Dating of Thirruppavai from paasurams 3 & 4

[Guest guest]

Vedas contain knowledge of everything under the Sun and

Beyond.

Similarly, Thiruppavai which

is hailed as "Vedamanaitthukkum

Vitthu"

contains many concepts of worldly wisdom

in addition to wisdom of the spiritual kind.

Some such concepts as enshrined in Thiruppavai

help us to locate the time period when it was composed.

 

 

The well-known information on the period of Thiruppavai is

contained in the verse 13

(VeLLi yezhundu Vyaazham urangittru)

indicating a celestial happening of simultaneous

rising and setting of

Venus and Jupiter respectively

in the pre-dawn time of that day she composed that verse.

 

 

Based on this information,

Dr M.RajamAnikkanAr had

identified 4 time periods,

600 AD, 731 AD, 885 AD and 886 AD.

He arrived at the probable time as 885 AD or 886 AD,

based on the near opposition of Venus and Jupiter

at pre dawn in the month of mArgazhi in those two years.

 

 

But his analysis was done at a time when computer software

was not developed.

It will be a useful exercise if some one with the present

day know-how

explore the time of this celestial happening.

 

 

There are other information too, with which

we can roughly arrive at the time of Thiruppavai.

They are discussed below and can be incorporated

if someone woks on a software on the sky map of those years.

 

 

 

Of importance are two information,

one, on the thithis and

the other in the probable days of GarbOttam

as indicated in the paasurams.

 

 

The thithi factor.

 

 

Thiruppavai opens with the description of the Full moon

in the pre-dawn sky of the first day.

The day was a 'Mathi nirainda

nannAL'

It must have been the day of Pournami continuing even after

sun-rise.

In the month of Maargashira,

pournami occurs when moon is in the star, Mrigashirsha..

If the moon is in Mrigashirsha on Maargazhi pournami,

then the sun must have been in Pooradam

(pooravashada).

This is crucial information.

 

 

Because today Margazhi begins when the sun enters Moola star.

Whereas the sun had entered Poorada in Andal's time,

on the first day of Maargazhi.

This is ahead of to-day's location by 13 degrees and 20

minutes!

(that is the duration of a star – the distance between

moolam and pooradam )

 

 

 

The reason for this discrepancy is that

the precession of the equinox is taking place continuously

at the rate of 1 degree

for every 72 years ( 50.24 seconds / year).

This information helps us in calculating the year

in which Andal had composed Thiruppavai.

 

 

Today the precession is at 6 degrees, 40 minutes and 24 seconds

 

in the constellation of Pisces.

At the rate of 72 years for a degree,

we can calculate how many years had preceded for 13-20 degrees.

 

This comes to 960 years.

That is, the occurrence of Full moon on the first day of Maargazhi

 

could have happened 960 years ago.

But the Full moon does not happen in the exact degree of

Jyeshta.

If we give allowance for 1 pada duration (3-20 degrees),

that is, Full moon happening

anywhere in the 4th pada of Jyeshta,

we arrive at a figure

1200 years from now.

 

 

That means Andal had lived anywhere between 808 AD to 1048

AD.

Here we have to apply the Vunus – Jupiter rise and fall on a

Krishna paksha dwaadasi ('Pullin

vaai' pasuram coming on dwadasi if the first day is assumed to be

pournami).

 

 

Going by this, we can

say that the vernal equinox was

in Ashwini 2 nd pada in

Andal's time.

Today it is in Utthrattaadi (uttara bhadrapada) 1 st

pada.

Applying this calculation,

we can say that in Krishna's time, the equinox was in Kritthikai

4th pada.

 

 

GarbOttam.

 

 

Let us see the other information that Andal is giving us.

 

GarbOttam means conception of

rains or pregnancy of clouds.

This is a topic by itself

in ancient Samhita works.

Brihat samhita contains

information on this.

In Brihat samhita, Varahamihira has

given detailed accounts of this

as an ancient wisdom given

by sages such as

Vasishta, Parashara, Kashyapa and

Garga.

Varahamihira has reproduced the information from the works

of these sages

which are lost now.

 

 

GarbOttam can be understood as "El

nino" in today's language.

The movement of the sun in the star Pooradam in the month of

Maargazhi

are the GarbOttam days or the days

that determine the rainfall for the rest of the year.

Interestingly, the El nino also is observed during this

period only.

GarbOttam contains many information which are unknown to El nino

scientists.

 

 

This year, GarbOttam or Conception days of rainfall

starts on 28th December and ends on 10th

January.

 

It had happened in the very first 13 days of the month

in which Thiruppavai was composed.

Because the sun had traversed Pooradam

either from the first day of Marrgazhi or a couple of days

before that.

The main reason for this benefit is that Pooradam

is lorded by Varuna bhagavan and

Sun's movement in that star reveals the nature of rain

later.

 

That is perhaps the reason why paavai

nonbu is also said to bring rainfall.

 

The Paavai nonbu as was done in Tami lands

had a history as far back as 5000 years ago.

This is known from Sangam texts.

 

 

Young girls had performed this nonbu which concluded

with a worship of Manmathan in the month of Thai.

 

The Prayer was to get a good husband (like Krishna

/ Thirumaal ).

Married woman had done a similar kind of nonbu

with a concluding prayer to Manmatha for a long a life for

husband.

This is known from Silappadhikaram.

 

Even men folk had conducted some austerities in the month of

Maargazhi

and concluded with a prayer to Thirumaal for fulfillment of

their

wishes for fame, prosperity, success, long life and

release from karma-vinai for this and next birth.

 

This is indicated by Andal in Ankan

maa Gyaalam paasuram

wherein she has stated how the kings waited

for His darshan after dip in the sangam.

The line 'sangam iruppar pOl vandhu

thalai-p-peithOm'

is the same description found in Silappadhikaram and

Paripadal

in describing a nonbu that is performed at the conclusion of

which

a dip is taken in Sangam (where the river enters the sea)

of Kaveri or Vaigai followed by a worship to Manmathan.

 

 

 

In all these occasions, there is an underlying benefit

connected to this nonbu.

That is about good rainfall –

 

both monthly and yearly spell is assured.

The 3 spells every month and

good rainfall in the rainy season.

 

 

The worship in this period therefore comes with a blessing

for good rain fall.

 

Andal begins her nonbu with a sankalp in the first two

pasurams.

In the first pasuram,

the time, the people who perform the nonbu and

the goal of the nonbu are described.

 

In the second paasuram, she goes on to lay down

the dos and don'ts to be followed by the performers.

But from that, she goes on to the next important feature of

the nonbu,

the universal benefit - that

of bountiful rainfall.

 

 

It must be remembered that even in Thirukkural,

 

after the initial prayer (kadavul vaazhtthu),

the next prayer is for

good rainfall (vaan sirappu).

Because the world sustains

only by water.

The concern for the world was prime in the minds of the people

of this land.

 

 

Andal exhibits that exemplary

Sanatanic mind.

 

The 3rd pasuram tells what happens

when they perform the nonbu,

"Theengindri naadellam thingal

mummari peidu"

 

The 4 th pasuram tells about GarbOttam

–

the initial conditions that must happen so that

it would rain plentifully in the season.

From Brihat samhita we come to know that conducive

conditions

for pregnancy of clouds in this month,

as aided by the sun in Pooradam

will result in good rainfall after 195

days.

 

 

Andal's mention about rainfall in the 3rd and 4 th

pasuram,

soon after her sankalpa,

is an additional proof that Maargazhi began in her time

with the sun in Pooradam!

 

That is 1000 years behind our present times!