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Re: Nappinnai

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Lakshmi Narasimhan • April 6, 2003 


Dear All,
Adiyens 2 cents worth on this topic. I do not have much references to 
the purvacharya works and hence request your forgiveness on any 
mistakes/misinformation.
 
First we need to understand what NAPPINNAI means. In tamizh, this 
could be broken as NAR+PINNAI. NAR=Nalla, PINNAI=the one who came 
later i.e mostly refers to a younger sister.
 
"Perumbudhur Maamunikku 'Pinnanaal' vaazhiye" says the Andal 
Vazhithirunamam, that means that she accepted Swamy Emperumanar as 
her elder brother by calling him "Anna"(elder brother) after he 
fulfilled her 100 Vessel Akkara Adisil prayer i.e a South Indian 
sweet delicacy that Shri Andal promised to serve the 
Thirumaliruncholai Kallazhagar(Naaru narumpozhil pasuram - Nacchiar 
Thirumozhi). Hence Pinnanal, pinnai should mean a younger sister.
 
So, Nappinnai, should probably be more of a role and not a name given 
to any particular person. Nappinnai could probably address a female 
who was married to the ultimate and became a consort, very much later 
to the first two. This way, she becomes a Pinnai i.e a sister to the 
first two and is a Nar+Pinnai, as she is being well accepted by the 
first two.
 
Now, we all know that "SRI" the ultimate queen/consort of the supreme 
came from Thirupparkadal and secured her place on the ultimate's 
chest during the churning episode(Kurmavatharam). And we also know 
that Bhumadevi, our mother earth, is another consort of him. So, 
Nappinnai wouldn't refer to any one of them.
 
Based on the epics, we find that Sita was the very amsam of the 
Periyaprattiyar and Shri Ramapiran was a perfect purusha in terms of 
not marrying anyone else and hence Sita cannot be addressed by the 
word Nappinnai.
 
The only next choice is to see if any of the Krishna Paramatma's 
consorts would fit that role. Once again, based on my assumption, 
Nappinnai could address only that person who is not an amsam of the 
first two consorts namely Sri and Bhu. And by consort it does not 
mean the one who the supreme married as per the rules of our vedic 
scripts as they are applicable only to us. A consort of the lord is 
none but that the jeevatma that understood the atmaswaroopam and due 
to that very fact, is being loved the most by the ultimate. And 
hence, the Vedas call only him as Purusha and all the Jeevatmas are 
referred to as a sthree as per our tradition(though the physical body 
might be that of a male/female whatever). Now, in the Bhagavadam 
episode, we find that Radha was one of his most beloved. She is a 
good candidate for the term Nappinnai. All that she did was, to love 
Shri Krishna all the time. So did the other Gopikais, but the best of 
them all being the Radha:
 
"Nanda gopalan marumagale nappinnai" 
- Thiruppavai - Andal
Here marumagal does not literally mean the daughter-in-law. It refers 
to a potential candidate for being a marumagal i.e the daughter-in-
law.
 
"Inthunaippadhumatthu Alarmagal thanakkum inban (SRI)
Narpuvi Thanakku Iraivan (NARPUVI - BHU)
Thamthunai AAYAR paavai nappinnai thanakkirai,
matrayorkkellam vanthunai"
- Periyathirumozhi - Thiruvallikkeni padhigam - Chathushkavi 
Thirumangaimannan
Mangaimannan says, "Nappinnai thanakku iRai", for nappinnai he is the 
only lord and "matrayorkkellam vanthunai", for others jeevatmas in 
the ayar kulam, he is the protector.
 
Going by the above, Nappinnai should probably mean the consort who 
was accepted as one, by the ultimate, and the one who was not an 
amsam of the first two i.e the SRI and the BHU. So, any jeevatma from 
this leela vibhuthi, who is being accepted as a consort, who won HIS 
love, could be addressed as Nappinnai, as this word refers more to 
the role and not one particular person.
 
Later on, Shri Andal herself became the consort of the Archavadhara 
Murthy Shri Ranganathan and hence, she herself too was addressed by 
the word "Nappinnai" which, to me, is definitely correct. This way, 
Andal talking about someone named Nappinnai, and Andal being called 
as Nappinai, are justfied and correct.
 
All mistakes are solely due to my ignorance and mandha bhuddhi and 
hence my sincere apologies again in case I have told something that 
is Shastra Virodham or incorrect things.
 
Yatheendra Pravanam Vandhe RAMYA Jamataram Munim
 
Adiyen RAmanuja Dasan,
Lakshmi Narasimhan



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