Thiruppavai Paasuram 17 - Ambarame thanneere - 1st January

The gopis get inside the palace of Nandagopan after besieging the gatekeepers and now, they have to wake up Krishna's parents, Nandagopan and Yasodha, and Lord Krishna himself and his brother Balarama. So, they reach their chambers and try to awaken one-by-one.

Paasuram - 17 of Thiruppavai

Ambarame thaNNeere SoRe aRam Seyyum
Emberumaan Nandagopaalaa eZhundiraay
Kombanaarkellaam kozhunDe kulaviLakke
Emberumaatti Yasodhaa aRivuraay
AmbaramoodaRiththu ONgiuLagaLandha
UmbaR komaane uRangaaDu eLundiRaay
SemboR kazhaLadi chelvaa BalaDevaa
Umbiyum neeyum uRangelor embaavaay

Outer, explicit literal meaning of this paasuram

The gopis first awaken Nandagopan by praising his virtues.
Oh, King Nandagopan, who generously gifts away clothes, water, and food in abundant quantities, Oh, our Lord kindly awaken.
Oh, Queen Yasodha, who is the slimmest, young beautiful lady (being like a tender child) among all the gentle women and is the brightest light of the entire clan, please wake up.
Oh Krishna, who pierced through the sky with your gigantic form and measured all worlds with two steps, please awaken.
Oh Baladeva, whose feet are adorned with reddish golden anklets, please wake up along with your brother.

The inner, in-depth meaning of the Thiruppavai paasuram 17 

Andal here refers to the four essentials required for accomplishing union with God.
One should first seek an Acharyan, thereafter the Thirumantram, next, he should understand the meaning of it and the last one is to get to the essence of that Thirumantram.
Nandagopan is the Acharyan here. Lord Vishnu himself has imparted the Thirumantram to Goddess Lakshmi. Nandagopan is compared to Vishnu and so got praised as the giver of all essentials.
Yasodha is Compared to Vishnu's consort Lakshmi and so being praised as the most virtuous lady who possessed Lord Krishna in her womb. So, she is the Thirumantram,
Krishna and Balarama are the meaning and essence of Thirumantram. Both are inseparable as they are Sriman Narayan and Adi Seshan themselves. So, along with Krishna, Balarama also gets awakened. The gopis request Balarama to awaken Krishna also along with himself.

Thiruppavai Paasuram 16 - naayaganaay ninRa - 31st December

Thiruppavai paasuram 16 is an important one as it is the stage where the gopis enter the house (temple or Vaikuntham) of Lord Narayana in the form of Krishna to besiege for his darshan and blessings.

Paasuram 16

Naayaganaay ninRa Nandagopan udaiya
Koil kaappaane kodi thhonrum thoraNa
Vaasal kaappaane maNi kaDavam thaaL thiRavaay
Aayar siRumiyomukku arai paRai
Maayan maNi vaNNan nennele vaay neRundaaN
Thooyomaay vandhom thuyiLeda paaduvaan
Vaayaal munnamunNam maatRaadhe amma nee
Nesanilai kadhavam neekkeLor embaavay

Outer, literal meaning of this paasuram
Oh, dear (embaavay) guard of our king Nandagopan's (temple) palace, oh guard at the highly visible flag-staff (the Garuda dhwaja) that is decorated with thoraNams (festoons), please unlock the bejeweled door to let us in.
Lord Krishna, who is full of wondrous deeds and whose complexion is like that of blue sapphire gems, has already promised us to bestow with Parai.
We have come here without sleeping (with a pure heart) to awaken Him with praising songs.
Please don't say no to us immediately, kindly open the door without hesitation listening to our request.

In-depth inner meaning of this paasuram 16 of Thiruppavai
The gopis are the devotees. In order to enter the Lord's Vaikuntham, they have to first cross the doors by appeasing the gate-keepers.
The gate-keepers here refer to the teachers or acharyas who show us the path to moksha.
The temple is the abode of Lord Narayana, Vaikuntham. There are two Dwarapalakas (gatekeepers), one who guards the building and the other who guards the entrance to Lord's presence. Here, the guards are the two mantras of moola mantra and dhvaya mantra as revealed by Lord Narayana to Goddess Lakshmi and through her to other Acharyas. So, the devotees should seek the help of these two mantras to possess God's blessings.
Hence, the request is made to the Acharyas to kindly accept us into their presence as disciples without refusing our prayers instantly (as we have come to them with a pure heart) and impart us these two mantras so that we can reach the abode of Lord Narayana who has already promised through his various avatars that he will grant moksha to all those who seek his protection with a pure heart and sincere efforts.

Thiruppavai- A Holy Composition of 30 Verses by Andal (Goda Devi)

Thiruppavai is a collection of 30 stanzas or verses (known as paasurams in Tamil and Telugu languages). Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya people regard this Tiruppavai book as very auspicious. They narrate the performance of a ceremony known as Holy Penance (Thiru Pavai) as construed by Goda Devi also known as Kodai in Tamil Language (and as Choodikudutha Naachhiyar).

Goda Devi, Author & Devotee 

These Tiruppavai paasurams were composed by Sri Goda Devi, also known as Andal, who was a great devotee and lover of Lord Krishna (presently in the form of Sri Ranganathaswamy in Srirangam Temple). She was the adopted child of a great priest named Vishnu Chitta of Srivilliputtur temple near Madurai. She was attracted to God since childhood and developed pure love and attachment to Him as she grew up. She decided to marry God and not any human being. To achieve unity with Him, she performed the ritual of Pavai as a vow or penance. She would offer garlands to God after testing them for freshness. So, she came to be known as Choodikudutha naachhiyaar.

Tiruppavai Significance

Thiruppavai refers to the revered Pavai, a type of penance performed primarily by young women to achieve specific desires. Kothai, also known as Andal, undertakes this significant ceremony under the guise of a religious ritual. This practice takes place during the auspicious month of Marghazhi, which runs from December 16 to January 14, a time deemed part of the celestial dawn in heaven.

In her role as a cowherdess, Goda Devi invites other young girls to join her in performing this ritual to seek eternal bliss for all. She continues this practice for all 30 days, rising early at Brahma Muhurtam each morning and worshiping God with a verse she composed in praise of Him. So, she wove 30 paasurams, one each per day, and performed this ritual. On completion of this penance, God appears in a dream to her father and orders him to get her married to Him in the Sri Rangam Temple. 

To know how to perform Dhanurmasam rituals, view this article about "Dhanurmasam".

Tiruppavai Contents

The first five verses of Tiruppavai introduce us to the main purpose and theme of this ritual. While common people seek happiness in life, Andal pursues a deeper form of eternal happiness and bliss—attaining unity with God. Although other members of her group may believe she is seeking worldly happiness like them, Goda Devi emphasizes that true fulfillment comes from worshiping God rather than from material luxuries. She encourages people to rise early in the morning, take a bath, and make offerings of flowers and sincere prayers to God, seeking His blessings and true happiness in their lives. Goda Devi also asserts that honest prayers can bring rain and prosperity.

The next ten stanzas of Thiruppavai emphasize the importance of collective participation and highlight how nature and surroundings contribute to the success of one's penance. Andal stresses the significance of honestly fulfilling daily duties rather than avoiding them under the guise of being busy with spiritual rituals. She goes around her neighborhood, waking up each friend to join her in the ritual and describing the beautiful aspects of nature, such as the chirping of birds, the vibrant colors of the sky and clouds, the blooming flowers, their enchanting fragrances, the bells ringing from the necks of cattle, the reverberating echoes of chants from temples, and the sounds of conches. 

Andal reminds everyone that these elements are part of daily life and encourages them to rise early to find inspiration in their surroundings. She urges them to perform their daily routines while also engaging in spiritual meditations and rituals. Furthermore, she advises that we should restrain ourselves from indulging in worldly pleasures by curtailing our desires, ego, prestige, and pride. Only then will God be pleased, granting us all blessings and happiness.

In verses 16 to 22, the text describes the awakening of Lord Krishna's father, mother, brother, consort Neela, and finally, Lord Krishna himself. In these verses, the author praises their great virtues while emphasizing that God is not limited to certain chosen individuals but is accessible to all His devotees. It’s important for everyone to remember this truth and not to hinder others from seeking His companionship and blessings.

In the following five stanzas, from 23 to 27, Andal asks for Krishna's forgiveness for waking Him up so early in the morning, while also glorifying Him by listing all His virtues. The 28th verse highlights the humbleness and ignorance of people in recognizing or realizing God, and it requests that He kindly bestow His gifts upon them in the form of eternal bliss.

Verse 29 describes her vow and the determination of other devotees to perform the Pavai ritual in order to attain eternal happiness and find relief from worldly problems.

Verse 30 serves as the concluding stanza, summarizing her collection of these 30 verses, known as Pasurams. This verse emphasizes their dedication to God and states that anyone who recites them daily for 30 consecutive days without fail will receive all the pleasures and blessings from God.

This text captures the essence, importance, and purpose of Thiruppavai, which is recited by Sri Vaishnava devotees, especially during Dhanurmasam, a month that occurs from December 16 to January 14 each year.

To learn more about the story of Andal or Goda Devi view this "article on Andal's life and her greatness".

Each one of these 30 paasurams has been provided by me with full meanings in my other posts tagged with the label "Tiruppavai".

How to Manage the Problem of Cash Crunch in India after Demonetization 2016

Demonetization of the high valued currency notes of Rs.1000 and Rs.500 by our PM Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, has gripped the country with a severe problem of cash crunch or cash crisis.

All banks and ATMs have gone cashless and people are left with no money at all to meet their daily requirements essential for the everyday existence. Poor people with no knowledge of online transactions or e-payments are the worst hit. They had to depend on the mercy of vendors and traders who could offer them their daily essentials on credit.

The media and the political parties have expressed their own views and launched much criticism of the step taken by our PM Modi and our central bank RBI in their varying comments and at public meetings.

Many of them opined that it was the result of the lack of proper planning and foresight on the part of Reserve Bank of India and our Government. But, they didn't think of the circumstances that lead to taking such a sudden step overnight by our PM.

I appreciate the bold move taken by our government even though most of us had to face many difficulties in coping with our daily necessities due to the lack of cash.

I thought of presenting my own opinions here in this regard and to offer my own suggestions to tackle the situation in a better manner.

How to tackle the problem of the cash crunch in our country?

1) First of all, I would like to suggest that RBI should not release all the amount of withdrawn currency notes that they print. They should print only 65% of the withdrawn currency as advised by some thinkers of the economy. Even after printing the 65%, they should make available only half of the notes to be circulated again among the public. So, only up to 35% of the total withdrawn currency should be in circulation and the balance 30% should be kept in reserve for emergencies with RBI and not with the commercial Banks.

The real position of currency notes and their printing is as follows:

Suppose that the total demonetized notes were as follows according to some reliable reports in media.
1650 crore notes of Rs.500  =Rs 8.25 lakh crore in value
  670 crore notes of Rs.1000=Rs 6.70 lakh crore in value
The total value of demonetized =Rs 14.95 lakh crore in value

RBI sources informed according to a media report published in the economictimes.com dated 19/12/2016 that as on 8/11/2016, RBI had printed 2473 million pieces of Rs 2000 denomination notes before announcing the demonetization. The value of those notes amounts to Rs 4.946 lakh crores.

So, RBI already had a fund of Rs 4.95 lakh crore to meet the demonetization effect.

Now, if RBI should print only 65% of the demonetized value of notes, it should print (14.95 lakh crore x 65% = Rs 9.72 lakh crore value of the currency.

But, we already have Rs 4.95 lakh crore in the shape of Rs 2000 notes.
So, we need to print only (9.72 less 4.95 = 4.77) Rs 4.77 lakh crore value of the currency.

If all this value of the currency is printed in the shape of Rs 500 notes, we need to print 954 crore notes.

According to these same reports, the currency printing machines have a capacity of printing only 7.4 crore notes a day in their present working conditions of two shifts per day.

So, to print 954 crore notes, it will take (954 divided by 7.4) 129 days roughly or say 4 months.

If RBI started printing the notes from 1st December itself at this rate, the notes will be ready by 8th April 2017. So, we have to bear another 3 months till the position improves.

2) Establishments and business companies should disburse only Rs.10,000 in cash as salaries and the rest amount should be credited to the bank accounts of their employees. This will control the cash shortage by limiting the cash in the hands of people.

As of now, our population is around 134 crores. So, if RBI is printing a total of 972000 crore value of the currency (9.72 lakh crore value including Rs 2000 notes), each individual including the just born child will be having a sum of Rs 7250 with him for immediate needs. This is excluding the other notes of Rs.100, 50, 20, and 10 denominations.

So, if a family has 4 members, it will have roughly Rs 30,000 with them. This is too much for meeting your cash transactions. That is why I advocate for releasing only half of the printed currency for circulation among the public.

3) Banks should allow only a maximum of Rs.20,000 as cash withdrawals and nothing more than that limit during any month excepting some special cases where it is necessary.

4) Government and Banks should provide safer and quicker means of making cashless transactions.

5) I think all people should open savings or other current accounts with Banks and get their ATM cards. These ATM cards can be used very safely for making any kind of payment with no threats of security if properly maintained.

6) Mobile apps can also be taken to make other transactions but they should be properly guarded.

7) Public awareness should be promoted to educate people regarding the various types of safer apps and tools available for going cashless and regarding their proper usage with public demonstrations conducted throughout all the corners of the country.