A 'mArgazhi' diary: some reflections- 5.1

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Dear bhakti-list friends,

 

According to Tamil pundits Andal's tiruppavai meets

and surpasses the "7 Standards of Poetic Excellence"

set down by Kamban. They explain how as follows:

 

Standard No: 1: "puviyinuk-aNi-Adal" (Ornament of the

world):

 

The tiruppAvai is undoubtedly an ornament to the

world.

 

It is an adornment of "sangha-tamizh". Tamil

grammarians and litterateurs of all ages recognize it

as one of the prized examples of the best in Tamil

Poetry...an "all-time great'! For sheer beauty of

Tamil "aNigal" or "alankaras" --- i.e. the use of the

simile ("oovamai-aNi") in conveying subtle impressions

of truth --- the tiruppAvai is considered to be THE

pre-eminent standard setter. It is the dazzling

show-piece --- the "Kohinoor" --- of Tamil

litterateurs of all generations.

 

Secondly, "tiruppAvai" is regarded as the family

heirloom of the bhakti-traditionalists of the

"sri-sampradAya" Vaishnavites. Sri.RamunujachArya

regarded the "tiruppAvai" as the crest-jewel of the

"tamil-vEdam"... referring to it as "upanishad-sAram".

He himself recited it everyday of his life

("suddi-kOdutthaval tol-aruLAl vAzhginra vaLLaL

Ramanujan"), proudly showing the "jewel" off to the

citizens of SriRangam as he went around its streets

for his "uncha-vratti". So much so, Ramanuja came to

be popularly nick-named in his time as "tiruppAvai-

jeeyar".

 

Thirdly, it is fit to be an adornment in all temples

of India. Just as an exceedingly precious jewel is

taken out of a safe-vault only on rare and very

important occasions and then safely restored to its

orginal place of secretion, the "tiruppAvai" too is

usually "taken out" only during the the holiest month

of "mArgazhi" and recited with great gusto and

reverence in all "perumAl" temples in south India. In

the famous Tirupati temple, it is given a pride of

place way ahead of other "agama"- prescribed hymns and

chants that constitute the daily temple litany in the

other 11 months.

 

Fourthly, the tiruppAvai is an adornment to millions

of homes in India. It is bestowed with the status of a

"family-jewel". A household may give up other

religious practices and hymns for reasons of

incompetence or desuetude but it will never ever give

up the "family jewel" of "tiruppAvai". When offering

"nitya-aradhana" to the Deity at home, even if the

householder is ignorant of any other hymn of worship,

he will simply make do with a few verses from the

"tiruppAvai" and suffer no sense of inadequacy on that

score... none at all!

 

When the family heirloom is safe with us what does it

matter if the glittering jewellery of the market-place

remains unattainable?

 

dAsanu-dAsa-bhuthan,

Sampathkumaran

 

 

 

 

 

 

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