Re: Andals Thiruppavai - PASURAM 19 kuththu viLakkeriya kOttu(k) kaal kattil mEl meththenRa pancha sayanaththin mEl ERi(k) koththalar poonguzhal nappinai kongai mEl vaiththu(k) kidandha malar maarbaa vaay thiRavaay mai(th) thadam kaNNinaay nee un maNaaLanai eththanai pOdhum thuyilezha ottaay kaaN eththanaiyElum pirivu aatragillaayaal thaththuvam anRu thagavElOr empaavaai When Nappinnai stood up to open the door, she was dragged back by Kannan into a tight embrace. The ensemble therefore now attempts to awaken Kannan. As Kannan was unwilling to speak, the ensemble again uses Nappinnai as their intermediary. The ensemble now tries to wake Nappinnai up again and reminds her to wake up Kannan. One might learn the concern that the Lord and His consort have for their subjects. Once, the divine mother thought of testing the Lord’s compassion. She accused one of the devotees of some wrongdoing. Immediately the Lord came back saying that His devotees would never do any wrong, and if they were to do it then it was for good. If the Lord were to embark on punishing a devotee, then His consort would immediately come in saying that there was nobody in this world, who did not commit a sin. It may be learnt that both of them are equally and passionately concerned about their subjects. kuththu viLakkeriya– The ensemble of Andal and her friends entreat Kannan with the words “vaay thiravaay” to open His mouth and speak. They immersed themselves in the beauty of the communion of the Lord and His consort and forgetting the purpose of their visit, did not entreat Kannan to wakeup. The maids say “Why is it necessary to stay on the couch, admiring the beautiful visage of Kannan, in the shade of the brightly lit oil lamp, when it is already daybreak? It is said “athiivaraamah shushubhe adhikaa mayaa” – Sri Rama shone forth with lustre amidst the brilliance of Sita’s divine beauty. Similarly, where is the need for the oil lamp when you have the glittering aura of Nappinnai’s beauty around?” kOttu(k) kaal kattil mEl It is indeed fortunate to recline in company of a valiant consort, on a luxurious couch that is dressed up with the fragrant tresses of seven yaks and has the ivory tusks of Kuvalayapeeda for its stands. meththenRa– The Gopis question “Is it correct on your part to continue sleeping and appraising the luxurious couch without speaking to us, when so many of us are waiting here for you. pancha sayanaththin mEl ERi– The couch bed has the five fold characteristics of being beautiful, pleasant, soft, fragrant and bright. Your couch is a soft cushion that has five layers. You are reclining on one such. For us who are being tormented by your separation, even a couch of lotus seems like a bed of thorns. koththalar poonguzhal nappinai kongai mEl vaiththu(k) kidandha malar maarbaa– Nappinnai is now in the divine company of Kannan. She has bedecked herself with a fine garland of fresh jasmine buds. The buds in her tresses have blossomed and are spreading the fragrant aroma everywhere. Sita says to Hanuman – “I am very tired and shall find some sleep on the lap of my dear beloved Sri Rama. He shall later rest on my lap.” Likewise you are taking turns to rest on each other’s lap. Seeing the divine couple together and enjoying the scene of their communion who are both the object and the means of attainment and being unable to force themselves as a disturbance, the maids plead with Kannan to open his mouth and speak to them using the words “malar maarbaa vaay thiRavaay” “Sri Rama said to Sugriva that He shall protect those who seek refuge in Him even at the cost of His own life. But you Nappinnai, on the other hand are neither allowing Kannan to speak out nor are you speaking to us. Is this correct? Even if Nappinnai were to stop you from coming to us, you should have strengthened our hopes assuring us protection and should have at least spoken words of relief.” Having said so, Kannan gets ready to speak. Immediately Nappinnai stopped Kannan and spoke to Him with her eyes indicating that in her presence, there was no need for Kannan to wake up and answer the call of Gopis. The Gopis having realised this, addressed Nappinnai as “mai(th) thadam kaNNinaay”. You have captivated Him inside your beautiful eyes that have blossomed like a beautiful lotus. He would come to us only if he were to be freed from the confines of those beautiful eyes. Sri Rama, who was separated from Sita spoke to Lakshmana that he would not live for more than a month. My plight is like “na jiiveyam kshaNamapi vina thaam asiithekshaNam”!– Bereft of the beautiful Sita who had beautiful eyes of black, I shall not live even for a single moment. maiyittu ezhudhOm malarittu naam mudiyOm– In presence of we, the devotees, Oh Nappinnai, help us in completing our observances, make us adorn the streak of collyrium and then should you adorn one for yourself. Would a mother ever take to eating when her child is starving? We had assumed that your beauty and your glories would help us in our observances. But it has not happened so. Is it correct on your part to be stopping Kannan from coming to us when you should have actually helped us attain Him? un maNaaLanai eththanai pOdhum thuyilezha ottaay kaaN– Sita said “kausalya loka bharthaaram sushuve”, Sri Rama is not only my master but the master of the entire world. But you on the other hand have made Kannan yours alone and have not let him go even for a moment. Seems like you fear to leave him to us. eththanaiyElum pirivu aatragillaayaal thaththuvam anRu thagavu – You would not even bear a moment of separation from Kannan. You are like the saying “அகலகில்ெலன் இைறயும்”. He also maintains an equal disposition towards you. He believes that in your absence, He would not be drawn towards any other damsel. It is due to this that we came to you with the fond hope that you would bring us all close to Kannan. But that has not happened at all. It is not righteous for you to have ignored our pleadings. The Lord bestows us with fruits that befit our past deeds. Our preceptors impart us with artha panchakam the five fold truths and sacrament us with the rites of pancha samskaram. They make us observe Prapatti the final means of deliverance that has five fold tenets and make us attain the divine communion with the Lord in His eternal servitude. Therefore Andal and Her maids, chose Nappinnai as their preceptor as well as gobetween, and prayed to her in order to win the communion of Kannan. It is as per the Vaishnava tenets to chose the divine mother only as the intermediary while both the Lord and His consort are to be chosen together as the object and the means of attainment.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - PASURAM 20 muppaththu moovar amararkku mun senRu kappam thavirkkum kaliyE thuyil ezhaay seppam udaiyaay thiRal udaiyaay seRRaarkku veppam kodukkum vimalaa thuyil ezhaay seppenna men mulai(ch) chevvaay(ch) chiRu marungul nappinnai nangaay thiruvE thuyil ezhaay ukkamum thattoLiyum thandhu un maNaaLanai ippOdhE emmai neeraattElOr empaavaai This paasuram and the previous paasuram propagate that the Lord and His consort need to be upheld together as our final objects of adoration and attainment. In the previous verse, Andal and Her maids plead to Nappinnai and remind her that it is her essential nature to act as the intermediary between the Lord and His subjects and that she should have helped them in that direction. They further blame her for not even showing a bit of compassion, if not for helping them. Nappinnai on the other hand was trying to learn the Lord's volition and was waiting for a choice moment to forward this plead to Kannan. Being unaware of this and thinking that Nappinnai was indignant towards them, they again set out to awaken Kannan. muppaththu moovar amararkku mun senRu kappam thavirkkum kaliyE thuyil ezhaay Eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas and two Ashwini kumarars. This is the classification of the 33 crore celestials. You save these celestials by taking various incarnations. When the celestials were tormented heavily by the demon Hiranyakashipu, you heeded to their pleas and took the incar nation of Nrusimhan and brought an end to the evil demon, thereby securing peace for the celestials. When you heard the words "Narayana! Oh Manivanna! NaagaNayaay" from the elephant that was in the clutches of the mighty crocodile, then you hurried to its rescue even without informing your consort. You killed the vile crocodile and protected the elephant. You have engaged yourself busily in protecting countless celestials. That being so, is it difficult for you to heed to our pleas who are so small in number and who have come to your doorstep craving for your protection? Moreover the celestials live an undying life. But we would cease to exist if not for your grace. The celestials supplicate to you only for material pleasures and pursuits. We on the other hand do not desire any material fruits. We seek you alone as our sole object of attainment and have been observing this nombu ritual for the past nineteen days and have been staying at your doorstep eagerly awaiting your grace. Could you not speak a word to us? kaliyE thuyil ezhaay Unlike the celestials who sought you only to have their lives and kingdom that they had lost to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on">Bali</st1lace>, reinstated, we seek only the benevolent and benign glances of grace from your lotus like eyes on us. seppam udaiyaay Cheppam means protection. Sri Rama, as per the phrase "rak****haa jiivalokasya" pursued the general path of protecting one and all. He also pursued a specific path of righteousness as per the phrase "sva janasya cha rak****haa" and protected everyone who belonged to him. Why don't you at least follow Rama and pursue at least the path of protecting us who belong to you. thiRal udaiyaay You have in you the power and strength that protected the Pandavas from every possible danger from their enemies. Setraarkku veppam kodukkum vimalaa thuyil ezhaay You are known to have bestowed punishment to those who torment your devotees. But, this act of yours has inflicted punishments on your own devotees for no fault of theirs. Why this delay my Lord in blessing us with your grace? When all these words failed to get any favourable response from Kannan in terms of waking Him up and making Him speak, they again plead unto Nappinnai their gobetween and the consort of the Lord as well. seppenna men mulai(ch) chevvaay(ch) chiRu marungul nappinnai nangaay thiruvE thuyil ezhaay Oh Nappinnai, the consort of the Lord who holds the heart of the Lord with Her always, who is the most beautiful in the universe and who owns the magnificent of features, pray you wake up and protect us craving souls. You need not be like Sita Piratti, who, for the sake of subservients, stayed in confinement for ten months without sleep and underwent lot of torments. It is sufficient if you just wake up and bless us with your benign glances. Nappinnai now asks as to what should she be doing once she wakes up. ukkamum thattoLiyum thandhu un maNaaLanai Oh Nappinnai, bring with you the articles for ritual observances like fan, mirror and your beloved Lord who performs according to the dancing steps of your eyebrows. ippOdhE emmai neeraattu The throngs of separation have withered us totally. We pray you to give us an auspicious shower along with Kannan. Though Sita was very dear to Sri Rama, He loved her more for the fact that Dasharatha had overseen Her marriage to Him. Likewise, though Kannan was of exquisite beauty and grace, the Gopis loved him more for the fact that He was bestowed to them by His consort Nappinnai. No matter who tries to dissuade, the Lord always rescues those who have performed Sharanagathi at His lotus feet. If the dissuaders are enemies, He punishes them for their offence and if they are friends, He makes them assent to his volition taking them into His fold. This is the hidden purport of this verse.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - PASURAM 21 ERRa kalangaL edhir pongi meedhaLippa maaRRaadhE paal soriyum vaLLal perum pasukkaL aaRRa(p) padaiththaan maganE aRivuRaay ooRRam udaiyaay periyaay ulaginil thORRamaay ninRa sudarE thuyil ezhaay maaRRaar unakku vali tholaindhu un vaasaR kaN aaRRaadhu vandhu un adi paNiyumaa pOlE pORRiyaam vandhOm pugazhndhElOr empaavaai When the Gopis continued waking up Nappinnai, she finally woke up and came out to speak to them. She said, “Oh Gopis, in enjoying a blissful communion with Kannan, I shall be one amongst you. So let us all unite together and plead unto Kannan.” Etra kalangaL edhir pongi meedhaLippa maatraadhE paal soriyum vaLLal perum pasukkaL aatra(p) padaiththaan maganE– In AyarpAdi, the huge vessels that were used to receive the milk from the cows, were overflowing. How many ever vessels be used, the result remained the same. The cows too had the virtue of munificence and generosity similar to Kannan. The cowherds would take the fills of milk in vessels, but even if they did not do that, the cattle out of abundance would continue to give milk continuously. These cows that give floods of milk in great opulence are similar to the rivers that give sweet potable water to the habitats and like the trees that bestow delicious fruits. Due to the divine touch of Kannan, these cows looked as gigantic as elephants. Nandagopan was one such chieftain who had received innumerable cows of such kind free of cost. Oh Kannan! The son of the noble Nandagopa! If not for becoming the heir to Nandagopa, how would all this assets and chattels be inherited by you? Andal says that though the Lord is the master of the entire universe that is in his possession, yet, the most befitting thing about Kannan is that He is the master of the entire chattels of Nandagopan. maganE aRivuRaay – “It is surprising that the all pervasive and the all knowing like you should be made to realise it with such difficulty. You are perhaps waiting for all those people who are yet to come and so are enjoying a good sleep. Are you still in your slumber Oh Lord! Wake up”. Here Andal uses the term “aRivuRaay” instead of “ezhunthiRaay”. The inherent virtues of the Lord like compassion, humility, forbearance was worth nothing at places like Srivaikuntham, the supreme abode and Ksheerasagaram, the milky ocean. “You incarnated amongst us just to make sure that you had an opportunity to exhibit all these noble virtues. If you do not come to us and exhibit those virtues, then they would be as good as being absent. Think it over Oh Lord!” says Andal. ooRRam udaiyaay – “Oh Kannan, you are a servant to the subservient. Out of compassion for all of us, you have taken this form in this world. All the petals of a lotus are always facing each other. You know that you are indeed the final purport that is put forth by the imperial Vedas. You therefore are “periyaay”, the supreme one whose limits are not known even by the mighty Vedas”. ooRRam udaiyaay periyaay – “Whoever resorts to your lotus feet, have been assured of your protection. You dissuaded the likes of Sugriva and others from hindering the granting of refuge to Vibhishana. You therefore have the capacity to bring your words to fruition. Though you bestow everything upon your subjects, you are yet dissatisfied with it. Your glories are crowned many times when you bestow on them the fruits of goodness that befit your immense glories. When the soiled water is made free of mud and dirt, then what remains below is the pure potable water. Similarly if we remove the vision of our physical eyes that is replete with the blemishes of desire, anger, greed, passion, pride and jealousy and see only through the eyes of our unsullied knowledge, then it is possible to see you in everyone’s heart in your complete divine and magnificent form.” Ulaginil thORRamaay ninRa sudarE– “You may be grasped by the profound teachings and esoterical purports put forth by the imperial Vedas, Itihasas and Puranas. You are also the brightest light that may be realised by all the sentient orders like the humans, animals, birds etc”. sudarE – “Your incarnation amidst us resembles a blemishless jewel stone that lies amidst a heap of cow dung. thuyil ezhaay – If you do not come to us now, will not all those glories be of no value?” maatraar unakku vali tholaindhu un vaasaR <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">kaN</st1lace></st1:State> aaRRaadhu vandhu un adi paNiyumaa pOlE pORRiyaam vandhOm pugazhndhu – The adversaries of your devotees, under the flood of your unfavourable grace, after finding no other resort, would come to your lotus feet finally. We on the other hand have resorted to the shadow of your lotus feet having fully realized your inherent divine attributes like compassion, mercy and unassuming humble nature. Unlike Kakasura, who sinned towards Piratti and finding no refuge and solace even after rounding all the three worlds, resorted to your lotus feet finally, we have been drawn towards you by the power of your divine virtues and glories. We came here to sing you a song of dawn like Periyazhwar, who sang you the famous Thiruppalandu. Our unwavering faith in you brought us to you with no doubts in our minds as to the fulfilment of our goals. A preceptor imparts all the essential purports of the esoterical knowledge to a true disciple who resorts to his feet and takes up his servitude. This is the hidden purport of this verse.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - PASURAM 22 am kaN maa NYaalaththu arasar abimaana pangamaay vandhu nin paLLi(k) kattiR keezhE sangam iruppaar pOl vandhu thalaippeydhOm kingiNi vaay(ch) cheydha thaamarai(p) poo(p) pOlE sengaN chiRu(ch) chiRidhE emmEl vizhiyaavO thingaLum aadhiththanum ezhundhaaR pOl am kaN irandum kondu engaL mEl nOkkudhiyEl engaL mEl saabam izhindhElOr empaavaai In the previous verse, Andal having spoken of the denial of self pride and ownership, reinstates in this pasuram with clarity that the entire ensemble of Gopis are subservients to Kannan alone and none else. am <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">kaN</st1lace></st1:State> maa NYaalaththu arasar abimaana pangamaay vandhu nin paLLi(k) kattiR keezhE sangam iruppaar pOl vandhu thalaippeydhOm – “In this vast universe, a few picturesque realms were captured by men thinking high of themselves to be the paramounts on land. In the course of time, having lost all their possessions, they soon parted with their pride and lustre. The once kings who, came with a feeling of ‘soham’ now came to you in a state of solitude and with utter humility and subserviency reflecting the feeling of ‘daasoham’. They attained a mature state of mind by which they refused to accept the royal throne if bestowed again. They came and found their final place of refuge beneath your reclining couch of Adishesha. We, similarly, after having unshackled all our faculties from their worldly leanings, have assembled here at the foot of your reclining couch to surrender them unto your service and to be in your servitude. The nobles surrendered unto you after having found no other means. We on the other hand have surrendered unto your lotus feet after having been drowned in the flood of your inherent auspicious attributes, similar to Lakshmana, who set out to the forest accompanying Sri Rama, having been overwhelmed by his divine auspicious attributes”. To this Kannan asks, “Alright now, what do you seek of me?” kingiNi vaay(ch) cheydha thaamarai(p) poo(p) pOlE sengaN chiRu(ch) chiRidhE emmEl vizhiyaavO– You should grace us with your divine glances. Your eyes resemble a lotus bud now. During the sunrise, the lotus buds bloom slowly. Initially, it would bloom a little and would resemble a pearl. In a similar way, you should open your eyes slowly. Only then would we be able to experience the vision of your exquisite beauty. Your lotus like eyes would blossom once they see the torments that we are going through. It would definitely bloom seeing the ensemble of devotees waiting. The fields of crop that has seen enough draught, at a time need to be irrigated in measured quantities only, taking measures to see that they are not flooded. Similarly, to us who have broken down completely having been bitten by the pangs of your separation, your merciful glances filled with the waters of your grace need to be allowed in slowly. You should see us first when you wake up. That would delight us just as how it would delight the crops that have been showered with munificent rain after a rough draught. thingaLum aadhiththanum ezhundhaaR pOl am <st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">kaN</st1lace></st1:State> irandum kondu engaL mEl nOkkudhiyEl– One of your eyes is like the blazing Sun, that does not allow the vicious and the vile to near you, and would turn them down to ashes. The other eye is like the cool moon, showering its cool glances of mercy and bringing delight into everyone’s hearts. Pray see us with both these eyes of yours. engaL mEl saabam izhindhu– Your glances of grace on us, who have been craving for it, would reduce the torments on account of having been bitten by the pangs of your separation. Just the mere glances of the accomplished, who own the powers of mantrasiddhi is said to be sufficient to free one from the effect of poison. Similarly, we pray unto you, to cast your glances on us and to free us from the iniquitous influences that impede us from attaining the bliss of beatitude. You should free us of our torments and should bring delight to us similar to Nrusimhan, who, with one eye, showered rage and fury on Hiranyakashipu while with the other showered munificent and compassionate anugrahams on Prahlada. Though a lion always battles the elephant, it still feeds its calf with utmost affection. Similar should be your anugrahams towards us. A disciple due to the benevolence of his preceptor showered on him realises that the body is essentially different and distinct from the soul and prays unto the lotus feet of the Lord to grant him the eternal bliss of beatitude.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - PASURAM 23 maari malai muzhainchil manni(k) kidandhu uRangum seeriya singam aRivuRRu(th) thee vizhiththu vEri mayir ponga eppaadum pErndhu udhaRi moori nimirndhu muzhangi(p) puRappattu(p) pOdharumaa pOlE nee poovaippoo vaNNaa un kOyil ninRu iNj~anE pOndharuLi(k) kOppudaiya seeriya singaasanaththu irundhu yaam vandha kaariyam aaraayndhu aruLElOr empaavaai In this verse, Andal seeks to celebrate and enjoy, the exquisite beauty of Kannan’s reclining posture, the beauty of His waking up, the beauty of His stride and the beauty of seeing Him seated majestically. In the Ramayana, Tara and Mandodari were blessed with the vision of the standing bearing of Sri Rama. Valmiki showed the beauty of Sri Rama’s reclining posture at Darbhashayanam. Sita enjoyed the reclining posture of Rama at Chitakootam so intensely that she even failed to notice Kakasura having wounded her. The hermits and recluses of the forest enjoyed the semblance of Sri Rama being seated majestically. Here the Gopis stand aspiring to enjoy and imbibe the beauty of Kannan in its entirety. The Azhwars took great delight in enjoying the beauty of Kannan sleeping as a baby in His cradle, the beauty of Kannan waking up and the beauty of Kannan trying to stand holding on to the cradle. They also celebrated and extolled the reclining, standing and sitting postures of the Lord at various divya kshetrams. During the ceremonial processions of the Lord of Thiruvarangam, one gets to see his valorous gait on top of a horse, His bewitching and majestic march on an elephant, His furtive and fuming stride on top of a tiger and His regal semblance on top of a lion, that is enough to send shivers down anybody’s hearts. The Gopis say that similar to this, they have enjoyed the beauty of Kannan’s sleep and His waking up. They request Him to present Himself on the throne in the grand hall. Only then would it be possible for them to enjoy and celebrate the beauty of His stride, the beauty of His divine form from all sides and the beauty of His sitting posture. Kannan immediately ushers Himself into the grand hall. That was a feast for the eye. Andal gives a panoramic description of this wonderful vision. She says, “A lion resides in the depths of his mountain cave amidst the pouring showers. It rouses itself and thinks of moving out of the cave. It sends out a frightening roar stretching its legs and body. It warms up its body shaking its mane and standing high it sees its surroundings completely. It majestically paces ahead and places itself head high on top of a short cliff. Kannan strides majestically, similar to such a lord of the jungle. He is indeed the cub of Yashoda. The Azhwars have variedly celebrated Kannan as a lion in many of their sayings like ேதவகி சிங்கேம தாேலேலா, சிற்றாயர் சிங்கேம, ஆயர்குலச்சீரியசிங்கமும் ேதவகீ சிங்கத்ைதப்பாடிப்பற”. Kannan empathises with the Gopis who had come walking in the dark of the rising Sun under a showering mist, waking up the damsels of AyarpAdi, the guards on duty at the palace and his parents. He requests them to ask of their needs and assures that he shall abide by to bestow it on them. The Gopis say, “Oh Lord, you are dark hued with the colour of the kaayam flower (poovaippoo vaNNaa). Un kOyil ninRu iNj~anE pOndharuLi(k) kOppudaiya seeriya singaasanaththu irundhu yaam vandha kaariyam aaraayndhu aruL– You have awakened from your slumber. Pray seat yourself on the throne in the grand hall. We shall tell you all about us. The throne shall then make sure that we are conferred. The statement at the seashore “ I shall grant refuge to one and all” and the statement on the chariot– “If surrendered to me alone, then I shall emancipate one from all his torments” are definitely true. But we cannot believe your words when you are still on your couch. Pray take the throne, for then your words will become trustworthy and decree. Kannan then adorned the throne in a majestic gait. Having satiated themselves with the beauty of Kannan’s stride and His majestic seating stance, the Gopis began to extol Him with their songs like garlands. Kannan then requested them to express their desires. The Gopis then requested, “Oh Lord, we need your munificent benedictions. It is possible for one to win over anything with the Lord’s benedictions on his side. Asking for anything else would only bestow momentary affluence. The hidden purport is that a jeevan should always pray only for the Lord’s benedictions without any selfmotives. If done so, the Lord comes out of his cave at Ahobilam and bestows upon the soul the fruits of all his desires.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - PASURAM 24 anRu ivvulagam aLandhaay adi pORRi senRangu(th) then ilangai seRRaay thiRal pORRi ponRa(ch) chakatam udhaiththaay pugazh pORRi kanRu kuNil aaveRindhaay kazhal pORRi kunRu kudaiyaay eduththaay guNam pORRi venRu pagai kedukkum nin kaiyil vEl pORRi enRenRum un sEvagamE Eththi(p) paRai koLvaan inRu yaam vandhOm irangElOr empaavaai. Heeding to the entreaties of the Gopis, Kannan came and seated Himself on the throne. Captivated by the beauty of His stride and the beauty of His sitting stance, the Gopis forgot the reason for their visit and sung Him a song of pallandu. anRu iv ulagam aLandhaay adi pORRi – You incarnated as Vamana and later took the gigantic form of Trivikrama, measuring all the celestial worlds and sanctifying them all with the sacred waters from your lotus feet and consecrated them with the shadow of your lotus feet. With the second measure you placed your foot on the crowns of one and all without any bias relieving them off their sins. You thus upheld your inherent virtue of sou Seelyam, by associating yourself equally well, with the high as well as the low ones. Having made the Lord take steps with such great a thiruvadi, the Gopis deemed this to be a transgression and sought forgiveness from the Lord and sung him a song of pallandu. The Gopis said with delight, “Oh Lord! You had once walked into the sacrificial arena displaying the beauty of your pace and had reclaimed the worlds from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on">Bali</st1lace> in the name of generous offerings. Today, by bestowing on us the vision of the same exquisite gait, you have reclaimed us all, who had withered in your separation. That day, Indra got back his lost kingdom from you. The subjects won the association of your lotus feet on their heads. But today, we have won you!” senRangu(th) then ilangai seRRaai thiRal pORRi– Periyazhwar sung the glories of the Lord in his pallandu as “உன் ேசவடி ெசவ்வித்திருக்காப்பு” (un sevadi sevvi thirukaappu). Similarly Andal sung a mangalashasanam to the Lord to prevent His lotus feet from being tainted by the devouring looks of humans. Sri Rama was extolled by His father. He sung him a song of praise wishing Him overwhelming success against the evil. Similarly, Andal sings a song of praise in favour of the valour of Sri Rama, who fought triumphantly with the evil demons in Lanka. senRu– Signifies the moving of the army of Sri Rama on the bridge that was built by them across the ocean. The very sight of it would nullify all our sins. Here Andal extols not only the hands that have adorned the bow, but also the lotus feet. To keep Kannan away from thinking that they have started to praise Rama and not Him, she sings “ponRa(ch) chakatam udhaiththaay pugazh pORRi” – The cart guised Shakatasura, received a ghastly kick, and was bestowed with the same fate as that of Maricha. “Oh Kannan, the measuring of the worlds and the winning over of Lanka, were all accomplished after reaching manhood. But you vanquished the evil Shakatasura, even as a toddler. Without even the support from your mother, you playfully kicked him and saw his end. Long live, such glory and such greatness”. kunRu kudaiyaay eduththaay guNam pORRi– “One demon came in the guise of a calf and tried to kill <st1lace w:st="on">Krishna</st1lace>. Another one tried to hit him hard in the guise of a fruit called ‘vilaampazam’. Having known this, you threw the calf into the air and killed the evil Kapiththasuran as well. What a wonder! Just as how a thorn is pricked out by another, you sent one asura into a whirl and smashed the other. Glory to your brave and strong shoulders that have accomplished such a feat”, says Andal. kunRu kudaiyaay eduththaay guNam pORRi– For seven days in a row, you held aloft the mighty Govardhana on your little finger and protected the entire populace of AayarpAdi along with their cattle from the onslaughts of the incessant rains. You fed the cattle and the folks with fodder and food. Having seen stacks of grass, you imparted the nectar to the folks of AayarpAdi and made their hunger disappear. You thus subdued the pride of Indra, who had inflicted such torments on your devotees. Your glories are immeasurable and beyond reach of mere words. Andal thus extols the infinite auspicious attributes of the Lord with special mention of his compassion and mercy. venRu pagai kedukkum nin kaiyil vEl pORRi– Kannan adorns the spear in His hand, in order to protect the cattle and the cowherds from any impediments, when they set out to graze their cattle in the forest. Also, the discus in His hand has many sharp spikes similar to His spear. Sri Rama was a royal prince and so adorned the bow in His hands. Since Kannan is “koorvEl kodundhozhilan nandhagOpan kumaran”, He adorned the spear perhaps. Andal thus sang in praise of the spear and the discus that is Sudarshana Azhwar. enRenRum un sEvagamE Eththi(p) paRai koLvaan – Having painted the picture of all your adventurous accomplishments on the canvas of our hearts, we have come here singing praises and have assembled here today to relish and celebrate your glories. We pray you to bestow your compassion and to shower your benevolence on us. The purport here is that the Lord unfailingly protects those who seek refuge at His feet. It may also be taken as songs of glories in favour of the preceptors. Preceptors like Bhagavad Ramanuja, travelled far and wide, imparting spiritual and esoterical knowledge to deserving disciples, dispelling the iniquitous attributes in them like pride and selfishness that were as vicious as the ruler of Lanka and thereby showed them all, the path to deliverance. Andal sings the glories of the lotus feet of such an Acharya. This pasuram is the singing of glories of an Acharya, who lights the lamp of knowledge in us and dispels the darkness of nescience, thereby giving us supreme bliss.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - Excellent post. Will preserve this and read not only during December. Thanks for the awesome work.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - PASURAM 25 oruththi maganaay(p) piRandhu Or iravil oruththi maganaay oLiththu vaLara(th) tharikkilaan aagi(th) thaan theengu ninaindha karuththai(p) pizhaippiththu(k) kanchan vayitril neruppenna ninRa nedumaalE!, unnai aruththiththu vandhOm paRai tharudhiyaagil thiruththakka selvamum sEvagamum yaam paadi varuththamum theerndhu magizhndhElOr empaavaai oruththi maganaay(p) piRandhu Or iravil oruththi maganaay oLiththu vaLara- Kannan was born as the son of Devaki, but was brought up as the son of Yashoda without the knowledge of the world. Without making a specific reference, Andal uses the word “oruththi”, to refer collectively to both, the mother who gave birth to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on">Krishna</st1lace> and the mother who brought Him up. Her devotion was so overwhelming that she does not refer to Kannan’s name for the fear of Kamsa and his evil intentions. She addresses Him as Madhusudana, the son of Devaki. He is extolled by the Vedas themselves as the one who killed the wicked Madhu and restored the imperial Vedas back to their pristine glory. He enshrines Himself in all sentient and non sentient as the indweller and the inner controller. The sacrificial oblations of Dasharatha bore fruit and a noble son was born to Him and Kausalya and also three other sons to his other two wives making it four in all. Kannan on the other hand was born as the only son to the foursome Devaki Vasudeva and Nandagopa Yashoda. Devaki asked for a boon to stay away from her son for fear of Kamsa. Though <st1lace w:st="on">Krishna</st1lace> was born with a divine and most beautiful form with four hands adorning the conch, discus and with a bejewelled attire, the couple could not take delight in such a wonderful vision long enough due to the fear of Kamsa. Kannan therefore bestowed the bliss of seeing His incarnation to Devaki Vasudeva and the bliss of seeing His playful antics to Yashoda Nandagopa who, fed Him affectionately with milk, rocked His cradle and cuddled Him with love. piRandhu – Out of compassion, He took to Himself, all the grief from us who are destined to face the samasaric gale. He stayed in the womb of Devaki for twelve months instead of ten. Or iravil – On a chosen night, that was destined later to be called as Srijayanthi, for it was the day chosen by the Lord to incarnate. If he were to be born during the day, then it would not have been possible for bringing the female child to <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Mathura</st1:City></st1lace> in exchange for Kannan to Gokula. oLiththu vaLara – He was brought up without the vile glances of the evil Kamsa from falling on Him. Oh Kannan! Who is now sitting majestically in the grand hall, pray fulfill our wishes and protect us. tharikkilaan aagi(th) thaan theengu ninaindha karuththai(p) pizhaippiththu(k) kanchan vayitril neruppenna ninRa nedumaalE! – Kamsan made up his mind to set out and kill the eighth child of Devaki after being told by a voice from the heaven that the eighth child of Devaki would slay him. He started killing all the babies in the land, who were born on the day Kannan was born. The elders lived a life of fear, always thinking of the possible dangers to Kannan from Kamsa. Kamsa sent the likes of Putana, Shakatasura and others to kill Kannan. <st1lace w:st="on">Krishna</st1lace> however killed them all even when he was just a baby. Kamsa was struck with terror and fear, as he knew that as the boy grew older, he would one day come and slay him too. Kannan brought fear in Kamsa similar to the way he had brought in the minds of the dwellers of Gokula. Upon His birth, He brought a great deal of peace to Devaki and blessed her womb similar to a flow of pure cool water. He blessed Yashoda’s womb similar to a flow of nectar and milk. At the same time, He kindled fire in Kamsa’s stomach, punishing him for all his transgressions. Andal and her maids address Kannan as the divine one who would dispel all vicious influences and bestow allround goodness on them. Kannan then addressed them asking of their wants and the reason for their nombu observances. The Gopis replied that they have come seeking Him alone. Kannan again asks them of their aspirations and to the object of their desire. The Gopis reply “unnai aruththiththu vandhOm paRai tharudhiyaagil” – Our aim is to attain you alone. That is the reason for our nombu ritual. To attain you as our goal with you as our means is our desire. thiruththakka selvamum sEvagamum yaam paadi– The reason for us having chosen to attain You is because you have been the object of attainment of Sri, your divine consort. The devas and the asuras churned the ocean in search of nectar. It was then that Thirumagal emerged verily as the nectar from the ocean. She chose you over everyone else and took Her lotus throne in the cosmos of your heart. It was then that you became the Lord of Sri. Pray you take us into your fold today and become the Lord of Gopis and the beloved of Gopis. varuththamum theerndhu magizhndhu– We pray you, who is the object of adulation and desire of Sri, to end all our torments due to separation from you and to bestow us with the bliss of attaining your divine communion. The Lord inflicts punishment on those who commit transgressions towards Him or towards His devotees. He at the same time bestows the nectar like bliss on hose who seek His lotus feet as their refuge.
Re: Andals Thiruppavai - Dhanur Maasam – Marghazhi Month Margazhi, which is the ninth month of the Hindu calendar, falls roughly between 15th December and 15th January in the Gregorian calendar. It is considered the most auspicious month by the Tamilians. Even the Lord Almighty is said to have professed in the Bhagavatham that he shall pervade everywhere in all forms during the month of Margazhi and is supposed to have said, ‘Maathangalil Naan Margazhi”, which is echoed by the tamil poet, Kannadasan – when he says “Maathangalil Aval Margazhi”. So there is no doubt that this month called Margazhi has divinity bestowed on it. Shiva’s Arudra Darshan occurs in this month. So does Vaikunda Ekadasi. Aandal’s Tiruppavai and Manikkavasagar’s Tiruvempavai are chanted during this month. Another unique feature is the reading of the four Vedas. The two month long pilgrimage season to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Sabarimala</st1laceName> <st1laceName w:st="on">Ayyappa</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Temple</st1laceType></st1lace> comes to and end in Margazhi. In temples all over <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1lace> during this month there is special pre-dawn worship. However, the month is considered inauspicious for any other functions like weddings, etc. This is like the birth thithees of Rama on Navami and <st1lace w:st="on">Krishna</st1lace> on Asthmi. These thithees are celebrated for them only and are considered inauspicious for other functions. The month is dedicated wholly to the celebration of the Gods. The month of Margazhi is supposed to be sacred from all aspects. Thus it is rendered to the God himself with the aim of attaining prosperity and His blessings. The very objective of this month is to get together and offer prayers, in the belief that He will surely hear them and respond. The month Marghazhi derives its name from the star Mrigasirsha occurring on or immediately after the month’s Pournami (Purnima – full moon). It is also known as Dhanur masa since during this month the sun transits through Dhanur rasi (Sagittarius). The key to the timing of many rituals and festivals and other important social events, is the weather and harvest! As the customs and traditions evolved, man had to take into consideration the weather conditions as one among the most vital factors. The cold weather in Margazhi and limited number of day hours, called for special efforts to shake off lethargy, a natural tendency (hibernation!), and some reasons were created for early rising and early morning vigour of activities on the social plane! Religion and spirituality being the easiest routes to motivation, the ‘Bhakti’ marga showed the way to effective measures to keep man active in healthy social interactions! Therefore, as adjuncts, the concepts of Gods’ last few sleeping hours before the Gods rose (in ‘Uttarayana’, after the ‘dakshinayana’, at the end of ‘Margazhi’!) from sleep to commence their day (six months of ‘uttarayana’!), are the ideal days for religious worship. They were evolved and refined in all regions where winter peaked around those days, with similar thoughts and allied traditions evolving in other comparable religious practices! Cold weather is the most ‘creative’ weather for production of all kinds, stamina for work being maximum, once the inertia and initial lethargy are successfully tackled. That generally sums up the lovely month of music and pilgrimage Pavai Nonbu, also known as Margazhi Nonbu, is observed in Tamilnadu during this month. The history of pavai nonbu is more than 2000 years old and is mentioned in the early Tamil scriptures. The general belief is that pavai nonbu was observed for Katyayani [a form of Durga]. It is said that Gopis first observed it to attain Lord Krishna as their husband. Women and girls observing pavai nonbu woke before sunrise, bathed in the Kalindi river and made an image of Goddess Katyayani with the clay found on the river bank and offered prayers to the Goddess to get good husbands. It is also believed that Andal, one of the twelve Alwars, on the advice of her father, Perialwar, performed pavai nonbu to merge with Sri Ranganatha [Lord Vishnu]. Today women and girls undertaking pavai nonbu during Margazhi take a bath in the morning, light oil lamps in front of their houses, draw big rangolis and keep a pumpkin flower with a little dung as a holder. People recite the pasurams from Thiruppavai and visit temples. Some also sing the Tiruvempaavai written by the poet, Saint Manickavasakar to invoke the blessing of the Lord Shiva during this thirty days of Margazhi. The hymns on the Lord Vishnu and Shiva are recited for the prosperity of the universe – the universe to be perfect bliss devoid of famine or any form of unhappiness. Thus both Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai are relevant tilldate. The Kathyayani slokha goes as follows : Katyayani Mahamaye Mahayoginiyadheeshwari Nand Gop Sutam Devi Patim Me Kuru te Namah’ Yohiniyo Heswari Yoha Bhayankari Sahavas Thavara Sangamesya Mugam Hridayam Mamavacham Ahasya Vivaham Sekiram Ahasyas vahaHare Jyothi hare Sai Jyothi hare The month is also noted for its numerous music concerts. Another unique feature of the month is the beautiful kolams (rangoli) drawn on streets and in the courtyard of houses. Morning Bajans and <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceType w:st="on">Temple</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Prasadasm</st1laceName></st1lace>, Venpongal are very important in this month. -
