Chapter 81 - Thirunagaikaronam or Tirunakaikkaronam (Hymn 46)

I.

In this hymn, the poet is in a humorous mood, though not relieved of his wants. He addresses the Lord, as he would, an intimate friend of his. It is probably on the basis of this hymn that our poet is considered to have followed the path of friendship and yoga. The Bhikshatana form is occupying the central place in his mind. He speaks to Bhikshatana in a jocular vein even as the damsels of Darukavana would have. Verses Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 refer directly to this Bhikshatana form. Our poet refers to the Lord going a-begging, wearing bones (1), riding on the bull (1, 4), with His serpents on the mat-lock (3), His ornament of a young tortoise shell (3), His begging bowl of a kapala (3), His crescent moon (3), His damsel of a mountain (3, 6), His vma, (4), His pey (4), His deer (10), His bhuta (6) and His vanquishing Ravana though in the end showering blessings on him, when he began singing divine hymns (7).

Our poet demands of the Lord to provide for him the livelihood (9, 10) and to provide him with all the necessaries and luxuries of life (1, 8, 10, 11). He refer? to the puranic stories also in a humorous vein in this context. “This world of earth and the world of heavens are under your sovereignty. I do not know much about Subrahmanya, the young son of the golden doll-like daughter of the mountain king. As for Gainapathy, the other son, he is with the big belly and eats away innumerable things; he knows nothing. My Lord! Is this fair? Pray tell me” (9). “Will the doll-like daughter of the mountain king put up with your escapades of love?” (3). “Is it real tapas or an act of beauty that inspires the damsels with confounding love?” (4). “If you do not provide me with the livelihood for my body on a firm basis, I shall besiege you (sit Dharana) making your form suffer. Don’t accuse me tomorrow that I am hard-hearted and cruel in my acts” (9).

II

This is the general trend of this hymn describing in the first few lines, the Lord according to the puranas and then beginning to refer to His special relationship with the poet making a request for many things of life and closing with the words “Katal Nakaikkaranam meviyiruntire”, “You have fed me with a mixture of margosa and sweet sugar-cane (possibly referring to the Lord providing with happy and unhappy experience). I begged of you for my livelihood. You entered Turutti and sat there. If you begin to frighten or charm me with your mat-locks and serpents, I cannot (be coerced to) agree to all these. I have suffered and laboured many a time. You entered and sat there at Thiruvarur shining with ‘cenkalunir’ and ‘cempu’ in its cool moat. You must order for me ‘Zcdmpu and nettiram’ (These are according to the Vaishnavite commentators two kinds of silk but some people take these as meaning walking stick and spectacles probably thinking that the poet was suffering still from defect of eyesight)” (2). “To remove all my sufferings, pray tell me when you are going to give me the golden bullion?” (4). “O, beautiful One! Placing on my head the duty of service, on me who had been roaming about as your ‘tontan’ or servant, you must order for me from the treasury, clothes and ornaments, starting with good fragrant things. There is a pramana, or a precedence for it” (5). What this precedence is, is referred to in verse 7. “In the city of Vilimi-lalai, you daily offered gold coins, so that your followers of love might eat without suffering (Reference is to the gift of coins to Campantar and Appar). “Today you must give me” (7). It is on the basis of this precedence the poet is claiming all these luxuries from the treasury. “What is this pretension or cheating that you do not order silk or sandal paste?” (1). “You do not say anything in reply. You sit quiet. You accepted me as your slave promising me to make me live usefully or gloriously. I am your slave, generation after generation. You have enough of money. You have not become poor. Of that rare treasure poured into beautiful Arur, I want one third. If you do not give me, I shall not allow you take even one foot-step. I want for riding, a fast running horse moving like the wind. Stating that you will give me a big treasury, you accepted me as though you were one capable person (of fulfilling the promise” (8). “Speaking false things you entered into Kilvelur and stayed there. Will I be duped by you? If your sovereignty is current here, I want a golden armour or scimitar full of shining brightness with dots interspersed. On the top of it, I want golden flowers and a sash. I want thrice a day, ghee-rice with side dishes, O, Lord!” (10). “O, Lord who was the prop for Paravai of musical words, of Cankili and myself, whom else have I? I am true to you. You must fulfil my prayer. I want shining pearls, garlands for wearing, shining silk, flower, musk, so beautiful for the eye and also fragrant sandal” (11). Turutti, Arur and Kilvelur are mentioned where something must have happened.

III

In singing this hymn the poet must have experienced as if enjoying the luxuries of heaven. Therefore, the poet assures those who master this hymn that they will be rulers of heaven even as he must have felt himself to be whilst singing this hymn,

IV

Nakai, the present Negapatam or Na kappa ttinam, is on the seashore. Hence our poet calls it a ‘Katal Nakai”, It was one of the important sea-ports of the Pallava period, where the foreigners had built a temple for the Buddha, Karonam is Kayard-hanam, the temple of the Lakulisa sect.

Our poet describes this Negapatam as being full of Royal roads where abound palaces of precious stones so sweet to look at (3). It is so full of wealth where dance the peacock-like damsels (6).