சென்னி ஓங்கு
What a feeling finally - Me in You and You in Me
Starting with tracing the birth of Krishna and his growth phase (infancy to childhood), describing his various activities, achievements and the reactions from those around him, Periyazhvar spent over 250 verses in this ‘Pillai Tamil’ praise.
And then he moved on singing praise of Lords at different temples. Unlike other Azhvaars, he did not sing praise of too many. In his entire 473 verses, he refers in detail only to Srirangam, Tiruvenkatam, Thiru Kottiyur, Thiru Maliruncholai, Thiru Vellarai and Kadi Nagar. Having described Krishna through his mother and then these temples, he transforms himself into a completely different poet in these final set of verses.
He is seen engaging in beautiful personal conversation with the Lord surrendering to him, showcasing his helpless state asking for help and finding him finally holding on to him.
Feels the Lord in Him
In this last decad, he revels in his expressions of coming together with the Lord and a feeling of being one with him. He feels the Lord inside him and presents himself in a way that the Lord too has accepted him in his heart.
Praising the lord of Venkatam where mountains rise high, he says his body and soul have now been branded and embellished with the Lord’s discus emblem. He is now waiting for the Lord’s orders and wants to know what is in store for him next from the Lord. He wants to dedicate his life to serve the Lord and asks as to what else he wants from his true devotee.
சென்னிஓங்குதன்திருவேங்கடமுடையாய்
உலகுதன்னைவாழநின்றநம்பி - தாமோதராசதிரா
என்னையும்என்னுடைமையையும்
உன்சக்கரப்பொறிஒற்றிக்கொண்டு
நின்னருளேபுரிந்திருந்தேன்
இனிஎன்திருக்குறிப்பே
He expresses his transcendental experience. He says that since the time the Lord ascended on his Garuda Vahana and showered his blessings on him, he has been on a different journey. The ocean of births and deaths has dried up and become sanctified.
Finds Eternal Bliss
He says in delight that the groves that had trapped him in the ruins of everyday life- karmas of his past are now being destroyed by the raging forest fire. And he is experiencing divinity like never before. Knowledge is flowing like a river brimming with water. And these are flooding his head in waves and waves of nectar. It is eternal bliss, he calls it.
Yama has to stay away from him
He goes on with his current blissful state of life. He says that he feels emancipated. No one else in this mundane world may currently be enjoying the bliss that he is experiencing. Till recently, all the sins and miseries had hung on him very heavily life Yama. But suddenly in a silent and quiet way these have disappeared and seem to have gone into hiding somewhere in the distant bushes.
நம்மன்போலேவீழ்த்துஅமுக்கும்
நாட்டில்உள்ளபாவம்எல்லாம்
கம்மெனாதேகைவிட்டுஓடித்தூறுகள்பாய்ந்தனவே
Like the nectar churned out of the ocean and filling the pot to the brim, Periyazhvar says he melted his self, opened his mouth drank deep and filled every thought with the Lord. He is now revelling in the beautifully new realised conscious state of finding delight in the Lord. Even the Lord of death cannot come near him now for he has to obey the Lord.
கொடுமைசெய்யும்கூற்றமும்என்கோள்ஆடிகுறுகப்பெறா
Inscribed the Lord in his tongue
He follows this with another gem of a verse. He compares his current stage of life to Gold. He says just like gold is rubbed on a stone to determine its purity, he too has rubbed and inscribed the Lord’s name in his tongue and has encapsulated the Lord in him, while at the same time put himself in the Lord finding himself a place in the Sun. YOU IN ME and MYSELF IN YOU.
பொன்னைக்கொண்டுஉரைகள்மீதேநிறம்எழஉரைத்தாற்போல்
உன்னைக்கொண்டுஎன்நாவகம்பால்மாற்றின்றிஉரைத்துக்கொண்டேன்
உன்னைக்கொண்டுஎன்னுள்வைத்தேன்என்னையும்உன்னிலிட்டேன்
என்அப்பாஎன்இருடீகேசாஎன்உயிர்க்காவலனே
Parasurama’s Praise- A Surprise one at the end!!!!
Parasurama finds an interesting mention here. Periyazhvar praises the Lord as one who holds the axe in his right hand in an effort to subdue the arrogant kings ( he had taken an oath to erase generations of Kshatriya Kings!!!) - மன்அடங்கமழுவலங்கைக்கொண்டராமநம்பீ......
Like the everlasting inscription on the temple wall or the art on the wall, he has inscribed his thoughts in the lord in an indestructible manner. All his valiant deeds without any omission he has engraved in the Lord.
உன்னுடையவிக்கிரமம்ஒன்றுஒழியாமல்எல்லாம்
என்னுடையநெஞ்சகம்பால்சுவர்வழிஎழுதிக்கொண்டேன்
Like the Pandya King
He compares the Pandya King’s emblem to his own. He says just like the Pandya king printed his fish emblem on the mountain peak, the Lord has imprinted the blooming lotus feet on the crown of his head. He says his tongue has swollen reciting his names non-stop in the recent past. He thanks the Lord for finally taking him into his lip service.
பருப்பதத்துக்கயல்பொறித்தபாண்டியர்குலபதிபோல்
திருபொழிந்தசேவடிஎன்சென்னியின்மேல்பொறித்தாய்
மறுப்புஒசித்தாய்மல்அடர்த்தாய்என்றென்றுஉன்வாசகமே
உருப்பொலிந்தநாவினேன்உனக்குஉரித்துஆக்கினையே
Lord leaves being his vehicles
He talks about the coming to an end of his miseries. Sharing lesser love on even his Anathan and Suparna
(Serpant and Garuda), Periyazhvar talks about the Lord having decided to enter his heart blessing him with a new life thus delighting him.
Emotional Periyazhvar
Periyazhvar expresses great emotions in this verse. Having found the Lord by his side, he uses phrases such as ‘melting heart’ and ‘tearful eyes’.
என்மனந்துள்ளேவந்துவைகிவாழச்செய்தாய்எம்பிரான்
நினைந்துஎன்னுள்ளே
நின்றுநேக்குக்கண்கள்அசும்புஒழுக
He thanks the Lord for ending his physical tiredness and mental fatigue as he is now living every moment with thoughts of the Lord.
நினைத்திருந்தேசிரமம்தீர்ந்தேன்
நேமிநெடியவனே
The final verses of 473
In successive verses ending the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi, he wonders as to how the Lord left his beautiful abode in the Northern Milky Ocean, Vaikunta, walled city of Dwaraka and came to reside in him when so many others in the solar region and the heaven are awaiting him. He compares this to the bright shining flag fluttering atop a high mountain and says that the Lord shines like a flame in his heart.
மணிக்கடலில்பள்ளிகோளைப்பழகவிட்டுஓடிவந்து
என்மனக்கடலில்வாழவல்லமாயமணாளநம்பீ
....என்றென்றுஉனக்குஇடமாய்இருக்க
என்னைஉனக்குஉரித்துஆக்கினையே
தடவரைவாய்மிளிர்ந்துமின்னும்தவளநெடுங்கொடிபோல்
சுடர்ஒளியாய்நெஞ்சினுள்ளேதோன்றும்என்சோதிநம்பீ
வடதடமும்வைகுந்தமும்மதில்துவராபதியும்
இடவகைகள்இகழ்ந்திட்டுஎன்பால்இடவகைகொண்டனையே