‘We are blessed to be able to worship the Lord with our folded hands’
The 13th Paripatal is on Tirumaal, the 5th such on Lord Vishnu. It is a short poem by Nalleluniyaar with just over 60lines. The poet begins with an invocation describing the greatness of the Lord. He praises the Lord, his flag and his discus, his form, floral ornaments, golden garments and his weapons.
Adorned with the heart of a lovely flower, he shines like the resplendent morning Sun set against the rising clouds in the Sapphire Hills. He praises the Garuda Flag as being lovely and his discus as being dreaded by the asuras. He describes the Lord’s conch and chakra as shining like the Sun and the Moon on either side of the sky. His chest is full of grand jewels.
The poet ends the introductory verse with an assurance to the devotees that those who sincerely offer their prayers to the Lord will attain Vaikuntam.
Lord’s All Pervasive Powers
He then praises Vishnu as the all pervasive Supreme Lord. He is the senses of Five - of taste and sound, light and smell and touch. Like a few of the earlier poets in Paripatal, he too has praised the Lord as one who is the five sensory organs, 5 elements in all the triple 7 worlds. The poet praises the Lord as one beyond all divisions of time.
சுவைமைஇசைமைதோற்றம்நாற்றம்ஊறு
அவையும்நீயே
அவைஅவைகொள்ளும்கருவியும்நீயே
முந்துயாம்கூறியஐந்தனுள்ளும்
ஒன்றனில்போற்றியவிசும்பும்நீயே
இரண்டின்உணரும்வளியும்நீயே
மூன்றின்உணரும்தீயும்நீயே
நான்கின்உணரும்நீரும்நீயே
ஐந்துடன்முற்றியநிலனும்நீயே
He makes a mention of Moolam referring to Prakriti containing Satva, Rajas and Tamas in equal measure causing pleasure and pain and is always righteous in his actions. The Lord is not only the origin and source of all creations but he is also the essence and essential virtues. The poet ends each line with ‘Neeye’ referring to the Lord as everything.
Praising Balarama
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He is in Conscious slumber in the sea of milk upon Serpent. The Poet here equates Lord Balarama as Lord Vishnu himself and praises him as one with the dreaded Plough with which he plunders his enemies.
Varaha Avatara
The Poet also praises the Varaha Avatara where he took to a Boar and with its mighty tusk lifted the sub merged earth from the nether world.
Lavish Praise of Garuda
ஏவல்இன்முதுமொழிகூறும்
சேவல்ஓங்குஉயர்கொடிச்செல்வாநல்புகழவை
Interesting, like many of the earlier poets, he too praises the greatness of Garuda. He praises the Lord as one who has the great Garuda flag whose wings are spread wide. Garuda is referred to as on who is the eternal enemy of the Serpent race. As directed by the Lord, Garuda even chants the Vedas.
Lord’s Personality
He is praised as one of dark complexion and compares it to the blue sapphire, Kaya Flowers and Jasper Sea (almost a similar description of the Lord is found in the first decad of Andal’s Nachiyar Thirumozhi). He is one who adorns a lovely cloth of gold, a crown and the Garuda flag. The Lord’s chest is adorned with sacred Tulasi garlands
His eyes, hands and lips are described as resembling the lotus flowers. He praises the different features of his personality as being large. His arm, navel, elbow rings, nape, feet, shoulders, his heart, chest and back are all large, praises the poet.
His eyes are praised as being red even when not in an angry mood. Tirumaal loves sacrifices made by his devotees, says the poet.
His eyes, hands and lips are described as resembling the lotus flowers. He praises the different features of his personality as being large. His arm, navel, elbow rings, nape, feet, shoulders, his heart, chest and back are all large, praises the poet.
His eyes are praised as being red even when not in an angry mood. Tirumaal loves sacrifices made by his devotees, says the poet.
Conclusion
The poet describes the Lord’s intention as being always protect his devotees. He says that the merit of his previous birth alone has earned him the blessing of adoring the feet of the God. ‘We are blessed to be able to worship the Lord with our folded hands’. And that the poet says is his only desire - to be able to adore his divine feet at all points of time.
நின் அடி தொழுதனெம்.........
முன்னும் முன்னும் யாம் செய் தவப் பயத்தால்
இன்னும் இன்னும் எம் காமம் இதுவே
The two distinguishing features yet again in this Paripatal are the references to Balarama and Garuda and the unleashing of verses of praise on them, clearly indicating that the two were popular at that point of time.