Thiruppavai: Second Pasuram ( Vaiyaththu vaazhvErgaaL)

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Second Pasuram ( Vaiyaththu vaazhvErgaaL) Introduction to the Second ThiruppAvai

Paasuram In the first Paasuram , ANDAL described that Sriman NaarAyaNan ALONE is

our Saviour with the statement : "NaarAyaNaE NamakkE Parai TharuvAN" . Our

Lord's Thiruvadi was revealed by ANDAL as "PrApya PrApaka Sangraham ",the

essence of the means and the ultimate goal (PurushArtham ) for our Moksham in

the spirit of Swamy NammAzhwAr's Paasuram set in KuraL VeNNpA (KuraL Metre):

KaNNan kazahliNai-- naNNUm manamudayeer YeNNUm ThirunAmam-- tiNNam NaaraNamE

--ThiruvAimozhi: 10.5.1 (meaning): Oh People of the World

(Vyatthu-VaazhveerkAL) aspiring to reach as the Supreme goal of this life on

Earth , the sacred feet of Lord KrishNA , meditate on His most important naamam

, NaarAyaNA . Do it without fail. That meditation will be rewarded most

assuredly by Sriman NaarAyanan. In the second Paasuram ( Vaitthu VaazhveerkAL )

,ANDAL describes about what is KARTHAVYAM( to be done) and what is THYAAJYAM (

to be discarded ).ANDAL mentioned in the first paasuram , what the Lord will do

for the ChEthanams and in the second Paasuram , She lists what chEthanams should

do to qualify for His grace. The Meaning of the Second SlOkam by

Sr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan " Oh People who reside in this world! May You listen to our

austerities , which we are to follow during our Paavai Nonbhu.(We will observe

this routine). We will sing in praise of the holy feet of Paraman ( the Supreme

Purushan) that has taken to sleep (YoganidhrA) merrily on the milky ocean. We

will refrain from consuming ghee and milk (till the end of our Nonbhu). At the

early small hours of the day (dawn) , we will bathe (getting ourselves

immersed )in the river; we will refrain from applying collyrium (anjanam) to

our eyes; we will not decorate our locks of hair (lit. bind our hairs ) with

flowers; (we will abide by the holy text books (ShaasthrAs ); we will refrain

from performing proscribed duties; we will not speak painful untruth; we will

give liberally alms to those people , who seek for it and even to those , who

do not seek for it (to SanyAsis);we will always contemplate upon the fair

method to achieve the aim of

purposeful life( Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-AchArya Kaimkaryams); and we will

(thus)live a contented life . (This way , Oh dear girl, You may know our

routine). { Refraining from doing wrong acts, through the path of VairAgyA

(dispassion) one should adore the feet of KshIrAbdhisAyin (PaaRkkadaluL

paiya-thyuinRa Paramandi paadi) is what is prescribed/insisted upon in this

second paasuram)}. Kathavyam and ThyAjyam : Kaayakam, Vaachikam & Maanasam

Observances to be practised during Marghazhi Nonbhu (1)ANDL refers to

KIRISAIGAL (Observances) in this paasuram. Karthavya kirisaikaL to be performed

are of three kinds: Vaachikam , Kaayikam and Maanasam ( by one's speech , limbs

and mind).Singing /naama Sankeerthanam (paadi) is Vachika kaaryam ;taking bath

, giving alms are kaayikam kaaryams; thinking about Him (yeNNi/reflecting on Him

) is the maanasika kaaryam. (2) " aiyyamum Picchayum Andhanayum kai kaatti

UyyumARu yeNNi Uhanthu" Here the power of DhAnam (charities and giving away

wealth and time in spirit of Kaimkaryam ) is described in the context of

Marghazhi Vratham . " aiyyam " refers to samarpanams to AchAryan."Picchai"

refers to samarpaNams to SanyAsis and charities to BrahmachAris. SanyAsi can

also be an AchAryan in many cases like Srimath Azhagiya Singar ,Srimath

ANDavans , Sri VaanamAmalai Jeeyar ,Sriman NaarAyaNa Jeeyar and many other

YathivarAs. It is also said that description of BhagavAn's glories to His

BhaagavathAs is "eiyyam" and the sharing of BhagavathA's glories with the Lord

is "Picchai". "Aandhanayum Kai Kaatti UyyumARu YeNNi ": To share our wealth to

the limit of our capacity is what is intended here ("SraddhayA dhEyam" and

"asraddhayA dEyam " of Taittiriya Upanishad is the context ). "Illai yennAthu

eethalE nanRU" is the Old Tamil proverb . " arthina: prathamE tasya charamAn

paryapUrayan " is Swamy Desikan's decription of King Yathu , when it came to

giving dhAnams to the limit to those who sought them . "UyyumARu YeNNi" : Our

reason for sustenance (Ujjevanam) is immersion in the limitless , auspicious

GuNams of our Lord in the spirit of Upanishadic statement: "RasO Vai Saha"

"UyyimARu YeNNi" has also been split this way "Uyyum+aaRu+ yeNNi" and commented

upon. Uyyum means the way to Moksham . "aaRu YeNNi " means repeated reflections

on those six doctrines that Lord VaradarAjA gave to AchArya RaamAnujA through

Thirukkacchi Nampi . We seek the life of ParamaikAnthi through conductance of

our lives with these six guidelines given by Lord VaradarAja of Kaanchi to

AchArya RaamAnujA . The "aaRU " referred to by ANDAL to Her fellow gopis are

the six mangaLa vasthus for women : (1) Mettu in toes (Silver aabharanam for

the toes) (2) Valai ( bangles ) in hands (3) Nose screw (4) ThirumAngalyam or

sacred thread on the neck (5) Tilakam on the forehead and (6)Pushpam in their

hair. Acts to be discarded during the Marghazhi Nonbhu Vaachika , Kaayika ,

maanasika thyAjyams (acts to be abandoned/rejected) are :

(1)"TheekkuRalaic-chenROdhOm " ( we will not speak painful untruth and engage

in purposeless talk ) is vaachika ThyAjyam ( to be abandoned by our speech).

(2)"SeyyAthana seyyOm ": We will not think on subjects that will lead us

astray.(PraathikUlya Varjanam of SaraNAgathi anushtAnam is referred not only

here but in all thyAjyams referred to above and below ). (3) NeyyuNNOm

PaaluNNOm ": We will not consume ghee and milk , which are day to day items in

the lives of Gopis . (It is easy to reject exotic items in our lives rather

than some thing that is part of "the pleasures of daily life" ). Bhagavan Naama

Sankeerthanam takes the vratham observers's appetite away in the spirit of

ANDAL's father's (PriyAzhvAr's Paasura Vaakhyams)statements :" uNNA nALL

PasiyAvathu onRillai (NDP:438) and " nedumayAl ulahEzhum aLanthAi-- KooRai

sORivai VeNDuvathillai.." (NDP: 436). Before ,Ghee and Milk were Taarakam (

nourishment )for them ; now Bhagavan Naama SankIrthanam and Hari KathA

PaarayaNam is their Taarakam . The guidance here is : "EkAdasyAm Jaagaranam

tathA ( One has to be wide awake in following the prescriptions and the

proscriptions of EkAdasi Vratham ).Similar to observing the rites and rejecting

those that are not prescribed the Vratham is undertaken and completed. Here ,

ANDAL connects such Karthavyam and ThyAjyam to ThiruppAVai Vratham ( Nonbhu).

As additional thyAjyams , ANDAL vows that She and Her fellow observants will

not beautify themselves with flower in their hair and collyrium in their eyes (

Mai ittu yezhuthOm , Malarittu naam mudiyOm ). " SeyyAthana SeyyOm " (Avoiding

UpAya VirOdhis) ANDAL vows that during the Marghazhi Vratham , She and her

friends will avoid Saasthra-Viruddha Kaaryams ( Those five acts prohibited for

PrapannAs ): (1) Akruthya KaraNam ( Para Himsai , Para sthOthram , Para ThAra

parigruham , Para dhravya apahAram , asathya Kathanam and abhakshya BhakshaNam

/ Mental-Physical injury to others, praising human beings , coveting

other's wives, stealing other's property , telling untruth and eating items

prohibited by ShAsthrAs ). (2) Kruthya akaraNam ( Abnadoning the prescribed

duties (according to their ability ) ordained by ShAsthrAs. (3) Bhagavath

apachAram : DevathAnthara worship and equating the glory of Sriman NaarAyaNA

to other Gods , Thought that Raama-KrishNa avathArams as human births,

UpAdhAna NirUpaNam in ArchAvathaaram of our Lord, AthtmApahAram ( thinking of

Jeevan as our property and dEhAthma Brahamam , Stealing of the property of

the Lord (temple wealth set aside for His worship), taking money from those ,

who steal from BhagavAn's temples. (4) BhAgavatha apachAram: Offending the

hearts and minds of the dear devotees of our Lord. (5) asahyApachAram :

intolerance to matters relating to BhagavAn and His devotees; AchArya

apachAram . " Seyyum KirisaikaL kELIrO ": ANDAL Appeals to the fellow-gOpis in

the spirit of "Bhadram karNEbhi: SruNuyAma:" (Listen to the glories of the Lord

as an integral part of the Vratham)and asks them to observe the anushtAnams .

These listening & observances are of three kinds: (1) through Ears (2) "Through

Vaak " and (3) Through Mind. In the first paasuram , ANDAL advised us that we

should perform SaraNAgathi at our Lord's feet with the utterance of Dhvaya

manthram.Here , She points out who qualifies for such anushtAnam (observance)

and Uttara kruthyams ( the code of life after Prapatthi/ SaraNAgathi through a

SadAchAryan). Who Should we reflect upon? ANDAL points out that we should

meditate upon the Lord Sriman NaarAyaNan , who is sleeping joyously ( with

UllAsam ) in the middle of Milky Ocean ( MadhyE Ksheera PayOdhi Sesha SayanE).

That Sriman NaarAyaNan is " PARAMAN" The Greatest of the greatest One is our

Lord,who performs Yoga Nidhrai on Adhi Seshan in the midst of the Milky Ocean

reflecting on ways to come to our rescue ."Na Tath sama: Nabhyadhikasccha " (

There is none Equal to Him or Superior to Him).With Sri MahA lakshmi's

sambhandham , He shines as Param JyOthi there and becomes Parama Purushan and

purushOtthaman . ANDAL addressed us as " Vaitthu VaazhverkAL " or the

BhAgyasaalis , who got the difficult-to-obtain Nara Janmam (Human birth) to

observe the Vratham of SaraNAgathi and follow the life of PrapannA afterwards

and qualify for Nithya Kaimkaryam in the Transcendent world of Sri Vaikuntam.

Adiyen ,

Vaishnavi Sampath

 

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