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MahA VidvAn ChakravarthyAchAryAr Swamy's ThiruppAvai monograph excerpts: Part II

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Sadagopan • November 18, 2000 


SriamthE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear ANDAL BhakthAs:

We will cover two topics in this and
the subsequent posting to which Swamy invites 
our attention :

1) The Importance of Hari Naama SankIrthanam
   revealed by the Sri Haryashtakam of Bhaktha-
   PrahlAdan dear to MalOlan .

2) VarNanai of the limbs of the Lord and
   the girls (Bhakthais) of AaypADi in
   the various paasurams of ThiruppAvai.

" Swamy gives us the references to where these 
are found in ANDAL's ThiruppAvai .( It is
well accepted that ThiruppAvai contains 
an ocean of items ranging from artha panchakam
to the glories of Naama sankIrthanam..Earlier
articles archived in Bhakthi list during
the occasion of a previous ThiruppAvai season cover 
these topics (1996 December 1996-Jaunuary 1997 )"...V.S 

ANDAL is Sri Devi's amsAvathaaram. Sri Devi incarnated
in the form of SeethA and performed upadEsam to
people of this earth on Tatthvams. Out of Her
DayA and KshAnthi (forbearance) , She performed 
upadesam even for RaavaNan , who had committed mahA-
aparAdhams to Her. RaavaNan did not pay
attention to Her Upadesam , but in his next
birth as SisupAlan , he got himself redeemed
according to Swamy Desikan. ANDAL is the amsam 
of Periya PirAtti , who nourished the jeevans with 
the milk of Jn~Anam and fulfilled Her duties by 
becoming AchAryai to one and all including Her Lord. 
Through Her ThiruppAvai Prabhandham , She 
showed the way for us to reach Her Lord .

Swamy says that ANDAL showed the people
of Kali yugam that Hari Naama SankIrthanam is 
the prime upAyam leading upto the anushtAnam 
of Prapatthi at Her Lord's feet to gain Moksham.

In this posting we will cover the glory of Hari
Naama Sankeerthanam , where we seek Sri Hari Lakshmi
SamEtha Sriman NaarAyaNan as our Sarva Rakshakan 
as revealed by ANDAL .

In a subsequent post , we will reflect on 
the Manthram of ThiruppAvai serving as 
an omnipotent Hari Kavacham for us all 
in the spirit of Sri Sudarsana Kavacham
and DwAdasa Naama SthOthram (PurasthAth
Kesava: Paathu--).

Hari Naama SankIrthanam
************************
ANDAL recorded this UpadEsam on the importance of
Hari Naama Sankeerthanam in many of Her
ThiruppAvai Paasuram sections as indicated
by U.Ve. MahA VidwAn ChakravarthyAcchAr Swamy :

1.  Paiyyat-thuyinRa Paramandi PAADI ( Paasuram 2 )

2.  Ongi Ulahalantha Utthaman pEr PAADI ( Paasuram 3 )

3.  ThUmalar thoovi Thozhuthu ,VaayinAl PAADI ( Paasuram 5 )

4.  Kesavanaip PAADAVUM  ( Paasuram 7 ) 

5.  PAADIP-PaRaikoNdu (Paasuram 8 )

6.  Muhil VaNNan pEr PAADA (Paasuram 11)

7.  ManattukkiniyAnaip PAADAVUM (Paasuram 12)

8.  KiLLIk KiLainthAnai Keerthimai PAADI ( Paasuram 13)

9.  Pankayak KaNNanaip PAADELorempAvAi ( Paasueam 14)

10. maaRRazhikka VallAnai, Maayanaip PAADA ( Paasuram 15)

11. ThUyOmAi VanthOm , Thuyilezahap PAADUVAAN (Paasuram 16)

12. Thirutthaka selvamum Sevakamum Yaam PAADI( Paasuram 25)

13. Unthannaip PAADI PaRaikoNDu ( Paasuram 27)

14. MeLLa ezhunthu HariyenRa pEraravam ( Paasuram 6).

( The inner meaning of the Hari Naama SankIrthanam is identified 
  with PrArthanA-Poorvaka Bhara SamarpaNam--V.S)

This is an appropriate stage to introduce the 8 slOkams
(without the 2 Phala Sruthi SlOkams) of Bhaktha PrahlAdan
known as Sri Hari Ashtakam :

BraahmE MuhUrtthE SamprApthE NidhrAm thyakthvA Prasanna dhee:
Hari: Hari: Haririthi vyAharEth VaishNava PumAn --(1)

When the dawn (Brahma MuhUrtham dear to the devAs) 
arrives , the VaishNava SrimAn should cast sleep
aside and with awakened mind recite the name of 
Hari seven times.

HarirHaririthi PaapAni Dhushta chitthairapi smrutha:
anicchayApi samsprashta: dahathyEvahi paavaka:--(2)

Even if is one of mean mind , their paapams are 
burnt completely by reciting the name of Hari ,
just as the fire burns anyone even if they
touched it by accident .

Sa GangA Sa GayA Sethu Sa Kaasi Sa Pushkara:
JihvAgrE vardhathE yasya Haririthyakshara dhvayam--(3)

For the One , who grows ( recites repeatedly )
the twin lettered name of Hari ( Ha plus Ri as 
the two aksharams ) ,He is the equivalent in sacrednes
to GangA , GayA , Raama Sethu , Kaasi , and Pushkaram
lake .

GavAm kOti sahsrANi Hema kanyA sahasrakam
Dhaattham syAth tEna yEnOktham Haririthyakshara dhvyam--(4)

The recital of the twin letterd Hari Naamam is
equivalent to the puNyam arising from the dhAnam
of crores of Milk Cows or thousands of golden
kanyAs in marriage .

VaaraNAsyAm Kuru KshEthrE NaimisAraNya yEva cha
Dhattham syAth tEna yEnOktham Haririthi akshara dhvyam--(5) 

The equivalence of the puNyam obtained by giving
dhAnam in Kaasi ,KurukshEthram and NaimisAraNyam
is realized by the utterance (singing) of the name
of Hari made up of two aksharams.

RgvEdhO Yajur vEdho Saama vEdhoapyadharvaNa:  
athIthasthEna yEnOktham Haririthi akshara dhvyam--(6)

The recital of the twin-lettered name , Hari 
is greater in sacredness than Rg , Yajus , 
Saama and Atharva Vedhams.

asvamEdhai: MahA Yaj~nai: VaajabhEya: SadakshiNai:
Ishtam syAth tEna yEnOkktham Haririthi akshara dhvayam--(7) 

The fruits arising from the singing of the name Hari
will yield fruits far greater than those obtained 
from the performance of great yaj~nams like AsvamEdham,
VaajabhEyam et al with appropriate dakshiNais to
the priests.

PruthIvyAm yaani theerthANi PuNyAnyA dhanAni cha
Thaani sarrvANyasEshANi Haririthyakshara DHVAYAM--(8)

What ever sacred waters,puNyams and wealth etc there
is in this earth , they are all the twin letterd 
name of Hari(i-e) they derive their sacredness
from the power of the name of the Lord , Hari. 

( THE ENDING OF THESE SLOKAMS WITH THE WORD DHVAYAM
  IS NO ACCIDENT IN ADIYEN'S OPINION-V.S)

Thus ends the Hari Ashtakam revealed to us by 
Bhaktha PrahlAdhan as he understood it from 
Sage NaaradhA ( translations are by adiyEn and hence 
any mistakes there are mine alone).

Additional Observations by V.S
*******************************
Hari's naamams are the Sahasra NaamAms of VishNu.
Lord Siva went ahead and revealed that another twin lettred 
Naamam of the Lord (Raa+ma) as being equivalent to
the entire set of Sahasra Naamams of VishNu:

" Sahasra Naama tas-tulyam Raama Naama VarAnanE "

The Phala sruthi section of Sri VishNu Sahasra Naamam
ends with the glOrious celebration of Hari Naama
SankIrthanam :

aarthA: VishaNNA: sithilAsccha BheethA:
 gOrEshu cha vyAdhishu varthamAnA:
SANKEERTHYA NAARAAYANA SABDHA MAATHRAM
 Vimuktha dukkhA: SukinO Bhavanthi

(meaning) : People may be in distress or in 
the grip of grief or in frightening confusion
or in fear or affected by terrific diseases;
if they only sing the name of NaarAyaNa-Hari ,
they get rid of all their troubles and attain
happiness.

Hari: Hari: Hari: Hari: Hari: Hari:Hari:
NaarAyaNa  NaarAyana NaarAyaNa !
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.SatakOpan 


    







 


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