Pasuram 5: Mayan

Dhamodharan.

After having understood Nithya and Leela Vibhoothi let us introduce a name to the universe, Bhramam( not Bhrama). Bhramam(with following characteristics Sathyam(truth) , Gyanam( knowledge)  and Anantham(infinite) ) is everywhere and also referred to name of Srimannarayana (hence the term "God is everywhere"). Bhramam contains 3/4th Nithya vibhoothi (Unchanging Part) and 1/4th Leela vibhoothi(Changing Part)  and  they are separated by Virajaa Nadhi .

Pralayam:

During  Pralaya (disintegration stage), in Leela vibhoothi,  the prithvi (Earth/planet) gets submerged into Apas (Water),  water gets converted into Vayu (Air) , air gets converted into Tejas (fire), fire gets converted into Akash (sky), sky gets converted into Ahankaram (egoism) , ahamkaram gets converted to Mahath (Evolutes of cosmic matters), Mahath gets converted into Prakruthi (Cosmic Matters) and nature becomes into Stoola dishay (intangible form), where every jeevathma attains same Achinthana form(Senseless or Lifeless).

Srishti:

Now Bhramam (Lord Srimannarayana)  takes sankalpam to perform Srishti (Creation) and Stoola dishay gets converted into Sukshma  dishai ( tangible form).

In Sukshma Dishai, Bhramam creates 24 Tatvas in the following order 

Moola Prakrithi (prime nature) ------> Mahath -------> Ahamkaram ---- > Mahabhutas (Elements: Akasha , Vayu- Air, Agni - Fire, Apa - Water, Prithvi - Earth) followed by

Five Tanmatras (Subtle energies of matter: Shabda - Sound, Sparsha - Touch, Roopa - Form, Rasa - Taste , Gandha - Smell) followed by

Five Karmendriyas (Organs of action: Vak - Mouth, Paani - Hand, Paada - Leg, Paayu - Anus, Upastha - Genital) followed by

Five Gyanendriyas (Organs of perception Srotra - Ear, Tvak - Skin, Chakshu - Eye, Jivha - Tongue, Ghrana - Nose)

At this point the state of Leela Vibhoothi is callled Samasti srishti/ Adwaraka srishti (Complete or ready to be active). After this, panchikranam ( getting quintupled) process will start where Bhramam will select a jeevathma that has done thapasya for 1 crore yugas  to become Bramha. Along with this process Vishnu as instance of Srimannarayana is also created as a supervisory body. Now Bhramha uses these 24 tatvaas to create, Siva and other Devataas.

Archa:

Now that we have an unnerving explanation about  the creation of universe, concept of jeevathma paramathma and pathway to attain moksha, we tend to feel anxious about the difficulty to even think about the pathway.  Like the feeling Arjuna had after seeing the Virat Roopam( Vishwa Roopam), where one side he sees  the destruction of universe starting with Bramha, Siva, Indra etc. and on the other side  he sees new Bramha being formed. Arjuna begged Lord Krishna to return back to the human form as the view haunted him and he obliged.  

According to the Puranas there are 5 forms of Srimannarayana :

1) Para roopam (Vaikunta Lokam) 
2) Vyuuha roopam( tiruparkadal) 
3) Vibhavaham (avatara roopa)
4) Antaryami(inner connection)
5) Archai (In Temple or divya desams).

In first five pasurams, Andal mentions god in each form. Andal realized the fact that more you talk about his celestial form, it is very difficult for human-mind to reach him. So with the 5th pasuram of avatarikai, she brings back our attention to Krishna Avataara.

Mayan:

By the word Mayan she refers to the unexplainable concept of  Srimannarayana ( celestial universe) who took a human form and had to be obedient to another jeevathma, Yashoda. When Yashoda punishes him by tying him to a stone, leading to a name Damodara, you feel that  Srimannarayana is bounded to love and affection of jeevathma.  She also refers to him as famous and very admired kid of Mathura and one who played along purest form of Yamuna river (māyanai mannu vaḍa madurai maindanai |tūya perunīryamunai turaivanai ) to make us feel that he is one amongst us. She further describes him as one who came to resurrect yedhu kulam(āyar kulattinil tōnnum aṇi-viḷakkai), one who earned good name and  fame to his mother (tāyai kuḍal viḷakkan ceyda dāmodaranai), to praise his kalyana gunas. If one perfoms pushpa kainkaryam to him, which is the purest form of devotion that cannot be hindered by any dosham, one will be able to sing his praises and with the pleasant smell of flowers,  one will experience him in  the deep thoughts (vāyināl pāḍi manattināl cindikka), which will absolve from any sins made in past or present; like  sawdust getting burned in fire without leaving residue(tīyinil tūśāhum ceppēlōr empāvāy). Andal has taken Krishna as only hindrance free pathway to saranagathi (pōya pizhaiyum puhudaruvān ninnanavum) without convoluting the mind with other thought process.  

Jai Shriman-Narayana!

Thiruppavai - Pasuram 5

தமிழ்:

மாயனை மன்னு வடமதுரை மைந்தனை,
தூய பெருநீர் யமுனைத் துறைவனை,
ஆயர் குலத்தினில் தோன்றும் அணிவிளக்கை,
தாயைக் குடல்விளக்கம் செய்த தாமோதரனை,
தூயோமாய் வந்துநாம் தூமலர் தூவித்தொழுது
வாயினால் பாடி மனத்தினால் சிந்திக்கப்
போய பிழையும் புகுதருவான் நின்றனவும்
தீயினில் தூசாகும் செப்பேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்

English Text

māyanai mannu vaḍa madurai maindanai |
 tūya perunīr yamunai turaivanai |
āyar kulattinil tōnnum aṇi-viḷakkai |
 tāyai kuḍal viḷakkan ceyda dāmodaranai |
tūyōmāy vandu nām tūmalar tūvit tozhudu |
 vāyināl pāḍi manattināl cindikka |
pōya pizhaiyum puhudaruvān ninnanavum |
 tīyinil tūśāhum ceppēlōr empāvāy ||