Thiruppavai - 18th verse- PiraaTTi and PerumAL - Eka sEshithvam- explained in this verse

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SrI:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Today’s verse: 18th verse for our enjoyment…

 

un^thu mathakaLiRRan Otaatha thOL valiyan

nan^thakOpaalan marumakaLE nappinnaay

kan^tham kamazhum kuzhali katai thiRavaay

van^thu eNGkum kOzhi azhaiththana kaaN maathavip

pan^thal mEl palkaal kuyilinaNGkaL kUvina kaaN

pan^thaar virali un maiththunan pEr paatac

cen^thaamaraik kaiyaal cIraar vaLai olippa

van^thu thiRavaay makizhn^thu ElOr empaavaay. 18.

 

In this Paasuram, an esoteric doctrine of Sri Vaishnavism is included. According

to this doctrine, the Lord and Sri Devi are inseparable and they serve together

as UpAyam (means) and UpEyam (Ultimate goal).This fundamental doctrine is known

as â€Yeka Seshithvam " . With this in mind,

ANDAL wakes up Goddess Nappinnai, the consort of the Lord now

and appeals to Her.

 

Literal meaning of the Paasuram

 

Oh daughter-in-law of King NandagOpA, who has the proud

gait of elephants and who is known for His valiant

shoulders with invincible strength (that he would

never leave a battle field without victory).

Oh Nappinnai with enchanting fragrant black tresses !

Kindly unlock Your door. Hearken, the cocks have awakened

now everywhere and are making loud noises. Hearken, even

the group of cuckoos, sitting on the bower of Maadhavi

(Kurukkatthi) flowers, have cooed gently many times.

Oh Young Lady holding the sporting ball with Your fingers

as BhOgOpakaraNam ! As we wish to sing about Your Lord's

names, please come with joy and open the door with Your

red lotus-like soft hands, which create a pleasant sound

(sunAdham)from the movement of Your bracelets adorning

Your forearms.(This is the famous Paasuram associated

with AchAryA RaamAnujA's swoon, when he identified

AthtuzhAi, the daughter of his AchAryAn, with Nappinnai,

when she(Atthuzhai) opened the door of her house with

jangling bangles to offer Bikshai to RamanujA).

 

Inner meanings according to Abhinava Desikan

 

In our AarAdhanam, we awaken (invoke) AchAryan

and Ananatha-Garuda-VishvaksEnar (nithyasooris)

first and then awaken PirAtti. Here through

the awakening of Nappinnai, all the three parties

are awakened.

 

In KrishNavathAram, until the time of the Lord's

residence in Gokulam, Nappinai PirAtti was PradhAnam

(chief wife)and enjoyed the andharangam of the Lord.

Nappinnai is the incarnation of NeeLA dEvi.Therefore,

the Gopis approach Nappinnai seeking her intercession

(PurushakAram).Without PurushakAram of PirAtti, Saasthrams

say that one should not approach BhagavAn. Even PirAtti would

not intervene unless that the chEthanam has sath sahavAsam

and SadAchArya sambhandham.Therefore as poorvAngam

(preliminaries), the Gopis related to the gate keepers,

and NandhagOpan. Nappinai's close relative is NandhagOpan.

Therefore, the Gopis address Napinnai cleverly as

“NandhagOpAlan MarumahaLEâ€here.

 

NandhagOpan's Isvaryam is indicated withâ€Unthu mathakaLiRRin

OdAtha ThOlvaliyanâ€in this paasuram. Besides his wealth of

cattle, NandagOpAlan is known for the herd of elephants

befitting his role as the king of GopAs. His Bhuja bala

parakramam is also indicated by the reference to

the elephants in rut, which NandhagOpan is able to

subjugate.

 

Inner Meanings by PerukkAraNai Swamy

 

Here the PrAdhAnyam of PurushakAra BhUthai,Nappinnai

is saluted.

 

" vanthengum KOZHI azhaitthana KaaNNâ€: The reference to

kOzhi (Cock) is a reference to one of the Vaishnava LakshaNams.

VaishNavAs are said to be likeâ€(1)Kokku(Crane),

(2)kOzhi,(3) Uppu (salt) and(4) Oomai (dumb). In the case of

kOzhi, it wakes up in the morning and wakes others up

by crowing three times. The reasons for crowing thrice

are given as: (1) to remind us about thrikAla sandhyAvandhanam

(2)To remind us about the japam of three rahasyams: Thirumanthiram,

Dhvayam and charama slOkam (3) to remind us that: We need

the three lakshaNams:BrAmanathvam,VaishNavathvam and

Prapannathvam.

 

kOzhi also stirs up the dirt and picks the essentials

and discards the rest(kuppai kiLaruthal).It is hence

a Saara-grAhi.

 

Inner Meanings of Individual passages

 

 

Unthu madha KaLLiRRIn One who has got Ubhaya VibhUthi

and therefore does not pay heed to

others

 

OdAtha thOL valiyan One with unobstructed sankalpam

 

NandhagOpAlan Oh MahA Lakshmi,who embraces

marumahaLE that Lord of Ubhaya VibhUthi

and unobstructed sankalpam !

 

ghandham kamazhum Please banish the obstacles that

Kuzhali kadai stand in the way of attaining

Kesavan (Your Lord of fragrant

tresses).Please remove our sins

and sayâ€asthu tE dayaiva sarvam

sampathsyathe "

 

kOzhi vanthu SaaragrAhis like us (like kOzhi)

yengum azhaitthana are going everywhere you are

kANN and performing our prapatthi.

Please take note of this.

 

Maadhavi pandhal Valmiki, Sukhar and other sages

mEl pal kaal kuyil are sitting on the VedAntha SaakhAs

Koovina KaaNN and are singing Your Lord's glories

 

panthAr virali unn For converting us, who are like

maitthunar pEr paaDa instruments of play (LeelOpakaranam)

for Him into bhOgOpakaraNam for Him

 

senthAmarai olippa please create sunAdhams (auspicious

dhvani) from the ornaments that You

are wearing

 

Vanthu thiRavAi and remove the anger of Your Lord

at us!

 

[Extracted from Sri Satakopan swami’s translation of exhaustive Tamil

commentary on Thiruppavai by Sri U Ve PerukaraNai Swami]

 

Andal Thiruvadigale saraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan