Sri:
Dear RasikAs of
ThiruppAvai of ANDAL:
In the previous posting
, adiyEn introduced the scholarly treatise of Sri
NRK Swamy of
Madurai ,
" Sanga Tamizh Maalai "
dealing with ThiruppAvai of ANDAL.
On this last day of
Marghazhi , it is my bhAgyam to summarize a small portion of the book of Sri
NRK Swamy dealing with the links of the Paavai nOnbhu to Sanga Tamizh sources
and Srimad BhAgavatham (KaatyAyani
Vratam:BhAgavatam 10.22).
Paavai
Nonbhu
Tapas( Tavam) , Vratam denote Nonbhu
with slight differences. During Marghazhi month , our ancestors practised
these nonbhus : (1) Maarghazhi neeraadal (2) VisEsha dEva poojai (3) Bhagavan-naama Bhajanai and
(4) Granta PaarAyanam . The most important among these is Maarghazhi NeerAdal
nOnbhu, which is also known by its other names of
AmbhAvAdal, Thai
NeerAdal,Tavatthain-neerAdal and Paavaya neerAdal . These names are in vogue
from Sanga Kaalam.
In the the author NallantuvanAr of the
Thohai Nool , ParipAdal refers to this neeraDAL ( 11th Paadal, Lines 74-92)
.To keep this posting within reasonable length, I will skip quoting the Tamil
and Sanskrit sources ( ParipAdal and BhAgavatam) .
The meaning of the ParipAdal
passage is:
The time is before dawn
during the Marghazhi month known for minimum rains . The dark sky is free of
the echos of the deep thunder. The damp dew ( Pani) of the early
morning ( ushath Kaalam ,Brahma MuhUrtam) is making people shiver with cold
. The constellation of Arudra
is in ascendance and the Moon is displaying blemishes ( KaLangams) .
Brahmins have gathered on the Vaighai river side with the appropriate vessels
and ingredients needed for the conductance of the yajn~am prescribed by the
Aagamams to realize abundant rain falls to free the earth from the scorching
Sun in the comning season . The elderly ladies instruct the younger
girls ( KumArikAs) on how to observe AmbhAvAdal nOnbu and on this cold , dewy
morning , the shivering girls take their bath with bhakti , arise and reach the banks of the river, where the
Vedic priests are maintaining the sacred fire to offer AahUthis and dry
their wet clothes withthe help of the tall fire . Oh Vaigai Mother ! Is it n't
so that the observance of this nOnbhu ( tavatthai neerAduthal ) by the
girls standing next to their mothers similar to the tapas done by standing
between the five Agnis ( done by Parvathy to gain Lord SivA as Her husband)
?
Srimad BhAgavatham ( Canto 10:
chapter 22):
KaathyAyani archana vratam : During the First
month of Hemanta Ruthu , the Kannikais of AayarpAdi of Nandhan partook Havis
as food and observed KaatyAyani Vratam to during
aruNOdhayam on the banks of river Yamunaa to
gian the son of NandagOpan as their Lord .
They worshipped with fragrant flowers , sandal
paste , dhUpa-dheepams, Bali , Fruits , red rice . Their prayer to KaatyAyani
was :
KaatyAyani MahA MaayE MahA
yogin yatheeswari , Nandhagopa sutam Devi Patim mE kuru tE
Nama:
Oh VishNu Maayaa svarUpiNi ! Oh Mahaa Yogini !
Oh Superior KaatyAyain Devi ! Our namaskArams to You . Please bless us to gain
the son of NandagOpan as our Husband !
They recited this mantram , observed the
vratam in the early morning before dawn . On their way to take their
ceremonial bath in the river Yamunaa, thety recited aloud the KrishNa nAmams
and held hands together during their travel to the river. This is the origin
of the BhAgavatha sampradhAyam indicated by ANDAL.
This ancient anushtAnam during the early hours
of Maarghazhi Month is practised even today in the village streets of Tamizh
country ,
when bhajanai ghOshtis with semakkalam and
Sanghu dhvani , sound of Bells as well as the light of the lamps proceed
towards the Lord's temple . ANDAL refers to this in her ThiruppAvai Paasuram ,
" MaalE MaNIvaNNaa Marghazhi
NeerAduvAn
...pOlvana sankankaL ...sAlapperumpaRayE...
PallANDisaippArE ..kOla ViLakkE .. kodiyE
VidhanamE..AalinilayAi aruLElOrempaavAi "
This neerAtta utsavam in KeraLaa is known as
Aadhirai ThirunaaL . The Kannikais reach the river during the early hours
for seven days before ThiruvAdhirai , take bath , sing and dance and
conclude the utsavam on Aadhirai day . They adorn new dresses , decorate
themselves and enjoy the prasAdham of VisEsha Paayasam along the lines of
ANDAL's Paasuram :
" Koodaarai velllum seer Govindha
,
unRannai paadip-paRai koNDU Yaamm
perum sammAnam- - -palkalanum yaamaNivOm
,
Aadai uduppOm , athan pinnE PaaRRc-chORu
,
mooda ney peythu muzhangai vazhi
vaarak-
koodi irunthu kuLirntElO rempAvAi
".
SrI Padhma PurANam
:
****************************
While extolling Bhaagavatha MahAthmyam , the seven days
starting from Sukla Paksha Navami to PourNami of Maarghazhi are identified as
the best days for Srimad BhAgavatha PaarAyaNam to gain the auspicious phalans
.
Goals & Fruits of Paavai Nonbu
of ANDAL
***********************************************
ParipAdal i its 11th verse referred to above
focused on the fruits beyond the prayer for rain for
lOka ujjevanam this way ( 116th to 121
lines) :
1) Happy Married life without seperation with a
very special Bridegroom (2) Lasting youth and wealth
to enjoy conjugal life with such a special bride groom . KaatyAyani stOtram
points out the realization of the above two goals thru vivAham with NandhagOpa
Sutan . ThiruppAvai paasurams of Andal is a depiction of sucha Paavai nOnbu
and embedding of goals and fruits thru observance of such a Vratam consistent
with Sanga Tamizh works .
As Marghazhi vratham concluded , ANDAL dreams about the
Marriage to the Lord in NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi and
describes the dreams She had ( VaaraNAmAyiram Pasurams ) and sees Him as
Her Lord at BrundhAvanam and marries Him at SrivilliputthUr and unites with
Him at Srirangam .
ANDAL's invitation to us to take part in Marghazhi
Nonbhu and Her upadEsam on ways to travel on
Karma, Bhakthi , Prapatthi mArgams to gain Moksha Sukham is the theme of
ThiruppAvai . Her handling of Artha Panchakam for our benefit is extraordinary
.
In the first 5 Paasurams of ThiruppAvai , She focused on
Bhagavath svaroopam . From 6 to 15 Paasurams , She woke up jeevans engrossed
in Maayaa , who have forgotten BhagavAn and the needed efforts to attain Him.
From 16 to 20 Paasurams , She woke up the Lord , who has forgotten the Jeevans
lost in samsAric delusions and got Himself busy with
the nityasooris , who surrendered to Him. From
Paasuram 21-25, She reminded Her Lord in no uncertain terms about His duties
to
protect the slumbering jeevans and promised to do nitya
kaimkaryam to Him :
" YenrenRun sEvakamE yEtthi PaRai KoLvAn; inRu
yaamm vantOm , irangElOrempAvaai ".
From Paasuram 26 to 30 ,She focuses on
this Nishtai and its Phalans .
Looked at the flow of Pasurams in an alternative way ,
the first FIVE Paasurams deal with Iswara Svaroopam ,6 to 15 cover Jeeva
Svaroopam and the VirOdhi svarropam that plunges the jeevan into Maayaa
due to Prakruthi Nishtai ; the Bhagavath svaroopam of Rakshakatvam is covered
in Paasurams from 16-20; The upAyam of Prapatthi is covered in pasaurams
21-25 and the Phalan of Moksha PrApthi is covered in Paasurams 26 to
30.
In the subsequent dhivya Prabhandham of NaacchiyAr
Thirumozhi starting from Thai Maasa PiRappu , she offers a samarpaNam to
Her Lord of 143 Paasurams housed in 14 patikams .
Sriman NRK Swamy describes beautifully the progression of the vratham to
attain the Lord as Her husband thru the six ruthus of the Year ( Hemantha
to Sisira ruthu).
In an inspired and inspiring manner , Sri NRK Swamy
connects the activities of ANDAL during the six ruthus with the 14
Patikams of NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi .
It is adiyEn's bhAgyam on this Thai First day to share
with You Sriman NRK Swamy's exquisite Bhakti-laden anubhavam of ANDAL seen
thru the lens of Tamizh Sangam Poetry grammar and
rules . My thanks are to Sri NRK Swamy for asking me to write about this
brilliant work of Sri NRK Swamy .
Additional reading material is
available at Sundara
Simham ebook series :
1. Arutta Panchakam : ebook#12 (
24 Pages)
2. ThiruppAvai : ebook # 62 ( 157
Pages)
3. NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi E
Book # 54 ( 432 Pages) .
Sri ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
Oppiliappan Koil
VaradAchAri Sadagopan