thiruppAvai – Simple Explanation – pAsurams 21 to 30

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thiruppAvai

<< pAsurams 16 to 20

nappinaip pirAtti joins the group of ANdAL saying “I am one among you in enjoying emperumAn”

Twenty first pAsuram. In this, she celebrates kaNNa’s birth in the clan of nandhagOpa, his supremacy and his quality realised through the stable vEdhas.

ERRa kalangaL edhir pongi mIdhaLippa
  mARRAdhE pAl soriyum vaLLal perum pasukkaL
ARRap padaiththAn maganE aRivuRAy
  URRam udaiyAy periyAy ulaginil
thORRamAy ninRa sudarE thuyil ezhAy
  mARRAr unakku vali tholaindhu un vAsal kaN
ARRAdhu vandhu un adi paNiyumA polE
  pORRi yAm vandhOm pugazhndhu ElOr embAvAy

Oh the son of nandhagOpa who has huge, magnanimous cows which are capable of giving milk continuously such that all the vessels kept for storing the milk will get filled up and even overflow! You should wake up from your divine sleep. Oh one who has the strength as mentioned by vEdhas which are the most supreme authentic text! Oh one who is great! Oh one who has the splendour and who stood in this world to be seen by everyone! Wake up. We have reached the entrance to your divine mansion, praising you, just as your enemies reach after losing their strength, without any other refuge, and bow down to your divine feet.

Twenty second pAsuram. In this, ANdAL tells emperumAn that she and her friends do not have any other refuge and that they have come to him just like vibhIshaNa came to surrender to SrI rAma. She reveals to emperumAn that she has got rid of all her other desires and that she desires only his grace.

angaN mA gyAlaththu arasar abhimAna
  banghamAy vandhu nin paLLik kattil kIzhE
sangam iruppAr pOl vandhu thalaippeydhOm
  kiNkiNi vAych cheydha thAmaraip pUp pOlE
sem kaN siRuch chiRidhE em mEl vizhiyAvO
  thingaLum Adhiththiyanum ezhundhAR pOl
am kaN iraNdum koNdu engaL mEl nOkkudhiyEl
  engaL mEl sAbam izhindhu ElOr embAvAy

We have come here just like kings who rule earth, which is beautiful, expansive and huge, assemble together, under your throne, after having their egos demolished. Would you not glance at us gradually with your merciful eyes, which are like the mouth of a tinkling ornament and like a semi-blossomed lotus flower? If you look at us with your eyes which are like sun and moon, all our sorrows will disappear.

Twenty third pAsuram. In this emperumAn kaNNa, having made ANdAL to wait for a long time, asks her as to what she desires. She tells him to get up from the bed, walk to his throne, and like a King, ask her in the assembly of his court as to what her request is.

mAri malai muzhainjil mannik kidandhu uRangum
  sIriya singam aRivuRRuth thI vizhiththu
vEri mayir ponga eppAdum pErndhu udhaRi
  mUri nimirndhu muzhangip puRappattu
pOdharumA pOlE nI pUvaip pUvaNNA
  un kOyil ninRu inganE pOndhu aruLik kOppu udaiya
sIriya singAsanaththu irundhu yAm vandha
  kAriyam ArAyndhu aruL ElOr embAvAy

Oh the one who has a dark complexion like a purple flower! Just like a lion which has been sleeping inside a cave during monsoon time wakes up from its sleep, looks all around with its fiery eyes, stretches and moves its body such that the fragrant mane falls off in all directions, lets out a roar and comes out majestically, you should come to this place inside your divine mansion, get up on the beautiful, eminent throne, and shower your grace on us by asking us the purpose of our arrival here.

Twenty fourth pAsuram. After seeing him get seated, she starts carrying out mangaLASAsanam (invocation of blessings) to him. Being the divine daughter of periyAzhwAr, ANdAL’s aim is to only carry out mangaLASAsanam to emperumAn. ANdAL and her friends carried out mangaLASAsanam to emperumAn after seeing his gait, just like sIthAp pirAtti, the sages at dhaNdakAraNyam and periyAzhwAr. They also felt sad that they had made emperumAn, who has such soft divine feet, to walk.

anRu ivvulagam aLandhAy adi pORRi
  senRu anguth thennilangai seRRAy thiRal pORRi
ponRach chagadam udhaiththAy pugazh pORRi
  kanRu kuNilA eRindhAy kazhal pORRi
kunRu kudaiyA eduththAy guNam pORRi
  venRu pagai kedukkum nin kaiyil vEl pORRi
enRu enRu un sEvagamE Eththip paRai koLvAn
  inRu yAm vandhOm irangu ElOr embAvAy

The term pORRi means “May you live long” denoting mangaLASAsanam.

Oh one who measured these worlds long time back, for dhEvas! May your divine feet live long. Oh one who went to the beautiful lankA, rAvaNa’s place, and destroyed it! May your strength live long. Oh one who kicked the wheel such that the demon Sakata who had pervaded it was killed! May your fame live long. Oh one who threw a calf at wood apple such that the demons inside both the calf and the wood apple were killed! May your divine feet live long. Oh one who held the gOvardhana hill as an umbrella! May your auspicious qualities live long. May the spear, which is in your hand and which destroys enemies, live long! We have come here, carrying out mangaLASAsanam many times like this, praising your valour, in order to get from and to carry out kainkaryam (service) to you. You should shower your grace on us.

Twenty fifth pAsuram: When emperumAn asks them as to whether they need anything for carrying out their nOnbu, they say that all their sorrows have disappeared after having carried out mangaLASAsanam to him and that the only thing that they want is kainkaryam.

oruththi maganAyp piRandhu Or iravil
  oruththi maganAy oLiththu vaLarath
tharikkilAnAgith thAn thIngu ninaindha
  karuththaip pizhaippiththuk kanjan vayiRRil
neruppenna ninRa nedumAlE unnai
  aruththiththu vandhOm paRai tharudhi Agil
thiruththakka selvamum sEvagamum yAm pAdi
  varuththamum thIrndhu magizhndhu ElOr embAvAy

Incarnating as the son of the unique dhEvaki pirAtti, and in that incomparable night, you grew as the son of the unique yaSOdhAp pirAtti. During that time, unable to tolerate it, kamsan thinking ill of you, wanted to kill you. Oh supreme being who stood like fire on the stomach of that kamsan and destroyed that thought as well as kamsan! We have come here, seeking from you what we wanted.  If you fulfil our prayer, we will praise your wealth and valour, which even pirAtti likes, get rid of this unhappiness of being separated from you and will feel blissful.

Twenty sixth pAsuram. In this, she tells him the accessories which are needed for the nOnbu. While earlier she had said that nothing is needed, she now seeks kainkaryaparas (those who carry out kainkaryam) such as pAnchajanyAzhwAn (divine conch) for carrying out mangaLASAsanam, lamp to see his divine face clearly, flag which announces his presence, canopy which provides him shade etc. Our pUrvAchAryas reveal that ANdAL is seeking these so that her krishNAnubhavam (experiencing krishNa) would be complete and proper.

mAlE maNivaNNA mArgazhi nIr AduvAn
  mElaiyAr seyvanagaL vENduvana kEttiyEl
gyAlaththai ellAm nadunga muralvana
  pAl anna vaNNaththu un pAnchasanniyamE
pOlvana sangangaL pOyppAdu udaiyanavE
  sAlap perum paRaiyE pallANdu isaippArE
kOla viLakkE kodiyE vidhAnamE
  Alin ilaiyAy aruL ElOr embAvAy

Oh one who is affectionate towards your devotees! Oh one who has the complexion of a bluish gem! Oh one who slept divinely on the tender banyan leaf during deluge! If you ask us as to what accessories we need for our bath in the month of mArgazhi, in line with what had been carried out by our elders, we will tell you. We need conches such as the milky white pAnchajanya which can blow resoundingly, making the entire world to tremble. We need percussion instruments which are spacious and big. We need those who will sing thiruppallANdu, lamps, flags and canopies.

In the twenty seventh and twenty eights pAsurams she confirms that emperumAn alone is both the means to attain him and the end result [to carry out service to him].

Twenty seventh pAsuram. ANdAL explains emperumAn’s distinguished quality of attracting both the favourable and unfavourable entities towards him. Further, she says that the highest level of purushArtham (goal or end result) is the sAyujya mOksham (to be with emperumAn) of carrying out kainkaryam to emperumAn continuously, without ever separating from him.

kUdArai vellum sIrk kOvindhA undhannaip
  pAdip paRai koNdu yAm peRu sammAnam
nAdu pugazhum parisinAl nanRAga
  sUdagamE thOL vaLaiyE thOdE sevippUvE
pAdagamE enRu anaiya pal kalanum yAm aNivOm
  Adai uduppOm adhan pinnE pAl sORu
mUda ney peudhu muzhangai vazhivAra
  kUdi irundhu kuLirndhu ElOr embAvAy

Oh gOvindhA who has the auspicious quality of winning over those who do not bow down! The further honour that we get after praising you and getting the kainkaryams is to wear various ornaments such as bracelet, armlet, ear stud, other ear ornaments, anklets etc which nappinnaip pirAtti and you don on us. We will wear the clothes which you drape on us. After that, we should together eat the ghee covered akkAravadisil (sweet prepared with rice, milk, sugar and ghee) and the excess ghee overflowing our elbow.

Twenty eighth pAsuram. In this, ANdAL explains the causeless connection between emperumAn and all the AthmAs, her inability to engage with any [other] means, greatness of emperumAn, his quality of uplifting everyone (having adhvEsham (non-hatred) as the reason, just like the cows of vrindhAvan) without expecting anything in return.

kaRavaigaL pin senRu kAnam sErndhu uNbOm
  aRivu onRum illAdha Aykkulaththu undhannaip
piRavi peRundhanaip puNNiyam yAm udaiyOm
  kuRai onRum illAdha gOvindhA un thannOdu
uRavEl namakku ingu ozhikka ozhiyAdhu
  aRiyAdha piLLagaLOm anbinAl undhannaich
chiRu pEr azhaiththanavum sIRi aruLAdhE
  iRaivA nI thArAy paRai ElOr embAvAy

Oh gOvindhA who has no fault whatsoever! We will follow the cows to the forest, roam around and eat together. We have the fortune of having you born in this clan of cow-herds which does not have any knowledge. Oh lord! The relation that we have with you cannot be severed either by you or by us. Do not get angry with us since we have called you by insignificant names due to our affection, and bless us by giving the end result that we are seeking.

Twenty ninth pAsuram. Here, she reveals an important principle: carrying out kainkaryam is not for our happiness, but it is only for his happiness. Further, she says that due to her deep desire for krishNAnubhavam, she started observing this nOnbu merely as a pretext.

siRRam siRu kAlE vandhu unnaich chEviththu un
  poRRAmarai adiyE pORRum poruL kELAy
peRRam mEyththu uNNum kulaththil piRandhu nI
  kuRREval engaLaik koLLAmal pOgAdhu
iRRaip paRai koLvAn anRu kAN gOvindhA
  eRRaikkum EzhEzh piRavikkum undhannOdu
uRROmE AvOm unakkE nAm At seyvOm
  maRRai nam kAmangaL mARRu ElOr embAvAy 

Oh gOvindhA! You should hear the result of our coming here early in the morning, bowing down and reciting mangaASAanam to your most desirable, golden, lotus-like divine feet. You, who had been born in the clan of cow-herds, who graze their cows and eat, should not remain without accepting confidential kainkaryam from us. We did not come here to receive the percussion instrument, drum, from you. We should have a connection with you for time unlimited, irrespective of the number of times that we take birth. We should carry out kainkaryam only to you. When we carry out such kainkaryam you should remove the thought from us that it is for our happiness. You should mercifully grace us such that the kainkaryam is only to make you happy.

Thirtieth pAsuram: Since emperumAn tells her that he will fulfil her desires, she rids herself of the emotions of the cowherd girl and sings this pAsuram as her own self, ANdAL. She affirms that whoever sings these pAsurams will attain the same kainkaryam which she did, even if they do not have the same purity of heart that she had. In other words, the cow-herd girls who lived during the time of kaNNa in vrindhAvan and had deep affection for him, ANdAL who had the same mental make-up in SrIvillipuththUr as the cow-herd girls and anyone else who learns and sings these pAsurams, will attain the same benefit. [parAsara] bhattar [son of kUraththAzhwAn, one of rAmAnuja’s principal disciples] would mercifully say “Just as the cow yields milk even after seeing the [dead] calf which is stuffed with hay, if anyone sings these pAsurams which are dear to emperumAn, (s)he will get the same benefit which those who are dear to emperumAn get”. ANdAL completes the prabandham by narrating the incident of emperumAn churning the milky ocean. This is because, the cow-herd girls desired to attain emperumAn. To attain emperumAn, the purushakAram of pirAtti is needed. emperumAn churned the ocean only to  bring pirAtti out of the ocean and to marry her. Hence ANdAL too narrates this incident and brings the prabandham to its end. ANdAL is one who is firmly in the state of AchAryAbhimAnam (dear to AchArya). Thus, she completes the prabandham by showing that she is bhattarpirAn kOdhai (daughter of periyAzhwAr, bhattarpirAn).

vangak kadal kadaindha mAdhavanai kEsavanai
  thingaL thiru mugaththuch chEzhiyAr senRiRainji
angap paRai koNda ARRai aNi pudhuvaip
  paingamalath thaN theriyal bhattarpirAn kOdhai sonna
sangath thamizhmAlai muppadhum thappAmE
  ingu ipparisu uraippAr IriraNdu mAl varaith thOL
sengaN thirumugaththuch chelvath thirumAlAl
  engum thiruvaruL peRRu inbuRuvar embAvAy

kESavan (emperumAn), the supreme entity, churned the milky ocean. Cow-herd girls, with beautiful faces like moon and with distinguished ornaments, went, worshipped that emperumAn and got benefit in thiruvAyppAdi (SrI gOkulam). ANdAL, the daughter of periyAzhwAr who has garland with cool, lotus flowers, and who incarnated in beautiful SrIvillipuththUr, mercifully narrated that history [of cow-herd girls getting benefit from emperumAn]. These thirty pAsurams are to be sung in large gatherings. Those who sing these thirty pAsurams, without missing anything, in this way, in this world, will get the grace of emperumAn who has divine shoulders like huge mountains, has a divine face with reddish divine eyes [reddish eyes denote affection towards devotees] and has wealth.  Such people will remain blissful in all places.

Source: https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2020/04/thiruppavai-pasurams-21-30-tamil-simple/

adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan

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