ThiruppAvai – Vedam anaithukkum vithu – 2 (திருப்பாவை – வேதம் அனைத்துக்கும் வித்து)
ParAsara Bhattar describes AndAl as ‘ SvOchistAyAm sraji nigaLitam yA balAtkritya bhunkte’ in the taniyan for ThiruppAvai. This taniyan describes Kodhai as one who catches the Lord within the garland discarded by Her and enjoys Him by force! It is on this account she got the name AndAl (ஆண்டாள்). In tamil AndAl means one who has conquered the Lord. Sriman NarAyanan and PirAtti take incarnations amongst us for several reasons. The main reasons are to protect the good and destroy the evil – paritrAnAya sAdhunAm vinAsAya ca dushkRtAm. During these avathArams, He/She also demonstrate to us how to lead our life according to His injunctions as prescribed in the sAstrAs. AndAl as Periya PirAtti’s amsAvatharam, role models us jeevathmAs, how to reach Him through a life of dedication and pure devotion.
So Her incarnation was for our benefit and upliftment. Sri PerukkAranai SwAmi narrates AndAls avatAram interms of VarAha PurANam. When Lord VarAhA lifted BhU Devi from the bottom of the ocean, She felt extremely happy at how He saved Her. At the same felt, She also felt concerned for Her children, the suffering jeevAtmAs. She prays to Her Lord, ‘ Is there any laghu upAyam (easy way) for our children to attain You? Lord VarAha with abundant mercy divulges three means to Her 1. Singing about Him 2. Saying His nAmAs 3. Worshipping Him with flowers. AndAl thus reveals these three easy means to attain Him in Her ThiruppAvai. The following table illustrates where She reveals these three means in Her ThiruppAvai. The number in the brackets refers to the pAsuram. I have given only a couple of examples to maintain simplicity.
Laghu UpAyam
Singing
• பரமனடி பாடி (2)
• வாயினால் பாடி(5)Nama Sankirtanam
• நாராயணனே (1)
• தாமோதரனை (5)Worshipping
• தூமலர் தூவி தொழுது (5)
• Submitted flowers through பாமாலை
Sri PerukkaraNai swami very beautifully narrates another anubhavam for Andal’s incarnation. After taking several incarnations in male form and trying unsuccessively to teach the jivAs the true purpose of their existence, out of desperation, our EmperumAn gave up the job to His patni as He felt convinced that She would accomplish what He could not achieve. Her sweet and soft spoken language and persuasion skills as a mother would certainly go a long way in bringing salvation to His children. Therefore He chose bhUmi Devi for this task. This is the reason why She took birth amongst us and demonstrated how to devote our word, deed and thought to His kainkaryam. (தூமலர் தூவி தொழுது வாயினால் பாடி, மனதினால் சிந்தித்து)
Hari nAma SankIrtanam is extolled in the Phala sruti section of Sri Vishnu Sahasra NAmam. It is said that even if one sings the name of NArAyanA-Hari, they get rid of all their troubles and attain happiness. sankIrtya nAarAayana sabdamAatram vimukta duhkhAah sukhino bhavanti This nAma SankIrtanam is particularly profound in Kali YugA where many of us have lost the capacity to engage in other upAyams. The following is one of several references that one can find on the glories of repeating His names. It is stated in clear terms that this is the easiest upAyam.
Please note how this is strongly conveyed by repeating this three times. Harer nAma harer nAma harer nAmaiva kevalam Kalau nAsty Eva Kalau nAsty Eva Kalau nAsty Eva gatir anyathA ‘In this age of kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self realisatio other than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari’ Now let us see how AndAl shows the people of Kali yugam that hari nAma SankIrtanam as the prime upAyam leading up to the anushtAnam of Saranagathi at Her lord’s feet to gain moksham.
She conveyed this upadEsam in many of ThiruppAvai pAsurams as indicated by PerukkAraNai ChakravathyAchhAr Swamy.
1. pAsuram 2 – பையத்துயின்ற பரமனடிபாடி
2. pAsuram 3 – உத்தமன் பேர் பாடி
3. pAsruram 5 – வாயினால் பாடி
4. pAsuram 6 – ஹரி என்ற பேரரவம்
5. pAsuram 7 – கேசவனை பாடி
6. pAsuram 8 – பாடிப் பறை கொண்டு
7. pAsuram 11 – முகில் வண்ணன் பேர் பாட
8. pAsuram 12 – மனத்துக்கு இனியானை பாடவும்
9. pAsuram 13 – கீர்த்திமை பாடி
10. pAsuram 14 – பங்கயக்கண்ணானை பாடவும்
11. pAsuram 15 –மாயனை பாட
12. pAsuram 16 – துயிலெழப் பாடுவான்
13. pAsuram 25 – சேவகமும் யாம் பாடி
14. pAsuram 25 – உந்தன்னைப் பாடி பறை கொண்டு
Thus ThiruppAvai expounds the easy way of attaining the Lord’s devotion thorugh singing His names.
To be continued…
Article by: Smt. Geetha Rangarajan
