PERUMAL TIRUMOZHI 4*

* PERUMAL TIRUMOZHI 4*

*PASURAMS 677 –687*

*UnEru selvattu*

AzhvAr’s wish to be born in *TIRUMALA*

Answering to a query asking, is it possible to be a fervent devotee, rather a maniac of the Lord, in all the births as one is not sure what kind of birth we may be in?, AzhvAr says, "when the Lord has made up His mind to protect me from this samsAric life, He will surely retain me as His devotee". Further, to be connected with His  devotees, similar to the Nithyasoories, He has brought down the hill and named it vEnkatam. AzhvAr expresses his wish to be born here in any of the forms (be it tiryak,manushya,sthAvara) and perform nithyaseva for Him.

677 * UnERu selvaththu * udaRpiRavi yAn vENdEn *

 AnEREzh venRAn * adimaith thiRam allAl ** 

kUnERu sangkam idaththAn than * vEngkadaththu * 

kOn Eri vAzhum * kurugAyp piRappEnE (1) 2

677. Other than getting the wealth of being subservient to the Lord, who subjugated the seven bulls for the sake of Nappinnai pirATTi, I do not wish to receive this wealth of life with ever augmenting flesh. I rather wish to be born as a crane (kuRugu) dwelling in tirukOneri pushkarni ( swami pushkarni )at the hills of tirumalA, the abode of Lord venKatEsa holding the white coiled conch on His left hand. (1)

Crane's focus will always be on its bait, similarly Azhwar wishes  to do be focused in his kainkaryam to The Lord. *

678,selvaththu * arambaiyargaL thaRsUzha5 * 

vAnALum selvamum * maNNarasum yAn vENdEn * 

thEnAr pUnjsOlaith * thiruvEngkadach sunaiyil * 

mInAyp piRakkum * vidhi udaiyEn6 AvEnE (2)

678. Even if I am thrust with the riches of Indralok, where one can rule with all the celestial damsels called apsaras encircling around, or being the greatest King ruling with highest power in this world, I shall shun away from it. I shall consider myself fortunate, if I get a chance to be born as a fish in any of the mountain springs surrounded by groves with honey laden flowers. (2)

The interpretation is that, wishing to be born as a bird in the previous verse, AzhvAr realises that as the birds have wings it might fly out of tiruvenkatam sometime, whereas a fish stays in the water in one particular region. So he wishes at least to be born as a fish in tiruvenkatam.

679 pinnitta sadaiyAnum * piramanum indhiranum * 

thunnittup pugal ariya * vaikuntha nIL vAsal ** 

minvattach sudar Azhi * vEngkadak kOn thAnumizhum * 

pon vattil pidiththudanE * pugap peRuvEn7 AvEnE (3)

679. While at the mahAdwAram (the huge entrance) of Sri vENkatEswara temple in Tirumala, considered as the booloka vaikuNtam (the vaikuNtam of this material world), Lord Shiva with His thick matted hair, Brahma and Indra try to wade their way amidst the thronging crowd, if I get the privilege to be born as one of His intimate assistant (kainkaryaparA) and walk right royally holding the golden spittoon for Lord vEnKatEswara possessing His resplendent lightning like "chakra", so as to get His glance on me, I would not mind to be born as a human.(3)

680 oNpavaLa vElai * ulavu thaN pARkadaluL *

kaN thuyilum mAyOn * kazhaliNaigaL kANbadhaRku ** 

paN pagarum vaNdinangkaL * paN pAdum vEngkadaththu *

 seNbagamAy niRkum * thiruvudaiyEn8 AvEnE (4)

680.I do not aspire for the highest order of birth, says AzhvAr. Even if I am blessed to be standing as a champaka tree (magnolia champaka) in the hills of Tirumala where the humming bees hover around ever singing sweet songs, I shall feel great full. In that way, the flowers from my tree shall adorn the lotus feet of this astounding Lord, who graciously meditates lying on the cool waves of tiruppARkadal, which brings the bright coral strings along with it to the coast. (4)

Doing pushpakaingkaryam in TiruvEnkatam is considered vey auspicious. "வானவர் வானவர்கோனொடுஞ் சிந்து பூமகிழும் திருவேங்கடம் ". As the statement describes, it is believed that the celestial devAs shower flowers on the hills of Tirumala. Even till date the practice is that, the flowers on the Tirumala is to be offered only to the Lord and not to be adorned by humans or others in this divine kshEtram. Further AzhvAr opines that, whenever the Lord opens His eyes, he might get His katAksham, being adorned in the feet of the Lord

681 kambamadha yAnai * kazhuththagaththin mEl irundhu * 

inbamarum selvamum * ivvarasum yAn vENdEn ** 

emperumAn Isan * ezhil vEngkada malai mEl * 

thambagamAy9 niRkum * thavam udaiyEn10 AvEnE (5)

681. I am not desirous of getting on and proudly sitting on the neck of the fearful arrogant must elephant or being a King and enjoy the pleasures  of leading a royal life. Instead I would be happy, even if I am present as a dried thorny bush in the hills of Tirumala.(5)

Why does AlvAr prefer to be a dried sticky plant? The reason being, he fears as said in the previous verse, be it the chempaka tree or flower, someone might take it away along with them from the hills and he will have to leave the hill. Whereas if it's a dried plant no one would notice it and he can permanently be present there, is the interpretation by our poorvAchAryAs..

682 minnanaiya nuNNidaiyAr * uruppasiyum mEnagaiyum *

 annavar tham pAdalodum * Adal avai AdhariyEn **

thennavena vaNdinangkaL * paN pAdum vEngkadaththuL * 

annanaiya poRkuvadAm * arunthavaththan AvEnE (6)

682.My interest does not lie towards the exquisite performances of the slender waist celestial damsels like Urvasi and Menaka who sing and dance. If only I have the steadfast mind to become the peak of this golden mountain in the hills of Tirumala, where the swarm of bees reverberate the whole area with their musical note, I shall consider myself blessed. (6)

After asking to be born as a thorny bush, AzhvAr immediately realises that, there is hardly any use since there may not be any connection with the bhAgavatAs, if born as a dried thorny bush. So he pleads to the Lord to be as the mountain itself so as to get bhAgavata Sambandam.

683 vAnALum mAmadhi pOl * veNkudaik kIzh * 

mannavar tham kOnAgi vIRRirundhu * koNdAdum selvaRiyEn **

thEnAr pUnjsOlaith * thiruvEngkada malai mEl * 

kAnARAyp pAyum * karuththudaiyEn12 AvEnE (7)

683. I shall hardly give any esteem to the riches and wealth that are the reason for bringing about fame to the King of kings who rule great empire under the victorious white canopy of royalty similar to the full moon that occupies the sky. I only wish to be born as a seamlessly flowing river and stay perpetually in the hills of Tirumala surrounded by groves with honey laden flowers. (7)

As the sudden thought engulfed AzhvAr thinking, "What if someone break the Rock and take it away for making temples and idols?", so he changes his mind from the rock to the river that cannot be carried away.

684 piRai ERu sadaiyAnum * piramanum indhiranum * 

muRaiyAya peruvELvik * kuRai mudippAn maRaiyAnAn **

 veRiyAr thaNsOlaith * thiruvEngkada malai mEl * 

neRiyAyk kidakkum * nilai udaiyEn13 AvEnE (8)

684.In the divine hills of Tirumala, encircled by cool, fragrant orchards, abodes Lord tiruvENkatamuDayAn who is mentioned in the vEdas . He is the one, who, eliminating the hurdles grants wishes to  Lord Siva with His matted hair adorned with the crescent moon, Lord Brahma and Devendra according to the grades and severity of the penance performed them. I would feel blessed if I can become the footpath ( neRiyAy kiDakkum)  of the Tirumala hill to reach the Lord. (8)

While scrutinising about being born as a river, AzhvAr suddenly realises that, there may be times when the river can dry up, leading to the absence of AzhvAr being in Tirumala . So he changes his mind to be the steps that is an integral part of the mountain to climb up and reach Him. As a result AzhvAr can get the pAda dhooli of the bhAgavatAs constantly.

685 * sediyAya valvinaigaL * thIrkkum thirumAlE! *

nediyAnE! vEngkadavA! * nin kOyilin vAsal14 **

adiyArum vAnavarum * arambaiyarum kidandhu iyangkum * 

padiyAyk kidandhu * un pavaLavAy kANbEnE (9)

685. Oh! Lord, tiruvENkatamuDayAn, (vEnkatavA) You stand tall as a giver and protector (nediAnE). (TirumAlE) Along with your consort SrimahAlakshmi as the Divya dampathi, you eradicate the sins that get accumulated like the wild bushes of your devotees. Bringing down this mountain to annihilate the sins of your devotees, You stand tall here. OH, Lord vEnKatavA, please give me the chance to become that single step before your sanctum sanctorum, where all the bAgavatAs, dEvas and apsaras throng and get stopped in front of that step, as they cannot enter beyond. Lying down there, I shall be enjoying Your coral like lips perpetually. (9)

*GREATNESS OF THIS VERSE*

The sampradAya or the general practice in all the Vaishnavite temple is that, as said in this verse, the step leading to the inner sanctum sanctorum is referred using the name of this AzhvAr as "KULASEKARA PADI" even today.

686 umbar ulagANdu * oru kudaik kIzh * uruppasi 

than ampoRkalai algul * peRRAlum AdhariyEn ** 

sempavaLa vAyAn * thiruvEngkadam ennum * 

emperumAn ponmalai mEl * EdhEnum AvEnE (10)

686. After putting forth his wish of being born as any of the different kinds of births, one by one in each verse, finally AzhvAr comes to a stage asking the Lord to grant him any kind of birth according to His wish in the mountain. 

I shall never wish to rule the entire universe including the upper world (umber ulagu) under one umbrella like Indra nor would I wish to be born as the most celebrated one like the Urvasi. All I wish Oh lord! Is to be born as anything in the hills of TiruvEnKatam where my SwAmi with the coral like lips reside. (10)

PHALA SRUTI

687 * manniya thaNsAral * vadavEngkadaththAn than 

* ponniyalum sEvadigaL * kANbAn purindhu iRainjchi **

 konnavilum kUrvEl * kulasEkaran sonna *

panniya nUl thamizh vallAr * pAngkAya paththargaLE (11)

687. Yearning for the perpetual darshan of the golden feet of the Lord who abodes in the cool cascading northern mountains of TiruvEnKatam, kulasEkarAzhvAr who holds the sharp spear, has graciously written this well metered decade in chaste Tamil. Those who masters it will becomes His most favourite devotees and stay in His heart for ever. (11)

Azhwar Thiruvadigale Sharanam