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Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XXXI-> Twenty Fifth day : " ORUTTHI MAHANAAI PIRAMTHU" Dinam

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Sadagopan • January 9, 2001 


Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs: Lord KrishNA's avathAra rahasyam is 
being celebrated here. He is "ajAyamAno BahudhA 
vijAyathE" ( He manifests Himself in many forms 
although He has no birth ). "Devaki mahanAi piRanthu ,
YasOdhai mahanAi " vaLarnthAn .Swamy NammAzhwAr addresses
Him as "piRantha MaayA " ( A master-trickster taking 
birth in this world as one of us )in a ThiruvAimozhi paauram.

The avathAra rahasyam of this MaayAvi is hinted in
another of Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi:" piRanthavARum
vaLarnthavARum " ( How You were born ,How You grew up 
and what miracles You wrought --when I reflect on that ,
my soul melts).You were born in Vada Mathurai as the son of 
Devaki and grew up in Gokulam as the son of YasOdhai. 
Devaki did penance to have You (SarvEsvaran) born as her 
son and got her wish fulfilled.The Lord moved to Gokulam on 
the head of His father, VasudEvan on the same dark night of 
JanmAshtami ( his birth thithi: ashtami )and grew up as 
the son of YasOdhai. The heart-broken Devaki cried out 
over missing the enjoyment of seeing her son grow up 
and perform all those miraculous deeds elsewhere , 
far far away from her:" ThiruvilEn onRum peRRilEn , 
yellam dhaiva nangai YasOdhai peRRALE " ( I do not have 
any auspicousness, I have not attained any soubhAgyam .
All of those auspiciousness has been attained by 
the divine woman ,YasOdhai ). Thus complains Devaki .

In Her ThiruppAvai Paasuram , ANDAL does not mention 
explicitly the name of Devaki or YasOdhai , but refers to 
both of them as "oruthi". Here "Oruthti " is a respectful 
reverence to the matchless ones (adhvidhyALs) , who had
the Bhaagyam of giving birth to Him and raising Him .
SampradhAyam suggests that we do not call the great ones by
their given names , but refer to them by their place of
birth or vamsam (e.g: ThirukkOttiyUr nampi ,Vangipuratthu
Aacchi et al)Following this sampradhAyam , MaNavALa Maamuni
refers to Swamy Desikan as "Ubhayukthar " ( The great One). 
In this traditional way , ANDAL refers to both Devaki and 
YasOdhai respectfully as "Orutthi" .He was born to one (orutthi)
and was raised by the other (orutthi). 

That sarvasaktha-EmperumAn hid all His glories 
and power and grew up in Gokulam ( oLitthu VaLara).
He was defenitely not hiding from Kamsan , while 
growing up at Gokulam. Because of His aasritha-
VyAmOham ( deep attachment to His beloved 
devotees ), He chose to grow up in Gokulam. ANDAL
reminds us of these tatthuvams with the first two lines 
of this Paasuram: " Orutthi mahanAi piRanthu , Oriravil
Orutthi mahanAi oLitthu vaLara ".By choosing the word ,
"Oriravil", ANDAL reminds us that the dark night of 
His birth is the same rainy night , when the waters of 
YamunA receded to let Him enter Gokuam to take residence
( "piRantha nadu nisiyum , puhuntha nadu nisiyum onRE")
in Gokulam .

AchAryAs are said to be born in Gayathri and to grow up
in AshtAkshari ; they are also said to be born in 
Thrumanthiram and grow up in Dhvayam . This AchAryan ,
who is JagadAchAryan revealing His avathAra rahasyam 
was born to One and grew up with another.This JagadhAchAryan
talks about those noble souls , who comprehend His avathAra
rahasyam in the tenth chapter of His GithOpanishad:

yO maam ajamanAdhim cha vEtthi lOkamahEsvaram
asammUDa: sa marthyEshu sarva paapai: pramuchyathE
--Githai: 10.3

(Meaning): "He who knows Me as unborn and without 
a beginning and the greatest Lord of the worlds--he 
among mortals is undeluded and is released from every sin". 

yEthAm vibhUthim yOgam cha mama yO vEtthi tatthvatha:
sOavikampEna yOgEna yujyathE naathra samsaya:
--Githai: 10.7

(Meaning):" He who in truth knows this supernal
mainfestation and splendour of auspicious attributes 
of Mine , becomes , united with the unshakable YogA of
Bhakthi . Of this , there is no doubt". 

As UttamAdhikAris , the Gopis knew of this Bhakthi/Prapatthi
route to the Lord and declared in His presence " Unnai 
arutthitthu vanthOm , parai taruthiyAhil , Thiruttakka 
selvamum sEvakamum yaamm paadi , vaarutthamum theernthu
MahizhvOm "( We have woken up all the gOpis and we have
come in a state of great purity to You seeking the greatest of
purushArthams .If You would grant us the boons sought by us ,
we will sing about the great and matching wealth of You and
Your PirAtti and engage in sEvaka vruthti to You both and
be rid of all of our dukkhams and attain bliss (BrahmAnandham).
"uRREn uhanthu paNi seythu unn paadham peRREn " is 
One AzhvAr's Sri Sookthi ( adiyEn became dear to You and 
joyfully performed kaimkaryam for You and attained 
the parama bhAgyam of Your sacred feet). The Gopis 
say in this context : " Thirutthakka Selvamum ,
sEvakamum yaam paadi , varutthamum  theernthu mahizhvOm". 

Lord KrishNa talks about those born to divine
destiny (dhaivI sampadhi )and the others born 
to demonic destiny (aasuri bhUthA:).The Gopis
are the dearest to Him since they have dhaivI
sampadhi. The Lord resides in their Hrudh puNDarIkams
with great vaathsalyam . Kamsan and his ilk are
the aasuri (demonic) type and the lord stays 
inside their stomach as huge  fire ( Kanjan 
karutthai pizhaipitthu vayiRRil neruppu yenna
ninRa NedumAlE) to destroy them.Gopis arrive 
at the Lord's feet with prArthanA-poorvaka 
vijy~Apanam and are rewarded . Kamsan and his ilk 
approach with arrogance , pride and conceit and
are destroyed like the firefly entering a blaze.
Upanishad BhAshyakArar describes the Lord 
staying as fire in the belly of Kamsan and 
and as the cool beloved One in the minds of 
His devotees this way : " Kamsasya JaDarE
anala samAnatayA sTithavAn , aasritha vishayE
dheerga vyAmOha-saalin".

The Gopis say: " unnai aruthtitthu vanthOm " .
We have come to Your court not to receive 
the PaRai (VrathOpakaraNams) but to get You 
as our boon . The wealth of parai that we seek 
is the supreme wealth of Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-
AchArya Kaimkaryams.

The inner meaning here according to Abhinava Desikan 
is that the gOpis pray to the Lord to perform His 
Baahya AarAdhanam (external aarAdhanam) well.
In the earlier paasurams , they had invoked 
the presence of the Lord (aavAhanam) for AarAdhanam,
started with anthar-yaj~nam and eulogized next His 
Svaroopa-Roopa-guna-gaNa -Aayudhams  in " anrivuulaham
aLanthAi adip poRRI).Here, they pray for blesings to
perform His BaahyArAdhanam to His satisfaction .

PerukkAraNai Swami's svApadesams
*********************************
Oruriavil          = In this dark samsAric world 

oruthti mahanAi    = being born as the son of Gayathri
piRanthu orutthi     and growing up (puthalvanAhi) as 
mahanAi vaLarnthu    as the son of Moola Manthram

oLitthu vaLara     = and staying engaged in thoughts
                     about the Supreme One and discarding 
                     all perishable pleasures (siRRinbhams)

tarikkilAnAhi      = (we ) who can not bear with 
                      the SamsAric tApams

thaann ninaintha   = thinking about our current and
                     previous (sins)

theenku karutthai  =  thinking about Your ways to quell 
pizhaippitthu         the power of those paapams and 
                      their phalans

kanjan              = thinking about the fierce nature
                      of these sins being destroyed
                      in those with demonic nature

vayiRRil neruppenna = and thinking about You standing 
ninRa NedumALE !      majestically like the JaadarAgni in
                      their stomach to destroy them .
                      Oh Taapa thraya samanArthi ! Oh Bhagavan!

unnai arutthitthu   = We have arrived at Your side seeking 
VanthOm               Moksham.

Parai taruthiyAhil  = If You are pleased to grant us Moksham

Thirut takka        = we will do Saama GhAnam about Your heroic 
selvamum yaamm        deeds and sing about the glories of You ,
paadi sevahamum       the wealth of Your PirAtti ( PirAttikku
yaamm paadi           anugunamAna varam EmperumAn yennum nidhi)

varuttham           = and will be rid of the sorrows of    
theernthu             samsAram and be immersed in paripoorna
mahizhnthu            BrahmAnandham.

ANDAL, Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
RaamAnuja Daasan,Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan

   
 

        


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           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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