/On SrI ANDAL's tiruppAvai: Book Review: Continued

[Guest guest]

/aum namO nArAyaNAya |

 

This is Part 2 of the Review of the book:

 

 

Book: /saGkat/tamiZ mAlai in (/tamiZ) by

PrapannA Tirumati Kotai Venkatapathy

192 pages + 18 pages of Introduction

Price: In India Rs. 100; in the U.S. $10.00.

 

Author &Publisher: PrapannA Tirumati Kotai Venkatapathy

Also available with (/SrI aZhagiya singar maTam (/SrI ahObila /maTam)

 

Address: Tirumati Kotai Venkatapathy

India: M 106/8, 29th Cross Street

Besant Nagar

Chennai 600 090

Ph. 4464516

E-mail: kothaiv

 

 

Address: Smt. Vishnu Venkatapathy

U.S.A. 5206 Quail Ridge Drive

Plainsboro, NJ 08536

E-mail: vishnupriya_vp

 

 

 

2. STRUCTURE OF /SrI vaishNava WORSHIP: /artha paJcakam

 

 

The /rahasya/tryam is the essence of the /vEdAhs in /SrI vaishNavism. We saw in

the previous posting how the book under review on /tirup/pAvai addresses all

three securities of /rahasya/trayam in the same order maintaining the theme of

/tiru/mantiram as a central current flowing through the 30 /pAcurams, The

relationship with the Lord being inalienable is present both here and in the

hereafter. /prapannA tirumati kOtai focuses as the main theme of her research

the request of the young girls to be in the personal service of the Lord here on

Earth now and in the many births to come. The concern for rebirth and liberation

from /samsAraH has yielded to the new /paRai: a Declaration from the Lord

Himself that the girls and others worshipping Him shall have the Blessing of

serving Him personally. The end (upEyam or /prApyam) has shifted dramatically

from Heavens, /SrI vaikuNtam or parama/padam to the Earth, this birth and the

series of rebirths to follow.

 

This shift in focus is a consequence of the way the Lord’s /avatArAHs have

evolved. In order to fully grasp the significance of the new declaration, we

have to understand what personal service to the Lord means. For this we need to

take a look at the structure of /SrI vaishNava worship. /prapannA tirumati kOdai

again and again returns to the central goal of /tirup/pAvai and /srI

vaishnavism, namely the first security ever-present in the relationship between

the /jIvAtmaH and the /param/AtmaH: “Be secure that you have an inalienable

non-dissolvable bond with Me†.

 

These structures of the relationship between the /jIv/AtmaH and the /param/AtmaH

are collectively called /artha paJcakam (Five Structures); they are classified

under five headings (Pp.33-39). They are at the core of worship in /SrI

vaishNavism. The five structures are:

 

1) /param/Atma sva/rUpam (/pAcurams 1-5: p.33): Representations of the Lord

2) /jIvAtma sva/rUpam (/pAcurams 6-15: p.35): Representations of the

/jIv/AtmaH

3) /SaraNa/gati as /upAyam (/pAcurams 16-22: p.36): Submission and Surrender

4) upEyam (/pAcurams 23-27: p.36):Means, and

5) /UZ/vinai (/pAcurams 28-30: p.36): or relationship to /prakruti. The

/UZ/vinai, for example, may act as obstacle. That is why, /SrI ANDAL sings in

/pAcuram 29: /maRRai nam kAmaGkaL mARRElOr empAvAy: Convert our tendencies for

personal pleasures to the gift of making You pleased with our service.

 

On pp. 33-38, the /prapannA authoress discusses in detail how the five

structures of the /artha paJcakam are set forth in /trup/pAvai. In a book

review, it is not possible to go over the beauty and order of the structures. I

will deal here with the second structure on /jIv/AtmaH. But before we enter into

it, we need to see the role of /tirup/pAvai in the life of /bhagavat SrI

rAmAnujaH. The connection is important to understand the significance of the

giant step that /SrI vashNavism and social reform took under /bhagavad SrI

rAmAnujaH.

 

What stands out as unique in /tirup/pAvai is the concept of fellowship. Social

participation, social reform, and social progress are the concepts that propel

/tirup/pAvai to the forefront. Item 4 of the concluding summary of /prapannA

tirumati kOtai’s research findings states: “It is shown [in this research]

how the spirit of social participation, a life of devotion, and the way of life

are set forth in the two works of /SrI AnDAL (/tirup pAvai and nAcciyAr

moZi)â€. Social dynamics and caring for our fellow beings is a major theme in

/tirup/pAvai situated appropriately within the structural framework outlined

above (P.191).

 

It is not an accident that /bhagavad SrI rAmAnujaH is called /tirup/pAvai jEEyar

(P.175). For like /SrI AnDAL he also took the Lord to one and all. The statement

by /bhagavad SrI rAmAnujaH, “Acaiy/uDayarkk/ellAm, AriyarkAL, kURUmâ€

appears on p.7 of the book. Through this command commanding his disciples,

“Take this [tirumandiram] to all those who desire itâ€, /bhagavad SrI

rAmAnujaH brought the message of /SrI vaishNavism to one and all. It is also

/em/perumAnAr who christened tirup/pAvai as /kOdOpanishat. It is also /SrI

rAmAnujaH, who named /SrI ANDAL as /pattu AZVArkaL/uTAya sAra bhUtai. That is,

/SrI ANDAL is the Being formed of the Substance of the ten /AZVArs.

/periy/AZvAr is excepted from this list of ten /AzvArs, because he was also the

/guru of /SrI ANDAL. From this, it is clear that /SrI ANDAL is unique among the

/AzvArs by virtue of the ideas and philosophy encapsulated in /tirup/pAvai.

The idea of meaningful social participation is not possible without

understanding the structure named /jIv/AtmaH sva/rUpam, the second structure in

the /artha paJcakam. The /jIv/AtmaH is not one, but many, while the /param/AtmaH

is Only One. So when we speak of the ordered pair (/param/AtmaH, /jIv/AtmaH), we

are not talking of one pair, but many pairs. Thus the form of worship must take

into account the intricate nature of this structure. Since worship is awakening

the consciousness of the dormant soul (p.35), and taking a bath is akin to

baptism of the awakened soul, the form of worship must arouse within the

individual /jIv/AtmaH, the relationship or bonds of that individual /AtmaH not

only to the /param/AtmaH, but also to other /jIv/AtmaHs. Without it, there is no

structure, as we will be studying only one pair (one /nara, /nArAyanaH) and the

many /kalyANa/guNAHs of the Lord along with perhaps some of the opposing

attributes of the individual /jIv/AtmaH, /kAmam being one of them.

How to then create a form of worship, which calls the individual soul to become

actively conscious of the other /jIv/AtmaHs? /tirup/pAvai is perhaps the only

work in the /nAlAyira divya prapantam that produces the answer to this question.

That is the claim of the /prapannaH authoress (Pp.24-29). The foundations of

social progress lie in the conscious worship of this second element of the

/artha paJcakam.

In /pAcurams 6 through 15 /SrI ANDAL brilliantly gives a structure to this form

of social worship (p.35). Singing /tirup/pAvai and participating in the

ceremonial bathing in the prescribed manner as a group produces the desired

fellowship structure. In these /pAcurams, /SrI ANDAL brings to the surface of

active consciousness ten forms of /cEtanarkaL (/jiv/AtmaHs) and calls upon three

representatives of the Lord’s Kingdom: /aiSvary/Arthi, /arth/Arthi, and

/jnAn/Arthi (P.35): One who desires the Lord’s Favors, one who prays for

meaningful wealth, and one who requests emancipating knowledge.

Moreover, the call to society cannot stand alone as a secular act. Thus this

structure involving the plurality of the /jiv/AtmAHs must necessarily follow

after a discussion of /param/AtmaH. The worship first awakens in the assembled

/jiv/AtmAHs the consciousness that each one is secure through the bonds of the

/param/Atmah to it and the many individual /jIv/AtmAHs; second, the the worship

presents the dynamics of action to reconcile the plurality into a wholesome unit

through the /paRai principle. This must be an /upAyam not just for the

individual /jIvaTmaH, but for all the /jIvAtm/AHs assembled for worship, as well

as those not assembled for the worship to whom the call for worship is extended.

Then the rewards are presented as /upEyam or /pRapyam for ONE AND ALL. Then the

obstacles and the slippery roads are posted. Thus the form of worship addresses

the five structures in a gradative organized manner, drawing upon the

consciousness of the worshipper. This /SrI ANDAL builds all the structures in an

organized manner in a mere 30 /pAcurams, where children are involved

preeminently in the singing.

The prapannA authoress thus makes a claim as to the uniqueness of /SrI ANDAL’s

/tirup/pAvai as a form of worship that places emphasis on the awakening of the

soul to society and its nature among others. In fact /Sri ANDAL devotes 5, 10,

7, 5, and 3 /pAcurams to the respective structures of the /artha paJcakam. The

maximum number is devoted to the second structure involving not only the

individual but also society, and how society is secure, when it is conscious of

the relationship expounded as /rahasya/tryam (/pAcurams 1, 28, and 29).

The above reasoning is part of the argument as to why /tirup/pAvai is

/vEdam/anaittiRkkum vittu ---- a seed to the /vEdam including the drAviDa vEdam,

/nAlAyira divyap prapandam. The /divyap prapandam forms the core in /tamiZ of

/SrI vaishNava sam/pradAyam. The principle and practice of fellowship is

fundamental to the /SrI vaishNava philosophy. For example, SrI ANDAL’s /guru

and father /SrI periy/AZvAr himself as a leading missionary of his times makes

an invitation to people to join his /kuZu (group: /periy/AZvAr tiru/moZi 3) and

/kuZam (association: /periy/AZvAr tiru/moZi 4).

/SrI ANDAL uses a classical word /saGgam for the association of fellows

(/tirup/pAvai 30). The 30 /pAcurams in /tirup/pAvai being songs sung in chorus

as part of fellowship offerings, /SrI ANDAL christens her songs as a garland

offered in public to the Lord. It is shown in Chapters 6 and 7 (Pp.40-60), how

the name /saGgat/tamiz mAlai encompasses in a single expression four major

ideas: (1) /tirup/pAvai is a seed for the /vEdAHs and in particular it is a seed

for the classical tradition of the /nAlAyira divyap prapandam; (2) /tirup/pAvai

is an offering of garland in the /tamiZ classical tradition where a garland to

the Lord is composed by flowers of songs (/nAma kIRtanai); (3) /tirup/pAvai is

an offering made to the Lord in public as part of a ceremonial gathering of

fellows in the classical tradition of /tamiZ /caGgam; (4) /tirup/pAvai is sung

as /ARRup/paDai. An ARRUp/paDai generally sings the glory of a person, and in

the process conduces to the well-being or redemption of the singer by showing

the person the path to happiness and salvation. /tirup/pAvai sings the glory of

Lord /krishNa in all His aspects and is a boon giver blessing the singer.

/prapannA tirumati kOtai uses the word /kUTTam to indicate /saGgam (/iyal 6,

pp.40, 41). Other words she cites are /kOTTi (/gOshTi: /periy/AZvAr), /kuZAGgaL

(/kurukUr saDakOpan, alias /namm/AZvAr), and the expression: /Eka svAt na

bhuJcita --- Tasty food (/bhagavd anubhavam) is not to be enjoyed as a single

person. On p. 62 and again on p.191, we see that /tirup/pAvai is an /ARRup/paDai

and is a passport to life and salvation Here on Earth and the Hereafter.

The qualifications of /tirup/pAvai for bestowing happiness here on Earth are

further supported by two lines of argument: (1) /SrI ANDAl herself is an

incarnation of /bhUmi/pirATTI --- Mother Earth (pp.11, 13); (2) /SrI ANDAL

demonstrated by personal example that “the bonds between the /jivAtmA and the

/paramAtmA are inalienable and that in order for her as jiv/ATmA to realize

these bonds explicitly, she asked the Lord for everlasting personal service to

the Lord, obtained the same, and realized the exaltation of the soulâ€. Thus

by presenting herself as a realized model for /SaraNagati, SrI ANDAL exemplifies

the carama slOkam. /tirup/pAvai then is a formula for /SaraNagati; it is /vEdam

anaittiRkkum vitt/Akum: A seed for all the /vEdAHs.

/prapannA tirumati kOtai presents further support for her findings through the

Lord’s /avatArams and His message for our /kaliyugaH, the Age of Afflictions.

We will see her argument and further applications in the next and final posting.

/vantanam.

/nalan/tarum collai nAn kaNDu koNdEn, nArAyaNA ennum nAmam.

Visu