Chapter 31 - Thirukoodalaiyathoor or Tirukkutalaiyarrur (Hymn 85)

I

The poet has been advising his mind in the previous hymn to go to worship at Purampayam, for getting rid of the karmas. In the present hymn, the poet in the end assures us that the karma-bond of those who are masters of these ten verses of his, will break down (to let them free). This hymn refers to some of the Puranic stories of the Lord in the first line; describes the Mother in the second line; the holy place is referred to in the third line; the fouth line exclaims, “I had not known the astonishing supreme excellence of His going this way”. The pattern of the sentence is, “The Lord of these acts had come this way with the Mother at Koodalaiyathoor—this astonishing supreme excellence I knew not or I had not known”. What do these words mean?

II

These words have given rise to a story. From Thirupurampayam, according to Periyapuranam, our poet started on a pilgrimage to Thirumudhukundram. Whilst coming near Koodalaiyathoor, an old Brahmin appeared walking along the road when our poet inquired of him about the road leading to Mudhukundram and He showed the road to Koodalaiyathoor only to disappear after a while. Our poet, it is said, realizing that it was the Lord who came as the Brahmin, gave expression to the astonishment in this hymn with the words, “I had not known this wonder of the Lord coming this way”. There is nothing improbable in our poet believing and singing like this. But this hymn itself speaks of the Lord coming with the Mother and the ghosts. In the last verse, the poet summarizing his hymn, does not refer to this coming in of the Lord. The Lord has loved to dance with the damsel of the creeper waist in Koodalaiyathoor (10). The poet describes this as an astonishing supreme excellence in his sweet Tamil of his quest and choice—that is what the poet himself vouchsafes to us. Thirukoodalaiyathoor is a temple not sung by Appar or Campantar and therefore must have come into existence after their life-time. Our poet probably has not known of this temple and it must have been a happy surprise to find a temple there. “Atisayam” does not mean wonder, for which the word is “Arputam . Manikkavacakar differentiates between ‘Aticayam and ‘Arputam — See his Aticayappattu and Arputappattu. Aticayam is the Supreme excellence. The Lord of no form and the Great Beyond comes down to save us and gets enshrined in any temple of our choice, even as a cultivator puts up a hut in his field to watch and save the paddy, growing in the field—an idea which we had emphasized earlier. He comes with a form of beauty and love in the idol (Kolamaturu—9)—as an incarnation of beauty and love in the idol—the all Powerful, becoming thus as it were a toy in our hand to be moved and ordered about by us according to our sweet whims and fancies. Is that not this the supreme excellence of His love? This idea is there in relation to every temple but this becomes of compelling force when an unexpected temple is seen. It is because the aim of all these acts of God is to save us and free us from our fetters of karma, that the poet assures the readers of the hymns that they will be rid of their karmic bondage.

III

The puranic stories have this message of the All Powerful coming to save us. His well-shaped white axe (1, 3), the elephant’s skin (1), the company of the Mother (1-10), His following of ghosts, Visnu. Brahma, Indra, Vedic Scholars and denizens of Heaven and Earth (8), His begging with the skull (3), the beautiful river (4), the serpent and the moon in His mat-lock (7), His form of light (5), His tnna or harp of knowledge (6), the sacred ash (1), the sacred thread (6), the bull (9), the feast of poison (9), and His beautiful form (9) are all referred to. The Mother is specifically mentioned in every verse—Uma of the twisted and waving tresses of hair (1), the doll of waist looking like a creeper (10) of hood of the serpent (2) covered with nice silk (7). the damsel of the soft bosom tucked up with a ribbon (3), the lady of the beautiful fingers touching the ball in playing it (4). the Beauty of sweet-smelling teeth of pearls (6) and of crescent like forehead (8) adorned with ornaments (7).

IV

The Holy place is full of high towers, adorned with flags (1)—that is its beauty of art. Its natural beauty reminds us of cool refreshing love of God—its glorious gardens and groves full of tender leaves (7), bunches of flowers (4, 6), with the bees humming in search of their honey (5) blooming beautifully for being plucked up for adornment (2).