kaLvan kol

Periya Thirumozhi

kaLvan kol

(thiruvAli 3)

The mother of parakAla nAyaki was sleeping beside her, who was suffering from ‘viraha tApa’ (suffering from separation from the lover). Without the knowledge of the mother who was sleeping, tiruvAli maNavALan took the daughter away. The mother suddenly wakes up to find her daughter missing. She immediately guesses right that it must be the tiruvAli maNavALa since she knows the love between them. She sees both of them going holding each other’s hand.

These ten pASuras are ‘mother pASuras’. AzhwAr’s mAnasa anuBava is expressed in these pASuras.

kaLvan kol yAn ariyEn kariyAn oru kALai vandu
vaLLi marungul endan maDa mAninai pOda enru |
veLLi vaLai kai paTTra peTTra tAyarai iTTu ahanru
aLLam poongazhani aNiyAli puhuvar kolO ||

tiruttAyAr (the mother) says ‘kaLvankal’? Is He a thief robbing off my daughter? (SAstra says all chEtanas are thieves since they steal the atma which belongs to BagavAn by saying ‘I am mine’. 'kim tEna na krutam pApEna chOrEna AtmApahAriNa’—what papas are not committed by those who steal their Atma?) Here He has taken away what belongs to Him. Hence He cannot be a thief.

yAnariyEn—He could not be a thief for He has taken His property and taken it publicly.

tiruttAyAr found her daughter missing. She goes out to the street and sees them going hand in hand. She cries out ‘kaLvan kol? yAnariyEn’. The neighbours and others come and gather near her and ask ‘what! a thief! Who is He? What did He take?’

She replies ‘Oh! A young dark guy came and told my sleeping daughter ‘get up come on! let us go!’ and holding her hand dragged her away. See! There they are going!’

The question is whether He has taken her secretly or openly. piLLai amudanAr has taken the former stand while BaTTar gives other explanation. BaTTar says ‘it is nicer to say He has taken her like a wayside robber openly. It suits His character and adds to His glory.

AniyAli puhuvar kolO?—vayalAli maNavALan Himself has come to take parakAla nAyaki, certainly His destination should be AniyAli, why the expression expresses doubt?

The explanation is—

nammAzhwAr’s “uNNum SOru paruhum neer’ and tirumangai AzhwAr’s this pASura are similar. In nammAzhwAr’s pASuram parAnkuSa nAyaki (nammAzhwAr as a woman) herself goes in search of emberumAn of tirukkOLoor. Here emberumAn Himself comes and takes parakAla nAyaki.

In the presence of ALavandAr there was a discussion about these two pASuras. parakAla nAyaki leaves her mother to go to emberumAn and so also parAnkuSa nAyaki leaves her mother to go to emberumAn. Among these two about whom should we be more anxious?

The SiShyas said—‘parakAla nAyaki’ has not gone alone she has gone with ‘emberumAn—‘ neDumAl tuNaiyA pOyina poongoDiyAL’. Therefore we need not be anxious about her. As for parAnkuSa nAyaki, she had gone alone in search of emberumAn. Therefore we should worry more about her.’

ALavandAr answered them thus—‘it is not so. Even though parAnkuSa nAyaki had gone alone; she would somehow reach her destination. She will not stay anywhere and encounter danger. ’tiNNam enniLamAn puhumoor tiukkOLoor’—is the pASura (certainly she will go to tirukkOLoor). Therefore there need be no anxiety about her safe reaching. If, however, parakAla nAyaki had gone alone like parAnkuSa nAyaki she would certainly reach the place tiruvAli. But here she goes with her nAyaka—all her thoughts concentrating on His charm, gait, smile, etc. and He thinking of her beauty, look, etc. So it is very likely that they will lose their sense and discrimination. Therefore it is doubtful that they reach tiruvAli safely. They may lose their way and go to lankApuri where wicked rAkShasas live. periyAzhwAr also says ‘mallarai aTTavan pin pOi madurai puram pukkAL kolO’—when went to madurai or AyarpADi. Since He was with her they both might lose their way to AyarpAdi and might go to madurai where kamsa is waiting to kill Him.

paNDivan Ayan nangAi paDiran puhundu enmahaL tan
toNDai am SenganivAi nuharndAnai uhandu avan pin|
keNDai oN kaN miLira kiLi pOl mizhaTTri naDandu
vaNDamar kAnal malhum vayalAli puhuvarkolO ||

A neighbour woman enquires the mother ‘What is the matter?’ The mother answers— ‘gOpAlakriShNa — who plays mischief on gOpis (machchODu mALihai Eri mAdarhaL tammiDam pukku, kachchu paTTai kizhittu, kAmbu tuhiLavai keeri, nachchilam teemaihaL seivAn’—periyAzhwAr) has come into my house kissed my daughter. When simply went behind Him. I wonder and doubt whether they will safely reach vayalAli’.

keNDai ON kaN miLira—On the way she may see things and places abut whom she will ask Him with her fish-like beautiful eyes blinking. Sometimes she will speak illegibly like a parrot (kiLi pOl mizhaTTri) and walk by His side.

anjuvan venjol nangAi arakkar kula pAvai tannai
venjina mookkarinda viralOn tiram kETkil meyyE |
panjiya mellaDi em paNai tOLi parakkazhindu
vanji andaN paNai Soozh vayalAli puhuvarkolO ||

tiruttAyAr tells another woman—‘I am really afraid when I remember the history of Sree rAma who cut off the nose of soorpaNaka. This rAkShasi came disguising herself as a beautiful young girl and proposed to rAma to marry her. rAma refused and pointed to lakShmaNa and asked her to propose Him. Accordingly she went to lakShmaNa but was refused saying—Oh! Lady! Since i am His younger brother i do services to Him. If You marry me you have to do service to His wife.’ She angrily came near seeta threatening to kill her. Suddenly rAma cut off her nose and ears and she fled away. This happened in daNDakAraNya. What of it now? Is He going to cut off her nose? Certainly this will not go with His guNa. The SiShyas of Sree rAmAnuja could not find suitable explanation for this passage. They approached Sree rAmAnuja and asked him to clear their doubts. He answered —‘mookkarinda viralOn’ refers to rAma who got separated form His wife seeta after this incident. So it suggests the doubt of the mother of their separation. They have gone together but I fear something may happen to separate them. Will they reach safely ‘tiruvAli’?

Edu avan tol pirappu iLaiyavan vaLaiyoodi mannar
tooduvan Ayavanoor SolveerhaL Solleer ariyEn |
mAdavan tan tuNaiyA naDandAL taDam Soozh puravil
pOdu vaNDADu Semmal punalAli puhuvarkolO ||

Some of women heard the loud cries of parakala nAyaki’s mother and ask ‘amma! To what caste does He belong to who took your daughter? From where has He come?’ The mother replies ‘I don’t know anything .’‘orutti mahanAi pirandu Oriravil orutti mahanAi oLittu vaLara’ (tiruppAvai)—He is born in yadu kula (kShatriya) and was brought up in Ayar kula. Is He a kShatriya or a vaiSya? I don’t know. If you can please tell me. I don’t know from where He comes. ‘viNNaharam vehKA virittAnai neer vEngaDam, maNNaharam mAmADa vELukkai, maNNahatta ten kuDandai, tEnAr, tiruvarangam, tenkOTTi, also ‘kaNDiyoor, arangam, meyyam, kachchi, pEr, mallai’ and so on. Thus He has too many places which one is His? I don’t know. If you know tell me.

But i know something about Him. He is the one who acted as a messenger of pANDavas and went to duryOdana to talk war or peace. He is the one who blow pAnchajanya during the mahABArata war. He was looking very young. I don’t know anything more about Him.

avan tol pirappu ariyEn—Is interpreted in this way too—He has taken many avatAras like fish, tortoise, vAmana, rAma, etc. So to what avatAra does He belong i cannot say (‘enninra yOniyumAi pirandAnai’)

oor ariyEn—He is all pervasive—‘karandengum paranduLan’. Hence I cannot say to which place He belongs.

When He took her i heard Him saying ‘Let us to to tiruvAli’. So I guess they must be going there. But i doubt whether they reach the place safely or not—uhuvar kolO?

mAdavan tan tuNaiyA—‘He is the consort of SreedEvi. He is much desired by her for His beauty and guNa. When such a person talks and look at you, you go out of senses and sometimes swoon. Hence i doubt—punalAli puhuvar kolO’.

tAyanai enru irangAL taDandOLi tanakkamainda
mAyanai mAdavanai madittu ennai ahanra ivaL |
vEyena tOL viSiri peDaiyannam ena naDandu
pOyina poongoDiyAL punalAli puhuvarkolO ||

She does not bother to think of my worry over her. ‘oru mahaL tannai uDaiyEn ulaham nirainda puhazhAl tirumahaL pOla vaLarttEn Sengan mAl tAn koNDu pOnAn’ (periyAzhwAr). Or she may think—well! Let her feel whatever she likes’ and left me unceremoniously. She never bothered to feel for me and my feelings. She is much fascinated by the mAyan mAdavan—one with wonderful Sakti and an expert lover. When i think of her walking like a swan swinging her bamboo-like beautiful arms, my heart burns. Well! Let her go wherever she likes. All i am worried about is whether she will reach safely tiruvAli’

en tuNai enru eDuttErku iraiyEnum irangiTTrilaL
tan tuNaiyAya endan tanimaikkum irangiTTrilaL |
van tuNai vAnavarkAi varanSeTTru arangattu uraiyum
in tuNaivannODum pOi ezhilAli puhuvarkolO ||

Normally parents think that the children will take care of them when they grow old. But look at her! She has left one all alone never bothering to think of my loneliness or my plight. As for her, she is happy that she has a great hero as her mate. He is the one, who subdued the pride and might of rAvaNa (who had many boons from his tapas) in order to help the dEvas. She thought she should go when ranganAtha is calling her. She thought He will certainly be her best companion. Well! Let her go! i don’t mind. All i am concerned about is whether they will reach safely reach tiruvAli.

varam SeTTra—because of his boons rAvaNa was feeling very proud and unconquerable. So BagavAn took a human form (which was not included in his list of boons) to kill him.

annaiyum attanum enru aDiyOmukku irangiTTrilaL
pinnai tan kAdalan tan perundOL nalam pENinaLAl |
minnaiyum vanjiyaiyum venru ilangum iDaiyAL naDandu
punnaiyum annamum Soozh punalAli puhuvarkolO ||

She never cared for us—her parents, never had. She uttered a word either to me, her mother or to Him—her father. I am sure she has totally forgotten us. There is a strong reason to do so. She has gone with the consort of napinnai pirATTi who came in person and called her. ‘SelEi kaNNiyarum perum Selvamum nan makkaLum mElA tAi tandaiyum avarE iniyAvArE’—she thought He is everything. He is the lOkanAtha (parent to all living creatures) Hence she was rejected us, the worldly parents.

She is lender-waisted like lightning and creeper. I don’t think she can walk long distances. At least He could have taken her on garuDa. Oh! i am worried whether they will reach tiruvAli safely.

aDiyOmukku—she has chosen Him as her partner not consulting us, the poor earthly parents.

punnaiyum annamum Soozh—The divya dESa is very beautiful with punnai trees in the forests and swan in the lotus ponds. Oh! They should not stay there and forget all about going tiruvAli.

muTTrilum paingiLiyum pandum ooSalum pESuhinra
SiTTril men poovaiyum viTTu ahanra SezhungOdai tannai |
peTTrilEn muTTrizhaiyai pirappili pinnE naDandu
maTTrellAm kaitozhappOi vayalAli puhuvarkolO ||

My daughter is not a grown up girl; whe is still a lass playing with her toys and pets—muTTril, paingiLi, pandu ooSal and men poovai. When BagavAn came she left all those and went away with Him without even a second thought. She has now Him to play with. When both of them walk they are worshipped by all who make anjali to them. Even insentient objects like trees etc worship them (maTTru ellam) Oh! It is me alone who have lost them; not all. Well! My concern is they should reach tiruvAli in spite of the delay (since they are stopped and saluted).

sezhungOdai—She is very tender and attractive like a garland of flowers.

kAvi angaNNiyeNNil kaDimAmalar pAvai oppAL
pAviyEn peTTramaiyAl paNaittOLi parakkazhindu|
tooviSEr annam anna naDaiyAL neDumAlODum pOi
vAvi andaN paNai Soozh vayalAli puhuvarkolO ||

She has beautiful neelOtpala like eyes. She is not my daughter. She is similar to periya pirATTi. But because she is born of me—a mahApApi—she is subdued by all for her behaviour. She who walks like a swan—has gone with emberumAn to tiruvali. I pray for them to reach safely their destination.

kaDimalar pAvai opaL—‘pinnai kol nila mAmahaL kol tirumahaL kol pirandiTTAL’ tiruvAimozhi. ‘kandal kazhindAl sarvarkkum nAreeNAm uttamaiyuDaiya avasthai varakkadavadAyirukkum’ (Sree vachana BooShaNa Sree sookti)—if the dOShas like ajnAna etc are lost then all the Atmas become similar to periya pirATTi.

These are the qualities of periya pirATTi—

She is the sole property of emberumAn

She takes Him alone as her asylum

She enjoys Him alone

She submits herself to be ruled only by Him

She is at peace in samslESha

She is agitated at vislESha

When a jeeva is devoid of avidya etc. then naturally he is similar to periya pirATTi.

pAviyE peTTramaiyAl—If she is born in a lotus or in tiruppArkaDal she would have obtained nitya vAsa in His tirumArbu. But Alas! She is born in me she is criticized by all. tandaiyum tAyum nirka tani vazhi pOyinAL’—periyAzhwAr.

tAimanam ninru iranga taniyE neDumAl tuNaiyA
pOyina poongoDiyAL punalAli puhuvar enru |
kAiSina vEl kaliyan oliSeida tamizh mAlai pattum
mEviya nenjuDaiyAr tanjamAvadu viNNulahE ||

The mother of parakAla nAyaki has worried over her daughter who went away with emberumAn without telling her. She is anxious whether they both will reach tiruvAli or not. These ‘tAi pASuras’ are sung by tirumangai AzhwAr who has both anger and spear to torture the enemies. Those who read these pASuras will certainly go to paramapada and enjoy Bagavat kainkarya for ever.

The mother’s condition is as said by periyAzhwAr—‘nalladOr tAmarai poihai naNmalar mel pani sOra alliyum tAdum udirndiTTu azhahazhindAl ottadAlo, illam vaigodiTTrAlo’.