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" The concept of Prapatthi as expressed by AndAL ": Part 2 for 1/10/97 .

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 10, 1997 


Dear Members of the Prapatthi group :

In this posting , we will continue to connect the SaraNagathi
doctrines with their ThiruppAvai verses . Unitl now , we  covered the 
verses from 1-20  and touched on the subjects of (1) Upanishadic and 
Paancha Raatra authority for Prapatthi (2 ) the concept of Prapatthi in 
AndAL's Thiruppaavai (3 ) the prerequisites of Prapatthi and (4 ) the role of
Divya Dampathis in Prapatthi . 

In this posting we will cover the five AngAs (accessories ) of Prapatthi and 
he actual prapatthi performed by AndAL .

*** The  five AngAs of Prapatthi , the Angi

Among the five angAs , we come across MahA Viswasam  
in verse 21 first ( YeRRa kalangaL ) . She salutes the Lord 
here this way :

" OoRRamudayAAi ! periyAAi ! Ulahinil
ThoRRamAAi ninRa sudarE "

(Meaning ) : " Thy quality as the Protector of the Universe has been 
revealed by ancient lore. Indeed , Thou art much more than what has 
been saluted by the VedAs . Thou hast come into this world for protecting
us and Thou shinest by this quality " .

MahA viswAsam is the most important accesory to Prapathti.
Hence AndAL takes it up first . The PrapannAs with unshakable 
faith in Prapatthi do not doubt any more about the efficacy of Prapatthi  
to  yield the fruits of Nitya kaimkarya PurushArtham to BhagavAn
as a result of the performance of Prapatthi . Swami Desikan 
calls these fortunate souls without any doubts on the sureness 
of Prapatthi yielding the sought after boon  as " SraddhA dhanAn
tvadh anubhuthi ViLamBha bheethAn tava padE nyasthaathmana: " .
These blessed people are rich ones with the wealth of SraddhA 
or MahA viswaasam  and they perform the Prapatthi and enjoy 
the Lord without an iota of doubt about the results of their Prapatthi .
They are sure of getting the anugraham of the Divya Dampathis .
Swami Desikan goes on to say that the Lord was waiting for them
to perform their prapatthis and He is joyous to bless such noble jeevans.

The supreme and unshakable faith (MahA Viswaasam ) 
results from the realization by the Jeevan that it is helpless
in every imaginable way and it has to approach Sriman NarayaNa
bereft of divisive ego , ahankAram and MamakAram . AndAL follows
up on MahA Viswaasam in the next verse ( Twent y second )
which starts with the words "  AngaNmaajyaalatthu arasar 
ABHIMAANA PANKAMAAI VANDHU " . This MahA viswaasam aspect 
and its the adhikArA (qualification ) for Prapatthi is referred to 
here  by AndAL .

In the Twenty third and the twenty fourth verses , AndAL is  brimming 
with a sense of elation and great faith over  realizing the fruits of
Prapatthi . She bursts out in MangaLAsAsanam like her father's 
singing of  " Pallaandu , Pallaandu " to the Lord . The 23rd
Pasuram contains the reference to AndAL's darsanam  of 
the Lord  seated on His majestic throne ( Seeriya SingAthanithirindhu ) 
after being waken up by His consort at the request of AndAL  .
In this paasuram , AndAL compares the Lord to a Lion 
that woke out of His sleep and surveyes  the scene around 
with great interest .

In the 24 th Paasuram , AndAL  uses the word "pORRi " six times 
to pay Her obesiance to the glory , prosperity and well being of 
the Lord for all His beneficial deeds of Dharma samsthApanam
and Dushta Nugraham . This verse starting with the words ,
" Anrivvulaham alandhAi adi pORRi " has been intrepreted as
an expression of AANUKOOLYA SANKALPAM ,which is the second 
of the angAs of Prapatthi . 

Twenty Fifth Verse ( Orutthi mahanAi piranthu )
****************************************************

The reference here is to KamsA , who committed great 
ApachArAs against the Lord and paid for it dearly. The implication
of this verse is to remind one about the calamity coming to one , 
who breaks the saastraic injunctons . This verse has been  suggested
as having connections with angA number three of Parapatthi (Viz) .,
PRAATHIKOOLYA VARJANAM , Where the PrapannA is expected 
to avoid whatever that displeases the Lord . 

Verse 26 and 27 ( MaalE MaNi vaNNA & KoodArai Vellum )
***************************************************************

These two verses have been linked to angA  four of Prapatthi
(Viz )., Gopthruva VaraNam , which is the supplication to the Lord
for His protection .VaraNam means  selection . Gopthruvam means
protection . The prayer/appeal to the Lord to come to one's protection
out of a sense of helplessness is Gopthruva VaraNam .

AndAL prays here to KrishNA for protction through the gift of 
all the things -- conch/paanchajanyam , parai/drum , 
Kola ViLakku/ beautiful lamp , kodi/banner , vidhAnam/canopy ,
pallandisaippaar/bards known as VaithALikAs --that will be
needed  for His worship . As a result of the protection arising out
of suddha Bhakthi , AndAL states that Her  group will become
objects of celebration in the land  (Naadu Puhazhum parisinAl )
and will therefore entitle them to express their happiness by 
wearing beautiful clothes and jewelery and enjoy sarkarai pongal 
rich with ghee as Bhagavdh PrasAdham .

Twenty Eighth verse ( KaRavaigal pin senru Ghaanam sernthuNbhOm )
****************************************************************************  

Here the fifth and final angA of Prapatthi known as KaarpaNyam
is invoked. AndAL declares that She and Her friends assembled 
before the Lord are totally helpless people , who have no knowledge
or capacity to devise any means for saving themselves . She describes
the members of the group including Herself as " AriyAtha PiLLaihaLOm ).
O blemishless GovindhA ! We indeed have the PuNyam of having
You born as a member of our Kulam . You are our PuNyam. The bhAndhavyam
(Relationship ) between us can not be rendered asunder  by Thee or us , or
even by  all of us" cojointly " . She points out that no one can untie the bonds

between us . May You , O Supreme Lord ! kindly forgive us , the young girls ,
who out of ignorance about your glories have addressed You with trivial names--
even that apachAram on our part is due to our ardent love towards You; please ,
Please , do not be angry at us . O The Lord of ALL  Gods ! Kindly give us
the boon of Nitya Kaimkaryam to You ! 

The Observance of Prapatthi , the Angi (Paasuram 29)
************************************************************

In this famous Paasuram, AndAL performs Prapatthi to the Lord.
We have referred earlier to the different sections of this Paasuram 
as being connected to the three sacred Manthrams ( Rahasya Trayam )
revered by the SriviashNavAs . Every word of this paasuram is  recommended 
for daily  reflection. Each of them are eaamples of words 
brimming with the spirit of absolute self-surrender .

The meaning of this Paasurram is worthy of deep reflection , since 
it is the essence of Prapatthi that we all have to perform  sooner or later.
The urgency (dhvarai ) to perform Prapatthi  at an Acaharya"s holy feet 
would be stimulated by serious reflection on the profound  meaning  of this
Paasuram . AndAL says : " Even before  day break , at the very dawn of our lives
,  
we have come to Thee and prostrate at Thy lotus feet and pray that You will
command 
us to do all kinds of services to Thee . Our prayer is that we shall be blessed 
to be united with You not only in this birth , but also in all the births to
come .
May You bless us to have uninterrupted and permanent relationship with
Thee and Thee  alone . You who took birth in our race of cowherds earning 
our livelihood by grazing and rearing the herd of cattle , can not deny us the 
divine service to You .Hearken , O Lord ! It is not only that we desire 
to receive the boon of Kaimkaryam from you in ths birth , but we desire ,
in fact , for  us to  be united forever -throughout  the births , sevens of
generations -- be the kith and kin of You . Let us do all kinds of kaimkaryam
to You alone; May Thou make us rid of other desires ! " . AndAL concludes
her Prapatthi with  a boon for the banishment of desires for material objects
and vishaya sukhams  that most worldly-minded people long for . She begs 
the Lord  tha t she should be blessed to have all of Her desires 
 center around nitya Kaimkaryam to Him.

Conclusion (30th Verse ) : The glorious fruit of Prapatthi
***************************************************************

In this verse , Vangakkadal kadaintha Maadhavanai Kesavanai ,
AndAL confers the blessings on behalf of , and in the words of , 
the Divya dampathis (Lakshmi -NarAyaNan ) that those , who 
sing or speak about these Paasurams in the manner in which
AndAL did , will be recipients of the paripurNa anugraham of
the Divine couple and enjoy unalloyed happiness here on earth 
and the hereafter by the grace of Nappinnai and KrishNa paramAthmA . 

May the abundant blessings of the SaraNya Dampathis be with ALL
the members of this precious group during the DhAthu samvathsara 
Dhanur Maasam ! 

I will focus on the Sanga Thamizh of  AndAL  that She referred to 
in the thirtieth Verse ( sanga Thamizh Maalai ) of Thiruppavai in my 
next posting and conclude the series on Bhoghi day , when tradionally
Her marriage to Lord GovindhA is celebrated by Her devotees .

AndAL ThiruvadigaLE saraNam .

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan