Pasuram 18 of Andals Thiruppavai

http://www.scribd.com/doc/76214700/Andal-s-Thiruppavai-in-easy-to-readTamil-text-and-English The full text of all 30 Pasurams may be found here. Also, a scholarly discussion can be found at the link given below. http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/sundarasimham/ebooks/Thiru2.pdf A word-by-word translation is given at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/tpv/ See below the images of the English and Tamil texts of Pasuram No. 18 of Andals Thiruppavai. For those who wish to read the text in other languages, please go to http://www.prapatti.com Andal is considered to be Sridevis amsaavataaram. She was born at Srivilliputoor (close to Kanchipuram, also the city where Indira Gandhis son and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated), as the daughter of PeriyAzhwar. She is also the only female among the 12 SriVaishNavite Azhwars. She longed for union with Her Lord and insisted that she should be taken to Srirangam where she eventually merged with Lord Ranganatha. You can read more about Andal at the link given above (or click here). The immortal Thiruppavai, attributed to Her, is a divine composition, filled with deep esoteric meanings, on which many commentaries have been written over the centuries. In the first pasuram, 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). The aacaaryas who have blessed us are considered to be like the milk giving cows with overflowing udders. In the fourth Paasuram, Andal is directing her prayers to Varuna (actually to KrishNa who had the complexion darker than the darkest rain bearing clouds), the god of the rains, and comparing the bounty bestowing by aacaryas to the bounteous rains showered by Varuna. In Pasuram 5 Andal tells us that He would completely burn off all of our accumulated sins much like a fire burns pieces of straw thrown into it.

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PAASURAM 18

This Pasuram is recited twice during chanting (noted by )

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Courtesy: http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/tamil/naalaayiram/aandaal/tiruppaavai.pdf
Simple Word for Word meanings (http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/tpv/vstp18.html )

un^thu matha kaLiRRan Otaatha thOL valiyan * Showing off (your) excitement (like an) elephant (who) does not retreat (and has) shoulders (that are) powerful nan^thakOpaalan marumakaLE nappinnaay * NandagOpan's daughter-in-law (Oh you !). Oh Nappinai kan^tham kamazhum kuzhali katai thiRavaay * (with) fragrant smelling head of hair (the) door (please) open . van^thu eNGkum kOzhi azhaiththana kaaN * maathavip Are up and everywhere the hens (and are) calling Look ! Kurukkathi flowers pan^thal mEl palkaal kuyili naNGkaL kUvina kaaN * bower (sitting on) top several times cuckoo birds of many sorts (are) singing Look ! pan^thaar virali un maiththunan pEr paatac * (Holding) ball (in) fingers (He) your husband (we his) praises (want to) sing (if you)
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cen^thaamaraik kaiyaal cIraar (with your) red Lotus hands bangles jingling

vaLai olippa * (with) beautiful

van^thu thiRavaay makizhn^thu (can) Come (and) open (the door) with joy. El Or empaavaay Come (Let us do) (the penance of) paavai nOmbu

Then, in Pasurams 6 to 15, Andal finishes waking up 10 different types of bhaktas and they all join her in the performance of the Paavai nombhu. In Pasuram 16, the arrival of the entire party at the palace of Nanda Maharaja is described. They ask the doorkeepers to let them in. Pasuram 17 describes their entering the inner bedchambers to wake up Nanda Maharaja, Mother Yashoda, Krishna and His younger brother Baladeva. Each of them is praised. In Pasuram 18, Andal and her friends try to wake up Nappinnai, the eternal consort of the Lord, since attempts to wake up Krishna (Kannan) proved futile. Nappinnai is described as the daughter-in-law of the noble Nanda Maharaja, who is a mighty warrior and also blessed with abundant wealth (including the possession of elephants, besides cattle). Her hair is adorned with fragrant flowers and Andal and her friends want this to permeate the whole environment if only she would come out and open the door. The day is breaking. The roosters (cocks) have crowed already. The cuckoos are cooing as well. They the cuckoos - need the glances of Nappinnai since she provides them with their life breath. Andal and her friends want her to come out and open the door with the jingling sound of the bangles in her hands the hands that were holding the ball that she had won in the game that she was playing with Krishna (the night before and Krishna lost the ball to her in their game). It is said that Ramanujaacarya was singing this same Pasuram one day in the month of Margazhi when he went and knocked on the doors of his own acarya (as part of his begging for alms, once a day). The latters daughter opened the door and Ramanujaacarya heard the jingling
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sound of the bangles from the young womans hand and literally swooned thinking about Nappinnai coming to open the door for Andal and her friends. From http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/ahobilavalli/thiruppavai.pdf MEANING OF THE 18th PAASURAM (V. SADAGOPAN): In this verse, Andal and her friends awaken Nappinnai, the Lords consort, who is also the intermediary between the Jeevas and the Lord, who persuades the Lord accept us to His holy abode. Shurpanakha disregarded Sita and tried to attain Sri Rama while Ravana disregarded Sri Rama and tried to win over Sita. Both of them met with similar fates while Vibhishana who beseeched both prospered. Since the awakening of Kannan went in vain, they surrendered to Balarama, the preceptor and then attempted to awaken Nappinnai, the Lords consort. Is it then not necessary to have an intermediary between Piraatti and us? Yes, there is. Her compassion itself does this job. Water is needed to put down fire and water is sufficient to put down water. undhu madha kaLitran Odaadha thOL valiyan The ensemble now awakens Nappinnai, the daughter in law of Nandagopa. Nandagopa was as strong as an elephant in high. His strength matched that of an
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elephant and held a herd of them in his possession. He held great strength in his arms and would never take a step back in retreat. None had to worry about the evil despicable plans of Kamsa as Nandagopa had the power to shield Kannan from each and every one of Kamsas evil designs. Nappinnai is the daughter in law of such great a noble man. She is the daughter of Kumba, but yet Nandagopa the father in law was referred and not her father. This is similar to the Ramayana episode. Sita talks to Hanuman proudly associating herself to the solar dynasty. She introduces herself first as the daughter in law of Dasharatha, whom she adored more than her father (and only after that as the daughter of Janaka). kandham kamazhum kuzhali kadai thiRavaay Nappinnai is addressed as one having a rich flow of tresses and one who has devoted her heart to Kannan alone who has a divine form that disseminates a collective fragrance of all the flowers. They entreat her to throw open the door and let the torrential flood of the fragrance of their divine unison permeate the air around. Nappinnai then says, What is the hurry. Let the day break. vandhu engum kOzhi azhaiththana kaaN The day breaks and theres the croak of the rooster. Nappinnai replies Will the mimicked croaking of one Gopi, make the Sun rise? The Gopis then say No. Several roosters are croaking as if to brush the sunlight on one and all. Nappinnai then says, Some roosters croak as soon as they wake up. The sleeping ones are the real ones that croak at day break. The Gopis continue, Is that so? maadhavi(p) pandhal mEl pal kaal kuyilinangaL koovina kaaN The cuckoos that slept on the jasmine beds are awake and chirping. You hold familiarity with each other. They look up to you for your compassionate glances as their life beat. Unable to reach you in flocks, they have resorted to their sweet coo. Having received no response from Nappinnai, the ensemble of Andal and her maids continued to extol her saying pandhu aar virali It seems that during the night before, Nappinnai and Kannan were
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engaged in a game of ball and Kannan lost the game. Oh Nappinnai the one who is holding on to Kannan with one hand in a tight embrace and the ball in the other hand, you have been the chosen object of enjoyment of Kannan. You are the go between in the ballgame with Kannan. On one hand you hold the Jeevans while on the other you hold on to the Supreme Narayana. You therefore are the divine mother who guides and walks the Jeevans and Sriman Narayana as well, on their paths. Nappinnai now questions the reason for their assembling there, to which the Gopis reply, It is to be with you. When you and the Lord have a joyful rift, we would like to stay on your side and sing the Lords playful defeat. We would then fill your ears with all his misdoings playfully. (When parents are together, the children follow them. When the two are in rift, the children stay with the mother) Nappinnai then invited them all inside. The Gopis then replied chendhaamarai(k) kaiyaal seeraar vaLai olippa vandhu thiRavaay Pray you come and open the door for us delightfully. Your hands are the ones that have won the eternal association of the beautiful, fragrant and blossomed lotus. They are the objects of adoration of none but the Lord Himself. They are the benefactors of all fruits of attainment. They have acquired a red hue being engaged due to the clasping and throwing of the ball, during the game with Kannan. When you are in stride, your hands echo out an auspicious reverberation of jingling sounds due to the brush of the bangles that adorn them. You, with Kannan should bejewel us at the end of our observances. Pray come to us and open the door with your beautiful hands and bless with the vision of seeing your exquisite bearing. Being subsumed by the joy of attaining Kannan, a Jeevan, in order to reach the Supreme Lord, needs the divine Mother as the go between after having resorted to the lotus feet of a sadacharya.

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The following taken verbatim from http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/sundarasimham/ebooks/Thiru2.pdf Dear BhakthAs: In this Paasuram, an esoteric doctrine of Sri Vaishnavism is included. According to this doctrine, the Lord and Sri Devi are inseparable and they serve together as UpAyam (means) and UpEyam (Ultimate goal). This fundamental doctrine is known as Yeka Seshithvam. With this in mind, ANDAL wakes up Goddess Nappinnai, the consort of the Lord now and appeals to Her. LITERAL MEANING OF THE PAASURAM Oh daughter-in-law of King NandagOpA, who has the proud gait of elephants and who is known for His valiant shoulders with invincible strength (that he would never leave a battle field without victory). Oh Nappinnai with enchanting fragrant black tresses! Kindly unlock Your door. Hearken, the cocks have awakened now everywhere and are making lound noises. Hearken, even the group of cuckoos, sitting on the bower of Maadhavi (Kurukkatthi) flowers, have cooed gently many times. Oh Young Lady holding the sporting ball with Your fingers as BhOgOpakaraNam! As we wish to sing about Your Lord's names, please come with joy and open the door with Your red lotus-like soft hands, which create a pleasant sound (sunAdham) from the movement of Your bracelets adorning Your forearms. (This is the famous Paasuram associated with AchAryA RaamAnujA's swoon, when he identified AthtuzhAi, the daughter of his AchAryAn, with Nappinnai, when she (Atthuzhai) opened the door of her house with jangling bangles to offer Bikshai to RamanujA). INNER MEANINGS ACCORDING TO ABHINAVA DESIKAN In our AarAdhanam, we awaken (invoke) AchAryan and Ananatha-GarudaVishvaksEnar (nithyasooris) first and then awaken PirAtti. Here through the awakening of Nappinnai, all the three parties are awakened. In KrishNavathAram, until the time of the Lord's residence in Gokulam, Nappinai PirAtti was PradhAnam (chief wife) and enjoyed the andharangam of the Lord. Nappinnai is the incarnation of NeeLA dEvi. Therefore, the Gopis approach Nappinnai seeking her intercession (PurushakAram). Without PurushakAram of PirAtti, Saasthrams say that one should not
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approach BhagavAn. Even PirAtti would not intervene unless that the chEthanam has sath sahavAsam and SadAchArya sambhandham. Therefore as poorvAngam (preliminaries), the Gopis related to the gate keepers, and NandhagOpan. Nappinai's close relative is NandhagOpan. Therefore, the Gopis address Napinnai cleverly as NandhagOpAlan MarumahaLE here. NandhagOpan's Isvaryam is indicated with Unthu mathakaLiRRin OdAtha ThOlvaliyan in this paasuram. Besides his wealth of cattle, NandagOpAlan is known for the herd of elephants befitting his role as the king of GopAs. His Bhuja bala parakramam is also indicated by the reference to the elephants in rut, which NandhagOpan is able to subjugate. INNER MEANINGS BY PERUKKARANAI SWAMY Here the PrAdhAnyam of PurushakAra BhUthai, Nappinnai is saluted. vanthengum KOZHI azhaitthana KaaNN: The reference to kOzhi (Cock) is a reference to one of the Vaishnava LakshaNams. VaishNavAs are said to be like (1)Kokku (Crane), (2)kOzhi, (3) Uppu (salt) and (4) Oomai (dumb). In the case of kOzhi, it wakes up in the morning and wakes others up by crowing three times. The reasons for crowing thrice are given as: (1) to remind us about thrikAla sandhyAvandhanam (2)To remind us about the japam of three rahasyams: Thirumanthiram, Dhvayam and charama slOkam (3) to remind us that We need the three lakshaNams: BrAmanathvam, VaishNavathvam and Prapannathvam. kOzhi also stirs up the dirt and picks the essentials and discards the rest (kuppai kiLaruthal). It is hence a Saara-grAhi. INNER MEANINGS OF INDIVIDUAL PASSAGES Unthu madha KaLLiRRIn: One who has got Ubhaya VibhUthi and therefore does not pay heed to others OdAtha thOL valiyan: One with unobstructed sankalpam NandhagOpAlan marumahaLE: Oh MahA Lakshmi, who embraces that Lord of Ubhaya VibhUthi and unobstructed sankalpam! ghandham kamazhum Kuzhali kadai: Please banish the obstacles that stand in the way of attaining Kesavan (Your Lord of fragrant tresses). Please remove our sins and say asthu tE dayaiva sarvam sampathsyathe kOzhi vanthu yengum azhaitthana kANN: SaaragrAhis like us (like kOzhi) are going everywhere you are and performing our prapatthi. Please take note of this.

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Maadhavi pandhal mEl pal kaal kuyil Koovina KaaNN: Valmiki, Sukhar and other sages are sitting on the VedAntha SaakhAs and are singing Your Lord's glories. panthAr virali unn maitthunar pEr paaDa: For converting us, who are like instruments of play (LeelOpakaranam) for Him into bhOgOpakaraNam for Him senthAmarai olippa: Please create sunAdhams (auspicious dhvani) from the ornaments that You are wearing Vanthu thiRavAi: and remove the anger of Your Lord at us! This paasuram is the second of the three Paasurams, where the most merciful Mother of ours and the PirAtti of Lord KrishNA, Nappinnai (ILaya Piratti) is being awakened by the assembled Gopis.

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