Sri U.Ve.PerukkAraNai ChakravarthyAchAr's ThiruppAvai Monograph Excerpts: Part III

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 10, 2000


Dear BhakthAs :

In the last posting of Novemebr 18 , we covered 
Swamy's adoration of the Hari Naamam .adiyEn will cover 
GodhA Sookthi Prabhavam from Swamy's monograph today.

1. ThiruppAvai is the meaning of "namO NaarAyaNAya "
*****************************************************
PeriyAzhwAr revealed the meaning of PraNavam through
his PallANDu Prabhandham. His daughter , ANDAL revealed
the meaning of "Namo NaarAyaNAya " through ThiruppAvai.
The Father and the Daughter revealed together the meaning
of the AshtAkshara Manthram . Therefore , we recite 
ThiruppallANDu and ThiruppAvai every day of the year. 
Marghazhi month is not an exclusive month for the recitation 
of ThiruppallANDu and ThiruppAvai , since they are of 
AshtAkshara manthra Japa Roopam .We recite them 
during AarAdhana kaalam at every house as SaaRRumuRai.
During SaaRRumuRai, there is prominence for ThiruppAvai
(SiRRam SiRu kaalE ) after reciting ThiruppallANDu. 
During AzhwAr , AchArya Thirunakshathrams , ThiruppAvai
has prominence as established through the divine
command of AchArya RaamAnujA ( RaamAnuja DhivyAaj~nA).

2. The Equality of(Saamyam of) ThiruppAvai with Upanishads
********************************************************** 
The Veda Siras is revered as Upanishads . Bhagavath GithA
is known as GithOpanishad just as ThiruppAvai is recognized as 
GOdhOpanishad. ThiruppAvai is therefore a celebrated Upanishad.
Just as the Upanishads of Sruthis are not recited at night,
ThiruppAvai is not recited at night.

3. ANDAL's anugraham to Sri RangarAmAnuja Muni
***********************************************
Sri Ranga RaamAnuja Muni (16th Century A.D and a
disciple of pancha Matha bhanjana Taatha Desikan )
is the well known commentator of the ten prominent 
Upanishads. It is typical to address one as BhAshyakArar
if they have commented on Brahma Soothram or Upanishads.
Sri RangarAmAnuja Muni was not however called as 
BhAshyakArar for Upanishads. He was disturbed about this 
lack of recognition and fell asleep one night with these
sad thoughts in mind. ANDAL appeared in his dream and told
him that he will get the title of BhaashayakArar , if
he wrote a commentary on Her ThiruppAvai. In the morning
after the blessed dram , Sri RangarAmAnuja Muni completed
a Sanskrit commentary for ThiruppAvai and Godhai conferred
on him the title of Upanishad BhAshyakArar , a title 
that has lasted. From this episode , we get proof for 
the decalaration that ThiruppAvai is also an Upanishad.

4. Greatness of ANDAL exceeds that of Sri Devi
************************************************

ThuLasi Devi is the Mother of ANDAL. PeriyAzhwar
is Her Father. EmperumAnAr is Her Elder Brother
(GOdhAgrajar). Lord RanganAthA is Her Husband (BharthA).
We are Her children. We are nourished by Her Sri Sookthi,
which is the Sthanyam ( Breast Milk) for us .Because of these 
multiple connections , ANDAL's glories exceed those of
Sri Devi.

5. Vedam/Upanishads and ThiruppAvai
************************************
When VedAdhayanam is done , it starts and ends with
PraNavam. When we recite Tamizh MaRai of AzhwArs ,
we start and end with ThiruppAvai(SaaRRumuRai). 
Thus ThiruppAvai becomes equal to the sacred PraNavam.

Sanskritic Vedams are like an earthern pot. It has asuddhi
when used by any one outside the Thrayi-VarNikAs.
ThiruppAvai and AzhwAr's prabhandhams are like a Golden pot .
They have no asuddhi if used by every one , independent 
of their VarNams . Every member of the four VarNams are adhikAris 
for Dhivya prabhandham in general and ThiruppAvai in particular.

KatOpanishad wakes up every one with the declaration:
" Utthishtatha, PrabhOdhatha , Jaagratha ".Vedam states that 
the Vinais of Prapannan gets burnt without any trace just as
cotton bale , the thorny shrub thrown in the fire.ANDAL 
gives us the same Vedic/Upanishadic message :" pOya pizhayum ,
puhu taruvAn ninRanavum , Theeyinil Thoosu aahum ".

6.ThiruppAvai and SanAthana-Saasthra Dharmam 
**********************************************
In Our dharmam , we invoke the name of Hari , when we 
get up ; we invoke the name of Kesavan, when we walk ;
we recite the name of GovindhA , when we eat ; We go to
sleep with the name of Madhavan on our lips. ANDAL 
refers to these anushtAna Dharamas in Her ThiruppAvai:
" Hari yenRa pEraravam ", Kesavanaip Paadavum ",
" GovindhA unn Tannaip paadi ", and " Vangak kadal
Kadaintha Maadhavanai ". 

In the next posting , we will cover the importance of
SvApadEsArtham (inner meanings) for ThiruppAvai paasurams 
since PerukkAranai Swamy has excelled in this area 
as Ubhaya VedAntha VidhvAn. Therefore ,we will be focusing on 
these SvpadhEsArthArthams for the individual paasurams .

" Sriyai Nama:,BhUmyai Nama: , NeeLAyai Nama:"

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan  
  




 


 

 


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