Thiruppavai - 21st verse- OoRRam udaiyaay; Periyaay! Ulahinil thORRamaay; ninRa chudaraay!

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SrI:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Today’s verse: 21st verse for our enjoyment…

 

ERRa kalaNGkaL ethir poNGki mIthaLippa *

maaRRaathE paalcoriyum vaLLal perum pacukkaL *

aaRRap pataiththaan makanE aRivuRaay *

URRam utaiyaay periyaay * ulakinil

thORRamaay ninRa cutarE thuyilezhaay *

maaRRaar unakku valitholain^thu un vaacaR kaN *

aaRRaathu van^thu un ati paNiyumaa pOlE *

pORRi yaam van^thOm pukazhn^thu ElOr empaavaay. 21.

 

In this paasuram, Gopis enjoy the sight of

“NandhagOpAlan MarumahaL, Gandham kamazhum Kuzhali, panthAr-

Viraliâ€coming and opening theâ€MaNikkathavamâ€of Her bed

chambers with Herâ€SenthAmaraik Kaiâ€and with the accompanimnet

of the mangala dhvani of Herâ€SeerAr VaLaiâ€sunAdham.

 

Nappinnai aligned Herself to the side of the Gopis and

identified Herself as one of their own group and explained

to them that She was not being indifferent to their earlier

appeals. She pointed out that She was waiting for the right

timing ro advocate their cause to Her Lord. The joyous Gopis

eulogize the Lord with heightened vigor and recognize the Lord

of their desire asâ€OoRRamudayAi, PeriyAi, Ulahinil

ThORRamAi ninRa SudarEâ€.They recognize Him asâ€Dhruda-tara

PramANa Siddhanâ€( One who is comprehended with the help of

the powerful VedA pramANams). They wake up the Lord along

with Nappinnai with this praise-laden appeal:

 

“Aasritha VishayE abhinivEsa Saalin, Mahathva guNa saalin,

lOka prakAsamAna JyOthirmaya-vigraha yuktha ! Jaagruhiâ€

( Sri Upanishad BhAshyaArar's translation of Paasuram passage:

“OoRRamudayAi PeriyAi, Ulahinil ThORRamAi ninRa SudarE " ).

 

The JyOthirmaya Vigraha-Yukthann shining as Param JyOthi and

Svayam JyOthi ( Ulahil ThORRamAi ninRa Sudar) is recognized as

the Supreme One, even while He appears among the Gopis and

GopAs as a ManushyAvathAran ( ManushyathvE Parathvam).

 

Literal Meaning of the 21st Paasuram (Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan)

(In the strain of a true heroine's singing the praise of

her hero, the young girls give expression to their humble

prayer):â€Oh Lord, Kindly get up; You are the son of

Lord NandhagOpan, who is the owner of innumerable,

generous and big cows that pour forth, incessantly,

copious milk into the vessels, kept (below their udder)

in quick succession, so that in a trice, these vessels

are filled up (and) are overflowing.Oh Lord, who is

very much attached to us ! Oh Supreme One! The effulgent

streak of light arisen in this World ! Be pleased to rise up.

Just as Your enemies come to You, in front of Your house,

even so we have come to You singing Your praise and proclaiming

Your greatness.( Kindly lend Your ears and fulfil our prayerful

requests).

 

The Inner Meanings of this glorious Paasuram (Sri PBA Swamy)

Sri PBA Swamy identifies the theme of this paasuram

as the blessed relationship between SadAchAryan and

Sadh-sishyan described by Swamy Desikan in His NyAya Vimsathi

SlOkams (“Sidhdam SathsampradhAyEâ€dealing with

AchArya LakshaNam andâ€Sadhbudhdi: Saadhu sEviâ€dealing with

the Sadh-sishya LakshaNam).PBA Swamy identifies

EmperumAnAr as that SadhAchAryan and KooratthAzhwAn,

Mudali AaNDAn, EmpAr and KuruhaippirAn as Sathsishyans.

These mahAns are Sishya Lakshana SampannarkaL ( Fully

endowed with the ideals of a great sishyan of

a SadAchAryan).These Utthama sishyAls are

“AchAryaadhisaya prabhAvasaalisâ€( the great

disciples, who are the cause for the wonderment

of the SadAchAryan himself due to their (Sath-SishyA's)

extraordinary intellect and skills to absorb and

develop the upadEsams and Sri Sookthis of the SadachAryan

to raise aloft the vijaya dhvajam of the Sath SampradhAyam

without any distortions.

 

Sri PBA Swamy covers further the theme of PoorvAchAryAs

that Swamy AaLavanthAr is the creator of theseâ€VaLLal Perum

PasukkaLâ€the five AchAryAs for Swamy RaamAnujA to gain

the title ofâ€Pancha-AchArya PadhAsrithar " . These five AchAryAs

raised (created well:â€AaRRap PadaitthAN)) by Swamy AaLavanthAr

are: Periya Nampi,Thirumalai Nampi, ThirukkOttiUr Nampi

and ThirumAlai AaNDAn.â€AaRRap PadaitthAn Mahanâ€is identified

with AchArya RaamAnujA in this nirvAham.

 

“MaaRRAthE Paal sorium VaLLal Perum PasukkaLâ€passage

refers to the Sath-Sishyans pouring out their anubhavam of

the anantha KalyANa GuNams of the dhivya dampathis in

a manner consistent with their poorvAchArya Upadesams.

These Sath-sishyAs reverence for the Sri Sookthis and

intrepretations of the PoorvAchAryAs is demonstrated through

the strictest way in which they propagate them without

changing them even an iota for the next generation

sath-sishya paramparai.

 

AchArya RaamAnujA " s introduction to Sri BhAshyam

while stating his approach is a classical example of

such strict and deliberate adherence to the poorvAchArya's

well honed commentaries:â€Bhagavath BhOdhAyana-Kruthaam,

VistheerNAm, Brahma Soothra Vrutthim, PoorvAchAryA:

Sanchikshipu:, TannmathAnusArENa SoothrAksharANi

VyAkyAsyanthEâ€. It is not allowed to intrepret the holy

tatthvams according to one's own will.â€MaaRRAthEâ€here

meansâ€NishkrushtamAna poruLai nilai kulayAme solluthal " .

" MaaRRAthEâ€also meansâ€YEmARRAthEâ€( not cheating/vnachitthal).

Without Vipralipsai ( the thought of injecting views

not sustained by PramANams due to the human dhOshams of

Brahmam, pramAtham and ego ).

 

“Paal Soriyumâ€stands for the suddha artham like

the white hue of milk given byâ€VaLLal Perum PasukkaL

( SadAchAryAs).These great VaLLals holding AchArya

Padhavi were Sath-sishyAs before of otherâ€VallaL

Perum pasukkaL " . Many generations are thus maintained

in the SadAchArya SampradhAyam.In this 21st paasuram,

four generations of AchArya-SishyA lineage is hinted:

 

(1)The first talaimuRai isâ€yERRak KalangaL "

(2)The second talaimuRai isâ€VaLLal Perum PasukkaL "

(3)The third talaimuRai isâ€AaRRap PadaitthAnâ€

(4) The fourth talaimuRai isâ€MahanE " ( AchArya RaamAnujA).

 

" MaaRRAr unakku vali tholainthu unn vaasark kaNN aaRRAthu

vanthu Unnadi paNIyumAp pOlEâ€: MaaRRAr means those, who

had strong differences of opinion with Sath-SampradhAyam

at one point in their lives. These are mathAntharasthars,

who misintrepreted the PramANams, PramEyams and PramAthA.

They were defeated in fair debates later and sought the refuge

of the AchAryAs, whom they opposed ( Yaadhava PrakAsar,

Yaj~na Moorthy et al). Some were jealous ones, who opposed

SadAchAryaas although they belonged to the same Parama-

Vaidhika Sri vaishNav SampradhAyam ( KanthAdai ThOzhappar,

Naduvil Thiruveethi PiLlai et al).The importance of

the change in mind states of former dhvEshis and prathikoolars

is referred to here as being better than the adhvEshis/abhimAnis

and anukoolars flocking to the door steps of the Lord ( just

like the adoring Gopis at Nandha Bhavanam).

 

Inner Meanings: Anubhabvam by PerukkAraNai Swamy

" OoRRamudayAi " : The Lord, who is magnanimous in

forgiving the dhOshams of the one surrenders to Him,

even if he had committed aparAdhams earlier. Our Lord

is intense on removing these dhOshams.He is theâ€PeriyAi "

or the Supreme one towering over all since He has

the rare combination of DayA and Sakthi.Without the

combination of DayA and Sakthi, all efforts at rakshaNam

will be unfruitful.Just having DayA or Sakthi alone

wont do so much good for a Rakshakan.

 

" Ulahinil thORRamAi ninRaâ€: PerumAL's avathAram as

RaamA and KrishNA experienced with human eyes

during their VibhavAvatharams is referred to here

( sakala manuja Nayana vishayathAm gatha:

(PaarthasArathy = naam paartha-Saarathy ).

 

Vedam declares,â€Sa U srEyAn Bhaavthi JaayamAna: " .

" Uâ€here stands for AvathAranam saluted by AazhwArs

“nilavarambil PALA PIRAPPAIâ€,â€YenninRa YoniyumAi

PIRANTHAAI " .The five states ( " avathArams " /manifestations)

of the Lord are also described here:

 

(1)â€OoRamudayAiâ€is linked to Para VasudEvan desirous

of creating the beings of the world (Jagath Srushti).

 

(2)â€PeriyAiâ€is connected to VyUha roopa EmperumAn.

 

(3)â€Ulahinilâ€stands for the Vibhava avathArams

like RaamA and KrishNA.

 

(4)â€NinRaâ€refers to His standing steadily as

ArchAvathAran at dhivya dEsams amidst us.

 

(5)â€SudarEâ€means the JyOthi Svaroopa Roopam

inside us as antharyAmi Brahmam.

 

" MaaRRAr " : We have abndoned all loukika, Vaidhika

Chathrus (enemies /prathikoolars) such as dEhAthma abhimAnam,

SvAtantriya abhimAnam,anya Seshathva abhimAnam and attachmment

to bandhus and sought You alone as UpAyam in the context of

our adherence to the doctrine of Your nirupAdhika sEshathvam

(our unconditional status as Your Servants ).

 

“MaaRRAr Vali tholainthu unn Vaasark KaNN " : We the Gopis,

who had ego earlier about our physical beauty have been

defeated by Your dhivya Soundharyam and KalyANa GuNams

and have now sought refuge at Your lotus feet in all humility.

 

" adi paNiyumAp pOlEâ€: just as Your enemies fall at Your

feet after being defeated by Your arrows, we have fallen

at Your feet after being defeated by Your KalyANa guNams.

 

" pORRIyOM VanthOm " : We have come to Your door steps singing

Your glories just as PallANDU renderer. We have arrived in

a state of celebration hailing Your Soulabhyam and Soundharyam.

 

The stage is set for them (Gopis)to approach the foot of

the Lord's bed (paLLik Kattil Keezh) as the ones free from

ahankAra dhOshams of any kind ( abhimAnabhnagars). Thus begins

the next paasuram for theSRI VAIKUNTA EKADASI DAY of tomorrow,

“ankaNNmAgyAlatthu arasar abhimAna bangamAI... " .

 

[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