thirup pAvai - part 5 - "padi"

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Dear Bhaagavathaas, 5:00 AM

mArgazhi day 5

 

(this part deals with the meaning for the word "padi" used in

vyAkyAnams. Those who are familair with that may please skip this

part).

 

Having learnt the some basic meanings associated with the title

and author and achAryA associated with thirup pAvai, it is desired

that we learn some knowledge on what vyAkyAnms are delivered on

this important shAstram, thirup pAvai by our poorva acharyas. In

order for us to learn that first we have to learn a particular

word that we often use in our references in calling or addresing

these vyAkyAnams. We have heard the word "padi" from many. adiyEn

is once again attempting to provide some meaning for this word as

this word is repeated so many times when ever we hear about a

vyAkyAnams in particular.

 

The word "padi" has several meanings in tamil. The main meaning is

"read" or "study". The second meaning is "step". The third meaning

is "obey". The fourth meaning is "keep low". Some of these are Sri

vaishnava lakshanams that we have know from naicchi anusanthAnams.

The word "padi" also means a "measuring device" or "metrics" or

"counts" or a scale of units to measure. In olden days they use

to use a padi to measure the freshly harvested paddy crops (nel). These

"padis" are also called as "marak kAL" in tanjore district.

 

The word "padi" used in calling a vyAkyAnams whether it is "thiru

vAy mozhi" or "thirup pAvai") has come from the measure of the

letters used in those vyAkyAnms. (one can measure or count the

number letters simply but the anubavams that bAgawathALS may get

out of reading (padi-tthal) those vyAkyAnams are immeasurable. The tamil

literature uses every 32 letters as one "padi" or a "metre"

(ie "metrics"). If one is calling a vyAkyAnam "6000 padi" ie.,

ArAyirap padi guru pAram pariyam, that means there are 6000 times

32 letters in those vyAkyAnams (ie 192,000 letters).

 

There are two other reasons our AchAryAs names these as "padis".

The first one is asking us to "read" ("padi") it ourseveles with

the guidance of an AChAryA and have swaanubavams and enjoy it

ourselves and then to "read" ("padi") to others who are in the

beginning stage and help them taste it once such that they also

seek the guidance of achAryAs and enjoy the swanubavams.

 

The other reason for naming the vyAkyANms as "padi" is such that

these are "steps" ("padis") to undertanding the AzhwAr aruli

cheyyals that one must climb themselves with the guidance of

AchAryAs to learn the AzhwArs aruLi cheyyals thoroughly and

experience the anubavams that they had and showed in their sri

sukkthis for us to follow and enjoy ourselves as well. Though

we can add some more on the "padi" meanings, for the time being

this is enough for us to begin with a basic understanding of why

a vyAkyAnm is called so and so "padi" so that the reader can

have an idea from the start as to what expect.

 

Thiru vAy moZhi is known as vedam in tamil and is called as Sri

bagawath vishayam. Most of the vyAkyAnms for "thiry vAy moZhi" of

Sri NammAzhwAr are called as "padis". Next to that thirup pAvai's

vyAkyAnms are also called as "padis". So much importance is given

to this saranAgathi ShAstram delivered by Sri ANDAL by our poorva

AchAryAs. With aruL of ANDAL we may want to climb these padis and

enjoy the anubavams.

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sri Boomi dEvi samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Sri ANDAL samEtha Sri vadpathra sAyee perumAL thiru vadikaLE

saraNam

Sampath Rengarajan

 

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