Sri Andal Neeratta Uthsavam 2020 - Thiruther - உன் தன்னோடு உற்றோமேயாவோம்!

Year 2020 – lockdown 4 began today – most of us at home – end up seeing WA, FB, News – do not want to hear but end up hearing and speaking about Covid-19.  Today out on road on an essential mission, saw so many people – jostling with each other – why people do not understand – why are they out ? – why are they not practicing social distancing ? – why are they not wearing masks ! .. .. sad, these people out there and from some ‘specific’ sources are destroying the fabric of society. .. .. and there is one culprit Nation – ‘China’.

China will be in the spotlight at the World Health Organisation’s  (WHO) annual health forum, with major powers pushing for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic and for Taiwan to be granted a seat at the table. The World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s decision-making body, will meet online for a shortened agenda on Monday and Tuesday, when Beijing and Western countries – particularly the United States – are expected to debate responsibility for the pandemic.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will address the assembly, state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has also been invited to deliver a speech at the meeting. A draft resolution proposed by the European Union (EU) and co-sponsored by Australia, Britain, Zambia, and others, calls for an “impartial, independent, and comprehensive evaluation” of the WHO’s response to the coronavirus, as well as identification of the pathogen’s source. The draft resolution also calls for greater international collaboration on vaccines, including through voluntary pooling and licensing of patents.

More than 110 countries – including South Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, and the African Group’s 54 member states – have said they support the resolution.  The US government has promoted the theory that the virus may have originated in a lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, while Canberra has echoed the general scientific consensus that it likely spread to humans in Wuhan from an animal source ~ will the truth come out one day !

In the month of Margazhi, occurs  the Nine day festival for Andal known as Neeratta Uthsavam.  Daily morning there will be veedhi purappadu of Andal signifying her preparation for the neerattam.  After the purappadu, Andal will have ‘Thirumanjanam’ at the Neeratta mandapam which is just opposite to the Thiruther.  Sri Parthasarathi Perumal too visits this mantap immediately after the ‘theppam’[float] festival day. 14.1.2020 was day 9 of the uthsavam and it was siriya thiruther.

Thiruppavai is the garland of 30 songs of faultless Sangam Tamil about  how the beautiful Moon like bejewelled maidens sang in praise of the Lord begetting boons – sung by Sri Andal, the daughter of Pattar Piran.  Those who sing these verses of Thiruppavai are bound to be joyous finding the eternal bliss as granted by Lord Sriman Narayana, the mighty and gracious Lord.

கோதைப்பிராட்டியின் திருப்பாவை ஒரு அற்புத காவியம். திருப்பாவைக்கு ஆண்டாள் வைத்த பெயர் சங்கத் தமிழ்மாலை. முப்பது பாடல்களுமே எம்பெருமானை மட்டுமே விளித்து, அவனது குணாதிசயங்களை அதிசயித்து, தோழியர்களை அதிகாலை துயில் எழுந்து, நன்னீராடி - அவனை அடைய உபாயங்களை சொல்லும் வைர வரிகள்.  

** சிற்றஞ் சிறுகாலே, வந்து உன்னைச் சேவித்து .. ..  **  ஆண்டாள் தம்முடைய தோழிமார்களை எழுப்பி பறை போன்றவற்றை பேணி, கண்ணனிடத்திலே பேறுகொள்கிறார். மற்றைய பாசுரங்களுக்கு மகுடம் போன்றது இப்பாசுரம்.   ஆண்டாள் ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணனிடத்திலே வேண்டியது உறவு அல்ல - ஏழேழு ஜென்மங்களிலும் பிரிக்க முடியாத உற்றதோர் உறவு.  குற்றேவல்? குறு + ஏவல் = சின்னச் சின்ன வேலை!  எம்பெருமானிடத்திலே செய்யும் சிறிய கைங்கர்யங்கள் ! ~ அல்லாமல் அவனிடத்தில் நாமாட்பட்டு  செய்யும் அந்தரங்க கைங்கர்யங்கள் தாமே !!

In tradition, a Srivaishnava is supposed to chant all the 30 verses of Thiruppavai daily, if not possible,  chant this 29^th  verse considered to be the quintessence, if even that is not possible one need to at least remember that Andal sung 30 verses and our preceptors dwelled in the meanings of this divine work every day.

சிற்றஞ் சிறு காலே, வந்து உன்னைச் சேவித்து * உன்

பொற்றாமரை அடியே போற்றும் பொருள் கேளாய்!

பெற்றம் மேய்த்து உண்ணும் குலத்தில் பிறந்து *  நீ,

குற்றேவல்  எங்களைக் கொள்ளாமல் போகாது!

இற்றைப் பறை கொள்வான் அன்று காண் * கோவிந்தா,

எற்றைக்கும், ஏழேழ்  பிறவிக்கும், உன் தன்னோடு

உற்றோமேயாவோம்! உனக்கே நாம் ஆட்செய்வோம்!

மற்றை நங்காமங்கள்  மாற்றேலோரெம்பாவாய்!

Another beautiful verse immersed in bakthi and attachment to Krishna.   Here  Godā  devi declares emphatically that the purpose of all the observance detailed thus far  is not the mere objects but totally committed eternal love and service to Kṛṣṇa alone. The jīva is dependent upon Kṛṣṇa for its existence and its goal is to serve and live for His pleasure alone. The elders of Vrindāvan wanted the maidens to perform the vow for rains and for their getting good husbands, but the maidens  lost themselves totally in affection to Emperuman renouncing everything else.    The material goal metamorphasised  into a transcendental desire of  love and to serve Kṛṣṇa. They have even rejected the concept of heaven and actually desire to take more births in order to serve and love Him.  This is the crowning stanza of the entire prabandham and contains the quintessence of Visiṣṭhādvaita Philosophy – of serving Him and surrendering unto Him.   

(ettraikkum ēzhēzh piṛavikkum undannōḍu uttrōmē yāvōm unakkē nām āt ceyvōm) [எற்றைக்கும், ஏழேழ்  பிறவிக்கும், உன் தன்னோடு உற்றோமேயாவோம்! உனக்கே நாம் ஆட்செய்வோம்].   When Bagwan Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa said: — "I have now understood that You desire to serve me this day alone;  those damsels of Thiruvayarpadi responded stating  — “No, not to-day only! But for ever more and for all births to come, we shall not only do service to You and only You, but also will remain related to You.”   The Lord takes innumerable incarnations,  the gopikas aspire to take birth every time with Him to render eternal service;  and  that service is not for pleasure of self but only for pleasure of thyself ; bringing joy to Kṛṣṇa.

Here are some photos of the siriya thiruther purappadu of Kothai piratti at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam.

~adiyen Srinivasadhasan.

Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar.

18.5.2020.