thannai

thannai

thiruppullANi 1

tirumangai AzhwAr ends up his divya dESa yAtra of chOzha nADu with the last tirumozhi. Now he enters pANDya nATTu tiruppadi. First he goes to tiruppullANi, a coastal city and continues his nAyaki BAva here too. She thinks, ‘What is the use of my crying from here. Let me go to Him where He is’. So she takes her mind and her friend along with her to tiruppullANi.

1. tannaivikkil en valvinaiyEn tozhudumezhu
ponnai naivikkum appoonjerundi maNineezhalvAi |
ennai naivittu ezhilkoNDahanra perumAniDam
punnai muttum pozhilSoozhndu azhahAya pullANiyE || One ||

parakAla nAyaki tells her mind—‘Oh! Mind! Get up! Let us go and worship emberumAn who is in tiruppullANi, where once we both came to this place and under the surapunnai tree (which was full of buds) where the ground was full of scattered flowers we had samslESha. He took away my beautiful complexion when He left me. He did not come back. Therefore, my mind, let us go to Him.

azhahAya pullANi—The place was very beautiful when both of us went there, sat under the surapunnai tree. We looked up at the beauty of the tree which was full of buds. There was sweet scent all over the place. The place was cool because of the shadow. He is a mAya. He does what one cannot do. He left me who is His SESha. i should wait for Him and let Him take me. But i am in such a haste to see Him that i shall go there myself. i shall do all kinds of kainkarya to Him.

2. uruhinenjE ninaindu ingirunden tozhudumezhu
muruhu vaNDuN malarkkaidaiyin neezhalil munnOrunAL |
peruhu kAdanmai ennuLLam eidappirindAniDam
porudu munneer karaikkE maNiyundu pullANiyE || Two ||

Oh! Mind! Get up! What is the use of lamenting over His absence sitting here? Let us go to pullANi where He resides. It is the place where even bees are happy after drinking honey from the tAzhai flowers, where i had once met Him under the shade of the trees, where the sea lash waves pushing the precious stones to the shore. If we go there we shall feel happy in His presence.

3. EduSeidAl marakkEn manamE tozhudumezhu
tAdumalhu taDamSoozh pozhil tAzhvar toDarndu pin |
pEdai ninaippiriyEn ini enrahanrAniDam
pOdunALum kamazhum pozhil Soozhnda pullANiyE || Three ||

A samsAri is different from AzhwAr in that the former doesn’t forget where he is with others but forgets when separated from them. But AzhwAr forget himself when he is with BagavAn and doesn’t forget when he is away. If parakAla nAyaki is like any one of us she would not have lamented so much when He is away. But she is different isn’t she? Hence she could not bear the separation, therefore she wants to drink a medicine which will make her forget Him. (Edu seidAl marakkEn)

4. konguN vaNDE kariyAha vandAn koDiyErku mun
nangaLeeSan namakkE paNitta mozhi Seidilan |
mangai nallAi tozhudumezhu pOi avan mannumoor
pongumunneer karaikkE maNiyundu pullANiyE || Four ||

parakAla nAyaki tells her friend—

‘Oh! Friend! Come let us go to tiruppullANi’

‘Why should we go?’

‘Well! It is the place where my nAyaka lives’

‘Why should it matter? Is there anything between You and Him?’

‘Yes. Didn’t He have samslESha with me?’

‘Tell me, then who the witness is so we can take Him with us and convince Him’

‘Alas! There is no witness. Yes, but a bee was present’

‘What! A bee!’

‘Yes! It was the bee that always drinks the honey of the tuzhasi mAla that He wears’

‘But will it come?’

‘i don’t think so. The bee always thinks of his own pleasure. i don’t think He cares for my unhappiness. Oh! i am a mahApApi. It didn’t occur to me to have some witness. Now let us go to tiuppullANi!’

‘Tell me if He has spoken anything to you so that we can remind Him and make Him take you’

‘Yes. He spoke many things and gave many promises like—‘I won't leave you’ ‘I will not live if I am separated from you’ ‘I shall go now but soon will come back’ ‘i cannot tolerate to see you sad’ ‘My very nature is to be compassionate etc, etc.’

‘You don’t believe them’

‘No. His promises were thrown to wind’ (namakkE paNitta mozhi Seidilan)

The friend says ‘Well! i feel sorry for You. You say there are no witnesses and He is not faithful to you too. What shall we do now? What is the use of going to tiruppullANi?’

parakAla nAyaki replies ‘At all costs i must go’. (mangai nallAi tozhudum pOyezhu)

5. uNaril uLLam SuDumAl vinaiyEn tozhudumezhu
tuNari nAzhal narum pOdu namSoozh kuzhal peidu pin |
taNarilAvi taLarumena anbutandAniDam
puNariyOdam paNilam maNiyundu pullANiyE || Five ||

In the last pASura she said ‘i cannot forget Him (Edu Seidu marakkEn). In this pASura she says i cannot think (uNaril uLLam suDum). i pass my time in bringing back to my memory of our enjoyment when we were together. But when i do think my heart burns’.

seeta pirATTi was separated from Him for ten months when she was in aSOka vana. She said ‘samA dvAdaSA taTrAham rAGavasya nivESanE BunjAnA amAnuShAn BOgAn sarva kAma samruddhinee’ (when i was with rAGava for twelve years in ayOdhya i enjoyed all kinds of divine pleasures) Can't you do the same as her?”—asks her friend.

parakAla nAyaki replies—But i am not seeta pirATTi. i am a mahApApi (vinaiyEn)

The friend asks ‘What did happen? Tell me’.

She narrates ‘How can i say the amorous gestures and the samslESha experience? He plucked beautiful fresh nAzhal flowers and placed them lovingly on my hair. He loved me so much that i thought He would never leave me and if at all He leaves He will not tolerate my separation. He did say so in so many words. Before He closed His mouth He was gone and till now He has not returned. When i think of this my heart burns. Therefore, tOzhi, let us go to tiruppullANi and talk to Him.’

6. eLhinenjEninaindu ingirunden tozhudumezhu
vaLLal mAyan maNivaNNan emmAn maruvumiDam |
kaLLavizhum malarkAviyum toomaDal kaidaiyum
puLLumaLLal pazhangaLum Soozhnda pullANiyE || Six ||

Oh! Mind! Why do You stay here? Let us go to tiruppullANi where BagavAn had samslESha with me. He gave Himself totally to me (vaLLal) But now He is so much away from me for what reason i don’t know mAyan). Let Him care for me or not care for me. i don’t care. But i cannot find a way to forget Him and His beautiful form (maNivaNNan). He enslaved me by His form and charm (emmAn).

When i go there (tiuppullANi) i shall enjoy His company in lonely and lovely places. There are ponds where fresh sengazhuneer flowers are found. We shall do jalakreeDa in that pond, compete with each other to pluck flowers, throw them on each other crushing them causing honey to flow (kaLLavizhum) i would want to pluck tAzhai flowers which are out of reach. He would immediately kneel down and i would climb on His shoulders. i shall see many birds. i shall ask Him ‘What is this bird called’? ‘What is its name’? etc., He would answer me with love. Sometimes i would step into the muddy fields, my legs caught in the slush. He would give me His hand to lift me. To enjoy all these i want to go to tiruppullANi.

7. paravinenjE tozhudumezhu pOi avan pAlamAi
iravum nALum inikkaN tuyilAdirundu en payan |
viravi muttam neDuveN maNal mEl koNDu veNtirai
puraviyennappudam Seidu vandundu pullANiyE || Seven ||

parakAla nAyaki tells her mind—Oh! Mind! Why should i suffer by not getting sleep night and day? He is not going to come. Therefore let us go to tiruppullANi where the white waves of the sea galloping like a white horse pushes pearls along with the white sand to the shore. Let us go now.

8. alamum AzhippaDaiyumuDaiyAr namakku anbarAi
SalamadAhi tahavonrilar nAm tozhudumezhu |
ulavukAl nalkazhiyOngu taNpaimbozhiloDu iSai
pulavukAnal kaLivaNDinam pADu pullANiyE || Eight ||

Oh! Mind! i cannot be like Him indifferent. Let us go to tiruppullANi. He carries plough and a chakra which makes one not easy to approach. But they say He is ‘sulaBa’. He had samslESha with me as if He loved me most. But i did not know at that time that He is very deceptive. He has no sense of shame that He is cheating an innocent girl like me. He is very hard hearted. Let Him be indifferent to me. But i cannot remain so. Therefore i am going to where He is.

9. Odi nAmam kuLittu uchchitannAl oLimAmalar
pAdam nALum paNivOm namakkE nalamAdalin |
Adu tArAn enilum tarum anriyum anbarAi
pOdumAdE tozhudum avan mannu pullANiyE || Nine ||

So far parakAla nAyaki was sitting quiet waiting for Him to come. She thought her thoughts on Him alone would suffice and there is no need for any other ‘upAya’ (upAyAntara) on her part. In fact this is the way of a prapanna. But He does not seem to come at all. Her condition would not allow any more delay. There is maximum tvarai (haste) to get Him. She is not worried about the means. ‘somehow i must get Him’ is her idea. Hence she resorts to other upAyas like taking bath, doing pooja, chanting His names etc., In fact BagavAn, if He has maximum love for His Bakta, would not expect any other upAya from them.

(These upAyAntaras like pooja etc.,are independent means. prapatti is one which depends totally on Him alone. If He wants to give let Him give; if He doesn’t want to give let Him not—is the attitude of a prapanna. He will not resort to any sort of independent act to get Him)

Her friend is shocked at her decision. She retorts ‘Oh! Fool! Why are you in such a hurry! How dare You do upAyAntaras just because He delayed a little bit! It is not proper for you to do so! Keep quiet!’

prakala nAyaki replies—‘No. i shall not! What is wrong in my saying ‘Odi nAmam kuLittu uchchi tannAl oLi mA malar pAdam nALum paNivOm?’

The friend replies—‘Oh! nAyaki! It is destructive both to you and Him’.

nAyaki replies—‘i don’t agree with You. You are wrong. BagavAn Himself has said in Bagavat geeta that karma, jnAna, and Bakti mArgas lead one to Him. So what is wrong in me following it? There is no destruction to myself. (as i follow His teachings alone) But there is the danger of His destruction. It is He who has said ‘ i shall protect those who seek my protection without expectation’. (in other words He says He shall certainly protect those who don’t resort to upAyAntara). Where i do pooja etc. (Which is upAyAntara) expecting His anugraha because of that there He is transgressing His own words. So far i had not done any upAyAntara in order to honour His words. But let me not wait anyone sitting quietly here waiting for Him to come. Let me go to tiruppullANi. Enough of sitting like seeta pirATTi thinking ‘Saraistu SankulAm krutvA lankAm parabalArdana mAm nayEta yadi kAkutstha: tat tasya sadruSam BavEt’. (Let rAma come with His army; destroy lanka and take me with Him. That is befitting His swaroopa).

The friend answers—‘Well! Even if you do upAyantara isn’t it He who should give the fruit of it? If His sankalpa is not to fulfill it what use of your pooja etc? They will not give any fruit anyway.

parakAla nAyaki replies—‘Well! Let Him give or not give. i shall not stop from my decision till He is forced to give me’.

10. ilangu muttum pavaLakkozhundum ezhil tAmarai
pulangaL muTTrum pozhil Soozhnda azhahAya pullANimEl |
kalangalillA puhazhAn kaliyan olimAlaigaL
valangoL toNDar kiDamAvadu pADil vaihundamE || Ten ||

tiruppullANi is a wealthy city with pearls and corals brought by the waves and with green trees seen everywhere. tirumangai AzhwAr has sung ten beautiful pASuras on the emberumAn of tiruppullANi in nAyaki BAva. Those who read and meditate on the pASuras will certainly enjoy the bliss of paramapada.

kalangal illA puhazhAn—AzhwAr calls himself as the one who has faultless reputation. In one of the pASuras he said ‘un manattil en ninaindirundAi’ (the sankalpa is His and the task of the AzhwAr is only to wait for His grace and time). But in this tirumozhi AzhwAr resorts to upAyAntara as her last effort to get Him. Don’t it tarnish his fame as prapanna? No, says He. Instead it increases his fame since it reveals His tvarai (haste) towards His union.