SrI
Srimathe ramanujaya namaha

Simple English Meaning for Thiruppavai

By

Sri.V.Satakopan


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

Nineteenth Pasuram ( Kuththu viLakkeriya..)

Dear BhakthAs:

This passuram is the second of the three Paasurams , where the most merifule Mother of ours and  the PirAtti of Lord KrishNA , Nappinnai( ILaya Piratti) is being awakened by the assembled Gopis .

In the previous ThiruppAvai Paasuram , She was addressed as " NandhagOpAlan MarumahaLE NappinnAi ".In this paasuram ,She is addressed as "Maitthatam kaNNinAi and Kotthalar Poonkuzhal Nappinnai ". In the next Paasuram , She will be addressed as " Seppenna mennmulai c chevvAi SiRu- marunkal Nappinni NangAi". ILaya PirAtti is thus addressed thrice like the proverbial three crowings of the Cock  to remind us of the importance of PurushAkara Prapatthi in one's SaraNAgathi to the dhivya dampathis.Their SvabhAvam is described AzhwAr as " Ninn Thiruvarulum  PankayatthAL ThiruvaruLum ". Both ( PerumAL and
PirAtti are needed for successful prapatthi).Some times they compete with each other to rush to the side of  the prapannan and in that haste create delay in opening  the doors of their AasthAnam as in this case described by ANDAL .Both KrishNan and Nappinnai were delayed due to defering on who should answer the call of the Gopis to open the door to let them in to perform
Naama sankIrthanam about Them .

This is the Paasuram that formed the basis of Swamy ParAsara Bhattar's famous Taniyan : "NeeLA Thunga  Sthanagiri taDi Supthm udhbhOdhya KrishNam".

This Paasuram is also identified by JananyAcchAr Swamy as the summation of the second part ( UttharArtham ) of Dhvaya manthram , which prays for the boon of Kaimkaryam for Sriman NaarAyaNan in the company of Sri Devi.

Literal Meaning of the Paasuram(Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan):
*****************************************************
(Now the young gOpis try to wake up the dhivya dampathis, Nappinnai PirAtti and Lord KrishNA). As the cluster of lamps
are glowing beside , Oh Lord KrishNA , You are lying on the very soft (silky ) bed , on the ivory cot with Your  broad chest resting on the bosom of Sri Nappinnai , who  is adorned with blossome d bunches of flowers on Her tresses. (KrishNA ! even if You are unable to get up ) may You ,  atleast open Your mouth. (Now turning to Nappinnai)  Oh Young Lady with black and wide eyes ( adorned with collyrium) ! We think that You won't allow Your Lord to wake up from sleep even if it is late ( or at any time); that is because You can not bear the separation from Him  even for a shortwhile. However, Oh Young lady , neither
it is just on Your part ( to keep the Lord only for Yourself) , nor does it befit Your unbounded Mercy ! (na Saasthram naiva cha Krama: according to JananyAcchAr Swamy).

Inner Meanings of selected Passages( AbhinavaDesikan):
******************************************************
Kutthu ViLakkeriya = AchArya Upadesam

kOttuk Kaal Kattil = Four PurushArthams ( Dharma , Artha ,
                               Kaama , Moksham) representing the four
                               legs of the Kattil

metthenRa pancha   = This prapancham (universe) made of
Sayanam                     Isvara GuNams

Pancha sayantthin  = The five entities can also be dEva-thiryak
mElERi                      ( animal)-Manushya-sthAvara (insentient ) and
                                aprANi roopa Jeevans and the Akshara Lord ,
                                 who is above all Kshara entities .
 

Kotthalar poo       = the asemblies of joyous nithya sooris

Malar MaarbhA       = the PurushOtthaman , who is the overlord of
                                  both nithya sooris and His PirAttis

pirivARRkillAyAl    = according to "adiyOmOdum ninROdum pirivinRi"
                                You who are always with us in the company of
                                Your Lord can not abandon us.

TatthuvamanRu       = it does not fit with Your Svaroopam
                                as PurushakAra Svaroopai

Tahavu              = since You are the DayA Moorthi

Selected Inner Meanings according to Sri PBA Swamy:
***************************************************
MtthenRa Pancha Sayanam = the artha Panchakam

kOttukkAL kattil        = Saasthra pramEyankaL ( chathur-vidhA:
                                   dEha VarNAsramahdikAra Phala Moksha-
                                   saadhana gathi yuga dharma vyUha
                                   roopa KriyA:)

MaitthadamkaNNinAI      = the Utthama sishyan , who has got
                                          the special affection of AchArya Saarva-
                                          bhouman

neeyunn maNALanai       = MaNALan is AchAryan;You wont let his
yetthani pOthum                  merciful KatAksham to fall on us
thuyil yezhavottAi                since You have deflected towards You.

yetthanaiyElum          = The status of Sath sishyan far away
pirivARkkillAi               from his SadAchAryan and despondent
                                   over that seperation

tatthvam tahavu anRu    = the intrepretation given by others
                                     ( Kudhrushtis) for "Tathtvamasi "
                                     is to be rejected .

Sri PBS Swamy also intreprets "kuthtu ViLakku" as  EmperumAnAr and contrasts with ThOrana ViLakku ,who is ThirukkOttiyUr nampi. Kutthu ViLakku can  be moved from place to place , where as ThOraNa  ViLakku like Nampi stayed put at ThirukkOttiyUr. In this context , Sri PBA Swamy elaborates on  the special meanings of " Yeriya , Kaal Kattil , mElERi ' padhams of this paasuram to illustrate  EmperumAnAr's 18 journeys to ThirukkOttiyUr to receive rahasyArthams and sharing them with
qualified AdhikAris instead of holding them  just to Himself as commanded by His AchAryan.

Special observations of PerukkAraNai Swamy
*******************************************
Kutthu ViLakku: It has five mukhams .When we add oil in one Mukham , it spreads evenly to the other four mukhams and produces illumination evenly.These five faces also represent the five states of our Lord and artha panchakam. Kutthu
ViLakku is thus the Jn~Ana Dheepam , which removes  the darkness of SamsAram.

Malar MaarbhA : One with a the most generous heart , who grants the boons all the way upto Moksham. This is perhaps the reference to the "Akhila  hEya Prathyaneeka " svaroopam of the Lord celebrated in SaraNAgathi Gadhyam.

Vaai ThiRavAI: Sriman NaarAyaNA ! I hold on to Your  Thiruvadi. Please open Your mouth and say that You have acceted our SaraNAgathi as in AzhwAr's  aruLiccheyal :

---kudi Kudi vazhi vanthu aatccheyyum
ThoNdarOrkku AruLic ChOthi Vaai thiRanthu
unn ThAmaraik KaNkaLAl nOkkAi --
ThiruppuLinkudi kidanthAnE"
 

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


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