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'
 

Twenty first Pasuram ( ERRa kalangaL..)


Dear BhakthAs:

In this paasuram , Gopis enjoy the sight of  " NandhagOpAlan MarumahaL, Gandham kamazhum Kuzhali , panthAr- Virali" coming and opening the "MaNikkathavam " of Her bed chambers with Her "SenthAmaraik Kai" and with the accompanimnet of the mangala dhvani of Her "SeerAr VaLai " sunAdham.

Nappinnai aligned Herself to the side of the Gopis and identified Herself as one of their own group and explained to them that She was not being indifferent to their earlier appeals. She pointed out that She was waiting for the right timing ro advocate their cause to Her Lord. The joyous Gopis eulogize the Lord with heightened vigor and recognize the Lord of their desire as" OoRRamudayAi, PeriyAi , Ulahinil  ThORRamAi ninRa SudarE " .They recognize Him as "Dhruda-tara PramANa Siddhan " ( One who is comprehended with the help of the powerful VedA pramANams). They wake up the Lord along with Nappinnai with this praise-laden appeal:

" Aasritha VishayE abhinivEsa Saalin , Mahathva guNa saalin ,lOka prakAsamAna JyOthirmaya-vigraha yuktha ! Jaagruhi "
( Sri Upanishad BhAshyaArar's translation of Paasuram passage:  " OoRRamudayAi PeriyAi , Ulahinil ThORRamAi ninRa SudarE").

The JyOthirmaya Vigraha-Yukthann shining as Param JyOthi and Svayam JyOthi ( Ulahil ThORRamAi ninRa Sudar) is recognized as  the Supreme One , even while He appears among the Gopis and GopAs as a ManushyAvathAran ( ManushyathvE Parathvam).

Literal Meaning of the 21st Paasuram (Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan)
***********************************************************
(In the strain of a true heroine's singing the praise of her hero , the young girls give expression to their humble prayer): " Oh Lord , Kindly get up; You are the son of Lord NandhagOpan , who is the owner of innumerable , generous and big cows that pour forth , incessantly , copious milk into the vessels , kept (below their udder) in quick succession , so that in a trice , these vessels
are filled up (and) are overflowing .Oh Lord , who is very much attached to us ! Oh Supreme One! The effulgent  streak of light arisen in this World ! Be pleased to rise up. Just as Your enemies come to You , in front of Your house, even so we have come to You singing Your praise and proclaiming  Your greatness.( Kindly lend Your ears and fulfil our prayerful requests).

The Inner Meanings of this glorious Paasuram (Sri PBA Swamy)
************************************************************
Sri PBA Swamy identifies the theme of this paasuram as the blessed relationship between SadAchAryan and  Sadh-sishyan described by Swamy Desikan in His NyAya Vimsathi SlOkams ( "Sidhdam SathsampradhAyE" dealing with AchArya LakshaNam and " Sadhbudhdi: Saadhu sEvi" dealing with  the Sadh-sishya LakshaNam).PBA Swamy identifies EmperumAnAr as that SadhAchAryan and KooratthAzhwAn,  Mudali AaNDAn , EmpAr and KuruhaippirAn as Sathsishyans. These mahAns are Sishya Lakshana SampannarkaL ( Fully  endowed with the ideals of a great sishyan of  a SadAchAryan).These Utthama sishyAls are  " AchAryaadhisaya prabhAvasaalis " ( the great  disciples , who are the cause for the wonderment of the SadAchAryan himself due to their (Sath-SishyA's) extraordinary intellect and skills to absorb and develop the upadEsams and Sri Sookthis of the SadachAryan to raise aloft the vijaya dhvajam of the Sath SampradhAyam without any distortions .

Sri PBA Swamy covers further the theme of PoorvAchAryAs that Swamy AaLavanthAr is the creator of these " VaLLal Perum
PasukkaL " the five AchAryAs for Swamy RaamAnujA to gain the title of "Pancha-AchArya PadhAsrithar" . These five  AchAryAs raised (created  well: "AaRRap PadaitthAN)) by Swamy AaLavanthAr are: Periya Nampi,Thirumalai Nampi , ThirukkOttiUr Nampi and ThirumAlai AaNDAn. "AaRRap PadaitthAn Mahan" is identified with AchArya  RaamAnujA in this nirvAham.

" MaaRRAthE Paal sorium VaLLal Perum PasukkaL  " passage refers to the Sath-Sishyans pouring out their anubhavam of
the anantha KalyANa GuNams of the dhivya dampathis in a manner consistent with their poorvAchArya Upadesams.
These Sath-sishyAs reverence for the Sri Sookthis and intrepretations of the PoorvAchAryAs is demonstrated through the strictest way in which they propagate them without changing them even an iota for the next generation sath-sishya paramparai .

AchArya RaamAnujA"s introduction to Sri BhAshyam while stating his approach is a classical example of such strict and deliberate adherence to the poorvAchArya's well honed commentaries: " Bhagavath BhOdhAyana-Kruthaam , VistheerNAm , Brahma Soothra Vrutthim , PoorvAchAryA: Sanchikshipu: , TannmathAnusArENa SoothrAksharANi VyAkyAsyanthE ". It is not allowed to intrepret the holy tatthvams according to one's own will . " MaaRRAthE " here means "NishkrushtamAna poruLai nilai kulayAme solluthal". "MaaRRAthE" also means "YEmARRAthE" ( not cheating/vnachitthal). Without Vipralipsai ( the thought of injecting views not sustained by PramANams due to the human dhOshams of Brahmam , pramAtham and ego ).

" Paal Soriyum " stands for the suddha artham like the white hue of milk given by "VaLLal Perum PasukkaL
( SadAchAryAs).These great VaLLals holding AchArya Padhavi were Sath-sishyAs before of other " VallaL Perum pasukkaL". Many generations are thus maintained in the SadAchArya SampradhAyam .In this 21st paasuram , four generations of AchArya-SishyA lineage is hinted:

(1)The first talaimuRai is "yERRak KalangaL"
(2)The second talaimuRai is "VaLLal Perum PasukkaL"
(3)The third talaimuRai is "AaRRap PadaitthAn "
(4) The fourth talaimuRai is "MahanE"( AchArya RaamAnujA).

"MaaRRAr unakku vali tholainthu unn vaasark kaNN aaRRAthu vanthu Unnadi paNIyumAp pOlE" :

MaaRRAr means those ,  who had strong differences of opinion with Sath-SampradhAyam at one point in their lives. These are mathAntharasthars , who misintrepreted  the PramANams, PramEyams and PramAthA. They were defeated in fair debates later and  sought the refuge of the AchAryAs , whom they opposed ( Yaadhava PrakAsar , Yaj~na Moorthy et al). Some were jealous ones , who  opposed SadAchAryaas although they belonged to the same Parama- Vaidhika Sri vaishNav SampradhAyam
( KanthAdai ThOzhappar , Naduvil Thiruveethi PiLlai et al).The importance of the change in mind states of former dhvEshis and prathikoolars is referred to here as being better than the adhvEshis/abhimAnis and anukoolars flocking to the door steps of the Lord ( just  like the adoring Gopis at Nandha Bhavanam).

Inner Meanings: Anubhabvam by PerukkAraNai Swamy
****************************************************
"OoRRamudayAi":

The Lord , who is magnanimous in forgiving the dhOshams of the one surrenders to Him, even if he had committed aparAdhams earlier. Our Lord is intense on removing these dhOshams .He is the "PeriyAi" or the Supreme one towering over all since He has
the rare combination of DayA and Sakthi.Without the combination of DayA and Sakthi, all efforts at rakshaNam will be unfruitful.Just having DayA or Sakthi alone wont do so much good for a Rakshakan .

"Ulahinil thORRamAi ninRa" :

PerumAL's avathAram as RaamA and KrishNA  experienced with human eyes during their VibhavAvatharams is referred to here ( sakala manuja Nayana vishayathAm gatha: (PaarthasArathy = naam paartha-Saarathy ).

Vedam declares ," Sa U srEyAn Bhaavthi JaayamAna:" .

"U" here stands for AvathAranam saluted by AazhwArs " nilavarambil PALA PIRAPPAI " ," YenninRa YoniyumAi PIRANTHAAI".The five states ("avathArams"/manifestations) of the Lord are also described here:

(1)" OoRamudayAi " is linked to Para VasudEvan desirous      of creating the beings of the world (Jagath Srushti).

(2) "PeriyAi " is connected to VyUha roopa EmperumAn.

(3) " Ulahinil " stands for the Vibhava avathArams       like RaamA and KrishNA .

(4) " NinRa " refers to His standing steadily as  ArchAvathAran at dhivya dEsams amidst us .

(5) " SudarE" means the JyOthi Svaroopa Roopam inside us as antharyAmi Brahmam.

"MaaRRAr":

We have abndoned all loukika , Vaidhika Chathrus (enemies /prathikoolars) such as dEhAthma abhimAnam , SvAtantriya abhimAnam ,anya Seshathva abhimAnam and attachmment to bandhus and sought You alone as UpAyam in the context of our adherence to the doctrine of Your nirupAdhika sEshathvam (our unconditional status as Your Servants ) .

" MaaRRAr Vali tholainthu unn Vaasark KaNN":

We the Gopis, who had ego earlier about our physical beauty have been defeated by Your dhivya Soundharyam and KalyANa GuNams and have now sought refuge at Your lotus feet in all humility.

"adi paNiyumAp pOlE" :

just as Your enemies fall at Your feet after being defeated by Your arrows, we have fallen at Your feet after being defeated by Your KalyANa guNams.

"pORRIyOM VanthOm":

We have come to Your door steps singing Your glories just as PallANDU sayers . We have arrived in a state  of celebration hailing Your Soulabhyam and Soundharyam.

The stage is set for them (Gopis)to approach the foot of the Lord's bed (paLLik Kattil Keezh) as the ones free from ahankAra dhOshams of any kind ( abhimAnabhnagars) . Thus begins the next paasuram for theSRI VAIKUNTA EKADASI DAY of  tomorrow , " ankaNNmAgyAlatthu arasar abhimAna bangamAI...".

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


Back to Index,Srivaishnava Home, Top, Thiruppavai in Real audio

Web page kaimkaryam by R.Venkat