" The concept of Prapatthi as expressed by AndAL ": Part 2 for 1/10/97 .

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Prapatthi group :

 

In this posting , we will continue to connect the SaraNagathi

doctrines with their ThiruppAvai verses . Unitl now , we covered the

verses from 1-20 and touched on the subjects of (1) Upanishadic and

Paancha Raatra authority for Prapatthi (2 ) the concept of Prapatthi in

AndAL's Thiruppaavai (3 ) the prerequisites of Prapatthi and (4 ) the role of

Divya Dampathis in Prapatthi .

 

In this posting we will cover the five AngAs (accessories ) of Prapatthi and

he actual prapatthi performed by AndAL .

 

*** The five AngAs of Prapatthi , the Angi

 

Among the five angAs , we come across MahA Viswasam

in verse 21 first ( YeRRa kalangaL ) . She salutes the Lord

here this way :

 

" OoRRamudayAAi ! periyAAi ! Ulahinil

ThoRRamAAi ninRa sudarE "

 

(Meaning ) : " Thy quality as the Protector of the Universe has been

revealed by ancient lore. Indeed , Thou art much more than what has

been saluted by the VedAs . Thou hast come into this world for protecting

us and Thou shinest by this quality " .

 

MahA viswAsam is the most important accesory to Prapathti.

Hence AndAL takes it up first . The PrapannAs with unshakable

faith in Prapatthi do not doubt any more about the efficacy of Prapatthi

to yield the fruits of Nitya kaimkarya PurushArtham to BhagavAn

as a result of the performance of Prapatthi . Swami Desikan

calls these fortunate souls without any doubts on the sureness

of Prapatthi yielding the sought after boon as " SraddhA dhanAn

tvadh anubhuthi ViLamBha bheethAn tava padE nyasthaathmana: " .

These blessed people are rich ones with the wealth of SraddhA

or MahA viswaasam and they perform the Prapatthi and enjoy

the Lord without an iota of doubt about the results of their Prapatthi .

They are sure of getting the anugraham of the Divya Dampathis .

Swami Desikan goes on to say that the Lord was waiting for them

to perform their prapatthis and He is joyous to bless such noble jeevans.

 

The supreme and unshakable faith (MahA Viswaasam )

results from the realization by the Jeevan that it is helpless

in every imaginable way and it has to approach Sriman NarayaNa

bereft of divisive ego , ahankAram and MamakAram . AndAL follows

up on MahA Viswaasam in the next verse ( Twent y second )

which starts with the words " AngaNmaajyaalatthu arasar

ABHIMAANA PANKAMAAI VANDHU " . This MahA viswaasam aspect

and its the adhikArA (qualification ) for Prapatthi is referred to

here by AndAL .

 

In the Twenty third and the twenty fourth verses , AndAL is brimming

with a sense of elation and great faith over realizing the fruits of

Prapatthi . She bursts out in MangaLAsAsanam like her father's

singing of " Pallaandu , Pallaandu " to the Lord . The 23rd

Pasuram contains the reference to AndAL's darsanam of

the Lord seated on His majestic throne ( Seeriya SingAthanithirindhu )

after being waken up by His consort at the request of AndAL .

In this paasuram , AndAL compares the Lord to a Lion

that woke out of His sleep and surveyes the scene around

with great interest .

 

In the 24 th Paasuram , AndAL uses the word "pORRi " six times

to pay Her obesiance to the glory , prosperity and well being of

the Lord for all His beneficial deeds of Dharma samsthApanam

and Dushta Nugraham . This verse starting with the words ,

" Anrivvulaham alandhAi adi pORRi " has been intrepreted as

an expression of AANUKOOLYA SANKALPAM ,which is the second

of the angAs of Prapatthi .

 

Twenty Fifth Verse ( Orutthi mahanAi piranthu )

****************************************************

 

The reference here is to KamsA , who committed great

ApachArAs against the Lord and paid for it dearly. The implication

of this verse is to remind one about the calamity coming to one ,

who breaks the saastraic injunctons . This verse has been suggested

as having connections with angA number three of Parapatthi (Viz) .,

PRAATHIKOOLYA VARJANAM , Where the PrapannA is expected

to avoid whatever that displeases the Lord .

 

Verse 26 and 27 ( MaalE MaNi vaNNA & KoodArai Vellum )

***************************************************************

 

These two verses have been linked to angA four of Prapatthi

(Viz )., Gopthruva VaraNam , which is the supplication to the Lord

for His protection .VaraNam means selection . Gopthruvam means

protection . The prayer/appeal to the Lord to come to one's protection

out of a sense of helplessness is Gopthruva VaraNam .

 

AndAL prays here to KrishNA for protction through the gift of

all the things -- conch/paanchajanyam , parai/drum ,

Kola ViLakku/ beautiful lamp , kodi/banner , vidhAnam/canopy ,

pallandisaippaar/bards known as VaithALikAs --that will be

needed for His worship . As a result of the protection arising out

of suddha Bhakthi , AndAL states that Her group will become

objects of celebration in the land (Naadu Puhazhum parisinAl )

and will therefore entitle them to express their happiness by

wearing beautiful clothes and jewelery and enjoy sarkarai pongal

rich with ghee as Bhagavdh PrasAdham .

 

Twenty Eighth verse ( KaRavaigal pin senru Ghaanam sernthuNbhOm )

****************************************************************************

 

Here the fifth and final angA of Prapatthi known as KaarpaNyam

is invoked. AndAL declares that She and Her friends assembled

before the Lord are totally helpless people , who have no knowledge

or capacity to devise any means for saving themselves . She describes

the members of the group including Herself as " AriyAtha PiLLaihaLOm ).

O blemishless GovindhA ! We indeed have the PuNyam of having

You born as a member of our Kulam . You are our PuNyam. The bhAndhavyam

(Relationship ) between us can not be rendered asunder by Thee or us , or

even by all of us" cojointly " . She points out that no one can untie the bonds

 

between us . May You , O Supreme Lord ! kindly forgive us , the young girls ,

who out of ignorance about your glories have addressed You with trivial names--

even that apachAram on our part is due to our ardent love towards You; please ,

Please , do not be angry at us . O The Lord of ALL Gods ! Kindly give us

the boon of Nitya Kaimkaryam to You !

 

The Observance of Prapatthi , the Angi (Paasuram 29)

************************************************************

 

In this famous Paasuram, AndAL performs Prapatthi to the Lord.

We have referred earlier to the different sections of this Paasuram

as being connected to the three sacred Manthrams ( Rahasya Trayam )

revered by the SriviashNavAs . Every word of this paasuram is recommended

for daily reflection. Each of them are eaamples of words

brimming with the spirit of absolute self-surrender .

 

The meaning of this Paasurram is worthy of deep reflection , since

it is the essence of Prapatthi that we all have to perform sooner or later.

The urgency (dhvarai ) to perform Prapatthi at an Acaharya"s holy feet

would be stimulated by serious reflection on the profound meaning of this

Paasuram . AndAL says : " Even before day break , at the very dawn of our lives

,

we have come to Thee and prostrate at Thy lotus feet and pray that You will

command

us to do all kinds of services to Thee . Our prayer is that we shall be blessed

to be united with You not only in this birth , but also in all the births to

come .

May You bless us to have uninterrupted and permanent relationship with

Thee and Thee alone . You who took birth in our race of cowherds earning

our livelihood by grazing and rearing the herd of cattle , can not deny us the

divine service to You .Hearken , O Lord ! It is not only that we desire

to receive the boon of Kaimkaryam from you in ths birth , but we desire ,

in fact , for us to be united forever -throughout the births , sevens of

generations -- be the kith and kin of You . Let us do all kinds of kaimkaryam

to You alone; May Thou make us rid of other desires ! " . AndAL concludes

her Prapatthi with a boon for the banishment of desires for material objects

and vishaya sukhams that most worldly-minded people long for . She begs

the Lord tha t she should be blessed to have all of Her desires

center around nitya Kaimkaryam to Him.

 

Conclusion (30th Verse ) : The glorious fruit of Prapatthi

***************************************************************

 

In this verse , Vangakkadal kadaintha Maadhavanai Kesavanai ,

AndAL confers the blessings on behalf of , and in the words of ,

the Divya dampathis (Lakshmi -NarAyaNan ) that those , who

sing or speak about these Paasurams in the manner in which

AndAL did , will be recipients of the paripurNa anugraham of

the Divine couple and enjoy unalloyed happiness here on earth

and the hereafter by the grace of Nappinnai and KrishNa paramAthmA .

 

May the abundant blessings of the SaraNya Dampathis be with ALL

the members of this precious group during the DhAthu samvathsara

Dhanur Maasam !

 

I will focus on the Sanga Thamizh of AndAL that She referred to

in the thirtieth Verse ( sanga Thamizh Maalai ) of Thiruppavai in my

next posting and conclude the series on Bhoghi day , when tradionally

Her marriage to Lord GovindhA is celebrated by Her devotees .

 

AndAL ThiruvadigaLE saraNam .

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan