Dating Of Thiruppavai

Dating of Thirruppavai from pasurams. written by Jayasree Saranathan

Vedas contain knowledge of everything under the Sun and Beyond. Similarly, Thiruppavai which is hailed as "Vedamanaitthukkum Vitthu" contains many concepts of worldly wisdom in addition to wisdom of the spiritual kind.

Some such concepts as enshrined in Thiruppavai help us to locate the time period when it was composed. The well-known information on the period of Thiruppavai is contained in the verse 13 (VeLLi yezhundu Vyaazham urangittru) indicating a celestial happening of simultaneous rising and setting of Venus and Jupiter respectively in the pre-dawn time of that day she composed that verse.

Based on this information, Dr M.RajamAnikkanAr had identified 4 time periods, 600 AD, 731 AD, 885 AD and 886 AD. He arrived at the probable time as 885 AD or 886 AD, based on the near opposition of Venus and Jupiter at pre dawn in the month of mArgazhi in those two years.

But his analysis was done at a time when computer software was not developed. It will be a useful exercise if some one with the present day know-how explore the time of this celestial happening. There are other information too, with which

we can roughly arrive at the time of Thiruppavai. They are discussed below and can be incorporated if someone woks on a software on the sky map of those years.

Of importance are two information, one, on the thithis and the other in the probable days of GarbOttam as indicated in the paasurams.

The thithi factor.

Thiruppavai opens with the description of the Full moon in the pre-dawn sky of the first day. The day was a 'Mathi nirainda nannAL' It must have been the day of Pournami continuing even after sun-rise. In the month of Maargashira, pournami occurs when moon is in the star, Mrigashirsha.. If the moon is in Mrigashirsha on Maargazhi pournami, then the sun must have been in Pooradam (pooravashada). This is crucial information.

Because today Margazhi begins when the sun enters Moola star. Whereas the sun had entered Poorada in Andal's time, on the first day of Maargazhi. This is ahead of to-day's location by 13 degrees and 20 minutes! (that is the duration of a star – the distance between moolam and pooradam ) The reason for this discrepancy is that the precession of the equinox is taking place continuously at the rate of 1 degree for every 72 years ( 50.24 seconds / year). This information helps us in calculating the year

in which Andal had composed Thiruppavai. Today the precession is at 6 degrees, 40 minutes and 24 seconds in the constellation of Pisces. At the rate of 72 years for a degree, we can calculate how many years had preceded for 13-20 degrees. This comes to 960 years. That is, the occurrence of Full moon on the first day of Maargazhi could have happened 960 years ago. But the Full moon does not happen in the exact degree of Jyeshta. If we give allowance for 1 pada duration (3-20 degrees), that is, Full moon happening anywhere in the 4th pada of Jyeshta, we arrive at a figure 1200 years from now.

That means Andal had lived anywhere between 808 AD to 1048 AD. Here we have to apply the Vunus – Jupiter rise and fall on a Krishna paksha dwaadasi ('Pullin vaai' pasuram coming on dwadasi if the first day is assumed to be pournami).

Going by this, we can say that the vernal equinox was in Ashwini 2 nd pada in Andal's time. Today it is in Utthrattaadi (uttara bhadrapada) 1 st pada. Applying this calculation, we can say that in Krishna's time, the equinox was in Kritthikai 4th pada.

GarbOttam.

Let us see the other information that Andal is giving us. GarbOttam means conception of rains or pregnancy of clouds. This is a topic by itself in ancient Samhita works.

Brihat samhita contains information on this. In Brihat samhita, Varahamihira has given detailed accounts of this as an ancient wisdom given by sages such as Vasishta, Parashara, Kashyapa and Garga. Varahamihira has reproduced the information from the works of these sages which are lost now.

GarbOttam can be understood as "El nino" in today's language. The movement of the sun in the star Pooradam in the month of Maargazhi are the GarbOttam days or the days that determine the rainfall for the rest of the year. Interestingly, the El nino also is observed during this period only. GarbOttam contains many information which are unknown to El nino scientists. This year, GarbOttam or Conception days of rainfall starts on 28th December and ends on 10th January. It had happened in the very first 13 days of the month in which Thiruppavai was composed. Because the sun had traversed Pooradam either from the first day of Marrgazhi or a couple of days before that. The main reason for this benefit is that Pooradam is lorded by Varuna bhagavan and Sun's movement in that star reveals the nature of rain later. That is perhaps the reason why paavai nonbu is also said to bring rainfall.

The Paavai nonbu as was done in Tami lands had a history as far back as 5000 years ago. This is known from Sangam texts. Young girls had performed this nonbu which concluded

with a worship of Manmathan in the month of Thai. The Prayer was to get a good husband (like Krishna / Thirumaal ). Married woman had done a similar kind of nonbu with a concluding prayer to Manmatha for a long a life for husband. This is known from Silappadhikaram. Even men folk had conducted some austerities in the month of Maargazhi and concluded with a prayer to Thirumaal for fulfillment of their wishes for fame, prosperity, success, long life and release from karma-vinai for this and next birth.

This is indicated by Andal in Ankan maa Gyaalam paasuram wherein she has stated how the kings waited for His darshan after dip in the sangam. The line 'sangam iruppar pOl vandhu thalai-p-peithOm' is the same description found in Silappadhikaram and Paripadal in describing a nonbu that is performed at the conclusion of which a dip is taken in Sangam (where the river enters the sea) of Kaveri or Vaigai followed by a worship to Manmathan. In all these occasions, there is an underlying benefit connected to this nonbu.

That is about good rainfall – both monthly and yearly spell is assured. The 3 spells every month and good rainfall in the rainy season. The worship in this period therefore comes with a blessing for good rain fall. Andal begins her nonbu with a sankalp in the first two pasurams. In the first pasuram,

the time, the people who perform the nonbu and the goal of the nonbu are described. In the second paasuram, she goes on to lay down the dos and don'ts to be followed by the performers. But from that, she goes on to the next important feature of the nonbu, the universal benefit - that of bountiful rainfall.

It must be remembered that even in Thirukkural, after the initial prayer (kadavul vaazhtthu), the next prayer is for good rainfall (vaan sirappu). Because the world sustains only by water. The concern for the world was prime in the minds of the people of this land. Andal exhibits that exemplary Sanatanic mind.

The 3rd pasuram tells what happens when they perform the nonbu, "Theengindri naadellam thingal mummari peidu" The 4 th pasuram tells about GarbOttam – the initial conditions that must happen so that it would rain plentifully in the season. From Brihat samhita we come to know that conducive conditions for pregnancy of clouds in this month, as aided by the sun in Pooradam will result in good rainfall after 195 days.

Andal's mention about rainfall in the 3rd and 4 th pasuram, soon after her sankalpa, is an additional proof that Maargazhi began in her time with the sun in Pooradam!

That is 1000 years behind our present times!