thiruppaai introduction

[Guest guest]

THIRUPPAVAI

 

AN INTRODUCTION

 

The Prabhandha literature in Tamil has certain unique aspects. Pillai

Pirabhandham is a genre in which God is considered the devotee’s child. Such an

assumption is not found in other literatures. Pavai Pirabhandham is also unique

to Tamil. The maids observing the Pavai Observance are supposed to assemble one

after the other, bathe in the pond and seek the grace of God. The drama of the

assembly, devotion and surrender to God make up the content of the Pavai

Pirabhandham. The Pavai Pirabhandham is charged with devotional essence.

 

The Vaishnavite saint poets are twelve in number. They are known as the Alwars.

The name means those who are immersed in the experience of the Divine in the

form of Narayana or Vishnu, the God of the Vaishnavites.

 

Andal is the only woman saint poet among the twelve alwars. She is considered to

be the human manifestation of the Goddess of Earth, one of Vishnu’s consorts.

Legend has it that Andal appeared as a child of five years from within the earth

in the temple grove maintained by Periyalvar, a devout Vaishnavite saint poet,

at Villiputtur, a village about 75 kms from Madurai.

 

Andal had grown with the utmost consciousness of the Divine in the form of

Vishnu. She had always considered herself God’s bride. As she grew in years,

this conscience of the Divine also grew within her. The legend is that in

accourdance with a Divine order to Periyalvar in his dream, he gave his foster

daughter in marriage to the God at Srirangam. On the day of the marriage, Andal

is said to have walked into the santum sanctorum and to have merged with the

Divine.

 

A wholesome ritual has been created and built around the character of Andal. The

best part of the ritual is the month-long celebration of pavai nonpu during the

tamil month of margazhi (December-January) every year.

 

According to literary historians, Andal had lived during the ninth century B.C.

There are differences of opinion among literary historians about the period of

the Alwars. Such differences however have no bearing on the quality of the

effect of the songs of Alwars on the Vaishnavite community and Andal is no

exception.

 

Among the Alwar literature collected under the title the divya prabandam,

Andal’s works have earned a unique place by virtue of her directness, simplicity

and profoundity. No other Alwar except perhaps Nammalvar has brought out the

intimacy between the Divine and the devotee as Andal has done.

 

Andal has to her credit the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli. While Nacciyar

Tirumoli has a certain sensuousness in line with the Bengal Vaishnavite poetry,

Tiruppavai celebrates in thirty songs a certain simple ritualistic observance on

the part of the devotees in the guise of the womenfolk of ayarpati, the place of

dwelling of the herdsmen clan in which Vishnu is said to have been brought up as

Krishna.

 

Tiruppavai is made up of thirty songs each of which is meant for each of the

thirty days of the month of margazhi. The first ten songs celebrate the fruits

of the devotional observance; the second ten songs inspire fellow devotees to

take the path of devoted service and the last ten songs are meant to wake

Krishna and others up and pray for their grace.

 

The twelve months of the year are scaled down to a day and night for Gods in the

Hindu mythology. The six months from aadi to margazhi corresponding to the

southern solstice make up the night of the Gods. The other six months

corresponding to the northern solstice make up the day of the Gods. Thus the

month of margazhi corresponds with the dawn of the Gods. The right time to make

obeisance to Gods, to praise and to pray for God’s grace is naturally the dawn

of God’s day - the month of margazhi. That in brief is the significance of the

month-long observance of devotion.

 

Ramani intends that this message reaches the second and the third generation

tamils outside India who may have difficulties in understanding their tradition

through texts in Tamil. Ramani hopes that this mission is well taken . Any

observation made on the texts to follow is welcome. Suggestions if any are also

welcome. In all humility Ramani prays that inadequacies if any in his

presentation are graciously forgiven.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhakthas,

On the subject of ThirupAvai, is it true that all/most of the pAsurams are

dedicated to the Lords in particular divya desams? For example, I am told that

the appearance of the word "arul" (benediction?) implies only Lord Devaraja in

Kanchipuram (and this word appears only three pAsurams, Nos.8 (Keezh vAnam), No.

23 (mAri malai ..) and No. 26 (mAle maNi vaNa)).

One of my friends tells me that apart from pAsuram 19 (Undhu madha) being that

of Sri Ramanuja, most of the others are later day interpretations.

However, if it is true that these pAsurams do allude to many divya desams, I

would like to the pAsurams, the divya desams they refer to and the lines that

justify the linkage in the relevant pAsuram.

And why Akkara Vadisal on the 16th day (nAyaganAi nindra) when there is no

apparent allusion to this dish whereas it is so explicitly stated in pAsuram 27

GoodArai?

Can u pl. clarify?

Adiyen

Narasimhan Parthasarathy

Ramani Naidu <ramani19 wrote:

THIRUPPAVAI

 

AN INTRODUCTION

 

The Prabhandha literature in Tamil has certain unique aspects. Pillai

Pirabhandham is a genre in which God is considered the devotee’s child. Such an

assumption is not found in other literatures. Pavai Pirabhandham is also unique

to Tamil. The maids observing the Pavai Observance are supposed to assemble one

after the other, bathe in the pond and seek the grace of God. The drama of the

assembly, devotion and surrender to God make up the content of the Pavai

Pirabhandham. The Pavai Pirabhandham is charged with devotional essence.

 

 

 

 

 

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