DUAL PERSONALITY

SRI Parasara Bhatta, the precocious son of Koorathalvan, used to pride himself that he was well versed in Tirunedum tandakam. That is because that great work of Tirumangai Alvar enshrines important and special truths contained in the Sastras. It consists of 30 verses in Tamil and is divided into three parts of ten verses each. The first ten are sung by the Alvar in his capacity as himself. The middle ten take the form of the words of the mother of Parakala Nayaki (assumed maiden form of the Alvar), and the last ten are those of the maiden herself. In the first verse of the last group the maiden tells her confidante that her lover came to her garden with a dual personality and stood before her. The following is the substance of that verse:

"The Lord, along with Lakshmana came and stood before me in this garden with only his bow, which is ever ready for use, as his support, with his black and lustrous hair flowing at the back of his head, his crocodile like ear-rings shining in movement. His roseate palms were beautiful resembling red lotuses, his lips were also like lotuses, his eyes and his feet were also of the same nature. In spite of looking at such an endearing form of his, I became amazed thinking of his supreme overlordship".

It has to be understood that the Alvar was mentally in the state of Janaka’s daughter, Sita, while making these observations.

Having said that he came only with his bow as support, how is it consistent, it may be asked, to say at the same time that he appeared in a dual capacity? The reply to it is that both the statements are justifiable as under.