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thirup pAvai - part 17 - "selvach sirumeer kAL"

From the Bhakti List Archives

Rengarajan • December 29, 1997 


Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam

"selva sirumeergAL"

        But  this  aaypAdi  is  such  a  place that it is full of 
"aayars  sirumiyars"  who are nErizhaiyars ("realised jivAtmas"). 
Such  sirumiyars are  rich in their nature ie;, selva means rich.
So there is no more explanation required to state that such place
is indeed  very  very  special.  Though  the aayar (jivAtmAs) are 
"nEr  izhaiyeers"  (realised  souls) they  are  still  sirumiyars 
ie., they are very young damsels. This indicate their paruvam ie.,
the  maturity  that  is  most  suitable for the "nOnbu" or little 
effort  known  as  saranAgathi  (prapatti) as a marriage with the 
Lord. 

      ie., It is  preferable to  attain  jivAtma  swaroopam at an 
early stage of this birth itself  prior  to  the prArabtha karmas 
taking its toll on the jivAtmA. However, this depends  on  Lord's 
thiru uLLam. Only  HE   can  provide this swaroopa viLakkam (ie., 
clarity  of  their  nature)  through achAryA's thiru aruL.  These 
aaypAdi sirumiyars had the  bAgyam  of  attaining  such  swaroopa 
viLakka  niyAnam  due to the very presence of the Lord with them. 
In  kali  yugam  in the absence of the direct  incarnation of the 
Lord the nool (literature or divay prabndham) "thirup  pAvai"  is
itself considered as the thiru avathAram of the Lord and one  may 
read  it  again  and   again  the  same  to  get  their own swaya 
anubavam  with  the  blessings  of  bAgwathAs  and achAryAs. Lord 
SriKrishna provides  HIS  thiru  aruL  for  those who reads  this  
nool in mArgazhi,, it is believed. 

       The second meaning is that Such realised jivAtmAs are still 
sirumiyar  as  they are now at the  prerequisite  state only. ie., 
they  are  about  to  perform  the  nOnbu and are at the pre nOnbu 
stage.  This  is  the   marked   difference   as well  between the 
prapannAs  and baddha jivAtmAs.  ie.,  If  a  person  has  already  
performed this nOnbu ie., saranAgathi She/He is considered totally 
different.  She/He  must be  accorded  all  respects as similar to 
an acharya by the  baddha  jivAtmas  who are yet  to  perform this 
nOnbu. It is a srivaishnava tradition that we do our  prostrations 
(sEviththal) to each other prapannA once baranyAsam   is  over  or  
saranAgathi is performed. It is bAgawatha dharmam.

        The  inner most meaning is that though  they are  special, 
they are still sirumiyars in the company of  Lord.  ie., jivAtma's  
relationship   with  respect  to paramAtma is revealed here. 

Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sampath Rengarajan