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Fwd: Re: "muppadUm thappAmE" -- CONCLUSION

From the Bhakti List Archives

sampath kumar • January 16, 2000 


Dear friends,
adiyen's last post on "tiruppAvai" was in the format
of Q&A (Questions & Answers).

One young "bhAgavatA" member (who says he is "afraid"
to post his questions on the main-list!) sent adiyen
the following 2 additional questions by private mail.
He does not mind adiyen sharing the answers on the
main list.

> > "... one can enjoy the tiruppAvai as you have >>
done.. like religious/devotional poetry. But does the
tiruppAvai have any place in religious practice?"" 

> > "you have generously quoted in your 
> > posts from traditional sources and yet you have
taken > > liberties at many places with interpretation
according to 'sampradAya'. Is this right?  
> > 
> >  

Adiyen's reply:

Yes, the "tiruppAvai" can also be put to great use in
religious practice both in temples and at homes on a
daily basis. For. e.g. in the great Tirupati temple of
Venkateshwara there is the famous "sAttrumorai-sevA"
every morning soon after, I think, the "suprabhAtam"
and "tOmAla-seva". The local temple jeeyar leads a
band of worshippers into the temple for this quick
'darshan'. The eligibility for entrance into this
'sevai' is that one should arrive at the portals of
the temple straight after a dip in the waters of the
"swAmi-pushkarani" in nothing else but a wet "dhoti",
one should be wearing the "yagnyOpavitam", the
"urdhvapundram" and one's hair-dress should be
appropriate ...i.e. it should look like a blend of
"prAcheena-sampradAyam" and "naveena-sampradAyam" ...
or in other words your hair-style should look like a
cross "between a traditional "sikhA" and a modern
"punk-cut"...

At the gates of the temple the "jeeyar" will be ready
to lead you into the 'sAttrumorai-seva" but only if
the "gate-jawAn", a lowly temple security-official
stamps your visa. At the gate the official will give
you a 'look-over', and if he "likes the look" of you
and is satisfied that you are a "genuine Sri
Vaishnava" he will let you in. If not, bad luck, you
will not be allowed to go along with the "jeyar" for
the "sevai".

Once you are inside the temple precincts you can join
the virtual "stampede" that is part of the
"sAtrumorai- sevai". Inside the sanctum-sanctorum the
"sAtrumorai" will commence with a verse from the
"tiruppalAndu" and then the "jeeyar" and the
"sAtrumorai" chorus will sing (more often "yell out")
the last 2 verses of the "tiruppAvai".

As far as the practical use of "tiruppAvai" in the
home is concerned, it is an extremely handy litany for
the SriVaishnavite daily "tiruvAdhAranai" -- the offer
of daily worship to the domestic deity.

(1) When one arises from bed in the morning one chants
the 1st, 29th and 30th verse of the "tiruppAvai".
(2) Before throwing opening the "doors" of one's
puja-room one should recite Stanza#22..."anganmAlat-
arasar" and then chant Stanza#16 "nAyakanAy ninra..".
After that the doors of the puja-room or closet can be
opened.
(3)Then the householder will "fan" the deity gently,
set right the divine bed-chamber (a sort of "making up
the bed"), and then taking a leaf of basil ("tulasi")
and placing it as it were a virtual throne, the
householder will mentally request the Deity to take
his Seat or Throne upon it... At which point he will
chant Stanza#23 "mAri-malai-muzhanjil...".
(4) When the Lord is thus seated the householder will
chant Stanza#24, the 'mangalAsAsanam' of
"anru-ivullagam aLandAy....".
(5) When the householder offers "food" for the Lord,
he will chant Stanza#27 ..."koodArai-vellUm..."
(6)Finally during the "sAtrumorai" at home, the
householder will again sing Stanza29 and 30.

As for the question:  > > "you have generously quoted
in your > > posts from traditional sources and yet you
have taken > > liberties at many places with
interpretation according to 'sampradAya'. Is this
right?  

Adiyen does not know if it is right or not. Who can
judge except God Himself? But adiyen views are like
this: "sampradAyam" must become a living inspiration
for all us present-day SriVaishnavas, both old and
young, both learned and laymen and for both
religious-minded and not-so religious-minded. Adiyen
does not believe in regarding our 'sampradAyam' like
an old, 78 RPM gramaphone record-plate ---- which has
enormous antic value, sure, but if one were to play
it, would produce nothing but "scratchy" noise and
maudlin memories for days and centuries bygone.

dAsan,
Sampathkumaran  
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