KOTHAIYIN GEETHAI 3

KOTHAIYIN GEETHAI




3.Awakening and singing on Krishna



Arumbuliyur Jagannathan Rangarajan







In the second part of Kothaiyin Geethai ,Andal woke up all her friends of different characters and they then proceeded to Sri Nandabhavanam and asked the door keeper to permit them in. Andal then elaborates awakening Krishna, Balaraman and Nappinnai from 16th to 19th pasurams and 20 to 24 is on singing glory of Krishna .



Sixteenth pasuram starting as Nayaganai is said to be the centre of Tiruppavai. In this Andal requests the gate keeper of the palace of Nandagopan to keep it open for their entry. She narrates the details of nonbu she did with her friends and the assurance of Krishna to grant its benefits .Andal uses the word 'parai ' in pasurams 1,8. 10,16,24 to 30 and in all she claims that Krishna is sure to grant parai tharuvan .This pasuram conveys the decency of approaching great personalities only through proper channel. Also tells that praising and pure worshipping God in word, mind and action, is sure to pave way for His Grace .This thooyomai vandom thuyil elappaduvan is confirmed by Krishna. In Gita(10.9 ) mat chitha matgata pranah He says with minds fully engaged in him their lives devoted to him ,conversing and enlightening one another about His glories ever remain contented and take delight in Him.



In seventeenth pasuram, Andal wakes up Yasoda first, Kannan then and next Balaraman .Andal refers Nandagopalan as donor of food, clothes, water in plenty. Vamana avatharam is again mentioned in this as Ongi ulagalantha umbar koman . As said in second pasuram iyamum pichaiyum anthanaiyum kai katti , Andal continues to say on charity in this as Aram cheyyum emberuman . Andal calls yasoda as kozhunde kulavilakke and asks to embark upon worshipping the lord, to begin the same contemplating upon their preceptors and to seek their approval for the same. In Gita(17.20) Krishna says as Charity given out of duty without expectation of return at the proper time and place and to a worthy person is considered to be in the mode of goodness.



In Eighteenth pasuram , Andal tells her friend Nappinnai to enjoy pleasures of righteousness, with family and friends without prejudice .Nandagopan was strong as elephant in high .His strength matched that of a group of elephants, and with his great strength in his arms , he never thought to go back. When Sri Ramanujar was in Srirangam, he used to recite Tiruppavai always. When the lines Pandar virali ....Vandhu thiravai came near the house of his Guru Peria Nambi, his daughter Atthuzhai came and Gave Bhikshai. But in seeing her, Ramanuja became unconscious with a feeling that Nappinnai herself came before him. She told this fact to her father Peria Nambi .Peria nambi felt extremely happy as his disciple saw his daughter in the form of Nappinnai. Then this pasuram became Ramanujar's favourite one, and so he was called as Tiruppavai jeer. Krishna says in Gita (2.31), as Killing in battlefield on religious principles and killing animals in sacrificial fire are not to be considered as a violence act. Andal thus said Krishna had strength with shoulders to face any moral struggle as Odatha thol valiyan in this.



Nineteenth pasuram is just an imagination of Nappinnai and Krishna together lying on the costly couch . The pleasures referred is only suggestion by Andal that all gopis should get them in Sri Krishna's company and only for that reason Nappinnai is keeping company with Him. It is said in this pasuram ,that any bed for sleeping should be cool, light, beautiful designed ,good scent, and white in colour. Andal chose Nappinnai as the preceptor, and prayed to her in order to win the communion of Krishna .Andal tells Nappinnai's eyes got enlarged on seeing the beauty of Krishna as Maithadan kanninai . She made a request to Nappinnai to act as a mediator between Bakthas and God. In Gita (18.55)Krishna says that one can understand Him only by devotional service .And when he knows truly he forthwith merges into Him. Based on this, Andal felt that Nappinnai is capable of helping them to attain Krishnaanubhavam successfully.





Glory of Krishna is depicted in pasuram 20 as to wake up all , 21 as to identify their arrival, 22 as to give darsan to them , 22 as to see them with grace , 23 as to analyze their request and bless , and in 24 to convey the greetings .



In twentieth pasuram ,Muppathu moovar Amararku, 33 is taken for 8 vasus,11 Rudras 12 Adityas,and 2 Aswinikumarars.Andal says in this pasuram that a man of faith constructs something beautiful even in the midst of chaos. She asks Krishna as he has on several occasions made him free from fear from the minds of the thirty three crores of Devas and rescued them from the Asuras. But in delaying tactics His reputation only will be spoiled and they just wanted to get Him up from His bed and to grant the necessary boons. As said setrarku veppam kodukkum vimala, Krishna always rescues those who have performed Saranagathi at His lotus feet. And if the dissuaders are enemies, He punishes them for the offence, and if they are friends he makes them to assent the choice in taking them into his hold. Krishna says this periyay in Gita (15.15 ) as He is the source of memory, knowledge and the ratiocinative faculty , He is the only object worth knowing through vedas and the origin of vedanta.





In 21st pasuram , Andal tells Krishna as Utramudaiyay as He is unshakable, not of known authorship, permanent, flawless and is an Authority by itself. Further He has a strong wish and power not to abandon those who surrender Him. She joins with all and says as Periyay for His possession of an indescribable greatness and with passion to do everything to the devotees as Ulaginil Thotramai for His incarnations as Rama, Krishna, etc, Sudare for splender gets increased every time as He is showing mercy on distressed souls. Andal is said to possess all sorts of characters of Idaiyal cowherd and concern and praises for cows, and so she says in this pasuram as pal soriyum Vallal peum pasukkal , like Kudam niraikkum vallal perum pasukkal in third pasuram.

Matrar is identified by Krishna as people against his devotees and not against Him. Krishna says this Gita, (7.15 ) as the people who are not willing to surrender Him as persons whose wisdom has been carried away by Maya, and are domainic nature such as foolish and worthless men of evil deeds do not adore Him.

In 22nd pasuram, Thingalum Adthithyanum ,conveys Krishna is capable of exhibiting his talents simultaneously in most contradictory nature , like Bayakruth bayanasana in SriVishnu Sahasranamam , creating and destroying the fears. In Narasimhavatharam though Hiranyakasipu was killed in much terror, Prahlada was looking smilingly. Andal wants to nullify the evil effect of curses .Andal wants the two eyes of Krishna to be seen on her and remove all curses. She had in mind that Ahalya got it through feet, Kubera through knees, Madhu kaitabha through thighs, and Durvasa through chest. Andal says many kings of various countries are waiting near his kingdom, like Arjuna and Duryodana's wait before Gurukshetra war. Similarly she is waiting with all her friends so as to reach Him as vandhu thalaippeithom .In Gita (17.3) Krishna says the faith of all men conforms to their mental disposition. Faith constitutes a man; whatever the nature of his faith, verily he is that. Andal had such a high confidence in her approach to meet Krishna .

In 23 rd pasuram, Andal expresses the excellence of lion in its coming out from cave in winter season. She compares reclining pasture of lion's appearance with that of Krishna, while coming out from His bed. The gigantic walk Simhanadai attracted Andal more than other walks such as gajanadai, sarpanadai, pulinadai, kalainadai which are still prevailing in SriRangam in oyyara nadai sevai during uthsavam days. As lion cub even at birth is the king of forests, and needs no coronation, Krishna is also great in natural form .Andal calling as Poovai poo vanna, though contradict to lion's look , is also equally good and apt for Krishna. It is said Vishnu took avatars to teach a virtuous life, and to take the lives of bad, only after analysing the facts as Araindhu arul .This has been informed in Gita (18.14 ) as "The place of action, the performer, the various senses, many kinds of endeavor, and ultimately the super soul are the factors of causes for the accomplishment of actions ".So Andal is sure that anything is done in broad analysis.

In 24 th pasuram, Andal took a lead in performing Archana in Tamil and so nobody can claim Tamil archana system as of their own.She narrates Vamana Avatharam as ulagam alanthai, Rama avatharam as then ilangai setrai, Krishna avatharam in vanquishing evil Sakateswara as sakatam uthaithai , killing Kapitthasuran just by throwing calf cow into the air for Vilambazham, as kanru kunila erinthai ,protecting Aayarpadi for 9 days just by holding Govardana giri in finger as kunru kudaiyai eduthai.Andal says there are so many such valours Krishna does in every Avataram, and the purpose of this praises is to attain His grace only. Andal says God protects all unfailingly who seeks refuge in His feet. In Gita (7.17) Krishna says that He is extremely dear to any wise person who knows Him in reality, and He is extremely dear to Him. So it can be said all His seshtithams are only to persons who surrender Him totally.



To be continued ….