Chapter 67 - Thiruvottiyur or Tiruvorriyur (Hymn 54)

I

In the previous hymn itself, the poet had resolved to go to Thiruvarur. This should amount to deserting Can kili. This sense of guilt was there in that hymn, but it took the form of condemning himself for having deserted Thiruvarur, Modern psychologists will explain this coming in of the idea of desertion of Thiruvarur instead of Cankdi as the work of the unconscious mind. Whatever that may be, in the present hymn, the poet refers to the loss of his eyesight and the sufferings he experienced as a result of Cankill’s incident.

The meaning of this hymn is not quite clear in many places probably because we do not know all the details of his life in relation to his love with Cankdi, the details which he probably refers to in this hymn. It is a lamentation of his heart. His feelings are confused and that also probably explains the difficulty in understanding this hymn. Perhaps the hymn has not also come in the original form in which he has sung. But nobody can miss herein the pathos and the sincerity of the poet. Every verse ends with the words, ‘Otriyur annum ur uraivdne";—“O, Thou, who livest in the city known as Otriyur’. The rest of the verse expresses the feeling of misery and despair of the poet, all at the same time revealing his complete self-surrender to the Lord.

II

This hymn is so much pre-occupied with the personal aspect of the Poet’s life that there is not much room for too many references to the Puranic descriptions of the Lord. Even the few references become one with his lamentations. The reference to the three eyes of the Lord (4) heightens the effect of his lamentation that God should deprive of his eyesight whilst He Himself has an extra eye. The poet speaks of God as being adorned with the honeyed konrai flower (6) probably to suggest that the Lord Himself is as much fond of adornments and pleasures. The poet speaks of the Lord embracing the damsel of the Mountain (8) and crowning Himself with the damsel of the Ganga of 1000 faces (i.e., which has a thousand branches) (8). This comes in, as a kind of retort to the possible complaint against the poet’s love episodes with Paravai and Cankili. In another place, he addresses the Lord as the author of the Vedas (9), probably suggesting that as an author of the Veda, that regulates justice and spiritual life in this world, the Lord should not have made the poet suffer. The poet speaks of the Lord shining in the beautiful eight forms (2), the five elements, the sun, the moon and the soul. This is probably to suggest that the Lord being thus everything would know all his sufferings without the poet himself giving expression to them; this universal aspect is becoming more and more prominent from here.

In another place the poet speaks of the mat-lock upon which rests the Ganges (3). In that context the poet is referring to the Lord as the greatest bliss and describes Him in terms of sweetness, the sweetness of the sugar-cane, sugar-candy and the nectar. In describing the Lord as the sugar-cane, the poet sings, “Gangai tankiya cataiyutaik karwmpe".—Sometimes the word ‘catai’ is used for the blades of the members of the grass-family; c.f., ‘Cataic cenneV (Nalavenpa. Sway am., 68); ‘Cataippul’ (M.M. 331). The sugar-cane with thick lustre of blades may be spoken of as ‘Cataiyutaik karumpu. When the blades are green and full of water, one is justified in describing it as ‘‘Gangai tankiya cataiyutaik karumpu ‘. Thus punning on this phrase, one can make that equally applicable to the Lord and the sugar-cane (Catai may also mean roots: Kallalam: 82: 3, when ‘Gangai tankiya catai’ may mean the roots standing inside the Ganges; i.e. water).

III

Our poet has found some place for describing the sea at Thiruvottiyur; that shows his love of Nature. But those descriptions also fit in with the context. The conches and the pearl-oysters and the ‘calancalam' or the king conch, resound in the sea when the flow of the tides is gathering up diamonds, pearls, gold and gems (3). The rising dark sea thus comes and goes, as it were, in a procession at Tiruvornyur during the days of tides (3). This description of procession is in keeping with his description of the Lord as the sweetest and as the most precious, the beautiful bridegroom—suggesting a bridal procession. The cool sea drives up the tides which come and move about at Thiruvottiyur as though in a procession (9).

IV

One may now turn to the lamentations of the poet making as best of the meaning as one can. “With this body of dirt, I took refuge in your beautiful feet; if even that is something that I should suffer, O, Lord! (You know that) people of the world receive the (goat’s) milk, even though it means removing with their hands its dung. Even if I do wrong I never wrong your beautiful feet. Even if I fall slipping down, I know of no utterance except that of your beautiful name. O, pray tell me, any medicine for pouring into my eye” (1).

“I am a miserable being. I came to be born. I became your servant because of loving Cankili. What can this slave of yours explain—to do what? Though I am passionate, I shall never be false to your beautiful feet. Even if I turn false to the service of your beautiful feet, I had sworn to accept all that you might do for me” (2).

“You are the sugar-cane, the candy, the prop for many, a gooseberry (Nelli) in the hands of your followers, the nectar within such a fruit. To whom shall I explain my miseries?” (3).

“It is not a relationship by birth (Inru), or by marriage or adoption (Kontatu). Those who appear at the time of need, perform acts of mercy, they are the people whose wealth is love. What does it matter if they are anything? If people say anything (scandalous against them) you do not say, hard words to them. It may also mean, ‘It is not a relationship by birth; but what does it matter if those who love you are anything? You appear and bless them. They praise you. You do not say anything against them—(but things are different for me). You are the Lord of three eyes and in spite of it, if it is justice and a proper rendering of an account that you should take away the eyes of your slave, bless me at least with a suitable walking stick” (4).

‘“I try to get into the path. I cannot contemplate that I am yourself. (This refers to Sivoham bhavana— or of identity). Like the water caught in an eddy, I whirl round and round and my mind whirls round; save me from anyone dragging me quickly in haste, catching hold of my walking stick, even as he will, a dog, tethered to a pole. Pray, do unto me what is merciful.” (5).

“I was caught in the net of the beautiful deer-like eyes of the damsels and I suffered. I was afraid of the cruel karma which had come to my share. I have not contemplated on your good acts and good qualities. Even I, desire, however, but only this much. Pray, bless me by relieving me of all my defects so that I may not get immersed in hell whilst alive”. (Blinaness is referred to as hell on earth) (6).

“I shall never forget you. I shall not think of other Devas, 1 cannot live with others. I am a fool, who though the recipient of your blessing, still suffers as though he has not been. I fail to understand what mistake I committed. How am I, your slave, responsible for your hating me thoroughly? I do not forget you. Pray, bless me, by removing the physical and mental diseases to which I have been subjected. (The words, ‘Urra noy urupini are sometimes interpreted to mean, ‘the past and future sufferings’) (7).

“You embraced the Damsel of the mountain; without even thinking of this, you crowned yourself with the damsel of the Ganges of 1000 faces (branches). In this way if I begin speaking of you, it is possible even for your slave to go on retorting. O, my mind! what can you do sitting and withering away like this? Suffering thus and becoming afraid of the cruel karma inflicting me, if I become sulky (with the Lord), can any benefit come out of this?” (8).

“O, Thou strong one, the gem, the bridegroom, you have become unto me the Saturn entering the constellation of Maka (Saturn entering Maka forebodes all kinds of calamities according to Indian astrology). If I say anything to the womenfolk, at home, I cannot bear them replying, ‘Don’t call us, get away, you blind fool!’ O, Lord of three eyes! how can I live, losing my eyes in my face, O, thou who hast given out the Vedas? Is this fair?” (9).

V

Though our poet, in some places, explains his passion, it ought not to be taken as referring to anything immoral or unlawful because he himself asks the Lord in the secrecy of his isolation, “I do not know, what mistake I have committed” (7).

In the 10th verse he describes himself as the young man, who is great for his good conduct and behaviour who had mastered as a scholar through daily studies and recitation, the four Vedas and their subsidiary arts praised by the world. He calls himself, Vanrontan, and Uran.

VI

After giving expression to his sufferings, the poet must have felt a joy that he has attained the divine bliss of the goal he wanted to attain, the goal beyond all other goals, the ‘paragati'. Therefore, he assures those who are masters of these ten songs of him that they will also attain, as sure as anything, the supreme goal.