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

Third Pasuram ( Ongi UlagaLantha..)

The Context & Connection between the first three Paasurams

 In  the First Paasuram of ThiruppAvai , ANDAL foucsed on AshtAkshara manthram and celebrated it . She covered the three
meanings incorporated in AshtAksharam in Her first paasuram( ananya Seshathvam/,unalloyed servitude to Sriman NaarAyaNa ALONE ,ananya SaraNathvam/seeking Refuge at the feet of Sriman Narayana ALONE ,and ananya PrApyathvam / Reaching Him ALONE as the supreme goal).Her MahA VisvAsam ( Her unshakable trust--NaarayaNanE NamakkE PaRai TharuvAn--) is most comforting to us .

In the second Paasuram , She shifted Her attention to Dhvayam , the Manthra rathnam . In the third Paasuram to be covered today , She elaborated on the powerful message of Charama SlOkam of GeethAchAryan (MaamEkam CharaNam vraja-MokshayishyAmi-Maa Sucha:).

AshtAksharam , Dhvayam and Charama SlOkam of GeethAchAryan,the subject of the first three paasurams respectively , have been described as "Taarakam , BhOgyam and POshakam ". Taarakam is like annam (Food); BhOgyam is like Milk and Ghee ;
Poshakam is like sandal paste and betel leaves ( TaambhUlam ). With these three, we have every thing that we need
for our spiritual nourishment and enjoyment of the ananatha kalyANa GuNams of the divine couple and gain Moksha siddhi .

Another view is that ANDAL invited every one through the first paasuram ( Maarghazhi ThingaL--)to come and join in the enjoyment of AchArya GuNa anubhavam (the celebration of the glories of AchAryan) .In the second Paasuram (Vaiyatthu VaazhveerkAL ),She stressed the importance of the participants to have the qualifications to obey the dictates of ShAsthrAs ( Saasthra-Vasya Yoghyathai).

In the third paasuram ( Ongi UlhaLantha--) , She declared that AchArya Kula Sambhandham ( Connection and involvenment
with AchArya Kulam starting from Sriman NaarAyaNA to the present AchArya in that lineage) will give the Mumukshus
( Those  who desire the boon of MOksham) immense SrEyas( auspiciousness ).

Yet another view by Sri Upanishad BhAshyakArar ,Sri Ranga RaamAnuja Muni is that ANDAL invites Her friends for the Vratham observance (Sakhi JanAn aahvayanthi). In the second paasuram , She spells out the rites to be observed and the deeds
to be abandoned ( Karma Phalam upadisanthi).In the third Paasuram , She describes the fruits of the Vratham (Vrathasya Phalam Vadanthi).

Meaning of the Third ThiruppAvai Paasuram( Dr.V.K.S.N.Raghavan)
 

If we ( who adhere to the Vratam-Paavai nOnbhu) sing in praise of the holy names of the Utthaman , Lord Thrivikraman
( the most benovolent Lord) , who grew to a cosmic form and measured the three worlds in two strides and put His
third step on the head of Emperor MahABali , and then if we take the bath (in sacred YamunA) in the name of our Vratham ,
then there will be three timely showers (of rain) throughout the country and there will be no harm at all (i.e., no drought , nor any famine).The country will be rich and plentiful (because of the copious rains); the fish (kayal) will roam about amidst tall stalks of large red paddy crops (drinking sufficient honey from fallen-pollen and  becoming dazed);the bees with spots (all over their bodies) will fall asleep amidst the petals of KuvaLai-flower ( Blue Lotus/NeelOthpalam )and the great , profusely milk-giving ,
generous cows will yield milk just while being touched on their stout udder filling up a number of milk-cans very quickly;because of plenty of milk , only skillful people could undertake to milk these cows. Thus , the whole country will be filled with undecaying wealth and prosperity (Richness in fields, lands and villages is assured if the good poeple take to righteous path and sing
the glory of Lord Thrivikrama ).

ThrivikramAvathAram: The incarnation dear to ANDAL

 The glories of Our Lord's ThrivikramAvathAram celebrated in the VedAs is archived else where(Bhakthi Archives :August 9, 1997). Other articles in this series also pay tribute to this unique avathAram .

In Her third Paasuram , ANDAL addresses the Lord as "Ongi Ulahu aLantha UTTAMAN"( The Greatest One ,who reached
out and measured the Universe with His two steps) .

Why is Thiruvikraman addressed as "Utthaman"

The salutation of the Lord as Utthaman deserves study .Utthaman is One who stands at a height , where Paapams can not touch Him . ChAndhOgya Upanishad called such a lofty personage as "UTH" . A Chethanan after SaraNAgathi and after leading the prescribed life after SaraNAgathi / Prapatthi can also become an "UTH " at Sri Viakuntam .The eternally liberated (Nithya Mutha Jeevans) like Garuda and VishvaksEna have a higher level than "UTH" and are revered as "Utthara". Even beyond them is
the "Utthaman" or PurushOtthaman (Sriman Narayanan) celebrated in the GithOpanishad of our Lord.

In ANDAL's visualization , Thrivikraman appeared as that " Utthaman " and She addressed Him as " Ongi Ulahu-aLantha Utthaman " and She invited Her friends to sing about the glory of that Utthaman's Naamam ( Utthaman pEr Paadi)
as an important part of the Paavai Nonbhu sankalpam to attain the desired fruits (Phalans)of the Vratham .Thrivikraman is "PurushOtthaman" because His sacred feet touched devotees and dhvEshis( enemies ) all alike (Samastha Janthus) during this avathAram and blessed them all with His anugraham.

ANDAL hints that the Lord's name is grander than Him and hence She says " Utthaman pEr Paadi " ( Naama sankIrthanam
of Utthama name).She invites Her fellow-gOpis to sing about the Naama Mahimai of Thrivikraman and His deeds.She recommended that they do this Naama sankIrthanam and observe the Vratham  with Sankalpam that it is for Bhagavath-Preethi
( SaaRRI NeerAdinAL). Then she describes what kind of phalans will result from such an observance .

Phalan I: "TheenginRi NaadellAm TingaL MummAri Peythu "

 The Vratham observers will be free from the DhOsham of ananya Seshathvam ( Theenginri NaadellAm ) . MummAri
or the three monthly rains in recognition of the Vedic scholars, the righteous king and the pathivrathA women will fall. The three rains are also linked to the water poured on the hand of Vaamanan by Bali Chakravarthi as dhAnam , the Kamandalu Jalam of BrahmA , when He washed the ascending feet of the Lord and the GangA jalam that flowed from the sacred feet of Lord Thrivikraman. Those waters will make the lands fertile and samrutthi ( prosperity) will result ( Ongu Perum Sennel/ tall crops of rice plant ).Because of this jala samrutthi and fertility of the land , the fish in the paddy fields have grown to big sizes
and jump hither and thither with joy .

Phalan 2: MummAri or the trimonthly rain
 

In Raama Raajyam , there were 9 days of Sunshine and one day of abubdant rain. This cycle repeated itself every month.
Thus , there were three periods of rain each month.The land was fertile and there were no inauspiciousness caused
by water shortage. Such prospertity will arise from the proper observance of ThiruppAvai Vratham.

Grantha NirmANam ( writing about VedAnthic topics),instructing others about them and performing MangaLAsAsanam
at our Lord's Dhivya desams are also described as the three benovolent monthly showers.

Phalan 3: Ongu perum Sennel--VaLLal perum PasukkaL

Abundant crops of red rice from the plentiness of rain would result.Tall stalks of rice waving their heads as if they are saluting the Thiruvadis of Thrivikraman will be seen.In those paddy fields , there will be fat fish jumping joyously about; and in the blue lotus flowers of that field ,the well-fed honey bees would be sleeping comfortably.The cows that have grazed from the rich meadows would yield huge amounts of milk from their udders on mere touch.Abundance and prosperity is seen everywhere from the Vratham ( Japam of the three Sri VaishNavite sacred manthrams and singing of the glories of Sriman Thrivikrama NaarAyanan).

The Inner Meanings of the third Paasuram

"SaaRRI NeerAdinAl " here refers to the UpadEsam of SaraNAgathi rahasyam by SadAchAryAs and the observance
of it by SadhsishyAs.

" MummAri" here refers to the benefits of attaining the fruits of the Vratham (SaraNAgathi) through Upadesam,through study of AzhwAr's Prabhandhams and enjoyment of the ArchA moorthis at their dhivya desams through pilgrimages.

"Ongu peru-sennalUdu Kayal ukaLa" refers to the tall stalks of PrapannAs thriving in the land rich with AchAryAs; the strong fishes jumping with joy in the paddy fields are the happy AchAryAs , who recognize that their efforts through Ukthi and AchArya Nishtai ( to perform SaraNAgathi) have borne fruit .

" PoomkuvaLai pOthil PoRi VaNDu kaNN Paduppa" refers to Sriman NarAyaNa sleeping without worry in our heart lotuses ( Hrudhaya Kamalams) that His work through His AchAryAs has been successful.He sleeps like a contente farmer , who has realized abundant crops.

" TengAthE pukkirinthu seertha Mulai paRRi Vaangak kudam " refers to the sishyAs , who have flocked to the AchAryan
pulled closer by the affection ( vaathsalyam) of their AchAryans.

" VaLLal perum pasukkaL " refers to the most generous AchAryAs , who do not expect any returns . They use the equivalent of the four fingers of the udders of the abundant milk giving cows to impart knowledge about the three parama rahasyams of Sri VaishNavam .The four fingers of the udder through which this milk of Knowledge (Jn~ana milk) flows are : Vedam , Smruthi,
Saathvika PurANams and AzhwAr Paasurams.

"NeengAtha Selvam NiRainthu" refers to the undiminishing wealth of Jn~Anam at all times during our stay on His Leela VibhUthi ( Earth) and in His Transcendent world of Sri Vaikuntam.

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

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