thirup pAvai - part 13 - "pOthuminO nEr izhaiyeer"

[Guest guest]

ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

 

pOthumiNo nEr izhiayeer - perumAL's thiru uLLam

pOthumiNo nEr izhiayeer !

 

In Tamil :

 

"vArunGaL nAm nOnbu nooRkalAm, melliyathum azahgiya

abArNangaLai thariththathum aAga uLLa siRu idaiyai uLLa thOzhiyar

gaLE vArungAL".

 

In English:

 

"Come and join us folks, Let us perform the nOnbu, Ye, folks of

aayarpAdi those who are with the tender hip and wearing the most

precious jewelleries".

 

The nOnbu here is addressed as saraNAgathi (prapatti) and this

"pOthu minO" is the key word here in some ways. It is perumaL Lord

Krishna's thiru uLLam that some are made to surrender and

undertake prapatti (saraNAgathi - observed in these pAsurams as a

nOnbu). It is Lord Krishna's thiru uLLam that some are made to

follow the other mArgams.

 

ie., the chOsen ones for the easier mArgam are made to be

incarnated as aaycchiyars and attain Sri KrishnA anubavam through

bagwath kAmA and self surrender. This is the precedence for the

srivaishnavaLs who are chOsen due to Lord's thiru uLLam to be

incarnated in Sri Sampradhayam (ie., following piratti Sri ANDAL's

foot steps) as aaycchiyar (gOpika sthrees) and immerse in our love

with Sri Krishna (Sri Krishna anubavam) and undertake saraNagathi

(or prapatti) as similar to aaycchiyar.

 

This effort can be conceived as both mental realisation

and as well as performing externally the ritual otherwise

chracterised as a little effort known as "nOnbu" addressed here

for prapatti at the feet of acharyAL. prapatti or sarangathi is

accepted by the Lord when performed both mentally and by doing

this nOnbu. (even the mental work is an effort though there is

insignificant "physical energy" exhausted in doing it). The word

"neerAda pothuveer" has two meanings to support both these ways of

performing prapatti. The outer most meaning is to take an early

morning bath and perform this "nOnbu" known as prapatti or bara

nyAsam. The inner meaning is to have the Sri KrishnA anubavam

by mentally surrendering to the lord and observing the five angams

of prapatti. This is conceived by some as performing this "nOnbu"

or prapatti mentally without any ritual in realising the Sri

KrishnA anubavam.

 

It is important to note that both these

conceptions are valid as they both are invloving little effort

either mentally or physically. Though it is sometimes argued that

the physical ritual never took part, it is evident from the

vaibavam of Sri ANDAL that she did take bath every day early

morning and offered her prayers to the Lord. It is also evident

from the following episode from her vaibavam that she did perform

the "nOnbu" by which she "physically" surrendered to Lord

Sri Krishna and was accpeted by Lord Sri Krishna in Sri Arangam.

 

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sampath Rengarajan