kidantha

kidantha

thirunaRaiyUr 7

In this tirumozhi all the pASuras end with ‘namO nArAyaNamE’. AchAryas feel it is the aShTAkShara mantra (Om namO nArAyaNAya) though it is not in complete form. It is said that tirumangai AzhwAr received samASrayaNa (SanKa chakra mudra on the shoulders) from tirunaraiyoor nambi. Hence it may be said he chants AchArya’s name in this tirumozhi.

kiDanda nambi kuDandaimEvi kEzhalAi ulahai
iDanda nambi engaLnambi erijnar araNazhiya |
kaDanda nambi kaDiyArilangai ulahai eeraDiyAl
naDanda nambi nAmam Sollil namO nArAyaNamE ||

emberumAn is my swAmi—who is in tirukkuDandai; who lifted the Boomi from the aNDa Bitti as varAha moorti; who is the one who listens to my woes and removes my duhKa; who marched towards lankApuri to destroy the city as well as the rAkShasas; who measured the worlds with His tiruvaDi. Though He has many names i chant His tirumantra ‘Om namO nArAyaNAya’

Though AzhwAr has not mentioned the name of the divya dESa it is understood to be tirunaraiyoor, since in the 10th pASura he says ‘naraiyoor neDumAlai nAvil paravi nenjil koNDu nambi nAmattai.’

viDandAnuDaiya aravam veruva Seruvil munanAL mun
taDandAmaraineer poihai pukku mikkatADALan |
iDandAn vaiyyam kEzhalAhi ulahai eeraDiyAl
naDandAnuDaiya nAmam Sollil namO nArAyaNamE ||

emberumAn with His tiruvaDi danced on the hoods of kALiya, the venomous serpent who was causing trouble, and measured the lOkas as trivikrama begging the land from mahAbali and who lifted the Boomi with His tusk when it was submerged in the water by taking varAha avatAra. His name and mantra i chant—says AzhwAr.

pooNAdanalum tarukaNvEzham maruha vaLaimaruppai
pENAnvAngi amudam koNDa perumAn tirumArvan |
pANAvaNDu muralum koondal Aichchi tayir veNNei
nANAduNDAn nAmam Sollil namO nArAyaNamE ||

Sree kriShNa pulled out the tusk of kuvaLayApeeDa that had round eyes, curved tusk and who refused to be tied. He churned the pArkaDal in order to get nectar for the dEvas. He stole butter etc. churned by Aichchis in order to please them because they won’t eat what is not eaten by Him. AzhwAr says he will always chant His name and aShTAkShara.

kallAr madiL Soozh kachchinaharuL nachchi pADahattuL
ellAvulahum vaNanga irunda ammAn ilangaikkOn |
vallALAham villAl muninda endai vibeeDaNarku
nallAnuDaiya nAmam Sollil namO nArAyaNamE ||

Our swAmi resides in pADaham in kAncheepuram since He decided to stay there for all to worship Him. It is He who killed rAvaNa and other rAkShasas and ruined the city of lankApuri too. It is He who blessed viBeeShaNa since he took refuge in Him after renouncing everything.

tiruppADaham is in kAcheepuram. It is also called pANDava toodar sannidhi. The story is—kaNNan went to duryOdana’s court as a messenger for pANDavas. duryOdana wanted to kill Him and hence has arranged to build a secret chamber below the court. He covered it with bamboo over which a carpet was spread. A seat was placed over the carpet for kriShNa to sit. As soon as kriShNa sat on it, it collapsed throwing Him in to the cellar where armed soldiers were waiting to kill Him. kriShNa took viSwaroopa and killed all the people in the war. This is the form found in pANDava toodar sannidhi.

kuDaiyAvaraiyAl nirai mun kAttaperumAn maruvAda
viDaitAnEzhum venrAnkOval ninrAn tennilangai |
aDaiyAvarakkar veeya porudu mEvi vengooTTram
naDaiyAvuNNa kaNDAn nAmam namO nArAyaNamE ||

Sree kriShNa once lifted the gOvardhana mountain as an umbrella to protect the cattle and men against the heavy rain poured by indra; He subdued the might of the mighty bulls in order to marry nappinnai pirATTi; He marched with vAnarasEna to lankApuri and allowed the god of death to eat all the rAkShasas. He resides in tirukkOvaloor for all to worship Him. i shall always chant His name and His mantra—says AzhwAr.

kAnaveNgum kurangum muSuvum paDaiya aDalarakkar
mAnamazhittu ninravenriyammAn enakkenrum |
tEnum pAlum amudumAya tirumAl tirunAmam
nAnum SonnEn namarum uraimin namO nArAyaNamE ||

emberumAn is ever victorious. He marched against the mighty rAvaNa with just vAnaras, bears as His army. But He crossed the ocean, destroyed the lanka and killed the rAkShasas. emberumAn with such astonishing feat, is sweet like milk, honey and nectar. Not only is He sweet, His name is also sweet. i always chant His name and His mantra (tirumantra) and enjoy the sweetness. AzhwAr calls all those Baktas who have shunned the worldly desires and find Bagavad anuBava as the only goal, to chant His name and mantra (namarum uraimin).

ninravaraiyum kiDandakaDalum tiSaiyum irunilanum
onrum ozhiyAvaNNam eNNininra ammAnAr |
kunrukuDaiyA eDutta aDihaLuDaiya tirunAmam
nanru kANmin toNDeerSonnEn namO nArAyaNamE ||

BagavAn not only creates the worlds but confides laws as to their nature, action etc. Thus the mountains are firmly fixed as if nailed to the ground; the oceans never go beyond their limits; the directions, the earth etc. remain and perform as they should. He does all these by mere sankalpa Sakti. He could have similarly done the protection of cattle and men by His sankalpa but troubled to lift the gOvardhana mountain for several days only to show His love and care for them. ‘i chant His name. Oh! Baktas you too do so’—says AzhwAr.

kaDungAl mAri kallEpozhiya allE emakkenru
paDungAl neeyE SaraNenru Ayaranja anjAmun |
neDungAl kunram kuDaiyonrEndi niraiyai SiramattAl
naDungAvaNNam kAttAn nAmam namO nArAyaNamE ||

Sree kriShNa’s love towards the Ayar folks and cattle is evident when indra poured heavy rains in order to take vengeance on them. They feared it was deluge and sought the protection of Sree kriShNa. He immediately, without much damage could be caused by indra, lifted the gOvardhana mountain and removed their fear. Though BagavAn knows the minds of all, He expects them to call out for His help; for they may not always call Him but seek their own people or depend on their own strength to protect themselves. In that case BagavAn waits for their call.

pongupuNarikkaDal SoozhADai nilamAmahaL malarmA
mangai piraman Sivan indiranvAnavar nAyaharAya |
engaLaDihaL imaiyOr talaivaruDaiya tirunAmam
nangaL vinaihaL tavira uraimin namO nArAyaNamE ||

He is the Lord of the seas (of lashing waves); of Boomi pirATTi who wears the sea as her saree; of periya pirATTi born of a lotus; of brahma, rudra, indra and other dEvas. This is the desired meaning of the aShTAkShara mantra. ‘tunjum pOdu azhaimin tuyar varil ninaimin tuyarileer Sollilum nanrAm nanjudAn kaNDee nammuDai vinaikku nArAyaNA ennum nAmam’—periya tirumozhi. Similar idea is expressed here as ‘nangaL vinaihaL tavira uraimin namO nArAyaNamE’.

vAvittaDanjoozh maNimuttATTru naraiyoor neDumAlai
nAvilparavi nenjilkoNDu nambi nAmattai |
kAvittaDangaN maDavAr kELvan kaliyan olimAlai
mEviSolla vallArhaL pAvam nillAveeyumE ||

The city of tirunaraiyoor is rich in wells, ponds, etc. The river maNi muttAru flows through the city making the lands very fertile. Here resides emberumAn, the sarvESwara. AzhwAr, who had previously been desired by women of long dark eyes, is now spending his time in singing on Him, meditating on Him and worshipping Him alone. Those who read these pASuras sung by the AzhwAr with love will certainly be same as him after their pApas perish.