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Bhagavathi Geetha 02

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Ramanbil • December 21, 1999 


Dear Bhagavatas
In this post, the second PAsuram of Tiruppavai is presented. As I will be 
away at Sri Ranganatha Temple in Dr, Venkat Kanumalla's place in New York 
from tonight (21st December 99) till 30th December 99, further postings will 
resume on my return. Thank you for your patience.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
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TIRUPPAVAI 02
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vaiyaththu vaazhveergaaL naamum nampaavaikkuch
cheyyum kirisaigaL kELeerO paaRkadaluL
paiyath thuyinRa paramanadi paadi
neyyuNNOm paaluNNOm naatkaalE neeraadi
maiyittu ezhudhOm malarittu naam mudiyOm
seyyaadhana seyyOm theekkuRaLaich chenROdhOm
aiyamum pichchaiyum aandhanaiyum kai kaatti
uyyumaaR eNNi ugandhElOr empaavaay.

This refers to Vyuham- Vyuha VAsudEvan who reclines on the milky ocean. 
"ParkaDaLuL paiya thuyinra paraman". It is also said to refer to Dwayam. It 
is significant to note that the DhyAna SlOkam of Dwayamantram starts with the 
words-"KheerAmbO nidhi"meaning "milky ocean"

vaiyaththu vaazhveergaaL: Oh! You who have come to live and prosper in this 
World! 
Andal seems to suggest that those who live in this world are really blessed 
because it is here that we can enjoy the Soulabhyam of the Lord whereas even 
in Paramapadam, there is no scope for the display of this quality of the 
Lord. AnjanEya declined to go to Paramapadam with Rama saying "BhAvo nAnyatra 
gachathi"- 
"I will not get this BhAvam there". 
KavithArkika Simham also expressed " VaikunTavAsEpi na mE abhilAshah". 
Thondar aDippoDi Azhwar declared "Achuvai Perinum vEnDEn"

KELeerO: Listen; Let me tell you; 
It is only 'SravaNam' that is important because even the Vedas were only 
'heard' in the first place!
KirisaigaL: the procedure for the observances 
naamum : we 
seyyum :  have to follow
nam paavaikku : for our vow (nOnbu)
paadi  : We  will sing the glory of
adi: the feet.
The SwApadEsa Artha of "aDi  pADi' is the anusanthAnam of Dwaya mantram.
Paraman: of the supreme person. The word "Paraman" is significant. He is the 
one without any "hEyaguNas" and is full of KalyANaguNas.-It is this Paraman 
(NarayaNa)  who leaving His Sayanam on Adhiseshan in the milky ocean came 
down to MathurApuri as KrishNan cf. 
"Yesha NarayaNa;SreemAn KsheerArNava nikEthanah/
nAga paryankam utsrujya AagathO mathurApureem"

paiya :   gently; Why gently? This is to indicate that he does not really 
sleep but is in just a reverie ('kaLLa nidrai')
thuyinRa : sleeps; It is not the sleep induced by TamOguNa. It is "Yoga 
nidra" for contemplating how to save the Jeevas.
paal kadaluL: on the milky ocean.

uNNOm : we will not eat whatever is 'nishiddham' in this context
ney :  clarified butter (ghee)
uNNOm:  we will not drink
pAl: milk

neeraadi  :we will (wake up and) take our bath
naatkaalE: in the early hours of the morning

ittu ezhudhOm : we will not adorn (our eyes) with
mai : collyrium (black eye makeup)

ittu nAm mudiyOm: we will not decorate our hairs with
malar: flowers

SeyyOm: we will not do
Seyyaadhana : what is proscribed in the Sastras. It also includes doing what 
is prescribed in the Sastras because both are the commands of the Lord.

SenRu OdhOm : we will not go about carrying tales and spreading
thee kuRaLai : vain gossip

kai kATTi : we will give; "Kai Kaatti" implies that when one is not able to 
offer any gifts, they themselves being so poor. In this context, it may mean 
that they can point to someone who would be in a position to provide the 
seekers what they want.
aandhanaiyum : to the best of our capacity; "Aanthanaiyum" would mean 'to the 
extent of one's capacity'. In Tamil, it is "Eyanravarai".
aiyam: alms to those who don't ask (but need or deserve)
refers to Bhagavad Arpanam (Dedication to Bhagavaan)
"Aiyam" is said to mean gifting to great Mahans who make no efforts for their 
livelihood but are content to live on whatever they get as a Prasadam of 
Bhagavan Vide "Somber" used in connection with Prapannas (Kritakrityas) who 
have nothing else to do; 
piccaiyum : and alms (bhiksha) to those who seek.
Refers to BhAgavata Arpanam (Dedication to Bhaagavatas) and Athithi Satkaara- 
one of the Pancha Maha Yagnas of a Grihasta ; Also, indicates 
'Goptrutva Varanam' and  'Karpanyam'
"Pitcahi" indicates the "Bikshai" offered to Brahmacharis and Sannyasis who 
are supposed to live by procuring rice and grains by way of 'alms' only.

ENNi  We will always consider     
AaRu:  ways 
Uyyum: of our spiritual upliftment; 
refers to ' Bhara Samarpanam'.
Ugandhu : and be happily. reveals " MahaViswaasam'

Unlike the penance of Indrajit and others performed for destruction of life, 
the penance of the Gopis is for 'soul saving'. This is said to refer to Dwaya 
Mantra consisting of 6 words (Aaru). 

Uttamur Swami explains that the 6 items to be followed as Anukulya Sankalpam 
are  Aadi. Paadi, Neeraadi, Aiyam Ittu, Pitchai Ittu, and Ugandu. The 6 items 
to be avoided as Patikulya Varjanam are Nei UnnOm, PAl UnnOm, Mai Ittu 
EzhudhOm, Malar Ittu NAm MudiyOm, Seyyaadhana SeyyOm, Theek Kuralai Senru 
OdhOm. 
 
Swapadesa Artha: (Underlying meaning) 
According to our AchAryas the entire Verse is said to denote all the five 
angas of Prapatti thus:-
1. Anukulya Sankalpa as evidenced from the words "Aadi", "Paadi", Neeraadi" 
etc
2. Pratikulya Varjanam as indicated by  the expressions "Seyyaathana SeyyOm" 
and "Thhekkurlai SenrodhOm" etc.
3. Mahaviswasam as brought by the word "Uganthu" which means the great faith 
that the Lord will never forsake SaraNAagaths.
4. Aakinchanyam as gleaned from the word AIYAM which in Tamil is equated with 
"Kai Mudhal IllAmai" The 'doubt' or 'suspense' which are the ordinary 
meanings of Aiyam are said here to refer to the state of mind in which one 
feels one's incapacity or helplessness, which goes by another expression viz. 
KArpaNyam and
5. Goptrutva Varanam as revealed by  the word "Pichai" where the Prapanna is 
said to be begging. Begging what? Begging to be saved from Samsaram- a formal 
request.

Sookshma Artha : (Subtle Meaning)
"Aiyam" and "Pichai" are taken as Paryaya Padas (equivalents) and said to 
mean just the gifting to the deserving. The word Aiyam is said to refer to 
the testing of the supplicant to see if he/she deserves the gift. "Pichai" 
refers to the actual gifting after the suitability of the recipient is 
determined.
What is gifted? It is nothing but "Krishna Anubhavam" In this context, it is 
said to refer to an Acharya who is expected to test the would be Sishya 
before imparting this Anubhavam. This is indicated by "Aiyam" 
Who deserves? The one who approaches the Acharya in the spirit advised by 
Lord Krishna when he said 
"Tad Viddhi PratipAdena Pari PrasnEna SEvayA" (BG.4.34) and in which Arjuna 
sought instruction by pleading "Sishyas Thae Aham Saadhi MAm TvAm 
Prapannam"(BG2.6).
Once satisfied, the Acharya is expected to impart "Atma GnAnam" to the best 
of his knowledge and ability without any reservation which is what the word 
"Aanthanaiyum" indicates. If the AchArya feels he has not been able to convey 
as effectively as he desired, he may direct the Sishya to another AchArya who 
will be better able to explain- and this is indicated by the term "Kai Kaatti"
Para Artha (Deeper meaning): "Aiyam" is said to refer to "Bhagavad Vaibhavam" 
and "Pichai" to "Bhaagavata Vaibhavam" A Prapanna is expected to remember 
constantly his SEshatvam to BhagavAn and BhAgavatas.

43rd Jeeyar's Nirvaham:: 
He calls those who consciously realize and practice these SEshatvams as
"Dharmishtas"

44th Jeeyar's Nirvaham in his "Subodhini":
"Aiyam" Gifts bestowable on the highly deserving folk; dedicating to the 
great whatever one can WITHOUT EXPECTING ANY RETURN
"Pichai" Gifts bestowable on ordinary folk. We should offer food without
saying no because hunger is the same for all irrespective of caste or other 
distinctions
"Aanthanaiyum" To the heart's content of all kinds of folks mentioned above.
"Kai Kaatti" Even pointing to a source of resource is deemed equal to gifting 
directly.
This aspect of Kaikaatti can arise in different circumstances:
- When one has the intent to give but does not have the means, one can point 
to another;
- When one has both the intent and the means, yet does not feel having given 
adequately, one can point to another who will be able to complement
- When one in either case recommends to another that a gift to the deserving 
supplicant will ultimately please the Lord and thus induce another to 
contribute.
- When one has the means but not the intent, one can point to another
- When such a one directs the supplicant to another only with the intent of 
making that 'another' to 'spend and in the process get impoverished' to that 
extent.

This "Kai Kaatti" is illustrated by a story. When someone asked Dharmaputra 
some water to slake his thirst, Dharmaputra did not have water ready on hand. 
So, he pointed his index finger towards a nearby body of water. The 
supplicant proceeded to the source and quenched his thirst. When Dharmaputra 
was 'walked through' the Narakas, he felt intense thirst and asked for some 
water. Yama, the Lord of death who was his tourist guide, asked him to suck 
his index finger. And, mysteriously, Dharmaputra sensed water flowing from 
his finger into the throat and got satiated. The moral of the story is that 
when one is not able to help, even pointing to a source of help is a 'punyam' 
that can save a person in times of need. That is also "Dharmam" which can 
perform the act of 'Thalai KAkkum"

Srimad Andavan Swami's Nirvaham:
While gifting the Prapanna should not have the AhamkAram implicit in the
thought that 'he is the giver' but should have the 'bhAvam' or attitude that 
it is the Lord who gives and that he is only an instrument in the act; Give 
to whom? "To Adiyars" says Andavan

Sri Prathivadi Bhayankaram Annangarachariar Swami's Nirvaham:
"Aiyamaavadhu Bhagavad Sannidhiyil BhAgavata Vaibhavamum, BhAgavata
Sannidhiiyil Bhagavad Vaibhavamum Yathaa Sakti Solla VEnDiyathu" meaning that 
one should remember and relate the glory of the BhAgavatas while in the 
precincts of BhagavAn and the glory of BhagavAn in the midst of BhAgavatas. 
While explaining "Aiyam", he asks what is in 'doubt'? And, answers saying 
that one should entertain doubt constantly that in spite of offering gifts to 
the best of one's capacity and to those worthy of gifting that what he had 
given is so meager and inadequate- another dimension of 'Aakinchanyam'!
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To continue: Tiruppavai Pasuram 03
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