Introduction to Section 7.2

Towards the end of the sixth centum, we saw the Āḻvār surrendering himself at the feet of the Lord at Tiruvēṅkaṭam. Finding, however, that he was still lingering in this material world, dominated by the unruly senses, he cried out his fears in the last decad. like unto a child crying out from the tiger’s jaws, facing the mother standing in front. The Lord was, no doubt, well aware of the intensity of the Āḻvār’s God-love and his deep yearning to get out of the material shackles with no further delay. And yet. He deliberately prolonged the Āḻvār’s stay in this abode and his resultant uneasiness, just to do lasting good to the world at large through him. Of course, this is like starving one’s children and entertaining the guests. Actually, the Āḻvār wrought the miracle of transforming the very duds and the deluded, given up as incorrigibles even by the Omnipotent Lord and every moment of his stay in this abode would certainly enrich the world through the scintillating hymns flowing from his lips, both by way of adoring the Lord and advising the world.

But then, the Āḻvār, in deep anguish, is once again (figuratively) transformed as the Nāyakī (Mistress), weighed down by melancholy too deep for words. The critical condition of the speechless Nāyakī and her various moods are narrated in this decad by the (Imagined) mother to Lord Raṅganātha, enshrined in Śrīraṅgam (Tamilnadu), bending over her daughter, right in the Sanctum. The mother enquires of Lord Raṅganātha, the Sole Saviour, as to what His intentions are and how exactly He would like to deal with her lovetom daughter.

Whenever Śrī Parāśara Bhaṭṭar discoursed on this decad, he would place both his palms over his head, charged with emotion, and cry, “How can we, hard-hearted people, incapable of feeling the pulse of Parāṅkuśa Nāyakī, her sentiments and yearning do justice to the words of deep love uttered by her in this decad?” How can any one indeed enter into the spirit of the Nayakī whose torrential tears were bailed out by her palms? It was like attempting to drain off the oceanic waters with a tiny leaf. c.f. Hanumān’s enquiry as soon as he met Sītā in Aśoka vana how it was that tears kept flowing from her lovely eyes like a cascade.