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Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XVII-> Tenth day :nORRuc Chuvarkam puhuhinRa ammanAi Dinam

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Sadagopan • December 25, 2000 


Sriamthyai Godhayai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs: 

Prior to the coverage of today's Paasuram ,
adiyEn would like to refer to a SampradhAyam
observed by PurvAchAryAs in their commentaries.
That is ANDAL's suprabhAtham for AzhwArs. 

AzhwArs' ThirupaLLiyezhucchi by ANDAL 
**************************************
Now From the Sixth to the Fifteenth Pasurams , 
ANDAL is said to have awakened Her " Fathers " , 
the Ten AzhwArs excluding Madhura Kavi , who
is adakkam in Swamy NammAzhwAr . These ten ThiruppAvai
Paasurams ( 6-15 ) are considered the AzhwArkaL 
ThirupaLLi Yezhuchci Paasurams .

The First Ahwar to be awakened according to this view
is Her Own AchAryan and Foster Father PeriyAzhwAr 
in " PuLLum Silambina KaaNN PULLARAYAN KOIL " paasuram.
"Keesu Keesu YenRu " Paasuram is linked to KulasEkharar and
"Keezh Vaanam VeLLenRu " is associated with Swamy NammAzhwAr,
"ThUmaNi Maadatthu" is connected to Thirumazhisai in
this samprahAyam. Srimath PeriyANDavan described 
the connection between Thirumazhisai and the Utthama
Naayaki of "ThumaNi maadatthuu" in one of his recent
Tele-UpanyAsam . The three Mudal AzhwArs' ThirupaLLiyezhucchis
are connected to the 10th, 11th and the 12th Paasurams .
With Her Jn~Ana Dhrushti , ANDAL is said to have awakened
the remaining Three AzhwArs , who incarnated after Her 
(viz)., ThoNDaradippodi, ThiruppANar and Thirumangai 
in her 13th, 14th and 15th paasurams.

A request to fellow bhakthAs of ANDAL! adiyEn does not have 
the commentary of HH 44th Pattam Srimath Azhagiya Singar
with me. If any one has a copy , can they add appropriate
excerpts in areas that are not covered ? alternatively , 
the BhakthA can lend me the copy of Srimath Azhagiya Singar's
commentary for the month of Marghazhi for me to include
the special aspects of Srimath Azhagiya Singar's
Sri Sookthi on ThiruppAvai .

The Identity of the Gopi being awakened here
*********************************************
Here a Gopi , who thinks of herself as one deeply immersed
in Bhagavath Bhakthi ( Who has always followed the divine
path and sought BhagavAn's Thiruvadi as the sole UpAyam )
is being awakened .She belongs to the category of "krutha--
Kruthyai " and is therefore an UtthamAdhikAri.Sri PBA Swamy 
describes this Utthama adhikAri as " Saaraj~nar" or Utthama-
sathpAthram. 

Literal meaning of the Paasuram (Dr.V.K.N.S.Raghavan)
***************************************************** 
" Oh Dear girl, who is very much confident of practising 
nonbhu (KanyA vratham)and entering heaven (Svargam)! 
Is it your custom not to open the doors and not even
respond to our calls ? (Without getting any reply from
her, the Gopis assembled outside her door try to make 
her listen to their talk as follows): 
If we sing in praise of Lord NarAyaNA
(viz.,KrishNA, contextually) adorning the fragrant 
TuLasi garland on His head , He will surely bless
us with the drum for our Vratham. (So, you also wake up
and come with us ). Is it that KumbhakarNan--who was , 
in days of yore , made to leap to his death by Lord
RamachandrA , the embodiment of Dharamam--has ceded
his long spell of sleep to you after he was defeated 
(by you in a sleeping contest)? O Girl overpowered by 
heavy dose of (spellbound by) sleep! You are however
the precious jewel of our group .Hence , Kindly (get up)
and come to the door with clear mind and open it."
 
The inner meanings of the Paasura Vaakyams : Two Key Words
**********************************************************
(1) Svargam :Sri U.Ve. BhUvarAhAcchar Swamy focuses on 
two key words used by ANDAL in this Paasuram: "Svargam and
ArumkalamE ". Svargam here is not Indra"s heaven , but
union with God . The Gopi here has completed all her 
rites of self-surrender to the Lord and hence is enjoying 
His company. This situation is similar to that of
a Sri VaishNavA ; for him/her , nothing remains to be done
by way of "upAyA " after acepting our Lord as the sole
refuge and protector (SaraNAgathi).The word Svargam
can also be split into SU+Vargam ( Nalla GhOshti 
or the Sri Vaishnava Saadhu GhOshti)).That GhOshti
is Sushtu GhOshti according to Sri PBA Swamy . The members
of Sushtu GhOshti will not mingle with those , who chase
worldly matters and will run away from them. 

Abhinava Desikan points out that Svargam is not
Indra Lokam but Bhagavath anubhavam associated 
with Moksham .Being without the Lord is narakam and 
being with Him is Svargam ( YasthvayA saha sa SVARGHO
nirayO yasthvayA vinA ).
 
ARUMKALME
**********
Regarding "ArumkalamE" , Sri BhUvarAhAcchAr Swamy
gives two meanings:(1) a vessel and (2) an ornamaent.
A Sri VaishNavA is the vessel to contain His grace.
A Sri VaishNavA possesses superior ornamments in
the form of Aathma GuNams; or he himself is the best
ornament embellishing the sathsangams of Sri VaishNavAs.
Sri BhUvarahAcchAr Swamy  seems to  follow mostly 
Periya VaacchAn PiLlai's and 6000 paDi commentaries.

Abhinava Desikan points out the reason for the usage of
the address of this Gopi as "arumkalamE". The Gopis waiting
outside and appealing to the UtthamAdhikAri inside to
wake up are happy that latter woke up finally
heeding their appeals. Hence they praise her by
addressing her as "arumkalamE" or the one with
adhbhutha GuNams and adhbhutha Soundharyam.

Inner meanings of other words of this Paasuram
***********************************************
PerukkAranai Swamy observes that the 9th and 10th
Paasurams of ThiruppAvai suggest that those who perform
auspicious deeds will enjoy sukham here as well as in the other
world. This goPi is one , who gives aanandham to KrishNan.
She vowed to observe the Vratham and yet she is "sleeping"
now ( observing Mouna Vratham ). The other gOpis make fun of 
her (this gOpi) by reminding her of her earlier resolutions.
The gOpis outside address the sleeping gOpi semi-seriously 
as "ammanAi" ( YajamAni or SWamini).The door still 
did not open after requesting her ( MaRRamum thArArO Vaasal 
ThiRavAthAr).

ThuLasi Maahthmyam
******************* 
Salutation to Sriman NaarAyaNan and His glories are housed
in the passage "NaaRat thuzhAi mudi NaarAyaNan " Here the Lord
is invoked in the form of wearing the sacred ThuLasi
on His Siras to assure us that His Vratham is to give
the boon of Moksham for those , who perform SaraNAgathi
at His feet(nammAl pORRa Parai tharum PuNNiyan). 
 
ThuLasi's glory is also indicated in this Paasuram 
( nARRa ThuzhAi Mudi NaarAyanan) . "nARRa Thuzhai " is  
fragrant ThuLasi adorning His Siras (over the Kiritam).
It has been presented by Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr
earlier. Lord KrishNA says in this context 
in MahA BhAratham: 

" Among Pushpams, ThuLasi flower is the most sacred ".

Blue Lotus is lofty in status , when it is used 
in Bhagavath AarAdhanam; Red Lotus flower
is loftier than blue lotus; the hundred petalled red
lotus is loftier than the ordinary red lotus with
fewer petals;PuNDarIkam ( 1000 petaled lotus ) is
more venerable than the 100 petaled variety of red lotus.
SvarNa Pushpam is loftier than the PuNDarIkam; even 
loftier in hierarchy of venerable flowere is ThuLasi.
It tops the list. 

ThuLasi was born during the time of the churning of 
the milky ocean(amrutha Matanam) by the Lord.The Thulasi
flower , leaves, kattai/log ( Kaashtam) and root are
all important in Bhagavath AarAdhanam , Pithru SrArdham
and Yaagams/Yaj~nams. At Oppiliappan Koil, SravaNa 
dheepam has at its center ThuLasi Kaashtai covered by
rags . This KshEthram is ThuLasi Vanam .At SrivilliputthUr ,
ANDAL incarnated at the foot of a ThuLasi plant.  
During the month of Marghazhi, any one performing
Pongal naivEdhyam for our Lord cooked in the fire made 
from ThuLasi Kaashtai obtains indescribable auspiciousness; 
so does one , who is cremated with Thulasi Kaashtai sambhandham.
He ascends to Vaikuntam.In Maasi Ratha Sapthami and EkAdasi, 
naivEdhyam for PerumAl with food cooked over ThuLasi
Kaashtai gives the phalan of 1000 year long AarAdhanams.
Infinite inded are the glories of TuLasi  and the TuLasi 
Vana Sudari , SaakshAth KashamA (Godhai).

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

 

 
  



  
 

   


 
       


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