thiruppAvai vaibhavam

SrI:
SrImatE rAmAnujAya nama:
SrImath varavara munayE nama:

The mArgazhi nOnbu vratam:

The pAvai nOnbu vrata- a ‘vyAjam’
The pAvai nOnbu vrata observed by AndAL during the month of mArgazhi finds inspiration in the kArthyAyaNi vrata observed by the gOpIs during the hEmanth ritu/season (~ mArgazhi). Such a vrata in mArgazhi does not find pramANa (basis) in shAstrAs. This is similar to the holi festival (vasanta utsav) celebrated in northern India. The rationale in celebrating this festival is not stated in the vEda-shAstrAs. However, the tradition of celebrating holi is honored owing to the customs and practices embraced by the elders of the society. mImAmsa shAstra sheds light on the “hOlAkAthi karaNa nyAyam”, which denotes that the honoring of some events can be attributed to customs and conventions observed by the elders.

On a similar note, AndAL says- "mElailayAr seivana venDuvana kETTiyel". Owing to the severe pain associated with being separated from emperumAn, AndAL was too weak to go anywhere. She, thus, embraced the mood of the gOpIs (anukAram) and followed the footsteps of the gOpIs in observing the pAvai nOnbu vrata. In this context, let us recall what the gOpis did with kannan at thiruvAyppADi.
gOpikAs in kriShNAnubhavam
emperumAn, in his kriShNAvatAram, performed wonderful pastimes at thiruvAyppADi. kannan’s thirukalyANa guNAs were so attractive that it captivated the hearts of the five lakh gOpIs of brindAvanam. By the grace of kannan, when these gOpIs were bestowed with youthfulness (yauvana parvam), they desired to enjoy the divine association of kannan, that is bhagavth samslESham. However, the older citizens of AyppADi were angered by the gOpis’ desires and found means to separate them from kannan, their beloved charmer. This deeply disappointed the gOpIs, who were kept secluded from kannan in the underground grain storerooms (nel kalanchiyam) of their homes. Unable to bear the separation from kannan, there eventually came a heartening opportunity. At the time, there was no rain in thiruvAippADi as a result of which agriculture and farming suffered. The gOpIs thought this would be a good time to announce the performance of a nOnbu, a ceremony that will be observed for the flourishing of the land and people. However, the underlying intention of the gOpIs was to use this nOnbu event as a vyAjam/pretext to associate with kannan. The clever gOpIs chose kannan as the lead for their vrata and were convinced that given the stated purpose of the vrata, the older folks would not mistake seeing them with kannan in course of the vrata. The gOpIs, thus, proceeded with the nOnbu with kannan as the upAyam for this ritual.

Likewise, AndAL, with her friends at SrIvillipuththUr, followed the path of the gOpIs in observing the nOnbu vrata as a vyAjam to attain emperumAn.

Important to note for prappannAs is that this nonbu does not qualify as an upAyam (means) pursued by AndAL since it merely served as a pretext/excuse to attain her goal- kriShNa samslESham- for which AndAL chose SrI krishNa to be the upAyam.

nOnbu- a vyAjam; is AndAL being untruthful?
While the nOnbu vrata was justified as an observance of a ritual dedicated for the prosperity of the land and people, AndAL’s underlying intention was to attain emperumAn. The question that now arises is that is AndAL being dishonest when using nOnbu as a vyAjam (pretext) to attain emperumAn and claiming to the place that she is doing so for a different purpose.

The shAstrAs state that it is acceptable for one to lie in the circumstances of marriage, nearing death or saving a brAhmaNa or a well-wisher from a predicament. In the case of AndAL, she was in the stage of giving up her life owing to separation from emperumAn. Hence, from this perspective, it was okay for AndAL to state a different, convincing reason to perform the nOnbu vrata.

If the nOnbu is simply a pretext, can it be fruitful?
Having said that the nOnbu vrata, on the face of it, was observed for worldly prosperity, it may now be questioned as to how any dEvata would offer any benediction upon AndAL and her friends since the underlying intention of doing the vrata was different from what was outwardly stated. The answer to this is that the nOnbu would certainly prove successful since, both in the case of AndAL as well as the gOpIs, they followed the rules and regulations associated with observing the nOnbu ritual (“neyyuNNOm pAluNNOm nAtkAlE nIrADi”). By executing the ritual per vEdic injunctions, they were bound to receive the fruits of their actions. Further, they considered kannan emperumAn as the upAyam for their nOnbu, which automatically assured success.

Why nonbu, not madal?
AndAL took up to observing the nOnbu ritual rather than doing maDal oordal, which was resorted to by thirumangai AzhwAr to compel emperumAn to come to him. The idea of maDal oordhal is that an estranged lover evokes sympathy in public by boldly exclaiming that she was deserted for no fault of hers; this in turn would evoke the compassion of the man and would compel him to reunite with her. Having understood this, it appears more natural for AndAL to have taken up to maDal oordhal since it was well within the purview of nAyaki bhAvam, which was innate to AndAL versus to AzhwAr. However, AndAL adeptly avoided maDal since firstly, she was none but bhUmi pirATTiyAr; pAratantriyam is an essential quality possessed by pirATTiyAr and maDal oordhal would be svarUpa hAni- that is, it would go against this attribute of pirATTiyAr since it reflects the pursuing of an upAya other than emperumAn. Secondly, AnDAL understood that maDal would not work best in the case of kannan, who is characteristic of his mischiefs (chEShTithangaL); had AndAL or the gOpIs resorted to maDal, kannan would have in turn resorted to a similar thing, wherein he would have playfully complained that the girls were not giving him attention, they didn’t bother to see him and so on. Thus, AndAL took to performing the nOnbu vratam.

TRANSLATED from thiruppāvai avathārikai in mūāyirappadi of vyAkhyAna chakravarti, swAmi periyavāchchān piļļai. 
  
 AndAL thiruvadiklaey sharanam | emperumAnAr thiruvadikale sharanam

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