"SiRRam SiRu KaalE Vanthunnai sEvitthu": Part I

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

It is delightful to follow the threads of the recent discussion

in one list on GodhA PirAtti's Divine Text and Precious Context

relating to "SiRRam SiRu KaalE" passage of our SaaRRumuRai

Paasuram .

 

On August 15 , 2002 "SiRRam SiRu KaalE" , adiyEn was blessed

to join the SaaRRumuRai GhOshti in front of ThiruvEngadamudayAn

and recite this verse with the ghOshti. it is my bhAgyam

to share some reflections on the above passage from

GodhA PirAtti's "Sanga Tamizh Maalai ". Being a Thursday ,

the SaaRRumuRai took place around 7 A.M (SiRRam SiRu

Kaalai /after Sun rise ) instead of "SiRRam SiRu KaalE"

(Brahma MuhUrttham/before Sun rise/Ushath Kaalam ).

We will focus on the " SiRRam SiRu KaalE "

instead of SiRRam SiRu Kaalai " . Bhagavath Jn~Anam

PiRakkum Kaalam is "SiRRam SiRu KaalE" .

 

At the outset , it is heartening to note the emphasis

placed by the contributors to the thread forfollowing

the PoorvAchAryAL's commentaries .

 

To understand the reference to "Sirram SiRu KaalE ",

one has to go to a passage in the SrI Sookthi of

ANDAL's own AchAryan , Her dear father , "aNi Puthuvai

Paimkamala taNN theriyal Bhattar PirAn ", where

the revered PeriyAzhwAr uses the word passage "SiRRam

SiRu kaalE" ( PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi: 3.2):

 

Kanni nann maamathiL Soozhtaru poompozhil Kaavirit-thennarangam

manniya seer MadhusoodhanA KEsavA paaviyEN vaazhvuhanthu

unnai iLankanRu mEykka " siRu KaalE "oottiyoruppadutthEn

yennil manam valiyALoru peNNillai yenn KuttanE muttham thaa

 

(Meaning): Oh Lord resting in the middle of the timeless

temple (azhivaRRa VilakshaNamAna Koil) with its big ramparts

surrounded by the green groves of flower gardens nourished by

the fertile Cauvery river ! Oh the Lord of limitless KalyANa guNams !

Oh MadhusoodhanA! Oh KEsavA! The sinner that I (YasOdhA) am ,

made You get up in the "SiRRam SiRu KaalE" ( Vidiyar Kaalam/

crack of the dawn), made You eat so that You can get ready

to go out and graze the cattle for our livelihood (jeevanam).

Cruel me ! I consented to submitting You to this difficult

task ! (PaaviyEN PaaviyEnE!) Is there a woman (Mother) ,

who would equal me in hard heartedness to send You to

the woodlands(kaanakam ) to graze the cattle ! Oh my

dear KuttikkaNNA ! please give me a peck (muttham/kiss) !

 

ANDAL's usage of "SiRRam SiRu KaalE" with its deep

Vedic meanings is thus connectable to use of "SiRRam

SiRu KaalE " in His Paasuram passage in a different

context. The time however is the same Brahma muhUrttham.

 

The sound images of that early morning hour has been

captured and tresured by ANDAL in many of the early

paasurams of ThiruppAvai.Here , She says: " Oh Lord !

We have arrived at Your palace at this tender hour

since You will be difficult to get hold off , once

the morning advances .You will go away on the cattle

grazing task at the behest of Your dear Mother !

hence we have come now to get Your undistracted

attention. "SiRRam SiRu kaalE vanthunnai Sevitthu,

Unn PoRRAmarai adi pORRum poruL " Nee kEtkka vENUm .

If You ask as to what that boons that we seek are:

(1)inseperable association with You now and forever

(yeRRaikkum yEzhEzh piRavikkum UntannOdu uRROmE aavOm /

here PraNavArTam is included)(2)to perform nithya kaimkaryam

to You and You alone ( UnakkE NaamAtccheyvOm/avyapachAra

Bhagavath Paricharyam ; here , the meaning of NaarAyaNa

sabdham of Moola Manthram is incorporated)(3) Oh GovindhA!

You as Sarva Sakthan and AthimAnusha ChEshtithan should

transform all of our other desires /distractions and

make our minds totally devoted to Your PoRRAmARai

ThiruvadikaL (MaRRai namm kAmangaL MaaRRU( Here Nama:

sabdhArtham is woven in by ANDAL for our benefit).

 

" SiRRam SiRu KaalE " has also been intrepreted as

"Prapathti " , which is KashNa Karthavyam , performed

in a trice of time .Prapathti is done in "athi-svalpa Kaalam ".

This is a Sacred Yaj~nam of placing one's AathmA

at the PORRaamaRai Thiruvadi " of the Lord.We have

travelled here (Vanthu) and standing at Your ThiruvadivAram

eulogising You (Vanthu Unnai sEvitthu)and seeking the boon

of Prapatthi anugraham . After that we seek from You,

the Sarva Seshi and our YajamAnan , nithya kaimakrya prApthi

( sEshikku abhimadhamAna kaimkaryam/KuRREval) . SarvEswarA!

" KuRREval YengaLai KoLLAmaRp-pOhAthu--UnakkE NaamAtccheyvOm ".

ANDAL reminds us to perform the noblest of upAyams (Maarga Seerhsam),

Prapatthi at "SiRRam SiRu KaalE" at the lotus feet of Her Lord

and perform "Sarva dEsa , Sarva Kaala , SarvAvasthA " Kaimkaryam

to Him and Him alone.

 

Ushath Kaalam or the time of dawn is a special time

(SiRRam SiRu KaalE) in Vedic connotation. The Ushas-Sookthams

of Rg Vedam give us both the physical and spiritual splendour

of this unique time of the day and its inner meanings. Vedic

Dawn (Ushas) is not the physical dawn ; It means divine light,

which is radiant , luminous (GOmati).It is time for

the banishmnet of samsAric darkness and the birth of

dhivya Jn~Anam ( Samm tE gAvastama aavarthayanthi

jyOthir-yacchanthi SavithEva BAhU..Rg Vedam VII.79.2).

 

adiyEn will conclude with the Vedic prayer relating to

the fruits of SaraNAgathy performed at "SiRRam SiRu KaalE",

the dawn of the luminous delight in anticipation of

SaraNAgathi Vratha anushtAna Poorthi and nithya

kaimakrya Praapthi and the paripoorNa BrahmAnadham

arising from that Bhara SamarpaNam :

 

utha nO GomathIrisha Aaa vahA duhithardhiva:

Saakam Sooryasya rasmibhi:

 

--Rg Vedam : V.79.8

 

Luminous plentitude arising from ( " Kaalai nann

Jn~Anat-thuRai padinthAdi") gained from SadAchArya UpadEsam ,

SaraNAgathi Vratha anushTanam (offering the havis

of aathmA to the owner , the Lord ) with the MahOpakAram

of that SadAchAryan and the observance of Post-PrapannA

way of life can be derived from this powerful Veda Manthram .

 

adiyEn will cover the SaaRRumuRai particiation

anubhavam at Thirumalai further in subsequent postings.

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakOpan