Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XXXVI.1 -> Thirtieth day : "VANGAK- KADAL KADAINTHA MAADHAVAN " dinam

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VIKRAMA SAMVATHSARA UTTHARAAYANA PUNYA KAALAM

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JANUARY , 14 , 2001:(PONGAL/SANKARAANTHI)

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Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Significance of the 30th Paasuram

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Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today is the day , when the MahA Prabhandam of

Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr comes to the stage of SaatthumuRai.

It is UttharAyaNa PuNya Kaalam .It is Makara SankarAnthi dinam.

May Subhiksham spread all over the lands , where ANDAL

BhakthAs are there and May her endearing message for our

upliftment to reach Her Lord's Lotus feet easily serve as

a beacon light for us all !Today is indeed a Parama MangaLa

Dinam for us all !The 30th paasuram has the benedictions

for a Kaimkaryam-filled life ,the fruits of Bhagavath

Daasyam .BhAgavatha dAsyam is the yellai nilam for

that Bhagavath dAsyam .

 

Sri PBA Sawamy's summary of the Thirty Verses

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To appreciate the context of the 30th verse , we should

reflect on the summary of the 29 passurams that preceded it.

 

In the first Paasuram , Andal celebrated the time for

the nOnbhu , the adhikAris performing the nOnbhu and the Lord

who is the object of this nOnbhu .

 

In the second paasuram , She mentioned about the Karthavyam

and ThyAjyam for the nOnbhu ;in the third paasuram, She

pointed out that for the successful performance of the nOnbhu ,

the aanushankika Varsha roopa phalan (Copious and timely rains

for desa kshEmam) will be realized. In the fourth paasuram,

She invited the parjanya devan, VaruNan to bless the land

with the nourishing rains .

 

In the fifth paasuram, She pointed out that all the obstacles

to the performance of the Paavai nOnbhu will be eliminated

quickly , if we sing and reflect on the name of the Lord.

>From the sixth to the fifteenth paasurams , ANDAL went around

the streets of Gokulam and awakened the pancha laksham kudis

of fellow Gopis to join the ghOshti to NandhagOpan's mansion.

 

In the 16th paasuram, Gopis wake up the dhvAra PaalakAs

at the Lord's mansion and remind them about the earlier

promise of KrishNan to grant them the PaRai ; in the 17th pssuram ,

they awaken NandhagOpan, YasOdhai PirAtti , KaNNapirAn ,

Nampi Moottha PirAn(BalarAman)in that order.In the 18th paasuram ,

they wake up Nappinnai PirAtti with reverence ; they awaken

(next) Nappinnai PirAtti and KaNNan together in the 19th and

the 20th paasurams.

 

In the 21st and the 22nd Paasurams , the Gopis submit that

they have arrived at the Lord's mansion after being defeated

by the power of His GuNams in a state of AbhimAna bhangam

and with expectation of receiving His katAksham as taarakam .

 

In the 23rd paasuram , They request Him to travel to

His lofty simhAsanam ;they perform mangaLAsAsanam for

Him there in His throne room in the 24th paasuram .

 

In the 25th pasuram , they submit to Him that they

have arrived in a state of ananyagathithvam ( with no

others to protect them) and in the 26th paasuram they spell

out the VrathOpakaraNams needed for the nOnbhu.

In the 27th paasuram ,they describe the sanmAnams (rewards)

desired after the completion of the Paavai nOnbhu .

 

In the 28th paasuram,they point out their lowliness and celebrate

His loftiness and remind Him of their inseperable relationship

with Him and seek aparAdha KshAmaNams for earlier

trespasses. In the 29th paasuram of yesterday ,

they press Him for the granting of the desired

boons and He agrees heartily .

 

In the 30th and concluding Paasuram , ANDAL comes to

the fore and acknowledges the fulfillment arising from

the observance of the paavai nOnbhu of the Gopis and

declares that those , who recite Her ThiruppAvai paasurams

would become the objects of Her Lord's grace and threy would

be filled with bliss. There will be bliss in Ubhaya

VibhUthi for those , who recite the thirty paasurams of

ThiruppAvai blessed by SaakshAth PirAtti Herself.This

Phalan is for "ThiruppAvai KaRppAr". They earn

the lotus-faced Lord's ThiruvaruL and become Bhgya-

saalis ( SenkaNN Thirumuhatthu SelavtthirumAlAl

yengum ThiruvaruL peRRU InbhuRuvar ).

 

ParAsara Bhattar's upadesam

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The great AchAryan , ParAsara Bhattar , has observed

appropriately that we should get up early in the morning

and recite the 30 paasurams ; if that were not possible ,

we should atleast recite the "SiRRam SiRu Kaalai " paasuram;

If even that were not to be possible, we should think of

the the joy we had in reciting the paasurams and

hearing the kaalakshEpam about them in earlier times .

 

ParAsara Bhattar, the creator of the great Taniyan

for ThiruppAvai(NeeLA Tunga --),has also revealed to us

that the grace of the merciful Lord is sure to fall on us

from His listening to our recitation of His PirAtti's

Thiruppaavai:" KanRizhantha Talai Naaku , thOl kanRai

madukka ,athukku irangumAppOlE , ippaasuram koNDu puha namakku

palikkum ". He reveals that one gets this albhya laabham

( obtaining the wealth that is "unattainable") in

DhrushtAdhrushtam ( here and in the other world) from

the Lord through our recitation of the ThiruppAvai Paasurams

(Sanga Tamizh maalai muppathum tappAmE) of His PirAtti.

 

Literal Meaning of the 30th Paasuram (Dr.Raghavan):

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Approaching Him --the Lord Kesavan (of lovely curly

locks of hairs) , the Lord Maadhavan ( the husband of

Goddess Sri) who (enabled the gods) to churn the seas

abounding in ships , and praying to Him , the Young

charming damsels (of Gokulam ) with exquisite faces of

Moon-like beauty and good ornaments , obtained

the unparalleled drum.

 

Describing their observances , prayer and getting the drum

(from the Lord) , GodhA , the foster-daughter of Bhattar PirAn

adorned with the cool garlands of fresh lotuses , and

a resident of beautiful SrivilliputthUr has composed this

ThiruppAvai --sangat Tamizh maalai(Garland of Tamizh songs ,

sung in group by the devotees of the Lord ; or hailed as

the lyric poem in Tamizh of the great Sangam poets and

poetesses) consisting of thirty paasurams (equal to

the number of Vowels and Consonants of the Tamizh

alphabet).Whosoever recites this hymn --referring to

the award of paRai , faithfully will get the divine bliss

here and hereafter , through the benign grace of

the Lord ThirumAl ( Sriya: Pathi) endowed with a supreme ,

divine form , namely four strong mountain-like shoulders,

beautiful face with eyes of reddish hue along with

other prosperous glory.

 

adiyEn will conclude the series of postings on

ThiruppAvai with a companion piece next.

 

(To be continued)

ANDAL< Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam

RaamAnjua Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan