Thiruviththuvakkodu - Perumaal Thirumozhi - 5

Sri:
Srimathe ramanujaya nama:
Srimad varavara munaye nama:

This year (2014) our theme for golu is inspired by Perumal Thirumozhi - 5th decad. Kulasekara azhwar has written perumal thirumozhi and his paasurams are so simple, clear, crisp and just depict his lamentations and his yearnings so well. Anyone who reads these will be moved to tears!

He has given us 105 pasurams, in 10 padhigams, collectively known as Perumal Thirumozhi.
The fifth of these padhigams is on Sri. Uyyavandha Perumal of Thiruviththuvakkodu. Thiruviththuvakodu is a malai naattu divya desam, in Kerala, and is given by the name Thirumittakodu now. It is on the way from Shoranur to Pattambi.

This write up is based on what adiyen has retained to be the meanings of this padhigam. adiyen has used the translations and the meaning from http://dravidaveda.org (highlighted in yellow).  Any mistakes are purely mine and request apology for the same in advance. Please also correct me where you find an error, adiyen will stand corrected!

In this moving padhigam, Kulasekara aazhwar laments about the obstacles that perumal faces on his way. He says whatever obstacles are placed by Perumal, it does not matter and he (aazhwaar) will also look up to and be dependent on Perumal. adiyen feels the deeper meaning is that it is not just aazhwaar, but all of us are dependent on Perumal. Aazhwaar cites various examples for this dependency, since these apply not only to aazhwaar but to all of us, the truth is that whether we realize it or not , understand it or not, accept it or not, our only solace and refuge is the lotus feet of perumal.

How beautiful, isn't it?

Now, lets get to the pasurams.

Paasuram 1:

தருதுயரம் தடாயேலுன் சரணல்லால் சரணில்லை

விரைகுழுவு மலர்ப்பொழில்சூழ் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மானே

அரிசினத்தால் ஈன்றதாய் அகற்றிடினும் மற்றவள்தன்

அருள் நினைந்தேயழும் குழவி அதுவே போன்றிருந்தேனே

tharuthuyaram thadAyEl * un charaN allAl saraN illai *

virai kuzhuvum malarppozhil sUzh * vitRuvakkOttammAnE! **

arisinaththAl InRa thAy agatRidinum * matRavaL than

aruL ninaindhE azhum kuzhavi * adhuvE pOnRirundhEnE

Meaning: O Lord of Vittuvakkodu, surrounded by fragrance-wafting flower groves! If you do not help me overcome the obstacles you place in my path, I have no refuge but you again; just as, even if a mother beats her child in a fit of anger, the child cries to be pacified by the mother alone.

In this pasuram, kulasekara azhwar compares himself to the little baby, who no matter how angry the mom is, will always cry and go to her. Here, the meaning is that, just like how the baby is dependent on the mom and will always go to her, azhwar will always go to perumal and is only dependent on him. It is not that perumal is like an angry mother. 

Paasuram 2:

கண்டாரிகழ்வனவே காதலன்றான் செய்திடினும்

கொண்டானை அல்லால் அறியாக் குலமகள் போல்

விண்டோய் மதிள் புடை சூழ் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மா நீ

கொண்டாளாயாகிலும் உன் குரைகழலே கூறுவனே

kaNdAr igazhvanavE * kAdhalan thAn seydhidinum *

koNdAnai allAl * aRiyAk kulamagaL pOl **

viNthOy madhiL pudai sUzh * vitRuvakkOttammA! * nI

koNdALAyAgilum * un kuraikazhalE kURuvanE

O Lord of Vittuvakkodu, surrounded by mansions rising sky-high! If you do not protect me, --your devotee, -- I still have no refuge other than your feet; just as even if a husband treats his wife badly, the well-bred wife knows no lover other than her husband.

In this pasuram, aazhwaar compares himself to the chaste wife who always loves her husband, even if he does not treat her well. Here again, the dependency on perumal is the real meaning to be taken, it is incorrect to assume that perumal is like the mean husband. 

Paasuram 3:

மீன் நோக்கும் நீள்வயல் சூழ் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மா என்

பால் நோக்காயாகிலும் உன் பற்றல்லால் பற்றில்லேன்

தான் நோக்காது எத் துயரம் செய்திடினும் தார்வேந்தன்

கோல் நோக்கி வாழும் குடி போன்றிருந்தேனே

mIn nOkkum nILvayal sUzh * vitRuvakkOttammA! * en

pAl nOkkAyAgilum * un patRallAl patRilEn **

thAn nOkkAdhu eththuyaram * seydhidinum * thArvEndhan

kOl nOkki vAzhum * kudi pOnRirundhEnE

O Lord of Vittuvakkodu, surrounded by tall fields where fish dance in the waters! If you do not turn your glance on me, I have no refuge other than you; just as even if a despotic king pays no attention to his subjects, they still live respecting the authority of his scepter.

In this pasuram, aazhwaar compares himself to a citizen of a country rules by an atrocious king. Even if the king is atrocious, he is still the king and the subjects respect that. Similarly, we should not compare perumal to the atrocious king, the focus is on the citizens of the country and how helpless they are without the king.

Paasuram 4:

வாளாலறுத்துச் சுடினும் மருத்துவன்பால்

மாளாத காதல் நோயாளன் போல் மாயத்தால்

மீளாத் துயர் தரினும் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மா நீ

ஆளாவுனதருளே பார்ப்பன் அடியேனே

vALAl aRuththuch sudinum * maruththuvan pAl *

mALAdha kAdhal * nOyALan pOl mAyaththAl **

mILAth thuyar tharinum * vitRuvakkOttammA! * nI

ALA unadharuLE * pArppan adiyEnE

O Lord of Vittuvakkodu, heaping endless misery through your Maya! I still seek the grace of service to your feet alone; just as even if the surgeon cuts and burns the flesh, the patient has nothing but boundless love for him

Here, aazhwaar compares himself to the patient who is dependent on the doctor for curing him. Sometimes, the doctor does a surgery. The surgery causes extreme pain, but we praise the doctor for doing the surgery, because even though we have a short term pain, in the long term, the doctor cures our disease. Similarly, here, even though azhwar is feeling the intolerable pain of short term separation, he will still go to perumal and only perumal because only perumal can cure the long term, never ending pain of this samsaaram. 

Paasuram 5:

வெங்கண்திண் களிறடர்த்தாய் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மானே

எங்குப் போயு உய்கேன் உன் இணையடியே அடையலல்லால்

எங்கும்போய்க் கரைகாணாது எறிகடல்வாய் மீண்டேயும்

வங்கத்தின் கூம்பேறும் மாப்பறவை போன்றேனே

vengkaN thiNkaLiRu adarththAy! * vitRuvakkOttammAnE! *

engkup pOy uygEn? * un iNaiyadiyE adaiyal allAl **

engkum pOyk karai kANAdhu * eRikadal vAy mINdEyum *

vangkaththin kUmbERum * mAppaRavai pOnREnE

 O Lord of Vittuvakkodu, you killed the rutted elephant Kuvalayapida! Other than falling at your lotus feet, where can I go for refuge? I am like the osprey on the mast-head of a ship in the barren ocean which flies out, only to return to the mast, not seeing the shore anywhere

Imagine a ship in the middle of the vast ocean and a large bird on the mast of that ship. Now lets say the bird tries to fly away from that ship, it is in the middle of the ocean, and how much ever the bird flies, it does not find any place to land. It needs to come back to the ship and can land only on that ship. Similarly, aazhwar says that wherever we run, we will not find what we seek, in this case, we are seeking perumal, we need to come back to HIM just like the bird comes back to the ship. 

Paasuram 6:

செந்தழலே வந்து அழலைச் செய்திடினும் செங்கமலம்

அந்தரஞ்சேர் வெங்கதிரோற் கல்லால் அலராவால்

வெந்துயர் வீட்டா விடினும் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மா உன்

அந்தமில் சீர்க்கல்லால் அகங்குழைய மாட்டேனே

senthazhalE vandhu * azhalaich seydhidinum * sengkamalam

andharam sEr * vengkadhirORkallAl alarAvAl **

venthuyar vIttAvidinum * vitRuvakkOttammA! * un

andhamil sIrkkallAl * agam kuzhaiya mAttEnE

O Lord of Vittuvakkodu! Even if you do not save me from despair, my heart melts for your grace alone. Alas, I am like the lotus flower that opens to the rays of the rising Sun, whose very heat in the day makes it wither

This is self explanatory. The lotus only blooms for the sun even though the sun scorches the flower during the day.

Paasuram 7:

எத்தனையும் வான்மறந்த காலத்தும் பைங்கூழ்கள்

மைத்தெழுந்த மாமுகிலே பார்த்திருக்கும் மற்றவைப்போல்

மெய்த்துயர் வீட்டா விடினும் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மா என்

சித்தம் மிக உன் பாலே வைப்பன் அடியேனே

eththanaiyum vAn maRandha kAlaththum * paingkUzhgaL *

maiththezhundha mAmugilE * pArththirukkum matRavai pOl **

meyththuyar vIttAvidinum * vitRuvakkOttammA! * en

siththam miga un pAlE * vaippan adiyEnE

O Lord of Vittuvakkodu! Even if you do not save me from despair I, this devotee-self, will place my heart on you alone; just as even if the monsoon fails to deliver rain, the withering crops look to the grey clouds alone.

Rain is essential for the crops to grow. Lets say there are no rains for a period of time. Will the crops then reject the rain and look for another alternative? It cannot be so. Just like how, irrespective of whether the rain comes or not, the crops always look for the rain, aazhwaar here says that even if perumal forgets him (which can never be so), aazhwaar will not be angry at perumal, but he will be looking forward to perumal's grace only.

Paasuram 8:

தொக்கிலங்கு யாறெல்லாம் பரந்தோடி தொடுகடலே

புக்கன்றிப் புறம் நிற்க மாட்டாத மற்றவைபோல்

மிக்கிலங்கு முகில்நிறத்தாய் விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மா உன்

புக்கிலங்கு சீரல்லால் புக்கிலன்காண் புண்ணியனே

thokkilangkuyARellAm * parandhOdi * thodukadalE

pukkanRip puRam niRka * mAttAdha matRavai pOl **

mikkilangku mugilniRaththAy! * vitRuvakkOttammA! * un

pukkilangku sIrallAl * pukkilan kAN puNNiyanE!

O Radiant cloud-hued Lord of Vittuvakkodu! O Holy One! See, I have no refuge other than your benevolent grace; just as rivers flow far and wide, but they all finally empty into the ocean, never elsewhere.

Have you ever heard of a river that eventually does not merge into the ocean? They may start anywhere and run many miles of course as much as they want, but eventually they all end up in the ocean. Similarly, aazhwaar says that he will always seek only perumal's grace.

Paasuram 9:

நின்னையே தான்வேண்டி நீள்செல்வம் வேண்டாதான்

தன்னையே தான்வேண்டும் செல்வம் போல் மாயத்தால்

மின்னையே சேர்திகிரி விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மானே

நின்னையே தான்வேண்டி நிற்பன் அடியேனே

ninnaiyE thAn vENdi * nILselvam vENdAdhAn

thannaiyE * thAn vENdum * selvam pOl mAyaththAl **

minnaiyE sEr thigiri * vitRuvakkOttammA!

ninnaiyE thAn vENdi * niRpan adiyEnE

O Lord of Vittuvakkodu wielding the radiant discus! Just as the wealth renounced by me in my search for you keeps coming back to me, I keep returning to serve you alone

Here it is mentioned that the nature of wealth is such that it only seeks the person who does not seek it. Suppose there is a person who runs after wealth. He does not get real wealth. Then, he renounces the wealth and goes in search of perumal, then, the wealth comes to him howmuch ever he tries to run from it. In the picture below, we have tried to represent it by first a person praying to kubera, but kubera does not care for him. The same person now turns to perumal and kubera runs after him now. 

Paasuram 10:

விற்றுவக்கோட்டம்மா நீ வேண்டாயே யாயிடினும்

மற்றாரும் பற்றில்லேன் என்று அவனைத் தாள்நயந்த

கொற்றவேல் தானைக் குலசேகரஞ் சொன்ன

நற்றமிழ்பத்தும் வல்லார் நண்ணார் நரகமே

vitRuvakkOttammA! * nI vENdAyE Ayidinum *

matRArum patRillEn enRu * avanaith thAL nayandha **

kotRavEl thAnaik * kulasEkaran sonna *

natRamizh paththum vallAr * naNNAr naragamE

These decad of sweet Tamil songs sung by Kulasekara, King and Commander addresses the Lord of Vittuvakkodu saying, “Even if you do not accept me, my heart seeks none other than you”. Those who master it will never go to hell

This is the palasruti paasuram ie the paasuram that lists the benefits of reciting these set of 10 paasurams. It is mentioned that one who master this will never go to hell. Ie, one who understand their dependency on perumal and completely surrender on to him, will never go to hell. Of course, why would we, perumal will take care of uplifting us. 

Kulasekara Aazhwaar performing mangalasasanam to Uyyavandha perumal of Thiruvithuvakkodu:

After reading the above, one may ask why is perumal placing so many obstacles for kulasekara azhwar. The truth to be understood is that, kulasekara azhwar has no need for money, wealth, fame, power, health etc., he is not wanting all of these, he just wants perumal and his lamentations are from not being able to reach perumal yet. That is really the obstacle. 

This year's golu picture:

aazhwaar emperumaanaar jeeyar thiruvadigalae charanam