Thiruppavai - 15th verse- How one should behave in BhAgawatha goshti- Hallmark of a Srivaishnavan -nAnEthAn Ayiduga

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SrI:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Today’s verse: 15th verse for our enjoyment…

 

ellE iLaNGkiLiyE! innam uRaNGudhiyO!

cillenRu azhaiyEnmin naNGkaimIr pOtharukinREn

vallai un katturaikaL paNtE un vaay aRithum

vallIrkaL nINGkaLE naanE thaan aayituka

ollai nI pOthaay unakkenna vERutaiyai

ellaarum pOn^thaarO pOn^thaar pOn^thu eNNikkoL

vallaanai konRaanai maaRRaarai maaRRazhikka

vallaanai maayanaip paatu ElOr empaavaay. 15.

 

This Paasuram is considered by our AchAryAs asâ€ThiruppAvayilum ThiruppAvai " .

Among the dhivya prabhandhams, Godhai's Prabhandhams are the most exalted;even

among Her two Prabhandhams, ThiruppAvai has the loftiest position. In all the

thirty paasurams of ThiruppAvai, this paasuram is the most important. Even in

this paasuram, the passageâ€naanE thaan aayiduhaâ€is the supremely important

one with depths and

depths of meaning.

 

PerukkAraNai Swamy has elaborated on the deeper meanings of

the paasurams for almost 25 pages based on the four pages

of Abhinava Desikan. We will cover the highlights of

this abiding message ofâ€naanE thAnn aayyiudahaâ€

briefly due to the restrictions of space and time.

This message can see us through many storms and

controversies that we face during our lives as

Sri VaishNavAs, when it comes to BhAgavatha daasyam,

an essential prerequisite among the codes of conduct

for a true Sri VaishNavan.

 

This paasuram unlike the otherâ€awakening Paasurams "

is set in Paraspara SamvAdham (mutual dialog )pattern/mode

to heighten the rasAnubhavam about the importance of

BhAgavatha Daasyam over Bhagavath daasyam.

 

Bhagavath daasyam is celebrated by ANDAL in

“SiRRam SiRukAlE vanthunnai sEvithtuâ€paasuram.

In theâ€ellE iLankiLiyEâ€paasuram, which precedes

theâ€siRRam siRukAlE --â€paasuram, ANDAL points

out thatâ€Bhagavath daasyathtukku ellai nilam is

BhAgavatha daasyamâ€and sings about the latter first

inâ€ellE iLankiLiyEâ€and then goes on to sing about

Bhagavath daasyam (later) inâ€SiRRam siRukAlEâ€paasuram.

 

Those who understand the importance of BhAgavath

daasyam and stay away from the unpardonable apachArams to

the servants of the Lord are very, very dear to Him.

That is why our Lord says in His upadEsam:

" Jn~Anithu aathmaivaâ€andâ€mama bhaktha bhakthEshu " .

Another utthama Sri VaishNavar wants the boon of being the Lord's

servant's servants seven times over ( Thvath Bhruthya Bhruthya--).

Swamy NammAzhwAr celebrates the importance of BhAgaavtha-

daasyam in His paasuram:â€nedumARkkadimai-- " .ThiruppANar

instructs us in this context:â€adiyArkku yennai aatpaduthtum

Vimalan " . Swamy NaammAzhwAr referred to saptha parva

daasyathvam in his paasurap pahuthi:â€adiyAr adiyAr

tamm adiyAr adiyAr-- " .

 

This concept of BhAgavatha daasyam can not be explained

successfully by upadEsam ; it can only be understood

through anushtAnam of BhAgavatha daasyam. ANDAL bleesed

us with this paasuram so that one can emulate the practise of

utthama Sri VaishnavAs. She enhances the efficency of

the instruction by setting this paasuram in theâ€Ukthi-

prakyukthiâ€(Q & A)mode. Offering our salutations to BhagavAn

as a part of the sathsangam of BhAgavathAs is the most

exalted way to worship Him ; therefore, PeriyAzhwAr

addresed the Utthama adhikAris asâ€yengaL kuzhaam

puhunthu koodu manamudayeer! " .

 

Charactrestrics of Utthama Sri Vaishnavaas

 

BhUvarAhAcchAr Swamy sums up the TEN distingushing

codes of conduct for our interaction with UtthamAdhikAris

( BhaagavathAs/BhakthAs of BhagavAn)as instructd by ANDAL

through theâ€ukthi-prayukthiâ€lines of this very important

paasuram:

 

1.â€ellE ilankiLiyE " : the implied sense is that the speech

of the devotee (BHagavathA) is most welcome.

 

2.â€innam uRangudiyO? " : it is wrong to indulge in other things

(vishayams) when the company of BhagavathAs is available.

 

3.â€chil yenRu azhayEnmin " : Not a single harsh word should be

used in conversation with BhAgavathAs.

 

4.â€nangaimeer pOdarhinREn " : BhAgavathAs should be addressed

most respectfully with utter/sincere humility.

 

5.â€Vallai un katturaigaL " : even the chastisement by

a BhAgavathA (which will always be constructive)

should be accepted gracefully.

 

6.â€ValleergaL neengaLE NAANE THAAN AAYIDUGAâ€: Owning others'

mistakes as one's own is the hallmark (LakshaNam) of

a true Sri VaishNavan. For example, BharathA holds

himself responsible for RaamA's exile to the forest.

 

7.â€ollai nee pOdhAi " : seperation form the BhAgavathAs even

for a second is unbearable.

 

8.â€unakenna vERudayaiâ€: The path laid down by one's poorvAs

need to be followed, not what is dictated by one's own mind.

 

9.â€ellArum pOndhArO pOnthAr ponthu yeNNikkoLâ€: seeing

a congregation of BhAgavathAs (and being part of that

group)is the most desired fruit in this life. The enjoyment

is not complete even if one BhAgavathA is missing.

Their sight (darsana soubhAgaym)and touch ( adorning

the dust from their sacred feet )are all vital factors

to change one's purpose in this life and acquire lasting

soubhAgyams.

 

10.â€VallAnai konRAnai mARRArai mARRazhikka vallAnai Mayanai paadu " :

Singing His ( Lord's) virtues, valour, victory and other

kalyANa guNAs are vital to a Sri VaishNavA as means of

pleasing other Sri VaishNavAs; as such, it results in

the service of BhAgavathAs( BhAgavatha daasyam), which is

the boundary limit of Bhagavath Kaimkaryam.

 

These ten golden rules are to be cherished by us says

ANDAL, the avathAram of BhUmi Devi for our ujjeevanam

(salvation)after Her own dialog on Laghu Upayam with

Her Lord BhU VarAhan to redeem us.

 

Inner Meanings according to PerukkAraNai Swamy

 

iLam KiLIyE! Oh ChEthanms, who are locked up

in the cage of SamsAram and thus

unable to spread your wings and

have sanchAram to perform Bhagavan-

mukhOllAsa Kaimkaryams!

 

innam uranguthiyO ? Oh ChEthanams, who have taken so

many births and have not succeeded in

acquiring Jn~Anam about Tatthva-Hitha-

PurushArtham from a SadAchAryan!

 

yellE! What a wonder ?Even now you can get up

and join the BhAgavatha GhOshti observing

this Paavai nOnbhu!

 

Nangaimeer As the Ones, who are enjoying the poorna

Sukham as true BhaagavathAs

 

chil yenRu Please do not address adiyEn (aparAdhi)

azhayEn in an unbearbale (asahya ) manner

 

pOtharhinREn adiyEn will awaken and engage in

sadh-vishayams( Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-

AchArya Kaimkaryams).

 

vallai unn adiyEn remembers well the stories

katturaikaL about sages Rsihyasrungar and Soubhari

pandayunn vAiaRithum heard from mahAns

 

valleerkaL neengaLE all of You have also shared these

vrutthAnthams with adiyEn.

 

naanE thAnn aayiduha adiyEn stays (however)enjoying Vishaya

Sukhams without VairAgyam

 

ollai nee pOthAi (bhAgavathAs outside say ): Oh iLam

kiLiyE! Please retain VairAgyam,

abandon the taste for vishaya sukhams

and abandon the proclivity for

the anubhavam of kaivalyam ( in favor

of Moksham).

 

yellOrum pOntharO (iLam KiLi inside): Are all the chethenams

of our Lord's world engaged in performing

kaimkaryam to Him ?

 

pOndhAr pOndhu (BhaagavathALs): Most of them knowing

yeNNikkoLL the futility and purposelessness of

chasing vishaya sukhams are engaged in

Bhagavath-BhAgavatha Kaimkaryams.Please

come out and count(see) for yourself!

 

VallAnai konRAnai (BhAgavathALs outside say): Oh iLam kiLI!

mARRazhikka VallAnai, Please sing of our Lord, who changes

Maayanaip Paadu! the world-enchnating MaayA inside us

and rules over it in our favor!

Please sing the keerthi of our Lord,

who controls the strong indhriyams that

lead us astray and reorients them to

serve Him and His BhAgavathAs!

 

adiyEn dedicates this posting to a great BhaagavathOtthma Here,

Sriman Venkat Kanumalla Swamy, who has dedicated His whole

life and property to the service of Sri RanganAthA and

Sriamth Azhagiya Singar, our ParamAchAryan.May the SaraNya

Dampahtis and our AchAryan blees him with all Kaimkarya

SoubhAgyams!

 

Our AchAryans are ourâ€nadamAdum Dhaivamsâ€and are

MaayAvis in that they transform us from the status of

nithya samsAris (Iron) to Nithya Soori(Gold) Paksham.

We become aware of our Svaroopa Nishtai by singing

about the greatness of our AchAryans and meditating

on their Taniyans.

 

[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