Selected Excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri
U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy ' ThiruppAvai Monograph'
In this paasuram , a Gopi known for her extraordinary beauty (
Golden creeper/PoRRk Kodi) and distinguished lineage is being awakened.
Her relatives are known well for the way in which they discharge the duties
of the Aayar Kulam . Sri BhUvarahAcchAr Swamy observes in this context:
" These duties entail milking an endless number of cows . So ANDAL seems
to be saying that performance of one's duties as enjoined in the scripture
(varNAsram dharmam)will bring happiness to the Lord
and thereby fall into the catgory of His service. One should hence
never discard one's duties".
JananyAcchAr describes this UtthamAdhikAri as belonging to a noble lineage
( AabhijAthyam)and as " Oorukku-oru PeNN
PiLLai" .
Literal Meaning of this Paasuram:Dr.V.K.S.N Raghavan
Oh Golden Creeper of a girl( the scion among the maidens of this group)! You are a jewel among the cowherds , who are:
(1) master craftsmen in the milking of ever so many groups of young
milch cows (at a stretch)
(2) skillful in warfare ,namely , very much able to go against and
destroy their (strong)opponents and routing their strength and
(3) thoroughly blemishless ! Oh Charming peacock-like (beautiful) damsel
with the hips resembling the hood of a cobra! May You come (and join our
fold).When we--Your kinswomen and friends --have come and entered the open
front yard (without roof ) of Your house , and when we are singing (in
chorus) the names of the Lord of dark cloud-like hue, what are you fast
asleep for ,without even moving or giving any response, Oh rich and young
girl ?
The Inner Meanings of the Paasuram
KaRRuk KaRavaik kaNangaL: having drunk
the milk of
Pala KaRanthu
: Jn~Anam from all Upanishads
smruthi, IthihAsa PurANams
independent of their size
or complexity
seRRAr thiRalazhia
: having won over naasthikars
chenRu seruc cheyyum :
and aasthika abhimAnis in
saastrEic debates
KuRRam onrilAtha :
Oh Sathsishyan , who has
kOvalar tamm
: been blessed with a sadAchAryan
poRRk kodiyE :
with mastery over the blemishles
VedAs !
puna MayilE
: Oh sathsishyan , who dances
like
a happy peacock ( that has seen
the rainy clouds) while singing
the many naamAs of our Lord!
pOdharAi
: May Thou be engaged in this aanandha
anubhavam!
SuRRathtu ThOzhimAr :
the aadhivAhikars , who display
yellAm vanthu
: freindship to You , the Prapannan
have come now
ninn muRRam puhunthu :
they have entered the front gates
of Your ( of the one , who has cast
aside the gross body and entered into
the subtle body/sookshma sarIram)house
Muhil VaNNan
: They are reciting the Lord's names
pEr paada
: and are ready to lead you to His
supreme abode at the final stages
of your journey via archirAdhi
maargam , like BhaagavathAs reciting
manthrams into your ear
siRRAthE :
You should cast away any concerns
about committing sins consciously
or otherwise
pEsAthE :
You should speak of nothing except
Bhagavan naamAs
nee selavap pendAtti :
you become thus the one appreciated
by BhagavAn Himself.
uRangum poruL yeRRukku? : You have no
more vinais to worry
about ? Why then this sleep rooted
in fear and bramam(delusion)?
Inner meaning of Special words and passages
(1)Sri PBA Swamy points out that the three sambhOdhanams (addresses)
as "Kovalar tamm poRRkkodiyE ,puRRaraval-
puna mayilE and Selvap peNDAtti" are noteworthy.These three identitfications
suggest that this Gopi is like a dependent creeper on the supporting rod
of AchAryans and is distinguished for her fragrance of Paaratantryam. She
is thus a qualified UtthamAdhikAri.
(2)Sri PBA Swamy comments further on the word "PuRRaravaL" to bring
out the supermacy of Bhakthi among the triad
of Jn~Anam ,Bhakthi & Virakthi. When a cobra with majestic form
enters its home under earth , it will shrink its
big form humbly . When Bhakthi is dominant , it will yield Jn~Anam
and Virakthi readily . Swamy quotes Sanjayan's
Upadesam to the deluded DhruthrAshtran : " Maayam na sEvE bhadram tE
na vruthA dharmamAcharE , Suddha bhAvam
gathO BhakthyA SaasthrAth Vedhmi JanArdhanam "Bhakthi is thus the saadhanam
for Jn~Anam aand Virakthi.Sri PBA Swamy
also quotes Swamy AlavanthAr's slOkam praising his grandfather Swamy
Naathamuni in the context of Jn~Ana- Bhakthi-Virakthi triad : " Namochinthya
adhbhudha aklishta Jn~Ana VairAgya RaasayE , NaathAya munayE aghAtha Bhagavath
Bhakthi SindhavE " . The importance of Bhakthi over Jn~Anam and VairAgyam
is again alluded here , when Swamy Nathamuni is saluted here as the
bottomless Ocean of Bhagavath Bhakthi.
(3) PunamayilE: Sri PBA Swamy compares the equivalence of the Peacock to a SadAchAryA in six ways . Two such comparsions are as follows:
(a) The poisonous insects would stay away from the peacock for fear
of their lives. AchAryAs through their prabhAvam chase away all anishtams:
" visAthi pahai pasi theeyanavellAm ninri ivvulahil kadivAn Nemip PirAn
Tamar pOnthAr" is
AzhwAr's Sri Sookthi.(b) When the peacock is happy , it will stretch
its tail fethers and dance. AchAryAs will exhibit their Jn~ana vikAsam
, when they experience a sath sishyan .
(4) SuRRatthu ThOzhimArellAm vanthu: Aathma and dEha Bhandhus will flock around mahAns .One can see that with Udayavar with EmpAr , Mudali AaNDAN ( dEha Bhanthus) and KurEsar, KidAmpi Aacchan et al (aathma Bhandhus) serving him (Sri PBA Swamy ).
(5) Ninn MuRRam puhunthu muhil VaNNan pEr Paada: MuRRam is where the adiyArs of the Lord assemble (vide: KulaEkarar paasuram:"aNiarangan THIRUMURRATTHU ADIYAR tankaLinbha perumkuzhavu kaNdu)(Sri PBA Swamy).
(6) SIRRATHE PESAATHE:AndaL's pasura Vaakhyam has the echo of Swamy
NammAzhwAr's counsel AND command
( ThiruvAimozhi:9.1.7):
"siRRa vENDA chinthippEyamayum kaNDIrkaLanthO !"
( Meaning according to Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan):
" I have nothing else to say (to you , the people of the world)and I
have siad everything briefly. For all beings in this vast universe,without
any need for exertion (siRRa vENDA) or exercise . A simple technique is
available for survival and salvation. Lo, people do not catch my point
and get doomed. The Lord , KrishNA ,was born in MathurA to protect the
cows , almost as their
Mother.His boundless grace , simplicity and similar qualities --all
flawless -- are a pleasure to ponder over and spend one's life with. I
say that this is the easiest and praticable-to-all way of life!
(7) Abhinava Desikan's description of Inner meanings:
(a)KARAVAIKAL :AchAryAs , who yield abundant milk of Jn~Anam
(b)KARRUKKARAVIAKAL : AchAryAs with abundant wealth of SishyAs.
(c)PALA KARANTHU: AchAryAs , who have absorbed from many sources and from many poorvAchAryAs ( bahubhya: srOthavyam , bhaudhA srOthavyam)and store them for the benefit of many sishyAs.
(d) SERRAAR: Veda Baahyars and Kudhrushtis( their foes ,who do not accept
Vedam as PramANam and those ,
who misintrepret Vedam for their benefit.
(e) SERRAR THIRALAZHIYA SENRU: Going on Dhig Vijayams (Vijaya Yaathrais)
to defeat the views of Veda Baahyars
and Kudhrushtis and to establish parama Vaidhika matham on its solid
footing.
(f) KURRAMONRILAATHA KOVALAR: These AchAryAs engaged in the blemishless
act of spreading sath-sampradhAyam by defeating the views of Veda Baahyars
and Kudhrushtis . They do it not out of ahankAra-MamakAram ( which will
be full of blemish ), but do it out of compassion to spread the true
meanings of Tatthvam, Hitham and PurushArtham.
(g) KOVALAR: "gO " is Vaaku or Vedam; gOvalar is the One , who protects veda Vaaks (with VedAngams).
(h) KOVALAR TAMM PORRKKODIYE: That beautiful golden creeper , which survives through supporting itself on such Kovalars .These AchAryAs are the Kozhu Kompu for the PoRRkkodi ( Utthama adhikAri). (i)PURRARUVU:This Utthama adhikAri will be full of humility like a snake inside its home underground.
(j) This Utthama adhikAri will sing and dance like a joyous peacock from Bhagaavth anubhavam.
(k)siRRAthE pEsAthE: because of humility and freedom from ahankAra-mamakAram
, the Utthama adhikAri stays
motionless and without speaking.
(l)YERRUKKU URANGUM PORUL: You ( Utthama adhikAri) is our great wealth.
Your aruLiccheyal is our property.
Can one , who is both our wealth and property sleep? Please join us
and remove the guNa dhOshams in our
anubhavams .
Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr ThiruvadigaLE Saranam ,
Sarvam KrushNArpanam asthu
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri
SatakOpan
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