based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai
by Smt Sumithra Varadarajan

Paasuram-23
"gangaiyir punidhamAna kAvirinaduvupAttu
pongu neer parandhupAyum poompozhilaranganthannul
engalmAl eraivan Esan kidanthathOr kidakkai kandum
enganam marandhu vAzhkEn? YEzhaiyEn yEzhaiyEnE"

gangaiyir punidhamAna kAvirinaduvupAttu: Ganga is considered as the most sacrad river in India. Ganga got this fame since she appeared as a SripAda theertham of Trivikrama bhagavan. Even the name ganga is supposed to be sacrad, "gangai gangai endra vachagaththAl", says periazhvar and many other rishis have also explained the greatness of ganga in similar lines. But here Sri Thondaradi podi alwar says that kaveri is even greater than that ganga. Sri Ranga Mahatmiyam says, "gangA sAmyam purAprAptha deva deva prasAdinath, ranga vadharanath oorthvam Adhikanchava AvApasA". Let us now see the purAna story which shows how kaveri attained greater mahatmiyam than ganga. Once there occurred a fight between the various nadhi devis, viz., ganga, yamuna, kaveri, narmada and so on. Each one claimed themselves to be greater than the others. They finally decided to get the judgement from brahma. Listening to the claims of the various rivers, brahma without any hesitation gave the judgement in favour of ganga. All the other rivers accepted brahma's decision as final. Kaveri did believe and accept brahma's words but she decided to do tapas to get more power than ganga. The place where kaveri did tapas is presently called 'ThiruchchErai'(sAra kshetram) near kumbakonam. This is a divya desam, famous as pancha sAra kshetram(sAra kshetram, sAra theertham, sAra vimAnam, sAranatha perumal and sAranAyaki thAyAr). Pleased with kaveri's tapas, perumal first appeared as a small child and crawled into her lap. Sensing a child in her lap kaveri opened her eyes and found in front of her, perumal vAsudEvan with sanghu and chakram in his hands. Emperuman asked kaveri, why she did such a great tapas, leaving the river to dry while she is responsible to keep all the lands surrounding the river fertile. Kaveri replied explaining the fight with ganga and the judgement of brahma. Emperuman replied with a smile,"Why didn't you come to me directly? ganga appeared from the kamadalu of brahma and fell from my feet and hence he considers her to be more sacrad. But then the water from brahma's kamandalu was capable of washing not my two legs, not even my whole leg it was sufficient for only a finger(thumb). Even in that finger only the tip of the nail. That water only flows as ganga now. But oh! Kaveri in your case from the sahyAchalam where you started(Adi rangam) till thiruindaloor parimalarangan , on all sides you are washing the feet of various ranganatha perumals lying in various temples". That is why thirumazhisai alwar says, "attrangkarai kidantha kannan". When kaveri reaches srirangam she spilts into two and it is like she is embracing ranganAtha with her two hands. So emperuman declared that kaveri to be more sacrad when compared to ganga and hence alwar revebrates the same in this paasuram.

pongu neer parandhupAyum poompozhilaranganthannul: At the start kaveri flows as a thin line. As she approaches srirangam she flows with great enthusiasm and after embracing periya perumal she now gives birth to number of small rivers. After her wedding with periya perumal, kaveri becomes a mother and gives birth to number of small rivers like vettaru. In this process, kaveri makes all the soil on her way fertile adding on greenery and beauty to the area along with flourishing and nourishing the cultivation on her way. That is why Thiruvarangam is filled with greenery and with number of cultivated lands and beautiful gardens. Just by this single line alwar gets to our thoughts the beautifully flowing kaveri and the greenery around which gives peace to our mind. In between all these, rests namperumal.

Let him similarly rest in our minds till the next posting.