As many of previous posts show, some of the most moving, dramatic and philosophically rich songs come in Nayaki pasurams of Azhwars. There are a wide variety of explanations given for this transition , starting from "when desire/longing becomes too much, azhwar slips into nayaki form " to "significance of different modes as mapped to Thirumanthram where Pranavam refers to self state, Mother mode refers to Namaha and the Nayaki mode to Narayana" and so on.
But why? How is this conceivable? How can a man feel and literally become a woman? As Parasara bhattar says மீசை அழிந்து முலை எழுந்தார் போல் . How can Azhwar suddenly lose his moustache and develop breasts? Whats the background? Isn't this preposterous?
As its always the case, answers are there in acharyaas commentaries. The one in question is the commentary for திருநெடுந்தாண்டகம் . Out of the 30 songs, first 10 are as self, the next 10 are as mother and the last 10 are as Parakala Nayaki. The following question is posed.
ஆணான இவர் ஒரு பிராட்டி நிலையை அடைவது பொருந்தவில்லையே?
அநந்யார்க சேஷத்வம் - Belonging to no one else but only to perumal. This is the typical case for a women with respect to her husband. Azhwar has the same dependency to perumal. So it is natural. Reference is provided to Sri Ramayana where Lakshmana says he will die if he is separated from Rama (similar to Seetha).
But how? Perumal's attributes of being the paramathma, chief of everything and everyone, ability to grant and accept offerings and so on, in turn provides the attributes for jeevathma to be sub servient, to be the body to perumal etc. Similarly the sheer manliness of perumal makes every jeevathma a woman (before him). Here Azhwar does not become a woman because of physical attributes. Similar to love/desire that a woman develops towards a man, Azhwar develops love/desire towards perumal and so becomes a woman.
This is the most interesting piece in the commentary.
After all, we see women getting attracted to women and men getting attracted to men in this world!! Reference is provided to Ramayana where Sri Rama's beauty attracts men and in Mahabharatha where Draupadi's beauty makes women wish they were men!!
:-) We are dealing with real religious philosophy here and so it is so refreshing to see that nothing is out of bounds as long as the context is set right!!
All of the above happens because of the sheer beauty of the source of attraction. Here perumal is புருஷோத்தமன். He satisfies all attributes of a target for love/desire and attraction. So Azhwar becoming a woman is natural.
In the material world, it is very natural for a man and woman to be attracted to each other. Similarly the very nature of Paramathma and Jeevathma is such that, Paramathma has to come out of his own volition to take the Jeevathma. Azhwar's attraction reflects this natural state of நிர்ஹேதுக கிருபை of perumal (Causeless Mercy).
Finally how do you explain flip flop between the self, mother and Nayaki modes of Azhwar? When a flooded river flows, it has enough water to reach the ocean but it also has enough to overflow the banks and fill the canals, ponds and other water bodies!! The different modes are nothing but the sheer volume of flow ... in this case - Bakthi!
PS: Causeless mercy referred above is a choice topic for another blog. Interesting (but strong conflicts) debates have happened due to this. Lets just try to see the different view points rather than try to conclude it :-)
But why? How is this conceivable? How can a man feel and literally become a woman? As Parasara bhattar says மீசை அழிந்து முலை எழுந்தார் போல் . How can Azhwar suddenly lose his moustache and develop breasts? Whats the background? Isn't this preposterous?
As its always the case, answers are there in acharyaas commentaries. The one in question is the commentary for திருநெடுந்தாண்டகம் . Out of the 30 songs, first 10 are as self, the next 10 are as mother and the last 10 are as Parakala Nayaki. The following question is posed.
ஆணான இவர் ஒரு பிராட்டி நிலையை அடைவது பொருந்தவில்லையே?
அநந்யார்க சேஷத்வம் - Belonging to no one else but only to perumal. This is the typical case for a women with respect to her husband. Azhwar has the same dependency to perumal. So it is natural. Reference is provided to Sri Ramayana where Lakshmana says he will die if he is separated from Rama (similar to Seetha).
But how? Perumal's attributes of being the paramathma, chief of everything and everyone, ability to grant and accept offerings and so on, in turn provides the attributes for jeevathma to be sub servient, to be the body to perumal etc. Similarly the sheer manliness of perumal makes every jeevathma a woman (before him). Here Azhwar does not become a woman because of physical attributes. Similar to love/desire that a woman develops towards a man, Azhwar develops love/desire towards perumal and so becomes a woman.
This is the most interesting piece in the commentary.
After all, we see women getting attracted to women and men getting attracted to men in this world!! Reference is provided to Ramayana where Sri Rama's beauty attracts men and in Mahabharatha where Draupadi's beauty makes women wish they were men!!
:-) We are dealing with real religious philosophy here and so it is so refreshing to see that nothing is out of bounds as long as the context is set right!!
All of the above happens because of the sheer beauty of the source of attraction. Here perumal is புருஷோத்தமன். He satisfies all attributes of a target for love/desire and attraction. So Azhwar becoming a woman is natural.
In the material world, it is very natural for a man and woman to be attracted to each other. Similarly the very nature of Paramathma and Jeevathma is such that, Paramathma has to come out of his own volition to take the Jeevathma. Azhwar's attraction reflects this natural state of நிர்ஹேதுக கிருபை of perumal (Causeless Mercy).
Finally how do you explain flip flop between the self, mother and Nayaki modes of Azhwar? When a flooded river flows, it has enough water to reach the ocean but it also has enough to overflow the banks and fill the canals, ponds and other water bodies!! The different modes are nothing but the sheer volume of flow ... in this case - Bakthi!
PS: Causeless mercy referred above is a choice topic for another blog. Interesting (but strong conflicts) debates have happened due to this. Lets just try to see the different view points rather than try to conclude it :-)
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