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Sri Azhagiyasingar"s AruL mozhigaL on Thiruppavai --Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • September 22, 1997 


Dear BhakthAs of GodhA Piratti : 

His Holiness the 44th Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt states
that ANDAL's abundant blessings fall on every one of those  
who recite the thirty verses of Thiruppavai at dawn during 
the month of Marghazhi  , on those who go around the Divya 
Dampathi's temple performing bhajanai of Thiruppavai , 
on those who intrepret the individual paasurams
in the format of UpanyAsams and on those who organize 
such upanyaasams for the benefit of the community . 

Such blessings arise from the sacredness of Thiruppaavai .
H.H. The Jeeyar sumamrizes the  essence of this sacred 
Thiruppaavai for our benefit . As a great scholar and AchArya ,
he has blessed his sishyAs with upanyAsams on the paasurams
consistent with the tradition of the well known commentaries of 
the PurvAchAryAs . In this essay however , H.H The Jeeyar adopts a 
different approach that is noted for its uniqueness . He talks as
it were straight from his heart out of his compassion for all of us .
He leaves aside the scholarly emphasis and talks almost
colloquially to reach us . This is what touched my heart .

THE ESSENCE OF THIRUPPAAVAI ( PAASURAM BY PAASURAM )
***********************************************************************

1. MARGHAZHI THINGAL : Whatever act we perform , we should
think of it as an auspicious act that is of service to others and that
would
gladden the heart of BhagavAn and as such will be noteworthy of 
celebration by the world . 

2 . VYAITTHU VAAZHVEERGAAL : The Lord will make our days on 
this earth happy ones as long as we observe vrathams like EkAdasi
fasting , sing the glories of KsheerAbdhi Nathan and perform
dhAna dharmams to the limit of our abilities .

3 . ONGI ULAHALANDHA :  BhagavAn will bless us with progeny ,
home , wealth and sorrow-free life just as He  conferred extraordinary
wealth on Indra , if we sing about the glory of the vamanAvatharan ,
who incarnated as a dwarf and expanded to that of Trivikraman
to measure with His two steps the earth and the sky . 

4 . AAZHI MAZHAIKKANNAA : If we with a heart laden with Bhakthi 
lose ourselves through sankeerthanam of the Lord's names ,
all the devathAs subordinate to Him will recognize us 
as the daasans of their Lord , Govindhan 
and take care of all of our needs with elan . 

5 . MAYANAI MANNU :  When we have MahA visvAsam in 
Sriman NaarAyaNan as our sole protector and meditate on Him ,
then He would bless us with righteous progeny and 
loving relatives in addition to removing all of our 
accumulated sins .

6 . PULLUM SILAMBHINA KAAN :  we should get up 
before dawn in Marghazhi and utter " Hari , Hari "
for the banishment of our sins , acquisition of sarva mangaLams 
and for possessing a mind free from confusions and doubts . 

7 . KEESU KEESU : We should welcome with reverence 
the bhagavathAs arriving at our home uttering  the name of 
the Lord . We should listen with attention and respect 
their discourses on Bhagavan's naamAs and His
stories described by the PurANAs . 

8. KEEZH VAANAM :  The Lord will take pity on us, 
eliminate our sins and fulfill our desires , when we 
consider each day as an auspicious day and perform  
arAdhanam for Him with reverence , joy and affection .

9 . THUMANI MADATTHE :  TWe should perform ThiruvArAdahnam 
for the Lord every day and during those occaasions 
present the lamp sevai , incense sevai and keep 
the place of aarAdahnam spotlessly clean and pure. 

10 . NORRU SUVARGAM :  The tenth paasuram states  that we
should not hide away from BhagavathAs , when they come to our 
houses because of fear of responding  to what they may ask of us .
We should not display our miserly qualities to them and shun them .
We should not hide behind locked doors and pretend as though we
are not there . When we do not open our door and converse with 
them in a respectful mannner , that house will slip away from us . 
Hence , we should welcome them , offer our salutations and make  
them comfortable and happy . 

11. KARRUKKARAVAI :  The eleventh paasuram teaches us that 
we should welcome the  relatives or strangers even if they are poor  
or uneducated and should set aside our scholarship and wealth ,
while interacting with them , when they come to our houses . 

12 . KANAITTHILAM KANRU : The twelfth paasuram recomemnds that 
we should offer arghyam , paadhyam to the great souls , who 
perform Govindha naama sankeerthanam and revere them as 
the dear bhakthAs of the Lord ; we should recognize that all of
our paapams disappear at the sight of them and show our 
reverence to them .

13 . PULLIN VAAI KEENDAANAI : The thirteenth paasuram instructs 
us to shake off our lazinness and torpor and get up before dawn without
fear of the cold , peform sandhyAvandanam as our daily ordained duty .
It reminds us that we should not wallow in bed after sunrise or at sunset .
To escape from accumulating paapams through such prohibited acts ,
we should not only wake up before dawn but also wake others , who
may tarry in bed due to thier own laziness. 

14 . UNGAL PURAKKADAI : The Fourteenth paasuram states that 
w eshould go daily to the temple of Sriman NaarAyaNA , offer our 
obesiance to Him and recite sthothrams in praise of Him there 
indepent of our busy schedules or incoveniences . 

15 . YELLE ILANGKILIYE :  The fifteenth paasuram suggests that 
we should prevent the children of the house from becoming lazy 
by teaching them to recite Vedams , Prabhandhams and sthOthrams .
They should be kept busy until 9 p.m and should be woken up 
before dawn to engage in such auspicious acts . 

( To be continued )