bridal mysticism of Nammalwar

bridal mysticism of Nammalwar in 
Tiruvyoumozhi is par excellence. 

Which means Alwar speaks in his natural form while he is in 
the state of knowledge and when his love towards God 
intensifies him, he speaks in the voice of a woman. 

Under the second category, there are 27 decads in 
Tiruvoymozhi which speaks Nammalwar's intoxicated love 

for God in the form of heroine, a mother and girl friend. Unlike 
in Sangam Literatures wherein heroine, mother and girl friend 
were of three different personalities, here in Tiruvoymozhi, 
Nammalwar himself being a bride speaks in three voices i.e., 
Parankusa Nayaki, mother and a girl friend. It is to be noted that 
Alagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar opines that as heroine, 
Parankusa Nayaki showed her hurriness in the unison of God 
through 17 decads; as a mother, she showed her deserveness in 
approaching God to do service in 7 decads; and as a girl friend, 
she established her study thinking of no less a person than God 
and his deeds etc. in 3 decads 

There is an equality for Nammalwar to speak with the 
voice of a lady like Lord's Consort, as all souls in the presence 
of God are feminine and He is the only Hero. Further, souls 
are subservient only to God and not to others; souls depend 
only on God; when happiness occur in unity and restlessness 
arise in separation; to give happiness to God; God is the only 
redeemer and other thing are to be protected by him - all 
these qualities were inherent in Nammalwar and so he began 
to speak in female voice 2 . The great commentator, Nampillai 
elaborately discusses Alwar's bridal mysticism in Idu 
commentary. Until the emergence of Nampillai's Idu, there 
was a candid oral conversations, discussions, and dialogues 
on the Alwar's hymns among the Acharyas. In Nampillai's 
commentary, the explanation on the hymns by Acharyas like 
Ramanuja, Embar, Bhattar and other Acharyas find a place 
which speaks their approach on the bridal mysticism of 
Nammalwar in Tiruvoymozhi. 

In Tiruvoymozhi first centum, fourth decad 
 Parankusa. Nayaki sends the birds that are 
Appearing before her as messengers to God with her sorrowful 
message. Acharya Bhattar nicely decribed here as follows: 


which means that mokeys species were considered to be 
popular after the birth of Sri Rama in Ramayana as they 
helped Rama in finding out Sita and for crossing the ocean. 
Likewise the birds species also considered great after the 
birth of Alwar who directed them as messengers to God 4 . 

The mcandiscent mystical experience of Nammalwar is 
only to do kainkarya (service) at the holy feet of Lord and not 
for any evanescent pleasure. Though he speaks with the voice 
of Nayaki, her quest is not to embrace Lord in His chest, but 
only to do kainkarya at His holy feet like Brahmins who, 
when become mad and wish in reciting Vedas only 5 . 

In another hymn, Nayaki instructed the swans to tell 
Lord that she has unlimited sins and wants to get rid of the 
same for which His grace alone will redeem those sins and 
then only she can attain Him 6 . That is the state of mental 
agony of Parankusa Nayaki. 

In the second centum first decad eurriL/p glempiLi&i&ib, 
Nammalwar shows his spiritual love for God in Nayaki state as 
he, having experienced in mental state in the penultimate of this 
decad, the divine vision of Lord Tirukkurunkudi Nambi's easy 
accessibility and beauty. Alwar now in this emriLip 5} an it iq 
decade wanted to embrace and have unison with God in outward 
experience. That was not accomplished. Having pluged into 
bhagavat gunas and got separated, she send messengers like 
birds in whereas 
she could not send messengers who are not available at that time. 
Hence, she thought that all those are experiencing sorrowness by 
seperation. So, she went out of the house in the dark midnight to 
sustain the adversity and reached a garden near the sea shore 
where all things like birds are in the state of sorrow. Nampillai 
nicely describes Nayaki's state of mind at that time 



Further, Nampillai lucidly compares the separateness 
with that of Rama when he heard the death of His father 
Dasaratha through Bharata and cries along with Sita and 
Lakshmana in high tone. 

 we would notice the steep 

plight of Parankusa Nyaki. Nampillai summarises this in the 
foilwing way. 

Actually  Nayaki does not 
know that birds are not conversant to tell her message to 
God, but she looked into its easy movings and stirred. Even 

 Nayaki does not know that the 
colour of water birds etc. are naturally white and felt that 
they were also in distress for having separated from God like 
herself. Further, Nayaki feels  
not getting the vision of Trivikrama avatara for outward 
experience as was seen earlier, whereas 
she could not get the vision of Tirukkurunkudi Nambi.
 she is somewhat able to bear the 
sorrowness by sending messengers. But in 
she thought that the birds which were gone earlier as 
messengers are also suffering from separateness of God like 
herself 

When we look into the second centum fourth decad 
wherein Nammalwar wanted to have the heavenly 
bliss and enjoyment with the holy gatherings of Bhagavathas. 
That was not accomplished. This resulted to speak with the 
voice of a mother as Nammalwar could not 
speak due to her intense plight. Nampillai succinctly narrated 
Nayaki's incandiscent intoxicated love for God as follows: 

which means when a person loses a small amount of money, 
his grief will be for some time; when one loses his jewels, the 
sorrow will be double/thickened whereas for a loser of a 
percious diamond the anguish/pain will lost long. Likewise 
Nammalwar’s yearning for spiritual experience is more, than 
in the first decad and in the second 
decade  her distress is unlimited for not getting the experience of Nityasuris