[tiruvengadam] Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XXXIII- Twenty Seventh day : KOODARAI VELLUM SEER GOVINDHA Dinam

[Guest guest]

Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Significance of the 27th Paasuram

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Dear BhakthAs: The Paavai Nonbhu is nearing

completion. Andal thinks about SanmAnam (sambhAvanai)

from the Lord for the Gopis ,who observed this Vratham.

Upanishad BhAshyakArar describes the prayer of Gopis

of whom ANDAL is one , this way:

 

" ThvAmm gathvA vrathOpakaraNam sarvam sampAdhya

sarva jana slAganIya SambhAvanA-roopENa asmAbhi:

prApthavyAn bahumAnAn vijn~yApamA: "

 

( We have arrived at the foot of Your bed and

have received all the accessories for the celebration

of the Vratham and seek the sambhAvanais that we should

be eligible for , which are praised by all the people

of the world ).

 

Koodi irunthu kuLirnthElOrempAvAi: " SanghI-bhUya sthithvA

hrushtai: ithyartha: , BhOgyam ithyartha: "

 

( Koodiirunthu aananthatthudan bhujikka kadavathu

is the prArthanai ).

 

JnaanyAchAryAr points out that in the " MaalE maNivaNNA "

paasuram that preceded today's paasuram , the Gopis

referred to Svaroopa Siddhi ( AathmA's svaroopam to

perform kiamkaryam always to the Lord as His servant).

He says that in today's paasuram , the alankAram for

them (who completed the Vratham) is described.

 

PBA Swamy explains that " MaalE MaNivaNNA " paasuram

announced the Gopis receving Sankham , PaRai , PallANDu-

isaippAr , ViLakku , Kodi and VidhAnam .These five are a few of

the many blessings that are attained in parama Padham as revealed

by Swamy NammAzhwAr in His " SoozhvisumpaNi Muhil " pathikam:

 

(1) " KaaLangaL valampuri kalanthengum isaitthana " : Sankham

(2) " ThUriyam Muzhakkina " : PaRais/ BhEri Vaadhyams

(3) " Thodarnthengum thOtthiram sollinar " :,Vaazhthinar Mahizhnthe:

PallANDu Isaippar

(4) " NiRai Kuda ViLakkamum mathimuka madanthayar yEnthinar

vanthE : kOla ViLakku

(5) " MaamaNi MaNtapatthu " : VidhAnam that hides the ceiling/sky

 

PBA Swamy points out that the " Koodarai Vellum " Paasuram

elaborates further on the Upanishadic utterances regarding

Muktha-BhOgAvaLis ( the items of enjoyment of a Mukthan

in parama Padham of the Dhivya dampathis).

 

Additional Significance of this Paasuram (adiyEn):

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The Govindha Naama SankIrthanam starts first in this

paasuram ( Koodarai vellum SEER GOVINDHAN) and reaches

a crescendo during the next two paasurams : " KURAIVONRUMILLAATHA

GOVINDHAA " in " KaRavaikaL pin senRu " paasuram and

" iRRai paRai KoLLvAnananRu KANN GOVINDHA " in

" SiRRam SiRukAlE " Paasuram. The Phala Sruthi is sung in

ANDAL's own words ( Bhattar PirAn Godhai Sonna) in

the FINAL , Vangak Kadal Paasuram.Until the final (30th)

Paasuram ,the Gopis were at the front end awakening

their fellow Gopis, conversing with the occupants of

Nandha Bhavanam and finally addressing the Lord Himself.

The paasurams were Gopi-Mukham .

 

The greatness and the myriad meanings of the Name ,

GOVINDHAN is discussed in detail in an earlier

posting along with the Mahimai of the Name , " Godhai "

for ANDAL along Vedic lines (Three postings in Bhakthi

List Archives : December 22, 1996).

 

Literal Meaning of this Paasuram ( Dr.Raghavan):

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(The exultation of the Gopis is expressed by them ,

when the Lord listens to their appeal and fulfills

their desires). Oh Lord GovindhA ! You have the benign

supermacy of winning over Your opponents. We shall get

the drum (paRai) from You ,the sakthi to sing eulogies

about You.Thus, we get the reward of great eclat and

glory of all the worlds. We will adorn ourselves with many

ornaments: bracelets,shoulder ornaments ,ear-studs

and rings, ornaments in the form of flowers (at

the vertex of the ear) , anklets et al. We will

wear new clothes(as You give us Your divine company ).

(getting Your personal contact)we will be very joyous,

eat food prepared using milk with sumptuous ghee --

(a) that envelops it, and (b) that is flowing so much

as to spill over (through one's forearm) upto our

elbows , when one eats a morsel of food ( ksheerAnnam ).

(Through the contact with You) We shall ever be united

and thus become cool in heart and stay joyous.

 

The inner Meanings Of Padhams (different Commentators)

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In this paasuram, the Gopis request the boon of

Saayujyam that is a boon beyond SaalOkyam ,

SaamIpyam and Saaroopyam . Upanishads describe

Saayujyam as the highest of boons for a Mukthan

and refers to it with " sOsnuthe " or saha BhOjanam

of the aanandham of Sri Vaikuntam with the Lord.

 

KoodAr: These , who are not with the Lord are of four kinds :

(a) those with no Jn~Anam at all about EmperumAn

(b)Those who chase after material things/uNdiyE udayE

uhanathavar©Those who do not comprehend the soulabhyam

(ease of access) guNam of the Lord and stay away from Him

(d)those , who can not stand His vaibhavam and are resentful

( maayayA apahrutha Jn~AnA: aasurIm BhAvamAsthithA:).These

are dhvEshis like SisupAlan .

 

KoodArai vellum seer GovindhA : With His anantha kalyANa gunams

(seer) ,the Lord wins them (vimukhAs)all over , one by one .

He has different prescriptions as Viadhya Veera Raaghavan for

each of the vimukhA patients though His The guNams like

Souryam , Souseelyam , Soundharyam . Even IndrA ,

who sent a deluge of rain at Govardhanam ended up recognizing

the Supermacy of the Lord & performed Govindha-

PattAbhishEkam .Govindhan defeats the KoodAr and is

defeated in turn by the Koodinavar through their Bhakthi/

prapatthi anushtAnams. He becomes YathOkthakAri to those

devotees(Koodinavar).

 

Through the speech of Gopis , ANDAL points out that

the Lord incarnates to bring back the erring Jeevans under His

sway ;they stayed away earlier from Him and suffered as a result

of their separation from Him . He could not bear with

their sufferings . They(vimukhAs) observe later (thru

a sadAchAryan) upAya anushtAnam (prapatthi) and get

rewarded with parisukaL (SammAnam) that are coveted by

the people of world ( yaam perum sammAnam nadu puhazhum

parisinAl).

 

Loka VilakshaNa sanmAnams(Abhinava Desikan): Five objects

are mentioned here , which have links to the SanmmAnams

that a Muktha Jeevan obtains in Sri Vaikuntam:

 

The five hundred apsaras women greeting the muktha Jeevan

with five different presents( satham mAlA hasthA: satham anjana

hasthA; satham chUrNa hasthA; satham vAsO hasthA; satham phaNa

hasthA:)at the other side of VirajA river.Then the " palkalanum

aNivOm " experience happens to the Muktha jeevan through

absorbtion of 'the Lord's divine fragrance and Jn~Ana

vikAsam ( tamm Brahma gandha:pravisathi , Brahma tEja:

pravisathi, Brahma yasa: pravisathi). The eight atributes

are gained by them at this stage( apahathapApmA vijarO vimruthu:

VisOkha: vijigathsOapipAsa: sathya kAma: sathya sankalpa:).

They do not age, they conquer death and are freed from hunger,

thirst et al. They enjoy BrahmAnandham ( paal SOru mooda

ney peythu muzhankai vazhi vaarak koodiyirunthu kuLirnthu).

Associated with the nectar of anubhavam (paramAnnam)of

the dhivya dampathis, they enjoy the company of other

Muktha Jeevans.They enjoy this rarest of rare ShADguNyAnnam

and accompanies the Lord , wherever He goes (KaamAnnI

Kaamaroopi anusancharan). They enter the cool , nectarine

pond of BrahmAnubhavam and are filled with bliss (yEsha

Brahma pravishtOsmi greeshmE seethamiva Hrudham).

 

Until now, BhagavathArAdhanam ( maanasIka and Bahir

AaarAdhanam :ijyai/yAgam) were referred to in

the paasurams.In this paasuram ,the anuyAgam

(antharyAmyAradhanam) is celebrated (Bhunjan chinthaya

GOVINDHAM) . Those who consume SaathvIka aahAram

with the rememberance of Govindha naamam

(according to aahAra niyamam )get the benefits of

satthva-JnAnam and unceasing rememberence of the Lord

( Aaahara Suddhou sathtva Sudhdi: , sathva suddhou

dhruvA Smruthi:).Govindhan , the GuNa Poornan

(seer Govindhan) grants them that boon .The BhOgya-

BhUthars (BhakthAs) join with the BhOkthA( the EmperumAn)

and enjoy the Saha BhOjanam described by KoushidhIki

Upanishad in a state of never ending union with Him.

 

The Feasting referred to Here (PerukkAraNai Swamy)

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The first five paasurams of ThiruppAvai are about

the rules of the nOnpu and the state of preparation.

From the Sixth to Fifteenth , it is for the awakening

of fellow-gOpis. The 16th paasuram is connected with

the arrival of the gOpis at the Lord's house (NaayakanAi).

In this count, " MaalE maNivaNNA " paasuram becomes

the eleventh .It symbolizes EkAdasi, the day of

UpavAsam (fasting). The Twelfth one ( Koodarai vellum

Seer GovindhA ) denotes DhvAdasi, the day to break

fast and feast .The nOnpu is for feasting on DhvAdasi

day after observing the vratham . AndAl seems to be saying

to the Gopis to present ther naivEdhyam of KsheerAnnam

(akkaara Vadisil) to the Lord (of ThirumAlirumchOlai):

 

" nooRu taDA niRaintha AKKAARAVADISIL SonnEn

yERu ThiruvudayAn inRu vanthivai koLLUnkolO "

 

NamO NaarAyaNA !

Andal, Azhagiya Singar CharaNamE SaraNam

RaamAnuja Dasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan