Day 29 - Did you know...

.....how Andal starts and finishes Thiruppavai with Perumal’s holy feet?

In starting with the paasuram 2 :

“paarkadalul paiyathuyindra paraman Adi paadi”

“பாற்கடலுள் பையத்துயின்ற பரமன் அடி பாடி”

Andal calls for her fellow gopis to gather and praise the “Holy feet” (thiruvadi) of Perumal.

Ending with paasuram 29 :

“un potraamarai adiye potrum porul kelaai”

“உன் பொற்றாமரை அடியே போற்றும் பொருள் கேளாய்”

Andal with her fellow gopikas performs “Saranaagathi” to the lotus feet of Perumal. Thus the prabhandham starts and ends with Perumal’s thiruvadi.

This is one of the specialities of “Thiruppavai”. Because of it’s various specialities, like it being the “Seed of vedas”, it is said

“Gothai thamizh aiyainthum ainthum ariyaadha maanidarai

vaiyam sumappathum vambu “

where “vambu” can also be interpreted as ”surprise/wonder”. Thus it is a wonder/surprise to see a person who does not know Thiruppavai as said by Acharyas. In par to those words, it is interesting to know that Thiruppavai known as “Tribave” is even recited (in tamil with “Thai” script) in Bangkok, Thailand in December for 15 days.

References:
1. Thiruppavai Upanyasams by Sri. U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan swami : http://www.ibiblio.org/ramanuja/thiruppavai/pasuram/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiruppavai
3. Commentaries by SrI Karalapakkam AnathapadmanAbhan swAmy http://www.saranagathi.org/articles/commentaries/thirupavai_overview.pdf