Tiruppavai.

[Ravi.N]

Verse 5 continued...
தாயைக் குடல் விளக்கம் செய்த தாமோதரனைத்   
thAyai kudal viLakkam seydha dhAmOdaran=He who illunined his mother's womb and is called 'damOdaran'

AnDAL is subtly introducing the doctrine of Karmic Imprints in these wonderful lines-The Embodiment of the jiva is the result of subjection to karmic imprints that are carried over innumerable births in the past into the Present and  carried forward into countless Future births-The wheel of Births and Deaths goes round and round until the momentum of Karmic load is lightened and finally disassociated and Dissolved.

TGN explains the Doctrine of Karmic Imprints as Follows:
The Very reason for an offspring to come into being in any family is to share a part of the imprint-burden of their parents.These imprints are garnered by each embodied soul(jiva)through his or her desires and deeds.The Life-energy is our soul otherwise known as 'spirit';and to learn about it is 'spiritual Knowledge'.The life-energy is only an agglomeration of ethereal particles filling the entire space of the universe and pure in its Native State.In Humans,it is under pressure like compressed air within the cycle-tube.Mind is only a projection of the life-energy;and it is the mind in the state of ignorance of its own origin and intoxication with sense-pleasures that hooks on to worldly persons and objects,gets into emotional moods and reaps the consequences of its deeds that are deposited as imprints on the soul.
Every Object has an inherent quality.A Quality could also be induced in it.Take Water for example.coolness inheres in it.you can pour it into a vessel and heat that container.What is the Result?it has become Hot water,the quality of Heat has been introduced into it.The heating of water calls for effort;but not the cooling thereafter.Take the vessel off the burner and leave it alone;the water automatically loses its heat and return to ambient temperature.
Likewise with the Life-energy.Imprints are foreign to it and so it seeks to throw them off.This can be done only through the Physical Body which is the container.Why so?The Imprints were acquired in the first instance by the soul only through the medium of the physical body.
All through a person's life the soul is engaged only in purging itself of the imprints;and this accounts for our pain-and-pleasure experiences.when the soul realises that a person would not be able to clear his or her burden in the remaining life-span,it has to bring in a working partner in the form of son or daughter.This is the basis for the urge for marriage and the subsequent pressure to bring forth progeny.Part of the parents' load is passed on to the next generation which,in turn,does whatever the parents did and harvests the same consequences.
continued...

[Ravi.N]

Verse 5 continued....

One's arrival on this planet as the son or daughter in a particular family was not an accident.The Life-energy assembled for itself a physical body utilising which it projected as the mind in order to purge itself of the dross of imprints accumulated through countless births.The Obstacles to this endeavour are the negative imprints inherited as well as those added during the course of living in the years of spiritual ignorance.This burden differs in quantity and quality from person to person and hence the variation in the extent of progress registered by them at any given moment.
The Karmic imprints should be identified and those that are disadvantageous to the journey of the soul weeded out through diligent practice.The imprints surface in the mind as thoughts;whenever a thought arises,it should be evaluated before being translated into action.'Will my acting on this thought subserve the purpose of life or will it entrench me deeper in the quagmire I am already in?'-This is the question to which we have to find an answer each time ,on our own responsibility.If we assess that the implementation of a particular thought could cause harm or hurt to us or any other living being,either at present or at a later date,one should determine to abandon the thought.The Possible consequences one has tabulated should be consolidated into a new thought in order to counter the old one(Pratipaksha bhavana).This might have to be done day after day,until the original thought becomes attenuated and ultimately non-existent.The practice may sound assiduous but actually it is not so.It is less difficult than kicking the starter of the motorcycle in order to spur the engine into action.Lifting the mind out of the rut;once that is put in,the mind would run on its own motive power.This is why the Trained mind is one's best Guru.
Having understood this,all we have to do is to be in a state of awareness so that the purpose of embodiment of the soul be fulfilled without any let or hindrance.
An artisan picks up a rugged piece of raw wood and painstakingly gives it a neat shape on the lathe.He then colours it bright and fixes a sharp nail on it.A beautiful top is the resultwhich when whipped with a string rotates in a manner to gladden one's heart.It is in this manner that the Totality of Nature(Purna)is working on one ,as William shakespeare,in one of his super-conscious moments states:
"There is a Divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will"
We need to be conscious of the Divinity in which we live and move and have our being;and do nothing to disturb the rhythm of Nature.Life then would be a pleasant hike and the Goal will come within our ken.
continued....

[Ravi.N]

Verse 5 continued....

If we inherit the karmic imprints ,do we help our parents and forefathers to clear their karmic load and free them from the chain of transmigration?The answer to this is an emphatic yes.It depends on whether we work towards the clearing of the 'dues' or add to it.If we add to the load of imprints we not only have to suffer the consequences but will end up adding to the burden and passing it onto our offsprings who in turn have to suffer the consequences.This puts us under a two fold responsibility-to serve our parents and forefathers free themselves of the imprints,and also to ensure that we do not pass on adverse imprints to our children but only hand over assets that they in turn inherit and turn it into purposeful living serving the Totality of Nature.
TGN points out to verses in TirukkuraL to clearly bring this out:

தந்தை மகற்காற்று நன்றி அவையத்து
முந்தி இருப்பச் செயல்(verse 67)

A Father renders his Gratitude to his son
by making him foremost(jnAni)in a Gathering.

TGN points to the key word நன்றி-Gratitude;A Father is indebted to his son(or daughter)because the son has to carry a share of the load of imprints;he therefore has the Responsibility to guide the son to become a JnAni.

எழுபிறப்பும் தீயவை தீண்டா பழிபிறங்காப்
பண்புடை மக்கட் பெறின்(Verse 62)

Seven generations are rendered  immune from harm
in giving birth to a Noble child.

தம்பொருள் என்பதம் மக்கள் அவர்பொருள்
தம்தம் வினையான் வரும்(verse 63)

One's Wealth is one's progeny;for that wealth
is garnered by their deeds.

ஈன்ற பொழுதின் பெரிதுவக்கும் தன்மகனைச்
சான்றோன் எனக்கேட்ட தாய்

Greater the Rejoicing of the Mother than giving birth to the son;
it is to hear that he is a JnAni.

TGN points out that even a poor mother who already has several children is filled with Happiness and a sense of fulfillment when she gives birth to a new Baby;this is an unconscious lightening of the Karmic load that is transferred to the infant.Yet,Greater and permanent is the sense of fulfillment of such a mother when her child grows up and attains the purpose of living in attaining jnAna.

மகன்தந்தைக்கு ஆற்றும் உதவி இவன்தந்தை
என்நோற்றான் கொல் எனும் சொல்.(verse 70)

The Help that a son should render his Father
is to Elicit the word -'What penance the Father did to beget such a son'!

TGN clearly points to the way Sage Tiruvalluvar has used the words நன்றி Gratitude (in verse 67) and  உதவி Help (in verse 70)-this is in line with the science of Karmic imprints.Most of the spiritually ignorant Tamizh Pandits and scholars mix up this and interchange the use of words-Ignorant of the Science of Karmic imprints,they have commented that a 'son should be grateful to the Father'!TGN asks the Question 'Why?Did the son begged to be brought into this world process?!No,it is on account of the father's ineptitude to clear the Karmic Load that he brought in an offspring to share his Burden!He is the one who is indebted to his son!This is what Sage Tiruvalluvar has clearly Stated.'
continued...

[Ravi.N]

Verse 5 continued...
தாயைக் குடல் விளக்கம் செய்த தாமோதரனைத்

தாயைக் குடல் விளக்கம் :By virtue of having given Birth to the Lord,the mother is purged of her karmic imprints.

தாமோதரனைத்:Lord Sri Krishna allowed himself to be tied by a thick cord by Mother Yashoda.This shows his accessibility.The Lord is bound by the cord of Love.
Be it Krishna, Adi Sankara or Ramakrishna,Chaitanya or Ramana-They were bound by the Love of Mother.

தூயோமாய் வந்து நாம் தூமலர் தூவித் தொழுது
தூயோமாய் வந்து thooyOmai vandhu Having purified ourselves (Please see verse 2)if we approach

தூமலர் தூவித் தொழுது thoomalar thoovith thozhudhu if we sprinkle fresh flowers and worship

Flowers are symbolic of freshness and purity-Like this,our thoughts of devotion are pure and Fresh and not just  an act of Routine ritual.Our act of worship should be an expression of this Devotion.

வாயினால் பாடி மனத்தினால் சிந்திக்கப் vAyinAl pAdi manathinAl sindhikka singing with our mouths paens spontaneous,with our minds steady in contemplation

This may be either in our words or the wonderful compositions of The Great ones-The Key thing is that it should come from deep within us.This keeps the mind in Steady contemplation.

Our Lady AnDAL is giving a wonderful and simple method that is accessible to one and all-It is to harmonize our act,words and thoughts in the act of worshipping the Divine whose very Nature is Love.

போய பிழையும் புகுதருவான் நின்றனவும்  தீயினில் தூசாகும் pOya pizhaiyum pugutharuvAn ninRanavum theeyinil thoosAgum
then the sins of our past and those yet in store for us would be reduced to nothing,even as dust-specs  are annihilated in the Blazing fire

This is AnDAL's assurance to the earnest seeker.

 

[Nagaraj]

Sri Ravi, you have rekindled my spirits to revisit Srimad Bhagavatam once again, thank you.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Ravi,

Thank you for resuming Tiruppavai commentary.

Arunachala Siva.

[Ravi.N]

Verse 6:

புள்ளும் சிலம்பின காண் புள்ளரையன் கோயிலில்
வெள்ளை விளி சங்கின் பேரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ?
பிள்ளாய் எழுந்திராய் பேய் முலை நஞ்சுண்டு
கள்ளச் சகடம் கலக்கழியக் காலோச்சி
வெள்ளத்தரவில் துயிலமர்ந்த வித்தினை
உள்ளத்துக் கொண்டு முனிவர்களும் யோகிகளும்
மெள்ள எழுந்து அரி என்ற பேரரவம்
உள்ளம் புகுந்து குளிர்ந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்!

puLLum silambinakAN:puLLaraiyan kOyilil
veLLai viLisanggin pEraravam kEttilaiyO?
piLLAy!ezhunddhirAy,pEymulai nanjchuNdu,
kaLLa chakadam kalakkaazhiya kAlOchchi,
veLLaththaravil thuyilamarnddha viththinai,
uLLaththu koNdu munivargaLum yOgigaLum
meLLa ezhunddhu ariyenRa pEraravam
uLLam pugunddhu kuLirnddhElOrempAvAy!

Seed of Seeds
Awaken,Little Girl!Even the birds are chirping
and in the temple of the Master of Garuda(who himself is the king of birds)
the calling conch so white in hue
is sounding in strength,don't you hear?
He who suckled away the venom contained in
the deceit-laden breast of the demoness putanai
He who with a single sweep of his leg
smashed to smithereens the vicious wheel,
He is the seed of seeds reclined in wakeful slumber
on the serpent-couch in the ocean of milk.
Holding Him in heart,sages and yogis,
as they awaken gently and chant the name "Hari",
their incantation gathering volume
reverberates in rumbling resonance
to enter our minds and impart serenity.
Listen and ponder,our girl!

[Nagaraj]

SEED OF SEEDS Awaken, Little Girl!Even the birds are chirping and in the temple of the Master of Garuda (who himself is the king of birds) the calling conch so white in hue is sounding in strength,don't you hear? He who suckled away the venom contained in the deceit-laden breast of the demoness putanai He who with a single sweep of his leg smashed to smithereens the vicious wheel, He is the seed of seeds reclined in wakeful slumber on the serpent-couch in the ocean of milk. Holding Him in heart,sages and yogis, as they awaken gently and chant the name "Hari", their incantation gathering volume reverberates in rumbling resonance to enter our minds and impart serenity. Listen and ponder,our girl!

(Verse 6)

ॐ

[ramanaduli]

Dear Ravi ji,

Thank you very much for giving beautiful inner meaning of Thruppavai. One line gives the essence of advaitham and atma vicharam.
Andal's poem is equalvant to THRUKKURAL. As avvaiyar says, KADUKAI THULAITHU EZH KADALI PUGATTI KURUGATH THARITHA KURAL.
Thruppavai also, EZHEZH PIRVAVIKUM KANNUKKU KANNGAGA VILANGUM KALANGARAI VILAKKU


Ramanaduli

[Ravi.N]

From verses 6 to 15 ,our Lady AnDAL is waking up companion seekers in different stages of spiritual development and inviting them to take part in the spiritual satasangha.Just to recapitulate,the 30 vereses in TiruppAvai can be categorized as follows:
Verses 1-5:உய்வதற்கான மார்க்கம் (Path to Salvation)
Verses 6-15:உறங்கியது போதாதோ!(Emerge out of Slumber!)
verses 16-20:தட்டுங்கள் திறக்கப்படும் (Knock and it shall be Opened)
Verses 21-30:வேண்டியதைப் பெறலாம்(Achieve all your desires)

In verse 6,AnDAL calls out to a Beginner(juvenile)aspirant-She says:
பிள்ளாய் எழுந்திராய் -O Child!Wake up!We will find in the very next verse 7, she wakes up an aspirant who is நாயகப் பெண் பிள்ளாய் -A Heroine or a more advanced seeker.Accordingly,our Lady sets the Backdrop and the events!TiruppAvai is so Rich in imagery and our Lady knows the power of sounds and sights on the Human psyche-She calls out to this Child aspirant:

புள்ளும் சிலம்பின காண் puLLum silambina kAN ;புள் pUL=Birds  சிலம்பின silambina =Chirping noisily;
She Says புள்ளும் சிலம்பின காண் -this 'um' kara in Tamizh is quite powerful-Even the Birds are chirping merrily celebrating the Break of Dawn!(while you are slumbering!O Child!)

புள்ளரையன் கோயிலில் puLLaraiyan kOyilil;புள் puLL =bird,அரையன் =அரசன் =King ;புள்ளரையன்=King of Birds,and refers to Garuda,The Eagle vehicle of the Lord.
புள்ளரையன் கோயிலில்  வெள்ளை விளி சங்கின் பேரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ? in the temple of the Master of Garuda
(who himself is the king of birds) the calling conch so white in hue  is sounding in strength,don't you hear?

பிள்ளாய் எழுந்திராய் piLLAi ezhunthirAi O Child!Wake up!

பேய் முலை நஞ்சுண்டு pEymulai nanjundu-He who suckled away the venom contained in the deceit-laden breast of the demoness putanai-The Lord sucked not just the poison  but her entire karmic baggage as well and Granted her Moksha.

கள்ளச் சகடம் கலக்கழியக் காலோச்சி kaLLa chakadam kallakkazhizha kAlOchchi =He who with a single sweep of his leg smashed to smithereens the vicious wheel
கள்ள kaLLa =counterfeit,False ;சகடம் =சக்கரம் =Wheel;கலக்கழியக் kalakkazhizha= Shattering the axle ;காலோச்சி kAlOchchi =Kick of the leg
Here AnDAL is again referring to the Baby Days of Lord Sri Krishna when he killed the Demon shakatAsura with a single kick from his baby foot!The Demon ShakatAsura who was in disguise as the wheel of a cart-The Wheel with 6 spokes represents Kama,Krodha,Moha,Lobha,Mada and Mascharya with 'Ego sense' as its axle.This wheel is the wheel of Samsara that takes the ensnared jiva into the forest of samsara and perpetuates the Birth-death-Birth sequences.

வெள்ளத்தரவில் துயிலமர்ந்த வித்தினை ;வெள்ளத்தரவில் =வெள்ளம் veLLam Ocean of Milk + அரவம் aravam Snake ;துயிலமர்ந்த thuyilamarndha Repose;வித்தினை viththinai seed / Essence / Being

வெள்ளத்தரவில் துயிலமர்ந்த வித்தினை =He is the seed of seeds reclined in wakeful slumber on the serpent-couch in the ocean of milk.
This is one of the most wonderful and powerful symbolism-Of all creatures it is only the snake that can coil itself so much so that one cannot notice where the Head and tail is-This is why it is called Adi Sesha;Adi Refers to the Primeval Beginning and Sesha refers to that which remains  at  the end of everything-The Adi is the Sesha -The Alpha and Omega of all things and the Lord is as if Reposing on the Adi Sesha ,in the ocean of pure Awareness (வெள்ளம்).

continued....

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Ravi,

Thanks for resuming TiruppAvai posts.  In fact, I struggled with the phrase, puLLaraiyan since I had not commentary for
Tiruppavai. Then I found out puL = bird; araiyan = Raja = Rayar = King. King of birds Garuda!

Thanks once again.

Arunachala Siva.

[Ravi.N]

Verse 6 continued....

Master TGN beautifully brings out how mahakavi bharati was deeply attracted to AnDAL's TiruppAvai,so much so that some of the very same imagery of verse 6 finds its way spontaneously in his BhAratamAta TiruppaLLi ezhuchchi;No plagiarism this!Here is an excerpt of that poem of MahAkavi:

பொழுது புலர்ந்தது, யாம்செய்த தவத்தால்,
புன்மை யிருட்கணம் போயின யாவும்,
எழுபசும் பொற்சுடர் எங்கணும் பரவி
எழுந்து விளங்கியது அறிவெனும் இரவி,
தொழுதுனை வாழ்த்தி வனங்குதற்கு இங்குஉன்
தொண்டர்பல் லாயிரர் சூழ்ந்துநிற் கின்றோம
விழிதுயில் கின்றனை இன்னும்எம் தாயே
வியப்பிது காண்! பள்ளி யெழுந்தரு ளாயே!

புள்ளினம் ஆர்த்தன! ஆர்த்தன முரசம்,
பொங்கியது எங்குஞ் சுதந்திர நாதம்
வெள்ளிய சங்கம் முழங்கின, கேளாய்!
வீதியெ லாம்அணு குற்றனர் மாதர்!
தெள்ளிய அந்தணர் வேதமும் நின்றன்
சீர்த்திரு நாமமும் ஓதி நிற் கின்றார்,
அள்ளிய தெள்ளமு தன்னை எம் அன்னை!
ஆருயிரே! பள்ளி யெழுந்தரு ளாயே!

Continued...
 

[deepa]

Thanks, Raviji.
Such a treasure, beautiful interpretations on Tiruppavai and many other things (Adi Sesha - beginning and  remaining? never knew that) We all will have a new appreciation of Tiruppavai.. even special because our Bharathi was also inspired by it.

Is this speech available as recording?
Thanks,
Deepa

[Ravi.N]

Verse 6 continued...

உள்ளத்துக் கொண்டு முனிவர்களும் யோகிகளும் ullaththuk kondu munivargaLum yogigalLum -Holding Him in heart,sages and yogis

மெள்ள எழுந்து அரி என்ற பேரரவம் meLLa ezhundhu ari enRa pEraravam

மெள்ள எழுந்து   meLLa ezhundhu awaken gently -Here the reference is to the Yogis and Sages-as they awaken from their sleep which is akin to yoganidra-This is bound to be 'gentle' only and what is experienced in the Deep sleep state is continued to be experienced in their waking state as well;the awareness is ever present and in their cases,there is no rise of the 'Ego' as in the case of the Ignorant souls that brings about an abrupt shift in the consciousness and giving rise to the concommitant world process.

அரி என்ற பேரரவம் ari enra pEraravam  chant the name "Hari", their incantation gathering volume

Master TGN splits the word பேரரவம் pEraravam as பெயர் + அரவம் ,பெயர் name i.e calling the name 'hariH' ;அரவம் aravam = volume/loudness
as the Yogis and Munis are calling the Lord as 'HariH' ,holding him in their Heart,the loud volume is reaching out everywhere and it enters the Heart of all those awake!

உள்ளம் புகுந்து குளிர்ந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்! uLLam pughundhu kuLirndhu el Or empAvAi   enter our minds and impart serenity -Listen and ponder,our girl!
உள்ளம் புகுந்து குளிர்ந்து =Seep into the listener's Heart and cools it in serenity.
This is truly felt as 'coolness' and a sense of fullness-Our Lady is giving something tangible for the seeker to hold onto and proceed in a step by step fashion(Ravi)

AnDAL begins the verse with புள்ளும் சிலம்பின காண் and ends with வித்தினை  உள்ளத்துக் கொண்டு முனிவர்களும் யோகிகளும்  மெள்ள எழுந்து அரி என்ற பேரரவம் -Meaning that the entire creation is bustling with praise of the Lord !Even the Perfect ones chant the Name in sheer ecstasy,not that they are doing any sadhana thereby.Yet it helps the other seekers to tune themselves.

[Ravi.N]

Verse 7

கீசு கீசு என்று எங்கும் ஆனைச் சாத்தான் கலந்து
பேசின பேச்சரவம் கேட்டிலையோ பேய்ப் பெண்ணே
காசும் பிறப்பும் கலகலப்பக் கை பேர்த்து
வாச நறும் குழல் ஆய்ச்சியர் மத்தினால்
ஓசை படுத்த தயிரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ
நாயகப் பெண் பிள்ளாய் நாராயணன் மூர்த்தி
கேசவனைப் பாடவும் நீ கேட்டே கிடத்தியோ
தேசமுடையாய் திறவேலோர் எம்பாவாய்

keesukeesenRenggum AnaichchAththan kalanddhu
pEsina pEchcharavam kEttilaiyO?pEyppeNNE!
kAsum piRappum kalakalappa kaipErththu
vAsa naRungkuzhal Aychchiar maththinAl
Osai paduththa thayiraravam kEttilaiyO?
nAyaga peNpiLLAy!nArAyaNa moorththi
kEsavanai pAdavumnee kEttE kidaththiyO?
thEsamudaiyAy!thiRavElOrempAvAy.

         Why this Slumber?
O you wanton sprite!Don't you hear the Valian sparrows
Screeching and making converse among themselves?
And don't you hear the noise of curd-churning as the womenfolk
of the cowherd clan(they of fragrant tresses)
operate the churn-staff using both their hands
to the jingling of jewel-pieces in their neck-chains?
O leader among damsels,would you remain in snugly repose,
even as you hear our singing in praise of Lord Narayanan Himself,
Known too as kesavan?You with a dazzling personality.
Do open the door.Listen and ponder ,our girl !