pavai 29-30

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>Tue, 13 Jan 1998 19:23:57 +0500 (GMT+0500)

>Bharat A <kbharat

>kkalale

>pavai 29-30

>

>

>Dear Sri Kalale;

>I hope you got my earlier emails.I'm enclosing the final part

>of the series.Sri ESB has put in continuous effort during the

>last 30 days in keeping to the schedule despite his ill health

>in the middle.I hope you liked it.

>Sri ESB is used to talking to a live audience and feels handicapped

>in not being able to guage the reactions of the readers.So please

>write to me your reaction as well as any comments you have recd

>so that he can feel that he has in fact written to a live

>audience.

>BHARAT

>

>

>

> 29.SITTAMSIRU KAALE

>

> This stanza clearly tells us of the highest Purushaartha

> (the end of human life),explaining the meaning of PARAI.

> Asking for Parai is a pretext; as the cowherds proposed

> this "nonbu' for getting rain and as it came in handy for

> Gopis(Andal) to keep looking at the face of Lord Krishna

> for as long as they liked,they accepted it.Their real

> intention is to get KAINKARYA (eternal service)at the

> lotus-feet of the Lord.The word NARAYANANE used in the

> first stanza was explained in the previous verse;the

> word PARAI is explained here.

>

> Both "Means" and "End" are the same in Sri Vaishnava

> Sampradaaya;it is Sriman Narayana himself.If those who

> take Him as the "Means' have contact with other "Means"

> like Karmayoga etc,it is akin to pollution due to contact

> with a dead body(because Karma Yoga etc are by nature

> inert and need His Presence to give Result).And if they

> consider their act of Surrender to the Lord

> (Prapatti) itself to be the "Means", it is like accretion

> of sin due to contact with a chandaala(because anything

> which has the taint of the ego pollutes the purity of

> the Prapanna).

>

> Similarly regarding the "End" also there are two mistakes

> which need to to be avoided: 1)Desiring other mundane

> things from Him,which would be like desiring to eat poisoned

> or contaminated food; and 2)serving the Lord for one's own

> enjoyment rather than exclusively for His pleasure(Swaartha

> Kainkarya),which would be like eating food left over from

> another eater (Uchchishtha Bhojana).

>

> Both these types of Purities (UPAAYA SUDDHI and UPEYA

> SUDDHI) need to be strictly ensured by a Prapanna.The

> previous verse (28) speaks of UPAAYA SUDDHI -"UNTANNAI..

> ..PUNNIYAM YAAM UDEYOM"- You ALONE are our Means.The

> present verse enjoins UPEYA SUDDHI - "UNAKKE NAAM AAT_

> SEYVOM" -We serve you for the sake of your happiness

> ALONE,and we derive happiness on seeing your enjoyment.

>

> Even the least trace of selfish enjoyment is to be

> totally erased in the service of God.It is just as in

> the case of sandal paste,cool breeze,flowers,ornaments

> etc which give pleasure to man,without themselves feeling

> any;the only difference being that man not being inert like

> them feels happy looking at the pleasure of the Lord.

>

> Krishna ordered His servants to bring the huge kettle-

> drum (PARAI).Then Andal says,"O Wonder! you have not

> understood us.We require only your everlasting,most

> enjoyable service.We wish to be always born alongwith you,

> and keep company with you always to serve you.(Like

> Lakshmana who served Rama whether He was in Ayodhya

> or in the forest.).Kindly guard us from evincing

> interest in anything except you."

>

> Just as the body serves a man,the Soul,which is the

> body of the Lord (Yasya aatma sareeram),should serve

> Him.This is the natural law.This is the message of

> Andal in this crowning verse.

>

>

> 30.VANGAKKADAL KADAINDA

>

> Those who study this Tiruppavai are forever acceptable to

> Sri Mahalakshmi and Sriman Narayana - this is the gist of

> this stanza.In days of yore,in Dwaapara Yuga,Gopis actually

> performed this Nonbu.Later on Sri andal imitated them in

> her heart.Both Gopis and Andal got the service of the Lord.

> So also even without performing the rite or imitating it,

> just by chanting this Divya Prabandha,people will get the

> same fruit (Kainkarya).Sri PARASARA BHATTAR said,"Just as the

> mother cow gives milk even in the presence of its dead and

> stuffed calf (TOL KANRUKKUM IRANGUMAPOLE) so also the Lord

> will bless us even though we are absolutely devoid of the

> supreme devotion of Andal,merely because we are repeating

> her words."

>

> Gopis had surrendered themselves to Sri Krishna;but their

> Saranaagati would gain fruit only through the PURUSHAKAARA

> (recommendation) of Sri Mahalakshmi.The Lord had churned

> the Milky Ocean to get her; and so the Gopis begin by chanting

> that herculean effort of the Lord.VANGAKKADAL was churned

> only to get Sri Devi who had remained hidden there.Thus

> He became MAA(Lakshmi's)-DHAVA(husband).In stanza 2 Andal said

> ADI PAADI- singing the glory of His Feet; here in 30 she

> says KESAVANAI -of Him who has fascinating locks of hair.

> Thus she enjoys the Lord's Form from His Holy Feet to His

> Head (Aa paada choodam).

>

>

> The meaning of the POORVA KHANDA (first half) of the DVAYA

> Mantra is implied in this first line.

>

>

> The word "SRIMAT" (He who is ever in the company of SRI) in

> DVAYA mantra is represented here by MAADAHAVANAI.

>

> " NARAYANA" in DVAYA means He who has the noble qualities

> of VAATSALYA,SWAAMITVA,SAUSHILYA,SAULABHYA,GNAANA and SHAKTI.

>

> These are brought out in the present paasuram as under:

>

> 1.KADAL KADAINDA -Lord Vishnu ,turning a blind eye (Kaanaa-

> kkannittu) towards the blemishes of all the gods and demons,

> churned the ocean to get them nectar;this is VAATSALYA.

> 2.He established His Supremacy by managing the entire

> operation single-handedly; this is SWAAMITVA.

> 3.He even worked in cooperation with worst criminals -

> the lowliest of the lowly; this is SAUSHILYA.

> 4.He took the guise of a charming cherub and personally

> distributed the nectar;this is SAULABHYA.

> 5.He had the requisite knowledge,the know-how to churn

> the ocean; this is GNAANA.

> 6.And He had the required strength to complete the task

> up to the end; this is SHAKTI.

>

> KESAVANAI- By referring to the locks of hair, His Form is

> implied; that is the meaning of "CHARANAU" in the DVAYA.

>

> Those who recite the Tiruppavai paasurams are sure to be

> blessed by Him.They will get everything here and finally

> attain Salvation.Sri PARASARA BHATTAR used to say,"every

> one should every morning recite all the 30 verses;or at

> least the 29th one-SITTAM SIRUKALE; if he finds even that

> difficult, he should at least bring to his mind how much

> exquisite joy WE added to our days and nights through

> chanting,understanding,discussing and in fact living

> with these Divine Verses (Naam irunda iruppai ninaippadu)."

>

> Those who thus take refuge unto Him will serve Him for

> ever and ever;no rebirth for them.Let us also chant these

> sweet songs and make our mother SRI GODA DEVI's appearance

> in this world useful and purposeful.

> SRIRASTU

>

> SRIMATYAI VISHNUCHITTARYA MANO NANDANA HETAVE

> NANDA NANDANA SUNDARYAI GODAAYAI NITYA MANGALAM

>

>

>

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