Selected excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy's ThiruppAvai Monograph: Part XXXVI.2 -> Thirtieth day : "VANGAK- KADAL KADAINTHA MAADHAVAN " dinam

From the Bhakti List Archives
Sadagopan • January 13, 2001
VIKRAMA SAMVATHSARA UTTHARAAYANA PUNYA KAALAM
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JANUARY 14, 2001( PONGAL/SANKARAANTHI)
**************************************

Srimathyai GodhAyai Nama:
SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:The thirtieth paasuram is known as
Thiru nAma Paattu or Phala Sruthi Paasuram .In this 
posting , we will enjoy together the padha-Vaakya 
arthams.

Anubhandha Chathushtyam in the 30th Paasuram
*********************************************
The anubhandha chathushtyam are: (1)The excellence of 
the subject matter of this Sri Sookthi (2)the uniqueness of
the author(vakthA) (3)the superior nature of the meanings 
of this prabhandham and (4)the excellent benefits (prayOjanam)
of recitation of this Prabhandham.

The Four Prabhandha VailakshaNyam is celebrated this way :
 
(1)"Vangak Kadal --angap paRai koNDavARRai" refers 
to the Vishaya LakshaNyam .
(2)"aNiputhuvai--GOdhai sonna" relates to the Superiority
of the VakthA (GOdhai).
(3)"Sangat Tamizh Maalai " connects with the artha-
VailakshaNyam of ThiruppAvai covering the VedAnthic 
doctrines.
(4)Muppathum tappAmE--Selvat ThirumAlAl Yengum ThiruvaruL
peRRu inbhuRuvar" links up with the PrayOjana VailakshaNyam.

Padha Vaakhya vishayam: (1) Vangak Kadal Kadainthu:
***************************************************
Amrutha Mathanam ( churning the Milky Oceans) is referred to
here.It has been intrepreted as NithyasoorIs arriving by
ships to pay their salutations to their Lord reclining on
AdhisEsahn in the middle of the Milky Ocean .Vangam has also
been translated as the foam and froth arising from 
the churning activity .

(2)Vangak Kadal Kadaintha Maadhavanaik Kesavanai
*************************************************
EmperumAn churned the Milky Ocean to gain nectar
for the dEvaas and PeNNamuthu (MahA lakshmi )for Himself .
KrishNan churned the ocean of curd in Gokulam and also
churned the Ocean of the armies of Rukmi to gain
RukmiNi . The Lord , who used the excuse of churning 
the milky ocean to gain MahA Lakshmi also used 
the ThiruppAvai nOnbhu as the VyAjam for gaining
the Pancha Laksha Kudis (gOpis)of Gokulam. 

ANDAL addresses the Vangak Kadal kadainthavan as 
"Maadhavan " and "Kesavan". She addressed the Lord as 
"Maadhavan" following the Upadesam of Her AchAryan,
PeriyAzhwAr: " Maarvam yenpathOr kOil amaitthu
MAADHAVAN yenpathOr Dhaivatthai naatti". While
wearing Urdhva PuNDram , we adorn the Lord with
His Piraatti (Maahdavn) in the middle of our
chest in this context.The Lord is also addressed 
as "KESAVAN " here. Kesavan is the adhishta Devathai for 
Maarghazhi month .He is also the Lord of BrahmA
recognized by the "Ka" sabdham and Isan (Lord Sivan);
both of them arose from our Lord's body .Parathvam of
Our Lord is hinted this way by choice of the naamam,
Kesavan . The Maadhava Naamam delineates the "Srimath"
sabdhArtham.The reference to the act of churning
the Milky ocean (Vangak kadal Kadaintha) by the Lord 
points out His Bhaktha Vaathsalyam and Omnipotence.

(3)" angu appaRai koNDavARRai":
********************************
 "angu" (there) refers to the incident of the Gopis 
winning paRai (there)at AaypAdi,(there)at Nandha Gruham 
and(there) at the throne room  in presence of 
NeeLA PirAtti ."appaRai " is to be split in to 
antha-Parai , appERpatta , VisEsha paRai. 

(4)"paimkamalat taNN teRiyal Bhattar PirAn Godhai Sonna" : 
*********************************************************
Godhai identifies Herself as Bhattar PirAn's
( PeriyAzhwAr's) Godhai . He was Her foster father 
and also Her AchAryan.Thus her vaaku had AchArya 
Sambhandham and therefore has been described as
"PaathahankaL Theerkkum Paraman adi Kaattum ,
Vedamanaitthukkum VitthAhum ". Through Her
Vaak blessed from Upadesam of Her AchAryan , 
ANDAL sang about "sEsahthvam " ( Sruthi satha Siras 
siddhamAna PaarArthyam).Her Sri Sookthi churned 
the essence of VedAs and became GodhOpanishad ,
just as Her Lord churned the milky ocean to gain
amrutham .She chose Tamizh (instead of the difficult
Sanskrit )as the language for Her uplifting prabhandham , 
since She wanted the ChEthanams to comprehend the meanings 
without problems. 

Bhattar PirAn's Utthama VaishNava LakshaNam is also
referred to here by Godhai. She descibes him as 
the One wearing TuLasi and Lotus garlands around 
his neck. Sri Vaishnavaas should wear the TuLasi bead 
and Lotus bead necklaces always. TuLasi Maalai signifies 
the Parathvam of the Lord and the Lotus bead maalai
denotes the Parathvam of PirAtti. Thus , Sri VaishNavAs
reveal themselves as the daasans of Dhivya Dampathis.The dried 
stems of TuLasi and Lotus are used to make the maalais.
ANDAL follows the route of Madhura kavi , when She puts
Her AchAryan in the front :" Bhattar PirAn Godhai sonna".
Madhura kavi put His AchAryan in the front , when 
decribing His prabhandam : Tenn KuruhUr nampikku anbhanAi 
Madhura Kavi sonna soll",Thus Both Andal's and Madhura kavi's
Prabhandhams are AchArya-para Prabhndhams and have unique
distinction among all Prabhandhams .

(5)"SenkaNN Thirumuhatthu Selvat ThirumAlAl "
***************************************
SenkaNN of the Lord has always had a fascination 
for AzhwArs because of their VasIkaraNa sakthi 
and beauty. ANDAL refers those ankaNN and SenkaNN 
many times including here in the ThiruppAvai 
Paasurams ( KaarmEni SenkaNN kathir muham ,
PankayaRk KaNNanai ,SenkaNN sirUcchirithE ,
ankaNN iraNDum koNDu). BheeshmAcchAr described
the beauty of those lotus-like eyes as :
"PullAmbhuja pathra nEthra:"; VaalmIki saluted 
them as "RaamO RaajIva nEthra:.RaamAnujA ,
the GodhAgrajar, showed the SenkaNN azhau of 
RanganAthan to PiLlai URangAvilli daasar.

(6)"Selva ThirumAl:
******************
He is the SrinivAsan of immeasurable Isvaryam. 
He has both limitless DayA and immeasurable
wealth. Thus He has Srimathvam. His Srimathvam also
came about by wearing Soodikkodutha NaachiyAr's
TuLasi garlands.He is thus Selva Thiru Naaranan . In this
30th Paasuram, Andal salutes "Maadhavan " first
to offer Her salutations  the "Srimath" sabdhAam of 
the Poorava KaNDAm of Dhvayam ( Sriman NaarAyana---); 
She salutes the Lord as "ThirumAl" at the end of 
the paasuram to offer Her salutaions to the "SrimathE"
sabdham of NaarAyaNan housed in the second section
( utthara KaaNdham ) of Dhvya Manthram. In this Paasuram ,
Srimath SabdhArtham is saluted both at the beginning and
at end leading to the incorporation of the three Rahasyams 
in this pasuram.

(7)" Yengum ThiruvaruL PeRRU inbhuRuvar:"
******************************************
Yengum refers to Immai (LeelA VibhUthi) and maRumai
( Nithya VibhUthi). EmperumAn with PirAtti will take
nithya vaasam with those who perform UpanyAsams on
ThiruppAvai. This is the ThiruvaruL. The Inbham 
arising from the recitation of Dhivya Prabhandhams
in general has been pointed out by AzhwArs in general.
One example of such citation is that of Swamy NammAzhwAr:

Ingum angum ThirumAlanRi inmai kaNDu
 anganE VaNN KuruhUr SatakOpan
InganE sonna OrAyiratthu ippatthum
 YenganE sollilum Inbham payakkumE 
--ThiruvAimozhi: 7.9.11

(Meaning): KuruhUr SatakOpan realized that there is 
no protection(help) except Sriya: pathi , here, there
or anywhere. The Lord blessed him to sing exactly 
in that vein a thousand verses. Of those, this decad
can be read , sung , recited with proper understanding
or not; that is also immaterial . It will reward the reader 
with bliss (inbham) in whatever manner recited .

(8)"InbhuRuvar:"
****************
Aathma Yaathrai is under the control of the Lord;
dEha yAthrai is under the control of one's karmAs.
Knowing that these are outside our control , we should
recite and write about ANDAL's Prabhandham in the form
of a Kaimkaryam. When done this way , the Lord confers
dEha aarOgyam , worldly wealth and Moksham for Prapannan.
He removes all ThApams and grants sukhams and Aanandham.
If we ask for Phalans for Kaimkaryam , we may end up
asking for Kshudhra Phalans (alpa Phalans ); If we leave
the phalan granting to Him , in the spirit of His oudhAryam
( Generosity) , He will grant Phalans that we could not even
dream about.The prapannan will enjoy the state of 
"Yengum ThiruvaruL PeRRu" .He knows what we need in
the spirit of JithantE SthOthra Vaakyam: " Yath Hitham
mama dEvEsa tathA aaj~nApaya". 

(9)Concluding Remarks:
**********************
ANDAL incarnated as the daughter of PeriyAzhwAr 
and blessed us with ThiruppAvai Prabhandham and
immersed us in the ocean of Aanandham through that
anugraham. In ThiruppAvai, She gave us the UpadEsam
on the Laghu UpAyam ( VarAha Charama SlOkam )that
She had received from BhUVarAha perumAL for our 
UjjIvanam and Inbham.

With the blessings of ANDAL, ThiruppAvai Jeeyar and
asmath AchAryan , Srimath NaarAyaNa YathIndhra 
MahA Desikan , adiyEn was able to share with You 
the scholarly commentaries of Sri U.Ve.PerukkAraNai Swamy
and other AchArya PurushAs. Due to limitation of space and
time, these postings needed to be " short". adiyEn
hopes that you will acquire copy of Sri PerukkAranai 
Swamy's scholarly monograph of 600 plus pages and 
immerse yourselves in the aanandham of his ThiruppAvai
VyAkhyAnam .

AdiyEn thanks you for your understanding of my 
deficencies in covering adequately the subject 
matter of the commentary of the Illustrious
ThiruppAvai .

AdiyEn places this Kaimkaryam at the Lotus feet of
SenkaNN Muhatthu Selva ThirumAl and Godhai and 
offer my prayers for the growth of kaimkarya Sri
for all of us at this time of UthtarAyaNa PuNya Kaalam.

Andal , Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan

     
 


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