12943089 paavai nonbu method and benefits

8/13/2019 12943089 Paavai nOnbu Method and Benefits

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how it was done?

Paavi nOnbu is an important tradition in the lives of Tamils from times ofantiquity.

The memory of it exists till today, thanks to AndaaL who immortalied that memory

in her !omposition, Thiruppavai.

"t is a matter of interest and inquisitiveness why this nOnbu was performed.

"t is our fortune that olden !ompositions des!ribin# this nOnbu still exist withus.

The most detailed a!!ount of this nOnbu and the nOnbu done in the month of

$known as % & are found in '

Of the () !ompositions in Paripaadal,

dedi!ated to , $*uru#an& and

the river runnin# in ,

only ++ !ompositions are available with us in !omplete form.

Parts of another !ompositions as quoted

by other authors of olden texts are also available.

They help us in knowin# the !ulture and tradition

of Tamils who lived +))) years a#o.

-e !an say for sure that Paripaadal was !omposed more than +))) years a#o,

be!ause the th !omposition that speaks about the #lory of the river ai#ai

be#ins with the astro details as existed at that time.

"t was the be#innin# of the /ainy season in that year

and !omposition details the !ustoms that were followed

for the next 0 months $endin# with the month of Thai&

with the river as an essential entity in the !ustoms.


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"t is in explorin# the verses of the th !omposition

with the aid of !ommentary written by none other than

$who has written !ommentary for also&,

we !ome a!ross the details of how the

and the 1 % 1 were performed.

This !omposition was written by

,

"sai 2 ,

Pa3 2

4irst let us know the time period of this !omposition

so that we will know how old was this tradition.

The sky map !an be !onstru!ted from the details of the first part of this!omposition.

$"t is #iven in

http5667ayasreesaranathan.blo#spot.!om6+))86+6paavai%nonbu%how%it%was%done.html &

4rom this it is as!ertained that the year was 0 9:.

That was ;aliyu#apthi +,)&

"t was the year of Pramaadhi,

+th day in the solar month of Aava3i,

with moon in Avitta in :hathurdasi.

The rainy season $ & be#an on this day as per tradition.

1 1


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1"v% aaru1 here means as per tradition or destiny

makin# it appear that a #ood and bountiful rainy season is pre%determined

due to some reason.

-e will dis!uss that in the next post.

The planetary position shows a bountiful rainy season.

"t was be!ause all the !auses that fa!ilitate su!h a season had existed the yearbefore'

That is what paavai nonbu is about 2 a !ontributive fa!tor in rainfall.

The details of that will be taken up in the next post

And the present post is an introdu!tory one for that.

-ithout knowin# what Paavai nOnbu is about,

we !an not say how it is a !ontributive fa!tor in rainfall.

arrives after a lon# spell of bountiful rains.

The river is full and at many pla!es it looks muddy in !olor

as the sediments have not yet settled down.

The mornin#s are !old and waters are i!e%!old.

And the fo#s have not started.

"t is time for doin# a vratham or or the austerity

whi!h requires the doer to !ontrol the senses.

"t is time #ive up re#ular wishes su!h as beautifyin# oneself with de!orative.

On the day of 4ull moon when moon enters Arudra $thiruvadirai&

the nOnbu be#ins.

$this tallies with the time as 1 1

as indi!ated in the st verse of Thiruppavai&


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Parimelaha#ar says that *aar#ahi is known as

,

be!ause the moon is Arudra and the sun is in Poorvashada $pooradam&.

Arudra stands for rainfall.

The day of entry of the sun in Arudra determines the rainfall

for the whole year a!!ordin# to arsha%phalan.

The moon is without 2 #ettin# full in bri#htness.

"t is aspe!ted by the sun whi!h has now taken position in the star Poorada

that ensures water.

The month when this happens is like a 1 1%

as all tanks and water bodies are full by the time *ar#ahi arrives.

"t is known as 1 1 for another reason also.

The water is not fast but it #ently moves alon# the breee.

"t is also not deep but suffi!ient enou#h to take a dip.

"t is safe for the youn# #irls to play as they take bath.

That is also why this month !ame to be !alled as

"n this month, on the day of 4ull moon,

ediks be#in 1 1 2thiruviha $festival&

This is des!ribed like this in .

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A!!ordin#ly, the #irls take bath in the !old waters of the river

whi!h is brushed by a #entle breee.

The #irls the 7oin their mothers and follow the instru!tions to do the prayer.

Then they !ir!umambulate the oma% a#ni

$ $ that were !onstru!ted on the banks by the ediks &

with the wet !loths on

Paripaadal says that they have their wet !loths #ettin# dried up

in the heat of the oma%a#ni.

The ai#ai absorbs the vapor from the dryin# !loths and

also the homa smoke.

That is the $ % for the river.

This is how the Paavai nOnbu is done in *aar#ahi,

on the first day of 4ull moon.

Paripaadal does not say about makin# the 1paavai1.

9ut other texts do tell about that.

4rom other texts we !ome to know that youn# unmarried #irls

#o to the river banks on other days too.

The elders do not a!!ompany them.

The #irls #o to the river bank a!!ompanied by their friends.

There they make the 1 1 2 the ima#e of a #irl on the sand

and offer flowers to it.

After this they enter the river water, splash and play in the water.

"t looks as thou#h the water is playin# with them.

4rom Pura nanuru % +=B5%


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$ ,

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" &

The water play is an important feature as it is told in other verses too.

4rom Purananuru %5%

,

The paavai they make is sometimes destroyed by

the flowin# water of ai#ai% makin# the #irls !ry.

4rom Paripaadal (5%

1 , +>

1 , 1

9ut makin# the paavai and bathin# in the river were important s!enes seen in*aar#ahi.

This is told in a sutra B0


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as they shake in the !old waters of the river

is a routine s!ene in pre%dawn of *aar#ahi in those days.

The #irls are left to play in the river be!ause the water level is that of a1kuLam1

This is known from the !ommentary on Thai neeradal'

The !onditions have !han#ed as Thai ushers in.

The water in Thai is !rystal !lear.

The river is !alm and it is time for 1 1 2

"t is a tapas, a thavam or a time of prayer.

$bathin# as a tapas& is done as a !ontinuation of

% . $bathin# in !old water&

Paripaadal des!ribes like this.

The #irls make merry in the waters in the month of Thai with .

The dan!e is 2 not a true refle!tion of what it seems to !onvey.

des!ribes that the dan!es or 6 and the moves

that the #irls make while dan!in#

have no shred of 1 1 exhibited in them.

The moves done by the #irls are very inno!ent,

for whi!h one !an not attribute any idea of love or sexual desire in them.

Probably the dan!es were on love themes

but the moves by the #irls seemed to su##est that they are not love%stru!k.

That is why the dan!e was !alled


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After the dan!es on the banks and in the waters as they take bath,

the #irls 7oin their mothers and follow the instru!tion in prayers.

The $ is made on the banks by the ediks and

The #irls and married women !ir!umambulate it

and pray to ai#ai'

An amain# part of this prayer is that it is addressed to the river ai#ai

with a plea to the river to tell her $the #irl&

what #ood she has done to do that there.

"s it be!ause it was done by her in her earlier births too?

$Coes the river remember her as one who prayed in an earlier birth?&

The 3onbu that be#ins with a prayer to have the world !ool at all times

ends in Thai with a prayer for a happy married life.

The water in Thai is !lear,

therefore it is the ri#ht one to absorb the wishes exa!tly.

4rom Paripaadal 5%

1 , ' 1 , >

The married woman prays that her husband1s love for her never diminishes.

@he prays that he never leaves her.

@ome married women pray that they as a !ouple would remain youthful for lon#,

even after the wife attains the last and the (th sta#e of womanhood $of

&

They also pray for prosperity in the !ompany of relatives.


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4rom Paripaadal 5%

1 ,

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After the prayer, they play musi! in the set to 1 1.

There is no mention of prayer by unmarried #irls here.

The #irls who pray there are attra!tive and youn#

They are already married and pray for a happy life with their spouse.

They sin# that they had prayed to the ai#ai like that in the previous birth.

They are prayin# now.

Let ai#ai make them !ome to her $the river& and pray a#ain in a future birth too.

E

'

' =)

Thus ends the Thai neeradal.

@ome observations are 5%

$& "n maar#ahi, both married and unmarried women perform the nOnbu.

$+& The unmarried #irls make the paavai as a #irl1s play and worship that.

That is perhaps to #et her used to a habit of prayin# for happy married life

on!e she #ets married.


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@o the #irl who a!!ompanies her mother ri#ht from youn# days

and does on her part the playful prayer to the paavai,

!ontinues to !ome after her marria#e with a serious and heart%felt prayer

for a happy life with the husband.

$B& The prayer in *aar#ahi is obviously for 3ature

that is !ool and shinin# simultaneously.

The prayer in Thai is a prayer for oneself.

*arria#e takes importan!e in that.

$=& The prayer by married woman was perhaps an inspiration for #irls

who are waitin# to be married 2

that they would pray for marryin# a suitable #room.

Andaal1s prayer was su!h that.

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also reports a of the kind.

A 9rahmin #irl by name tells

that the root !ause of her sufferin# of separation from

$who went after &

was perhaps due to not doin# a nOnbu in her previous birth,

that was meant for a happy married life.

"t is possible to assume that Cevandhi meant the *aar#ahi and Thai nOnbu.

9e!ause the nOnbu she mentioned was also about

bathin# in the river and prayin# for happy married life.


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Only the s!ene was different.

9athin# must be done in of river $where it 7oins the sea&

and also in!ludes a dip in the s!ared waters of

and $:handra kund&.

The prayer is dire!ted to the Lord of Love, .

The prayer is for a happy married life

and also for a rebirth in 19ho#a bhoomi1 in her next birth

to lead a happy life with husband.

4rom

Pukaar khandam

1


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*aar#ahi paavai nOnbu and

the tradition that existed in @ilappadhikaram times.

The paavai nOnbu was followed by prayer to *anmatha 2

instead of the prayer to the river

That is what we know from Thiruppavai.

Another ))) years later 2 that is in the present times %

we have to be 7ust !ontent with the thou#ht

that we at least know that su!h a tradition existed for very lon# in this land.

Gven if some one wishes to do the paaavi nOnbu,

where is the flowin# ai#ai?

-here are the rivers?

-here are the seasonal rains?

-hat have we to pray?

-ith matrimonial dis!ord risin# amon# the population,

with 3ature not bein# seasonal and helpful,

do we know what we want?

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Part %+

The !onne!tion between Paavai nOnbu and rainfall'

The benefits of Paavai nonbu are expressed

in the Brd H =th verses of Thiruppavai.

They are


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$& B spells of rainfall every month $1theen#indri naadellaam, thin#aL mummaaripeidhu1&

$+& A robust -ater !y!le that will take !are of rainfall over a lar#er area for alon#er duration 2 say, durin# the /ainy season.

The prayer for these two is enou#h for takin# !are of

all round prosperity of food, milk and wealth produ!tion.

Thinkin# of AndaaL as one whose mind was fixed on

prayin# for the i#hest favor of attainin# the Lord imself,

these issues may look trivial or look out of pla!e.

as she #iven priority to rainfall and worldly ri!hes than to a spiritual favor?

-hy should AndaaL link her nOnbu with rainfall?

"f we explore like this, we are in for many surprises and se!rets

in#rained in the nOnbu and

more importantly the way the Lord -orks 2

as e has told Ar7una in the battlefield 2

mG thrishI lOkGshu karthavyam kim!hina na asthi,

avaapthavyam, anavaaptham !ha na 2 karma3i yGva varthG

14or me Ar7una, there is nothin# in all these three worlds whi!h ou#ht to be done.

3or is there anythin# un%a!quired that ou#ht to be a!quired,

Jet " #o on workin#1 $ Kita B%++&

1"f " do not do work, these men would be lost.

And " will be !ausin# !haos in life and thereby ruinin# all people1. $Kita B% +=&

Therefore e !ontinues to work non%stop

in the three worlds for whi!h e is the prote!tor.


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The first step towards prote!tion of the world is by is :hakra.

The visible form on :hakra is the @un.

The sun !ontinuously works so that the world lives on.

@urya @iddhantha re!ords the movement of the sun

as the movement of ishnu1s feet around the earth.

The sun is fixed at a distan!e,

but the Lord keeps on movin# around the earth

be!ause the earth is ishnu padam.

The first step is at Ittarayana.

The +nd step is at vernal equinox 2 the ishuvat.

After !rossin# the equinox,

the Lord1s foot sweeps throu#h Cakshinayana.

At Autumnal equinox, e pla!es is Brd step

whi!h is personified as the step on *aha bali

$explained in the post on ;aarthi#ai deepam&

The foot further sweeps throu#hout the Cakshinyana,

only to !ome ba!k to Ittarayana a#ain.

Thus the feet of ishnu are !ontinuously movin# around the earth.

@u!h a form of ishnu whi!h measures the worlds in steps

is that of Thrivikrama'

Praisin# that Thrivikrama $vOn#i ula#aLantha uTThaman per paadi&

on how e works always,

AndaaL re!alls the foremost benefit of su!h a work

whi!h e does as personifi!ation of :hakra 2 the @un.


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That benefit is rainfall whi!h is further au#mented by the @hanku.

The @hanku is personified as the *oon.

The @hanku is #ot from the waters.The moon is si#nifa!tor for waters.

"t has been noted by sa#es

that moon1s movement determines the rainfall.

The :hakra and @hanku, personified as the @un and the *oon

are always #oin# round the earth #ivin# it sunshine and rainfall 2

the two inter!onne!ted fa!tors responsible for rainfall

thereby ensurin# wealth and prosperity.

As if to remind us that

e is indeed with us always in the sun and the moon,

the Lord had taken birth @olar dynasty and in Lunar asterisms.

Jou want a role model for man?

The Lord showed it as /avi%kula thilakan.

Jou want prosperity and ri!hes,

e took birth in /ohini and Thiruvonam.

The lunar asterisms are spe!ial

as they !ool the earth in the literal sense 2 by rainfall.

The monthly movement of the moon around us

ensures at least B spells of rain in a month.

Astrolo#i!ally speakin#, the ma7or lo!ations of the B spells are

$& when the moon !rosses the 7ala nadi 2 its own house of :an!er in the waterysi#n% from Aslesha and *a#a

$+& when the moon !rosses the point opposite to the 7ala naadi 2 in ThiruvOnam andAvittam


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$B& when the moon moves in the last watery si#n of Pise!s 2 in Poorva bhadrapada,Ittara bhadra pada and /evathy.

These are definite si#ns where moon1s nature of !oolness and wateriness areexemplified.

Apart from these, when the moon moves over @wathi, /ohini, and the + Aashaada$pooradam H Itthradam& stars, the heavens will open up to bless the world withrainfall.

One of these lo!ations aided by *oon1s presen!e in them

used to favor rainfall for at least B times in a month,

Like the Lord, his weapon, the shanku as the *oon keeps workin# non%stop.

is other weapon, the :hakra as the @un

keeps heatin# up the waters poured at *oon1s instan!e.

e, as dark !louds eat up the heated water and

shoot them down as thou#h showerin# arrows from is bow, the @aaran#am.

@u!h a busy person, a !ontinuously workin# person, the Lord is,

that AndaaL has aptly re!o#nied him as

amana $rakshanam throu#h ayanas and seasons&

and Padmanabha $@hrusti 2 throu#h waters&

in the Brd and =th pasurams respe!tively.

ere one may ask %

e is one who is #ivin# without askin#.

e is more !arin# for this world than you and me.

e will anyway do this work without expe!tin# anythin# from us.

Then why should we do this paavai nOnbu and other austerities?

4or this too, the Lord has #iven as answer in is Kita.


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This world is sustained by Ja7na.

There is mutual #ive and take between men and #ods.

Kive the devas their due and #et from them the returns. $!hapter B, Kita&.

@o we !an not remain quiet and say that the Lord will do.

-e have to #ive somethin# 2 we have to a!t.

Gverythin# is !y!li!al.

Gven Lord1s walk around the world keeps shiftin# from

uttarayana to dakshinayana and dakshinayana to uttarayana.

"f as told in =th pasuram, ;annan as Aahi $!hakram or sun&

drinks waters of the o!eans,

e pours them down eventually.

The water that !omes down must #o ba!k to the o!eans

so that e !an a#ain drink that water to !ontinue the !y!le.

On the way towards the o!ean, water flows as rivers 2

and the world draws its benefits from the rivers.

That is here the rivers be!ome an inte#ral part of prosperity.

The rivers are the reservoir for ri!hes

as they not only ensure a #ood harvest but also #ood milk produ!tion 2

happiness for animals, plant kin#dom and human bein#s.

4rom o!ean to !louds to rainfall, we, as human bein#s,

have no !ontrol over the events.

9ut on!e the rain pours down,

from that pla!e to where the water #ets ba!k into the sea,

the river or any water body stands the risk of mis%handlin# and pollution.

This is here !omes the role for us, the humans.


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The water is Lord imself

% as it is the life #iver

% as it #ives life to all entities of the world, it even nourishes the in%animate.

% as it benefits all people without any dis!rimination

% as it keeps movin# all the time 2 like how the Lord is workin# all the time.

"t must be re!alled $from

http5667ayasreesaranathan.blo#spot.!om6+))86+6paavai%nonbu%how%it%was%done.html &

that the paavai nOnbu was meant for a !ool and damp world alon# with a shinin#sun.

The prayer was to the river 2 any river, for,

everywhere from Kan#es to Jamuna to 3armada to ;averi to ai#ai,

the men and women have offered their prayers to the river

in the month after the rainy season when the river is still #ushin# briskly 2

remindin# one of how the Lord also moves briskly from ayana to ayana

in addition to #ivin# us rains promptly in time

and also month after month,

at three times a month.

4rom is Jo#anidra, 3arayana has told 9rahma to worship the Kan#es

in the early hours in the month of *aar#ahi. $told in @kanda puranam &.

The Jo#anidra indi!ates is !ontinuin# non%stop karma that e does as Jo#a.

3ot only the Kan#es, all the other rivers of this land are !arryin# is bounty 2

therefore they are all re!o#nied as sa!red as the Kan#a.

As if to add to the sa!redness, wherever the river moves,

the Lord spreads is serpent bed to help people to do their karma'

The Lord is doin# is part well.

-hat about the people?


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Are they doin# their part well?

Our role is to nourish the devas so that they in turn nourish us.

The ways of nourishin# the devas have been told by the sa#es

su!h as ;ashyapa, Parashara, asishta and Kar#a

who have spelt what we must do

so that waters absorbed from the o!eans are poured

at the ri#ht moment in ri#ht quantity.

Their wisdom has been re!orded by arahamihira in 9rihad @amhita.

araha mihira says that this wisdom has been a!quired by the *aharishis

by observin# 3ature and the way she works, for #enerations after #enerations and!odified for the benefit of umanity.

This knowled#e was already for#otten in araha mihira1s times.

9ut after him, it is totally ne#le!ted.

Let us see what this wisdom is about and how we fit in the s!heme of thin#s.

To understand this we must know some basi!s of how rainfall o!!urs.

" am not #oin# to say what s!ien!e has told.

This is somethin# else 2 based on lunar !y!le.

A!!ordin# to this wisdom,

rainfall at a pla!e is !onne!ted to !ertain symptoms of the three worlds

and must have o!!urred 0 and a half Lunar !y!les before.

The B worlds are

Prithvi 2 !onsistin# of flora, fauna, men et!

Anthariksha 2 !onsistin# of the atmosphere, vayu, !louds et!

and Cyaur loka 2 !omprisin# the sun and the planets.


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The symptoms of rainfall as found in these B lokas !an be !ate#oried as

terrestrial, atmospheri! and heavenly symptoms.

-hen symptoms at all these B levels are noti!ed,

it is said that the !on!eption or pre#nan!y of rainfall happens on that day.

"t will be delivered as rainfall after days.

"f all the B levels of symptoms o!!ur, there will be very #ood rainfall.

"f one or two of them are present, the rainfall will be less to that extent.

9ut to have a #ood rainy season,

the symptoms must happen at all the B worlds

and for many days.

-hen the symptoms are there for = months,

then the rainy season will be too bountiful stret!hin# for full = months.

The information of interest to us is that

should the rainy season start in time in the lunar month of Aashada,

the pre#nan!y symptoms or Karbottam must o!!ur in *aar#ahi'

"t is in this !ontext the *aar#ahi nOnbu attains si#nifi!an!e

for bestowin# #ood rainfall as the foremost benefit'

:on!eption of rainfall.

The !on!eption of rains or fetus formation or #arbOttam starts

after the rainy season is over.

The time of !on!eption be#ins on the day of 4ull moon in the month of *aar#ahi.

The !on!eption that happens in the ;rishna paksha of *aar#ahi

$lunar month of *aar#ashira&

will fall as rainfall % in the @hukla paksha of Aashaada.

The !on!eption that happens in the @hukla paksha of Pushya,


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will fall as rains in the ;rishna paksha of Aashaada.

This !ontinues in alternatin# paksha after 0 and a half lunar months

@imilarly if the !on!eption happens at the day time,

the rainfall will happen at ni#ht time after days and

if the !on!eption happens at the ni#ht time,

the rainfall will happen at the day time after days.

The !on!eption must be aided at all the three levels $lokas&.

At the heavenly level, there must be benefi! !ombination of planets.

The first day of !on!eption itself is a benefi!ial !ombination

of the 4ull moon of *aar#ahi.

As told in the Paripaadal verse ,

when the sun is in Pooradam and the moon is in Arudra

on the day of 4ull moon in *ar#ahi,

the vedks be#in their austerities by #rowin# A#ni.

There are !ombinations of planets that must be present durin# these !on!eptionmonths.

One su!h !ombination is the simultaneous rise and settin# of planets.

That was re!orded by AndaaL as veLLi yehundhu, vyaaham uran#ittru

The planets must be in friendly si#ns and in benefi! !ombinations.

The moon and the stars must shine bri#htly in the month of *aar#ahi.

The atmospheri! si#ns in!lude a silverish or whitish pre%dawn or

the pre%dawn of the !olor of Tamala flower.

The 1keeh vaanam veLLendru1 as des!ribed by AndaaL is a favorable si#n of!on!eption in that !ru!ial month.


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The pre%dawn must not be reddish.

9ut su!h reddish pre%dawn is a pre#nan!y symptom in the month of Thai $pushya&

The wind must be !ool, breey and deli#htful in *aar#ahi mornin#s,

whereas it must be stron# in *aasi and rou#h and violent in Pan#uni.

The !louds must be raor thin and smooth in *aar#ahi.

9ut as the day pro#resses, the !louds must take the shape of aquati! animals

and look bulky.

Like this, the atmospheri! symptoms are noted.

3ow, about the !ru!ial terrestrial symptoms.

This in!ludes the human bein#s also.

The pleasant !ries of birds as des!ribed by AndaaL

are sure symptoms of !on!eption at that time.

The sound of !attle and !hildren are also terrestrial symptoms.

"n this !onne!tion, the happy s!reams of playin# #irls

is also re!orded as a #ood symptom of fetus formation in *aar#ahi

a!!ordin# to sa#es.

"t is be!ause

the pre%dawn of *aar#ahi must be heated up 2

not by a#ni 6 fire

but by sounds, rustlin#s, movements et!.

-ho will be ready to #o out in !old mornin#s?

The !hildren,

that too the #irls who !an be seen makin# shrill sounds and happy s!reams.

Allow them to play in water,


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Allow them to play their favorite #ame of playin# with dolls,

Allow them to beat their small drums loudly,

Allow them a freedom in all these.

They will !ertainly wake up and #o to the river even before the dawn breaks.

That is what happens in Paavai nOnbu.

4rom the a!!ounts in san#am texts

we know that the #irls%play was an important !omponent of the nOnbu.

They were not mature enou#h to understand the reli#ious aspe!t of it.

They were only habituated to performin# that nOnbu every year

until they #rew old enou#h to transform it into prayers for a #ood husband

and a happy married life.

9ut the way they moved by beatin# the parai,

playin# in the wet sand by doin# 1paavai % vilaiyaattu1,

takin# bath in the i!e%!old water of the river with s!reams and shouts,

as the !hill water tou!hed them

$that is why AndaaL told kuLLa kuLira kudaidhu neeraadadhG

be!ause they had take elaborate bath in the river&

were all a!tivities aimed at warmin# the pre%dawn atmosphere of *aar#ahi.

The nOnbu had the ediks settin# up the homa fire on the banks of the river.

A!tually *aar#ahi was not the time for ya7nas.

9ut how to make the air warm?

The mandatory a#ni sa!rifi!es were hen!e

done on the banks of the river.

"t is said in Paripaadal that the river re!eives the warmth from the avis


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and also warmth released by the wet !loths of the #irls

who !ir!umambulated the homa kunda after the bath.

The pro!ess of KarbOttam is set in motion in this way,

at the pre dawn times in the !old month of *aar#ahi

with men, women, and youn#sters !omin# out and warmin# up the atmosphere

The *aar#ahi bha7ans and

early mornin# de!oration of the house%fronts with ;olams

are !ontributin# to the warmin# up of a time that is !ru!ial for

usherin# in the rainy season after days.

"f the B levels of symptoms are normal be#innin#

the 4ull moon of maar#ahi $krishnapaksha of *ar#ashira&,

then it would be refle!ted in the shula paksha of Ashaada.

The nature of the up !omin# rainy season and the a!!ompanyin# prosperity

must be observed after the shukla paksha ashtami in the lunar month of Aashaada.

"t is about the Lord1s @hanku, the moon doin# its pre%ordained duty.

-hen the moon enters @wathi in shukla paksha Ashaada, it must rain.

"t will rain if the !on!eption symptoms had happened on the ;rishna paksha navamiof *aar#ashira $in Thiruppavai it was on the day of 1Thoomani1 paasuram&

The day of swathi as told above will be divided into B parts in the day time

and B parts in the ni#ht time.

$a daytime is from sunrise to sunset and reverse for ni#ht%time&

This day is a ben!hmark day.

Ga!h part as told above is known as 1prahara1.

"f it rains in the st prahara in the ni#ht 2


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then there will be abundant #rowth of all #rains in the summer season.

"f it rains in the +nd prahara in the ni#ht 2

#rowth of #in#ers, #reen #rams and bla!k #rams in the summer.

"f it rains in the Brd prahara in the ni#ht 2

abundant #rowth of paddy in the summer.

4or the B praharas in the day time,

the same holds #ood in the reverse order

but they will happen in autumn season.

@o the moon in swathi in Aaahada will be wat!hed for rains.

This period !orresponds to the ;rishna paksha of *aar#ahi

when the 3onbu be#an in AndaaL1s times'

The parti!ular pasuram on the


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in the first half of Thiruppavai !oin!idin# with the ;rishna paksha of *aar#ahi.

"n the se!ond half, it is totally spiritual.

There is no need rush to the river $thou#h they have to have the ritual till Thai

and after&

be!ause the basi! requirement has been taken !are of.

9e!ause if the !on!eption has happened properly in ;rishna paksha of *aar#ahi,

then the rainy season will open with a ban# after @hukla paksha navami in Aashada.

araha mihira #ives utmost importan!e to this month, as told by sa#es.

On the full moon of Aashada, !ertain quantities of all #rains will be wei#hed

after a prayer to Koddesses @araswathy,

who is praised for her 1satya vaakku1.

Then a#ain the #rains will be wei#hed.

The #rains that have #ained wei#ht in the se!ond wei#hin#

will be de!lared as those #ivin# a surplus in the season.

The @atya vaakuu of @araswathy shows that.

This knowled#e of rains is !ommon knowled#e in those days.

The people in those days had immense

spiritual and mind power to !onne!t with Kod.

They knew and followed the di!tum by *aharishis

and dis!har#ed their duties as required.

"n su!h a s!enario, the atmosphere also was helpful.

The planets were helpful.

"f we look at the planetary map #iven in the th verse of Paripaadal


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we will see that the rainy season ushered in 7ust before ;rishna paksha Aashada .

This !oin!ides with 9ho#i festival that o!!urred days prior to that'

9y the time of 9ho#i, @hukla paksha Pushya will be nearin# its end.

4o##y mornin# is an important symptom then.

The smoke and fire of 9ho#i a!!ompanied with the drum%beat $of parai&

had been a stron# symptom to result in the start of the rainy season

at that time the verse was !omposed.

"t means that the people have done their part well,

as how their Lord does is part well.

The nOnbu on the banks of the river works on the s!ientifi! !on!ept

that works on Amaon or :on#o river forests.

The kind of water evaporation happenin# in damp forests

attra!t more rains in those pla!es.

"n the same way, the evaporation happenin# in the river banks

aided by terrestrial fa!tors $in the form of nOnbu&

attra!t more rains and waters in the rivers.

The B spells in a month is aided in this way.

Added to it is the mind and spiritual thou#hts of the people

for the #ood flow of the river.

The people nurture the river, the river in turn nurtures them

%the !ase of mutual help between men and devas as told by the Lord.

The rivers work non%stop like how the Lord works.

The rivers !arry the bounty of the Lord who shot the rains from is @aaran#am.

The rivers are is abode.

The two prayers of the 3onbu as told in Paripaadal reminds im only.


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The dampness that is prayed durin# the nOnbu

reminds us of the one in eLLam and

the prayer for the @un shinin# well but not spreadin# its heat

reminds us of the one in enkatam.

The river at on!e reminds the environs of @riran#am and Thiruvenkatam.

All feet are to these two pla!es.

parti!ularly to @riran#am 2 so that the !on!eption takes pla!e for Iniversal #ood.

All the life lines of Tamils were nourished in *aar#ahi.

Ko to ;averi or ai#ai, the Lord is waitin# nearby to bless us.

-hen this 3ature%bound austerity is done,

;averi and ai#ai swell throu#hout their stret!h.

They not only !omplete the water !y!le 2 of #oin# ba!k to the sea

but also fulfill the ThiruvuLLam of Lord in enri!hin# the lands.

Today we may think, that we have lost this tradition of paavai nOnbu.

3o, " don1t think we have lost 6 we are lost

There are no flowin# rivers.

"t is not possible to send our kids alone outside.

9ut the Lord is not someone to leave us in the lur!h.

-ith !han#in# times, he re%invents and re7uvenates somethin# for us.

The avatar of AndaaL is a mile stone in re%writin# tradition.

The 9hoo%matha has #iven us the Thiruppavai.

The pre%dawn heatin# is done these days

by the loud #oshti #aanam of Thiruppavai.

The visit to the river is repla!ed by visit to the temple.

The more the asthiks sti!k to re!itin# Thiruppavai

as a bi# #atherin#, at every temple


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or #o round the streets by performin# bha7ans,

the better are the !han!es of a #ood rainy season

AndaaL1s predi!tion will !ome true 2

she said there will be rains if they take up 13am%paavai neeraattu1.

"n our times, there will be $are& rains, if we take up

Thiruppavai paavaattu

As a !on!lusion, let me re%produ!e the wonderful des!ription

of Lord in !ontinuous a!tion.

This is the Brd verse in Paripaadal on Thirumaal,

-ritten by ;aduvan "La veyinanaar,

on how e works with one hand,

+ hands, B hands, = hands, > hands,

0 hands, ( hands, 8 hands, < hands, ) hands,

)) hands, ))) hands, ),))) hands,

)),))) hands and

up to the non%!ountable number of 1Aambal1 hands'

' " , E

& ,

' B>

' '


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12943089 paavai nonbu method and benefits

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