vAnOraLavum

vAnOraLavum

thiru-k-kaNNapuram 8

The ten avataras

tirukkaNNapurattammAn reveals His daSAvatAra cEShTitas to AzhwAr. In this tirumozhi AzhwAr expresses his joy over this and talks about His avatAras – matsya, koorma, varAha, narasimha, vAmana, paraSurAma, daSaratharAma, balarAma and kriShNa.

1. vAnOr aLavum mudu munneer vaLarnda kAlam valiyuruvil
meenAi vandu viyanduyya koNDa taN tAmaraikkaNNan |
AnA uruvil AnAyan avanai ammA viLai vayaluL
kAnAr puravil kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || One ||

BagavAn took the matsya avatAra – a huge powerful divine fish – when the turbulent sea was troubling the dEva lOka. He brought back the worlds to their original conditions. He is the one who took the immutable kriShNa avatAra too. He resides in this beautiful city of tirukkaNNapuram which abounds in fertile fields and thick forests.

valiyuruvil meenAi vandu– periyavAchchAn piLLai Sreesookti – He took such an enormous form that even one bone could contain the huge turbulent sea within itself. “mAna yOsanai yaLa vozhi meyyuruvAinda meenamAhina neDungaDar paravaiyin veezhndu kAnaveNDirai karungaDal aLarezha kalakki pOna vALeyiTTru asuranai taDavurum puhundu (kanda purANam– upadESa kANDam). He took an enormously huge form having a width of several nautical miles and having an equal length.

AnA uruvil– “sadaikka roopa roopAya” “ avikArAya SuddhAya” - always having a never changing form. But how can AzhwAr say so when BagavAn takes different forms in different avatAras? The answer is simple – He is not born out of karma. He only changes His original form at will. When our births are due to karmas only. His is like an actor putting various dresses and make up suitable to that role.

2. malangu vilangu neDu veLLam maruha angOr varai naTTu
ilangu sOdi Aramudam eidumaLavOr AmaiyAi |
vilangal tiriya taDangaDaluL sumandu kiDanda vittahanai
kalangal munneer kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Two ||

The sea was already in turbulence that fishes and other aquatic creatures where being tossed about. BagavAn fixed the mandara mountain in the sea and churned it with vAsuki wound round the mountain as a rope causing more turbulence. When the sea was churned the mountain was made to whirl round and round. When dEvas feared the mountain would sink He took koorma avatAra and held the mountain on His firm back. He remained so till the nectar was obtained. i saw Him in tirukkaNNapuram says AzhwAr.

Aramudam– periyavAchchAn piLLai calls it a mere “uppuchchAru” (nothing but the essence of salt sea) which can revive the dead alive. This is what the dEvas desired.

vilangal tiriya –The huge mountain swayed from one end to other during the act of churning. BagavAn took an enormous tortoise form to support this mountain. “mannum vaDa malaiyai mattAha mAsuNattAl minnum iru suDarum viNNum pirangoLiyum tanninuDanE suzhala malai tirittu” periyatirumaDal.

3. pArAr aLavum mudu munneer paranda kAlam vaLai maruppil
ErAr uruvattu EnamAi eDutta ATTral ammAnai |
koorAr Aral irai karudi kuruhu pAya kayal iriyum
kArAr puravil kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Three ||

When the Boomi was about to sink under the sea water emberumAn took an extraordinary and beautiful varAha avatAra. With curved tusks He lifted the Boomi effortlessly from under the agitated sea. He resides in tirukkaNNapuram which abounds in thick forests with tall trees over which the clouds settle. There are beautiful lotus ponds where fish and cranes live. When the former dive into the water to catch the Aral fish the kayal think they come to eat them and jump out of fear.

4. uLainda ariyum mAniDamum uDanAi tOnra onruvittu
viLainda seeTTram viN vedumba vETTrOn ahalam venjamattu |
piLandu vaLainda uhirAnai perundaN sennel kulai taDindu
kaLam sei puravil kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Four ||

The half lion and half man narasimha roopa was an awesome figure that even the dEvas trembled with fear. With more fearful anger He split open the chest of hiraNya with His sharp nails. He resides in this divya dESa tirukaNNapuram which is a beautiful city with fields having ripe red paddy crops making the place appear dark.

5. tozhuneer vaDivil kuraLuruvAi vandu tOnri mAvali pAl
muzhuneer vaiyam mun koNDa moovA uruvin ammAnai |
uzhuneer vayaluL pon kiLaippa oru pAl mullai muhaiyODum
kazhuneer malarum kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Five ||

The sarvESwara took vAmana roopa, a beautiful and worshipful form, in order to beg a small piece of land from mahAbali. He measured the whole of Boomi and AkASa in two strides. He resides in tirukaNNapuram where there are fields rich in paddy and other crops that look like gold and in forests where there are mullai karumuhai and sengazhuneer flowers bloom spreading their aroma every where.

pon kiLaippa-It is a poetic exaggeration to say gold is grown in the fields. It reveals the richness of the fields and crops. “irA mazhai peida veeraveerattuL panai nuham koNDu yAnai Er pooTTi veLLi vidaittu ponnE viLaiyinum vENDEn pirandahattu eeNDiya vAzhvE” – says a poet.

moova uruvin ammAnai- emberumAn acts incessantly the lOka rakShaNa but still remains as one not having done anything. Hence the phrase means He having no change in Himself. Or it may mean He is so enthusiastic and energetic in doing the rakShaNa kArya that He feels young, fresh and dynamic.

6. vaDivAi mazhuvE paDaiyAha vandu tOnri moovezhukAl
paDiyAr arasu kaLaikaTTa pAzhiyAnai ammAnai |
kuDiyA vaNDu koNDu uNNa kOla neelam maTTuhukkum
kaDiyAr puravil kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Six ||

BagavAn took paraSurAma avatAra who went round the earth to destroy the wicked kShatriya kings for twenty one generation in order to reduce the BooBAra and teach them a lesson. He had only a sharp axe as His weapon. He resides in tirukaNNapuram where the neelOtpala flowers blooms shedding honey that the bees along with the family drink.

The third line interpreted in two ways

(1) The bees with family drink the honey stomach full but still the flowers keep shedding the honey profusely

(2) Swarm of bees drinks the profusely flowing honey.

periyavAchchAn piLLai comments “kaDalilE oru sirAngaiyai bujikkumkATTil kaDal vaTTrAdirE”

7. vaiyam ellAm uDan vaNanga vaNangA mannanAi tOnri
veyya seeTTra kaDi ilangai kuDi koNDODa venjamattu |
seida vempOr nambaranai sezhum taN kAnal maNa nArum
kaidai vEli kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Seven ||

Sree rAma was worshiped by all people of all countries, kula and jAti. He was the supreme monarch that everyone would fall at His feet but He at none. Perhaps the only one who said “even if i am split into two i will not fall at His feet” is rAvaNa. Hence he was killed along with his clan and city in the terrible war that ensued between Him and the rAkShasas of lankApuri. He resides in tirukkaNNapuram that abounds in cool forests and fields with tAzhai bushes as fencing.

8. oTTrai kuzhaiyum nAnjilum oru pAl tOnra tAn tOnri
veTTri tozhilAr vEl vEndar viN pAl sella venjamattu |
seTTra koTTra tozhilAnai sendee moonrum illiruppa
kaTTra maraiyOr kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Eight ||

Wearing kuNDala in one ear, carrying a plough in one hand balarAma sent the valiant kings to veeraswarga in the terrible wars. He resides in tirukkaNNapuram where there are learned brAhmaNas who do sacrifice in the three sacrificial fires in their house.

oTTrai kuzhaiyum- It is not literally taken as balarAma wears only one kuNDala in one ear. Since He carries a plough which is quite a huge weapon across His shoulder only one kuNDala will be seen.

koTTra tozhilAnai – He was with kaNNapirAn during the wars where He killed the foes sunAma and others sent by kamsa. Hence this expression.

sendee moonrum illiruppa kaTTra maraiyOr– The vaidika brAhmaNas are well versed in vEdas, did agnihOtra etc., daily. They were not only learned but practiced the injunctions of vEdas in their life's.

9. tuvari kanivAi nila mangai tuyar teerndu uyya bAradattuL
ivarittu arasar taDumAra iruL nAL piranda ammAnai |
uvari Odam muttunda oru pAl oru pAl oN sennel
kavari veesum kaNNapurattu aDiyEn kaNDu koNDEnE || Nine ||

emberumAn took kriShNa avatAra in order to reduce the weight of BoomipirATTi who has red beautiful mouth like berry. He killed almost all the wicked kings and their followers in the mahABrata yudha that was between the pANDavas and kauravas. He was born in the mid night of kriShNa pakSha. He resides in tirukkaNNapuram which is rich in paddy fields and pearls brought by the sea waves.

ivarittu arasar taDumAra– As soon as kriShNa was born kamsa and others feared Him ( or) the kings were made to panic in the BArata yuddha.

AzhwAr says in many pASuras about tirukkaNNapuram near the sea coast – “uvari Odam muttundi” etc. But as kaNNapuram is today it is quite far from seashore. Even nammAzhwAr says “vElai mOdum madil soozh tirukkaNNapuram”. Hence it is surmised that perhaps during AzhwAr’s period the divya dESa was near the sea.

10. meenODu Amai kEzhal ari kuraLAi munnum rAmanAi
tAnAi pinnum rAmanAi dAmOdaranAi karkiyum |
AnAn tannai kaNNapurattu aDiyan kaliyan oliseida
tEnAr in sol tamizh mAlai seppa pAvam nillAvE || Ten ||

tirumangai AzhwAr has sung about the ten avatAras of emberumAn– matsya, koorma, varAha, narasimha, vAmana, paraSurAma, Sree rAma, blarAma, kriShNa and kalki. The nine pASuras mention the avatAras but the tenth pASuras is only Pala Sruti. The mention of kalki in the last pASuras can be taken as the completion of ten avatAras. Out of the three rAma avatAras he mentions the two as paraSurAma and blarAma and calls Sree rAma as “tAnAi” (being Himself) revealing thereby the importance of that avatAra among the three. Those who sing this garland of words will not suffer from any sins.