Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XXVIII- Twenty Second day : angaNmA Gn~alatharasar Dinam

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Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs: Today is sacred Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi day .

Our Lord at Srirangam would have bleesed all those traveling

with Him through the Sri Vaikunta Vaasal.

 

In the previous paasuram , the Gopis described to

Lord KrishnA their " abhimAna Soonyathai " ( their state

with freedom from ahankAra-mamakArams ). In this paasuram ,

the Gopis declare their " ananhArya sEshathvam " ( exclusive

servitude to the Lord and Lord alone ) according to JananyAchArya

Swamy .

 

With Nappinnai's niyamanam , the Gopis approach the foot

of KrishNA's bed and assure Him that they have arrived

in a state of freedom from SvathanthrAthma Bramam

(delusion that they have the independence & power to act as

their own protectors) and anya-sEshathva Bramam ( delusion

that other devathais can be obeyed as their Masters instead

of Sriman NaarAyaNan alone).They reveal thus the perfection

of their tatthva Jn~Anam.

 

The Gopis tell KrishNA that it must be a curse (saapam)

that stood in the way of receiving His anugraham , although

they are fully qualified to receive that anugraham. They

appeal to Him to look at them with both of His eyes to banish

that Saapam and bless them with the boon of

anushtAna poorthi.

 

SrI BhuvarAhaacchAr Swamy's description of

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the context Of Paasuram

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" Sri Krishna (innocently)inquires with the Gopis

the reason for their visit ; and they reply:

 

Oh Lord ! even though You know very well that we have

approached You as refugees , having no one else to give

us protection , You have not condescended to cast Your

nectarine glances on us. We are born of a family

(of AzhwArs) whose constant prayer is for Your grace

and that You should talk to us by moving Your coral-

like lips. We , like the vanquished kings , have cast

aside our ego and have assembled at the foot of Your bed

seeking Your protection. Our sole ambition is to be

the target of Your merciful eyes .Your inquiry regarding

the purpose of our visit appears to be a new practise

in Your relations with us. Know that we, who should be

always united with you , are today pining in separation

from You. This situation , which appears to be due to some

curse , can be modified only by Your nectarine glances .It is

only for this comforting look that we have come to You and

not for any other favour. So open Your eyes slowly and steadily

and look at us " .

 

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

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(The Young girls pray to the Lord in the strain of

defeated kings surrendering to the emperor , who is

the Supreme Soverign) Oh Lord ! We have come to You

just as the kings of the vast beautiful Earth , who stay

contented in large groups at the foot of Your cot

( throne) after renouncing their haughtiness and

self-esteem. Oh Lord! Will You not look at us, with

Your gentle and exquisite eyes , resembling

the half-blossomed lotus similar to a small kinkiNi

( jewel-like little bells)opening little by little

(gradually)? If You direct Your glance at us, with

Your pair of beautiful eyes that resemble the rising

Sun and the Moon , we will be freed from the curse of

sins (past , present and future).

 

Upanishad BhAshyakArar's lilting Sanskrit explanation

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" --mahAmaNdalAdhipathaya: nirasthAbhimAnA:santhO

sangIbhUya thvadhIya manja adhasthAna pradEsE yatho

Upavisanthi tathA thvadhguNa vivasA bhUthvA aagathya

aasrithA:sma --( just as the great kings casting aside

their ego have arrived at the foot of Your cot , we are

also standing overcome by Your guNAdhisayam and have

sought Your protection ) " .

 

KinkiNi Vaai seytha thAmari-- " dhara-vikasitha puNDarIka

sadhrusa raktha nayanAbhyAm mandham mandham asmAn aalOkaya "

( with Your slowly opening red lotus like eyes , please

look at us and bless us).

 

ThinkaLum --saapam azhinthu: " udhitha Chandra Soorya

sadhrusAbhyAm athisundara nayanAbhyAm asmAn pasyasi chEth

asmadhIyAni pApAni nasyanthi " ( If You look at us with Your

Sun and Moon-like , most beautiful eyes , all of our sins

will be destroyed).

 

PerukkAraNai Swamy's anubhavam on selected passages :

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(1) abhimAna BhangamAi Vanthu = There are 8 kinds of delusions

that a human beings have that interferes with their Tatthva

Jn~Anam:

 

(a) Delusion that one's SarIram is AathmA

(b) Delusion that one is a svathanthran

© Thought that we are servants to some one

other than the Lord.

(d) Delusion that there are bhandhus other

than Sriman NaarAyaNan to help us.

(e) Delusion that one can attain purushArtham (mOksham)

by seeking UpAyams other than Bhakthi & Prapatthi.

(f) deep desire to wallow in persihable pleasures.

(g) the delusion that we do everything by our own power.

(h) the tendency to commit apachAram to BhaagavathAs.

 

The release from these eight kinds of delusions is

the conviction that one is Bhaagavatha Seshan

( the servant of the devotees of the Lord).

 

(2) AngaNmA Gn~Ala paasuram is the 22nd one in Thiruppaavai.

AhankAram is the 22nd Tatthvam in the hierarchy of Tatthvams.

While talking thus about abhimAna Bhangam (ahankaram's banishment),

ANDAL chooses the 22nd Paasuram to house the thoughts on

AbhimAnam (ahankAram).

 

(3) When seeking Lord KrishNA's help in the war to come

at KurukshEthram , Arjunan stayed at the feet of the sleeping

Lord and DuryOdhanan chose the position at the head of the cot.

Once Lord KrishNa woke up , his nectarine glances fell on

ArjunA and blessed him . ArjunA chose the Lord Himself

and DuryOdhanA chose the army of KrishNA for help

in the ensuing battle. The results of that choice are

well known. It is better to be at the foot of the Lord's

cot rather than at the other side. That is what the Gopis

are alluding to here( SenkaNN yemmEl VizhiyAvO).The Gopis

pray for the prathama KatAksham of the Lord .

 

(4) ThingaLum Aadhithyanum : Chandran makes one joyous

with his cool rays. Sooryan chases away the enemies

with its power. Lord's eyes are like the Moon and

the Sun . The Gopis pray for both the blessings

( " prasanna Aadhithya varchasam Chandra kAnthAnanam

Raamam atheeva Priya darsanam " is the description of

the Lord in Srimath RaamAyanam).

 

(5) AnkaNN iraNDum koNDu: Seeing with one eye or

half eye (kaNN chimittal) generates base instincts

(kaama VikAram).Hence , the Gopis pray for Him to

look at them with both eyes like a caring Mother

looking at her child with both eyes.This is

the proverbial " VishNO: KatAksham " .The Gopis

remind Him that they are not there for half or

one eyed glance that will lead to Madhana VikAram

(Manmatha ChEshtai like in Raasakreedai ).They

want the two eyes of the Lord like Moon ( cooling ,

comforting glance) and Sooryan ( Removal of the darknes

of aj~nanam)to bless them for Moksham .

 

(6) When One recites the 22nd ThiruppAvai Paasuram

daily with niyamam , then all the sins committed by

us will be eliminated according to PoorvAchAryAs.

This is an appropriate thought for this Vaikunta

EkAdasi day. ANDAL is indeed our Maarga Darsini .

 

ANDAL, Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadikaLE SaraNam

RamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan