Thiruppavai-MargazitthingaL

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Sri EVNarasimhan is graciously sending us the Thiruppavai for each

day with meaning. To enable the members to enjoy it fully I am

giving the commentary for teh same. To read the commentary of all

the thiruppavais log in to

 

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Andal of SouthIndia was like Meera of the North, great devotee of

Lord Narayana from her childhood. She was found among the bushes of

Tulsi plant by Vishnuchiththa, who was later known as Periyazvar due

to his hymns about the Lord to guard Him from evil eye. His story

will follow later. Andal wanted to marry only the Lord and unlike

Meera her father did not force her. She observed the vow of Pavai

nonbu in the month of Margazi collecting the girls in

Srivillipuththur where she lived and sang the verses which are

famous today as Thiruppavai. The work is steeped in Bhakthi and

extolled as being capable of destroying sins, showing the path to

attain the feet of the Lord and it is said to contain the essence of

the vedas because it describes the Lord and the means of attaining

Him.

 

 

 

The story goes that Bhoodevi on being rescued from the depth of the

ocean asked Lord Varaha to tell her by which easy way can her

children on earth attain Him. Varahamurthi bade her to take birth as

Godha to teach the humanity the path of devotion. Thus Sookaramurthi

has shown the sukara, easy to do upaya.

 

 

 

Pasuram1.

 

MargaziththingLl madhi niraindha nannaaLal

 

NeeraadappOdhuveer pOdhumino nerizaiyeer

 

Seer malgum aaippaadi selvasirumeergaaL

 

Koorvel kodunthozilan nandagopan kumaran

 

EraandhakaNNi yasodhai iLam singam

 

KaarmenichchengaNN kadhirmadhiyam pOl mugaththaan

 

NarayaNane namakke parai tharuvaan

 

PaarOr pugaza padindhelOrempaavai

 

 

 

Margazi Thingal- month of Margazi.. .

 

 

 

In the month of Margazi the austerity of pavai nonbu is observed.

 

 

 

Mathiniraindha nannaaL- full-moon day.

 

 

 

On the full-moon day in Margazi the star of Mrgasirsha is very

near the Moon. Hence the name Margaseersha which is known as

margazi in Tamil. Among the twelve names of the Lord that which

dominates the month is Kesava. Krishna says in the Gita `I am

Margazi among the twelve months. This month denotes the small hours

of the morning for the devas to whom one human year amounts to one

day. Moreover this month has the seed of the rain for the next year.

For these reasons the month is very sacred and any austerities

undertaken in this month fructify soon. Andaal calls this day a

nannaal, good day because the day when the thought of attaining the

Lord arises in the mind is a good day.

 

 

 

Neeraada pOdhuveer pOdhuminO- Come let us go and bathe in the river.

 

 

 

Neeraadal means taking bath in ordinary language. But in this

context it implies the union with Krishna.

 

 

 

Nerizaiyeer- Those with lustrous face and ornaments. As soon as they

were called to approach Krishna. Their faces lighted with love and

expectation.

 

 

 

Seer malgum aaipaadi.- The gokula which is rich and beautiful.

Gokula ,the residence of the cowherds became prosperous after

Krishna's arrival.

 

 

 

SelvachchirumeergaaL – Oh , the affluent cowherd girls., The wealth

of these girls is their devotion towards Krishna which alone is

eternal while all the other wealth is fleeting and transitory.

 

 

 

Koorvel kodumthozilan nandagopan kumaran- The son of Nandagopa, who

is terrible wielding his `vel.' The implication here is that Nanda

even though soft by nature became terrible ready to attack those who

wanted to harm Krishna.

 

 

 

Eraarndha kaNNi yasodhai iLam singam- The epithet erarndha kanni

used with reference to Yasodha means that she has lovely wide eyes

on account of looking at Krishna all the time and when used as one

word it refers to Krishna Himself when erarndha kanni means the

vyjayanthi mala worn by Him. The lion cub of Yasodha who is wearing

the vyjayanthimala, will be the meaning of the phrase then. He is

called a lion cub here whereas he was termed as kumaran, young boy

in the previous line to indicate that he was obedient and docile to

his father while he asserts himself like a lion cub when he was with

his mother through her indulgence.

 

 

 

Kaarmeni- His dark body is compared to kaar, the rain bearing cloud

because His shower of mercy towards His devotees is like the life

giving rain to the world.

 

 

 

ChengaNN- Eyes red like lotus.

 

 

 

Kadhimadhiyam pol mugaththaan- His face is like both the Sun and the

Moon, scorching to His enemies and cool to His devotees.

 

 

 

NarayaNane – Narayanane who has been described above will Himself

give us the boon of His service.

 

 

 

PaarOrpugaza padindhelOrempavaai. – The word pavaai at the end of

each verse denotes the paavai nonbu they are observing. Andal here

says that the vratha which is usually observed for rain in the world

will fetch the desired result also and get them the praise of the

society even though it was only a pretext and their real purpose is

to unite with the Lord.

 

 

 

This world is the aayarpadi or aaippaadi. Andal represents the

Acharya who is instructing the devotees, who are endowed with the

virtues of kshama, ,patience, ahimsa, nonviolence, indriyanigraham,

control of the semses, dhayaa, mercy, jnanam, wisdom, tapas,

austerity, dhyaanam, contemplation and satyam, truth, to do service

to the Lord.

 

 

 

This service or kainkarya is the neeraadal or bathing and

the nerizai or ornaments are the above-said virtues. These are the

riches, `seer' and the selvachchirumeer refers to the devotees

blessed with the wealth of devotion.

 

 

 

Madhi niraindha nannaaL is the day on which one starts

thinking about resorting to the Lord when it becomes nannaaL or

good day, filled, niraindha, with the thoughts mathi, of Him,

Margazi or Margasirsha in Sanskrit means the way, marga, which is

sirsha, the first and foremost and refers to the path of surrender,

Prapaththimarga.

 

 

 

The words nandagopan and kumaran may both be taken to

denote Krishna himself, nanda meaning one who gives joy and kumaran

may refer to His eternal youth, Nithya yuva as He is called by

Desika in Godhasthuthi. Then the word kodunthozilan implies that He

is merciless towards the wicked. Parithraanaaya saadhoonaam

vinaasaya cha dush krthaam as He says in the Gita. Not only the

enemies outside but also the internal foes like kamakrodhaadhi flee

from the heart, once He is established in it. In that sense also He

is kodunthozilan and ilam singam

 

 

 

NarayaNane namakke parai tharuvan- The `ekaara' in

Narayanane is to emphasize that Lord Narayana alone, is capable of

giving parai, Moksha.

 

 

 

Andal says podhuveer podhumino to imply that whoever is so

inclined can join the group of devotees. It is always commendable to

go in groups for activities pertaining to God.

 

 

 

It is said in Srimathbhagavatham that the rshis of

Dandakaaranya were born as the gopis to enjoy the company of the

Lord which was denied to them in Ramavathara. They were steeped in

bhakthi and vairagya and hence termed as selvachirumeergaal, who

have had the wealth of His company and kainkarya.