thiruvaatip pUraththu jekathth uthiththaaL vaazhiyE

[Guest guest]

SrImatyaI GoDayaI Nama:

 

Today (24 july) thiruvadipooram celebrations would be in full

swing at Srivilliputtur.On earlier occasions of thiruvadipooram

(98 & 99) i had penned some of my memories of the festivities in

srivilliputtur,in this post i wish to add some thoughts on the

events which occur before the thEr purappadu takes place.I have put up

a consolidated writeup on this festival at

 

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/festivals/adither.html

 

 

Thiruvadipooram is the 9th thirunal in the 10 day annual

Adi Brahmotsavam .On the 8th Thirunal the poompallaku sevai

is held which continues late into the Night.Thayar Sri

Andal will sight the ThEr for the first time during this sevai.

Usually around 4 am in the morning Sri Andal and Sri Rangamannar

will mount the ThEr to the divine chanting of mantrams.This timing

is very important.When the Divya Dampathis mount the ThEr the

pooram star should be in asendence-this determines the

date of occurence/observence of thiruvadipooram.Usually

there is a large bhagavatha goshti during this occasion.After

pujai,Sri Andal and Mannar majestically seated on the thEr give

darsanam to all Bhagavathas.This darsanam starts around 5 am

 

Those who have visited Srivilliputtur would have noticed the

thEr on the roadside almost touches a mandapam.The amaippu of the

thEr is such that a few feet below the level of the wooden floor

on the thEr where the simmasanam of the divya dampathis is tied

-there is a small space to do a pradakshinam of the divya

dampathis. This circular space almost matches with the height of

the top floor of the mandapam.(this small circular path on the

thEr is approximately 35 feet above the ground) The madapam roof

and this paricular level on the thEr are connected by few planks

and bamboo sticks are tied on the sides.

 

The darsanam starts from around 5 am.By around 6/6:30 am there is

a long queue which stretches upto the mandapam gate below.Moving in

a single file one reaches the thEr after crossing the plank and is

allowed to have a darsanam for a few seconds , complete the

pradakshinam and come out. It is a great sowbhagyam to have such

an early darsanam of Thayar and Perumal in the morning and receive

their Aaseervadhamas(kungumam is given to all devotees) on this

sacred day.A partition is made over the planks to facilitate the entry

-darsanam-pradakshinam -exit in a single file.Karpoora aarathi is

shown frequently.This darsanam is allowed only upto 7:30/8 am

depending on the starting of the thEr purappadu.Usually some sweet

like kesari or sakkarapongal will be prepared on this day and

served along with breakfast in most of the homes in Srivilliputtur.

As i write this the ThEr must have made the first turn into the

katcheri theru by this time(9:45 IST)

 

Let us pray for the Nithya SrI and Nithya Vaibhavam of the

Divya Dampathis to continue in all glory for all the times to come

 

SrI Andal SamEtha Sri Rangamannar thiruvadigale saranam

 

adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Venkat S Iyengar

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Dear Sri Venkat,

 

Thanks very much for your excellent narration on Sri Andal utsavam and the

webpage article.

Your kaimkaryam is the source of inspiration for us.

For our ready reference I have given below few verses from tamil and sanskrit

on SrI Andal (to pay our obeisance).

I have basically compiled from the archives (author's name written below

respective paragraph).

 

SrivishNuchittha kulanandana kalpavalleem

Srirangaraaja harichandana yoga drusyaam I

SakshAth KshamAm karuNayA KamalAmivAnyAm

GodhAm ananya saraNa: SaraNam prapathyE II

(Swamy Desikan's GodhAsthuthi sloka 1)

 

(Meaning ) : O GodhE ! I perform Prapatthi at Your sacred feet

as one , who has no other recourse ! I have no one else

to save me . You are the Kalpaka creeper adorning the

Lord standing as the auspicious HarichandanA tree in the flower

garden of the Kulam of VishNuchitthA , your father. The darsanam

of You united with Your Lord tightly as the divine kalpakA creeper and the

celestial HarichandanA tree is a blessed sight to see .

In Your infinite patience with the aparAdhis , You appear verily

like Bhumi dEvi and in your limitless compassion , You resemble

Maha Lakshmi Herself . I offer my Prapatthi at your sacred , lotus

feet as the one , who has no other means !

(Translation by Sri Satakopan mama)

 

inRO Thiruvaadippooram;- emakkaaga anRO inghu ANdAL avatharitthaaL-

kunRaadha vaazhvaana vaikuntha vaan bhOganthannai igazhdhu

AzhwAr ThirumagaLaaraay.

(Sri Manavala mamunigal's Upadesa Ratthina maalai)

 

Beautiful and simple: Maamuni says: Today is Thiruvaadipporam. Andal

appeared only for us; She sacrificed Her eternal Vaikunta enjoyment and

living and appeared here as the human daugher of AzhwAr. (What a compassion

of Bhumi Piraatti!)

(translation by adiyEn)

 

Thaniyan of ThiruppAvai (by SrI Paraasara Bhattar)

"neeLAtungastanagiritaTi - suptamudbhodhya krushNam -

pArArthyam svam SrutiSataSirah: siddham-adhyApayantI |

svOcchishtAyAm sraji nigaLitam yA balAtkrutya bhunktE

godA tasyai nama idamidam-bhUya yevAstu bhUyaha " ||

 

" May I offer obeisance again and again to Goddess AndAL

alias GodA - to Her alone - who has awakened Lord

KrishNa(taking rest and) sleeping on the mountain-like

lofty breasts of Goddess nILA alias nappiNNai pirAtti;

GodA, who has imparted to Him her dependence (on Him)

as established in the hundreds of texts of the crown

of the vEdAs (viz. vEdAntA or upanishads); and gOdA ,

who forcefully enjoys Him after binding Him with

flower-wreaths that were already worn by Her "

 

Thaniyan - 2 ( by UyyakkondAr) :

 

"anna vayal puduvai AndAL arangaRkup -

pannu thiruppAvaip palpadiya(ga)m - innisaiyAl

pAdik koduttAL naRpAmAlai, poomAlai

choodik koduttALaich chollu "

 

" The saint-poettes AndAL, was born in SrivilliputtUr

(puduvai), girt with paddy-fields and (water-reservoirs

full of) beautiful swans (annam). She dedicated Her

beautifulgarland of songs, singing them sweetly (in praise

of Him). She offered to Him the flower-garland, after

wearing it Herself. May all of us pray to Her and sing

Her poems ! "

 

thaniyan 3 ( by UyyakkondAr) :

 

 

" choodik koduththa sudarkkodiyE tolpAvai,

pAdiyaruLavalla palvaLayAy ! nAdinee

"vEnkadavaRkku yennai vidhi" yenra immAtRam

nAngadavA vaNNamE nalhu "

 

" Oh AndAL, shining like the flash of lightening ! You

bedecked Yourself first the garland (intended for the

Lord) and then offered it to Lord RanganAtha; You

had the great expertise to compose the renowned and

ancient hymn of thiruppAvai. Oh AndAL with the

multifarious and auspicious bangles ( adorning Your

fore-arms) ! may You please shower Your grace on

us (so that we become greatly devoted to the Lord),

with the same sincerity of devotion ( you had towards

the Lord of vEnkata hill) as You prayed to Manmathan

(PerumAL) thus: "O manmathA, be pleased to make

me (a humble servant and) the bride of

thiruvEngadamudayAn " (NAchchiyAr thirumozhi 1.1).

 

These translations on Thiruppavai thaniyans are from Sri Anand

Karalapakkam's posts on ThiruppAvai.

 

Srimanyai VishNu chitthaaryamanOnandhanahEthavE!

nandhanandha sudharyai gOdhaayai Nithya MangaLam!!

 

Sri AnDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Narayana Narayana

aDiyEn Narayana dAsan madhavakkannan