Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:
Dear bhAgavatas,
Some time ago one of the bhAgavatas of a sister group has asked
for articles on thoNdaradippodi AzvAr's thiruppaLLiyezucchi,
based on acharyas vyAkhyAnams. adiyEn had told the bhAgavata at
that time that adiyEn would work on translating the vyakhyanams
to the best of adiyEn's ability and post them. Due to a number
of reasons, this attempt took a long time. adiyEn apologizes for
that. With this post, adiyEn will start the translations.
Sriman Sadagaopan Swami has started posting articles on this
divine pasuram recently in this group. Swami has asked
adiyEn to post these translations saying that it would be
complementary to his series. adiyEn thanks Swami for his
kind words of encouragement.
Due to adiyEn's poor ability, no doubt mistakes would happen
and the text would be unclear, in this attempt. adiyEn seeks
all your pardons for that beforehand and to correct adiyEn as
and when you see them.
The vyAkhyanams for thiruppaLLiyezucchi have been written by
Nanjeeyar in his short and wonderful style and by the
vyAkhyana chakravarthi Periyavaccan Pillai in his beautiful
detailed fashion. Both show tremendous insights into Azhvar's
work and into the sampradhayam. adiyEn's attempt is to extract
as much as possible from their works and provide them in simple
Tamil and in English. This post starts with the avathArikai for
the work.
AzvAr emperumAnAr jIyar thiruvadigaLE sharaNam
adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan
Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:
Thiruppalliyezucchi Vyakhyana Saram
-----------------------------------
Collected from the vyakhyanams of Nanjeeyar and
Periyavaccan Pillai
Avatharikai
-----------
A simple Tamil version of this translation is
available at
http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/tpezhu/tpezhu00.pdf
As with all jIvAtmas, Thondaradippodi Azhvar too was
asleep for countless time ("anAdi mAyayA supto yadAjIva:
prabudyate"). Without realising his true nature, the
means and the goal, he was considering his body to be
his soul and was involved in matters of this world. The
Lord out of His unqualified grace awakened Azhvar and
showed him His divine beauty ("mAdharARkayaRkaNennum
valaiyuL pattazhundhuvEnaip pOdharEyenRu sollip pundhiyiR
pugundhu thanpAlAdharam peruga vaiththa azhagan"). With
that, He changed Azhvar's attraction to other things,
gave him the knowledge of his true nature and made him
become attached to Him. Then, through Azhvar's works, He
brought to light that He Himself is the means and the
goal ("aimpulan agaththadakkik kAmbaRath thalai
siraiththun kadaiththalai irundhu vAzhum sOmbarai
ugaththi"). Having done that, He went to sleep without
worry. Azhvar then sings this work (Thiruppalliyezhucchi)
to wake Him up and seeks to perform service to Him.
Having determined that He is the means and the goal makes
it clear that Azhvar should sing to wake Him up, praise
His divine beauty and provide flowers and other services
to Him. This is what Andal seeks in the pasuram "mArimalai
muzhainjil". Nammazhvar too showed the height of the goal
sought in "nedumArkkadimai", then showed the way to the
world in "koNda peNdiril" and then woke Him up and seeked
service in "kidandha nAL kidanthAy". Vishwamitra too woke
Him up as "kausalyA suprajA rAma pUrvA sandhyA pravartate
| uttiShTa narasArdUla kartavyam daivamAhnikam ||". So
too Azhvar wishes to see the glorious sight of His waking
up and sings this pasuram.
When Azhvar went to Him to seek this service, instead of
receiving him, enquiring about him and accepting flowers
from him, He lay sleeping.
What is the reason for this? Is it that He does not like
Azhvar? That's not true, because He takes great delight
in Azhvar. Did He have any problems such as indigestion?
That's not true because His body is divine and does not
suffer from such base qualities. Then, what is the
reason? Azhvar showed that attachment to this world was
no good in "AdhalAl piRavi vENdEn"; showed that he had
gained the true knowledge in "bOnagam seytha cEdan-
tharuavrEl punidham"; showed that he had understood the
nature of this world in "iccuvai thavira yAn vENdEn";
showed that he had won over his senses in "kAvaliR-
pulanai vaiththu"; showed that he had given up other
means in "kuLiththu mURanalaiyOmbum kuRikoLandhaNamai
thannaiyoLiththittEn"; showed that he had gained the
true knowledge of the means in "unnarUlennum Asai-
thannAl poyyanEn vandhu ninREn". Seeing this, He
became happy and considering His glory that changed
Azhvar this way ("AtmAnam vAsudEvAkhyam cintayan"),
and wondering how He could change everyone just like
He changed Azhvar, He began to take rest ("nAgamiSaith
thuyilvAn pOlulagellAm nangodunga yOgaNaivAn"). As
such, He did not notice that Azhvar had come to Him.
When Azhvar was trapped in the senses ("madhaRAr kayaR-
kaNennum valaiyutpattu"), He was awake; once Azhvar
became attached to Him ("adiyOrkkagalalAmE"), He began
to take rest without worry. Azhvar now had great
enthusiasm to perform service to Him ("empirARkAt-
seyyAdhE enseyvAn thOnRinEnE"). So, like Vishvamitra
("uttiShTa narashArdUla"), like Sita ("sa mayA bodhita:
shrImAn") and like Andal ("umbar kOmAnE uRangAdh-
ezhundhirAy"), he too wakes up the Lord ("arangathth-
ammA paLLiyezhundharuLAyE") and seeks the height of
service which is service to His devotees ("thoNdar-
adippodi ennum adiyanai aLiyanenRaruLi un adiyArkk-
AtpaduththAy").
What is the reason to wake the Lord thus? Azhvar does
this because he has understood the true nature of
service. Which is, when doing all kinds of service, at
all places, at all times and at all states ("aham sarvam
kariShyAmi jAkrata: svapatashca te", "ozivil kAlamellAm
udanAy manni"), one must do the service that He wishes
for ("thanakkEyAga enaik koLLumIdhE"). Since Azhvar
wishes to do the service that He will command to do
("kriyatAmiti mAm vada", "enakkEyAtsey", "mugappE kUvip
paNikoLvAy"), he describes the indications that dawn
has arrived and wakes Him up.
Azhvar sings: the Sun has dawned at the top of the
mountain; the devas and kings are standing in the
southern direction with all the things needed for
worship waiting to be seen by Your divine eyes as You
wakes up; You are the Lord and the protector of all
and have great attachment to those who seek You; give
me the fame that I woke You up; wake up and accept our
service.
Just like a parent would show his children and seek
alms from a king, so too Azhvar puts the devas who
worship Him forward and seeks service.
How is Thiruppalliyezhucchi different from ThirumAlai?
He awakened Azhvar who was asleep in ignorance for
countless time, in ThirumAlai; having thus woken,
Azhvar wakes Him up in Thiruppalliyezhucchi. In
ThirumAlai, Azhvar spoke about Him accepting his
vocal service as sweet ("punkavidhaiyElum empirARk-
iniyavARE"); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar talks
about His accepting his bodily service as sweet
("thodaiyoththa thuLabamum kUdaiyum polindhu thOnRiya
thOL thoNdaradippodiyennum adiyanai aLiyaneRaruLi").
In ThirumAlai, Azhvar obtained that service which is
sweet to Him ("empirARkiniyavARE"); in Thiruppalli-
yezhucchi, Azhvar prays for that service which is
sweet to His devotees ("adiyArkkAtpaduththAy"). In
ThirumAlai, Azhvar speaks of His attempt to get
Azhvaar; in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar says that
He succeeded in that attempt. In ThirumAlai, Azhvar
asks for His grace ("eLiyathOraruLumenRE enthiRaththu");
in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar asks Him to give His
grace to others ("avarkku nALOlakkamaruLa").
Nanjeeyar Periyavaccan Pillai Thiruvadigale Sharanam
Thondaradippodi Azhvar Thiruvadigale Sharanam
Thiruppalliyezucchi Vyakhyana Saram:
http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/tpezhu/index.html
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