Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XX-> Thirteenth day : PuLLIn vaai KeeNDAnai Dinam

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 28, 2000


Sriamthyai Godhayai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:

In this Paasuram , a Gopi known for the beauty of
her eyes is being awakened. The Upanishad BhAshyakArar 
translates the "pOtharikkaNNinAi" address of ANDAL
as : " Pushpa SoukumArya HAri NayanE!".The beauty of 
this Gopi's eyes is bewitching . That attacted KrishNan
in the first place to her. She is lying in her bed
reflecting sweetly on the heroic exploits Krishnan.
She is also going over nostalgically in her mind
about the sambhOgam she had with KrsihNan in that 
very same bed , which still retains His fragrance
(dhivya Gandham of this Sarva Ghandhan ).

Outiside her bed chamber , a shrill argument has
broken out as a result of one gopi addressing 
Raaman as "manatthukkiniyAn" in the previous
Paasuram . The assembled group has broken into equal 
groups .One half maintains that Raaman is superior
and the other insists that KrishNan is way ahead of
Raaman in KalyANa GuNams. A senior gopi steps in as
a mediator and points out that both Raaman and KrishNan
are one and the same Sriman NaarAyanan and peace is 
restored. The united Gopis now invite the Gopi inside
enjoying KapaDa Nidhrai to join them . 

Literal Meaning of the Paasuram (Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan):
******************************************************
(It is portrayed here that the Gopis , performing 
Paavai nOnbhu awaken another girl , who has earlier had 
a glimpse of Godly bliss , and who generally keeps aloof,
avoiding association with others). All our friends have
now reached the designated place for assembly ( Paavaik-
KaLam pukkAr). They went there singing the praise of 
our KrishNan , who tore open the mouth of BakAsuran
( the demonn , who in the form of a crane , came to
assault Him ), and who , in His earlier avathAram as RaamA , 
chopped off the ten heads of the treacherous demon
king (RaavaNA ) and destroyed him . The Venus has now
arisen and the Jupiter has already set. Harken , many birds 
(have gotten up ) and are chirping . Oh Young and beautiful
girl with charming eyes resembling a flower and that
of a doe ! all of us should go to the river and plunge 
deeply in the water that makes us shiver ; instead you are 
wiling away the time lying on the bed ,--is this peoper ?
Oh dear girl ! it is truly a great day for us . Kindly
leave your restraint (and aloofness) and join us freely.

SapdEsArthams( Inner Meanings ): Abhinava Desikan
**************************************************
This paasuram is about a sishyan , who is sitting 
apart without going to his AchAryan's side during
KaalakshEpa vrutthi ( the activity of learning) .

The AchAryan is saluted as " puLLin Vaai keeNDAn
and pollA arakkanai kiLLik kaLainthan" since he
has controlled the ten IndriyAs and manas; he has 
destroyed further the Bhaka Vrutthis ( Crane like ,
pretending naasthikAs and dhurvAdhis ). This sishyan
is invited to sing the praise of the AchAryan like
the other sishyAs , who have already reached the side
of the AchAryan for absorbing the visEsha arthams of 
Sri Sookthis from him .This KaalakshEpa kootam is
described as " Paavaik kalam ". The sishyAs are 
enjoined to sit still like statues ( padhumaikaL pOl)
in  a state of rapture absorbing the special meanings
of Sri Sookthis that are being explained by the AchAryan.
This is the blessed day of SadAchArya sambhandham 
( nannAL). You must join us and share with us fully
all your knowledge obtained through deep reflections
over the AchArya UpadEsams that you have been blessed
to receive.

PerukkAranai Swamy's svApadEsArthams
**************************************
Oh Gopi with serious intent on spending your
time on sadh Vishayams! Some members of our
group have already reached the AchAryan's house to
attend to his KaalakshEpam intended for gaining
Moksha siddhi as adhikAris for performing prapatthi.
They have arrived at the AchArya Peetam  singing 
the AchAryan's glories during their journey there .

Jn~Anam (VeLLI= Venus)has arisen (udhayam); Ajn~Anam 
( ViyAzhan=Jupiter)has disappeared (asthamanm).
The AchAryAs as GatakAs ( one who unites the chEthanams 
with BhagavAn through aathma samarpaNam ) are actively
performing upadEsams on SaasthrArthams.It is strange 
to see you sitting still (in samsAram) like a statue  
instead of aspiring for Moksha Sukham of being with 
the Dhivya Dampathis and Nithya , Muktha Jeevans in
Sri Vaikuntam.On this auspicious day to acquire 
the covetable wealth of divine jn~Anam , please 
discard your activities relating to AathmApahAram
and goals of just being satisfied with Kaivalyam and
enjoy the company of the Lord with the help of
the AchAryan in the spirit of "avibhAgEna dhrushtathvAth".

Additional thoughts of PerukkAraNai Swamy
******************************************
(1) This gopi is firm about her assessment that 
it is the Lord , who has to come to her because
of her most beautiful eyes. She does not think that 
she should go to Him.

(2) "PuLLin Vaaik keenDAnai" is about KrishNa's 
valor. After He cleaved the beak of Bakaasuran 
and killed him , then , the young gOpAs plucked 
the feathers of the bird-shaped asuran and hung 
them(feahters) up like a thOraNam to remind all about 
what would happen if some one commits unpardonable 
apachAram to the Lord ( YaadhavAbhudayam of Swamy Desikan ).

(3)" pollA arakkan " is Raavanan ; saadhu arakkan
is his saathvik brother , VibhishaNNan .His saathvik
tendency and gratefulness to Raamachandran for
accepting his Prapathti is described by Kamban as:
" panju yena sivakkum menkAl Deviyai pirittha paavi
Vanchahanukku-ILaya yennai , varuha yenRu aruL seythAnE".

(4) " pOtharikkaNNinAi ": Swamy gives 10 intrepretations
to this lovely address of the gOpis.

(5) KuLLakkuLira Kudainthu NeerAdAthE ": This deep
immersion in the pond of Bhagavath anubhavam is
KuLLak kuLira NeerAduvathu ( yEsha Brahma pravishtOsmi).
KulasEkarar in Mukuntha Maalai referred to this
aanandha anubhavam as :" Hari Sarasi vighAhya".
Dipping for snAnam in the water upto the neck is
"Kudainthu neerAduvathu"; performing snAnam with
BhagavAn (as in theerthavAri or avabrutham ) is
" KuLirak kudainthu neerAduvathu". Bathing in
sacred YamunA with BhagavAn and  BhAgavathars is 
"kuLLak kuLira kudainthu neerAdukai".The SnAnam 
performed without Bhagavan naama smaraNam and uccharaNam 
is like crows and elephants taking bath in the river. 
The snAnam perfromed with Bhagavath smaraNam and VaruNa 
manthra Japam involving VaruNAntharyAmi, BhagavAn,
is the Utthama snAnam referrd to by ANDAL here.

(6) "PaLLikkidatthiyO?": The gOpi being awakened is 
really not sleeping .She is chewing in her mind
over her blissful anubhavam of union earlier with 
the Lord on that bed . She had KrishNa sparsam before. 
The gopis say:" You are like a Paavai ( Bhommai)
and as such do not have the skills to understand that 
the MaayAvi has left and that he is no longer at your 
side. Please desist from the act of picking fallen
grains from the field instead of accessing the grains
stored in the granary ( ViLaintha nell kidakka , 
udhir nell pRukkuhiRAyO?)" .

(7)"kaLLam Tavirnthu": It is not permitted to enjoy
sweet things by oneself(self-gratification); they have 
to be shared with other bhakthAs of the Lord. This Paasura
vaakyam has led some commentators to connect this paasuram
to AchArya RaamAnujA , since he did not keep the UpadEsams
on rahasyArthams that he received from ThirukkOshtiyUr nampi
just to himself , but spread it through AchArya paramparai 
for the ujjeevanam of limitless samsAris . "KaLlam tavithavar 
RaamAnujar " is the statement recognizing his oudhAryam.

(8) another thought about neerAttam: Thinking of the Lord 
is NeerAttam; ArchAvathAra sEvai is "kudainthu neerAttam";
Thinking of Vibhava avathAram ( RaamA and KrishNA ) is
KuLira NeerAttam"; the darsanam of Sri VaikuntanAthan 
is " KuLLak KuLira NeerAttam", the ultimate bliss .

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

 



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