HH Srimad Andavan's upanyasam on Thiruppavai
From the Bhakti List Archives
• February 11, 2000
His Holiness Srirangam Srimad Andavan has started to give a series of discourse on Thiruppavai from the previous upanyasam on Jan 9. I have boldly attempted to provide below the summary of Srirangam Srimad Andavan's upanyasam on Jan 9, 2000 for continuity before the next upanyasam on this coming sunday Feb 13 at 10am. Please send a mail to Shyam.Sreenivasan@msdw.com or call adiyen at 732-393-9268 if you would like to participate. Please pardon me for the short falls that will most definitely happen in trying to translate and summarize His Holiness's discourse. If any incorrectness is found below, it is solely adiyen's fault and ignorance alone and request ahead for your tolerance and forgiveness. This upanyasam is held on a monthly basis on every second sunday of the month scheduled at 10 AM EST. His Holiness plans to complete the discourse on Thirupaavai in 4 or 5 upanyasams. With a melodious voice, Srimad Andavan started the upanyasam by singing Thirukkundanthai Andavan's thanian and acharya thanians (Ramanuja dhayapathram..) Srimad Andavan started the series with the first one dedicated to Sri Andal Thanian and Avatharikai Parasara Bhattar (12th Century AD) fondly called by his sishyas as Battarpiran composed two thanian on the request of his prathama sishya Nam Jeeyar. In a single thanian he salutes all Azhwars as.. Bootham Sarascha Mahathavya Bhattanatha Sri Bhakti Saara kulasekara yogivahaan Bhakthangri Renu parakala yatheendra misran Srimad Parankusa munim pranathosmi nithyam and he specially dedicates the other thaniyan totally to Andal because of her special place as the Lord's consort. NeeLaathunga sthanagiri thatee supthamudhbodhya Krishnam Paraardhyam svam sruthi sata siras sidham adhyapayanthi Svochishtayam sraji nigaLitham yaa balaatkrithya bhungthe Godha thasyai nama itham itham bhooya evasthu bhooyaha To that Krishna who enjoys the bliss of sleep with His consort Neela, oh! goda, you had offered floral garlands after adorning it yourself first. You attained Him forcefully and you had explained to Him our dependence on Him which has been indicated in the vast hymns of Vedas. Oh Goda with such greatness! I offer my felicitations and prostrations again and again to you. Swami Desikan in Goda Sthuthi praises Andal with comparison to Kshama also called Bhoomi Devi and also personifies her to none other than Lakshmi who has immense Karuna for her devotees "sakshaath kshamam karunaya kamalam ivanyam" (Godasthuthi Slokam:1). Andal is known as 'soodi kodhutha nacchiyar' because she wore the garlands meant for Perumal on herself first before offering it to Him. Periyaazhwar in his pallandu for Perumal says that we bhaagavathas will be happy to eat the left overs from your vessels, we will be delighted to wear the flowers and garlands that was worn by you ("thodutha thuzhai malar soothi kalainthana soodum ith thondargalom"). But it is to be noted that Andal who is the daughter of Periyazhvar out of immense love for perumal does the opposite. She wears these garlands first before offering it to emperuman. (Emperuman loves these garlands so much that He starts awaiting for garlands adorned by Andal everyday). Neela-the nappinnai prattiyar binds perumal to herself with the bhoga mayakkam ("Nishamayathu Maam Neela yath bogha patalai dhruvam": Dayasatakam:slokam 8). Andal binds Emperuman Sriman Narayana to herself by the garland of flowers that she weaves. She forcibly(balathrukya) tells (adhyapayanthi) empurman of the dependence we have in Him and surrenders unto Him. This saranagathi margam displayed by her has been indicated by the vast Hymns of Vedas and Upanishads. Just like how Sri Ramanuja in Srivaikunta gadyam says "uththaya uththaya punah punah pranamya"- we will prostrate before the lord again and again, Bhattarpiran offers the traditional Sri Vaishnava way of prostration on Goda devi's feet repeatedly again and again ("Goda thasyai nama itham itham bhooya evastu bhooyaha"). Uyyakkondar (8th Century AD), the desciple of Sri Nathamuni and the acharyan of Sri Nathamuni's grandson Sri Yamunamuni composed the other two thanian of Sri Andal. Annavayal pudhuvai AndaL arangarku pannu thiruppavai pal pathigam innisayal paadik koduth-thaaL nar paamaalai poo maalai soodi koduthaLai sollu Praise the great Andal who was born in Puthur (Sri Villi Puthur) which is abound with fields of swans, the one who attained Arangan by not only offering the garland of flowers but also offered Him the garland of beautiful composition of musical verses of Thiruppavai. Andal has placed immese stress on the singing aspects of Thiruppavai. There are 14 places in the 29 verses that Andal mentions "Paaduthal". 1. Vaiyathu..: Paraman adi paadi 2. Ongi Ulagualantha uthaman per paadi 3. Maayanai..: Vaayinal Paadi 4. Keesu Keesu..: Kesavanai Paadavum 5. Keezhvanam..yezhundirai paadi parai kondu 6. Karrukaravai..mukilvannan per paada 7. Kanaithu..padavum nee vaai thiravai 8. Pullin vaai..keerthimai paadippoi 9. Ungal pazhakkadai.. paadelor empaavaai 10. Ellae ilamkiliyae..paadelor empaavaai 11. Naayakanaai..thuyil ezhapp paaduvaan 12. Oruthi maganai..sevagamum yaam paadi 13. Maalae manivannaa..poyppaadu udayanavae 14. Koodarai vellum.. paadipp parai kondu It is to be noted that 11 of the first 15 paasurams where Andal addresses her gopika friends to wake up has "Paaduthal" in the verse. That is the reason Uyyakkondar describes thiruppavai as "Innisayaal paadikoduthaaL nar paamalai..". Uyyakkondar also refers that thiruppavai was sung for the pleasure of Sri Ranganatha as "Arangarku pannu thiruppavai.." Eventhough Andal has not addressed Arangan in any of the 30 verses, Uyyakkondar had a reason for calling it "Arangarku". In many places in Peria Thirumozhi it is proven that Sri Ranganatha is none other than Krishna. Throughout Thiruvaaymozhi, Arangan, Kannan and Manivannan are referred interchangeably. It is Sri Ranganatha who is immensely pleased with Andal's love for Him and invites Andal to Srirangam and takes her as His bride. [Swami Desikan also refers Andal with Arangan in Prabhandha saaram as "Aranganaarku thuzhoi maalai mudi soodikk kodutha maadhey.."] Soodikkodutha sudar kodiyae tholpavai paadi aruLavalla palvaLayai naadi nee Venkadavarrku yennai vidhi enravimmarram naam kadavaa vannamae nalgu Oh Goda- the one who offered Him the flowers adorned by yourself first! You are like a glittering creeping plant with an array of many beautiful bangles on your hands! You had undertaken the ancient Vratham "paavai nonbu". You had asked Manmadan, the god of love to join you in unision with Lord Venkatesan of the seven hills. You should bless us all to not transgress your great resolve and bless us to be choosen to offer services for Him. Uyyakondar refers the "Paavai nonbu" undertaken by Andal as "tholpavai" ie Ancient Vratam. The reason for this is because, Paavai Nonbu has been referred as a very holy vratham, in many ancient scriptures like Bhagavatham and in the Vaishnava kaandam of Skanda puranam. Andal in the first verse of Naachiyar Thirumozhi "Thai oru thingalum tharai viLakki....Venkatavarku yennai vidhikkirriyae" seeks Manmadan, the God of love to join her with Thiruvenkatamudayan, the Lord of seven hills. Uyyakkondar seeks Andal to bless us with the strength to not transgress her great resolve by favouring us in similar way to serve none other than Sriman Narayana. Emperuman says in Gita that the "A bhagavatha does not have any thought but the thought of Lord Himself. They dont sing anything but the songs about the lord alone. They dont do anything but the kaimkaryam for the Lord alone". Andal thru the verses of Thiruppavai displays the bhagavatha sambandam perumal has. She transforms herself into a parama bhagavathai as in all the 29 verses of Thiruppavai she assumes the bhaavam of a Gopika who is immensly in love with the Lord and sings amidst the other gopikas and doing the chores of a gopika like waking them up for the paavai vratam, milking the cows and waking up krishna in the gokulam and praying for His mercy. [In the next upanyasam on Feb 13, His Holiness Srimad Andavan will start the discourse on Thiruppavai verses] adiyen, Shyamsundar Sreenivasan ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
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