Venkatanathanum Thiruvenkadamudayanum - part 3

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2015/09/venkatanathanum-thiruvenkadamudayanum_19.html

The Lord’s Thiruvadi – Our Sole Refuge

“kaNNan adiyiNai emakku kaattum veRpu”

The holy hills of Tiruvenkatam are praise worthy because, they reveal to even people like us (emakku) who are sinners, the divine feet of our dear Lord. Swami has used the words “adiyiNai”. Although, the words are interpreted as “feet – pair of feet”, the word “iNai” here is used to compare two objects. With which item are the divine feet of our Lord compared? The Lord’s feet are often likened to lotus but, Swami Desikan is not happy with this comparison. While a lotus bloom is soft and fragrant like the Lord’s feet, it does not have everlasting freshness. The bloom wilts after sometimes. Therefore, lotus cannot be compared to the divine feet of the Lord which never wilt. We then wonder if it would be okay to  equate the Lord’s feet with gold; like gold, the Lord’s feet are attractive and priceless but, the Lord’s feet are soft while gold is hard. The Lord’s feet are softer than lotus. They are so delicate that, they even bruise when Goddess Sridevi touches them with her gentle hands.  Could we then liken the Lord’s feet to a golden lotus? A golden lotus is attractive, doesn’t wilt, soft and fragrant like the thiruvadi of Perumal but, it would still lack the quality to purify a person which is exclusively present only in Perumal’s thiruvadi. Therefore, the only equal we can find for the Lord’s feet are His thiruvadi. Swami Desikan concludes by declaring that, the left thiruvadi is equal to the right and vice versa. Such is the quality of the priceless thiruvadi which are revealed to even sinners like us by the holy hills of Tirumala.

Sri Uttamur Swami has provided an alternate explanation for the line “kaNNan adiyiNai emakku kaattum veRpu”. The line can be interpreted to mean that, Lord Kannan Himself shows to us His beautiful thiruvadi at Tirumala where He divulges to us that, His thiruvadi are our sole refuge to escape the ocean of samsara. The Lord of Tiruvenkatam does abhinayam to indicate to us the power of His divine feet which can cut the bonds of samsara. At SriRangam, Lord Ranganatha is seen in a reclining posture with one hand placed near His crown and the other hand pointed at His feet. The Lord through this beautiful posture, draws our attention to His tall crown which reveals to us that, He is the Supreme Being; at the same time, with His other hand, He directs our attention to His divine feet to urge us to seek refuge in Him. Likewise, at Tiruvenkatam, Lord Srinivasa stands with His right hand pointed towards His feet while His left hand is placed near His calf. The Lord through this posture explains to us that, if we surrender ourself to Him, He will make the depth of the fearsome ocean of samsara ankle deep so that, it is very easy for us to cross this terrible ocean. Lord Srinivasa in the above manner shows us His divine feet at Tirumala as the only refuge which can deliver us from samsara .

Continued On: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2015/10/venkatanathanum-thiruvenkadamudayanum.html

Venkatanathanum Thiruvenkadamudayanum - part 2

Continued From : http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2015/09/venkatanathanum-thiruvenkadamudayanum.html

kaNNan adiyiNai emakku kaattum veRpu *

kaduvinaiyar iruvinaiyum kadiyum veRpu *

thiNNamidhu veedenna thihazhum veRpu *

theLindha perum theerththangaL seRindha veRpu *

puNNiyaththin puhal idhena pugazhum veRpu *

ponnulahil bOgamellaam puNarkkum veRpu *

viNNavarum maNNavarum virumbum veRpu *

vEnkata veRpena viLangum vEdha veRpE.

 Swami Desikan’s Tribute To Pei Azhwar and Thirumahizai Piran

In the above pasuram on Tiruvenkatam, Swami eulogizes the holy hills as the divine mountain which reveals to us the thiruvadi of Lord Srinivasa. The word ‘verpu” means mountain in the Tamil language. Although the most commonly used word for mountain in Tamil is “Kunram”, Swami Desikan has purposefully used the word “verpu”.

Swami Desikan was inspired by Sri Pei Azhwar who used this very word in moondram thiruvandhadhi. Azhwar held a special place in Swami Desikan’s heart. The following pasuram is dedicated by Swami Desikan to Mudhal Azhwars. In this pasuram, he addresses Sri Poigai Azhwar as “punitha” ; “the one who is pure”, Sri Bhutat Azhwar as “vende” meaning “the emperor” but, he specifically refers to Sri Pei Azhwar as “Deve” meaning “divine being”.

 

Pei Azhwar captured the heart of Swami Desikan because, he was the first Azhwar to sing in Nayika Bhavam in the 69^th pasuram of moondram thiruvandhadhi. He set the trend for the other Azhwars to sing in Nayika Bhavam.

 

In the above pasuram, Azhwar sings as the Nayaki’s mother who comments that, the moment her daughter hears someone utter the word “mountain”, she immediately starts to sing the praise of Tiruvenkatam. Thirumahizai Piran, the disciple of Sri Pei Azhwar, also used the word “verpu” in the 40^th pasuram of Naanmugan thiruvandhadhi while singing about the glories of Tiruvenkatam.

 

Thus, inspired by both Pei Azhwar and Thirumazhisai Azhwar, Swami Vedanta Desikan has also used the word “verpu” in his pasuram on Tiruvenkatam. By using this particular word, Swami Desikan has made us to recall the Vaibhavam of Sri Pei Azhwar and Sri Thirumahizai Piran.

To Be Continued

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