7.LEAP ACROSS SECTS

WITH  THE  GREAT

Tirukkadaiyur. Abhirami Bhattar sang hymns on this Deity in a state of ecstasy.

7. LEAP ACROSS SECTS

Seeks divine grace to sing

Arunagirinatha is a divine poet. How do we know this? 
In Kandar Anubhuti, he requests Lord Skanda:

(1) ஆடும் பரி, வேல், அணிசேவல் எனப்
பாடும் பணியே பணியா அருள்வாய்


எல்லாம் அற, என்னை இழந்த நலம்
சொல்லாய், முருகா சுரபூ பதியே.

O Lord! Please bless me so that my sole occupation will be to sing the glories of Your dancing peacock, Spear, beautiful cock on your flag.

O Lord! The leader of the Devas! Please teach me that state of blessedness which transcends  all thoughts of this world and my limited self.

We can understand if he wants to sing of the Lord. But why should he seek to sing of the peacock, spear and the cock? It is the natural desire of all devotees to revere and praise everything associated with the Lord. We think of  Vishnu as sankha-chakra-gada dhari. We separately extol His Sudardhana- as Chakkarattaazhvar! Rama is Kothandarama. Even His paduka is worthy of special veneration. Shiva is Shulapani. Our Swami comes in that tradition, so he too seeks to sing about everything connected with the Lord.

Kumara receiving the Shakti spear from Mother.
Thanks: murugan.org

And we know that this wish was fulfilled. Skanda did bless him with the gift of poesy with the clear direction to sing of these. He says in the very second hymn:

பக்கரைவி சித்ரமணி பொற்கலணை யிட்டநடை
     பட்சியெனு முக்ரதுர ...... கமுநீபப்

பக்குவம லர்த்தொடையும் அக்குவடு பட்டொழிய
     பட்டுருவ விட்டருள்கை ...... வடிவேலும்

திக்கதும திக்கவரு குக்குடமும் ரட்சைதரு
     சிற்றடியு முற்றியப ...... னிருதோளும்

செய்ப்பதியும் வைத்துயர்தி ருப்புகழ்வி ருப்பமொடு
     செப்பெனஎ னக்கருள்கை ...... மறவேனே

O Lord!

You blessed me to sing with devotion the exalted Tiruppugazh, including in them- 

- the beautiful limbed, fast walking peacock,  the bird which is like an  angry and fierce steed, with the saddle fixed with wonderful gems.

-  the garland of kadamba flowers which are about to open up

- the Spear in your hands which pierced the Krauncha mountain and destroyed it

- the cock which commands respect in all the eight directions

- your splendid feet which give us refuge and protection

- your twelve arms , which are mature with immense power

- the kshetra that is Vayalur.
  
O Lord! How can I ever forget this!

     !

Aadum pari, vel!
Artistic depiction of the Spear and Peacock.
Thanks: Kala ksetram.

Thus we see that Arunagirinatha got the Lord's command to sing as he requested. And he reveals here the specific aspects that his hymns had to include. His songs are therefore divinely inspired. And he has sung about these in wonderful lyrics- unprecedented, unequalled and unexcelled.

The cock has been a sacred symbol in many cultures.
This is from the flag of Wallonia, a part of Belgium speaking French.

Arunagirinatha- fond of Krishna

Almost immediately, he gives us a wonderful hymn in which he reveals great facts, rarely known.

...... வறிதாய கயவனறி வீனன் இவனுமுயர் நீடு      கழலிணைகள் சேர ...... அருள்வாயே இடையர்சிறு பாலை திருடிகொடு போக      இறைவன்மகள் வாய்மை ...... அறியாதே இதயமிக வாடி யுடையபிளை நாத      கணபதியெ னாம ...... முறைகூற அடையலவர் ஆவி வெருவஅடி கூர      அசலுமறி யாமல் ...... அவரோட அகல்வதென டாசொல் எனவுமுடி சாட      அறிவருளும் ஆனை ...... முகவோனே. (Vidamadai suvaelai)

This is one of the hymns on Ganapati and comes in the beginning. It reveals some rare things. It shows how Ganapati blessed Yashoda.

This has to be annotated, not just rendered literally because so much is packed, It says:

Yashoda, daughter of chief Ugrasen, did not know the truth of what was happening around her. Krishna was engaged in (pranks like) stealing milk and butter. He was also fighting with and disposing of enemies (like Putana, Trunavarta, Sakatasura). Some of the people were attached to him and revered his feet. Yet the enemies  did not like this and in fear began to run. Yashoda then became afraid and prayed to Ganapati to protect her and the child.  Ganapati faced and accosted the enemies, asking, "where are you running" and hit their heads (and thus protected Yashoda and Krishna.)

Arungirinatha is requesting Ganapati to bless him, low and ignorant as he was, so that he could also reach His lotus Feet.

Vasudeva carrying child Krishna from Kamsa's prison to Gokula.

Picture from ISKCON. Thanks.

We come to know from this hymn that Yashoda was a devotee of Ganapati and prayed to Him for protection. Of course she did not realise the divine nature of child Krishna (janma karma cha divyam ). The things that happened around the child were not usual, and would disturb any mother. We read from the Bhagavata that the entire community was disturbed by such things which they took as due to evil forces and that was the reason they decided to leave Gokula and go to Brindavana.

These are dealt with in Srimad Bhagavata, Skanda 10, chapter11, slokas 21-29.

It shows how deeply Arunagirinatha was involved in the story and how closely he knew the text. That Yashoda was a devotee of Ganapati is revealed by Arunagirinatha alone.

In another hymn too, our Master details the difficulties faced by the people of Gokula and  Brindavan.


மருகனெ னாமற் சூழ்கொலை கருதிய மாமப் பாதகன்
     வரவிடு மாயப் பேய்முலை ...... பருகாமேல்

வருமத யானைக் கோடவை திருகிவி ளாவிற் காய்கனி
     மதுகையில் வீழச் சாடிய ...... சதமாபுட்

பொருதிரு கோரப் பாரிய மருதிடை போயப் போதொரு
     சகடுதை யாமற் போர்செய்து ...... விளையாடிப்

பொதுவியர் சேரிக் கேவளர் புயல்


(Muruga mayurach chvaga)

Without considering that Krishna was his own nephew,the sinful uncle (Kamsa) sent the devilish Putana to feed the child to death. But Krishna sucked her breasts to death.

He plucked away the tusks of the fierce elephant that was sent to kill him.

He banged the (maya) calf  forcefully on the fruit laden tree and made the fruits fall to the ground and thus killed the calf and destroyed the tree. Both the calf and the tree were asuras sent by Kamsa.

He killed the big bird , fighting with it. (It was too an asura in that form.)

He went between the two big, tall trees. (They were the sons of Kubera, cursed by Narada. Krishna was tied to a grind stone by Yashoda, but he dragged it between the trees and the trees fell with big noise and the two sons of Kubera resumed their original forms. But the sight of the two fallen trees and the noise frightened the people.)

He kicked the asura that came in the form of the cart to his death.

He (along with Balarama) engaged in wrestling with the two giant wrestlers who were sent to kill him. He killed the wrestler Chanura and Balarama killed Mushtika..

He thus grew up in the community of the humble cottage dwellers , engaging in common playful pastimes! (vilaiyaadip poduviyar chaeriikae valar)

It is doubtful if any other poet has described these events in such graphic detail, but in so few words!

Arunagiri and Ambal

When Arunagirinatha deals with a Deity, he excels the committed followers of those Deities in his praise. And he reveals himself as one who knows everything about  them- such is his authority. His diction is unequalled.

Form worshipped by most Devi upasakas in the South.

In the last post (no.6) we saw how he praised the Spear in the Vel Viruttam. The latter part of that hymn contains these lines on Ambal:

தனிஆண்மை கொண்ட நெடுவேல்
கங்காளி சாமுண்டி வாராகி இந்த்ராணி
கௌமாரி கமலாசனக்
கன்னிநா ரணிகுமரி த்ரிபுரைபயி ரவிஅமலை
கௌரிகா மாஷிசைவ
சிங்காரி யாமளை பவாநிகார்த் திகைகொற்றி
த்ரியம்பகி அளித்த செல்வச்
சிறுவன்அறு முகன்முருகன் நிருதர்கள் குலாந்தகன்
செம்பொற் றிருக்கை வேலே

The long Spear which is Uniquely powerful (tani aanmai konda neduvel) is held in the golden hands of Skanda. Who is he? He is the one given to us  by Mother who is:

Kangaali,Chamundi,Vaarahi,Indrani

Kaumari,Kamalasanakkani,Narani (Narayani)

Kumari,Tripurai.Bhairavi,Amalai

Gauri,Kamakshi,Saiva singari

Yaamalai -(green or dark complexioned)

Bhavani ,Kartikai

Kotri-- one conferring victory

Tryambaki

One who has read the Devi Mahatmyam will be thrilled to see these divine Names rolling from the tongue of our master with such sweet felicity. And how well Sanskrit and Tamil blend here! Consider some of the descriptions given in Devi Mahatmyam which considers all manifestations as those of Ambal.

Varaha rupini Shive Narayani namostute

Kaumari rupa samstaane Narayani namostute

Chamunde munda matane Narayani namostute

Saranye tryambake devi Narayani namostute

Sankha chakra gada saarnga gruheeta paramayute

Prasida Vaishnavi rupe Narayani namostute.......etc

(In fact,chap.11 of Devi Mahatmyam goes on like this.)

Durga leading other Devi forms in the fight against Raktabija.
painting from Nepal.

வாராகி நீள்க பாலி மாலினி
     மாமாயி யாயி தேவி யாமளை
          வாசாம கோச ராப ராபரை ...... யிங்குளாயி

வாதாடி மோடி காடு காளுமை
     மாஞால லீலி யால போசனி
          மாகாளி சூலி வாலை யோகினி ...... யம்பவானி

சூராரி மாபு ராரி கோமளை
     தூளாய பூதி பூசு நாரணி
          சோணாச லாதி லோக நாயகி ...... தந்தவாழ்வே

(Aarada kaadalagi)

See the way our Master goes on giving the names of ur Mother who gave us Kumara:

Varahi,Neel kapali- having long skulls

Malini- taken the form of Ganga

Maamaayi- Mahamaya

Aayi- mother of the worlds

Devi-- of the form of light

Yamalai- of green or dark complexion

Vachamagocaraa- beyond our speech

Paraaparai- of the nature of greatness

Ingulayi -- aayi, mother, who resides in the hearts of devotees.

Vaadaadi -  one who argues with the Lord

Modi- expressing dissent from the Lord as in game of love

Kaadukaal - Durga

Umai

Maajnaala leeli- who creates, sustains and destroys the worlds as a play (leela)

Aalapochani- one who swallowed the Halakala poison

Maakali- Maha Kali

Sooli -- holding Trishul

Vaalai -- always young

Mohini- causing moha in the world

Ambhavani- of the form of beautiful Parvati

Soorari - one who destroyed the Asuras

Maapurari-  one who destroyed the big three 'puras'

Komalai-  of beautiful form

Thoolaya bhuti poosu nayaki- smearing vibhuti on the body

Sonachala- of the form of the Aruna hill
Aadi loka nayaki- the primal master of the worlds

திருந டம்புரி தாளீ தூளீ
     மகர குண்டலி மாரீ சூரி
          திரிபு ரந்தழ லேவீ சார்வீ ...... யபிராமி

சிவனி டந்தரி நீலீ சூலீ
     கவுரி பஞ்சவி யாயீ மாயீ
          சிவைபெ ணம்பிகை வாலா சீலா ...... அருள்பாலா

Tiru natam puri taali- having the feet that engage in divine dance

Thooli- wearing vibhuti powder (thool)

Makara kundali-  having the ornament in the ear, made in the shape of fish

Maari- assuming the form of Durga

Soori- of extraordinary valour

Tripuram tazhal aevi- one who set the Tripuras on fire

Saarvi-  the refuge of all jivatmas

Abhiraami- of beauteous form

Sivanidantari- occupying the left half of Shiva

Neeli- of blue complexion

Shooli- having the trishul

Gauri- golden complexioned

Panjavi- born as the daughter of the Pandya king

Aayi- Mother of the worlds

Maayi- causing maya in the world

Sivai- causing auspiciousness

Penn ambikai- mother Ambika

Vaala- ever young

Seela- of noble character and behaviour

(Subrahmanya is the son of such a mother, who brought him forth to bless the world- arul baala)

We generally read the names or recite them in archana without realising the meaning. If we just pause to think, each name contains a history, a tradition, a philosophy and mythology. Master Arunagiri reveals himself as master of the lore of the mother cult too.

It may be seen that in many of these names, Mother is shown as having done the things usually associated with the male Deities. eg Varahi, Tripurari, Kaumari etc. This has its foundation in the Shakti cult and Arunagirinatha reveals himself as the master of that cult too, as we shall see next.

NOTE:

Tiruppugazh  quotations  taken from kaumaram.com.by their kind permission. Gratefully acknowledged.

A REQUEST.

When I search for good pictures of our temples to upload here, I find it extremely difficult to find good pictures which are free of copyright hassles. 

It is odd that the old masters who built those temples remain nameless, unpaid and unremembered, while those who click a picture now seek copyright! (even where they are not professional.) And most old temples themselves are without adequate income!

I request astika friends to take good pictures of our temples and put them on the web for free use.