Possible reference to Jatayu in Sri Aandal's Thiruppavai

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Dear Sri KrishNaswAmy NaarAyaNan :

 

Thanks very much for your note on possible Jatayu

Sambhandham in ThiruppAvaipaasurams . As per your request ,

I am advising Sri mani VaradarAjan about your wish

to become a member of the Bhakthi private mailing

list . He is the owner of this private list and

has to approve your request .

 

He may need a small introductory note about yourself

to introduce you to the other members. His userid

is Mani/ please send it to him

at the above address .

 

Regarding your anubhavam of passages in Thiruppavai

verses 6 and 13 , you are correct regarding the

intrepretations that you have come across so far in

the commentaries of PoorvAchAryALs .

 

In the sixth paauram , the reference is to PeriyAzhwAr ,

the GarudAmsar. The reference is to Mahans like him

and also to the episode in the Ithihasam that has been

used in intrepreting the Brahma SUtram ( 1.3.33 ) according

to Sri P.B.AnnangarAcchAr Swamy . There was once a dhArmikar

by the name of Jaana Sruthi .Although he was generous with

his materail wealth , he did not have the wealth of

Brahma J~nAnam . Two great sages took the form of hamsams

and flew over his balcony and conversed in such a way that

Jaana Sruthi could understand them . They made it known to

latter that there was a sage by the name of Raigvar , who had

the richest spirtiual wealth , although he had not much

of material wealth in contrast to Jaana Sruthi . Latter

understood his spiritual poverty and rushed to the side

of Raigvar and took refuge at his feet and acquired

Brahma J~nAnam . Hamsam as a class of birds stand for

the acquisition of Brahma J~nAnam . This is reminded

here for those at the dawn of their spiritual awakening

by use of the words , " PuLLUm Silambina KaaNN " .

Birds also stand for AchAryAs in AzhwAr's paasurams,

where they send the birds as messengers to Sriman NaarAyaNA

( Thirumangai and NammAzhwAr ) .

 

The reference is also to " Parasparam Bhodayanthi "aspect ,

where the Mahans ( birds ) mutually remind each other

about the sacredness of the hour to celebrate the

Lord of Garudan presiding at His temple.

 

Regarding the passage in Verse 13 , " PuLLIn vaai

keendAnai , pollA arakkanai kiLLIkkaLaindAnai --" ,

the traditional intrepretation has been about

the incidents that you referred to in KrishNAvathAram

and RamAvatharam. Other members may have some

additional thoughts on it .

 

With best wishes ,

V.Sadagopan

 

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TO: V. Sadagopan, 75041,3037

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DATE: 7/26/97 2:47 PM

 

RE: Possible reference to Jatayu in Sri Aandal's Thiruppavai

 

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Possible reference to Jatayu in Sri Aandal's Thiruppavai

 

July 26, 1997

 

Dear Sri V. Sadagopan:

 

Only recently I started browsing thru the Sri Vaishnava pages in the internet

and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the enlightening writings and other

information that scholars and devotees like yourself, Sri P. Dileepan , Smt.

Mani Varadharajan and others have shared with other readers in these pages. I

don't profess any high erudition or special knowledge on Divyaprabhanthams

except that I had studied with Tamil as a my special language in my school

days and early college days.

 

Coming to the subject on hand :

 

1. In Her Thiruppavai hymns Sri Aandal makes references to Garuda and other

birds in two of her hyms- the 6th hymn "Pullum silambina kaan" and the 13th

hymn "Pullin vaai keendanai". In these hymns Sri Aandal uses the Tamil

word 'Pul' (meaning bird or birds) to refer to bird(s) in general as well

as a particular bird such as Garuda. Thus by the phrase 'Pullum silambina

kaan' occuring in the 6th hymn and the 13th hymn, She refers to the chirping

birds in the dawn hours. In the 6th hymn Sri Aandal also indirectly refers to

Lord Vatapathrasayee's temple by the beautiful allegorical phrase

'Pullarayan Koilil' - which means ''in the temple of the bird's master" i.e.

in the temple of Sri Garuda's master who is none other than Vishnu or Lord

Vatapathrasayee. Thus we know that Sri Aandal, by the word 'Pul' here, is

clearly referring to Garuda.

 

2. Coming to the phrase 'Pullin vaai keendanai' which is followed by the

phrases "Pollaa arakanai" in the 13th hymn , it would appear Sri Aandal

is referring here to the heroic and sagacious bird Jatayu and the dialogue

he had with the Asura Raavana in an effort to dissuade the Asura from the

heinous abduction of Sri Seetha Piraati. By the phrase "Pullin vai

keendanai" Sri Aandal seems to refer to the one -Raavana-who did not heed the

words of wisdom from the mouth of the bird -Jatayu. By the immediately

following phrase " Pollaa Arakanai" She makes reference to the evil Asura

Raavana. By the immediately following phrase "killi kalaindhanai", it is

certain she refers to the one -Lord Rama- who destroyed the evil Asura so

effortlessly just like plucking out a troublesome weed! This interpretation

appears to be logical considering the usage of the word 'Pul' by Sri

Aandal with varied connotations in Her hymns, the more appropriate meaning

of the word 'keendanai' and the fact She has also loved to refer to the

incarnation of Her Lord as Sri Rama (elsewhere) in Her Thiruppavai hymns.

 

3. Various commentaries on Thiruppavai that I have come across so far

explain that the phrases 'Pullin vai keendanai pollaa arakanai killi

kalandhanai' refer to Lord Krishna who destroyed , by splitting the beak,

of the evil asura who took the form of a bird.

 

4. I am curious to know whether any commentaries by scholars exist which

interpret the meaning of the phrase under reference on the lines noted in

paragraph 2 above. I will be much grateful for a response from you, Sri

Dileepan and others interested in the subject.

 

Sri Kothai Thayaar Thiruvadigale saranam

Adiyavarku Adiyen, Krishnasamy Narayanan

 

P.S. I will be thankful if you could have the above posted in the bhakti

pages with your comments for other devotees to comeout with their responses

if they so desire. Pl. also advise me as to how I should I go about to get

any postings on the Bhakti pages.