Chapter 33 - Thirupathigam or Nampi Enra Tiruppatikam (Hymn 63)

I

This is also a hymn of self-surrender but it breathes an air ot happiness, the poet almost jumping at the idea which has taken deep roots in him that the Lord is the Prince, the saviour Prince, not only in this birth but in his seven-fold births (1-9). This is the refrain of the hymn: “Ennui alutai Nampi, elu pirappum enkal Nampi kantaye”;—‘Look! He is my saviour Prince! He is our Prince in all our seven-fold births’. As already explained, the various puranic stories which emphasize this truth are referred to as though reinforcing his faith and self-surrender. The Lord is the Prince of the sacred ash (1), the Prince of the Vedas (1), the Prince of the sacred thread (3) (reporting thus all forms of purity and knowledge), the Prince of the red hue (1), and of the ruddy mat-lock (1), the Prince of the crescent moon on the crown wherein comes the serpent and wherein resides the maiden of the River (9), the Prince of the Devas starting with Kumara and the merciful eternal rulers of the extensive space (2) (representing thus all forms of Supremacy, the Beggar Prince unknown to Visnu and Brahma (7), the Prince who feasted on the poison bestowing nectar on the Devas (3), the Prince sharing His form with the damsel (8) (representing thus all forms of Love), the Prince of the white axe (1), the Prince of the three eyes (1), the Prince who destroyed Death (4) and Daksa’s sacrifice (6), the Prince who flayed the elephant’s skin, (3), the Prince and destroyer of the three cities (5), (representing all forms of Power though representing Love). Here the poet makes a distinction between ‘Amarar’ and ‘Devar’ (2), the Devas being the denizens of Heaven, whilst the Amarar are as often interpreted by the Vaishnavite commentators as the freed or free souls.

II

There are certain philosophical ideas expressed about God. He is the Prince who becomes all time and space and the varied forms evolved out of them (6). He is the Prince who has made in former times the crowd of worlds to become evolved and patent (7). He is the Prince of the past and the Prince of the future (7) (the poet is punning on the word ‘pinnum’ which means both the future, and the twisted as referring to mat-lock), the Prince who rules together all this as a whole and the Prince who is the beginning and the end.

III

Coming to the religious aspect of the Lord, as usual, Jainism comes in for adverse criticism (9), not its true aspects but its false aspects, false probably in the way it had been practised by some of the age. However, he states that the Lord is the Prince, who has become this Jainism as well (9). If God is omnipotent, He must be everything, not only the good but also the bad. That is why our poet addresses Him as the Prince who is the fault or the evil (Kurram Nampi— 5). Truth is relative in essense and there must be some truth underlying any religion. It is, in that sense God the Prince, who has taken the form of Jainism. God is also the underlying principle of all religions which are so many ways of approaching Him. Therefore, our poet calls Him the Prince of Religions (Camayankalin Nampi— 6).

IV

Our poet gives expression to the experience of himself as a Bhakta (1). He is the Lord of beautiful loving eyes (2), of mercy unto all the souls born. He is the Prince who becomes great amongst the Bhaktas (2), He is the Prince of us all who bow down at His feet of refuge and praise Him as our father (2). He is the Prince who gushes forth as the fountain of nectar in the minds of Bhaktas, the Prince of all the souls whom He owns as His (4). He is the Prince who is enraged at the five senses that are not controlled (4). He is the Prince who blesses with the flood of Supreme Bliss (5). He is the Prince capable of blessing the Bhaktas and the Prince of those who suffer and feel miserable, because they cannot serve Him (8). Our poet exclaims why they thus end in misery after all their quest after pleasure. The Lord is the Prince who hides from those whose heart does not melt in love. He is the Prince who increases to those who melt in love, their bliss, herein, in this birth and hereafter in their next birth (10).

Our poet exclaims, “What can I do to you, O, Prince! who forces away all miserable sufferings which I, without any sense of discrimination suffer, except singing you as the Prince showering a flood of Supreme bliss?” (5). “O, Prince! We shall ever be seeing your rosy feet, for, you are the Prince who accepts, this service of those who love and become one with you, accepts and blesses them by saving them and helping them to reach the greatest state of spiritual bliss” (9).

V

In this hymn, though it is stated to have been sung at Thirumudhukundram, there is no reference to any place except Tiruvellatai in the fourth verse. But, unfortunately, the last or the 10th verse has not reached us except for its first line and a portion of the second line. We are, therefore, unable to decide conclusively about the tradition that this hymn was sung with the intention of receiving 12,000 gold at the hands of the Lord. Perhaps the reliance is placed on the term Nampi or the Prince. We have already emphasized the importance of this word ‘Nampi’ and its significance in explaining the import of the hymn No. 15 (Tirunattiyattankuti hymn). This hymn is differentiated from the former hymn by the tone of its certain bliss. We can place this hymn also to the last part of our poet’s life.