Pavai-1- by prof. Bhuvarahacharya

[Guest guest]

>Mon, 15 Dec 1997 19:19:53 +0500 (GMT+0500)

>Bharat A <kbharat

>sbelur

>Cc: kkalale

>Pavai-1

>

>Dear Sheela

>I'm enclosing Sri ESB's notes for the first paasuram

>of Tiruppavai.Being the basic stanza it is a little

>long.The rest will be shorter.

>I'll send them as and when I get them.

>adiyen

>BHARAT

>

>

>

> SRI

> SRIMATE RAMANUJAYAYA NAMAH

> SRIMATE BALADHANVI MAHAGURAVE NAMAH

>

>

> SRI ANDAL's TIRUP-PAVAI

>

>

> INTRODUCTION: Sri ANDAL is the Quintescence incarnation

> of Sri BHUMI DEVI the Divine Consort of SRIMAN NARAYANA,

> who took birth on this earth to liberate suffering human

> beings from worldly bondage.She sang thirty sweet songs

> containing the cardinal principles ofSriVaishnava Dharma

> during the month of MARGAZHI.Singing these songs,with

> understanding of their inner meaning, will bring to us

> peace, prosperity and above all Divine Grace.

>

> ANDAL, though a Brahmin girl, assumes the guise of a

> cowherdess and yearns for Everlasting Happiness and

> Service of the Lord.It is the age-old practice of

> Sri Vaishnavas to sing these stanzas every day of the

> year in the presence of the Lord in the temple as

> well as in their homes.This practice assumes special

> significance during MARGAZHI so much so that each day

> of this month gets its name from a pasuram,like for

> example the first day (12.16.97) is called MARGAZHI-

> TTINGAL.

>

> It may appear in the beginning that Andal is intending

> to perform a particular religious vow to marry the Lord

> and thereby obtain His Everlasting Company,and that she

> is inviting all her girl friends to join her.It is only

> towards the end of TIRUPPAVAI that we learn that she

> did not actually go to any pond or river or perform

> a religious rite; SHE IS ACTUALLY PRAYING TO BE GRANTED

> THE SERVICE OF THE LORD FOR ALL ETERNITY.It is the

> Soul's inner craving to redeem itself and to reach

> His Divine Nearness in order to serve him (" Attaani-

> cchevagam" as her father PERIYAZHWAR calls it) which

> forms the real purport of this poem.

>

> 1. MARGAZHI TTINGAL

>

> The first stanza which states the central premise to be

> elaborated in the rest of the poem contains the

> following ideas:

> 1.Andal praises the day (NANNAL)that has appeared of

> its own accord for the observance of the vow.What it

> means is that for a soul,that day is the Good Day when

> he understands all about himself and God and their

> mutual relationship of Lord and Servant which is stated

> in the Tirumantram.

> 2.The fruit in getting one's body is for serving the

> Lord here and hereafter (NEERADA PODUVIR)

> 3.All those who have a longing for the service of the

> Lord are qualified to join her.(PODUVIR PODUMINO)

> 4.She speaks of the radiance that attended on the face

> of her companions on hearing her requisition.(MADI

> NIRAINDA ;the moon is not in the sky alone!)

> 5.The prosperity of Gokula consists of Sri Krishna's

> amiable pranks in stealing butter and girls; i.e.,the

> wealth of a Sri Vaishnava consists of his intoxicating

> love for and enjoyment of Lord's company.

> 6.Nandagopa's vigilance in guarding Krishna with his

> very sharp spear in hand symbolises the "ASTHANE

> BHAYA-SANKA" and "MANGALASASANA-PARATA" which

> characterises a SriVaishnava.

> 7.Yasoda's over-indulgence of Krishna is responsible

> for all his pranks and misbehaviour towards the young

> gopis.

> 8.SrimanNarayana is the SOLE MEANS of attaining His Feet.

> This strikes the keynote of the Song Divine-TIRUPPAVAI.

> NARAYANANE (Upaya Nirdesa) NAMAKKE (Adhikari nirdesa)

> PARAI (Phala nirdesa) TARUVAN.The safest means of securing

> Him is not Karma yoga etc but His Grace only.

> That is the sum and substance of this verse.

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