puLLuruvAgi

puLLuruvAgi

Attachment to Krishna Avatar 6 : The mother pleads with Him for her daughter who is suffering from separation with Him

This tirumozhi is a tAyAr pASura. She feels sad that her daughter who wants samslESha with sarvESwara does not get her desire fulfilled. sarvESwara perhaps think He is the supreme Lord and she is no match for Him. Is it proper for You to think like this? Thus AzhwAr laments ‘aruLAr tiruchakkarattAl ahal viSumbum nilanum iruLAr vinai keDa sengOl naDAvudir eengOr peNpAl poruLo enrum ihazhvO ivaTTrin purattAL enra eNNO teruLOm aravaNaiyeer ivaL mA mai SidaihinradE’—tiruviruttam expresses similar idea.

1. puLLuruvAhi naLLiruLvanda
pootanaimALa ilangai
oLLerimaNDi uNNappaNitta
ookkamadanai ninaindO |
kaLLavizhkOdai kAdalum engaL
kArihai mAdar karuttum
piLLaitan kaiyil kiNNamE okka
pESuvadu endai pirAnE || One ||

Oh! emberumAn! You come as kriShNa and rAma to kill pootana and rAvaNa. To kill them is a child’s play for You. So You think You are the sarvESwara, all mighty and far superior to her. You perhaps feel she is no match for You. That is the reason, i guess, You are in no hurry to come to her who is pining for Your samslESha. You feel she can be had any time, why hurry? Like a golden bowl in the child’s hand can be taken any time You feel she can be got leisurely. If it is in the hands of a person who knows the value of it, one should be in a hurry to take it back.

kaLLavizh kOdai kAdalum engaL kArihai mAdar karuttum—My daughter is full of love towards You. The people around do not understand such divine love and they talk ill of her. Since You fail to come to her, You don’t put a stop to the gossip of those women. If You want to save her, come soon.

What is the reason for Your indifference? Is it because You are the supreme Lord and she is just a shepherd girl? nalla en tOzhee nAhaNai miSai namparar Selvan periyar Siru mANiDavar nAm Seivadu en’ (ANDAL) or is it because You feel she is no match for You who killed pootana (as a mere child) and rAvaNa with just bow and arrow?

puLLuruvAhi vanda pootanai—It is not literally taken to mean she as a bird. It means she came to cause Him trouble as a bird that flies over a child causes trouble.

The pASura should be split and read--

ilangai naLLiruL vanda pootanai mALa paNitta ookkamadanai ninaindO?
ilangai oLLeri maNDi uNNa paNitta mALa paNitta ookkamadanai ninaindO?
puLluruvAhi (taking hamsAvatAra) paNitta ookkamadanai ninaindO?
naLLiruL vanda pootanai mALa paNitta ookkamadanai ninaindO?

2. manril malindu koottuvandADi
mAlviDaiyEzhum aDarttu Ayar
anrunaDunga AniraikAtta
ANmaikolO ariyEn nAn |
ninrapirAnE neeL kaDal vaNNA
nee ivaL tannai nin kOyil
munril ezhunda murungaiyil tEnAm
munkaivaLai kavarndAyE || Two ||

Oh! kaNNa pirAn! You played kuDakkoottu with such a skill that all the AyarpADi men and women admired You. Is that the reason You neglect my daughter? Oh! tirumalai pirAn! You subdued the mighty fearful bulls for the sake of nappinnai pirATTi and married her. Is that the reason for not caring my daughter’s love? You lifted gOvardhana mountain like an umbrella to protect the men and cattle from the heavy downpour. Is that why You don’t care for my daughter? i don’t really know the reason for Your behaviour towards my daughter.

‘Why do You say i neglect Your daughter?’

‘Well! Her bangles have slipped down from her hand’. (kaivaLai kavarndAyE)

munril ezhunda murungaiyil tEnA—The honey from the honey comb hanging from the murunga tree is easily got. Likewise You easily got her bangles.

3. ArmaliyAzhi SangoDupaTTri
ATTralaiyATTral mihuttu
kArmuhil vaNNA kanjanai munnam
kaDanda nin kaDum tiral tAnO |
nErizhaimAdai nittilattottai
neDungaDal amudu anaiyALai
ArezhilvaNNA angaiyil vaTTAm
ivaLenakkaruduhinrAyE || Three ||

My daughter is wearing excellent ornaments. She is as pleasured and beautiful as a pearl necklace. She is desired by any man to hug her. But You are her lover and You are indifferent towards her. Why? Is the SanKa and chakra in Your hands the cause for such an attitude? or is it Your valour which caused the death of kamsa and which is the cause of Your pride, the reason? Oh! pirAn! Tell me what is the reason?

ATTralai ATTral mihuttu—BagavAn’s Sakti is immeasurable with only an infinitival part of it He uses to kill kamsa who thought himself very powerful and unconquerable.

angaiyil vaTTAm ivaL—The jaggery piece in the palm can either be eaten or thrown away. Similarly You think You can have her or throw her as You please. But You seem to choose the second option. Why? Is it because You are swatantra and she is paratantra?

4. malhiyatOLum mAnuriyadaLum
uDaiyavar tamakkum OrbAham
nalhiyanalamO narakanaittolaitta
karatalattu amaidiyin karuttO |
alliyangOdai aNiniram koNDu
vandu munnE ninrupOhAi
Solli en nambee ivaLai nee ungaL
toNDar kaittaNDenravArE || Four ||

What is the reason for Your attitude towards my daughter? Is it because of Your fame due to Your offering of Your body to Siva who calls himself eeSwara due to his ego! or is it due to Your pride in killing narakAsura, the mighty asura?

You think You have already gained the height of Your fame by offering Siva Your body. There is no purpose served in furthering it by taking her or reduce it by refusing her. It doesn’t make difference either way. By winning narakAsura You got many dEvis. Hence she can be neglected even for that reason.

But her condition is different. i cannot but feel sad about it. She has started having delusive visions of You in front of her. Like mAreecha who saw rAma everywhere ‘vrikshE vrikShE cha paSyAmi cheera kriShNAjinam param’ she sees You everywhere. Why do You torture her like this?

toNDar kai taNDu enravArE—rAma told lakShmaNa ‘chApamAnaya soumitrE’. Similarly the weapon in the hands of a SiShya can be had at mere asking. periyavAchchAn piLLai—ninaittapOdu vAngi kAriyam koLLalAmbaDi uriya aDiyArkaiyl AyudattOpAdi ninaittirA ninrAi’.

5. SeruvazhiyAda mannarhaL mALa
tErvalam koNDavar Sellum
aruvazhivAnam adar paDakkaNDa
ANmaikolO ariyEn nAn |
tirumozhi engaL tEmalarkkOdai
Seermaiyai ninaidilaiyandO
peruvazhinAval kaniyinumeLiyaL
ivaLena pESuhinrAyE || Five ||

Oh! emberumAn! You don’t know her greatness and love. She wears beautiful flowers to capture Your attention. She speaks softly and sweetly to make You mad. But You disregard her. Why? Is it because You caused the death of those mahArathas in the mahABArata war and caused them to die and go veeraswarga? pArtan Silai vaLaiya tiN tEr mEl munninru malai purai tOL mannavarum mAradarum maTTrum palar kulaiya nooTTruvar paTTazhiya’ He drove the chariot of arjuna.

SeruvazhiyAda mannarhaL—The athirathas and mahArathas of mahABArata yuddha never knew any defeat in their lives prior to this war. But Your skill in driving the chariot of arjuna (tErvalangoNDu) You killed them and sent them to veera swarga (avar Sellum aravazhi vAnam). You did not carry or use any weapon in the war as You promised the kouravas.

peruvazhi nAvar kaniyinum eLiyaL—The passersby can take it or leave it if any fruit is fallen in the street. In fact no body takes any heed of it. If it be in a house boys may climb and get it. Similarly You don’t pay any heed to my daughter.

6. arakkiyarAham pullenavillAl
aNimadiL ilangaiyar kOnai
Serukkazhittu amarar paNiya mun ninra
SEvahamO Seidadinru |
murukkidazh Aichchi mun kaiveN Sangam
koNDu munnE ninru pOhAi
virukkilaikkAha erimazhu vOchchal
en Seivadu endaipirAnE || Six ||

Oh! swAmi! Didn’t You see the beautiful lips. But today she has lost her complexion and bangles too because of You not coming to meet her. She thought she would forget You in a few days but she sees Your illusory form in front of her and there increases her angry. It will kill her in no time. Why should You take so much effort to kill her? Will anyone use an axe to pluck the leaves of erukka plant? You killed rAvaNa and caused the women to lose their mangala sootra. Should You use the same force to this young tender girl?

amarar paNiya mun ninra—In Sreemad rAmAyaNa in the yuddha kANDa Sree vAlmeeki BagavAn describes this incident. periyavAchchAn piLLai—‘rAvaNa vada anantaram pirATTi ezhundaruLi vara perumAL muham koDAdE ozhiya, dEva jAdi vandu ‘Bavan nArAyaNO dEva:’ ‘seeta lakShmee: Bavan viShNuh:’ enrum uraitta muham koDAdE ninra achchEvaham pOlE irundadE’.

7. Azhiyam tiNDEr araSar vandirainja
alaikaDalulaham munnANDa
pALiyamtOL Or Ayiram veezha
paDaimazhuppaTTriyavaliyO |
mAzhai mennOkki maNiniram koNDu
vandu munnE ninru pOhAi
kOzhiveN muTTaikku en Seivadu endAi
kurundaDi neungaDalvaNNA || Seven ||

Oh! kaDal vaNNA! You cut off the 1000 arms of kArtaveeyArjuna who was worshipped by other kings having great chariots. Hence is my daughter who is of tender age having doe-like look and beautiful complexion, You stole them both and increase her agony by showing delusory form also. Should You use a stick (even though small) to break an egg (which will break anyway).

8. porundalan Aham puLLuvandEra
vaLLuhirAl piLandu anru
perundahaikkiranga vAliyai muninda
perumaikolO Seidadinru |
perundaDangaNNi SurumburukOdai
perumaiyai ninaindilai pESil
karungaDal vaNNA kavuL koNDaneerAm
ivaLenakkaruduhinrAyE || Eight ||

Oh! kaDal vaNNA! You don’t know her greatness. She is perundaDangaNNi. They call You ‘tOLhaL AyirattAi muDihaL AyirattAi tuNai malar kaNgAL AyirattAi tALhaL AyirattAi’. Even if You come to her with such viSwaroopa she can just smile and dismiss You with the corner of her eyes. do You want to still neglect such a one as this? Perhaps You think ‘she is no match for me who killed hiraNya with only my nails and vAli with just one arrow’. Well! You did all these out of love for prahlAda and sugreeva. Can't the same love be shown to her too.

kavuL koNDa neerAm ivaL ena—The word kapOla in Sanskrit became ‘kavuL’ here in tamizh. The mouthful of water can either be swallowed or spat out. Similarly You think she can be accepted or rejected as easily as that. But You seem to prefer the second option. Why? i fail to understand Your idea.

9. ninrazhal vAnAi neDunilam kAlAi
ninra nin neermaiyai ninaindO
SeerkezhukOdai ennaladilaL enru
annadOr tETTranmaitAnO |
pArkezhu pavvattu Aramudanaiya
pAvaiyai pAvam SeidEnukku
ArazhalOmbum andaNan tOTTam
Aha nin manattu vaittAyE || Nine ||

emberumAn! You should know my daughter is very beautiful and sweet like nectar. Your attitude towards Her is like that of a brAhmaNa’s garden who does agnihOtra. You are the pancha Bootas. Hence this pride makes You think of her as mere nothing. You think she has nowhere to go except coming to You whether You like it or not.

Arazhal Ombum andaNan tOTTamAha—some commentators interpret it this way—There is a garden in the brAhmaNa’s house. It is full of trees. The brAhmaNa does agnihOtra etc., daily. He cuts the tree for sacrifice. Finally the garden becomes bereft of trees.

periyavachchAn piLLai interprets it in another way which is a better one—The brAhmaNa spends most of his time in sacrificial notes, vEdic chanting and rituals. Hence he has no time to take care of the garden in the backyard. Finally the garden loses its charm. Similarly BagavAn has many jobs to do that He neglects this girl who lost her beauty, charm, complexion, bangles etc.,

10. vETTattai karudAdu aDiyinaivaNangi
meimmaiyai ninru embeurmAnai
vATTiraltAnai mangaiyar talaivan
mAnavEl kaliyan vayolihaL |
tOTTalar paindAr SuDarmuDiyAnai
pazhamozhiyAl paNinduraitta
pATTivaipADa pattimai peruhi
chittamum tiruvODu mihumE || Ten ||

parakAla nAyaki’s only desire is to do kainkarya at His tiruvaDi. She has eschewed all other desires including aiSwarya of this world and the other world, kaivalya etc. She worships Him as the worship itself the very fruit. He too gives Himself to such Baktas. About Him tirumangai AzhwAr has sung these pASuras each one containing an adage. Those who sing them will get the fruit of nitya kainkarya at His tiruvaDi.