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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:



A Tribute to the Tall One



Tiruppavai is all about KrishnAnubhavam. Most of the pasurams are aimed at 
waking up slumbering devotees and make them partners in the indescribable bliss 
of union with the "Yasodai iLam singam". The prayer to Sri Krishna is to rid us 
of all desire that comes in the way of the aforesaid bliss-"Mattrai nam 
kAmangaL mAttru". Like Her distinguished father Sri Vishnuchitta, Sri Andal too 
engages in the extremely pleasant avocation of enjoying the innumerable 
auspicious attributes of Govindan, by thought, word and deed. Where Sri 
Periazhwar has somewhat limited himself to mostly chronicling the exploits of 
the child Krishna, Sri Andal, as befits Her sex, is more obsessed with the 
slightly older but none the less attractive and youthful Krishna. Thus it would 
be accurate to say that Sri Kodai Nacchiar's focus has been on the 
KrishnAvatAram and its matchless magnificence.



However, despite Herself, Sri Andal does mention two other avataras in 
Tiruppavai. Her resolution to focus solely on Sri Krishna suffers an 
involuntary relaxation, when She is forced to sing about the TrivikramAvatAram 
and Sri Ramavataram. Of these two, Sri Rama finds a mention in two places, " 
sinatthinAl ten ilangai kOmAnai chettra manatthukkiniyAn" and " sendru angu 
then ilangai chettrAi tiral pOttri".



Significantly, in both these contexts, Sri Andal finds nothing worth mentioning 
about Sri Rama but for His triumph over RavaNA. As such, we may consider this 
to be only a passing reference to the avatara from a ladylove, who is firm in 
Her allegiance to "NandagOpan Kumaran". As it were, She doesn't want to get 
distracted from the immense pleasure of KrishnAnubhavam , and restricts Her 
references to the Prince of Ayodhya to a mere passing mention.



However, try as She might, She is unable to dispose of TrivikramAvatAra so 
lightly. The towering Lord, tall in physical stature as well as glory, refuses 
to be put off so easily from Sri Andal's thoughts and continues to linger on, 
prompting repeated references time and again. At the very beginning of 
Tiruppavai, in the third pasuram, Nacchiar commences the verse with "Ongi 
ulagaLanda utthaman", goes on to eulogise His exploits in "ambaram Udarutthu 
Ongi ulagaLanda umbar kOmAn", and ends up singing His praise again in "andru 
ivvulagam aLandAi adi pOttri". Thus two very significant pasurams commence with 
a tribute to the Tall One. Considering Her preoccupation with Sri Krishna, it 
is indeed noteworthy that Lord UpEndra has managed to bag two pasurams and a 
portion of the third, accounting for a tidy ten percent of Tiruppavai.



What is more significant is the choice of sobriquets showered on Trivikrama, 
which outshine even the appellations addressed to the Hero of the work, Sri 
Krishna.

The best possible epithet, "utthaman", is reserved for Trivikrama, who is again 
referred to with adulation as "umbar kOmAn" (the Lord of the Celestials) in the 
17th pasuram. This is perhaps understandable, as the thieving Krishna could 
hardly be addressed as "Utthaman", for He is more of a "Dharumam ariyA 
kurumban" and "Puram pOl uLLum kariyAn".



What makes Choodikkoduttha Nacchiar address this originally diminutive specimen 
as "utthaman", a privilege She doesn't afford to any other of the Lord's forms?



First of all, the Trivikramavatara has the distinction of being extolled by the 
Vedas, not once or twice but any number of times- the Yajus Samhita is full of 
such references to the Lord's wonderful feat of measuring the three worlds with 
His feet.

"treeNi padA vichakramE Vishnu: gOpA adAbhya:"

trEdhA Vishnu: urugAyO vichakramE"

"VichakramE prithivImEsha EtAm" etc.



This is perhaps the only avatara, apart from Sri VarahAvatAra, to find 
extensive mention in the Vedas.

It is therefore no wonder that the avatara is given preferential treatment in 
Tiruppavai too, which is after all 

"Vedam anaitthukkum vitthAgum Kodai Tamizh".



Secondly, Sri Trivikrama is eminently qualified for the sobriquet "Utthaman". 
By stature, He towers above all of the Lord's forms known to us. There is 
simply no comparison to this Emperuman, as far as physical dimensions are 
concerned. From a pitiable little dwarf, He grew into an immense, immeasurable 
giant, piercing all the spheres above the earth and the Universe. The pace and 
magnitude of this growth can be imagined, if the Constellation of stars, which 
originally formed a canopy over the Lord's head, turned first into a 
magnificent necklace around His neck and then into a glittering belt around His 
midriff. When He grew further, it adorned His feet as an anklet. And when He 
outgrew even that, the Stars admitted their defeat and begged the Lord to 
advise them as to how they might be of adornment to Him. The following slokam 
from Swami Desikan's DEhalIsa Stuti describes this beautifully

"Bhaktapriya! Tvayi tathA parivardhamAnE 
MuktA vitAna vitati: tava poorvam Aseet
HaravaLi: paramatho rasanA kalApa:

TArA gaNa: tadanu mouktika noopura Shree:"



Thirdly, by character too, the Trivikrama is an "Utthaman". Based on their 
traits, people are categorized into "adhaman" (the scum of the earth), 
"Utthaman" (the noblest of men) and "Madhyaman" (those belonging to 
intermediate classes, neither bad enough to be adhamAs nor great enough to be 
UtthamAs).

Those who make their livelihood based on the sweat and toil of others without 
any inherent goodness or industry of their own, are "adhamAs". Those who are 
gracious enough to live and let others too live, are "MadhyamAs". It is those 
great people who sacrifice themselves for the welfare of others, who qualify 
for the label "utthaman". Thus, it is Sri Trivikrama, whose sole avatara 
prayOjanam was the restoration of Indra's glory, (without Himself gaining 
anything from the strenuous exercise of measuring all the worlds with His feet) 
who suits the word "Utthaman" to a T. The monumental surveying exercise must 
have indeed been tiresome to the Lord, (as the Azhwars remark-"andru ivvulagam 
aLanda asavE kol?"), making Him resort to a reclining posture permanently 
thereafter.



One man's food is another man's poison: so goes the adage. While Sri Andal 
considers the Trivikrama an "Utthaman", it is interesting to note that Sri 
Nammazhwar calls Him a cheat and deceiver, for the very act of measuring the 
worlds with His tiruvadi, for having given the impression of a dwarf and then, 
after having wangled out three feet of land from MahAbali, growing into a giant 
of unimaginable proportions- 



"gyAlam koLvAn KuraLAgiya vanjanE"

" ariyAmai kuraLAi nilam mAvali moovadi endru

ariyAmai vanjitthAi" etc.



The Bhagavat Gita too appears to concur with the Nacchiar's assessment that 
Trivikarama is an "Utthaman"-



"Utthama: Purusha: tu anya: ParmAtmA iti udAhrita:

yO lOkatrayam Avisya bibharti avyaya Ishwara:"



If we stretch the word "Avisya" to mean the Lord's feet traversing the three 
worlds, we come to the conclusion that it is indeed Trivikrama who is the 
"Utthaman" referred to here. This epithet is used in this sloka synonymously 
with "ParamAtmA" :Ishwara:" etc., proving conclusively that Trivikrama is not 
only the noblest of the noble, but is also the Supreme Lord. 



That this "Utthaman" is also the Master of all Celestials is derived from Sri 
Andal's second tribute, "ambaram Udaratthu Ongi ulagaLanda umbar kOmAn". He is 
the omnipotent Lord, to whom all devatas vie with one another to be of service 
and pay tribute-"SarvEsmai dEvA balim Avahanti".



When Sri Andal says "Utthaman pEr pAdi", She refers to the chanting of the 
Ashtakshara. This magnificent mantra, like the Vamana moortthi, contains in its 
short structure all that needs to be known about the self, the Lord and other 
components of the Arttha Panchakam. Similarly, the Narayana sabdam in the 
Ashtakshara is synonymous with the Trivikrama sabdam, due to its all-pervasive 
nature.

The term "Utthaman" thus signifies the Superlative, the other degrees of 
comparison being represented by "Uth" and "Utthara". 



That the chanting of the Lord Trivikrama's holy name can bring us all 
prosperity is derived from the succeeding lines of the pasuram-'teengindri 
nAdellAm tingaL mummAri peidu'. This tirunamam is capable of dispelling all 
evil and ensuring timely and copious rains, which in turn spell fertility and 
affluence.

The "Utthaman"'s glory is as tall as His stature, and defies description. The 
Veda Purusha tries in vain to encapsulate Trivikrama's eminence, and gives up 
after several futile attempts, admitting his inadequacy. We too can but try to 
eulogize this Lord's tiruvadi, in Sri Andal's own immortal words-

"andru ivvulagam aLandAi adi pOttri".



Srimate SriLakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Dasan, sadagopan. 





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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