Thiruppavai - 23rd verse- Please look into the purpose for which we are here (and have awakened You)

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SrI:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Today’s verse: 23rd verse for our enjoyment…

 

maari malai muzhaiNYcil mannik kitan^dhu uRaNGkum *

sIriya ciNGkam aRivuRRuth thI vizhiththu *

vEri mayir poNGka eppaatum pErn^thu uthaRi *

mUri nimirn^thu muzhaNGkip puRappattup *

pOtharumaa pOlE nI pUvaippU vaNNaa * un

kOyil ninRu iNGNGanE pOn^tharuLi * kOpputaiya

seeriya siNGkaasanaththu irun^thu * yaam van^dha

kaariyam aaraayn^dhu aruL ElOr empaavaay. 23.

 

In this Paasuram, the Gopis describe the Majestic

gait of yaadhava simham KrishNa. In the previous

(angaNmA Gn~Alatthu ) paasuram, they announced their

arrival at the foot of His cot and appealed to Him

to wake up and look at them and inquire about their

mission. He obliges. Here, they salute the gambhIra Nadai

azhahu of thatâ€YasOdhai iLam singamâ€. Theâ€Suka Suptha

Paranthapanâ€( the blissfully resting scorcher of His enemies)

has now arisen and the way in which He awakens-- like a Lion

waking up in its cave during rainy season after a deep

sleep-- is movingly captured by ANDAL in this Paasuram.

 

The Connection of the 23rd Paasuram to Sri Narasimhan

 

This Paasuram is considered to be dedicated to

Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan by ANDAL.PerukkAraNai Swamy

as the Aasthaana VidhvAn of Sri Matam gives this

explanation for such a view. In the hills (caves ) of

AhObilam, MaalOlan, Sri LakshmI Narasimhan, was

in deep sleep ( mannik Kidanthu uRanginAn). He is

theâ€Seeriya SrimAnAna Singam " . He reflected on

the unfortuante lot of the poeople of Kali age

and their deep aj~nAnam and took pity on them and

had the sankalpam to bless them. Hence, He came

out of the caves of AhObilam Hills and went on

SanchAram to the villages and towns all over

BhAratha Varsham in the company of AadhivaNN SatakOpa

Jeeyar and His successors to grow the tatthva Jn~Anam

of people and to bless them with the phalan of Prapatthi

at His Thiruvadi.

 

The significance of Number 23

 

This is the 23rd paasuram. When you consider 23

as 2+3, the sum is 5. The fifth nakshathram is

Mruga Seersham or the One who has the head of

an animal (Nrusimhan).Although HayagrIvan, VarAhar

have the heads of animals, according to Vedam

( mrugOrana Bheema: kuchara: giristha:),

the Mrugaseershan referred to here is thus Nrusimhan.

The Paasuram is then about Narasimha Moorthy

showing us the Maarga Seersahm ( Talai siRantha

UpAyam), Prapatthi maargam for our salvation.

 

AchArya RaamAnujA and Lakshmi Narasimhan

 

VisishtAdvaitha Matha Pravarthakar, AchArya RaamAnujA's

aarAdhya dhaivam was Lakshmi Narasimhan.He appointed

74 peetAdhipathis and gave each of them the icon of

Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan and asked them to spread the glory

of our sampradhAyam and enhance its splendor through

AarAdhanam of Lakshmi Narasimhan. Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr

refers to this important niyamanam of AchArya RaamAnujA

this way:

 

" Valarntha VenkOpa MadangalonRAi--kizhitthavan keerthi

payir yezhunthu viLainthidum chinthai RaamAnusan " .

 

Narasimha AarAdhanai by AchAryAs

 

In all AchArya's aasthAnam, it is interesting to note

that Lord Narasimhan is worshipped ( Uduppi, SrungEri,

VaanamAmalai et al).Adi SankarA sang theâ€Lakshmi Nrusimha

KarAvalampa SthOthramâ€, when he was in deep distress.

His moving cry was like the Gajendran's cryâ€AadhimoolamE " .

 

PeriyAzhwAr and ANDAL as BhakthAs of Narasimha

 

PeriyAzhwAr was a Narasimha Bhakthar and His daughter was

also Narasimha Bhakthai.PeriyAzhwAr stated in His passuram

that he isâ€yEzhpadikkAlâ€Narasimha Bhakthan. For seven

generations, He and His family are Narasimha BhakthAs.

His daughter of the next generation is a natural Narasimha

Bhakthai.She goes on to say in VaaraNamAyiram Paasuram

dealing with Laaja Homam that Narasimhan is Achyuthan

( One who never fails in His RakshaNa vratham of His BhakthAs:

" arimuhan acchuthanâ€). ANDAL through Gopis reminds us of

the Achyutha Tatthvam of MalOlan and His aasritha PakshapAtham.

One AzhwAr saluted this Nrusimham asâ€azhahiyAn thAnE !

ariuruvan thAneâ€and Kaliyan saluted Him asâ€Nammudai

NamperumAnâ€in his Nallai nenjE paasuram.

 

ANDAL in Her 23rd Paasuram of ThiruppAvai sang about

the Vaibhavam of Nrusimhan, when She chose the words,

“Mannik Kidanthu uRangum Seeriya Singam " .

 

The literal Meaning of this Paasuram (Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan)

 

In the words of the Young girls, ANDAL describes how

the Lord should majestically come out of His chamber).

Just as the majestic lion ( Seeriya Singam) crouching in

sleep inside the mountain-cave during the rainy season,

on becoming awake, opens its fire-emititng eyes,

(looks all around as the King of beasts), sizes

vigorously the locks of hairs of its fragrant manes

standing erect, shakes itself up, gets up majestically,

comes out of the cave with a loud roar (simha Naatham),

even so,May You, the Lord of enchanting bluish hue of

KaayAmpoo flower, emerge from Your holy shrine (aasthAnam)

and come out this way--blessing us by the darsana-

soubhAgyam of Your gait --and be seated on the perfectly

suited and well-deserving throne; and then, May You kindly

look into the aim and purpose of our coming here

(and awakening You).

 

The Inner Meaning of this Paasuram: PerukkAraNai Swamy

 

Maari malai muzhanjil = Receiving the blessing of

Mannik kidanthuRungum dhivya Jn~Anam from Lakshmi-

seriya Sigham aRivuRRu Narasimhan, who is the enduring

Thee Vizhitthu principle of the rahasyams of

Vedams( Upanishads), which pour

down (knowledge about ) PuNyams

and Paapams and awakening as a

result of His dhivya anugraham

 

vEri mayir ponga = May you journey to Sri Vaikuntam

yeppAdum pErnthu to the sound of mangaLa vAdhyams!

udhaRi moori nimirnthu May You, who has not procrastinated

nee muzhanki puRappattu about the performance of your

yeppAdum povaip poo nithya karmAs, spread the glories of

VaNNA that Lord of fragrant kEsams and

supreme Buddhi VikAsam !

 

Poovaip Poo VaNNA = Oh Aathma Jn~Ani with blossomed

Jn~Anam!

 

ninn kOil ninRum = leaving from the hrudh-puNdarIkam,

whre the Lord resides

 

injn~anE pOntharuLi = and proceeding in the path shown

by AadhivAhikAs

 

kOppudaya seeriya = staying at the paryankam of

SingAthanatthirunthu the Lord at His command

 

yAmm vantha Kaariyam = Please intercede with the Lord

aarAyntharuL for us to be blessed with sarva-

vidha Kaimkaryam (nithya Kaimkaryam).

 

[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