VaDavaraiyai maththu

1. வடவரையை மத்து ஆக்கி வாசுகியை நாண் ஆக்கி
கடல்வண்ணன் பண்டு ஒருநாள் கடல்வயிறு கலக்கினையே
கலக்கியகை அசோதையார் கடைகயிற்றால் கட்டுண்கை
மலர்க்கமல உந்தியாய் மாயமோ மருட்கைத்தே (ராகம்: ஹம்சாநந்தி)

1. VaDavaraiyai maththu Akki vAsukiyai nAN Akki
kaDalvaNNan paNDu orunAL kaDalvayiRu kalakkinaiyE
kalakkiyakai asOdhaiyAr kaDaikayiRRAl kaTTuNkai
malarkkamala un^dhiyAi mAyamO maruTkaiththE (rAgam: hamsAnandhi)

Meaning: “Oh Krishna! Using mount Meru (or manthara) as a spindle and the snake vAsuki as a rope you, who has the blue hue of the sea, churned the ocean (of milk) once long ago (with your hands). The very same hands were then tied with a rope used to churn curd (to remove butter) by your (foster) mother YasOdhai to discipline you. Oh, the one who sports a lotus flower on your navel, what a mystery? We are amazed!”

The indication here is that the Lord is omnipotent enough to help churn the vast milky ocean (pARkaDal) but could be kept subdued by the love and discipline manifested by His mother Yasodhai. The poet weaves in the Hindu mythology in this verse with due respect. The churning of the milky ocean involves KUrmAvataram whereby Vishnu took the form of a giant turtle and supported the mountain at the bottom of the ocean when it slipped during the churning by dEvAs and asurAs.

2. அறுபொருள் இவனென்றே அமரர்கணம் தொழுதேத்த
உறுபசி ஒன்று இன்றியே உலகு அடைய உண்டனையே
உண்டவாய் களவினால் உறிவெண்ணை உண்டவாய்
வண்துழாய் மாலையாய் மாயமோ மருட்கைத்தே! (ராகம்: கமாஸ்)

2. aRuporuL ivanenRE amarargaNam tozhudEththa
uRupasi onRu inRiyE ulagu aDaiya uNDanaiyE
uNDavAy kaLavinAl uRiveNNai uNDavAy
vaNthuzhAy mAlaiyAy mAyamO maruTkaiththE! (rAgam: kamAs)

Meaning: “The celestials praised you that you are the ultimate. Without being hungry you ate which accrued to the benefit of the whole world. It is the same mouth which also ate the butter that was stolen. You, (who) wear the luscious basil (tuLasi) garland, are a mystery and it amazes us.”

This stanza is very cryptic. Multiple interpretations are possible. The meaning given by “Silamboli” Sellappan in his book “SilappathikAram; teLivurai” (Bharathi Padhippaham) and Sa. Ve. Subramanian in his book “SilappathikAram” (Gangai Puththaga Nilaiyam) is that Krishna swallowed the whole world (They don’t expand on this explanation). Saint Thyagaraja in his kriti “BrOva bAramA” in the rAgam bahudAri sings “shRIvAsudeva aNDakOTula gukSini yuncakO lEdA?” (Didn’t you protect the crores of the worlds by keeping them in your stomach?). There is also the incident that when YasOdhai accused Krishna of eating dirt and asked him to open his mouth, she was amazed to find the entire universe there.

However, if we take the meaning of “obtain” or “accrue” for “aDaiya”, the interpretation changes. It means that when Krishna ate (even without being hungry), the whole world also felt satiated. This explanation makes more sense than the one given above. In support of this contention there is an episode where Krishna tells his childhood friend SudhAmA (also known as KucElar), who comes to visit him bringing flattened rice (aval) as a snack, “You brought me something which I like most. These grains of beaten rice will satisfy not only me but the whole world” (Srimad Bhagavatam, book 10, ch. 81; episode of sudhAmA). Whatever the poet meant in this verse, it is remarkable for its precision in denoting such mythological details*.

3. திரண்டு அமரர் தொழுது ஏத்தும் திருமால்! நின்செங்கமல
இரண்டடியான் மூவுலகும் இருள்தீர நடந்தனையே
நடந்த அடி பஞ்சவர்க்குத் தூதாக நடந்த அடி
மடங்கலாய்! மாறு அட்டாய்! மாயமோ? மருட்கைத்தே. (ராகம்: இந்தோளம்)

3. thiraNDu amarar tozhudhu Eththum thirumAl! ninsengamala
iraNDaDiyAn mUvulagum iruLthIra naDandhanaiyE
naDandha aDi panjcavarkkuth thUdhAga naDandha aDi
maDangalAy! mARu aTTAy! mAyamO? maruTkaiththE. (rAgam: indhOLam)

Meaning: “All the celestials gather and praise you Oh, ThirumAl! With your red lotus feet you crossed all the three worlds to redeem the people from their evil environment. The very same feet went on a diplomatic mission on behalf of the pANDavAs. You also took the form of the half-lion/half-man to destroy the enemy. All these acts are mysterious and astonishing indeed!”

The reference here is to Vishnu’s narasimha avatar (maDangal means lion). In this avatar Hiranyakasipu was killed as a punishment for his evil deeds. The poet (iLangO aDigaL) was familiar with details all the avatars of Vishnu to describe them in precise and crisp terms.

The foregoing three verses were all written in second person (munnilai in Thamizh) addressing Krishna. The next three verses are done in third person (paDarkkai in Thamizh) describing Vishnu’s activities in the avatars.

4. மூவுலகும் ஈரடியான் முறைநிரம்பா வகைமுடியத்
தாவிய சேவடிசேப்பத் தம்பியொடும் கான்போந்து
சோ அரணும் போர்மடியத் தொல் இலங்கை கட்டழித்த
சேவகன்சீர் கேளாத செவியென்ன செவியே!
திருமால்சீர் கேளாத செவியென்ன செவியே! (ராகம்: ஷன்முகப்ரியா)

4. mUvulagum IraDiyAn muRainirambA vagaimuDiyath
thAviya sE aDisEppath thambiyoDum kAnpOn^dhu
cO araNum pOrmaDiyath tol ilangai kaTTazhiththa
sEvakansIr kELAdha seviyenna seviyE!
thirumAlsIr kELAdha seviyenna seviyE! (rAgam: shanmugapriyA)

Meaning: “Thirumal measured all the three worlds in two steps with his feet. Those very same feet got bruised while walking with his brother (ilakkuvan) in the forest. He destroyed the fortress (surrounding the city) and those inside it. He also destroyed the city and kingdom of ilangai. If we do not listen to the greatness of such a valorous person, what is the use of the ears we have? Not listening to the greatness of ThirumAl with our ears is really a waste of that organ.”

Here the reference is first to vAmana avatar who ended the life of Mahabali by asking for three foot-measures (paces) of land and after covering the three worlds (by growing in stature to tiruvikrama) with two steps, placed the third step on Mahabali’s head and ended his life. The next reference is to Ramavataram mentioning Rama’s walk in the forest with his brother (in deference to his father’s command). The destruction of ilangai is also mentioned. In iLangO aDigaL’s period the kingdom of ilangai was an independent entity. The king kayavAgu built a temple for kaNNagi (a reference to this is found in “varan^dharu kAdhai” (vanjcik kANDam).

5. பெரியவனை மாயவனைப் பேருலகம் எல்லாம்
விரிகமல உந்தியுடை விண்ணவனைக் கண்ணும்
திருவடியும் கையும் திருவாயும் செய்ய
கரியவனைக் காணாத கண் என்ன கண்ணே!
கண் இமைத்துக் காண்பார் தம் கண் என்ன கண்ணே! (ராகம்: பரஸ்)

5. periyavanai mAyavanaip pErulagam ellAm
virikamala un^dhiyuDai viNNavanaik kaNNum
thiruvaDiyum kaiyum thiruvAyum seyya
kariyavanaik kANAdha kaN enna kaNNE!
kaN imaiththuk kANbArtham kaN enna kaNNE! (rAgam: paras)

Meaning: “He is supreme; he is an expert in creating illusions; He has a fully blossomed lotus on his navel which carries all the worlds. He is dark-complexioned with beautiful eyes, feet, hands, and mouth. If our eyes can’t see him they lose their value! One has to look at him without blinking in order to realize the value of the eyes!”

Again mythology is mentioned with respect to Brahma being created on a lotus flower stemming from the navel of Vishnu. Brahma is the creator of the worlds and hence it is considered that all the worlds are contained in the navel of Vishnu.

6. மடம்தாழும் நெஞ்சத்துக் கஞ்சனார் வஞ்சம்
கடந்தானை, நூற்றுவர் பால் நாற்றிசையும் போற்றப்
படர்ந்து ஆரணம் முழங்கப் பஞ்சவர்க்குத் தூது
நடந்தானை ஏத்தாத நா என்ன நாவே!
நாராயணா என்னா நா என்ன நாவே! (ராகம்: காபி)

6. maDamthAzhum nenjcaththuk kanjcanAr vanjcam
kaDan^dhAnai, nURRuvarpAl nARRisaiyum pORRap
paDarn^dhu AraNam muzhangap panjcavarkkuth thUdhu
naDan^dhAnai EththAdha nA enna nAvE!
nArAyaNA ennA nA enna nAvE! (rAgam: kApi)

Meaning: “He (Krishna) conquered his ignorant and cruel uncle, Kamsan. Krishna went on the diplomatic mission on behalf of the five pANDavAs to the hundred some Kauravas with the accompaniment of the resonant ringing of vedas. What is the use of the tongue if it doesn’t praise his greatness? If the tongue doesn’t utter the name” nArAyaNA”, what is the use of it?”

courtesy: http://periscope-narada.blogspot.ae/2008/03/verses.html