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thiruppaai introduction

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Ramani Naidu • December 15, 2002 


 
THIRUPPAVAI

AN INTRODUCTION

The Prabhandha literature in Tamil has certain unique aspects. Pillai Pirabhandham is a genre in which God is considered the devoteeÂ’s child. Such an assumption is not found in other literatures. Pavai Pirabhandham is also unique to Tamil. The maids observing the Pavai Observance are supposed to assemble one after the other, bathe in the pond and seek the grace of God. The drama of the assembly, devotion and surrender to God make up the content of the Pavai Pirabhandham. The Pavai Pirabhandham is charged with devotional essence.

The Vaishnavite saint poets are twelve in number. They are known as the Alwars. The name means those who are immersed in the experience of the Divine in the form of Narayana or Vishnu, the God of the Vaishnavites.

Andal is the only woman saint poet among the twelve alwars. She is considered to be the human manifestation of the Goddess of Earth, one of VishnuÂ’s consorts. Legend has it that Andal appeared as a child of five years from within the earth in the temple grove maintained by Periyalvar, a devout Vaishnavite saint poet, at Villiputtur, a village about 75 kms from Madurai.

Andal had grown with the utmost consciousness of the Divine in the form of Vishnu. She had always considered herself  GodÂ’s bride. As she grew in years, this conscience of the Divine also grew within her. The legend is that in accourdance with a Divine order to Periyalvar in his dream, he gave his foster daughter in marriage to the God at Srirangam. On the day of  the marriage, Andal is said to have walked into the santum sanctorum and to have merged with the Divine.

A wholesome ritual has been created and built around the character of Andal. The best part of the ritual is the month-long celebration of pavai nonpu during the tamil month of margazhi (December-January) every year.

According to literary historians, Andal had lived during the ninth century B.C. There are differences of opinion among literary historians about the period of the Alwars. Such differences however have no bearing on the quality of the effect of the songs of Alwars on the Vaishnavite community and Andal is no exception.

Among the Alwar literature collected under the title the divya prabandam, AndalÂ’s works have earned a unique place by virtue of her directness, simplicity and profoundity. No other Alwar except perhaps Nammalvar has brought out the intimacy between the Divine and the devotee as Andal has done.

Andal has to her credit the Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli. While Nacciyar Tirumoli has a certain sensuousness in line with the Bengal Vaishnavite poetry, Tiruppavai celebrates in thirty songs a certain simple ritualistic observance on the part of the devotees in the guise of the womenfolk of ayarpati, the place of  dwelling of the herdsmen clan in which Vishnu is said to have been brought up as Krishna.

Tiruppavai is made up of thirty songs each of  which is meant for each of the thirty days of the month of margazhi. The first ten songs celebrate the fruits of the devotional observance; the second ten songs inspire fellow devotees to take the path of devoted service and the last ten songs are meant to wake Krishna and others up and pray for their grace.

The twelve months of the year are scaled down to a day and night for Gods in the Hindu mythology. The six months from aadi to margazhi corresponding to the southern solstice make up the night of the Gods. The other six months corresponding to the northern solstice make up the day of the Gods. Thus the month of margazhi corresponds with the dawn of the Gods. The right time to make obeisance to Gods, to praise and to pray for GodÂ’s grace is naturally the dawn of GodÂ’s day - the month of margazhi. That in  brief is the significance of the month-long observance of devotion.

Ramani intends that this message reaches the second and the third generation tamils outside India who may have difficulties in understanding their tradition through texts in Tamil. Ramani hopes that this mission is well taken . Any observation made on the texts to follow is welcome. Suggestions if any  are also welcome. In all humility Ramani prays that inadequacies if any in his presentation are graciously forgiven.



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