The Nectar of Thiruppugazh

Many references to Krishna's divine plays as mentioned in Thiruppugazh have been discussed in an earlier post. In fact the entire Mahabharatham can be described as Krishna's Leela. In this post, however, we are discussing only the childhood leela s as mentioned in Thiruppugazh. The first Leela is Krishna being tied to the mortar ( உரல் ). This story occurs in many songs and symbolically shows that though the Lord is beyond anybody's grasp, He allows Himself to be bound by His devotees sivanaar manam kuLira நவநீத முந்திருடி உரலோடெ யொன்றுமரி ரகுராமர் சிந்தைமகிழ் மருகோனே

Please go through Part 1 and         Part 2 Let's continue to enjoy more Thiruppugazh songs in which Sivam is described in detail. Here's how gaganamum anilamum describes the Universal Matter – as the Ultimate and Eternal Object which remains after the cataclysm (pralaya) at the end of the Yugas and which can be perceived by our minds if it directs its attention inwards and beholds the luminous substance. யுகஇறு திகளிலு மிறுதியி லொருபொருள் உள்ளக்க ணோக்கு    மறிவூறி ஒளிதிக ழருவுரு வெனுமறை யிறுதியி லுள்ளத்தை நோக்க    அருள்வாயே More attributes of the Super consciousness follow, with the following example from suruthiyaay . The etrnal and immutable substance is said to be the True Significance of the Great Delusion or Maya ( மிக்க மேலான பொருளான பெரிய மாயையின் உண்மைத் தத்துவம் ) and Saint Arunagiri says that Murugan taught him so that he could speak about it to this world!

In the previous post on Sivam in Thiruppugazh , we discussed the grandeur of Sivam and tasted the meaning of Sivanubhuti. This post savours a few more samples. In the song aanaatha piruthivi , the saint-poet longs for the day he would be able to achieve union with மாறாத சுகவெளத் தாணு – changeless and a perennial flood of bliss. To achive this union or experience ஏகி பவம் , we must escape the bonds of attachment to earthly possessions and the deep darkness of maya or illusion and shun all thoughts. The saint uses choice words such as ஆகாச பரம, சிற் சோதி, ஆறு ஆறின் அதிகம் - அக்ராயம், பரதுரிய அதீதம், அகளம், எப்போதும் உதயம், அநந்த மோகம், வானாதி சகல விஸ்த்தார விபவரம், லோகாதி முடிவு, மெய்ப் போத, மலர் அயன் மால் ஈசர் எனும் அவற்கு ஏ(ஹே)து, மாளாத தன் நிசமுற்றாயது, அரிய, நிராதாரம், உலைவு இல், சற் சோதி, நிருபம் ஆனாத பிருதிவிப் பாச நிகளமும் மாமாய விருளுமற் றேகி பவமென வாகாச பரமசிற் சோதி பரையைய   டைந்துளாமே ஆறாறி னதிகமக் க்ராய மநுதினம் யோகீச ரெவருமெட் டாத பரதுரி யாதீத மகளமெப் போது முதயம   

What is the goal of Bhakti? The ultimate goal of bhakti is to help the individual soul to merge itself in the Supreme Soul or Paramatman that is Infinite, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and an embodiment of knowledge and bliss. What prevents us from seeing ourselves as we truly are – as Pure Consciousness – are the three malas or cloakings that make us feel separate and different, despite the common unifying spirit in all beings. This experience of differentiation comes from a power called Maya which is a mala that our bodies are subject to. Mala means taint or impurity, a limiting condition that hampers the free expansion of spirit. It is of three forms, anava mala, maya mala, and karma mala. These Malas are part of our existence, part of the fabric of who we are. Anava mala is the root mala, the primal limiting condition which reduces the universal Consciousness to a small, limited entity. It is a cosmic limiting condition over which the individual has no control. It is owing to this

Devi is any goddess, though in Saivism it would mean the consort of Shiva. For Vaishnavas, it would be the goddess Lakshmi. In Thiruppugazh we have the description of both the Devi s. In the song aNisevviyAr , Arunagirinathar describes Parvati Devi as holding Mount Meru as a bow, an attribute usually associated with Shiva – which is quite understandable, because Shiva holds the bow in His left hand, and Parvathi occupies the left half of Shiva. She dances with Shiva in the jungles. குண வில்லதா மக மேரினை அணிசெல்வியாய் அருணாசல குரு .......

Please click to read the Story of Nakkeerar , a nineth century Tamil poet who wrote a learned commentary on the well-known work entitled Irayanar Agaporul. Nakkeerar is famous for stubbornly clinging onto his beliefs even in the face of supreme and incontrovertible evidence. Vankya Sudamani Pandyan ( வங்கிய சூடாமணி (சண்பக பாண்டியன்) offers a bundle of gold coins as a prize to any poet who would compose a poem that would clear his doubt whether women could have naturally fragrant hair. Lord Shiva himself composes a poem that answered this query and hands it over to a poor scholar Tharumi. However, Nakkeerar finds fault with a particular line in that poem and even when Siva asserts the correctness of Tharumi's thought and diction, Nakkeerar persistently refutes it. Shiva opens His third eye and Nakkeerar feels as if his body is set ablaze. He undertakes a pilgrimage to Mount Kailasa and on the way he encounters the demoness Karkimukhi who imprisons him in a cave along with 999 othe

Read Mahabharatham in Thiruppugazh (part 1) There are two lesser known events that take place before the war. At the center of both the events is Krishna who makes every effort to ensure victory for the Pandavas. The first event ensures that none of the Pandavas will die in the war. The second event ensures that Vidura stays out of the war. Duryodhana refuses to give the Pandavas their kingdom. Lord Krishna is all set to go to Hastinapura in the last ditch effort to avoid war. Of course, He knows that war is inevitable. But Sahadeva doesn't want war. Krishna tells him that he could try tying Him down and prevent Him from going on a peace mission.

In most of the songs in Thiruppugazh, Lord Murugan is referred to as Vishnu's nephew. And Vishnu could be referred to by many of His avatars --- the matsyavatara, the Ramavatara or the Krishnavatara. In Ramayana, the protagonist is Rama, there is no doubt. In Mahabharata, who is the protagonist? The Pandavas? The Kauravas? Bheeshma? No, they are all mere actors. The real sutradhari is the wily Krishna. The stage is His. He has the script. He calls the shots. And He has a purpose! Yato Dharma Tato Krishnah, tato Jayah . And Krishna exemplifies Karma Yoga. For establishing Dharma, he is ready to break the rules, to dispense justice speedily. Right here and now. Not in the next janma . Not just that. He is ready to accept the results of His own Karma. He accepts happily Gandhari's curse. Free will is merely maya, an illusion. We have no control over our birth or death. If we contemplate, we don't choose our offsprings also, let alone plan their lives. The thoughts (that we co

Read the previous posts: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 The song vanjam kondum describes in graphic detail the war scene between vanaras and Ravana – how the vanaras hurl uprooted trees and boulders that come down heavily, crushing the enemy and driving the entire clan of the demons to the South, the direction ruled by YamA, and how amidst the relentless onslaught of arrows, Ravana keeps boasting in vain about his valor. வஞ்சங்கொண் டுந்திட ராவண னும்பந்தென் திண்பரி தேர்கரி மஞ்சின்பண் புஞ்சரி யாமென        வெகுசேனை வந்தம்பும் பொங்கிய தாகஎ திர்ந்துந்தன் சம்பிர தாயமும் வம்புந்தும் பும்பல பேசியு             மெதிரேகை மிஞ்சென்றுஞ் சண்டைசெய் போதுகு ரங்குந்துஞ் சுங்கனல் போலவெ குண்டுங்குன் றுங்கர டார்மர         மதும்வீசி