Thiruppavai - 9th verse- mA mAyan Maadhavan- Vaikunthan

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SrI:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama

 

Dearest all

 

Today’s verse: 9th verse for our enjoyment…

 

thUmaNi maataththuc cuRRum viLakkeriyath *

thUpam kamazhath thuyilaNaimEl kaNvaLarum *

maamaan makaLE! maNikkathavam thaaL thiRavaay *

maamIr! avaLai ezhuppIrO * un makaL thaan

UmaiyO? anRic cevitO? anan^thalO? *

Emap perun^thuyil man^thirap pattaaLO? *

maamaayan maathavan vaikun^than enRenRu *

naamam palavum navinRu ElOr empaavaay. 9.

 

In the eighth paasuram , ANDAL and Gopis awakened

a Gopi, who is like a Muktha Jeevan .In the ninth

paasuram of the day , they awaken one , who is like

a nithya mukthar(JananyAchAryar).

 

Literal Meaning according to Dr.V.K.S.N. Raghavan:

(The cowherd women folk practising the Srivratham

(Paavai Nonbhu) awaken another maiden , who has self

complacency in her earnest devotion to the Lord).

Oh the daughter of our uncle! You are taking rest

and sleeping on the soft bed , while the lamps are lit

all round the dazzling hall(with inlaid gem stones )

of your mansion filled with aroma of the incense .

Please (get up) and open the lever-lock of the shining

doors (with inlaid gems ) of your chambers.( As the inside

of the chambers is apparent , these gopis could see

within the enclosure and so call the aunt ,

the mistreess of the house). Dear Aunt !Could you please

awaken your daughter? Is She dumb or deaf or exhausted

and tired out? Or has She been cursed with long spell

of sleep ? (may be , that is the reason for her sleeping

without responding to us). To awaken her from this

hypnotic sleep , (let us) recite as remedy , the numerous

names of the Lord as " God of the Supreme magical power

( MahAmAyan), the Lord of Goddess MahA Lakshmi

( Maadhavan) and Vaikuntan ( the Lord of Sri Vaikuntam).

 

Inner Meanings of this Paasuram

" MaamAn mahaLE " : Here a very subtle SaasthrArtham

is revealed . By addressing the sleeping girl as

the daughter of the uncle , dEha sambhandham

(bodily relationship as a Bandhu ) is indicated.

BandhUs are of two kinds: anukoolars and prathikoolars.

anukoola BhandhUs are supportive of Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-

AchArya Kaimkaryams .Prathikoola BhandhUs are against

such kaimkaryams and interfere with the performance of

such kaimkaryams .One has to seek the company of

the anukoola BhanthUs and reject the company of

Prathikoola BhandhUs. The Gopi who is being awakened

is an anukoola BhnadhU and hence she is awakened

with ardour.( Sri PBA Swamy)

 

" MaamAn MahaLE " : MaamAn is the SadAchAryan , who is

more important than Father, Mother and all BhandhUs.

MaamAn MahaL is the antharanga sishyan of that AchAryan

(Sri UtthamUr Swamy ) adiyEn is reminded of the relationship

of Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar as antharanga sishyan to

HH the 42nd Pattam Azhagiya Singar of blessed memory.

 

" ThoomaNi maadatthu suRRum ViLakkeriya " : Mudhal Paadham

 

ThoomaNi Maadam is the eternal, defect free , all revealing

Vedam (Nigama Soudham). " SuRRum " refers to the six angams

(limbs ) of Vedam like SeekshA et al . " ViLakku " is Jn~Anam

or UpabrumhaNams like Smruthi , PurANas that explain

the esoteric meanings of the VedAs.( Sri UtthamUr Swamy)

 

Sri PBA Swamy intreprets this first Paadham of eight

lined paasuram this way: The place from where there is

an unhindered view of the environs is called Maadam.

This is also decribed as " Praj~nA PrasAdham " by sages.

 

MaNi Maadam connotes the Maadam made luminous with

nava vidha (nava rathna) sambhandhams . These nine kinds of

relationships are: Pithru-Puthra BhAvam , sEsah-sEshi

BhAvam , Bharthru-BhAryA BhAvam, sva-SvAmi BhAvam ,

Jn~Athru-Jn~yea BhAvam , AadhAra-aadhEya BhAvam ,

Rakshya-Rakshaka BhAvam and SarirAthma BhAvam.

The intellect (consciousness) that comprehends thes

realtionships is ThoomaNi Maadam.

 

" SuRRum ViLakku Yeriya " refers to the Jn~Ana dheepams

shining in that ThoomaNi Maadam.AzhwArs have referred to

this Jn~Ana dheepam (ViLakku)often : " Jn~Anac Chudar

ViLakku yERRinEn , uytthuNar-vennum oLi koLL viLakkERRi ,

mikkAnai maRayAi virintha ViLakkai " et al. All of these

paasuram passages relate to the Sakala Saasthra Bheeja

Bhutha " AkAra Vaachyan " , Sriman NaarAyanan.For the YajamAnan

of the ThoomaNi Madam , these sublime meanings

of Moola Manthram are shining all around.

 

PerukkAranai Swamy describes the ThoomaNi Maadatthu

adhikAri as the one who has the clear comprehension of

the UpabruhmaNams of Vedam like Githai, Manu Smruthi,

Saathvika PurANams , which elaborate on the Lord saluted

by the Vedams as Akhila hEya prathyanIkan ( full of

all Utthama GuNams) amd anantha KalyANa GuNa Svaroopan

( embodiment of limitless auspicious attributes).

 

SECOND PAADHAM: " DhUpam kamazha Thyuil anai mEl

kaNN VaLarum " : Abhinava Desikan refers to three

things with respect to " DhUpam Kmazha " : (1) Jn~Anam

(2) AnushtAnam and (3) VairAgyam. This adhikAri is

resplendent with the practice of Nithya , naimitthika

KarmAnushtAnams and has dispassionate view (VairAgyam)

towards life's happenings .

 

" Thyuil aNai mEl kaNN vaLarum " : This adhikAri has

the aanandhAnubhavam of a Brahma Jn~Ani. " mEl KaNN

VaLarum " has been intrepreted by Sri PBA Swamy

as the adhikAri blessed with Jn~Ana chakshus that

is expanding day by day (mElE mElE Valarum KaNN).

 

Third Paadham : " MaamAn MahaLE ! MaNik Kathavam

ThALL thiRavAi " : The inner meaning of MaamAn MahaLE

has been covered earlier. The most precious esoteric

meanings are kept under lock and key by SadAchAryAs

until the Sadh-sishyan earnestly begs for their

Upadesam . Then , the SadAchAryan unbolts the lock of

the gem-studded door blocking that jn~Anam. PerukkAranai

Swamy intreprets the KarmAs as the lock for the door

( sarIram) hiding the AathmA (Kousthubha MaNi).

 

FOURTH AND FIFTH PAADHAMS : " MaamIr avaLai yezhuppIrO ?

Unn MahaL thaann UmayO ? anRic cheviDO? ananthalO?

PerukkAraNai Swamy identifies " MaamIr " as an address

to MahA Lakshmi ( LakshmI SambhOdhanam).

 

MaamIr also stands for AchAryAs and their AchAryAs .

The appeal is made to them to instruct this adhikAri

on Brahma Vidhyai and prepare them for kaimkaryam .

After receiving this parama MangaLa UpadEsam from

AchAryAs , the adhikAri becomes deaf , dumb and bind.

 

Sri PBA Swamy quotes a Neethi Saasthra Vachanam

in this context : " parivAdhEshu yE MookhA: ,

pathirAccha parOkthishu , pararanthrEshu jAthyAndhAs

dhairjitham bhuvana thrayam " This blessed adhikAri

benefiting from AchArya UpadEsam will be dumb when

it comes to nindhanam (criticism ) of others ,

deaf to other's blaming them , blind when it

comes to seeing the dhOshams of others

according to the above Neethi Saasthra Vaakyam .

 

" Unn mahaL thAnn ANANTHALO? " is the concluding

line of the fifth Paadham . " MahaL " is realted

by Sri PerukkAraNai Swamy as Prapannan , who

is LakshmI puthran .

 

Abhinava Desikan intreprets " ananthal " as matham

or Gharvam or IrumAppu or Justifiable pride

based on the knowledge that this Uttham adhikAri

being keenly aware of his aakinchanyam (helplessness),

ananya gathithvam ( having no one else for succor

and recourse except the Lord) and MahA VisvAsam

( Total faith in the Lord as SaraNAgatha Rakshaka

Achyuthan ).

 

SIXTH PAADHAM : " YEMA PERUM THUYIL MANTHIRAPPATTAALO? "

Are You under the spell of incantation of a Manthram ?

Are You bound still by a Manthra PrayOgam? This Utthama

adhikAri is under the spell of ashtAksharam ( SvarakshaNE

svAnvaya nivruthi nyAyam according to Sri PBA Swamy).

That AshtAkshara manthram has caused this adhikAri

" Yema Perum thuyil " as AzhwAr stated: " peyyumA

muhil pOl VaNNA ---mayyal yERRi mayakka unn mukam

MAAYA MANTHIRAM THAANN KOLO? " .

 

SEVENTH & EIGHTH PAADHAMS: " MAAMAAYAN MAADHAVAN

VAIKUNTHAN YENRENRU NAAMAM PALAVUM NAVINRU -- " .

 

PerukkAraNai Swamy has beautiful interpretations

of the word chosen by ANDAL : " MAAMAAYAN " . He gives

three intrepretatons: (1) Maa+aayan = the Big Gopa KumAran

(2)Maa+ aayan = that Gopa Kumaaran associated with

MahA Lakshmi ( Maa sabdham of MaalOlan, Maadhavan);

He is thus Sriya: Pathi (3) maa+ aayan = maa being " not "

and aayan meaning " a cowherd boy " . Our Lord is not

a Aayan (not born in the cowherd clan) but is MahA VishNu

incarnating as GopAlan for Dharma Samrakshanam .

 

" Maadhavan Vaikunthan yenrenRu naama palavum navinRu " :

EmperumAn's sankalpam makes us remember Him or forget

Him ( Mattha Smruthi: of Geethai). When the Sahasra-

Naamams of the Lord are recited , all anishtams

(inauspiciousness) are removed . AzhwAr says in

this context: " pErAyiramudayeer pEr kaNDeer

nunn mahaLai theerA nOy seythan " . His sankalpam

is behind Subham and anishtam. Hence learning about

and reciting His many Naamams (Naamam palavum naavinRu)

like MaamAyan , Maadhavan , Vaikunthan and others

gives one the parama sukham of immeresion in the blissful

ocean of Bhagavath anubhavam in a state of " anyath

kimchith karthum dhrashtum smarthum " ( not being

able to do anything , see anything or think of anything).

 

Sri PBA Swamy suggests that the naamams of " MaamAyan ,

Maadhavan , Vaikunhtan-- " will fit the SadhAchAryan

as well since AchAryan is a MaamAYan , who performs many

wonderous deeds ( alchemist who transforms Iron (us)

in to Gold through His Upadesams), Maatavan or MahA

Tapasvi ( tapa: SvAdhyAya Niratham tapasvi) and

Vaikuntan( Vaikunta-prathan , who helps us to

reach Vaikuntam through Prapatthi maargam).

 

[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