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Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XVI-> Ninth day :ThUmaNi Maadatthu Dinam

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Sadagopan • December 23, 2000 


Sriamthyai Godhayai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:

In the eighth paasuram , ANDAL and Gopis awakened
a Gopi, who is like a Muktha Jeevan .In the ninth
paasuram of the day , they awaken one , who is like
a nithya mukthar(JananyAchAryar). 

Literal Meaning according to Dr.V.K.S.N. Raghavan
**************************************************
(The cowherd women folk practising the Srivratham 
(Paavai Nonbhu) awaken another maiden , who has self 
complacency in her earnest devotion to the Lord). 
Oh the daughter of our uncle! You are taking rest 
and sleeping on the soft bed , while the lamps are lit 
all round the dazzling hall(with inlaid gem stones )
of your mansion filled with aroma of the incense .
Please (get up) and open the lever-lock of the shining
doors (with inlaid gems ) of your chambers.( As the inside 
of the chambers is apparent , these gopis could see
within the enclosure  and so call the aunt ,
the mistreess of the house). Dear Aunt !Could you please 
awaken your daughter? Is She dumb or deaf or exhausted
and tired out? Or has She been cursed with long spell
of sleep ? (may be , that is the reason for her sleeping
without responding to us). To awaken her from this 
hypnotic sleep , (let us) recite as remedy , the numerous
names of the Lord as " God of the Supreme magical power 
( MahAmAyan), the Lord of Goddess MahA Lakshmi 
( Maadhavan) and Vaikuntan ( the Lord of Sri Vaikuntam).

Inner Meanings of this Paasuram
********************************
" MaamAn mahaLE ": Here a very subtle SaasthrArtham 
is revealed . By addressing the sleeping girl as
the daughter of the uncle , dEha sambhandham 
(bodily relationship as a Bandhu ) is indicated. 
BandhUs are of two kinds: anukoolars and prathikoolars. 
anukoola BhandhUs are supportive of Bhagavath-BhAgavatha-
AchArya Kaimkaryams .Prathikoola BhandhUs are against
such kaimkaryams and interfere with the performance of
such kaimkaryams .One has to seek the company of 
the anukoola BhanthUs and reject the company of 
Prathikoola BhandhUs. The Gopi who is being awakened
is an anukoola BhnadhU and hence she is awakened 
with ardour.( Sri PBA Swamy)

" MaamAn MahaLE ": MaamAn is the SadAchAryan , who is 
more important than Father, Mother and all BhandhUs.
MaamAn MahaL is the antharanga sishyan of that AchAryan
(Sri UtthamUr Swamy ) adiyEn is reminded of the relationship
of Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar as antharanga sishyan to 
HH the 42nd Pattam Azhagiya Singar of blessed memory. 

"ThoomaNi maadatthu suRRum ViLakkeriya ": Mudhal Paadham
*********************************************************

ThoomaNi Maadam is the eternal, defect free , all revealing
Vedam (Nigama Soudham). " SuRRum " refers to the six angams
(limbs ) of Vedam like SeekshA et al ." ViLakku" is Jn~Anam 
or UpabrumhaNams like Smruthi , PurANas that explain 
the esoteric meanings of the VedAs.( Sri UtthamUr Swamy)

Sri PBA Swamy intreprets this first Paadham of eight
lined paasuram this way: The place from where there is 
an unhindered view of the environs is called Maadam.
This is also decribed as "Praj~nA PrasAdham" by sages.

MaNi Maadam connotes the Maadam made luminous with 
nava vidha (nava rathna) sambhandhams . These nine kinds of
relationships are: Pithru-Puthra BhAvam , sEsah-sEshi
BhAvam , Bharthru-BhAryA BhAvam, sva-SvAmi BhAvam ,
Jn~Athru-Jn~yea BhAvam , AadhAra-aadhEya BhAvam ,
Rakshya-Rakshaka BhAvam and SarirAthma BhAvam. 
The intellect (consciousness) that comprehends thes
realtionships is ThoomaNi Maadam. 

" SuRRum ViLakku Yeriya " refers to the Jn~Ana dheepams 
shining in that ThoomaNi Maadam.AzhwArs have referred to 
this Jn~Ana dheepam (ViLakku)often :" Jn~Anac Chudar
ViLakku yERRinEn  , uytthuNar-vennum oLi koLL viLakkERRi , 
mikkAnai maRayAi virintha ViLakkai" et al. All of these 
paasuram passages relate to the Sakala Saasthra Bheeja 
Bhutha "AkAra Vaachyan", Sriman NaarAyanan.For the YajamAnan 
of the ThoomaNi Madam , these sublime meanings 
of Moola Manthram are shining all around.

PerukkAranai Swamy describes the ThoomaNi Maadatthu
adhikAri as the one who has the clear comprehension of 
the UpabruhmaNams of Vedam like Githai, Manu Smruthi,
Saathvika PurANams , which elaborate on the Lord saluted
by the Vedams as Akhila hEya prathyanIkan ( full of
all Utthama GuNams) amd anantha KalyANa GuNa Svaroopan
( embodiment of limitless auspicious attributes). 

SECOND PAADHAM: " DhUpam kamazha Thyuil anai mEl 
kaNN VaLarum " : Abhinava Desikan refers to three
things with respect to "DhUpam Kmazha": (1) Jn~Anam
(2) AnushtAnam and (3) VairAgyam. This adhikAri is
resplendent with the practice of Nithya , naimitthika 
KarmAnushtAnams and has dispassionate view (VairAgyam)
towards life's happenings .

" Thyuil aNai mEl kaNN vaLarum " : This adhikAri has
the aanandhAnubhavam of a Brahma Jn~Ani. "mEl KaNN
VaLarum " has been intrepreted by Sri PBA Swamy
as the adhikAri blessed with Jn~Ana chakshus that
is expanding day by day (mElE mElE Valarum KaNN).

Third Paadham : " MaamAn MahaLE ! MaNik Kathavam 
ThALL thiRavAi" : The inner meaning of MaamAn MahaLE 
has been covered earlier. The most precious esoteric
meanings are kept under lock and key by SadAchAryAs
until the Sadh-sishyan earnestly begs for their
Upadesam . Then , the SadAchAryan unbolts the lock of
the gem-studded door blocking that jn~Anam. PerukkAranai
Swamy intreprets the KarmAs as the lock for the door
( sarIram) hiding the AathmA (Kousthubha MaNi).

FOURTH AND FIFTH PAADHAMS : "MaamIr avaLai yezhuppIrO ? 
Unn MahaL thaann UmayO ? anRic cheviDO? ananthalO? 
PerukkAraNai Swamy identifies " MaamIr "as an address
to MahA Lakshmi ( LakshmI SambhOdhanam).

MaamIr also stands for AchAryAs and their AchAryAs .
The appeal is made to them to instruct this adhikAri
on Brahma Vidhyai and prepare them for kaimkaryam .
After receiving this parama MangaLa UpadEsam from
AchAryAs , the adhikAri becomes deaf , dumb and bind.

Sri PBA Swamy quotes a Neethi Saasthra Vachanam 
in this context : " parivAdhEshu yE MookhA: ,
pathirAccha parOkthishu , pararanthrEshu jAthyAndhAs 
dhairjitham bhuvana thrayam " This blessed adhikAri 
benefiting from AchArya UpadEsam will be dumb when
it comes to nindhanam (criticism ) of others ,
deaf to other's blaming them , blind when it
comes to seeing the dhOshams of others
according to the above Neethi Saasthra Vaakyam . 

" Unn mahaL thAnn ANANTHALO?" is the concluding 
line of the fifth Paadham . "MahaL " is realted 
by Sri PerukkAraNai Swamy as Prapannan , who
is LakshmI puthran  .

Abhinava Desikan intreprets "ananthal" as matham 
or Gharvam or IrumAppu or Justifiable pride 
based on the knowledge that this Uttham adhikAri 
being keenly aware of his aakinchanyam (helplessness),
ananya gathithvam ( having no one else for succor 
and recourse except the Lord) and MahA VisvAsam 
( Total faith in the Lord as SaraNAgatha Rakshaka 
Achyuthan ).

SIXTH PAADHAM : " YEMA PERUM THUYIL MANTHIRAPPATTAALO?"
Are You under the spell of incantation of a Manthram ?
Are You bound still by a Manthra PrayOgam? This Utthama
adhikAri is under the spell of ashtAksharam ( SvarakshaNE
svAnvaya nivruthi nyAyam according to Sri PBA Swamy).
That AshtAkshara manthram has caused this adhikAri 
"Yema Perum thuyil" as AzhwAr stated: " peyyumA 
muhil pOl VaNNA ---mayyal yERRi mayakka unn mukam
MAAYA MANTHIRAM THAANN KOLO?".

SEVENTH & EIGHTH PAADHAMS: "MAAMAAYAN MAADHAVAN
VAIKUNTHAN YENRENRU NAAMAM PALAVUM NAVINRU --".

PerukkAraNai Swamy has beautiful interpretations
of the word chosen by ANDAL : "MAAMAAYAN". He gives
three intrepretatons: (1) Maa+aayan = the Big Gopa KumAran
(2)Maa+ aayan = that Gopa Kumaaran associated with
MahA Lakshmi ( Maa sabdham of MaalOlan, Maadhavan); 
He is thus Sriya: Pathi (3) maa+ aayan = maa being "not " 
and aayan meaning " a cowherd boy ". Our Lord is not 
a Aayan (not born in the cowherd clan) but is MahA VishNu 
incarnating as GopAlan for Dharma Samrakshanam .

" Maadhavan Vaikunthan yenrenRu naama palavum navinRu":
EmperumAn's sankalpam makes us remember Him or forget
Him ( Mattha Smruthi: of Geethai). When the Sahasra-
Naamams of the Lord are recited , all anishtams 
(inauspiciousness) are removed . AzhwAr says in
this context: " pErAyiramudayeer pEr kaNDeer 
nunn mahaLai theerA nOy seythan". His sankalpam
is behind Subham and anishtam. Hence learning about
and reciting His many Naamams (Naamam palavum naavinRu)
like MaamAyan , Maadhavan , Vaikunthan and others 
gives one the parama sukham of  immeresion in the blissful
ocean of Bhagavath anubhavam in a state of "anyath
kimchith karthum dhrashtum smarthum" ( not being
able to do anything , see anything or think of anything).

Sri PBA Swamy suggests that the naamams of " MaamAyan ,
Maadhavan , Vaikunhtan--" will fit the SadhAchAryan 
as well since AchAryan is a MaamAYan , who performs many
wonderous deeds ( alchemist who transforms Iron (us)
in to Gold through His Upadesams), Maatavan or MahA
Tapasvi ( tapa: SvAdhyAya Niratham tapasvi) and 
Vaikuntan( Vaikunta-prathan , who helps us to
reach Vaikuntam through Prapatthi maargam).

ANDAL, Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan

He 
   

   


 
   


  
 

 



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