Sri Sampath Rengarajan's MahOpakAram : ThiruppAvai First Paasuram

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Sreemathyai VishNuchitthArya manOnandana hEthavE

nandha nanadhana Sundaryai GodhAyai Nithya mangalam

 

Dear BhagavathAs :

 

In the splendid Tamil poem quoted at the end of

this posting , Sri Rengarajan has distilled

the essence of his mood brimming with

Bhagavadhanubhava-Janitha-preethikaaritha-

kaimkaryam (viz)., Thiruppavai VyAkhyAnam .

 

It has been a delectable experience to read

and enjoy his sixty plus postings on the mighty

First paasuram of ThiruppAvai housing cardinal

VaishNavaa dictrines such as saraNAgathi,

Sesha-Seshi relationship , Kaimkarya purushArtham ,

artha-panchakam and Rahasya thrayam .

 

It has been my bhAgyam to write about ThiruppAvai

as the essence of Artha panchakam (Bhakthi Archives

postings from Dec 26,1996 to Jnauary 7,1997).

 

The First Paasuram of ThiruppAvai is indeed the essence of

Artha panchakam doctrines ( the pentad of ParamAthma SvarUpam ,

JeevAthma svarUpam , UpAya svarUpam , Phala svarUpam and

virOdhi svarUpam ) summarized by Swami Desikan

in the Fourth chapter of Srimadh Rahasya Thrya Saaram .

 

Sriman RengarAjan 's cogent and clear postings on

the first paasuram brought into focus these deep concepts

associated with artha panchakam as taught by ANDAL

as the amsa bhUthai of BhUmi Devi. Sri Rengarajan's

Bhakthi for Sri Bhumi Devi , the consort of

Sri VaikuntanAthan at ThiruviNNagar has blessed

him to reflect on and share with us his deep insights

in saraLamaana bhAshai (stream of consciousness narration).

 

Sri Rengarajan 's postings on the first Thiruppavai

verse stand out for number of reasons . They

form the dhavani and the echo of the nava vidha

sambhandhams that the ParamAthmA has with the JeevAthmaa:

 

(1) Father/pitA (2)Protector/Rakshakan (3)Master/Seshi

(4)Husband/BharthA (5)Goal/Gathi (6)Owner/Swami

(7)Supporter/AadhAraa (8)Inner Self/antharAathman and

(9)Enjoyer /BhokthA of Jeevathman .

 

These multi-facted anubhavam of Sri Rengarajan

for the first ThiruppAvai verse appears like a

frame work for his future postings on the subsequent

Paasurams and hence , it is useful to summarize these

aspects that stand out. They are :

 

(1) Clear language (2) unassuming style (3) neat format

(4) small dosages per day (4) thematic coherence across the postings

(5)quotations of pertinent pramANams (6) salutation to AchAryas , who

have written earlier commentaries (7)deep research (8)Logical

analyis of passages (9)provision of simple meanings for

each word of the paasuram (10)Erudite understanding

of Tamil grammar (11) Focus on the Etymology of the words

chosen by ANDAL in Her Sangha Tamizh work , ThiruppAvai

(12) Inner meanings of word and passages (13)unusual insights

that fit in with the commentaries of purvAchAryAs

(14)emotional involvement with the narrative

(15)Timing of the writing during Brahma muhUrtham

(16)The unmistakable aanandham in writing about

the chosen topic that is sacred to Sri VaishNavAs

(17)kootu VazhipAttu uNarcchi and (18)deep understanding

of SaraNAgathi percepts and Seshathva Jn~Anam .

 

These 18 interrelated aspects stand out as the Dhvani(Vaak)

and prathi-dhvani (echo) of the nava vidha sambhandham

( uRavu) that I referred to earlier that our Lord

has with the JeevAthmAs .

 

The first paasuram is very important since

ANDAL describes at the very outset , the nature of

PurushArtham (the goal to be attained ) and UpAyam ( the means

to attain the goal )right at the outset.The purport of

the key words like " NeerAttam " and " paRai"

as well as the cardinal passage like " NaarayaNanE

namakkE PaRai TharuvAn " of the Fiirst Paasuram

have been handled by Sri rengarAjan with great

depth of svAnubhavam .

 

Our inalienable kinship ( Ozhikka OzhiyAtha

uRavu ) with the Lord and the prayer for

the realization of the bliss of eternal communion

(nithya kaimkaryam ) for Him are the central messages of

ANDAL in ThiruppAvai.This is indeed the unified message of

the mighty stream of traditional intrepretations of purvAchAryAs .

These intrepretations are based on the doctrines established by

the Karma and Jn~Ana KhANdam sections of the VedAs .

If Karma KhANdam (Poorva MImAmsam ) focussed on

the sEsha , the Jn~Ana khANdam ( Uttara mImAmsam )

dwelled on the sarva Seshin ( Sriman NaarAyaNA ).

The uRavu is sEshathvam , a concept that is developed

in many upanishads of Jn~Ana KhANdam .

 

The NaarayaNa Valli section of the TaittirIya Upanishd

specifically salutes the way of performing Prapatthi

to the Lord united with BhUmi Devi (amsa bhUthai of

Sri Devi) with the full awareness by the Jeevan that

it is the sEsha bhUthan of the Jagath KaaraNa ,

Samastha kalyANa guNAthmaka , sarva VyApaka ,

Moksha Prathathva , apramEya Sriman NaarAyaNan

this way :

 

upAyamagruhIthOsi brahmaNaithvA mahasa

OmithyAthmAnam yunjItha

 

The Sangha Tamizh compositions ( ParipAdals et al )

followed the doctrine of VishNu parathvam established

by the VedAs . ANDAL in Her Sangha Tamizh prabhandham

known for its Bridal mysticism celebrated Her Lord's

Parathvam and sought kaimkarya purushArtham form Him

to show us the way . Her sangha Tamizh is considered

the seed of the VedAs ( vedam anaitthukkum vitthAhum

Godhai Tamizh ). That is why the VedAs salute ANDAL

as amsa bhUthai of Bhumi dEvi ( mahIm dEvIm

VishNu pathnIm ajUyeem: Goddess BhUmi Devi

is the spouse of VishNu and ever young ).That is why

the VedAs recommend " iyam OmithyAthmAnam yunjItha " .

The Iyam here stands for BhUmi Devi , the consort of

Veda PrathipAdhyan , Sriman NaarAyaNan because

of Her purushakArathvam .

 

If the divya Prabhandhams are to viewed as Tamizh

MaRais ( Tamil Vedams ) , then ThiruppAvai is considered

as the Upanishad . That is why , ThiruppAvai is called

the GodhOpanishad in the same spirit of Sri ParthasArathi's

GithOpanishad . GeethAchAryan needed 700 verses to

instruct ArjunA ; Godhai used 30 verses to give us

the UpadEsam . In all these thirty verses , the First

verse ( Maargazhi ThingaL--) is one of the two paasurams

that provide the essence of GithOpanishad , which itself

is Veda Saaram .

 

Sri RengarAjan has started auspiciously to excute this

Kaimkaryam and is performing MahOpakarAm to all of

us by reminding us to delve deeper into the aanandhAnubhavam

of neerAttam ( Bhagavadhanubhavam ) and paRai ( Kaimkarya

purushArtham ) .

 

It is my prayer to Sri BhUmi Devi SamEtha Sri Oppiliappan

to continue to bless Sri RengarAjan to complete this

kiamkaryam and accept it .

 

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan

 

Attachment : Sri Rengarajan's TamiL poem Sections :

> "kanavum kooda kavithaiyAgi

> pugazhai pAda kaNdEn.

> sinthanai ennum thEr ERi

> thirup pAvai ennum pAr

> suRRi uLA vanthEn

> kaigaLai neetti vAnatthai

> theeNdumAp pOl muthaRpAttu.

> kaNNanum kaNdAn ippAdu

>

> kadalin Oratthil Oru

> kai neer edutthu

> Azham kAnthal uNdO ?

> irunthum Azh kadalum

> thAngi niRkum boomiyin

> Azham ARivAr yAro?

> en boomith thAy padaippin

> Azham kadalinum kadithanathaRO ?

>

(Meaning): My dream also delivered a poem on the fame of this

>literature. I started of with a chariot known as my anubavam

>and began to roam around this world known as thirup pAvai. I

>felt as if I stretched my hands to touch and tease the sky in

>this first pAsuram. Even Lord Sri Krishna must have also felt

>the same on gOdhai's love on HIM. I stood on the shores of

>the deep sea and took a handful of water and attempted to

>study the depth of this ocean. Even if I may be succesful

>in finding it, this great deep ocean is supported on her lap

>by the earth boomi and who will know the depth of this boomi?

>My mother booma deVith thAyAr created this aboorva kadal

>thiru pAvAi and the depth of this thirup pAvai ocean is

>deeper than her own sister the deep ocean and it is very hard

>to determine the deep meanings of this ocean.