theedhaRu

theedhaRu

thiru-nandhipura-viNNagaram

teedarunilattinoDerikAlinoDuneerkezhu viSumbum avaiyAi
mASarumanattinoDurakkamoDirakkaiyavai AyaperumAn |
tAySeravuLaindu tayiruNDu kuDamADu taDamArvar tahaiSEr
nAdanuraihinranahar nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

Oh! Mind! you should meditate on Him who is the antaryAmi of the pancha Boota (AkASa, vAyu, fire, water and earth); who is the controller of pure mind, sleep, death etc. etc; who as kriShNa stole butter, curd etc and feigned fear when yaSOda found Him doing so and raised a cane to beat Him; He who performed wonderful kuDakoottu in the streets of AyarpADi; who is the swAmi with companion towards all; who has broad chest looking which women fall in love with Him. He resides in nandipura tiru viNNaharam.

nAdan uraihinra nahar—This divya dESa is called nAdankOyil.

mAsaru manam—The ‘pure mind’—the adjective suggests it is a medium to enjoy the BOgas (mind) but seeks mOkSha if it is ‘pure’.

uyyumvahaiyuNDu sonaSeyyil ulahEzhum ozhi yAmaimunanAL
meyyinaLavEyamudu Seyyavala aiyanavan mEvunahartAn |
maiyavarivaNDu maduvuNDu kiLaiyODu malar kiNDi adanmEl
naivaLamnaviTTru pozhil nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

Oh! mind! Go and seek Him who ate all the worlds without omitting anything and who put them all in His tiny stomach! He resides in tiru nandipura viNNaharam where there are lots of beautiful forests full of flowers which the ‘varivaNDu’ seek, drink honey, and sing joyously with intoxication various tunes of exciting songs.

umbarulahEzhukaDalEzhu malaiyEzhumozhi yAmai munanAL
tambonvayirAraLavu muNDu avaiyumizhnda taDa mArvar tahaiSEr |
vambumalarhinrapozhilpaimbonvaru tumbimaNi kangulvayalSoozh
nambanuraihiranahar nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

Once during praLaya He swallowed all the upper worlds, oceans and mountains in fact all that is created without omitting anything. Then during creation He manifested them all as before. He who has beautiful tirumArbu and who is venerable and trustworthy resides in tiru nandipura viNNaharam which has plenty of forests which the bees seek for honey from the freshly bloomed flowers.

piraiyinoLiyeyinrilaha muruhiyedir porudu mena vanda aSurar
iraihaLavai nerunerenaveriyavar vayirazhala ninraperumAn |
SiraikoL vayil kuyil payila malarhaLuha aLimurala aDikoLneDumAl
naraiSei pozhil mazhaitavazhum nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

Sree rAma stood victorious in the battlefield when the rAkShasas of lankApuri who came to fight with Him revealing their shining white crescent-moon-like teeth were defeated, killed, made unarmed with their bodies dismembered. He resides in nandipura viNNaharam where there are forests with tall mango trees touching the thick clouds, where there are plenty of peacocks and cuckoos living close together, where the forest flowers are scattered on the ground by the bees that drink honey and sing beautifully.

mooLaveriSindi muniveidi amar Seidu mena vanda aSurar
tOLumavar tALumaDiyODu poDiyAha noDiyAmaLaveidAn |
vALumvarivillum vaLaiyAzhikadaiSangam ivai angaiyuDaiyAn
nALumuraihiranahar nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

rAkShasas of dreadful character would throw fire and shout when they go to the war field revealing their anger and might terrorizing the enemies. But they in no time were deprived of their limbs, heads by His might arrows. He resides in nandipura viNNaharam even now holding the panchAyudhas—nandaka (sword), pAnchajanya (SanKa), sudarSana (chakra), koumOdaki (gada), SArnga (bow) to kill the enemies of His Baktas.

tambiyODutAmoruvar tantuNaivikAdal tuNaiyAha munanAL
vembiyerikAnahamulAvumavar tAminidu mEvu nahartAn |
kombu kudikoNDu kuyil koovamayilAlumezhilAr puravuSEr
nambiyuraihinra nahar nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

This divya dESa nandipura viNNaharam is the place where Sree rAma—who went to the terrible forest with His brother lakShmaNa and loving wife seeta—resides forever. There are plenty of forests in this city where cuckoos coo flying from one branch to the other, peacocks spread their feathers and dance beautifully.

The word ‘nahar’ occurs twice in this pASura (one in the second line and the other in the fourth line). The first can be taken to mean ayOdhya or paramapada. The second word means nandipura viNNaharam.

tandaimanamundu tuyar nandaviruL vanda viral nandan madalai
endai ivanenramarar kandamalarkoNDu tozha ninranahartAn |
manda muzhavOSai mazhaiyAhavezhukAr mayilhaL ADupozhil Soozh
nandi paNiSeida nahar nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE

kaNNa pirAn came to AyarpADi as the son of nandagOpa who was childless and removed his duhKa, brought him pleasure. He came in the night unknown by anyone He is the one who is worshipped by all the dEvas with fragrant flowers who praise Him as their swAmi. He resides in nandipura viNNaharam where in the forests the peacocks spread their feathers and dance thinking the sound of muzhavu (an instrument) as thunder clap. It is the divya dESa where the king nandi did kainkarya to BagavAn.

nandi paNi Seida— nandi varma did kainkarya to this temple like toNDaiyarkOn did to tiruvallikkENi, mallaiyarkOn to paramEchchura viNNaharam, vayiramEGan to aTTabuyakaram and SengaNAn to tirunaraiyoor.

eNNil ninaiveidi iniyillaiyiraiyenru muniyALar tiruvAr
paNNil mali geedamoDu pADiyavarADaloDu kooDa ezhilAr |
maNNilidu pOlanaharillaiyena vAnavarhaL tAmmalarhaL tooi
naNNiyuraihiranahar nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

The great maharShis like sanaka, sanatkumAra and others think over the archAvatAras and analyze as to who is the best of them to meditate. They unanimously conclude that He who is residing in nandipura viNNaharam is the best deity; sing hymns on Him and dance with ecstasy. The dEvas on seeing this exclaim with words ‘Ah! What a wonderful divya dESa it must be’. They came down to this city, find it matchless, worship Him with offering flowers. They decide to reside here for ever. AzhwAr says this is the greatness of this divya dESa.

vangamalipouvamadu mAmuhaDinuchchi puha mikkaperuneer
angamazhiyAravanadANai talaiSooDum aDiyAr aridiyEl |
pongupunal undumaNi kanguliruL SeerumoLi engumuLadAl
nangaL perumAnuraiyum nandipura viNNaharam naNNumanamE ||

vEdas are His commandments. ‘idam jnAnam upASritya pralayE na vyathanti cha’ (Bagavat geeta). The same idea is expressed by the AzhwAr here.

The BAgavatas are those who carry on their heads the injunctions of vEdas and follow them delight. They don’t die when the praLaya water rises height to the sky. (i.e. they are not under the spell of births and deaths). If you understand this greatness of BagavAn and become His Bakta then you shall be like then. Therefore, Oh! My mind! Worship Him who is in nandipura viNNaharam, a city whose streets are scattered with precious gems and gold brought in by the waves of the water.

avanadu Anai— ‘Sruti smruti mamaivAjnA yastam ullanGya vartatE AjnAchchEdee mama drOhee madBaktOpi na viShNavah”— vEdas and vEdAngas are my commandments. If anyone transcends them he is a drOhee—a defaulter. Even if he does Bakti to me I don’t call him a vaiShNava.

naraiSei pozhil mazhaitavazhum nandipura viNNaharam naNNiyuraiyum
uraikoL puharAzhiSuriSangam avaiyangai uDaiyAnai oLiSEr |
karaivaLarum vElvalla kaliyanolimAlai ivai aindumaindum
muraiyilivai payilavalavaDiyavarhaL koDuvinaihaL muzhudahalumE ||

tirumangai AzhwAr has sung the garland of words of ten pASuras on emberumAn residing in tiru nandipura viNNaharam. He says BagavAn has put His Ayudhas inside the covers when He came to this divya dESa. Those who read these pASuras with BAva and artha will reach paramapada since their papas are destroyed immediately.

uraikoL puharAzhi— periyavAchchAn piLLai comments— since AzhwAr has a spear whose blood stained state reveals his fight against adharma, BagavAn has put His Ayudhas in their cases. (karai vaLarum vEl).