MahA VidvAn ChakravarthyAchAryAr Swamy's ThiruppAvai monograph excerpts: Part II

[Guest guest]

SriamthE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear ANDAL BhakthAs:

 

We will cover two topics in this and

the subsequent posting to which Swamy invites

our attention :

 

1) The Importance of Hari Naama SankIrthanam

revealed by the Sri Haryashtakam of Bhaktha-

PrahlAdan dear to MalOlan .

 

2) VarNanai of the limbs of the Lord and

the girls (Bhakthais) of AaypADi in

the various paasurams of ThiruppAvai.

 

" Swamy gives us the references to where these

are found in ANDAL's ThiruppAvai .( It is

well accepted that ThiruppAvai contains

an ocean of items ranging from artha panchakam

to the glories of Naama sankIrthanam..Earlier

articles archived in Bhakthi list during

the occasion of a previous ThiruppAvai season cover

these topics (1996 December 1996-Jaunuary 1997 ) " ...V.S

 

ANDAL is Sri Devi's amsAvathaaram. Sri Devi incarnated

in the form of SeethA and performed upadEsam to

people of this earth on Tatthvams. Out of Her

DayA and KshAnthi (forbearance) , She performed

upadesam even for RaavaNan , who had committed mahA-

aparAdhams to Her. RaavaNan did not pay

attention to Her Upadesam , but in his next

birth as SisupAlan , he got himself redeemed

according to Swamy Desikan. ANDAL is the amsam

of Periya PirAtti , who nourished the jeevans with

the milk of Jn~Anam and fulfilled Her duties by

becoming AchAryai to one and all including Her Lord.

Through Her ThiruppAvai Prabhandham , She

showed the way for us to reach Her Lord .

 

Swamy says that ANDAL showed the people

of Kali yugam that Hari Naama SankIrthanam is

the prime upAyam leading upto the anushtAnam

of Prapatthi at Her Lord's feet to gain Moksham.

 

In this posting we will cover the glory of Hari

Naama Sankeerthanam , where we seek Sri Hari Lakshmi

SamEtha Sriman NaarAyaNan as our Sarva Rakshakan

as revealed by ANDAL .

 

In a subsequent post , we will reflect on

the Manthram of ThiruppAvai serving as

an omnipotent Hari Kavacham for us all

in the spirit of Sri Sudarsana Kavacham

and DwAdasa Naama SthOthram (PurasthAth

Kesava: Paathu--).

 

Hari Naama SankIrthanam

************************

ANDAL recorded this UpadEsam on the importance of

Hari Naama Sankeerthanam in many of Her

ThiruppAvai Paasuram sections as indicated

by U.Ve. MahA VidwAn ChakravarthyAcchAr Swamy :

 

1. Paiyyat-thuyinRa Paramandi PAADI ( Paasuram 2 )

 

2. Ongi Ulahalantha Utthaman pEr PAADI ( Paasuram 3 )

 

3. ThUmalar thoovi Thozhuthu ,VaayinAl PAADI ( Paasuram 5 )

 

4. Kesavanaip PAADAVUM ( Paasuram 7 )

 

5. PAADIP-PaRaikoNdu (Paasuram 8 )

 

6. Muhil VaNNan pEr PAADA (Paasuram 11)

 

7. ManattukkiniyAnaip PAADAVUM (Paasuram 12)

 

8. KiLLIk KiLainthAnai Keerthimai PAADI ( Paasuram 13)

 

9. Pankayak KaNNanaip PAADELorempAvAi ( Paasueam 14)

 

10. maaRRazhikka VallAnai, Maayanaip PAADA ( Paasuram 15)

 

11. ThUyOmAi VanthOm , Thuyilezahap PAADUVAAN (Paasuram 16)

 

12. Thirutthaka selvamum Sevakamum Yaam PAADI( Paasuram 25)

 

13. Unthannaip PAADI PaRaikoNDu ( Paasuram 27)

 

14. MeLLa ezhunthu HariyenRa pEraravam ( Paasuram 6).

 

( The inner meaning of the Hari Naama SankIrthanam is identified

with PrArthanA-Poorvaka Bhara SamarpaNam--V.S)

 

This is an appropriate stage to introduce the 8 slOkams

(without the 2 Phala Sruthi SlOkams) of Bhaktha PrahlAdan

known as Sri Hari Ashtakam :

 

BraahmE MuhUrtthE SamprApthE NidhrAm thyakthvA Prasanna dhee:

Hari: Hari: Haririthi vyAharEth VaishNava PumAn --(1)

 

When the dawn (Brahma MuhUrtham dear to the devAs)

arrives , the VaishNava SrimAn should cast sleep

aside and with awakened mind recite the name of

Hari seven times.

 

HarirHaririthi PaapAni Dhushta chitthairapi smrutha:

anicchayApi samsprashta: dahathyEvahi paavaka:--(2)

 

Even if is one of mean mind , their paapams are

burnt completely by reciting the name of Hari ,

just as the fire burns anyone even if they

touched it by accident .

 

Sa GangA Sa GayA Sethu Sa Kaasi Sa Pushkara:

JihvAgrE vardhathE yasya Haririthyakshara dhvayam--(3)

 

For the One , who grows ( recites repeatedly )

the twin lettered name of Hari ( Ha plus Ri as

the two aksharams ) ,He is the equivalent in sacrednes

to GangA , GayA , Raama Sethu , Kaasi , and Pushkaram

lake .

 

GavAm kOti sahsrANi Hema kanyA sahasrakam

Dhaattham syAth tEna yEnOktham Haririthyakshara dhvyam--(4)

 

The recital of the twin letterd Hari Naamam is

equivalent to the puNyam arising from the dhAnam

of crores of Milk Cows or thousands of golden

kanyAs in marriage .

 

VaaraNAsyAm Kuru KshEthrE NaimisAraNya yEva cha

Dhattham syAth tEna yEnOktham Haririthi akshara dhvyam--(5)

 

The equivalence of the puNyam obtained by giving

dhAnam in Kaasi ,KurukshEthram and NaimisAraNyam

is realized by the utterance (singing) of the name

of Hari made up of two aksharams.

 

RgvEdhO Yajur vEdho Saama vEdhoapyadharvaNa:

athIthasthEna yEnOktham Haririthi akshara dhvyam--(6)

 

The recital of the twin-lettered name , Hari

is greater in sacredness than Rg , Yajus ,

Saama and Atharva Vedhams.

 

asvamEdhai: MahA Yaj~nai: VaajabhEya: SadakshiNai:

Ishtam syAth tEna yEnOkktham Haririthi akshara dhvayam--(7)

 

The fruits arising from the singing of the name Hari

will yield fruits far greater than those obtained

from the performance of great yaj~nams like AsvamEdham,

VaajabhEyam et al with appropriate dakshiNais to

the priests.

 

PruthIvyAm yaani theerthANi PuNyAnyA dhanAni cha

Thaani sarrvANyasEshANi Haririthyakshara DHVAYAM--(8)

 

What ever sacred waters,puNyams and wealth etc there

is in this earth , they are all the twin letterd

name of Hari(i-e) they derive their sacredness

from the power of the name of the Lord , Hari.

 

( THE ENDING OF THESE SLOKAMS WITH THE WORD DHVAYAM

IS NO ACCIDENT IN ADIYEN'S OPINION-V.S)

 

Thus ends the Hari Ashtakam revealed to us by

Bhaktha PrahlAdhan as he understood it from

Sage NaaradhA ( translations are by adiyEn and hence

any mistakes there are mine alone).

 

Additional Observations by V.S

*******************************

Hari's naamams are the Sahasra NaamAms of VishNu.

Lord Siva went ahead and revealed that another twin lettred

Naamam of the Lord (Raa+ma) as being equivalent to

the entire set of Sahasra Naamams of VishNu:

 

" Sahasra Naama tas-tulyam Raama Naama VarAnanE "

 

The Phala sruthi section of Sri VishNu Sahasra Naamam

ends with the glOrious celebration of Hari Naama

SankIrthanam :

 

aarthA: VishaNNA: sithilAsccha BheethA:

gOrEshu cha vyAdhishu varthamAnA:

SANKEERTHYA NAARAAYANA SABDHA MAATHRAM

Vimuktha dukkhA: SukinO Bhavanthi

 

(meaning) : People may be in distress or in

the grip of grief or in frightening confusion

or in fear or affected by terrific diseases;

if they only sing the name of NaarAyaNa-Hari ,

they get rid of all their troubles and attain

happiness.

 

Hari: Hari: Hari: Hari: Hari: Hari:Hari:

NaarAyaNa NaarAyana NaarAyaNa !

RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.SatakOpan