05-05-2025
Two qualities of Acharyas
In the sixth pasuram of Thiruppavai, Andal describes how Gopikas who are ready to begin the day's vrata, wake up the girls who are still asleep. One of the girls thus woken up, asks them how they know that the day has dawned. They tell the girl that birds are calling out indicating that the sun has risen. The sound of the conch is another indication. But the girl is still not convinced. When sages wake up, they chant 'Hari, Hari' loudly. The Gopikas ask her if she cannot hear them. The chant of the sages shows that the day has begun. But why should those awake bother to wake up the ones sleeping? Can they not just go ahead with their own worship? When we get to enjoy something pleasant, we should enable others to have such an experience, said T.N. Aravamuda Thathachariar in a discourse.
The Gopikas do not want their friends to miss out on Krishnanubhava. But all of them are devotees of Krishna. So why is it that some of them are ready to begin the day's worship, while the others are still not out of bed? Bhakti can be intoxicating and in some cases leaves the devotee in a state where he or she is unable to get up and resume normal day-to-day activities. The sleeping girls do not lack Krishna bhakti. In their case, Krishna bhakti has left them in a state where they are unable to get up. This pasuram has references to the Putana episode. Putana came with the evil intention of killing Krishna. But by sucking out her life, Krishna blessed her with moksha. Andal's reference to birds is symbolically a reference to Acharyas. Just as a bird has two wings, an Acharya has two qualities — he has jnana and adheres to Sastraic rules. The white conch spoken of by Andal indicates pranava. Acharyas who have jnana and anushtana, teach their sishyas the meaning of pranava.
