MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy ' ThiruppAvai Monograph: Selected Excerpts: Part IX-> Third day of Dhnaur Maasam: Ongi Ulahalantha dinam

[Guest guest]

Sriamthyai Godhayai Nama:

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Let us review the two Paasurams that preceded

the One that adiyEn will cover today.

 

The Context & Connection between the first three Paasurams

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In the First Paasuram of ThiruppAvai , ANDAL foucsed on

AshtAkshara manthram and celebrated it . She covered the three

meanings incorporated in AshtAksharam in Her first

paasuram( ananya Seshathvam/,unalloyed servitude to

Sriman NaarAyaNa ALONE ,ananya SaraNathvam/seeking

Refuge at the feet of Sriman Narayana ALONE ,and

ananya PrApyathvam / Reaching Him ALONE as the supreme goal).

Her MahA VisvAsam ( Her unshakable trust--NaarayaNanE

NamakkE PaRai TharuvAn--) is most comforting to us .

 

In the second Paasuram , She shifted Her attention to Dhvayam ,

the Manthra rathnam . In the third Paasuram to be covered today ,

She elaborated on the powerful message of Charama SlOkam of

GeethAchAryan (MaamEkam CharaNam vraja-MokshayishyAmi-

Maa Sucha:).

 

AshtAksharam , Dhvayam and Charama SlOkam of GeethAchAryan,

the subject of the first three paasurams respectively , have been

described as "Taarakam , BhOgyam and POshakam ". Taarakam

is like annam (Food); BhOgyam is like Milk and Ghee ;

Poshakam is like sandal paste and betel leaves ( TaambhUlam ).

With these three, we have every thing that we need

for our spiritual nourishment and enjoyment of the ananatha

kalyANa GuNams of the divine couple and gain Moksha siddhi .

 

Another view is that ANDAL invited every one through

the first paasuram ( Maarghazhi ThingaL--)to come

and join in the enjoyment of AchArya GuNa anubhavam

(the celebration of the glories of AchAryan) .In the second

Paasuram (Vaiyatthu VaazhveerkAL ),She stressed

the importance of the participants to have the qualifications

to obey the dictates of ShAsthrAs ( Saasthra-Vasya Yoghyathai).

 

In the third paasuram ( Ongi UlhaLantha--) , She declared

that AchArya Kula Sambhandham ( Connection and involvenment

with AchArya Kulam starting from Sriman NaarAyaNA to

the present AchArya in that lineage) will give the Mumukshus

( Those who desire the boon of MOksham) immense SrEyas

( auspiciousness ).

 

Yet another view by Sri Upanishad BhAshyakArar ,

Sri Ranga RaamAnuja Muni is that ANDAL invites

Her friends for the Vratham observance

(Sakhi JanAn aahvayanthi). In the second paasuram ,

She spells out the rites to be observed and the deeds

to be abandoned ( Karma Phalam upadisanthi).In the third

Paasuram , She describes the fruits of the Vratham

(Vrathasya Phalam Vadanthi).

 

Meaning of the Third ThiruppAvai Paasuram( Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan)

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If we ( who adhere to the Vratam-Paavai nOnbhu) sing in

praise of the holy names of the Utthaman , Lord Thrivikraman

( the most benovolent Lord) , who grew to a cosmic form

and measured the three worlds in two strides and put His

third step on the head of Emperor MahABali , and then if we

take the bath (in sacred YamunA) in the name of our Vratham ,

then there will be three timely showers (of rain)

throughout the country and there will be no harm at all

(i.e., no drought , nor any famine).The country will be

rich and plentiful (because of the copious rains); the fish

(kayal) will roam about amidst tall stalks of large red

paddy crops (drinking sufficient honey from fallen-pollen and

becoming dazed);the bees with spots (all over their bodies)

will fall asleep amidst the petals of KuvaLai-flower

( Blue Lotus/NeelOthpalam )and the great , profusely milk-giving ,

generous cows will yield milk just while being touched on

their stout udder filling up a number of milk-cans

very quickly;because of plenty of milk , only skillful people

could undertake to milk these cows. Thus , the whole country

will be filled with undecaying wealth and prosperity

(Richness in fields, lands and villages is assured

if the good poeple take to righteous path and sing

the glory of Lord Thrivikrama ).

 

ThrivikramAvathAram: The incarnation dear to ANDAL

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The glories of Our Lord's ThrivikramAvathAram celebrated

in the VedAs is archived else where(Bhakthi Archives :

August 9, 1997). Other articles in this series also pay

tribute to this unique avathAram .

 

In Her third Paasuram , ANDAL addresses the Lord as

"Ongi Ulahu aLantha UTTAMAN"( The Greatest One ,who reached

out and measured the Universe with His two steps) .

 

Why is Thiruvikraman addressed as "Utthaman"

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The salutation of the Lord as Utthaman deserves study .

Utthaman is One who stands at a height , where Paapams

can not touch Him . ChAndhOgya Upanishad called such a lofty

personage as "UTH" . A Chethanan after SaraNAgathi and

after leading the prescribed life after SaraNAgathi /

Prapatthi can also become an "UTH " at Sri Viakuntam .

The eternally liberated (Nithya Mutha Jeevans) like

Garuda and VishvaksEna have a higher level than "UTH"

and are revered as "Utthara". Even beyond them is

the "Utthaman" or PurushOtthaman (Sriman Narayanan)

celebrated in the GithOpanishad of our Lord.

 

In ANDAL's visualization , Thrivikraman appeared as

that " Utthaman " and She addressed Him as " Ongi Ulahu-

aLantha Utthaman " and She invited Her friends to sing about

the glory of that Utthaman's Naamam ( Utthaman pEr Paadi)

as an important part of the Paavai Nonbhu sankalpam to

attain the desired fruits (Phalans)of the Vratham .

Thrivikraman is "PurushOtthaman" because His sacred feet

touched devotees and dhvEshis( enemies ) all alike

(Samastha Janthus) during this avathAram and blessed them

all with His anugraham.

 

ANDAL hints that the Lord's name is grander than Him and

hence She says " Utthaman pEr Paadi " ( Naama sankIrthanam

of Utthama name).She invites Her fellow-gOpis to sing about

the Naama Mahimai of Thrivikraman and His deeds.She recommended

that they do this Naama sankIrthanam and observe the Vratham

with Sankalpam that it is for Bhagavath-Preethi ( SaaRRI

NeerAdinAL). Then she describes what kind of phalans

will result from such an observance .

 

Phalan I: "TheenginRi NaadellAm TingaL MummAri Peythu "

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The Vratham observers will be free from the DhOsham of

ananya Seshathvam ( Theenginri NaadellAm ) . MummAri

or the three monthly rains in recognition of the Vedic

scholars, the righteous king and the pathivrathA women

will fall. The three rains are also linked to the water

poured on the hand of Vaamanan by Bali Chakravarthi as

dhAnam , the Kamandalu Jalam of BrahmA , when He washed

the ascending feet of the Lord and the GangA jalam that

flowed from the sacred feet of Lord Thrivikraman. Those

waters will make the lands fertile and samrutthi ( prosperity)

will result ( Ongu Perum Sennel/ tall crops of rice plant ).

Because of this jala samrutthi and fertility of the land ,

the fish in the paddy fields have grown to big sizes

and jump hither and thither with joy .

 

Phalan 2: MummAri or the trimonthly rain

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In Raama Raajyam , there were 9 days of Sunshine and one day

of abubdant rain. This cycle repeated itself every month.

Thus , there were three periods of rain each month.The land

was fertile and there were no inauspiciousness caused

by water shortage. Such prospertity will arise from

the proper observance of ThiruppAvai Vratham.

 

Grantha NirmANam ( writing about VedAnthic topics),

instructing others about them and performing MangaLAsAsanam

at our Lord's Dhivya desams are also described as the three

benovolent monthly showers.

 

Phalan 3: Ongu perum Sennel--VaLLal perum PasukkaL

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Abundant crops of red rice from the plentiness of rain

would result.Tall stalks of rice waving their heads as if

they are saluting the Thiruvadis of Thrivikraman will be seen.

In those paddy fields , there will be fat fish jumping

joyously about; and in the blue lotus flowers of that field ,

the well-fed honey bees would be sleeping comfortably.

The cows that have grazed from the rich meadows would

yield huge amounts of milk from their udders on mere touch.

Abundance and prosperity is seen everywhere from the Vratham

( Japam of the three Sri VaishNavite sacred manthrams and

singing of the glories of Sriman Thrivikrama NaarAyanan).

 

The Inner Meanings of the third Paasuram

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"SaaRRI NeerAdinAl " here refers to the UpadEsam

of SaraNAgathi rahasyam by SadAchAryAs and the observance

of it by SadhsishyAs.

 

" MummAri" here refers to the benefits of attaining

the fruits of the Vratham (SaraNAgathi) through Upadesam,

through study of AzhwAr's Prabhandhams and enjoyment of

the ArchA moorthis at their dhivya desams through

pilgrimages.

 

"Ongu peru-sennalUdu Kayal ukaLa" refers to the tall

stalks of PrapannAs thriving in the land rich with

AchAryAs; the strong fishes jumping with joy in

the paddy fields are the happy AchAryAs , who recognize

that their efforts through Ukthi and AchArya Nishtai

( to perform SaraNAgathi) have borne fruit .

 

" PoomkuvaLai pOthil PoRi VaNDu kaNN Paduppa" refers to

Sriman NarAyaNa sleeping without worry in our heart

lotuses ( Hrudhaya Kamalams) that His work through

His AchAryAs has been successful.He sleeps like a

contente farmer , who has realized abundant crops.

 

" TengAthE pukkirinthu seertha Mulai paRRi Vaangak kudam "

refers to the sishyAs , who have flocked to the AchAryan

pulled closer by the affection ( vaathsalyam) of their

AchAryans.

 

" VaLLal perum pasukkaL " refers to the most generous

AchAryAs , who do not expect any returns . They use

the equivalent of the four fingers of the udders of

the abundant milk giving cows to impart knowledge

about the three parama rahasyams of Sri VaishNavam .

The four fingers of the udder through which this milk

of Knowledge (Jn~ana milk) flows are : Vedam , Smruthi,

Saathvika PurANams and AzhwAr Paasurams.

 

"NeengAtha Selvam NiRainthu" refers to the undiminishing

wealth of Jn~Anam at all times during our stay on His

Leela VibhUthi ( Earth) and in His Transcendent world

of Sri Vaikuntam.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar, ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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