திருப்பாவை பாசுரம்

ஓங்கி உலகளந்த உத்தமன் பேர் பாடி
நாங்கள் நம்பாவைக்குச் சாற்றி நீராடினால்
தீங்கின்றி நாடெல்லாம் திங்கள் மும்மாரி பெய்து
ஓங்கு பெருஞ் செந்நொலூடு கயல் உகள
பூங்குவளைப் போதில் பொறிவண்டு கண்படுப்ப
தேங்காதே புக்கிருந்து சீர்த்த முலை பற்றி
வாங்கக் குடம் நிறைக்கும் வள்ளல் பெரும் பசுக்கள்
நீங்காத செல்வம் நிறைந்து ஏல் ஓர் எம்பாவாய்.
பூம் குவளைப் போது - அழகிய நெய்தல் மலர்; கயல் உகள - கயல் மீன்கள் துள்ள;(pasuram 3)

திருப்பாவை பாசுரம் Meaning

Should we sing the name of the magnanimous
Outgrown and metered the world and assent
To bathe for deity, rain it shall, pour country over
Thrice monthly with no despair;
Shall facilitates the tall growth of fine paddy crop.
Carp to jump amidst like aquabatic feat,
Spotted bee to perch on lily fair and
Donor cows to stand still, with udders thick,
Allow milking to fill vessels copious;
To ordain never vanishing wealth bounteous;
Listen and consider our damsel.

In this pasuram, Andal started her nonbu or viratham by praising Sri Narayana, saying he is our master, lord, and God. We all worship him and his lotus feet.

In the second prabandham, Aandal explained the dos and do not's that one has to follow during the Vrath.

OOngi/ஓங்கி - By growing very tall Valar ntha -growing
Ulagu/உலகு - All the three worlds - Bhu:, Bhuva, Suva:
aLandha/அளந்த - To measure the worlds by his feet
uththaman/உத்தமன் - One who does everything for the good of Jeevathma, but claims no credit for them
per/பேர் - His Holy Name
naangalpaaDi/நாங்கள் பாடி - To sing the Holy Names of God, without which we cannot live in this world
nampaavaikku chaaRRi/நம்பாவைகு சாற்று - To find a reason to do so in the name of the Vrath
neeraadinaal/நீராடினால் - To take a bath
naaDu ellam/நாடு எல்லாம் - throughout the country/world
theengu inDRi/தீங்கு இன்றி - a Xanadu. a place devoid of bad things and which is peaceful
thingal/திங்கள் - Every month
mummaari paithu/மும்மாரி பெய்து - To rain three times in a month (this is how it was it rained for 1 day and shined for 9 days in a month in those days, we lost it because of not caring for the environment). When it rains 3 times a month, the earth will be healthy and at its best and all the natural wealth are abundant
oongku perum sennel uudu/ஓங்கு பெரும் செந்நெல் ஊடு - In between the paddy field which has grown really tall
kayal ukaLa/கயல் உகள - Fishes flourish in paddy fields (Such is the richness of the land and the height of the paddy crops) - kayal is a type of fish
pori vandu/பொறி வண்டு - beautiful small insects
poom kuvalai podhil/பூம் குவலை பொதில் - Drinking the sweet nectar of the beautiful flowers that were blossomed
kaN paDuppa/கண் படுப்ப - and drinking the nectar they sleep in the flower
vaLLal perum pasukkal/வள்ளல் பெரும் பசுக்கள் - The tall and gorgeous cows which are healthy
theengaamal/தேங்காமல் - without hesitation
pukku/புக்கு - to enter the cattle shed to milk the cows
seertha mulai patri vaanga/சீர்த்த முலை பற்றி வாங்க - to hold the udder of the cows and drag them in an effort to milk the cows
kudam niRaikku/குடம் நிறைக்கும் - and the cows fill the big pots with their milk willingly with just a single pull
niRaindhu/நிறைந்தது - endless prosperity

Perumal's Five Forms:

It is understood from the Vedhas that there are five forms of GOD.

1. Parathvam/பரத்வம் - God is everywhere,
2. Vyuham/வ்யூஹம் - Shri Vaikundam,
3. Vibhavam/விபவம் - God's ten avatars in this earth,
4. Antharyamithvam/அந்தர்யாமித்வம் - God is in every athma and is the master of athma and this atom in our heart separates our soul when we die,
5. Archai/அர்ச்சை - God in temples today.

In the first prabhandham, Aandal described the Parathvam by saying "Narayanane/நாராயணனே"
In the second, she described Vyuham(Vaikundam), by saying "Paarkadalul Paiyathuyindra/பார்க்கடலுள் பையத்துயின்ற".
In this Paasuram, she is talking about Vibhavam, Vamana Avatharam. "Oongi Ulagalandha Uthaman/ஓங்கு உலகளந்த உத்தமன்".

Oongi Ulagalandha Uthaman/ஓங்கு உலகளந்த உத்தமன்: Aandal praises in this paasuram the Avatar in which the Supreme God shrinks Himself to as Vamana. Why did he do that? He did that to help Indiran, who is one of the Jeevathma and who have sought refuge in the Supreme because Maha Bali wants his post-Indira padhavi. He also in the same Avatar grew so big to measure all the 7 lokas with his feet as Thiruvikkiraman. While it is not required for him to shrink and expand, HE did this only for the sake of HIS Adiyars(followers)

With this Aandal re-emphasizes the fact that while it is important to be subservient/to God, HE Himself is doing all the avatars for the sake of a Bhagavatam, it is even more important to be subservient to a Bhagavathas--Adiyars of Bhagavan

In this Avatar, without any discrimination of the caste, creed, race, or if someone is human, animal, bird, GOD graced everyone with HIS Lotus Feet and took all of them to HIM(Jatayu, Squirrel etc). Aandal emphasizes this Kalyana Gunam of Perumal by Oongi ulakalandha Uthaman

• Uthaman/உத்தமன்:People can be classified into three categories: Adhaman, Madhyaman, Uthaman.
• Adhaman: One who wants to live/prosper/gain benefits even at the cost of another life
• Madhyaman: One who wants others to live and also wants himself to live
• Uthaman: One who wants others to live even if it is required for him to be destroyed

Peer paadi Naangal Nampaavaikku Chatru Neeraadinaal/பேர்பாடி நாங்கள் நம்பாவைக்குச் சாற்று நீராடினால் - as these girls who are performing the Vrath are wanting to attain Moksha, it is impossible for them to live in this world without the utterance of the Holy Name(s) of Krishna. And so they chant His names (Mananam/மனனம்) and are indulging in the mercy rain of Krishna.

theengindri naadellam thingal mummaari peidhu/தீங்கின்றி நாடெல்லாம் திங்கள் மும்மாரி பெய்த: Because of Krishna's presence in Thiruvaipaadi, the place is abundant with natural wealth. Where God is the place is filled with Saathvik qualities, and everything happens at the right time in the right place. In those days, we have heard that it rains thrice a month.

When it rains like that, it shines for 9 days and rains for 3 days every month. This allows the water to be always available in the earth, which helps every living thing to grow and thrive. And as the natural wealth is in abundance, not only Thiruvaaipaadim but the entire nation was enjoying the benefits.

oongu perum chennel uudu kayal ukaLa/ஓங்கு பெரும் செந்நெல் ஊடு கயல் உகள : Aandal describes the natural wealth's glory in the coming lines. Because of the rain and shine, the paddy crops have grown long and tall, and because of the dense growth, with no space, the fish in the fields jump high up in joy.

theengaadhe pukkirundhu siirthamulai patrivaanga/தேங்காதே புக்கிருந்து சீர்த்தமுலை பற்றிவாங்க: The cows have grown very tall, and are magestic. The aayars (the people who rear cattle) are bold and brave enough to get near the cows to milk them. The udder of the cows are so huge, that instead of holding them in the fingers, they had to hold them with two hands together.

kudam niraikkum vallal perum pasukkal/குடம் நிறைக்கும் வள்ளல் பெரும் பசுக்கள்: When they squeeze the udder once, the milk starts flowing without stopping which the aayars/ஆயர்கள் keep changing pots and pots to collect the milk.

Here the cows are compared to the quality of Krishna, who in spite of being the Supreme God, went as a "Messenger/தூதன்" on behalf of Paandavas. The cows in spite of being huge, were so calm and quiet in nature, that the children played with it freely and they wouldn't do any harm to the children.

When the Bhagavan came to MahaBali for dhan(alms), he asked only three feet of land.Sukrachariyar the guru of Maha Bali chakravarthi advised Bali not to give.Having realized that it is Maha Vishnu who is in front of him, he bent his head and asked him to take the three feet of land requested.then Bhagavan rose to ongi valarntha utthaman.He measured this world for one foot the sky another foot, he asked him where to put his foot for the third feet, Mahabali bowed before him and showed his head, Bhagavan pushed his head to pathala logam-the under world.

This is a punishment for his arrogance to take devas world and Indira's post.MahaBali realized the man who is giving and asking is Madhavan.The person who is giving is great, the person who is taking the dhan- alms is also great as he is giving the chance of giving. In the Gods case, he is the giver and he is the receiver.

Now Prahaladhan -the grandfather of Mahabali came and requested the Lord to grant him pardon, anyone who became powerful will forget the world,delusion(madhi mayakkam).Bramma also requested Maha Vishnu.HE pardoned him and allowed him to visit his native land Kerala one day a year(this day is called Onam by Malayalees). Anyone who reads this story or listens to this avatar will lose the sins committed as per Bhagavatam.

Reading or listening is good, we must also see HIM, The place is not far away, HE is in Kanchipuram as Ulagalanth Perumal and in Thirukovilur as Thiru Vikraman.I hope you will get an opportunity to visit these two temples when you are in Chennai, next time.