Selected Excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy ' ThiruppAvai Monograph'
 

Thirteenth Pasuram ( PuLLin vaay kINdaanai..)

In this Paasuram , a Gopi known for the beauty of her eyes is being awakened. The Upanishad BhAshyakArar translates the "pOtharikkaNNinAi" address of ANDAL as : " Pushpa SoukumArya HAri NayanE!".The beauty of this Gopi's eyes is bewitching . That attacted KrishNan in the first place to her. She is lying in her bed reflecting sweetly on the heroic exploits Krishnan.
She is also going over nostalgically in her mind about the sambhOgam she had with KrsihNan in that very same bed , which still retains His fragrance (dhivya Gandham of this Sarva Ghandhan ).

Outiside her bed chamber , a shrill argument has broken out as a result of one gopi addressing Raaman as "manatthukkiniyAn" in the previous Paasuram . The assembled group has broken into equal groups .One half maintains that Raaman is superior
and the other insists that KrishNan is way ahead of Raaman in KalyANa GuNams. A senior gopi steps in as a mediator and points out that both Raaman and KrishNan are one and the same Sriman NaarAyanan and peace is restored. The united Gopis now invite the Gopi inside enjoying KapaDa Nidhrai to join them .

Literal Meaning of the Paasuram (Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan):
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(It is portrayed here that the Gopis , performing Paavai nOnbhu awaken another girl , who has earlier had a glimpse of Godly bliss, and who generally keeps aloof, avoiding association with others). All our friends have now reached the designated place for assembly ( Paavaik- KaLam pukkAr). They went there singing the praise of our KrishNan , who tore open the mouth of BakAsuran ( the demonn , who in the form of a crane , came to assault Him ), and who , in His earlier avathAram as RaamA ,
chopped off the ten heads of the treacherous demon king (RaavaNA ) and destroyed him . The Venus has now arisen and the Jupiter has already set. Harken , many birds (have gotten up ) and are chirping . Oh Young and beautiful girl with charming eyes resembling a flower and that of a doe ! all of us should go to the river and plunge deeply in the water that makes us shiver ; instead you are wiling away the time lying on the bed ,--is this peoper ? Oh dear girl ! it is truly a great day for us . Kindly
leave your restraint (and aloofness) and join us freely.

SapdEsArthams( Inner Meanings ): Abhinava Desikan
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This paasuram is about a sishyan , who is sitting apart without going to his AchAryan's side during KaalakshEpa vrutthi ( the activity of learning) .

The AchAryan is saluted as " puLLin Vaai keeNDAn and pollA arakkanai kiLLik kaLainthan" since he has controlled the ten IndriyAs and manas; he has destroyed further the Bhaka Vrutthis ( Crane like , pretending naasthikAs and dhurvAdhis ). This sishyan is invited to sing the praise of the AchAryan like the other sishyAs , who have already reached the side of the AchAryan for absorbing the visEsha arthams of Sri Sookthis from him .This KaalakshEpa kootam is described as " Paavaik kalam ". The sishyAs are enjoined to sit still like statues ( padhumaikaL pOl) in  a state of rapture absorbing the special meanings
of Sri Sookthis that are being explained by the AchAryan. This is the blessed day of SadAchArya sambhandham ( nannAL). You must join us and share with us fully all your knowledge obtained through deep reflections over the AchArya UpadEsams that you have been blessed to receive.

PerukkAranai Swamy's svApadEsArthams
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Oh Gopi with serious intent on spending your time on sadh Vishayams! Some members of our group have already reached the AchAryan's house to attend to his KaalakshEpam intended for gaining Moksha siddhi as adhikAris for performing prapatthi.
They have arrived at the AchArya Peetam  singing the AchAryan's glories during their journey there .

Jn~Anam (VeLLI= Venus)has arisen (udhayam); Ajn~Anam ( ViyAzhan=Jupiter)has disappeared (asthamanm). The AchAryAs as GatakAs ( one who unites the chEthanams with BhagavAn through aathma samarpaNam ) are actively performing upadEsams on SaasthrArthams.It is strange to see you sitting still (in samsAram) like a statue instead of aspiring for Moksha Sukham of being with the Dhivya Dampathis and Nithya , Muktha Jeevans in Sri Vaikuntam.On this auspicious day to acquire the covetable wealth of divine jn~Anam , please discard your activities relating to AathmApahAram and goals of just being satisfied with Kaivalyam and enjoy the company of the Lord with the help of the AchAryan in the spirit of "avibhAgEna dhrushtathvAth".

Additional thoughts of PerukkAraNai Swamy
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(1) This gopi is firm about her assessment that it is the Lord , who has to come to her because of her most beautiful eyes. She does not think that she should go to Him.

(2) "PuLLin Vaaik keenDAnai" is about KrishNa's valor. After He cleaved the beak of Bakaasuran and killed him , then , the young gOpAs plucked the feathers of the bird-shaped asuran and hung them(feahters) up like a thOraNam to remind all about
what would happen if some one commits unpardonable apachAram to the Lord ( YaadhavAbhudayam of Swamy Desikan ).

(3)" pollA arakkan " is Raavanan ; saadhu arakkan is his saathvik brother , VibhishaNNan .His saathvik tendency and gratefulness to Raamachandran for accepting his Prapathti is described by Kamban as: " panju yena sivakkum menkAl Deviyai pirittha paavi
Vanchahanukku-ILaya yennai , varuha yenRu aruL seythAnE".

(4) " pOtharikkaNNinAi ": Swamy gives 10 intrepretations to this lovely address of the gOpis.

(5) KuLLakkuLira Kudainthu NeerAdAthE ": This deep immersion in the pond of Bhagavath anubhavam is KuLLak kuLira NeerAduvathu ( yEsha Brahma pravishtOsmi). KulasEkarar in Mukuntha Maalai referred to this aanandha anubhavam as :" Hari Sarasi vighAhya". Dipping for snAnam in the water upto the neck is "Kudainthu neerAduvathu"; performing snAnam with
BhagavAn (as in theerthavAri or avabrutham ) is " KuLirak kudainthu neerAduvathu". Bathing in sacred YamunA with BhagavAn and  BhAgavathars is "kuLLak kuLira kudainthu neerAdukai".The SnAnam performed without Bhagavan naama smaraNam and uccharaNam is like crows and elephants taking bath in the river. The snAnam perfromed with Bhagavath smaraNam and VaruNa manthra Japam involving VaruNAntharyAmi, BhagavAn, is the Utthama snAnam referrd to by ANDAL here.

(6) "PaLLikkidatthiyO?": The gOpi being awakened is really not sleeping .She is chewing in her mind over her blissful anubhavam of union earlier with the Lord on that bed . She had KrishNa sparsam before. The gopis say:" You are like a Paavai ( Bhommai) and as such do not have the skills to understand that the MaayAvi has left and that he is no longer at your side. Please desist from the act of picking fallen grains from the field instead of accessing the grains stored in the granary ( ViLaintha nell kidakka , udhir nell pRukkuhiRAyO?)" .

(7)"kaLLam Tavirnthu": It is not permitted to enjoy sweet things by oneself(self-gratification); they have to be shared with other bhakthAs of the Lord. This Paasura vaakyam has led some commentators to connect this paasuram to AchArya RaamAnujA , since he did not keep the UpadEsams on rahasyArthams that he received from ThirukkOshtiyUr nampi just to himself , but spread it through AchArya paramparai for the ujjeevanam of limitless samsAris . "KaLlam tavithavar RaamAnujar " is the statement recognizing his oudhAryam.

(8) another thought about neerAttam: Thinking of the Lord is NeerAttam; ArchAvathAra sEvai is "kudainthu neerAttam"; Thinking of Vibhava avathAram ( RaamA and KrishNA ) is KuLira NeerAttam"; the darsanam of Sri VaikuntanAthan
is " KuLLak KuLira NeerAttam", the ultimate bliss .
 
 

Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr ThiruvadigaLE Saranam ,
Sarvam KrushNArpanam asthu
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan

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