thirup pAvai - part 8 - mArgazhi as referred in purAnAs

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• Tue Dec 16 1997 - 22:26:13 PST



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ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

mArgazhi - from purAnAs

     The 30 verses are  grouped  into 6  categories  each having 5
pasurams  for them.  The first 5  categories  are the 5 angams  of
saranAgathi or prapatti and the last is the Athma samarpaNam angam
of such.  The first  pAsuram  itself deals with the essence of all
these such as,

[1] prApyam or upeyam or the end palan or result and

[2]  prabhAgam  or  upAyam  the path or means or the way to attain
such end result We will deal it later.

     mArgazhi is the month  referred in Srimad Bagwad Geetha (SBG)
by Lord Sri Krishna that

"mAsAnAm mArgaseershOsham" - SBG -10.35.

The  order in which  this is  presented  in SBG  gives  some  more
insights.  We don't want to get into a SBG study here.  However, a
quick insight is attempted  with  reference to the word  mArgazhi.
It is to be seen that the "sAmaveda  bruhad sAmam" that is rich in
its  contents  as well as being  the most  melodious  part of sAma
vedam,  "Gayathri  manthram"  the  essence  of such sAma vedam and
mArgazhi  month and  vasantha  kaalam  are listed as HIS  viboothi
yOgam.  Thus being in the company of the other  viboothis that are
primarily  the  brahma   rahasyam,  the  mArgazhi  month  is  also
understood  as one of them.  When  vedam is the naadi for the lord
it is also to be noted that all 4 these viboothis are created from
the  thirumuga  maNdalam of Lord Amalan when  srushti  began.  The
thiru muga maNdalam is the final prathyakshana darshanam that many
azhwar  pasurams will present to those who can do anusanthAnam  of
the same with proper understading and devotion and visit the divyA
desams.

     Certain  vyAkyAna  karththAs  interpret that Lord krishna was
aware of Sri  ANDAL's  vaibavam  ahead and that HE  delivered  the
reference to the "mArgazhi month" in SBG.  Such that ANDAL will be
incarnating and observing  "pAvai nOnbu" to attain HIM and as well
as awaken all the bAgawathALs (thOzhiyars or jivaatmas) in company
to do the same, by delivering the nool "thirup pAvai" in mArgazhi.
i.e., thirup pAvai will pave a new  "ilakkaNam"  for the very last
word of SBG known as "saranAgathi".  Thus it seems the Lord wanted
to  acknowledge  the month  itself as HIS  viboothi  and hence HIS
siddham as well.

     Certain  other  vyAkyAna  karththas  goes  even  prior to Sri
Krishna  avathAram.  When Sri vibeeshaNa  azhwar reached the banks
of  kauveri,  Lord  Ranganatha  wanted to stay there for  multiple
reasons.  i.e., in answer to the prayers of chandiran and kauveri.
However,  it is said that the Lord  wanted to rest  there and wait
for Sri ANDAL to be incarnated.  HE waited in such a way (posture)
that HE was  looking  "forward"  to the South  direction  where in
srivillipuththur  Sri ANDAL will be  incarnating  and will deliver
the thirup  pAvai and help  perform  "pAvai  nOnbu" in mArgazhi in
doing saraNagathi and attain HIM.

     The month of mArgazhi  has some unique  characteristics.  The
time which is 3 hours and 30 minutes prior to sooryodhayam  is the
beginning  of  brahma  muhoorththam.  It  is  believed  that  Lord
nArayanan's  srushti of Brahma himself took place this time.  This
is the time the  Lord's  thiru  uLLam  decided to start the srusti
again.  This is the best time thus to please  the Lord and get HIS
blessings as well.  That is this time is considered  the best time
to do "aathma saathanam".

ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sampath Rengarjan