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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00122 Dec 2003

 
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Dear friends,

To the discerning reader of the TiruppAvai, whose
appreciation of the Tamil language is no less than his
grasp of Vedantic fundamentals, all of the song will
present itself as truly a wonderful allegory on Bhakti
rooted as it is in the principle of "bOdhayanta:
parasparam". He will observe that in every single
verse, through a certain phrase here and a particular
expression there, AndAL makes reference, subtly at
times and explicitly at others, to the precept and
practice of "parasparam" in 'satsangh'. 

As we read the TiruppAvai, we cannot fail to be struck
by the fact that in all the 30 stanzas there is rarely
any use of the Tamil first-person-singular -- "nAn" or
"ennudaiyathu" -- "I", "me" or "mine". It is a
deliberate and significant choice of the poetess and
we should pause and ask ourselves why?

Within a true 'satsangh' there is really no place for
the sense of individual ego -- of "I", "Me" or "Mine".
A true "satsangh" is entirely ego-less because
everyone within it abides by the selfless rule of
"parasparam" -- the "all-for-each" and "each-for-all"
attitude in life. Evidently AndAL wanted to make the
point overwhelmingly clear in her song. To that end
she ensured that even poetic grammar in the TiruppAvai
was appropriate and abundantly reflected the fact. She
studiously avoided using the Tamil first person
singular.

In verse after verse of the song, we see AndAl however
stressing, emphasizing and reiterating -- again and
yet again -- the element of 'collectivity' (while
avoiding individuality or personal ego) through
profuse, even plethoric, employment of the Tamil
first-person-plural --i.e. "nAnggal", "nAm",
"nammudaya", "namakkE", "enggaL""ellArUm", "yAm" i.e.
"we", "ours", "us", "our own", "we alone",
"altogether"? Anyone who carefully examines the 30
stanzas of the TiruppAvai will not miss noticing this
grammatical but purposeful over-use of the Tamil first
person plural.

AndAL resorted to another method too, in order to
effectively evoke, maintain and underscore the
predominant mood of joyous 'satsangh' right throughout
the TiruppAvai. It was through the use of Tamil
metaphor and imagery that is at once apt and
sparkling.

If we carefully study the 30 verses of the TiruppAvai,
one by one, we can surely appreciate how AndAl's
grammar and metaphor both combine with and alternate
each other to conjure up for us a grand vision of the
true nature of 'satsangh' and the 'collectivism' that
is at its very core -- the core of "bOdhayanta:
parasparam".

Let us now proceed with the study, stanza by stanza.

               *************
             (to be continued)

Regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan






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