Search:
Bhakti List Archives

[tiruvengadam] Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XXXIV-> Twenty Eighth day : " KARAVAIGAL PINN SENRU " Dinam

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • January 12, 2001 


Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Significance of the 28th Paasuram
**********************************
Dear BhakthAs: In the previous Paasuram (KoodArai
Vellum Paasuram) , the Gopis decalred , "Unnai arutthithu
VanthOm " and requested the blessings of " Paal , sORu ,
AbharaNams , Aadai " et al. That to Lord KrishNa looked
like the Gopis were seeking from Him , the siRRinbhams ( worldly
pleasures) . He was amused  and Our Lord turned around 
and asked them: " Oh Gopis! Your mind seems not to be steady . 
Are you desiring the perishable pleasures or some thing 
higher than that from me ?" . The Gopis recognized the situation
and responded: " Oh Lord , we might have given You the impression
that we are seeking sanmAnam that is commonly asked of You
in a lOka reethi. Our true and inner wish is to have You and 
perform kaimkaryams to You always ". 

Then the pleased Lord revealed to them His Isvaryam 
(MahA VibhUthis) and the Gopis were overwhelmed and 
sought His pardon (aparAdha KshAmanam)
for taking liberties with Him and forgetting His
SarvEsvarathvam .They say : " Oh Lord of the Universe ! 
You are Self-complete(Svatha: PoorNan ). We might have 
appeared to have offended You due to our Overwhelming 
sense of affection (PraNayam ) or attachment(abhimAnam).
For You . You are the most generous (parama OudhAryan). You
are the most compassionate ( parama DayALu). We are
simple folks , who do not know the difference between
our right hand and left hand ( idathu kai , valathu
kai aRiyAtha aai peNNkaL. We do not have the Jn~Anam ,Bhakthi ,
anushtAnam ,AachAram , Vidvath balam to seek You innately as 
SiddhOpAyam in the saasthrA-ordained manner .We do NOT have 
therefore the seven requisites (states of mind)
needed to approach You ( the SarrvEswaran ) as 
a SaraNAgathan:

(1)Aakinchanyam ( kai muthal inmai)
(2)Naichyam ( awareness of our lowliness to approach You)
(3)awareness of Your Soulabhyam (ease of access by One& all
(4)awareness of Your Parathvam ( as the Supreme Lord)
(5)awareness of knowledge about Sambhandham( Seshathva Jn~Anam:
   our uRavu to You, which is timeless & indestructible)
(6)awareness of the need to seek Your pardon for our 
   trespasses ( aparAtha KshAmanam ).
(7)awareness of the importance of seeking You as
   the only rakshakan to provide the strength 
   to seek Your lotus feet as refuge (" Unnadi sEr vaNNam 
   aruLAi , KaLai kaNN maRRilEn ).

PerukkAranai Swamy points out that the word "Unn "
is used by the Gopis in an endearing manner THREE times
in this paasuram:

(1) UNRRANNAI piRavi perumtannai puNNiyam yAmm udayOm
(2) UNRANNODU uRavEl nammakku ozhikka ozhiyAthu 
(3) anbinAl UNRRANNAI siRu pEr azhaithtanavum

The Gopis address the Lord as "KuRai OnRum illAtha 
GovindhA ! and say " We are unsphisticated cowherdesses 
(aRiyAtha PiLLaikaLom ) with the BhAgyam of having You born in 
our kulam ( UnraNNai piRavi perumtanai puNNiyam yaamm udayOm).
Out of affection , we have called you by inappropriate names
( anbinAl unn tannai siRu per azhaitthanavum ). We addressed 
You as NandhagOpan mahanE and other short names !Please do not 
be angry at us ( seeRi aruLAthE)for that . Our relationship is
indestructible ( unthannOdu uRavu ozhikka ozhiyAthu).
You are sEshi and we are sEshans.Even if we do not
have seshathva Jn~Anam , the sEshathvam will 
not disappear. Sarva Jeeva seshathvam is incorporated
in Your Pranavam . Therefore Oh SarvEswaran who has descended 
from Sri Vaikuntam in the form of a human being to be 
with us and bless us !Please grant us the nithya 
Kaimkarya purushArtham !".

The Lord's identity as "PrApya-PrApaka Sangrahan" (essence as
means and goal) was revealed succinctly in the First verse 
(NaarAyaNE namakkE paRai tharuvAn) and that quintessential 
upadEsam is elaborated in detail in passurams 28 and 29
( KaRavaikaL pinnsenRu and SiRRam siRukAlE vanthunnai
sevitthu).Bhagavath daasyam through Sva-Svaami (servant-
Master) relationship is pointed out here as the way for
our liberation .

PBA Swamy's anubhavam
**********************
In the first Paadham ( karavaikaL pinn senRu ghAnam 
sErnthuNpOm ), the Gopis describe themselves as the ones,
who seek their livelihood by tending to cattle in the forests
and thus do NOT have sath-Kaarya Phalan.

In the second Paadham ( aRivonRumillA Aaikkulatthu),
they reveal their unfitness (apakarsha anusandhAnam)
to pursue Bhakthi, Jn~Ana Yogams.We are Tatthva-Hitha-
PurushArtha Jn~Ana Soonyars."Jn~AnEna Heena : pasubhi:
samAna:"

In the Third Paadham ( piRavi peRumtanai puNNiyam 
yaam udayOm),they refer to the extraordinary BhAgyam
of having KrishNA born as sajAthIyan in their Kulam.

In the fourth Paadham , the Gopis address Him as 
"KuRaivonRumillatha GovindhA ".They celebrate here 
the moola Sukrutham ( the fundamental , quintessential
bhAgyam ) of Isvara GuNa Poorthy ( PrApya-Prapaka
sangrahathvam and GuNa Thungathvam ).  

In the fifth Paadham ( UnRannOduravEl namakku inku
ozhikka ozhiyAthu), the Gopis celebrate the sambhandha
Jn~Anam 

In the sixth paadham ( aRiyAtha piLLaikaLOm anbinAl),
the Gopis identify themselves as the little country 
girls without awareness of lOka maryAdhai and without 
Bhakthi or Jn~Anam .

In the Seventh Paadham ( UnraNNai siRu pEr azhaithtanavum 
sseRi aruLAthE), the Gopis seek PoorvAparAdha KshAmanam
( forgivance for previous trespasses).

In the eighth paadham , the Gopis address te Lord as
"IRaivA" and request for Kaimakerya sampath (Nee ThArAi
parai).Here UpAya apEkshai is made .

The anubhavam of Abhinava Desikan
**********************************
Until the 27th slOkam , the VaishNava dinasaris 
up to the third stage (ijyA Kaalam ) were described.
In this paasuram , the activities of a Sri VaishNavan 
for the fourth and the fifth stages of the day 
( SvAdhyAyam and Yogam) are referred to.
During the SvAdhyAya Kaalam , one should approach
BhaagavathAs ( who are like affectionate , milk giving
Pasus) and study the Dhivya Sookthis with them.The PuNyam 
( Punniyam YaamudayOm) refers to the state of 
wakefulness (Jaagaram) or Yogam to have dhruva
smruthi about the Lord. " anbinAl siRu pEr 
azhaitthanavum seeRi aruLAthE" refers to
AparAdha KshAmanam for deficencies in upachArams
during AarAdhanam . "Nee ThArAi paRai" refers to
the prayer to grant vigna-rahitha aarAdhanam 
and performance of pancha kaala prakriyAs of
a Sri VaishNavan .

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

  




    
   


--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@eGroups.com
Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH
Manage your subscription at http://www.egroups.com/mygroups