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Possible reference to Jatayu in Sri Aandal's Thiruppavai

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V. Sadagopan • July 26, 1997 


Dear Sri KrishNaswAmy NaarAyaNan :

Thanks very much for your note on possible Jatayu
Sambhandham in ThiruppAvaipaasurams . As per your request ,
I am advising Sri mani VaradarAjan about your wish
to become a member of the Bhakthi private mailing 
list . He is the owner  of this private list and 
has to approve your request .

He may need a small introductory note about yourself
to introduce you to the other members. His userid 
is Mani@srirangam.be.com/ please send it to him 
at the above  address .

Regarding your anubhavam of passages in Thiruppavai
verses 6 and  13 , you are correct regarding the 
intrepretations that you have come across so far in 
the commentaries of PoorvAchAryALs .

In the sixth paauram , the reference is to PeriyAzhwAr ,
the GarudAmsar. The reference is to Mahans like him 
and also to the episode in the Ithihasam that has been 
used in intrepreting the Brahma SUtram ( 1.3.33 ) according 
to Sri P.B.AnnangarAcchAr Swamy . There was once a dhArmikar 
by the name of Jaana Sruthi .Although he was generous with
his materail wealth , he did not have the wealth of 
Brahma J~nAnam . Two great sages took the form of hamsams
and flew over his balcony and conversed in such a way that 
Jaana Sruthi could understand them . They made it known to 
latter that there was a sage by the name of Raigvar , who had 
the richest spirtiual wealth , although he had not much
of material wealth in contrast to Jaana Sruthi . Latter 
understood his spiritual poverty and rushed to the side 
of Raigvar and took refuge at his feet and acquired 
Brahma J~nAnam . Hamsam as a class of birds stand for 
the acquisition of Brahma J~nAnam . This is reminded 
here for those at the dawn of their spiritual awakening
by use of the words , " PuLLUm Silambina KaaNN " .
Birds also stand for AchAryAs in AzhwAr's paasurams,
where they send the birds as messengers to Sriman NaarAyaNA
( Thirumangai and NammAzhwAr ) .

The reference is also to " Parasparam Bhodayanthi "aspect ,
where the Mahans ( birds ) mutually remind each other
about the sacredness of the hour to celebrate the 
Lord of Garudan presiding at His temple.

Regarding the passage in Verse 13 , " PuLLIn vaai
keendAnai , pollA arakkanai kiLLIkkaLaindAnai --" ,
the traditional intrepretation has been about 
the incidents that you referred to in KrishNAvathAram
and RamAvatharam. Other members may have some
additional thoughts on it .

With best wishes ,
V.Sadagopan 
     
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DATE:	7/26/97 2:47 PM

RE:	Possible reference to Jatayu in Sri Aandal's Thiruppavai

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Subject: Possible reference to Jatayu in Sri Aandal's Thiruppavai

July 26, 1997

Dear Sri V. Sadagopan:

Only recently I started browsing thru the Sri Vaishnava pages in the internet
and I  have thoroughly enjoyed reading the enlightening writings and other
information that scholars and devotees like yourself,  Sri P. Dileepan , Smt.
Mani Varadharajan and others have shared with other readers in these pages. I
don't profess any high erudition or special knowledge on Divyaprabhanthams
except that I had studied with Tamil  as a my special language in my school
days and early  college days.

Coming to the subject on hand :

1. In Her Thiruppavai hymns  Sri Aandal makes references to Garuda and other
birds in two of her hyms- the  6th hymn "Pullum silambina kaan" and the 13th
hymn "Pullin vaai keendanai". In these hymns Sri Aandal  uses the  Tamil
 word 'Pul' (meaning bird or birds)  to refer to bird(s) in general  as well
as a particular bird such as Garuda. Thus by the phrase 'Pullum silambina
kaan' occuring in the 6th hymn and the 13th hymn, She refers to the  chirping
birds in the dawn hours. In the 6th hymn Sri Aandal also indirectly refers to
Lord Vatapathrasayee's  temple by  the beautiful allegorical phrase
'Pullarayan Koilil' - which means ''in the temple of the bird's  master" i.e.
in the temple of Sri Garuda's master who is none other than Vishnu or Lord
Vatapathrasayee. Thus we know that Sri Aandal, by the word 'Pul'  here, is
clearly referring to Garuda.

2. Coming to the  phrase 'Pullin vaai keendanai' which is followed by the
phrases  "Pollaa arakanai" in  the 13th  hymn , it  would appear Sri Aandal
 is referring here to the heroic and sagacious bird Jatayu  and the dialogue
 he had with the Asura Raavana in an effort to dissuade the Asura from the
heinous abduction of Sri Seetha Piraati.  By the phrase "Pullin vai
keendanai" Sri Aandal seems to refer to the one -Raavana-who did not heed the
words of wisdom from the mouth of  the bird -Jatayu.  By the immediately
following phrase " Pollaa Arakanai" She makes reference to the evil Asura
Raavana. By the immediately following phrase  "killi kalaindhanai",  it is
certain she refers to the one -Lord Rama- who destroyed the evil  Asura so
effortlessly just like plucking out a troublesome weed! This interpretation
appears  to be logical considering the  usage of the word  'Pul' by Sri
Aandal  with  varied connotations in Her hymns,  the more appropriate meaning
of the word 'keendanai' and  the fact She has also loved to refer to  the
incarnation of Her Lord as Sri Rama  (elsewhere) in Her Thiruppavai hymns. 

3. Various commentaries on Thiruppavai that I have come across so far
 explain that the phrases 'Pullin vai keendanai pollaa arakanai killi
kalandhanai'  refer to  Lord Krishna who destroyed , by splitting the beak,
of the evil  asura who took the form of a bird.

4. I am curious to know whether any commentaries by scholars exist  which
interpret the meaning of  the  phrase under reference on the lines noted in
paragraph  2 above. I will be much grateful for a response from you, Sri
Dileepan  and others  interested in the subject.

Sri Kothai Thayaar Thiruvadigale saranam
Adiyavarku Adiyen, Krishnasamy Narayanan

P.S. I will be thankful if you could have the above posted in the bhakti
pages with your comments for other devotees to comeout with their responses
if they so desire. Pl. also advise me as to how I should I go about  to get
any postings on the Bhakti pages.