Part 9: "There is Salvation in numbers" - The Theme of "satsangh" in TiruppAvai

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Dear friends,

 

(9) "mA mAyan mAdhavan vaikuntam en enru nAmam palavUm

navinnru…"

 

There are several modes of worship in which a

"satsangh" engages but nothing gives it more enjoyment

than the singing of "bhagavan-nAmA", the sacred names

of God… such as "mAmAyan", "mAdhavan", "vaikuntan".

 

The "nAmA" of God are many -- there are 1000 in the

Vishnu-Sahasranama, another 1000 in the

"garuda-purAna". And many more in other texts and

passages of the scriptures like the 'sruti', 'smriti'

and 'purANA'. The word "palavUm" means refers to those

innumerable names of God.

 

The word "navinnru" means 'delectation', 'to whet

one's appetite', 'to ravish'… There is sheer

delectation in singing the "nAmA" of God. The question

is, hence, whose "delectation"? Whose "delight"? God's

or the 'satsangh's'? The answer is both...

i.e."parasparam".

 

In the stillness of the night a mother, lovingly

cradling her infant in her arms, sings a soft lullaby

to put it to sleep. Whose delight is greater -- the

mother's or the baby's? Difficult to say, isn’t it?

The 'namA' of God too is similarly "twice-blessed" --

for it blesseth them that sing it, and blesseth Him

for the sake of whom it is sung. And it is never

really ascertainable whose blessedness is greater.

 

(The foremost among the mystic AzhwArs, Peria-AzhwAr

sung a mother's lullabies to put the child Krishna,

Lord of the Worlds, to bed. The lullabies, wherein the

"nAmA" of God are plentifully interspersed, form an

exceptionally endearing collection of songs in the

sacred 4000 Divya-Prabhandham known as "tAlAttu".

Reading those wonderful lyrics we are often left

imagining who really derived more delight out of them

-- the AzhwAr himself or the Lord!)

 

There is thus, if we notice it, the suggestion of a

strong element of "parasparam" or strong mutuality

here between God and 'satsangh' whenever and wherever

"bhagavan-nAma" is sung or recited.

 

(10) "nAtra tUzhaay mudi nArAyaNan nammAl pOtra parai

tarUm punniyanAL.."

 

What is the purpose behind singing the 'nAmA' of

NarAyAna? The members of AndAl's "satsangh" -- the

girls of the "aayarpAdi" village -- give their answer

by saying "nammAl pOtra…" in this verse.

 

(Later in stanza 21 too, through another expression

"pOtri-yAm vandhu pUgUzhndhu…" they reiterate the same

idea of "pOtri, pOtri" and in Stanza 24 the girls all

break out ecstatically into a full-fledged,

full-throated song of "pOtri, pOtri".)

 

The Tamil "pOtri" is the equivalent of "Hail to Thee!

Victory to Thee!" The term, in one part, is a blessing

wished upon God and, in the other, an ardent prayer

that His will should ever prevail.

 

A 'satsangh' is wholly made up of 'pure-minded' souls

(as explained earlier in Stanzas 5 and 16 vide

"tUyOmaay vandOm.." above) and the pure-minded are

otherwise also known as 'sAdhu-s'. The blessing of

Victory upon God -- "pOtri", "pOtri" -- serves to

keep the Almighty constantly reminded of his sworn and

primary duty towards the 'sAdhu-s' of the world and

which He proclaimed Himself in the Bhagavath-Gita:

 

"paritrANAya sAdhUnaam

vinAshAya cha dushkrutAm

dharma-samstApAna-arthAya

sambhavama yUgE yUgE!"

 

"In every age, from time to time,

I descend upon the world of men

To defeat Evil --

But, more importantly --

For the sake of protecting

The 'sAdhu-s' of the world!

 

In the 'satsangh's' collective cry of "pOtri, pOtri",

thus, there is the individual 'sAdhu's' expression of

faith... The unshakeable and all-abiding faith that

the Will of God shall ever prevail upon earth, that

Good shall win over Evil and that it is the 'sAdhu-s'

of the world who shall ultimately inherit the world…

 

***********

(to be continued)

 

Regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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