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Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XVIII->Eleventh day : KaRRuk KaRavaik kaNNangaL Dinam

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Sadagopan • December 26, 2000 


Sriamthyai Godhayai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs: In this paasuram , a Gopi  known for her 
extraordinary beauty ( Golden creeper/PoRRk Kodi)
and distinguished lineage is being awakened. Her relatives 
are known well for the way in which they discharge 
the duties of the Aayar Kulam . Sri BhUvarahAcchAr Swamy 
observes in this context: " These duties entail milking 
an endless number of cows . So ANDAL seems to be saying 
that performance of one's duties as enjoined in the scripture 
(varNAsram dharmam)will bring happiness to the Lord 
and thereby fall into the catgory of His service.
One should hence never discard one's duties". 

JananyAcchAr describes this UtthamAdhikAri as belonging
to a noble lineage ( AabhijAthyam)and as " Oorukku-oru PeNN
PiLLai" . 

Literal Meaning of this Paasuram:Dr.V.K.S.N Raghavan
*****************************************************
Oh Golden Creeper of a girl( the scion among the  maidens of 
this group)! You are a jewel among the cowherds , who are:
(1) master craftsmen in the milking of ever so many groups 
of young milch cows (at a stretch)(2) skillful in warfare , 
namely , very much able to go against and destroy their 
(strong)opponents and routing their strength and 
(3) thoroughly blemishless ! Oh Charming peacock-like
(beautiful) damsel with the hips resembling the hood of
a cobra! May You come (and join our fold).When we--Your 
kinswomen and friends --have come and entered the open 
front yard (without roof ) of Your house , and when we 
are singing (in chorus) the names of the Lord of dark 
cloud-like hue, what are you fast asleep for ,without 
even moving or giving any response, Oh rich and
young girl ?

The Inner Meanings of the Paasuram
***********************************
KaRRuk KaRavaik kaNangaL     having drunk the milk of
Pala KaRanthu                Jn~Anam from all Upanishads,
                             smruthi, IthihAsa PurANams 
                             independent of their size 
                             or complexity

seRRAr thiRalazhia           having won over naasthikars 
chenRu seruc cheyyum         and aasthika abhimAnis in
                             saastrEic debates

KuRRam onrilAtha             Oh Sathsishyan , who has
kOvalar tamm                 been blessed with a sadAchAryan ,
poRRk kodiyE                 with mastery over the blemishles
                             VedAs !

puna MayilE                  Oh sathsishyan , who dances like 
                             a happy peacock ( that has seen
                             the rainy clouds) while singing 
                             the many naamAs of our Lord!

pOdharAi                     May Thou be engaged in this aanandha
                             anubhavam!

SuRRathtu ThOzhimAr          the aadhivAhikars , who display
yellAm vanthu                freindship to You , the Prapannan
                             have come now

ninn muRRam puhunthu         they have entered the front gates
                             of Your ( of the one , who has cast 
                             aside the gross body and entered into
                             the subtle body/sookshma sarIram)house

Muhil VaNNan                 They are reciting the Lord's names
pEr paada                    and are ready to lead you to His 
                             supreme abode at the final stages
                             of your journey via archirAdhi
                             maargam , like BhaagavathAs reciting
                             manthrams into your ear

siRRAthE                     You should cast away any concerns
                             about committing sins consciously
                             or otherwise

pEsAthE                      You should speak of nothing except
                             Bhagavan naamAs 

nee selavap pendAtti         you become thus the one appreciated 
                             by BhagavAn Himself.

uRangum poruL yeRRukku?      You have no more vinais to worry
                             about ? Why then this sleep rooted
                             in fear and bramam(delusion)?

Inner meaning of Special words and passages
********************************************
(1)Sri PBA Swamy points out that the three sambhOdhanams
(addresses) as "Kovalar tamm poRRkkodiyE ,puRRaraval-
puna mayilE and Selvap peNDAtti" are noteworthy.These
three identitfications suggest that this Gopi is like
a dependent creeper on the supporting rod of AchAryans
and is distinguished for her fragrance of Paaratantryam.
She is thus a qualified UtthamAdhikAri. 

(2)Sri PBA Swamy comments further on the word "PuRRaravaL"
to bring out the supermacy of Bhakthi among the triad
of Jn~Anam ,Bhakthi & Virakthi. When a cobra with majestic
form enters its home under earth , it will shrink its
big form humbly . When Bhakthi is dominant , it will yield 
Jn~Anam and Virakthi readily . Swamy quotes Sanjayan's 
Upadesam to the deluded DhruthrAshtran : " Maayam na
sEvE bhadram tE na vruthA dharmamAcharE , Suddha bhAvam
gathO BhakthyA SaasthrAth Vedhmi JanArdhanam "Bhakthi is 
thus the saadhanam for Jn~Anam aand Virakthi.Sri PBA Swamy 
also quotes Swamy AlavanthAr's slOkam praising his
grandfather Swamy Naathamuni in the context of Jn~Ana-
Bhakthi-Virakthi triad : " Namochinthya adhbhudha aklishta 
Jn~Ana VairAgya RaasayE , NaathAya munayE aghAtha 
Bhagavath Bhakthi SindhavE " . The importance of
Bhakthi over Jn~Anam and VairAgyam is again alluded
here , when Swamy Nathamuni is saluted here as
the bottomless Ocean of Bhagavath Bhakthi.

(3) PunamayilE: Sri PBA Swamy compares the equivalence
of the Peacock to a SadAchAryA in six ways . Two such
comparsions are as follows:
(a) The poisonous insects would stay away 
from the peacock for fear of their lives. 
AchAryAs through their prabhAvam chase away all 
anishtams: " visAthi pahai pasi theeyanavellAm
ninri ivvulahil kadivAn Nemip PirAn Tamar pOnthAr" is 
AzhwAr's Sri Sookthi.(b) When the peacock is happy , 
it will stretch its tail fethers and dance. AchAryAs 
will exhibit their Jn~ana vikAsam , when they experience 
a sath sishyan .

(4) SuRRatthu ThOzhimArellAm vanthu: Aathma and dEha Bhandhus 
will flock around mahAns .One can see that with Udayavar
with EmpAr , Mudali AaNDAN ( dEha Bhanthus) and KurEsar,
KidAmpi Aacchan et al (aathma Bhandhus) serving him 
(Sri PBA Swamy ).

(5) Ninn MuRRam puhunthu muhil VaNNan pEr Paada:
MuRRam is where the adiyArs of the Lord assemble
(vide: KulaEkarar paasuram:"aNiarangan THIRUMURRATTHU 
ADIYAR tankaLinbha perumkuzhavu kaNdu)(Sri PBA Swamy).

(6) SIRRATHE PESAATHE:AndaL's pasura Vaakhyam has 
the echo of Swamy NammAzhwAr's counsel AND command
( ThiruvAimozhi:9.1.7):

"siRRa vENDA chinthippEyamayum kaNDIrkaLanthO !"

( Meaning according to Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan):

" I have nothing else to say (to you , the people of 
the world)and I have siad everything briefly.
For all beings in this vast universe,without any need for 
exertion (siRRa vENDA) or exercise . A simple technique
is available for survival and salvation. Lo, people do not
catch my point and get doomed. The Lord , KrishNA ,was
born in MathurA to protect the cows , almost as their 
Mother.His boundless grace , simplicity and similar
qualities --all flawless -- are a pleasure to ponder
over and spend one's life with. I say that this is 
the easiest and praticable-to-all way of life! 

(7) Abhinava Desikan's description of Inner meanings:
******************************************************
(a)KARAVAIKAL :AchAryAs , who yield abundant milk
of Jn~Anam
(b)KARRUKKARAVIAKAL : AchAryAs with abundant wealth
of SishyAs.
(c)PALA KARANTHU: AchAryAs , who have absorbed from many
sources and from many poorvAchAryAs ( bahubhya: srOthavyam ,
bhaudhA srOthavyam)and store them for the benefit of
many sishyAs.
(d) SERRAAR: Veda Baahyars and Kudhrushtis( their foes ,
who do not accept Vedam as PramANam and those , 
who misintrepret Vedam for their benefit.
(e) SERRAR THIRALAZHIYA SENRU: Going on Dhig Vijayams
(Vijaya Yaathrais) to defeat the views of Veda Baahyars
and Kudhrushtis and to establish parama Vaidhika
matham on its solid footing.
(f) KURRAMONRILAATHA KOVALAR: These AchAryAs engaged in
the blemishless act of spreading sath-sampradhAyam by
defeating the views of Veda Baahyars and Kudhrushtis .
They do it not out of ahankAra-MamakAram ( which will
be full of blemish ), but do it out of compassion 
to spread the true meanings of Tatthvam, Hitham 
and PurushArtham.
(g) KOVALAR: "gO " is Vaaku or Vedam; gOvalar 
is the One , who protects veda Vaaks (with VedAngams).
(h) KOVALAR TAMM PORRKKODIYE:  That beautiful golden
creeper , which survives through supporting itself
on such Kovalars .These AchAryAs are the Kozhu Kompu 
for the PoRRkkodi ( Utthama adhikAri).
(i)PURRARUVU:This Utthama adhikAri will be full of
humility like a snake inside its home underground.
(j) This Utthama adhikAri will sing and dance like
a joyous peacock from Bhagaavth anubhavam.
(k)siRRAthE pEsAthE: because of humility and freedom
from ahankAra-mamakAram , the Utthama adhikAri stays
motionless and without speaking.
(l)YERRUKKU URANGUM PORUL: You ( Utthama adhikAri) is
our great wealth. Your aruLiccheyal is our property.
Can one , who is both our wealth and property sleep?
Please join us and remove the guNa dhOshams in our
anubhavams .

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

 


                      

 


                            
 


      

     
 


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