The memory of it exists till today, thanks to AndaaL who immortalized that memory
in her composition, Thiruppavai.
It is our fortune that olden compositions describing this nOnbu still exist with
us.
The most detailed account of this nOnbu and the nOnbu done in the month of ைை
We can say for sure that Paripaadal was composed more than 2000 years ago,
because the 11th composition that speaks about the glory of the river Vaigai
ோல்லோ்ைுைனார் ,
Isai – ோாைனார் ,
The sky map can be constructed from the details of the first part of this
composition.
(It is given in
http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/12/paavai-nonbu-how-it-was-done.html )
The rainy season (ைார் ைாலம் ) began on this day as per tradition.
It was because all the causes that facilitate such a season had existed the year
before!
The river ைைைை is full and at many places it looks muddy in color
It is aspected by the sun which has now taken position in the star Poorada
as all tanks and water bodies are full by the time Margazhi arrives.
The water is not fast but it gently moves along the breeze.
(அம்பா - mother )
They go with the prayer that the land be cool as how they experience then,
that can happen only if the preceding rainy season was satisfactory
and also for a mighty sun that shines well but not scorch the land!
the elderly Brahmin women who guide them on how to do that nOnbu.
Accordingly, the girls take bath in the cold waters of the river
The girls the join their mothers and follow the instructions to do the prayer.
Paripaadal says that they have their wet cloths getting dried up
The Vaigai absorbs the vapor from the drying cloths and
There they make the 'பாைை ' – the image of a girl on the sand
After this they enter the river water, splash and play in the water.
ைுலைுெ்
ூ ெிைனப் பூ ை் ெைாய்ைு
But making the paavai and bathing in the river were important scenes seen in
Maargazhi.
The girls are left to play in the river because the water level is that of a
'kuLam'
The girls make merry in the waters in the month of Thai with "ெபாய்யாடல்".
The dance is ெபாய்யாடல் " – not a true reflection of what it seems to convey.
for which one can not attribute any idea of love or sexual desire in them.
but the moves by the girls seemed to suggest that they are not love-struck.
the girls join their mothers and follow the instruction in prayers.
(Does the river remember her as one who prayed in an earlier birth?)
The Nonbu that begins with a prayer to have the world cool at all times
From Paripaadal 11 :-
The married woman prays that her husband's love for her never diminishes.
Some married women pray that they as a couple would remain youthful for long,
even after the wife attains the last and the 7th stage of womanhood (of ோபரிளம்
ெபண் )
After the prayer, they play music in the பாைல யாழ் set to 'பரி பாடல் '.
They are already married and pray for a happy life with their spouse.
They sing that they had prayed to the Vaigai like that in the previous birth.
Let Vaigai make them come to her (the river) and pray again in a future birth too.
(1) In maargazhi, both married and unmarried women perform the nOnbu.
(2) The unmarried girls make the paavai as a girl's play and worship that.
That is perhaps to get her used to a habit of praying for happy married life
continues to come after her marriage with a serious and heart-felt prayer
(4) The prayer by married woman was perhaps an inspiration for girls
*************
It is possible to assume that Devandhi meant the Maargazhi and Thai nOnbu.
Bathing must be done in ெங்ைம் of river ைாோைரி (where it joins the sea)
From
Pukaar khandam
ைணைற்ைு ஒருோோான்பு 55
ோபாைம்ெெய்
ூ பூ மியினும் ோபாய்ப்பிறப்பர் யாம்ஒருோாள்
The customs around the nOnbu was like this (as reported in Silappadhikaram)
that we at least know that such a tradition existed for very long in this land.
*******************
Part -2
They are
(1) 3 spells of rainfall every month ('theengindri naadellaam, thingaL mummaari
peidhu')
(2) A robust Water cycle that will take care of rainfall over a larger area for a
longer duration – say, during the Rainy season.
Has she given priority to rainfall and worldly riches than to a spiritual favor?
'For me Arjuna, there is nothing in all these three worlds which ought to be done.
And I will be causing chaos in life and thereby ruining all people'. (Gita 3- 24)
Thus the feet of Vishnu are continuously moving around the earth.
is that of Thrivikrama!
The Chakra and Shanku, personified as the Sun and the Moon
are always going round the earth giving it sunshine and rainfall –
As if to remind us that
the Lord had taken birth Solar dynasty and in Lunar asterisms.
(1) when the moon crosses the jala nadi – its own house of Cancer in the watery
sign- from Aslesha and Maga
(2) when the moon crosses the point opposite to the jala naadi – in ThiruvOnam and
Avittam
(3) when the moon moves in the last watery sign of Pisecs – in Poorva bhadrapada,
Uttara bhadra pada and Revathy.
These are definite signs where moon's nature of coolness and wateriness are
exemplified.
Apart from these, when the moon moves over Swathi, Rohini, and the 2 Aashaada
(pooradam & Utthradam) stars, the heavens will open up to bless the world with
rainfall.
Like the Lord, his weapon, the shanku as the Moon keeps working non-stop.
shoot them down as though showering arrows from His bow, the Saarangam.
For this too, the Lord has given as answer in His Gita.
This world is sustained by Yajna.
Give the devas their due and get from them the returns. (chapter 3, Gita).
So we can not remain quiet and say that the Lord will do.
Everything is cyclical.
as they not only ensure a good harvest but also good milk production –
from that place to where the water gets back into the sea,
the river or any water body stands the risk of mis-handling and pollution.
- as it gives life to all entities of the world, it even nourishes the in-animate.
- as it keeps moving all the time – like how the Lord is working all the time.
http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2008/12/paavai-nonbu-how-it-was-done.html )
that the paavai nOnbu was meant for a cool and damp world along with a shining
sun.
the men and women have offered their prayers to the river
in the month after the rainy season when the river is still gushing briskly –
reminding one of how the Lord also moves briskly from ayana to ayana
From His Yoganidra, Narayana has told Brahma to worship the Ganges
The Yoganidra indicates His continuing non-stop karma that He does as Yoga.
Not only the Ganges, all the other rivers of this land are carrying His bounty –
the Lord spreads His serpent bed to help people to do their karma!
Our role is to nourish the devas so that they in turn nourish us.
The ways of nourishing the devas have been told by the sages
Varaha mihira says that this wisdom has been acquired by the Maharishis
by observing Nature and the way she works, for generations after generations and
codified for the benefit of Humanity.
Let us see what this wisdom is about and how we fit in the scheme of things.
If all the 3 levels of symptoms occur, there will be very good rainfall.
If one or two of them are present, the rainfall will be less to that extent.
then the rainy season will be too bountiful stretching for full 4 months.
should the rainy season start in time in the lunar month of Aashada,
Conception of rainfall.
The time of conception begins on the day of Full moon in the month of Maargazhi.
the rainfall will happen at night time after 195 days and
the rainfall will happen at the day time after 195 days.
There are combinations of planets that must be present during these conception
months.
The moon and the stars must shine brightly in the month of Maargazhi.
But such reddish pre-dawn is a pregnancy symptom in the month of Thai (pushya)
But as the day progresses, the clouds must take the shape of aquatic animals
according to sages.
It is because
The children,
that too the girls who can be seen making shrill sounds and happy screams.
They will certainly wake up and go to the river even before the dawn breaks.
They were not mature enough to understand the religious aspect of it.
until they grew old enough to transform it into prayers for a good husband
taking bath in the ice-cold water of the river with screams and shouts,
The nOnbu had the Vediks setting up the homa fire on the banks of the river.
It is said in Paripaadal that the river receives the warmth from the Havis
and also warmth released by the wet cloths of the girls
with men, women, and youngsters coming out and warming up the atmosphere
The nature of the up coming rainy season and the accompanying prosperity
must be observed after the shukla paksha ashtami in the lunar month of Aashaada.
It is about the Lord's Shanku, the moon doing its pre-ordained duty.
When the moon enters Swathi in shukla paksha Ashaada, it must rain.
It will rain if the conception symptoms had happened on the Krishna paksha navami
of Maargashira (in Thiruppavai it was on the day of 'Thoomani' paasuram)
The day of swathi as told above will be divided into 3 parts in the day time
The particular pasuram on the 9th day is a bit harsh on her friends in waking them
up.
AndaaL does not even bother about indicting the mothers too in this pasuram.
It is because this day corresponds to the day of Swathi in Shukla paksha Aashada
If they do their duty in the last prahara of the night (which is pre-dawn )
there will certainly be rains in the 1st prahara of night on Shukla paksha navami
There is no need rush to the river (though they have to have the ritual till Thai
and after)
then the rainy season will open with a bang after Shukla paksha navami in Aashada.
On the full moon of Aashada, certain quantities of all grains will be weighed
This coincides with Bhogi festival that occurred 195 days prior to that!
By the time of Bhogi, Shukla paksha Pushya will be nearing its end.
The smoke and fire of Bhogi accompanied with the drum-beat (of parai)
had been a strong symptom to result in the start of the rainy season
The nOnbu on the banks of the river works on the scientific concept
The people nurture the river, the river in turn nurtures them
-the case of mutual help between men and devas as told by the Lord.
The rivers carry the bounty of the Lord who shot the rains from His Saarangam.
The two prayers of the Nonbu as told in Paripaadal reminds Him only.
The dampness that is prayed during the nOnbu
the prayer for the Sun shining well but not spreading its heat
particularly to Srirangam – so that the conception takes place for Universal good.
They not only complete the water cycle – of going back to the sea
Today we may think, that we have lost this tradition of paavai nOnbu.
"Thiruppavai paavaattu"
ூஇரூ ைை மாஅல் ! 35