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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00327 Dec 1998

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Dear Bhaagavathaas, 5:00 AM
mArgazhi day 5

(this part deals with the meaning for the word "padi" used in 
vyAkyAnams. Those who are familair with that may please skip this 
part).

Having learnt the some basic meanings associated with the title
and author and achAryA associated with thirup pAvai, it is desired 
that we learn some knowledge on what vyAkyAnms are delivered on
this important shAstram, thirup pAvai by our poorva acharyas. In 
order for us to learn that first we have to learn a particular 
word that we often use in our references in calling or addresing 
these vyAkyAnams. We have heard the word "padi" from many. adiyEn 
is once again attempting to provide some meaning for this word as 
this word is repeated so many times when ever we hear about a 
vyAkyAnams in particular.

The word "padi" has several meanings in tamil. The main meaning is 
"read" or "study". The second meaning is "step". The third meaning 
is "obey". The fourth meaning is "keep low". Some of these are Sri
vaishnava lakshanams that we have know from naicchi anusanthAnams.
The word "padi" also means a "measuring device" or "metrics" or 
"counts" or a scale of units to measure. In olden days they use 
to use a padi to measure the freshly harvested paddy crops (nel). These 
"padis" are also called as "marak kAL" in tanjore district. 

The word "padi" used in calling a vyAkyAnams whether it is "thiru 
vAy mozhi" or "thirup pAvai") has come from the measure of the 
letters used in those vyAkyAnms. (one can measure or count the 
number letters simply but the anubavams that bAgawathALS may get 
out of reading (padi-tthal) those vyAkyAnams are immeasurable. The tamil 
literature uses every 32 letters as one "padi" or a "metre" 
(ie "metrics"). If one is calling a vyAkyAnam "6000 padi" ie., 
ArAyirap padi guru pAram pariyam, that means there are 6000 times 
32 letters in those vyAkyAnams (ie 192,000 letters). 

There are two other reasons our AchAryAs names these as "padis".
The first one is asking us to "read" ("padi") it ourseveles with 
the guidance of an AChAryA and have swaanubavams and enjoy it 
ourselves and then to "read" ("padi") to others who are in the 
beginning stage and help them taste it once such that they also 
seek the guidance of achAryAs and enjoy the swanubavams.

The other reason for naming the vyAkyANms as "padi" is such that
these are "steps" ("padis") to undertanding the AzhwAr aruli 
cheyyals that one must climb themselves with the guidance of 
AchAryAs to learn the AzhwArs aruLi cheyyals thoroughly and 
experience the anubavams that they had and showed in their sri 
sukkthis for us to follow and enjoy ourselves as well. Though 
we can add some more on the "padi" meanings, for the time being 
this is enough for us to begin with a basic understanding of why 
a vyAkyAnm is called so and so "padi" so that the reader can 
have an idea from the start as to what expect. 

Thiru vAy moZhi is known as vedam in tamil and is called as Sri
bagawath vishayam. Most of the vyAkyAnms for "thiry vAy moZhi" of
Sri NammAzhwAr are called as "padis". Next to that thirup pAvai's
vyAkyAnms are also called as "padis". So much importance is given
to this saranAgathi ShAstram delivered by Sri ANDAL by our poorva
AchAryAs. With aruL of ANDAL we may want to climb these padis and
enjoy the anubavams.
Sri ANDAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sri Boomi dEvi samEtha Sri Oppiliappan thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sri ANDAL samEtha Sri vadpathra sAyee perumAL thiru vadikaLE 
saraNam
Sampath Rengarajan

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