Sri:
Dear BhakthAs of Swamy
NammAzhwAr:
In this seyyuL , the mood is that
of a Talaivan ( chieftain) talking to his friend in
fond reflection of his Talaivi (
dear lady with whom he is in love) soon after parting with her .He is overcome
by his fond memories. This is what he recalls in the style of "iyalidamkooRal "
in the Tamizh poetry's grammar:KuruhUr SatakOpan set Sanskrit Vedas in
chasteTamizh (
senthanmizh). His face is compared to the red lotus flower by the poet
Kambar.The lips are compared to the softness of Ilavam Panju flower ; the
whiteness of the rows of teeth are compared to Mullai flowers ; the two darting
eyes are equated to two spears. Few words emanate from that mouth but they taste
like honey .That lotus face is my life-sustaining force ; it is the soul of my
soul ; it is the force within my body and breath .It is the PrANa of
PrANans.
The text of the
twelfth SeyyuL
ilavE-itazhumLavE mullaiyuLLiyampum
mozhiyums-
silavE avai
sezhum tEnokkumE Tamizh senchorkaLAl
palavEdam
mozhintAn KuruhUrp-padhumatthiraNDu
salavElkaLum
uLavE athu kaaNN yeNN tani uyirE
Word by Word
Meaning
Semm-Tamizh
pala vEdhamum mozinthAn= The AzhwAr born at KuruhUr blessed us
with many Vedhams in the chaste Tamizh .
KuruhUr
padhumatthu ilavE ithazhum , Mullai uLavE uLL mozhiyum silavE iyampum athu
sezhum tEnokkum= In the face of this KuruhUr lotus ( AzhwAr
born at KuruhUr) , one finds the soft lips like the flower of Ilavam Panju tree
;the rows of teeth are like the buds of Mullai flower; from that mouth
defined by the Ilavam flower and Mullai buds emanate few words , which are
sweet like honey .
appadhumatthil sala iraNDu vElkaLum uLavE= In that
gently moving lotus face are two eyes that move rapidly like two
spears.
athu yenn yennudaya tani uyirE= For me ( yenakku) , this Lotus face of the
AzhwAr
( athu) is my ( yennudaya) soul's soul ( tani uyirE).
Kambhar
points out that Swamy NammAzhwAr is the PrANan of his five
PrANans
( the force within the body and breath). The Pancha
PrANans are PrANa , apAna, SamAna, UdhAna and Vyaana . There is a MahA PrANa
that is the ruler of all these five PrANAs . About this MahA PrANa , Taittirya
Upanishad says: " From PrANa indeed all living forms are born, they remain alive
by PrANa , at the end they merge into it". The MahA PrANa (
tani uyir) is the subtle energy , which is the basis of all life . It is
the subtle energy which works in eaxh and every cell , muscle , nerve and
organ. Without that MahA PrANa , the body and mind are dead. PraSna Upanishad of
the Atarva Veda discusses in great detail the nature and the glory of this MahA
PraNa . Six inquirers after Brahman seek instruction from the great sage
PippalAdhar on creation of the Universe,the relationship between the indhriyAs
and the vital airs in the body( Pancha PrANAs) , the entry of PrANa into
the body ( the nature and origination of PrANa) , the states of consciousness
such as dream and sleep and the relationship of MahA PrANa with indhriyAs and
mind during these states of consciousness
.
To understand the context of Kambhar's declaration
that Swamy NammAzhwAr is the PrANan of his PrANan , we can reflect on the
following two Mantrams from
PraSnOpanishad:
" Like spokes on the hub of the chariot wheel,
everything is fixed on PrANa-the riks, the Samans,sacrifices ,the moving and
non-moving beings ".
PraSnOpanishad:2.6
" All this Universe is uder
control of PrANa . Whatever is established in heaven is also under the control
of PrANa. So protect us even as a Mother protects her sons.Ordain for us wealth
and agreeable inteligence ( MaatEva putrAn rakshasva
SrIsccha prajn~Am cha vidEhi na:) ".
PraSnOpanishad:2.13
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