The Sanga Tamizh Maalai of ThiruppAvai : An Anubhavam filled commentaries of Sri U.Ve.N.R.Krishnaswamy Iyengar of Mathurai: Part II

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Sri:

 

Dear RasikAs of ThiruppAvai of ANDAL:

 

In the previous posting , adiyEn introduced the scholarly treatise of Sri NRK Swamy of Madurai ,

" Sanga Tamizh Maalai " dealing with ThiruppAvai of ANDAL.

 

On this last day of Marghazhi , it is my bhAgyam to summarize a small portion of the book of Sri NRK Swamy dealing with the links of the Paavai nOnbhu to Sanga Tamizh sources and Srimad BhAgavatham (KaatyAyani Vratam:BhAgavatam 10.22).

 

Paavai Nonbhu

 

Tapas( Tavam) , Vratam denote Nonbhu with slight differences. During Marghazhi month , our ancestors practised these nonbhus : (1) Maarghazhi neeraadal (2) VisEsha dEva poojai (3) Bhagavan-naama Bhajanai and (4) Granta PaarAyanam . The most important among these is Maarghazhi NeerAdal nOnbhu, which is also known by its other names of AmbhAvAdal, Thai NeerAdal,Tavatthain-neerAdal and Paavaya neerAdal . These names are in vogue from Sanga Kaalam.

 

In the the author NallantuvanAr of the Thohai Nool , ParipAdal refers to this neeraDAL ( 11th Paadal, Lines 74-92) .To keep this posting within reasonable length, I will skip quoting the Tamil and Sanskrit sources ( ParipAdal and BhAgavatam) .

 

The meaning of the ParipAdal passage is:

 

The time is before dawn during the Marghazhi month known for minimum rains . The dark sky is free of the echos of the deep thunder. The damp dew ( Pani) of the early morning ( ushath Kaalam ,Brahma MuhUrtam) is making people shiver with cold . The constellation of Arudra is in ascendance and the Moon is displaying blemishes ( KaLangams) . Brahmins have gathered on the Vaighai river side with the appropriate vessels and ingredients needed for the conductance of the yajn~am prescribed by the Aagamams to realize abundant rain falls to free the earth from the scorching Sun in the comning season . The elderly ladies instruct the younger girls ( KumArikAs) on how to observe AmbhAvAdal nOnbu and on this cold , dewy morning , the shivering girls take their bath with bhakti , arise and reach the banks of the river, where the Vedic priests are maintaining the sacred fire to offer AahUthis and dry their wet clothes withthe help of the tall fire . Oh Vaigai Mother ! Is it n't so that the observance of this nOnbhu ( tavatthai neerAduthal ) by the girls standing next to their mothers similar to the tapas done by standing between the five Agnis ( done by Parvathy to gain Lord SivA as Her husband) ?

 

Srimad BhAgavatham ( Canto 10: chapter 22):

 

KaathyAyani archana vratam : During the First month of Hemanta Ruthu , the Kannikais of AayarpAdi of Nandhan partook Havis as food and observed KaatyAyani Vratam to during

aruNOdhayam on the banks of river Yamunaa to gian the son of NandagOpan as their Lord .

They worshipped with fragrant flowers , sandal paste , dhUpa-dheepams, Bali , Fruits , red rice . Their prayer to KaatyAyani was :

 

KaatyAyani MahA MaayE MahA yogin yatheeswari , Nandhagopa sutam Devi Patim mE kuru tE Nama:

 

Oh VishNu Maayaa svarUpiNi ! Oh Mahaa Yogini ! Oh Superior KaatyAyain Devi ! Our namaskArams to You . Please bless us to gain the son of NandagOpan as our Husband !

 

They recited this mantram , observed the vratam in the early morning before dawn . On their way to take their ceremonial bath in the river Yamunaa, thety recited aloud the KrishNa nAmams and held hands together during their travel to the river. This is the origin of the BhAgavatha sampradhAyam indicated by ANDAL.

 

This ancient anushtAnam during the early hours of Maarghazhi Month is practised even today in the village streets of Tamizh country ,

when bhajanai ghOshtis with semakkalam and Sanghu dhvani , sound of Bells as well as the light of the lamps proceed towards the Lord's temple . ANDAL refers to this in her ThiruppAvai Paasuram ,

" MaalE MaNIvaNNaa Marghazhi NeerAduvAn

...pOlvana sankankaL ...sAlapperumpaRayE...

PallANDisaippArE ..kOla ViLakkE .. kodiyE VidhanamE..AalinilayAi aruLElOrempaavAi "

 

This neerAtta utsavam in KeraLaa is known as Aadhirai ThirunaaL . The Kannikais reach the river during the early hours for seven days before ThiruvAdhirai , take bath , sing and dance and conclude the utsavam on Aadhirai day . They adorn new dresses , decorate themselves and enjoy the prasAdham of VisEsha Paayasam along the lines of ANDAL's Paasuram :

 

" Koodaarai velllum seer Govindha ,

unRannai paadip-paRai koNDU Yaamm

perum sammAnam- - -palkalanum yaamaNivOm ,

Aadai uduppOm , athan pinnE PaaRRc-chORu ,

mooda ney peythu muzhangai vazhi vaarak-

koodi irunthu kuLirntElO rempAvAi ".

 

SrI Padhma PurANam :

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While extolling Bhaagavatha MahAthmyam , the seven days starting from Sukla Paksha Navami to PourNami of Maarghazhi are identified as the best days for Srimad BhAgavatha PaarAyaNam to gain the auspicious phalans .

 

Goals & Fruits of Paavai Nonbu of ANDAL

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ParipAdal i its 11th verse referred to above focused on the fruits beyond the prayer for rain for lOka ujjevanam this way ( 116th to 121 lines) :

 

1) Happy Married life without seperation with a very special Bridegroom (2) Lasting youth and wealth to enjoy conjugal life with such a special bride groom . KaatyAyani stOtram points out the realization of the above two goals thru vivAham with NandhagOpa Sutan . ThiruppAvai paasurams of Andal is a depiction of sucha Paavai nOnbu and embedding of goals and fruits thru observance of such a Vratam consistent with Sanga Tamizh works .

 

As Marghazhi vratham concluded , ANDAL dreams about the Marriage to the Lord in NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi and describes the dreams She had ( VaaraNAmAyiram Pasurams ) and sees Him as Her Lord at BrundhAvanam and marries Him at SrivilliputthUr and unites with Him at Srirangam .

 

ANDAL's invitation to us to take part in Marghazhi Nonbhu and Her upadEsam on ways to travel on Karma, Bhakthi , Prapatthi mArgams to gain Moksha Sukham is the theme of ThiruppAvai . Her handling of Artha Panchakam for our benefit is extraordinary .

 

In the first 5 Paasurams of ThiruppAvai , She focused on Bhagavath svaroopam . From 6 to 15 Paasurams , She woke up jeevans engrossed in Maayaa , who have forgotten BhagavAn and the needed efforts to attain Him. From 16 to 20 Paasurams , She woke up the Lord , who has forgotten the Jeevans lost in samsAric delusions and got Himself busy with the nityasooris , who surrendered to Him. From Paasuram 21-25, She reminded Her Lord in no uncertain terms about His duties to

protect the slumbering jeevans and promised to do nitya kaimkaryam to Him : " YenrenRun sEvakamE yEtthi PaRai KoLvAn; inRu yaamm vantOm , irangElOrempAvaai ".

 

From Paasuram 26 to 30 ,She focuses on this Nishtai and its Phalans .

 

Looked at the flow of Pasurams in an alternative way , the first FIVE Paasurams deal with Iswara Svaroopam ,6 to 15 cover Jeeva Svaroopam and the VirOdhi svarropam that plunges the jeevan into Maayaa due to Prakruthi Nishtai ; the Bhagavath svaroopam of Rakshakatvam is covered in Paasurams from 16-20; The upAyam of Prapatthi is covered in pasaurams 21-25 and the Phalan of Moksha PrApthi is covered in Paasurams 26 to 30.

 

In the subsequent dhivya Prabhandham of NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi starting from Thai Maasa PiRappu , she offers a samarpaNam to Her Lord of 143 Paasurams housed in 14 patikams . Sriman NRK Swamy describes beautifully the progression of the vratham to attain the Lord as Her husband thru the six ruthus of the Year ( Hemantha to Sisira ruthu).

In an inspired and inspiring manner , Sri NRK Swamy connects the activities of ANDAL during the six ruthus with the 14 Patikams of NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi .

 

It is adiyEn's bhAgyam on this Thai First day to share with You Sriman NRK Swamy's exquisite Bhakti-laden anubhavam of ANDAL seen thru the lens of Tamizh Sangam Poetry grammar and rules . My thanks are to Sri NRK Swamy for asking me to write about this brilliant work of Sri NRK Swamy .

 

Additional reading material is available at Sundara Simham ebook series :

 

1. Arutta Panchakam : ebook#12 ( 24 Pages)

 

2. ThiruppAvai : ebook # 62 ( 157 Pages)

 

3. NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi E Book # 54 ( 432 Pages) .

 

Sri ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan