thirup pAvai - part 13 - "pOthuminO nEr izhaiyeer"

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thirup pAvai - part 13 - "pOthuminO nEr izhaiyeer"

 

Dear bAgawathAs, mArgazhi day 9, 4:45 AM

 

(note : We are getting into the central theme as to how this

pAsuram describes the saranAgathi shAsthram).

 

ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

 

pOthumiNo nEr izhiayeer - perumAL's thiru uLLam

 

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

AyarpAdi 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 mArgam as well. It is lord's parOpakAram that HE

provides the required knowledge or "urge" in one's mind to do

prapatti either through bAgawatha sambandam or through the advise

of elders in the family. Untill such initiation takes place due to

Lord's para upakAram the jivAtma continues to dwell in samsAram

and is not aware of this urge or need to do prapatti. Swami Desikan

describes this in Swami Desikan prabhandam (amirtha swAthini) as

 

munnilaiyAm dEsikar munnE sErththu - 28 amirtha swAthini

 

ie This pAsurams deals with the parOpakAram of emperumAn that the

Lord Himself takes us to the AchaAryAL and make us understand the

rahasya arththam (referred as aruLi chcheyals of AzhwArs and

AchAryALs) and undertake prapatti through such AchAryAL. (mun

nilaiyAm dEsikar munnE sErththu - 28 amirtha swAthini). HE is the

causes of all causes. And HE causes us to go to the AchAryAL and

seek the rahasyArththam from them and undertake prapatti through them.

 

The chOsen ones for the easier mArgam are made to be

incarnated as Aycchiyars and attain Sri KrishnA anubavam through

"bagwath kAmA" and self surrender ("saranAgathi"). This is also

seen as a precedence for the srivaishnavaLs who are chOsen due to

Lord's thiru uLLam and for those who are incarnated in Sri

Sampradhayam (ie., following "pirAtti" (godhA pirAtti) Sri ANDAL's foot

steps). These puNNyAthmAs symbolised here as Aycchiyar

(gOpika sthrees) immerse in their love with Lord Sri Krishna (Sri

Krishna anubavam) and undertake saraNagathi (or prapatti) at the

feet of the Lord through AchAryAs (nanda gOpan).

 

There are often quetions raised often as to whether if

saranAgathi is mainly a ritual alone (baranyAsam) or a mental

reflection and realisatio conceived and observed by a jivAtmA. It

is both together. 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 as prapatti at the feet of acharyAL. prapatti or

sarangathi is accepted by the Lord when performed both together

mentally and by doing this nOnbu at the feet of AchAryAs. (even the

mental work is an effort though there is insignificant "physical

energy" exhausted in doing it). One may ask what about a

small boy doing baranyAsam (ritual) at a very young age. It is

Lord's thiru uLLam that HE makes the parents of the boy to help

him get his baranyAam done at an younger age. And it will be same thiru

uLLam of the Lord that will prevail at the required time

when the boy is grown up such that the boy will be blessed with

the conception and realisation through bAgawatha sambandam or

elders asirvAdam. The same Lord who makes the boy as a chosen one

also takes care of the realisation for the boy in HIS own ways.

 

The word "neerAda pOthu veer" 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 baranyAsam at the feet of AchAryALs. The inner meaning

is to have the Sri KrishnA anubavam by mentally surrendering

to the Lord and observing the five angams of prapatti while doing

such prapatti (mental realisation, conceptin and observation of

prapatti).

 

Some fundamentals questions may be raised as to whether an

effort is required by the jivAtmA or not. It is important to note that

these conceptions are valid together as they both are invloving

little effort either mentally or physically. Though it

is sometimes argued that the physical ritual (effort) or (nOnbu) 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 (and did

"nOnbu" or an effort to attain HIM) to the Lord. ie., She did seek to

unite with the lord and did this "nOnbu" knonw as thirup pAvai.

ie., She did deliver "thirup pAvai", conveying her bagawath

anubavams (and nOnbu) and was "seeking" (effort) to reunite wirh

lord. It was an effort in itself. 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

 

 

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