barata fearing the latter may not tolerate any more delay after the expiry of fourteen years of separation. hanumAn returns to the ASram after giving Barata the message of rAma’s return. At that time all were having food. rAma too was about to eat when hanumAn returned. rAma asked him to eat on the other side of the plantain leaf. He drew with his nail a line across the middle of the leaf which even now is seen as the thick vain separating the plantain leaf in to two halves.

Though this episode is not found in vAlmiki rAmAyaNa it may be found else where in purANas like pAdma purANa, koorma purANa, vaiShNavam, mahABArata, adhyAtma rAmAyaNa and vasiShTa rAmAyaNa. In AchArya hrudayam it is said toodu muzhindu naDandu vanda.

kOdil vAimaiyinODum— “upakArAya sugreevO rAjyakAnkShi viBeeShaNah niShkAraNAya hanumAn tattulyam sahaBOjanam”—sugreeva’s motive was a return of help; viBeeShaNa’s kingdom but hanuman’s is unmotivated. Hence rAma’s gesture of sahaBOjana only with hanumAn.

AzhwAr prays that he too should be blessed similarly for he too has done prapatti not for any selfish gain.

kaDikoL poombozhil kAmarupoihai
vaihu tAmarai vAngiyavEzham
muDiyum vaNNamOr muzhavali mudalai
paTTra maTTradu nin SaraNninaippa |
koDiyavAi vilanginuyir malanga
koNDa SeeTTramonruNDuLadarindu un
aDiyanEnum vandu aDiyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

gajEndra came to a beautiful lotus pond to pluck a flower to offer it at the tiruvaDi of emberumAn. He was caught by a strong crocodile (muzhuvali mudalai)—strong because he was inside the water. He would not leave gajEndra—mudalaiyum moorkarum koNDadu viDA—(a crocodile and an idiot will not leave what they have). The elephant tried to extricate through his own effort. At last he understood that only BagavAn can be the rakShaka. Then he cried out for His help. BagavAn came riding on garuDa to kill the crocodile and save His Bakta.

koNDa SeeTTram onru uLadu— BagavAn has neither friends nor enemies. He is the same to all. But when His Baktas are threatened He gets angry (super imposes anger on Himself) and kills the foes. When Sree rAma requested samudrarAja to give Him the way to cross the sea, he did not oblige. Sree vAlmiki says “krOdhamAhArayat teevram”—He invited great anger on Him.

AzhwAr says this guNa is very beneficial to His Baktas. “I have committed sins due to my karmas which are my enemies. They are very powerful and take me away from You. You should get angry at them and kill them to redeem me”.

nanjuSOrvadOr venjinavaravam
veruvivandu nin charaN ena SaraNAi
nenjirkoNDu ninnanjiraipparavaikku
aDaikalam koDuttu aruLSeidadarindu |
venjolALarhaL namantamar kaDiyar
koDiya SeivanavuLa adarkaDiyEn
anjivandu ninnaDiyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

Oh! BagavAn! Once sumuKa, the venomous and angry serpent fearing garuDa sought Your tiruvaDi. You promised to protect him and made garuDa the guard of the serpent. Thus Your skill in making them friendly with each other I came to know and seek Your tiruvaDi. I pray You to protect me against the yama BaTTas who are fearful to look at and who speak and act terribly during and after death.

mAtali is the friend, charioteer and minister of dEvEndra. Once he wanted to search an excellent match for his daughter guNakESi. With nArada he searched all over the world but could not find one to his satisfaction and taste. At last he saw sumuKa in nAgalOka and thought he is a good match for his daughter. But his grandfather said “mAtali! I have great regard for you. But I have to tell you one truth. garuDa has eaten up sumuKa’s father and said he would come again next month to eat sumuKa. Hence I fear for his life”. mAtali pacified him by saying “Well! I take him to dEvEndra who will give long life and protect him from garuDa. So he took him to indra and submitted all that has happened. upEndra, indra’s brother (an avatAra of viShNu) was also present. indra requested him to save sumuKa. upEndra replied “when you are there as a king of three worlds who can negate your word? You give him amruta and long life”. garuDa came to know about this and came to indra angrily and rebuked him for preventing his food. sumuKa wound round the leg of upEndra’s simhAsana and sought his mercy. garuDa spoke with pride and said he is greater than tirumAl. BagavAn (to curb his pride) asked him to bear the weight of His one hand. garuDa could not bear it. Feeling sorry for his pride he pleaded mercy. tirumAl asked garuDa to protect sumuKa against any danger. From then on garuDa wears him on round his neck.

AzhwAr refers to this episode and asks BagavAn to protect him against the terrible yama BaTTas who count his sins and inflict punishment accordingly.

nanju SOrvadOr venjinam— It is the very nature of serpent. This shows that any one can do SaraNAgati irrespective of their nature.

nenjil koNDu—BagavAn has made two sankalpas—to punish the enemies of His Baktas; to protect His Baktas whatever comes.

aDiyEn anji vandu—I fear both yama BaTTas and my sins. But when is seek You I fear nothing.

mAhamAnilam muzhudum vandirainjum
malaraDikaNDa mAmaraiyALan
tOhaimAmayil annavarinbam
tuTTrilAmayilatta ingozhindu |
bOgam nee eidi pinnum nammiDaikkE
pOduvAyenra ponnaruL enakkum
AhavENDumenru aDiyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

gOvinda swAmi had the darSan of BagavAn who is worshipped by— the nityasooris, people of brahmalOka and all other lOkas. He told the brAhmaNa “My son! you have not enjoyed the pleasures of women. So you stay in this world for some more time, enjoy the BOgas and then come to me”. AzhwAr says that emberumAn should bless him like that.

gOvinda swAmi was a brAhmaNa who had a great love for itihAsas and purANas. He liked to see Sree kriShNas rAsaleela with the gOpis. This desire haunted him so much that he thought he would perform a tapas in order to obtain the vision. He under took to fasting, controlling his senses and the performance of tapas. BagavAn was pleased about this and gave him the darSan he had wished for. Then asked him “What else do You want?” The brAhmaNa said “I want to be with You doing nitya kainkarya”. Thought brAhmaNa expressed his desire in these words, BagavAn knows what goes inside the mind of everyone. He knew that the brAhmaNa had not eschewed the desire to enjoy the carnal pleasure. Therefore He said “Oh! brAhmaNa! Stay in this world for some more time enjoying the sense pleasure and them come to me.”

Sree aNNangAchArya says that he has not found this story in any of the purANas that he searched. He says that no other AzhwAr has mentioned this story. One of his friend told him that his friend said in tiruvEngaDa malai mahAtmya. Sree aNNangAchArya says “perhaps this refers to the kaNNans word to mAlAkAra” Buktva cha vipulAn BOgAn tvam ante mat prasAdatah mAmAnusmaraNam prApya divyam lOkam avApsyasi (after enjoying the BOgas here because of my anugraha at the time of death you shall reach my abode thinking about me alone).

What AzhwAr says “ingozhindu BOgam nee eidi pinnum nammiDaikkE pOduvAi enra ponnaruL enakkum AhavENDum” should not be interpreted “I too want to enjoy the BOgas here before I reach You.” He himself says elsewhere SandEndu men mulaiyAr taDandOL puNar inba veLLattu AzhndEn aru narahattu azhundum payan paDaittEn pOndEn puNNiyanE unnai eidi en teevinaihaL teerndEn” (BagavAn! I had been immersed in the sense pleasures of women which resulted in naraka. Now I have sought You and have my papas perished). Hence AzhwAr would not even dream of women’s association. His only prayer is to make him to get rid off the dEha sambandha which is an enemy of Bagavat kainkarya. The question is why should he take the example of gOvinda swAmi here? The answer is — the stress is not on “BOgam eidi pinnum” but on His digging into the minds of Baktas and finding out their inner most ideas. Hence AzhwAr prays He should look deep into his mind and do anugraha (this is very clearly expressed in the last pASura of this tirumozhi “mATTramuLa”.

Another doubt arises — emberumAn is one who is waiting eagerly for somebody to come to Him. He blesses even people who have no idea of mOkSha. Will He ever say “you enjoy the sense pleasures and come to me afterwards”? Specially to brAhmaNa like gOvinda swAmi who requested only His kainkarya? The question is very difficult to answer. We should leave a decision to BagavAn and not comment on His actions. Isn’t He sarvaswatantra?

mannu nAnmarai mAmuni peTTra
maindanai madiyAda vemkooTTram
tannaiyanji nin SaraNena SaraNAi
tahavil kAlanaiyuhamunindozhiyA |
pinnaiyenrum nin tiruvaDipiriyA
vaNNam eNNiya pEraruL enakkum
annadAhumenru aDiyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

mArkaNDEya was the son of mrugaNDu riShi who was the master of four vEdas. The son was destined to die early. He sought the tiruvaDi of BagavAn praying for refuge and to be saved from yama, the great arrogant, cruel, lord of death. BagavAn blessed him and gave him long life after subduing yama’s anger and might. AzhwAr says “You should do such anugraha me too. I too wished to be under the shelter of Your tiruvaDi to get rid off samsAra duhKa.

OduvAimaiyum uvaniyappirappum
unakku muntanda andaNanoruvan
kAdal enmahan puhaliDamkANEn
kaNDu nee taruvAi enakkenru |
kOdilvAimayinAnunai vENDiya
kuraimuDittu avan Siruvanai koDuttAi
AdalAl vandu unnaDiyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

sAndeepini is the guru of Sree kriShNa. He taught Him the vEdas after performing the upanayana ceremony for Him. kriShNa is brought up as a shepherd boy but His birth is in the kShatriya family as a son of vasudEva. Hence He is eligible for upanayana and vEdic studies. brAhmaNas, kShatriyas and vaiSya have the right for vEdic studies. Hence they are called dwijas (twice born). As guru dakShiNa sAndeepini asked kriShNa to bring back his dead son. The guru says “I don’t know his whereabouts — whether in naraka or in a womb. kriShNa fulfilled the guru’s request and brought back the son alive. AzhwAr prays— “You consider my suffering and bring me back from the samsAra sAgara”.

vEdavAimozhi andaNanoruvan
endai ninSaraN ennuDai manaivi
kAdal makkaLai payattalum kANAL
kaDiyadOrdeivam koNDoLikkum enrazhaippa |
EdalAr munnE innaruLavarkuSeidu
unmakkaL maTTrivarenru koDuttAi
AdalAl vandu unnaDiyiNai aDaindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

A vaidika brAhmaNa sought His tiruvaDi with the prayer ‘Oh! emberumAn! my wife is very fond of her children. But as the fate would have it she loses them as soon as they are born. I think some wicked god snatches them away and they suffer for no cause. Please do something to bring them back to her’. Sree kriShNa brought them back as the enemies who do not tolerate His name and form were looking on all his children and said ‘dear brAhmaNa! These are your children. Take them’.

AzhwAr requests Him to do such anugraha to him too. ‘emberumAn! Please have mercy on me and shower Your anugraha like You did to that brAhmaNa and bring back Your sambandha which I had lost’.

vEdavAi mozhi—vEda chanting is the only speech of these brAhmaNas (or) true vEdic words (or) utter true word as vEdas.

kAdal makkaL— Sons prevent the parents from entering the hell called ‘put’. Hence they are called ‘putra’.

kaDiyadOr deivam— I have not seen such a cruel god. Even the yama leaves the body here and takes only jeeva, whereas this god has taken away my children body, soul and all.

EdulAr munnE—EdalAr means enemies. Who are the enemies? Those who think they can do anything and they are great. To them He showed that He is the only one who is sarvaSaktimAn (or) those who have ahankAra and mamakAra (or) those who thought ‘Oh! Nobody knows where they have gone. They are dead. Who can bring back dead or alive? He showed them He can do anything since He is the niyAmaka.

tuLangu neeNmuDiyarasar tam kuriSil
toNDaimannavan tiNDiraloruvarku
uLangoL anbanODu innaruL Suranda
angODunAzhihai EzhuDaniruppa |
vaLangoL mandiram maTTravarkaruLi
AeiduvAru aDiyEn arindu ulaham
aLanda ponnaDiyE aDaindu uindEn
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnE ||

Oh! emberumAn! You blessed the great hero toNDaimAn chakravarti (who wears a long diadem to indicate his supremacy over other kings), who used to serve You for a long time, with the word ‘Oh! King! You spend your time with seven tatvas. I shall teach You the tirumantra and its meaning too.’ I came to know about this incident and have come to pray You should do the same to me too.

toNDaimAn chakravarti was the son of a chOla king. He used to worship Him in tirumala with Bakti. BagavAn was very much pleased at his sincere Bakti and revealed His true form transcending His archAvatAra roopa and talk to him too. He did the upadESa of tirumantra (aShTAkShara) and the meaning too. He also gave His SanKa and chakra to defeat the enemies. The king built gOpuras and forts around the temple, did nitya utsava and other festivals. He used to perform sahasra nAma archana with golden flowers (swarNA puShpa).

tuLangu muDi—can also mean the king ruled so justly that there was peace in his kingdom.

angODu nAzhihai EzhuDan iruppa— Spending most of the time in his kingly duties towards his subjects and spending only a portion of his time to BagavAn (or) having Bagavat dhyAna with seven tatvas—

The seven tatvas are—

1. Removing the idea that dEha is Atma

2. Removing the notion that jeeva is swatantra

3. Not having the dAsa BAva to any other dEvata except nArAyaNa

4. Not employing any self effort to attain Him (resort to SaraNAgati alone)

5. Not considering anyone else as his bandhu

6. Control of senses

7. Having BAgavata SEShatva (being dAsa to BAgavatas)

These seven tatvas are the meaning of tirumantra.

valangoL mandiram— aShTAkShara is called ‘kulam tarum selvan tandiDum ----- -nArAyaNa ennum nAman’ (periya tirumozhi) “namO nArAyaNEti mantrah sarvArtha sAdhakah”. tirumantra gives one all that he wishes. ‘sarvam aShTAkSharAntastham’ all mantras exist in tirumantra alone.

mADamALihaiSoozh tirumangai
mannan onnalar tangaLaivellum
ADal mAvalavan kalikanri
aNipozhil tiruvarangattammAnai |
neeDutol puhazh AzhivallAnai
endaiyai neDumAlai ninainda
pADalpattivai pADumin toNDeer
pADa nummiDai pAvam nillAvE ||

tirumangai AzhwAr, who is an expert rider in the warfare killing his enemies effortlessly, is the chief of tirumangai city, a city with beautiful tall buildings. He has sung these ten pASuras after meditating on Him like ‘neeDu tol puhazhA! Azhi vallavA! endAi! neDumAlE!’. Those who sing with BAva will be rid of their pApas in no time.