Search:
Bhakti List Archives

TiruppAvai swApadESams (Re: [Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri ...)

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.S.HARI Madabhushi Sarangarajan Hari • December 27, 2000 


Dear Members,

"swApadESam" can be taken to mean a sort of commentary/explanation
by he who does the vyAkyAnam based on his own ideas/study. This is
generally done to bring out the actual or hidden meanings in the 
orignal compositions. Though a more 'SAmpradAyic'-defination is possible
for the term "swApadESam", let me present my ideas regarding it in the
context of 6-15 TiruppAvai pAsurams.

===========================================================
SrI SatakOpan swAmi wrote:
>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 .
..........
......
...
===========================================================

In certain commentaries on TiruppAvai, the above information 
is very rich and beautiful in terms of quoting the relevant 
divya-prabanda verses of each of the Alwars considered appropriate 
to the pAsurams (6-15 TiruppAvai) and then explaining and linking 
the meaning of the terms in the tiruppAvai pAsuram with the 
corresponding Alwar's attributes. But this type of swApadesam 
(addressing Alwar/AchAryas and doing ThirupaLLiyezhucchi for them) 
for these (6-15) is NOT mentioned by SrImath PeriyavAchchAn piLLai 
swAmy. 

Abinava DESika SrImath U.Ve. UththamUr VeerarAghavAchArya swAmi
mentions that "swApadESArtham solla purappatta periyavAchchAn
piLLai inganam uRaikAvidilum idu silarukku abhimathamAyiRRu..."
"Though SrImath PeriyavAchchAn piLLai swAmy has not told this
swApadEsam (AzhwArs' ThirupaLLiyezhucchi by ANDAL) who started 
to tell the swApadESam, this type of swApadESam is liked by
few..."

As per the pAsurams, ANdAL addresses her thOzhis who are 
sleeping and does paLLi yezhuchchi for them and attempts to
make them join the nOnbu anushtAnams. But the inner meanings
of these pAsurams have been ascertained by our pUrva-AchAryas
as swApadESArthams. swApadESArthams are not only for these
(6-15) pAsurams in TiruppAvai, but it is present for all the
30 verses present in it.

Further Abinava DESika SrImath U.Ve. UththamUr VeerarAghavAchArya swAmi
mentions that "AndAL AzwArgaLai ezhuppuvadAga swApadESa uRai
vaLarkindRanar; vizhithithiruppavarai ezhuppuvadai viDa uRangum
nammai ezhuppum uLLurai thagum";

"Few tell the swApadESa commentary that ANdAL
does ThirupaLLiyezhucchi for AlwArs; (but AlwArs are already
NOT sleeping -  meaning, they are awake in the bhagavath anubhavam); 
therefore, instead of Thiru-paLLi-yezhucchi for those who are awake, 
the swApadESa, which talks about paLLi-yezhucchi for us who are 
sleeping (in samsAra) is appropriate/fit"

SrI VAnamAmalai jeear swAmi has elaborately written the swApadESam 
meaning "AzhwArs' ThirupaLLiyezhucchi by ANDAL". But this swApadESam
is also interesting in some aspects. In these types of swApadESams,
it is substantiated that ANdAL who has bhUmi-amSa-avathAra-vaibhavam,
and she being sarvagnyA and having more Bhagavath-bhOga-rasa-anubhavam 
than other AlwArs, was able to mention ThirupaLLiyezhucchi for even 
those Alwars/AchAryas who were born (avathAram) after her 
period.

Few comment that these pAsurams (6-15 TiruppAvai) is for
AchAryas' Thiru-paLLi-yezhucchi - Starting with BhagavAn ... till
Bhagavath rAmAnuja yatirAja swAmi. Abinava DESika SrImath U.Ve. 
UththamUr VeerarAghavAchArya swAmi's earlier remarks are
considerable again here in this context also.

Few have commented these pAsurams in their swApadESams that
these 10 pAsurams (6-15 TiruppAvai) is for making the ten
indriyams awake. This is considered as "idu thagum" - "this
is suitable/appropriate/fit"

The swApadESams in prabanda rakshai by Abinava DESika SrImath U.Ve. 
UththamUr VeerarAghavAchArya swAmi are indeed the greatest 
arthams following SAstra's purport wonderfully and absolutely based
on pUrva-AchArya's SrI Suktis. I find the gOdA-sudhA-swAdam elaborating 
the swApadESams presented in prabanda rakshai or those swApadESams
present in gOdA-sudhA-swAdam are based on prabanda rakshai
and such commentaries wonderfully explaining the inner purport
of the tiruppAvai pAsurams.

The swApadESams in prabanda rakshai by Abinava DESika SrImath U.Ve. 
UththamUr VeerarAghavAchArya swAmi brings out the sAram of all
SAstras clearly proving the point "TiruppAvai is vEda-beejam;
vEdam-anaiththukkum viththAgum gOdai thamizh"; further, this 
commentary by an unsurpassed scholar of this century as far as
our SrI SampradAyam is concerned is parama-bhOgyam not only for
scholars but also for others. For example, Abinava DESika SrImath U.Ve. 
UththamUr VeerarAghavAchArya swAmi has explained even the difficult 
meanings of Veda verses like "athra brahma samaSnuthE" etc in
a very simple manner in the TiruppAvai line "erumai chiru veedu
mEivAn parandana kAN". The SrI SampradAya rahasyArthams, importance
of doing prapaththi(SaraNAgathi), pancha-kAla prakriyA etc are
wonderfully explained through the TiruppAvai verses by Abinava DESika SrImath
U.Ve. UththamUr VeerarAghavAchArya swAmi in his prabanda
rakshA. 

Thanks & Regards
M.S.HARI rAmAnuja dAsan (mshari@usa.net)

____________________________________________________________________
Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1


--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@eGroups.com
Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH
Manage your subscription at http://www.egroups.com/mygroups