Periyazhvar Thirumozhi Purity of Words Action

வாக்குத் தூய்மை இலாமையினாலே

The real starvation in life is when we are not meditating on him or worshiping his feet

A TRUE DEVOTEE - Heart Melts, Words Fail, Hairs Stand Up and Tears roll down from the eyes. And there is No Sleep as well as he seeks to reach the Lord

(5.1)

Having sung and experienced the life of a unique child and his special achievements through the first 300verses, he moves on to sing praise of the Lord in his Rama and Krishna Avataras and then provides insights into a few ancient temples of his times and the quality of life of the residents there, Periyazhvar moves into a surrender mode with the Lord in the final four decads of the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi and shares his experience of this intense one on one personal relationship with the Lord.

He begins the final canto accepting his many faults from his earlier moments in life and him lacking purity of words. Having enjoyed a lot of the pleasures of life thus far, he says he has nowhere else to go now except seeking his protection. He is hopeful that he will be offered the Lord’s protection.

He says that he is not great at Mantras nor does he really know what is right or wrong but what he knows is that he wants to seek the Lord now and to offer selfless service at his feet. To this end, he asks the Lord for the route to reach him.

Repents earlier mistakes

Periyazhvar laments about the mistakes he has made in life. The words that he utters are impure and hence he does not chant the hymns on a daily basis.

வாக்குத் தூய்மை இலாமையினாலே

மாதவா உன்னை வாய் கொள்ள மாட்டேன்

He claims to blabber (uttering imperfect things), but he cannot restrain himself from singing his praise as he knows nothing else in life. And he fears that. He hopes that the Lord will forgive his foolishly uttered words and will not become angry.

நாக்கு நின்னை யல்லாமல் அறியாது

நான் அது அஞ்சுவன் என் வசமன்று

மூர் க்குப் பேசுகின்றான் இவன் என்று

முனிவாயேலும் என் நாவினுக் கு ஆற்றேன்

Crow’s example

He takes some consolation from crow’s cow saying that even a crow’s harsh cowing is seen in a positive way by the noble souls. If that be the case, he says he has hopes that his prayer too will be seen in a positive light by the Lord who rides on Garuda Vehicle.

காக்கை வாயிலும் கட்டுரை கொள்வர்

கார ணா கருளக் கொடியானே

Periyazhvar says that he is largely imperfect. He has sung faulty poems with a tongue that is impure. He says that his eyes can look at no one other than the Lord. He asks if it is not the Lord’s duty to forgive his student and accept him even though he has been wrong in many aspects, especially given that he is repenting now.  Will he not be able to overlook some of the faults for he says he has nowhere else to go to other than being with him and singing his praise all the time?

பிழைப்பராகிலும் தம் மடியார் சொல்

பொறுப்பது பெரியோர் கடனன்றே

விழிக்கும் கண்ணிலேன் நின் கண் மற்றல்லால்

வேறொரு வரோடு என் மனம் பற்றாது

He cites the example of a DEER and says that a small spot on the deer isn’t really a burden on the deer. Similarly he is hopeful that the Lord will be able to forgive his past mistakes and take him in his fold.

உழைக்கு ஓர் புள்ளி மிகையன்று கண்டாய்

ஊழி யேழல குண்டுமிழ்ந்தானே

Simple Verse with a Great Message

The third verse is an extra ordinarily simple verse with a strong message for devotees, providing them with an easily implementable path to seek and attain him. Periyazhvar says he knows not what is right and what is wrong. The only thing he knows is uttering his name. Even that he does not know if he is chanting the right way.

நன்மை தீமைகள் ஒன்றும் அறியேன்

நாரணா என்னும் இத்தனை அல்லால்

He says that he does not know if even his meditational path is right. The only thing he does is calling on ‘Om Namo Narayana’ repeatedly. He says that his only strength is that he knows that he is a true devotee of the Lord and is at the temple all the time. He asks the Lord to take note of this point. He hopes that it will not matter that he does not know too many mystic mantras. He calls himself a True Vaishanavite.

உன்னுமாறு உன்னை ஒன்றும் அறியேன்

ஓவாதே நமோ நாராணா என்பன்

வன்மையாவது உன் கோயிலில் வாழும்

வைட்டண வன் என்னும் வன்மை கண்டாயே

Food or Clothes are not important

He says that he does not need food or clothes and that these really don’t matter to him anymore. He asks the lord to engage him in his service without having the slightest doubt of his capability to offer selfless service. And being with the Lord, he is confident that his needs of food and clothing will be taken care and he is not worried about those.

குடிமை கொள்வதற்கு இயற வேண்டா

கூறை சோறு இவை வேண்டுவதில்லை

He says that for a long time he enjoyed the pleasures such as orchards, wife and ruling over cattle sheds and fields. But it is now really difficult for him to mingle with those country people who are perennially seeking a worldly life!!! He seeks nothing else other than refuge at the Lord’s lotus fee.

தோட்டம் இல்லவன் ஆத்தொழ ஓடை

துடவையும் கிணறும் இவை எல்லாம்

வாட்ட மின்றி உன் பொன்னடிக் கீழே

வளைப்பகம் வகுத்துக் கொண்டிருந்தேன்

நாட்டு மானிடத்தோடு எனக்கு அரிது

நச்சுவார் பலர் கேழ லொன்றாகி

What is Real Starvation in life?

APPALA RANGAN KOVILADI

Periyazhvar comes out with yet another gem of a verse throwing light on what is hunger and what is not!!! He says that all his life he has never starved for food even for a day. Even on days when he did not have food, he never felt hungry for he served as a true devotee of the Lord. If a day arises when he is not able to chant Om Namo Narayana or does not worship his lotus feet with fresh flowers chanting mantras from the Vedas that will be the day of REAL STARVATION for him.

உண்ணா நாள் பசி ஆவது ஒன்று இல்லை

ஓவாதே நமோ நாராயணா என்று

எண்ணா நாளும் இருக்கு எகச் சாம வேத

நான் மலர் கொண்டு உன பாதம்

நண்ணா  நாள் அவை தத்துறுமாகில்

அன்று எனக்கு அவை பட்டினி நாளே

How can we reach you?

Periyazhvar describes the mind of a true devotee and asks as to how one can reach the Lord. Seeking the beautiful darshan of the Lord, his true devotee’s heart melts, words fail, hairs stand up and tears roll down from the eyes. There is no sleep as well, as he is constantly seeking to reach the Lord. He asks the Lord to enlighten him with the route to reach him.

உள்ளம் சோர உகந்து எதிர் விம்மி

உரோம கூபங்களாய் கண்ண நீர்கள்

துள்ளம் சோரத் துயிலணை கொள்ளேன்

சொல்லாய்யான் உன்னைத் தத்துறுமாறே

He seeks the blessings of the glorious Lord to be able to worship him every day and says that will be the ultimate joy for him. He asks the Lord to ride him out of misery of this life and help him dedicate himself to the Lord.