Thiruppalliyezucchi Vyakhyana Saram

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As with all jIvAtmas, Thondaradippodi Azhvar too was asleep for countless time ("anAdi mAyayA supto yadAjIva: prabudyate"). Without realising his true nature, the means and the goal, he was considering his body to be his soul and was involved in matters of this world. The Lord out of His unqualified grace awakened Azhvar and showed him His divine beauty ("mAdharARkayaRkaNennum valaiyuL pattazhundhuvEnaip pOdharEyenRu sollip pundhiyiR pugundhu thanpAlAdharam peruga vaiththa azhagan"). With that, He changed Azhvar's attraction to other things, gave him the knowledge of his true nature and made him become attached to Him. Then, through Azhvar's works, He brought to light that He Himself is the means and the goal ("aimpulan agaththadakkik kAmbaRath thalai siraiththun kadaiththalai irundhu vAzhum sOmbarai ugaththi"). Having done that, He went to sleep without worry. Azhvar then sings this work (Thiruppalliyezhucchi) to wake Him up and seeks to perform service to Him.

Having determined that He is the means and the goal makes it clear that Azhvar should sing to wake Him up, praise His divine beauty and provide flowers and other services to Him. This is what Andal seeks in the pasuram "mArimalai muzhainjil". Nammazhvar too showed the height of the goal sought in "nedumArkkadimai", then showed the way to the world in "koNda peNdiril" and then woke Him up and seeked service in "kidandha nAL kidanthAy". Vishwamitra too woke Him up as "kausalyA suprajA rAma pUrvA sandhyA pravartate | uttiShTa narasArdUla kartavyam daivamAhnikam ||". So too Azhvar wishes to see the glorious sight of His waking up and sings this pasuram.

When Azhvar went to Him to seek this service, instead of receiving him, enquiring about him and accepting flowers from him, He lay sleeping.

What is the reason for this? Is it that He does not like Azhvar? That's not true, because He takes great delight in Azhvar. Did He have any problems such as indigestion? That's not true because His body is divine and does not suffer from such base qualities. Then, what is the reason? Azhvar showed that attachment to this world was no good in "AdhalAl piRavi vENdEn"; showed that he had gained the true knowledge in "bOnagam seytha cEdan- tharuavrEl punidham"; showed that he had understood the nature of this world in "iccuvai thavira yAn vENdEn"; showed that he had won over his senses in "kAvaliR- pulanai vaiththu"; showed that he had given up other means in "kuLiththu mURanalaiyOmbum kuRikoLandhaNamai thannaiyoLiththittEn"; showed that he had gained the true knowledge of the means in "unnarUlennum Asai- thannAl poyyanEn vandhu ninREn". Seeing this, He became happy and considering His glory that changed Azhvar this way ("AtmAnam vAsudEvAkhyam cintayan"), and wondering how He could change everyone just like He changed Azhvar, He began to take rest ("nAgamiSaith thuyilvAn pOlulagellAm nangodunga yOgaNaivAn"). As such, He did not notice that Azhvar had come to Him.

When Azhvar was trapped in the senses ("madhaRAr kayaR- kaNennum valaiyutpattu"), He was awake; once Azhvar became attached to Him ("adiyOrkkagalalAmE"), He began to take rest without worry. Azhvar now had great enthusiasm to perform service to Him ("empirARkAt- seyyAdhE enseyvAn thOnRinEnE"). So, like Vishvamitra ("uttiShTa narashArdUla"), like Sita ("sa mayA bodhita: shrImAn") and like Andal ("umbar kOmAnE uRangAdh- ezhundhirAy"), he too wakes up the Lord ("arangathth- ammA paLLiyezhundharuLAyE") and seeks the height of service which is service to His devotees ("thoNdar- adippodi ennum adiyanai aLiyanenRaruLi un adiyArkk- AtpaduththAy").

What is the reason to wake the Lord thus? Azhvar does this because he has understood the true nature of service. Which is, when doing all kinds of service, at all places, at all times and at all states ("aham sarvam kariShyAmi jAkrata: svapatashca te", "ozivil kAlamellAm udanAy manni"), one must do the service that He wishes for ("thanakkEyAga enaik koLLumIdhE"). Since Azhvar wishes to do the service that He will command to do ("kriyatAmiti mAm vada", "enakkEyAtsey", "mugappE kUvip paNikoLvAy"), he describes the indications that dawn has arrived and wakes Him up.

Azhvar sings: the Sun has dawned at the top of the mountain; the devas and kings are standing in the southern direction with all the things needed for worship waiting to be seen by Your divine eyes as You wakes up; You are the Lord and the protector of all and have great attachment to those who seek You; give me the fame that I woke You up; wake up and accept our service.

Just like a parent would show his children and seek alms from a king, so too Azhvar puts the devas who worship Him forward and seeks service.

How is Thiruppalliyezhucchi different from ThirumAlai? He awakened Azhvar who was asleep in ignorance for countless time, in ThirumAlai; having thus woken, Azhvar wakes Him up in Thiruppalliyezhucchi. In ThirumAlai, Azhvar spoke about Him accepting his vocal service as sweet ("punkavidhaiyElum empirARk- iniyavARE"); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar talks about His accepting his bodily service as sweet ("thodaiyoththa thuLabamum kUdaiyum polindhu thOnRiya thOL thoNdaradippodiyennum adiyanai aLiyaneRaruLi"). In ThirumAlai, Azhvar obtained that service which is sweet to Him ("empirARkiniyavARE"); in Thiruppalli- yezhucchi, Azhvar prays for that service which is sweet to His devotees ("adiyArkkAtpaduththAy"). In ThirumAlai, Azhvar speaks of His attempt to get Azhvaar; in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar says that He succeeded in that attempt. In ThirumAlai, Azhvar asks for His grace ("eLiyathOraruLumenRE enthiRaththu"); in Thiruppalliyezhucchi, Azhvar asks Him to give His grace to others ("avarkku nALOlakkamaruLa").

thoNdaradippodi AzhvAr nanjIyar periyavAccAn piLLai thiruvadigaLE sharaNam
AzhvAr emberumAnAr jIyar thiruvadigaLE sharaNam

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