Selected Excerpts from MahA VidvAn Sri
U.Ve. PerukkAraNai Swamy ' ThiruppAvai Monograph'
In this paasuram , a silver tongued leader of the Gopis is being awakened. This young Gopi had loudly proclaimed the evening before that she will wake up first and then wake all the other Gopis. Now , she has forgotten all about that promise and is sleeping cozily . The Gopis waiting outside are annoyed and yet want to have this silver tongued Gopi with them , when they go to meet KrishNan , since She has the powerful persuavasive skills to influence Krishna to grant the boons that they desire. They remind the sleeping Gopi about signs of advancing dawn ( PrabhAtha chihnam: Raktha- PadmAni vikasithAni, Kumudha mukhAni cha sankuchithAni ).
BhuvarAhAcchAr Swamy points out the UpadEsam that ANDAL houses in this Paasuram : " Use your tongue not merely for tasting delicious dishes , but for singing about the lotus-eyed Lord . That is the main purpose for which it ( the tongue) was gifted to you in the first place".
Literal Meaning (Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan)
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(The maidens awaken another group-leader).Already it is day-dawn ,
for even the Senkazhuneer flowers(red lotuses) have bloomed and Aambal
flowers have closed their buds, in the small tank of your back-yard garden.
The saints with ochre-robes and white teeth have started to visit their
respective holy shrines for blowing the conch . Oh our Lady who boasted
(by word of mouth) yesterday that you will come and awaken us at first!
now , please get up. You are not ashamed ; you are but a chatterer. Let
us sing the glory of the Lord of lotus-like eyes (pankayak kaNNan) , who
holds aloft on His mighty hands, the Conch and the discus
(the symbol of His supermacy among all gods).
" NangAi , NaaNAthAi , NaavudayAi"
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"NangAi":The Gopis address the sleeping Gopi with above three chosen
names and their import is explained by Sri PBA Swamy.
Utthama PurushAs are addressed as Nampi and Utthama Sthrees are referred
to as Nangai. Nampi is the one , who has advanced skills in all fields
(Sakala Paandithyam) and anushtAna sampath .That Nampi is the Swamy as
well. The ladies of such outstanding attributes are recognized as Nangai(Swaamini).
This Gopi is one such Nangai .
NaaNAthAi: NaaN not only means modesty (adakkam ) but also ahankaaram
in an esoteric context .For instance , Swamy Desikan has stated at the
end of one chillaRai Rahasyam (?) , " nANN periyOmallOm " ( We do not have
ahamkAram/nANN
( egotism , conceit , haughtiness , self-love ). Swamy Desikan describes
himself as one devoid of ahamkAram. This Nangai is free of the dhOsham
of ahamkAra-mamakArams and hence the name "nANAthAi" fits her well .
"NaavudayAi": Every one in the world has a tongue ( Naakku). Naaku produces
Vaak or speech. Those tongues producing Vaak
that nourishes the universe (like AchAryAs) are the true possessors
of Naaku ( naavudayavar). SithA pirAtti addreses
HanUmAn and says in this context: " VachA dharmam avApnuhi" ( May You
obtain the phalan of having Vaak/ Vaai padaittha
prayOjanma peRuvAyAha! ).That is the blessed Vaak , which is used to
eulogize the Lord ( Saa jihvA yaa Harim sthouthi).
AchArya RaamAnujA has been saluted as " Jayathi Sakala VidhyA Vaahini
janma saila:" He is the Naavudayava Nampi, whose Vaak is fragrant
with sakala saasthrams and Vidhyais .
Sri PBA Swamy observes further that one should take note of the "PramANa
NirdhArana-roopa SaasthrArthams" housed in
this paasuram . VedAnthis accept as PramANam three entities: Prathyaksham
, anumAnam and sabdham . These
three pramANams are illustrated in this paasuaram . Please refer to
Sriman Hari's excellent postings on the above three pramANams in
his postings on SaraNAgathi journal. Here , the matter of "Ungal Puzhakkadai--"
is anumAna PramANam. "Tavatthavar tankaL ThirukkOil SankiduvAn pOhinrAr
" is Prathykasha PramANam. " YenkaLai munnam yezhuppuvAn Vaai pEsum NangAi"
, the aaptha vaakyam(sabdham) is sAsthra pramANam . Thus all pramANams
are covered here.
The Inner meanings for Paasura Vaakyams ( PerukkAranai Swamy)
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1. "UngaL Puzhakkadai thOttatthu vaaviyuL Senkazhuneer vaai
nehizhnthu":= Jn~Anam has blossomed in the heart
of the tree in SamsAram allocated for the
chEthanams
2. " Aambhal vaai Koombina":= The flowers like Kaamam ,
mathsaram et al associated with aj~nam have closed their
petals .
3. " SenkaRk kodikkURai veNN pall tavatthavar tankaL thirukkOil sangiduvAn pOhinRAr"= Many wearing the sacred clay (ThirumaNN) originating from SvEtha dhvIpam , wearing red bordered vasthrams and possessing the power of great penance are meditating on the Lord in their Hrudhaya PuNDarIkam through PraNavOpAsanam .
4. " YenkaLai munnam yezhuppuvAn vaai pEsum NangAi YezhunthirAI"= May You as UtthamAdhikAri , who stated to wake us immersed in the timeless samsAram , get up and bless us !
5. " NaaNAthAi NaavudayAyai" Oh Uthama AdhikAri , who is not reticent about instructing us on sadh Vishayams ! Oh Nangai who is blessed with sadh-Vaak to recite the names of our Lord !
6. "Sankodu Chakkaram yEnthum Tatakkaiyaan Pankayakkananai
paada"= Please instruct us on the margam of UpAsanai of
the Lord who holds the unique symbols like
Sankam and chakkaram in His hands to denote His Parathvam.
Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr ThiruvadigaLE Saranam ,
Sarvam KrushNArpanam asthu
RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri
SatakOpan
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