Tiruppavai | |
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Information | |
Religion | Hinduism |
Author | Andal |
Language | Tamil |
Period | 9th–10th century CE |
Verses | 30 |
Part of a series on |
Vaishnavism |
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The Tiruppavai (Tamil : திருப்பாவை, romanized: Tiruppāvai) is a set of Tamil Hindu hymns attributed to the female poet-saint Andal. [1]
The Tiruppavai consists of thirty stanzas referred to as pasurams in praise of Perumal. [2] It is a part of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, a collection of the works of the twelve poet-saints called the Alvars, an important part of the devotional genre of Tamil literature. The Tiruppavai has also been translated into Telugu by Mullapudi Venkataramana as Melupalukula Melukolupu. [3] In this work, Andal calls upon to all people to recite the name and glories of Vishnu. [4]
The Tiruppavai belongs to the pāvai genre of songs. This genre referred to the Tamil tradition of unmarried girls performing rites and upholding a vow (vrata) of their performance throughout the month of Margaḻi. [5] This practice assumes special significance during Margaḻi : each day of this month gets its name from one of the thirty verses. There are references to this vow in the late-Sangam era Tamil classic anthology called Paripatal. [6]
Andal's thirty songs contain the cardinal principles of Vaishnavism during the month of Margaḻi . Andal assumes the guise of a cowherd girl in these 30 verses. Andal appears intent upon performing a particular religious vow to marry Vishnu and remain in his everlasting company, inviting of all her friends to join her to serve him with her. [7]
According to the religious hymns the symbolic undertone behind Andal's entreaty to her friends to wake up and seek Krishna subsumes the essence of the three basic mantras in the Vaishnava tradition — the Tirumantram, Dvayam, and Charama Sloka that signify the truth of the paramatma or the Supreme being who dwells in everything. There is a hidden meaning in the 27th pasuram, for example, where Andal explains the importance of an acharya whose guidance is mandatory for a disciple to get these trio of mantras.
The Tiruppavai is said to be 'Vedam Anaithukkum Vithagum', meaning it is the seed of the Vedas. [8] As the entire tree and the trees coming from it are hidden in the subtle seed, so is the entire essence of the Vedas is hidden in the Tiruppavai which can be revealed only under the guidance of an acharya or a guru who is well versed in Vedic scriptures.
This entire hidden essence is mentioned in the Andal's verses in the form of poetry.
The first five stanzas provide an introduction to the main theme, its principle and purpose. According to Andal, one should give up luxuries during this season. Sincere prayers to the God would bring abundant rain and thus prosperity. Offering Krishna fresh flowers would expiate sins committed earlier and those that may be committed in future.
In the next ten stanzas she describes the importance of community participation. She invites her friends to gather flowers. She essays the ambience at her village, the chirping of birds, colorful blossoms, the musical sound of butter-churning, herds of cattle with tinkling bells, the sounding of the conch from the temple.
She visits each household and awakens all her friends to join her for a bath in a nearby pond. She also praises the incarnations of the deity. The next five stanzas describe her visit to the temple accompanied by her friends. She desires to render a suprabhatham gently to wake up the deity. The group appeases the temple guards, enters the temple and recites prayers extolling the parents of Krishna and begging them to wake up Krishna and Balarama. Then they approach Niladevi, the consort of the deity, to have a darshana . [9]
The last nine stanzas are on the glories of the deity. On receiving his blessings Andal lists her demands; milk for the vrata, white conch, lamps, flowers, and rich costume and jewellery, plenty of ghee and butter. The concluding stanza is an envoie identifying her as the daughter of Vishnucitthar (Periyalvar) who made this garland of 30 pasurams and says those who recite with devotion will have Krishna's blessings. [10]
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: A concise and grammatically correct translation is necessary.(April 2023) |
The Tiruppavai also includes three taniyans (literally, 'singletons' or standalone verses) composed by later authors to introduce older texts. The first thaniyan, 'Nila tungastana ... ' in Sanskrit was composed by Parashara Bhattar, and the next two taniyans, 'Anna vayal pudhuvai ... ' and "Choodi kodutha..." (translated below) were composed by Sri Uyyakondar.
Taniyan [11]
This song is a prelude to Tiruppavai and is one of the 3 taniyans.
Andal from the swan filled Puduvai,
Sang she, in her sweet voice,
Several enchanting sweet odes,
For being sung during,
The worship and adulation of Pavai.
They are but a garland to him,
From her who wore them first,
Before presenting them to Him.
Each pasuram (ode to Perumal) of Tiruppavai is generally named by the first few words of the religious hymns. These are given first and a translation into verse given then:-
Hymn name | Translation |
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1.Margaḻi Tingal | In this month of Margaḻi, On this day filled with the light of moon, |
2. Vaiyathu Vaḻvirgal | Oh, people of this world, Be pleased to hear of those penances, |
3.Ongi Ulagalandha | If we sing the praise of Him, Who grew big and measured the world, |
4.Aḻi Maḻai Kanna | Please obey our wishes, Oh rain God who comes from the sea, |
5.Mayanai Mannu | To Him the enchanter of all, To Him the son of Mathura in the north, |
6.Pullum Chilambina | Did you not hear alternate twittering birds making loud noises, Did you not hear the loud sound of white conch, |
7. Kīsu Kīsu | Did you not hear, Oh slow witted girl, The twittering sound of black birds of the morn, |
8. Kīḻ Vanam | The eastern sky has become white, The buffaloes are free to walk and graze, |
9. Tumani Madaththu | Oh my uncle's daughter, who sleeps, In the soft cotton bed, |
10. Notru Svargam | Oh lady fine, who has entered the heaven, Due to penance done in last birth, |
11. Katru Karavai | Oh daughter of the cattle baron, Who milks herds of cows, |
12. Kanaithilam Katrerumai | Hey, sister of the rich one, who owned, The mooing she buffalo with a calf, |
13. Pullin Vāi Kīndanai | The lasses have reached, The place of prayer for Pavai, |
14. Ungal Puḻakkadai | In the pond in the backyard of your house. The lily in the ponds have opened, |
15. Elle Ilam kiliye | "Hey, little bird, Are you still sleeping?" |
16. Nayaganāi Ninra | Hey, He who guards the palace of Nanda Gopa, Hey, who guards the ornamental door with flags, |
17. Ambarame Tannīre | Hey Nandagopa, who does good deeds and charity, Who gives water, cloth and food to others, |
18. Undhu Madha Kalitran | Hey, Who is the fair daughter-in-law, Of Nanda gopa, who has several elephants, |
19. Kuttu Vilakeriya | In the light of the oil lamp, On the ornamental four legged ivory cot, |
20. Muppatu Muvar | Please wake up Oh, deity, Who removed sorrow and fear, |
21. Etra Kalangal | Oh son of him, Who owned several cows, |
22. Angan Mā Jnalathu | Like all the famous kings Of the wide World, that is pretty, |
23. Māri Malai Muḻainjil | Like the majestic lion wakes up with ire, From the mountain cave in the rainy season, |
24. Anru Ivvulagam | We worship your feet which measured the world then, We worship your fame of winning over the king of Southern Lanka, |
25. Oruti Maganāi Pirandu | Being born to woman, And in the same night in hiding. |
26. Māle! Manivanna | Oh Vishnu, Oh lord who is like the blue sapphire, |
27. Kudārai Vellum | Hey Govinda, who is known for victory over enemies, |
28. Karavaigal Pin Chendru | Belonging to the ignorant family of cow herds, Drive we would the cattle to the forest, |
29. Chitram Chiru Kale | Please hear why, In this very early dawn, |
30. Vanga Kadal Kadaintha | He who sings with out error, The thirty odes in sweet Tamil, |
In Thailand, an annual Giant Swing ceremony known as Triyampavai-Tripavai was held in major cities until 1935, when it was abolished for safety reasons. [12] The name of the ceremony was derived from the names of two Tamil Hindu chants: Thiruvempavai (a Shaivite hymn by Manikkavacakar) and Tiruppavai. It is known that Tamil verses from Thiruvempavai — poet pratu sivalai ("opening the portals of Shiva's home") — were recited at this ceremony, as well as the coronation ceremony of the Thai king. [13] According to T.P. Meenakshisundaram, the name of the festival indicates that Tiruppavai might have been recited as well. [14]
Agrahayana or Margashirsha, is the ninth month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Agrahayana is also the ninth month of the year, beginning on 16 November and ending on 15 December. Margashirsha means related to the Mrigashīrsha nakṣatra (asterism), which has been known since Vedic times.
Nammalvar was one of the twelve Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, where praises are sung of 108 temples that are classified as divine realms, called the Divya Desams. Nammalvar is considered to be the fifth in the line of the twelve Alvars. He is highly regarded as a great mystic of the Vaishnava tradition. He is also considered to be the foremost among the twelve Alvars, and his contributions amount to 1352 among the 4000 stanzas in the Naalayira Divya Prabandam.
The Naalayira Divya Prabandham is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by the 12 Alvars. It was compiled in its present form by Nāthamuni during the 9th–10th centuries. The work, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil Alvars who lived between 5th and 8th Century CE, marks the beginning of the canonisation of 12 Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively today.
Andal, also known as Godhai, Nachiyar, and Godhadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatara of the goddess Lakshmi. As with the Alvar saints, she was affiliated with the Sri Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Active in the 8th-century CE, Andal is credited with two great Tamil works, Tiruppavai and Nachiyar Tirumoli, which are still recited by devotees during the winter festival season of Margali. Andal is a prominent figure for women in South India and has inspired several women's groups such as Goda Mandali.
The Srivilliputhur Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur, a town in Virudhunagar district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Vatapatrasayi and his consort Lakshmi as Andal. It is believed to be the birthplace of two of the Alvars, namely Periyalvar and his foster-daughter, Andal. The temple is located 80 km from Madurai. Constructed in the Ancient Indian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE.
Koodal Aḻagar Temple in Madurai, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Viyooga Sundarrajan, and his consort Lakshmi as Mathuravalli.
Sri Bhaktavatsala Perumal temple is a Hindu temple, located at Thirunindravur, a western suburb of Chennai, India. It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Bhaktavatsala Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Ennai Petra Thayar.
Periyalvar, also known as Vishnuchittar, was one of the twelve Alvar saints of South India who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He was the foster father of Andal. Andal, also called as Kodhai, is the only female Alvar, and is considered to be the incarnation of Bhudevi according to Sri Vaishnavism.
Nachiyar Tirumoli is a set of 140 verses composed by Andal, one of the twelve Alvars in Sri Vaishnava tradition in Hinduism. In her restlessness and eagerness to attain Vishnu, Andal attempts various methods by which she can attain union with him, which forms the major part of work. Among the tirumolis, Vaaranam Aayiram is very well-known and has a special significance. It details Andal's narration of her dream of her experiences with her friends on her way to achieve her purpose of birth, which is to marry Vishnu.
Tiruppan Alvar was one of the twelve Alvars of South India, who were poet-saints known for their affiliation to the Sri Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham and the 108 temples revered in the text are classified as Divya Desams. Tiruppan Alvar is considered the eleventh in the line of the twelve Alvars.
The Tiruvaymoli is a work of Tamil Hindu literature. Comprising 1102 verses, it was composed in the ninth century CE by the Hindu poet-saint Nammalvar, who is regarded as the foremost of the Alvar saints of South India. It is the most prominent work of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, a compilation of the Alvars towards the devotion of Vishnu. It is frequently referred to as the Tamilveda or the Dravidaveda.
Nathamuni, also known as Sri Ranganathamuni,, was a Vaishnava theologian who collected and compiled the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Considered the first of the Sri Vaishnava acharyas, Nathamuni is also the author of the Yogarahasya, and the Nyayatattva.
Thirumal Perumai is a 1968 Indian Tamil-language Hindu mythological film, directed by A. P. Nagarajan. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini. It was released on 16 February 1968.
The Tiruvempavai is a collection of songs composed by the poet-saint Manikkavacakar. It consists of 20 stanzas devoted to the Hindu deity Shiva. It forms part of the collection called the Tiruvasagam, and the 8th book of the Tirumurai, a canonical text of the Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta. The songs form part of the pavai ritual for unmarried young girls during the Tamil month of Margali.
The Āmuktamālyada is a Telugu epic poem composed by Krishnadevaraya, the ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, in the early 16th century. Amuktamalyada translates to "One who offered the garland after wearing it herself". Considered as a masterpiece, the Amuktamalyada describes the legendary wedding of the Hindu deity Ranganayaka, an avatar of Vishnu, and Andal, one of the poet-saints called the Alvars, at Srirangam.
The Perumal Tirumoli is a work of Tamil Hindu literature written by Kulasekhara Alvar, one of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. This work, which is a part of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, consists of 105 hymns, that are numbered 647 to 750 in the compendium. It is dedicated to the worship of Vishnu, who is referred to as Perumal.
The Periya Tirumoli is a work of Tamil Hindu literature, consisting of 1,084 hymns. It was written by the poet-saint Tirumangai Alvar. It forms a part of the compilation of the hymns of the Alvars, called the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.
The Periyalvar Tirumoli is a Tamil Hindu work of literature written by Periyalvar, one of the twelve Alvars, the poet-saints of Sri Vaishnavism. Comprising 473 verses, it is part of the compendium of hymns called the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, dating back to the 9th century CE.
The Kanninun Cirutampu, also rendered the Kanninun Siruttambu, is a work of Tamil Hindu literature composed by Madhurakavi Alvar, one of the twelve Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Comprising eleven pasurams (hymns), the Kanninun Cirutampu is a tribute to Madhurakavi's acharya, Nammalvar. These hymns are part of the Sri Vaishnava canon, the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.
The Tirupallantu, also rendered the Pallandu, is a Tamil benedictory hymn dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. Written by the poet-saint Periyalvar, it is the opening hymn of the medieval devotional compendium of the Alvars, the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. It is referenced in other works of this anthology, such as the Perumal Tirumoli.
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: CS1 maint: others (link)Tiruppavai Line by Line translation in English with meaning, interpretation and new poetic verses in English by Author and Poet Umasree Raghunath https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DS12DMFP [1]