Thiruppavai - 20th verse- muppatthu moovar amarakku munchenRu kappam thavirkkum kaliyE!

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

Today’s verse is the 20th verse. Let us continue to enjoy the wonderful

commentary of His Holiness Srimath Paravakkottai Andavan of Sri Poundarikapuram

Swami ashramam, Srirangam – translated into English by Sri CG Balaji Swami.

 

muppaththu mUvar amararkku mun cenRu *

kappam thavirkkum kaliyE thuyilezhaay *

ceppam utaiyaay thiRal utaiyaay * ceRRaarkku

veppam kotukkum vimalaa thuyilezhaay *

ceppenna menmulaic cevvaayc ciRu maruNGkul *

nappinnai naNGkaay thiruvE thuyilezhaay *

ukkamum thattoLiyum than^thu un maNaaLanai *

ippOthE emmai nIraattu ElOr empaavaay. 20.

 

This psalm and the previous psalm propagate that the Lord

and His consort need to be upheld together as our final objects of

adoration and attainment. In the previous verse, Andal and her

maids plead to Nappinnai and remind her that it is her essential

nature to act as the intermediary between the Lord and His

subjects and that she should have helped them in that direction.

They further blame her for not even showing a bit of compassion, if

not for helping them.

 

Nappinnai on the other hand was trying to learn the Lord's

volition and was waiting for a choice moment to forward this plead

to Kannan. Being unaware of this and thinking that Nappinnai was

indignant towards them, they again set out to awaken Kannan.

 

Muppatthu moovar amararkku munchenRu kappam thavirkkum kaliyE! Thuyilezhaay!

Eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas and two Ashwini kumarars. This is the

classification of the 33 crore celestials.

 

You save these celestials by taking various incarnations. When the

celestials were tormented heavily by the demon Hiranyakashipu,

you heeded to their pleas and took the incarnation of Nrusimhan

and brought an end to the evil demon, thereby securing peace for

the celestials. When you heard the words " Narayana! Oh

Manivanna! Naaganaiyaay " from the elephant that was in the

clutches of the mighty crocodile, then you hurried to its rescue

even without informing your consort. You killed the vile crocodile

and protected the elephant.

 

You have engaged yourself busily in protecting countless

celestials. That being so, is it difficult for you to heed to our pleas

who are so small in number and who have come to your doorstep

craving for your protection? Moreover the celestials live an undying

life. But we would cease to exist if not for your grace. The celestials

supplicate to you only for material pleasures and pursuits. We on

the other hand do not desire any material fruits. We seek you alone

as our sole object of attainment and have been observing this

nombu ritual for the past nineteen days and have been staying at

your doorstep eagerly awaiting your grace. Could you not speak a

word to us?

 

kaliyE thuyilezhAy - Unlike the celestials who sought you only

to have their lives and kingdom that they had lost to Bali,

reinstated, we seek only the benevolent and benign glances of

grace from your lotus like eyes on us.

 

Seppamudaiyaay - Cheppam means protection. Sri Rama, as per

the phrase " rakshithA jeevalOkasya " pursued the general path of protecting one

and all. He also pursued a specific path of righteousness as per the phrase "

swajanasya rakshitA " and protected everyone who belonged to him. Why don't you

at least follow Rama and pursue at least the path of protecting us who belong to

you.

 

ThiRaludaiyaay! - You have in you the power and strength that

protected the Pandavas from every possible danger from their

enemies.

 

seRRArrkku veppam kodukkum vimalaa! Thuyilezhaay! You are known to have bestowed

punishment to those who torment your devotees. But, this act of yours has

inflicted punishments on your own devotees for no fault of theirs. Why this

delay my Lord in

blessing us with your grace?

 

When all these words failed to get any favourable response

from Kannan in terms of waking Him up and making Him speak,

they again plead unto Nappinnai their go-between and the consort

of the Lord as well.

 

Seppenna menmulai sevvay siRumarungul nappinnai nangAy! ThiruvE! Thuyilezhaay!

Oh Nappinnai, the consort of the Lord who holds the heart of the Lord with Her

always, who is the most beautiful in the universe and who owns the magnificent

of features,

pray you wake up and protect us craving souls. You need not be

like Sita Piratti, who, for the sake of sub-servients, stayed in

confinement for ten months without sleep and underwent lot of

torments. It is sufficient if you just wake up and bless us with your

benign glances.

 

Nappinnai now asks as to what should she be doing once she

wakes up.

 

ukkamum thattoLyum thandhu un maNALanai - Oh Nappinnai,

bring with you the articles for ritual observances like fan, mirror

and your beloved Lord who performs according to the dancing

stalks of your eyebrows.

 

ippOdhE emmai neerAttu - The throngs of separation have

withered us totally. We pray you to give us an auspicious shower

along with Kannan.

 

Though Sita was very dear to Sri Rama, He loved her more for

the fact that Dasharatha had overseen Her marriage to Him.

Likewise, though Kannan was of exquisite beauty and grace, the

Gopis loved him more for the fact that He was bestowed to them by

His consort Nappinnai.

 

No matter who tries to dissuade, the Lord always rescues

those who have performed Sharanagathi at His lotus feet. If the

dissuaders are enemies, He punishes them for their offence and if

they are friends, He makes them assent to his volition taking them

into His fold. This is the hidden purport of this verse.

 

Andal ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan