TIRUVAIMOZHI - AN INSIGHT

Nammalvar, the foremost among the Alwars has contributed four gems to the monolith - the sacred Four Thousand or Divyaprabandam. Out of the four, the magnum opus, Tiruvaimozhi is a collection of a little over thousand songs, all in the rare anthadi metre - an unsurpassed feat in Tamil literature. It is said to be the quintessence of the musical Sama Veda and is grouped in decads (pathigams) of ten songs each. Thus there are hundred pathigams and each pathigam includes the eleventh song as the phalasruti.

In many of his pathigams he spells out the phalasruti or the benefit/profit that accrues out of reciting, singing or even dancing of the pathigams. Thus (1) Aazhi Ezha (7-4) ensures the victory (success) of any endeavour undertaken (2) Poliga poliga (5-2) cleanses one's mind of its dross (3) Endraikum ennai (7-9) produces happiness (4) Kangalum Pagalum (7-2) lands him in everlasting bliss (5) Porumal neel padai (1-10) develops one's knowledge. These are but a few of the ever so many sparklers strewn all over. It is customary to begin any venture with the all potent Pranava Bijashara Mantram - OM or its alphabetic constituents A.U.M. In consonance with this principle the three lines of the opening Tiruvaimozhi have the words Uyaravara, Mayarvara and Ayarvara though not in the same order.

The taraka nama of Saint Tyagarajahswami is Rama. Similarly the Ishta devatha of Nammalwar is Kannan. He is obsessed with this name so much that he finds utmost pleasure in mentioning it, times without number. To him Kannan is the only Godhead whereas all others are only his manifestations. Kannan allal deivam illai, irupathu ellam avan murthy (5-2-7). One should seek refuge only at his feet Kannan allal illai kandeer saran (9-1-10). For him Kannan is his food, drink and pan (betel leaves) to chew - unnum sonum, parugum neerum, tinnum vethilaiyum (6.7.1). He ascribes to him the manifestations of other gods. It was Kannan not Narasimhamurthy who emerged from the Pillar to save Prahlada (2-8-9). The saviour of Markandaya is Kannan not Siva (7-5-7).

It is interesting to note that he lived a short span of thirty two years and has sung on an equal number of deities, without visiting any of them. It is believed that all of them gathered around the sacred tamarind tree at his birth place to receive the benediction - case of the mountain moving to the muhamad. He could visualise the natural ambience of the respective shrines - whether it be the cool, cascading waterfalls of Tirumala or the verdure hills and vales of Tirumaliruncholai (Madurai) or the buffeting waves of the sea at Tiruvananthapuram or the gentle swaying (in the wind) of the rich rice crop of Tirukundanthai (Tanjore) or even the enchanting lotus ponds of Tirumogur near Madurai.

Poet Kambar of Ramayana fame has eulogised Tiruvaimozhi and its author in highly felicitous terms in his Sadagopar Anthadi (1000 songs). In it he has referred to an incident (SA 17). A Siddha (Yogi) resident of the North bank of the Tamaraiparani river, had a dog as his companion. The dog as its wont used to cross the river daily in ankle deep water, roam about eating the remnants of the cast over leaves and return back to its master. When it did not turn up on a particular day, the yogi went on its trail and found its carcass with a slit skull. He immediately realised that it had attained salvation or mukthi. He burst forth into a song, appealing to Nammalwar to grant him salvation on the lines of the low born dog which could achieve such a feat by eating the remnants of the Vishnu bkathas of Tirukurugoor. This is featured in the mural paintings of the temple as well as on the stone cut on the river bank nearby.

Nammalwar has a special fascination/preference for the Tirumala deity. Among his four contributions, the first one is Tiruviruttam and the very first refference in it is to Tiruvengadam (T.V.18). No other deity has been bestowed with as many as three sweet decads as on Tirumala (1) Olivil Kalamellam (3-3) (2), Ulagam unda peruvaya (6-10) (3) Malukku (6-6) besides numerous passing references scattered all over his outpourings.