MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy ' ThiruppAvai Monograph: Selected Excerpts: Part VII-> MahA pravEsam and First Paasuram ( Marghazhi ThingaL Dinam)

[Guest guest]

Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

adiyEn will provide a short Introduction on MahA PravEsam

(Grand Entry ) to ThiruppAvai and cover the highlights of

the First slOkam . adiyEn will cover the literary meaning and

follow it by the section on Inner Meanings by Sri PerukkAranai

Swamy .In view of the very limited space to cover these articles ,

adiyEn will be very brief with respect to references to

other commentaries.

 

MahA PravEsam( Grand Introduction )

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" Every one of us is an ANDAL and like Her must long

for union with the Lord. This is SuddhAntha-SiddhAntham ,

the doctrine of King's harem , the doctrine of Bridal mysticism.

ANDAL was born as a girl and it was easy for Her to become

a bride for the eternally youthful Bridegroom, Sri RanganAthan.

Other AzhwArs were males and they had to adopt the sentiments ,

language and dress of ANDAL to become the bride , which they

did successfully (as Parankusa Naayaki/Swamy NammAzhwAr

and ParakAla Naayaki/Thirumangai AzhwAr) to a large extent.

THAT MUST BE OUR GOAL ; we must acquire right knowledge

sitting at the feet of a SadAchArya ;The AchAryan will transform

us as a bride and offer us to the Lord , who is eager to

accept us. So long as we are in this world , we must try to

do KAIMKARYAM to BhagavAn and His devotees , which is like

the foretaste of what we are going to enjoy ultimately in

the Transcendent World "-- Professor A.SrinivAsa Raaghavan(1986)

 

There are many , many commentaries for ThiruppAvai. They are

classified into different groups based on their length.

Twenty four padhams ( grantham in Sanskrit and PaDi in

Tamil) are the units of measurement . For instance ,

MoovAyirappadi commentary ( that of Swamy PeriyavAcchAn

PiLlai ) has 3000x24 Padhams. The various ThiruppAvai

Commentaries are :

 

(1) OrAyirappadi ( 1000x 24 padhams)

(2) IrAyirappadi of JananyAcchAr of Melkote (2000x24)

(3) MoovAyirappdi of Swamy PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai(3000x24)

(4) NalAyirappadi of JananyAcchAr of Melkote(4000x24)

(5) EiyAyirappadi ( 5000x 24 Padhaams)

(6) ArAyirappadi of Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL NaayanAr (6000x24)

(7) Upanishad BhAshyakAra Sri RangarAmAnuja's Sanskrit commentary

(8) Sri UtthamUr Swamy's Prabhandha Rakshai(1986)

(9) Sri PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram Swamy's ThiruppAvai NaRu manam(1983)

(10)Sri PerukkAraNai Swamy's SudhA SvAdham commentary (2000 A.D)

 

We have to be necessarily brief in these daily postings

and we refer you to these original commentaries and

special articles on Bridal Mysticisms et al assembled

under Bhakthi List Archives and Sri VaishNavA Home pages

under ANDAL subtitle by Sri MaNi VaradarAjan.Sri Varadarajan's

article on ANDAL's life and works there along with

the most beautiful home pages created for Srivilliputthur

By Sri Venkat Iyengar are most valuable for NhakthAs.

 

The Saint-poetess ANDAL , the avathAram of BhUmi DEvi

observed Paavai Nonbhu ( Paavai vratham) to attain Lord

KrishNA as Her Husband (BharthA). She observed a Vratham ,

which is a variation of the KaathyAyini Vratham described

in Srimath BhAgavatham.The Month chosen for the vratham

was Marghazhi or Dhanur Maasam.This vratham takes a whole

Month to complete. ANDAL became one of the Gopis of

Gokulam -- who observed the Marghazhi Vratham --

and joined Her young friends to obtain the PurushArtham

( the choicest /Highest boon) of Nithya Kaimkaryam (eternal

service to the Lord )and to have Him as their BharthA.

ANDAL addresses Her play mates and fellow Vratham

observers as " yElOrempAvAi" . Sri UtthamUr Swamy has

explained that this "yElOrempAvai " refrain found in

the 29 of the 30 paasurams of ThiruppAvai as Yel+ ohr+

YempAvAi ( Oh My dear friend ! I will describe the facets of

this Paavai Nonbhu and please understand them , accept

their meanings and practise them ).

 

The words "NeerAdap pOthuveer" in this paasuram

and elsewhere has nothing to do with taking a bath

in the YamunA river at early morning as an essentail

preparatory step of the Vratham. NeerAttam (Bathing )

means really the KrishNa samsLesham ( or Union with

Lord KrishNa). Sunai Aadal is an ancient expression

denoting the same and has been used from Sanga Kaalam .

 

ANDAl considered SrivilliputthUr of South as the AayarpAdi

of North,the girls of Her birth place as Gopis and Herself

as one of the Gopis and the temple of Vatapathra Saayee as

NandhagOpar's ( father of KrishNa at Aayar Paadi )house

and Lord VatapathrasAyee as Lord KrishNa Himself and

performed the Vratham. This feeling state (Bhavaanai)

ripened and yielded the sought-after fruits of that Vratham .

She blessed us to follow this vratham and be blessed.

 

First Paasuram:" Marghazhi ThingaL mathi niRaintha NannALAl.."

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Literal Meaning by Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan:

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" It is the good full Moon day of the month of Marghazhi.

Oh the well ornamented maidens ! Those desirous of taking the bath

(in the YamunA ) may please come on. Oh the prosperous young

girls of AaypAdi ( Gokulam) that is rich and grand ( in beauty

and wealth) ! Lord NaarAyana will surely yield to us alone

the drum (paRai). He is the son of King NandagOpa , of cruel

deeds (towards the enemies), and holding a sharp spear in his

hand always. He (KrishNa) is the young lion-cub of Queen YasOdhA

with very charming eyes.He( Lord NaarAyaNa) has a dark cloud-like

divine complexion ,(lotus like) reddish eyes and (lustrous)

face (shining) like the bright Sun and Moon. ( This Lord

NaarAyaNan alone is the Saviour). (Let us ) resort (to Him)

performing the Paavai-Nonbhu and get the benefit of praise

from the people of the world. { (Oh dear freind , may You

recite and learn this)-know the purport of this hymn}.

(Mention may be made of the slOkam of Bhagavath GitA :

" mAsAnAm mArga-sirshOham--X.35); " Lord NaarAyanan alone

will grant Moksha SaamrAjyam to the individual soul" is

indicated in the seventh line of this First paasuram ".

 

SvApadEsArtham (Inner Meanings) of the First Paasuram

*******************************************************

There are many inner meanings to every word used by

ANDAL in this and every paasuram of ThiruppAvai.For reasons of

brevity , we will give only the condensed meanings for

the words of the paasuram as revealed by Sri U.Ve.PerukkAraNai

Swamy :

 

Seer malhum The place where those blessed ones ,

who comprehend fully the anantha kalyANa

GuNams of the Lord reside

 

AaypADi In this dark SamsAric world

 

nErizhayeer Oh People with the noble traits of Samam

and dhamam ( auspicious Aathma GuNams

of Tranquility and Control over the senses)!

 

NiRaintha- On this day , which is like the Moon with

ThingaL Mathi all its sixteen digits (kalai) just as

the ShAdgunya SampoorNa BhagavAn Himself

 

NannALAl Since it is such an auspicious day

 

Maarghazhi Those who wish to follow the most noble

Neerada upAyam (means) of Prapatthi (self-surrender)!

pOthuveer Please join us!

pOdhuminO !

 

Koor vEl The one with the sharp-pointed sankalpam

similar to the tip of a well honed spear

or javelin

 

kodum Thozhilan One who destroys our sins

 

NandhagOpan and is the eteranl Youth , who is

Kumaran the BrahmAnandha Svaroopan , who

initiated BrahmA into the Vedams

and their meanings

 

 

yErArntha KaNNI the One , who adorns the beautiful

flower garland known as Vaijayanthi

 

Yasodhai the One , who has attained unquestionable

fame (Yasas) by granting us BrahmAnandham

 

iLam Singham One , who is like the powerful Lion

chasing away our sins and enemies

 

KaarmEni One who has the hue of a dark blue rainy

SenkaNN cloud and has lotus like besutiful eyes

 

Kadhir madhiyam One who has the lustrous face like

pOl MuhatthAn the radiant Sun and the cool Moon

 

NaarAYaNanE That SarvEsvarn , who has incarnated

as Krishnan now amidst us

 

pArOr Puhazha who is compassionate towards us and

padinthu who is lauded by the world for His

sensitivity about not failing in His

duties to protect us always

 

NamakkE for us , BhaagavathAs , who have

performed Bhara NyAsam (Aathma Samarpanam,

Prapatthi ) at His sacred feet

 

Parai TharuvAn HE WILL GRANT US READILY MOKSHA SUKHAM .

 

Other thoughts on selected key words of paasuram 1

***************************************************

(1)The sacred Month of Marghazhi has Kesavan ( the first of

the 12 Upa-VyUha Moorthys) as the presiding deity .

Therefore , any Vratham , charity (dhAnam) , SnAnam ,

AarAdhanam performed in Marghazhi will quickly yield fruits

according to Swamy Desikan ( Taathparya Chandrikai).

That desired fruit is Parai or nithya kaimkaryam in

His SaamrAjyam (Sri Vaikuntam).

 

(2) Swamy JnaanyaachAr summarizes the significance

of the message of this paasuram as " PrApya PrApakangaL

iraNDum NAARAYANANE " .

 

(3) "yElOrempAvAi" --This refrain is the Chandas for

the Nonbhu according to Swamy JananAycchAr. Upanishad

BhAshyakArar recognizes this Makutam of ThiruppAvai

as "Paadha PoorNArtham ".

 

(4)" PaRai TaruvAn ":As the Purushan with the greatest

affection for His Pathivrathai wife , Sriman NaarAyaNan

will bless us with the requirements(tools) for Kaimkaryam

and Ubhaya anushtAnam such as Jn~Anam , Seelam and other

auspicous Aathma GuNams ( Sri Abhinava Desikan ).

 

(5) " NaarAyaNanE--TharuvAn ": Lord NaarAyaNan Himself ,

the inner meaning of Thiru AshtAksharam , will bless

the ChEthanams (MakArArtha Jeevans)-- after being pleased

with their AshtAkshara Japam -- will perform UpAya anushtAnam

for them (through a SadAchAryan)...(Sri Abhinava Desikan).

 

(6) The yEkAram in " NaarAyaNanE " and "NamakkE":

This yEkAram asserts that " SadhArchanE TantharuLa Vallan ;

SathsishyanE PeRatthahunthavan" ( The SadAchAryan ALONE

can bless us; the sath-sishyan alone is qualified

to receive that rarest of blessings " (Sri PBA Swamy).

 

Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr ThiruvadigaLE Saranam ,

Sarvam KrushNArpanam asthu

RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan